bicycling
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Trail Ridge Road on Tandem
There’s nothing that kicks off a bike tour better than riding the highest continuous paved road in the United States. Continue reading
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All the King’s Horses, and All the King’s Men: Co-Motion Reassembly
I’m happy to report our tandem reassembly did not end like the tale of Humpty Dumpty. It took some time, but our tandem arrived safely in Boulder, Colorado, and is now a big bike again. It helped that we are staying with cycling friends who have a spacious back porch to spread out the coupler… Continue reading
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Having a Breakdown (of the S&S Coupler Kind)
Felkerino and I made one airplane trip on a non-coupled tandem bike, and found it to be a big pain in the patootie. Because of that, we made sure our Co-Motion tandem had S&S Coupling (couplers) to facilitate the transport of our bike through airports. The couplers (visible in the photo above) allow our bike… Continue reading
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Goin’ on a Bike Tour: a Return to Simple
As I write this post, Felkerino is breaking apart and boxing up our Co-Motion Java (more on that burly beast and the S&S Coupler cases in a later post) and we’re packing for our upcoming bike tour out west. Continue reading
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Friday Coffee Club: Big Bicycling Edition
One of the reasons I love living in Washington, D.C., is because it is a destination city. Every day my path intersects with tourists who are out and about, taking in the sights, and most often blissfully oblivious to my bike bell. Today, as Felkerino and I enjoyed our pre-work morning at Friday Coffee Club… Continue reading
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The Gift of Slowness
I seldom experience slowness in the city. I rush around every weekday morning, I try to arrive at my office on time, and I work diligently throughout the day. I make post-work plans to meet up with others at a certain time, and lots of my day is scheduled. The tours and rides Felkerino and… Continue reading
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Bike Plus Jump
I never used to take photos during bike rides, but over time I realized that I like having a tangible memory of a day in the saddle. Nothing can replace the actual experience, but it is nice to have a photo to help recall rides gone by. I’ve developed an affinity for stopping at some… Continue reading
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From Middletown to Monterey: Two Days, 255 Miles
Felkerino and I have been making the most of our weekend warrior lifestyle with two straight weekends of bike overnights on our Co-Motion tandem. This past weekend we toured with our rando-friends John and Cindy, who also ride a Co-Motion tandem– a 650B Speedster. Isn’t it beautiful? Both days included plenty of climbing and stunning… Continue reading
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The Camelbak: A Reluctant Brevet and Touring Necessity
I generally like the look of most of my cycling clothing and gear with the exception of a few items such as booties, balaclavas, and the topic of today’s post, my Camelbak. However, much as I dislike the overall aesthetic, you will not see me on a brevet or bike tour without some kind of… Continue reading
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Randonneuring: From Doing to Being
I started riding with the D.C. Randonneurs in 2005 when I was invited to participate on a flèche team. At that time, I had never ridden farther than a century and I had no idea what randonneuring was. Despite my ignorance the flèche sounded like an exciting opportunity to test my limits. To prepare for… Continue reading
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Escape from the City: Weekend Bike Tour to Martinsburg, West Virginia
Felkerino and I took advantage of the recently arrived summer weather and ventured out for a weekend bike tour. We departed the District on Saturday morning and took a circuitous route out to Martinsburg, making sure we plodded a few miles through the Catoctins of Maryland. That was some hilly stuff. Overall, we rode 122… Continue reading
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The D.C. Randonneurs 400K Brevet: A Long Ride to a Pizza Party
This past weekend Felkerino and I organized the D.C. Randonneurs 400K brevet. Of all the spring brevets the 400K is the one that, as a rider, I find most daunting. It starts at 4 a.m., and is the first of the brevets that requires hours of night riding. Riders roll out in the dark, and arrive in… Continue reading
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The Dogs I’ve Met Through Randonneuring
A Terrifying Beginning When I was a kid, I developed a serious apprehension about dogs. This feeling was exacerbated when I rode my bike, largely because one of the rural roads I often traveled was also home to Snoopy, the big mean biting dog. Snoopy was always in her yard, lying in wait for innocent… Continue reading
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Comparing a Marathon to Randonneuring
Every once in a while, someone asks me how a marathon compares to randonneuring. Running versus randonneuring was also a recent topic on the “randon” list, one of the main randonneuring listservs. Having just completed a marathon as well as a flèche and a 300K within a month’s timeframe, I thought I’d share my own… Continue reading
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What Are Your Brevet Essentials?
