Errandonnee Musings: If One Errandeurs, But No One Blogs It…

Did it make a sound? Who can say? Just in case it doesn’t, I know several people who have dedicated time not only to errandeuring, but to writing about their experiences as well.

My favorite errandeur
My favorite errandeur

I am quite impressed with how quickly people are putting together their posts. They’re faster than a speedy roadie on a fenderless carbon frame. Whoosh!

My staff’s internet research revealed these recent Errandonnee happenings:

  • Rootchopper, originally known as the Errant Errandeur, quit the Errandonnee once, but decided to return for another go. In the first five days of the Errandonnee he’s also completely gone through an identity crisis and returned to the Errandonnee as El Errando Grande. That’s right. Errandeuring can make you lose your mind.
  • Unlike the D.C. area, other places actually get real winter with actual cold temperatures and snowfall that sticks around. Tucamoredew in Edmonton, Alberta (Canda!) has been blogging his rides, and studded tires and snowdrifts are frequently featured in his photos. I even learned about the Canadian kickstand! His commute also passed by the pyramids of the Muttart plant conservatory, and his night photos of the scene are beautiful.
  • The Brompton Diaries blogger, who rides a (guess?) Brompton (good job!) named Basil packed in a busy day of errandeuring. She completed 10 errands in one day, and is halfway toward the overall mileage goal. As you can see by her post, that is one busy day of errands. Bromptons are fun to follow through photos, as their size allows them to go places that full-size frames often don’t.
  • Steadily blogging her progress, Rambling Rider looks like she will easily cross the Errandonnee finish line. Half of her errands are done. Most of the mileage is already covered. Now, if she can just avoid arrest for taking photos of beverages in the CVS.
  • MrTinDC doesn’t have a blog, but he has been keeping up an Errandonnee flickr set and, as you know from yesterday’s Twitter post, tweeting his progress. Almost through the challenge, he informs me that he has not used any Performance Enhancing Drugs. In addition, he has made frequent mention of how he wishes that he needed a haircut.
  • My timing for launching the Errandonnee coincided perfectly with massive snowfall in the Boston area. Who will errandeur in that weather, I asked myself. I now have my answer. Lovely Bicycle will. Not to be pent up indoors, she threw a polka dot saddle cover on her Brompton and headed out to get stuff done. It made for some dramatic errand photos.
  • Tales from the Sharrows is not errandeuring, but he gave the Errandonnee a nice shout-out, in which he recalls the more lucrative challenges this blog never had. I particularly like his false memory of gold doubloons and Jay-Z concert tickets.
Art bike racks are not an errandeur's best friend. This photo's for you, Alex B.
Art bike racks are not an errandeur’s best friend. This photo’s for you, Alex B.
  • Windy Run hones in on the fact that our country has fallen into a national errand crisis, which is naturally the genesis of the Errandonnee. He’s doing his part, though, by doing things riding his bike to coffee shops to read pretentious books and drink foam-laden beverages and taking part in bike-centric Mardi Gras parties. Oh, and then he tops it all off by writing  hilarious blog posts.
  • Random Duck (RandomDuck? Randomduck? I’m not sure) blogged his recent commute home. The heavy car traffic he documented on his evening commute makes me glad I ride a bike to get places.
  • Joan O., an Arlington rider who completed last year’s simple yet difficult Utilitaire, has returned to participate in the Errandonnee. Yahoo! She’s also tracking her progress through flickr. In a funny coincidence, she happened to visit the hardware store at the very same time another errandeur was there, too. Meta-errandeuring!
  • Jerdlngr is another participant using flickr to track her errandeuring. She and MrTinDC are a formidable team, having completed a bunch of trips during the first weekend. I love this shot from the recent MoveDC forum. Eight errands down, four to go.
  • Robert Kerner joined the Errandonnee action and, at least for the moment, is using a lovely Co-Motion as his errandeur steed of choice. Bike envy! A rider from New York state, he’s also dealing with snow, and said that putting on the heavy snow tires causes an adverse psychological reaction about one’s perceived fitness. Just hang in there still Spring arrives!
  • Another Canadian errandeur, Sheriffs in Lethbridge has thrown her hat into the Errandonnee ring, and has so far blogged a ride to work. I confess that I did not know where Lethbridge was until reading her blog so that’s what I learned from her errand!

Are you blogging? Did I miss you? Let me know in the comments or send me an email.

Flower shop and bike tweet

Finally, don’t forget. It’s an important day tomorrow! (Thanks for that tweet, Emilio!)

Responses to “Errandonnee Musings: If One Errandeurs, But No One Blogs It…”

  1. rootchopper

    I am pretty sure that the Errandonerring Challenge made the State of the Union speech. Obama said, “Let’s get this done.”

    Like

  2. rcannon100

    Yes, I confess – twas I that stumbled upon Joan at the Cherrydale Hardware sometimes Masonic Temple. What is curious is that the Hardware store JUST installed a bike rack! In a “Build it and they will come” moment, two errandonneers were instantaneously stumbling around their store. We talked about the errant items in the neighborhood that we previously lashed our bikes to. The brand new U racks down at the safeway havent even had their protective rappers removed yet (of course that could be bc no one goes there)

    Like

  3. Will

    I love the Canadian kickstand. We could use some more of that around here!

    Like

  4. Melissa

    I am posting on a blog, and errandonneering on cargo bike. The 19-29mph winds combined with graupel snow kept me from getting about 12 miles I had planned for today (I won’t subject my small passenger to that combo of weather). It was such a bummer, I was really looking forward to the ride.

    Like

    1. KWest

      I just looked up graupel snow. I’d never heard of that! I’m guessing you’re not in Virginia. HAH!

      Like

      1. Melissa

        It’s super weird, and looks kind of like styrofoam. But today it sounded like sand or gravel when it hit the windows. I’m about a mile high in elevation in the Montana Rockies. And I’d never heard of it before living in Montana. 🙂

        Like

    2. MG

      Awesome! Can’t wait to read your rides!

      Like

  5. randomduck

    Yes, it is an important day tomorrow: it is @spritewrites’ birthday! Yes, it makes the whole Hallmark holiday a wash, but it is a fun day of celebration!

    Like

  6. KWest

    Yes, I’m blogging — in fact, this has inspired me to get my moribund blog out of the garage and back on the trails and paths. So you can go here to see it: http://southlakesmom.blogspot.com/ And just to give a shout out, I “heard” about the errandonneer via a Facebook post from Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling (FABB).

    Like

    1. MG

      Thank you! I love the strategically placed helmet in all your shots.

      Like

  7. Nathan

    Got the first six errands up at http://fourquartets.blogspot.com/. One question: Any chance a husband and wife team can split the errands (and errandeuring swag?:) We’re doing our best, but we’re off the pace to get done by the final day.
    Thanks for putting this together, we’re having a blast!

    Like

    1. MG

      Sorry, no splitting, but complete what you can and submit for honorable mention!

      Like

    2. MG

      Also, so glad to see Iowans representing!!

      Like

  8. Adam Froehlig (@ajfroggie)

    Haven’t blogged since I got back from deployment (yeah, I’m woefully behind), but I’ve been partaking. Tweeted a few. Do I get bonus points for errandonning in two different metropolitan areas?

    Like

    1. MG

      You never know… submit and see!

      Like

  9. Errandonneuring #6, #7, and #8 « LONGER BACA

    […] is a Chasing Mailboxes-approved […]

    Like

  10. Christopher Peter

    So I ran an errand today… a 40 mile one! 😉

    I started logging my trips on my blog, if you want to take a look!

    Like

    1. MG

      Excellent! I will add you to my errandeur blog list. Thanks!

      Like

  11. Chris

    Errandonneuring in Lincoln, NE, just slow to get it online.

    Like

    1. MG

      Fantastic!

      Like

  12. Gray Harrison

    Yay, I finished the errandonnee today! Blog and pics at http://meandthemundo.blogspot.com

    Like

    1. MG

      Excellent! Don’t forget to mail your Errandonnee control card to me! Or you can also post it to your blog and email me the link to it.

      Like

  13. Sunday Errandonnee | An Old Guy On Two Wheels

    […] little errandonee this morning.  This is a word coined by several DC bike bloggers.  It rolls off the tongue a […]

    Like

Comments & questions welcome – moderated for trolls and spam.