I’m curious about what randonneurs carry on brevets. I’ve noticed over the years of randonneuring with Felkerino that I’ve developed my own little list of rando-essentials that I tend to take along “just in case.” Lots can happen when out riding all day. Weather can change suddenly, your body can start to not feel so… Continue reading
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The Blue Ridge Parkway, Broken Bottom Brackets, and Trail Magic
Lately I’ve been remembering Felkerino’s and my short-lived honeymoon bike tour from four years ago. This adventure happened before I brought this blog to life, but on occasion I like to recall some of these blasts from the past. This story is particularly special to me and not just because it was our honeymoon. It… Continue reading
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Second Chances: The D.C. Randonneurs 300K Brevet
This past Saturday, the D.C. Randonneurs ran their 300K brevet out of Warrenton, Virginia. It was my third time on this particular 300K route (although I did ride it one additional time as a no-credit “fun ride”), and I was determined to make this year a different experience than 2012. Continue reading
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A Case of the Rando-Blearies
Every year around this time, I experience the rando-blearies. Despite commuting and riding centuries-plus year round, when the temperatures rise and the sun lingers longer in the sky, I want to be out there even more. It doesn’t help that I’m married to Felkerino, my partner in all things bicycling and beyond. Oh, you are… Continue reading
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Team Definite Maybe: a Quick D.C. Randonneurs Fleche Summary
So much happens on a group ride like the fleche. Teams cover over 225 miles in an intense 24-hour period. It can be overwhelming in retrospect. For me, it’s often easier to focus on the memories that emerge after the event ends and some time has passed. Recollections of a ride can be so distinct… Continue reading
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Pre-Ride Ruminations on the Flèche: A Social, Yet Serious, Bike Ride
This week, 13 teams (65 randonneurs) in the D.C. metropolitan area are in the throes of final preparations for the weekend’s flèche. Felkerino and I are participating as part of Team Definite Maybe, a team of three of our riding buddies and us. In our case, that translates to five people on four bikes. As… Continue reading
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The New Old Feelings of Randonneuring Rides
Now that spring is here, the longer rides have begun for Felkerino and me. This weekend, we packed in a 155-mile ride on Saturday (Felkerino wrote an excellent post about it here) and a 37-mile recovery ride on Sunday. Saturday’s ride was in preparation for our upcoming 24-hour, 360 kilometer flèche. In order to avoid… Continue reading
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Make Your Own Cue Sheet Holder
Someone recently asked me what I use for a cue sheet holder when I ride. There are a variety of ways to affix a cue sheet to your bike, but the method I’ve been quite happy with over the years is one that Felkerino taught me. Felkerino makes cue sheet holders that affix to your… Continue reading
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D.C. Randonneurs Flatbread 200K Brevet Roundup
This past weekend, Felkerino and I broke the tandem in two and took off for the Eastern Shore to ride the D.C. Randonneurs 200K Flatbread brevet. While I’ve ridden this brevet once or twice before, this time was unique because instead of the usual tandem routine, I rode it on my Rivendell Romulus.See? Continue reading
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Rando Q&A with Dan D., Great Lakes and Minnesota Randonneurs
Today it’s all about what’s happening on The Daily Randonneur, where Dan D. of Wisconsin has written a Rando Q&A I think you’ll enjoy. Click to make the jump and read the post here. Have a great day, everybody! Continue reading
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Lost in the Landscape. One Perspective of a Female Touring Cyclist
Over the summer Swift Industries, a bicycle-loving and beautiful bag-making company out of the Pacific Northwest, sponsored a writing project called Tough & Tender, “a literary and photographic project that celebrates women’s relationships with bicycles, touring, and the bike industry.” The project received several contributions and I’ve found them all inspiring. Many thanks to Swift Industries for creating… Continue reading
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Rando Q&A with Andrea M., D.C. Randonneurs
Today the bloggy action takes place over on that other blog I know, The Daily Randonneur, with another Rando Q&A. Andrea M., of the D.C. Randonneurs, graciously agreed to be a guest contributor for this week’s Rando Q&A. Check the full post out here. The Rando Q&A features many thoughtful insights about riding brevets from… Continue reading
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Southern Virginia Tandem Bike Tour Lessons Learned and Wrap-Up Post
Writing during the journey is always a bit different than what comes to mind after a bike tour ends. The week has given me time to reflect on the trip we had, and I wanted to throw up some summary observations, assessments, and lessons learned from our recent jaunt around southern Virginia on our Cannondale… Continue reading
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Pedaling the Blue Ridge Parkway: The Dream I Thought I Had
This past Saturday, Felkerino and I capped off our weeklong bike tour of southern Virginia with two days on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Below is a map of the segment we toured, which extended from Floyd to the northern edge of the Parkway in Waynesboro, Virginia. As you can see, we covered slightly more than… Continue reading
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What I Learned Bike Touring from Wytheville to Floyd, Virginia
Today Felkerino and I headed off to Floyd, a southern Virginia town that abuts the Blue Ridge Parkway. A scenic and challenging day in many ways, it brought home a few themes about bike touring. 1. If the route isn’t working, change it. Continue reading
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Bike Touring from Blacksburg to Wytheville, Virginia
The weather: Sunny and dry Miles ridden: 92 Mountains: Three, one being the notable Walker Mountain ten miles outside Wytheville. Continue reading
Chasing MailBoxes 