Lately I’ve had the uncomfortable sensation that my life is on top of me, its everyday demands pushing me into the cushions, reducing me to a sedentary state. It hasn’t felt good. Continue reading “Friends Don’t Let Friends Sit on the Couch: Horsing Around Sugarloaf 200K”
Felkerino and I met up with bicycling friends Eric, Jerry, Barry, and Joel to ride the classic D.C. Randonneurs “Old Rag 200K” route. Jerry had some weird rattle in his rear wheel that would not go away, Barry was riding a loaner bike since his main rando ride was in the shop for repairs, our Schmidt generator hub failed, and Eric’s shifter broke in the final five miles.
Other than that, the day was spectacular. Continue reading “A Dose of Reality on a 200K”
To complete our final mileage build before tapering for the upcoming Appalachian Adventure 1000K, Felkerino and I set out with our friend Jerry to ride an abbreviated version of Crista B.’s Kit’n Kish 600K Permanent, which she describes as follows:
Very challenging route north through the mountains of central Pennsylvania, with spectacular scenery. “High”lights include climbs over Catoctin, South Mountain, Kittatinny Mountain, Tuscarora Mountain, Blacklog Mountain, Stone Creek Ridge, Stone Mountain and Blue Mountain.
Some other points of interest include the Michaux State Forest, Greenwood Furnace State Park, the Kishacoquillas Valley, the Juniata River, Tuscarora State Forest, and the Children’s Lake in lovely Boiling Springs.
For a more detailed look at the route, see the Ride With GPS route here.
Felkerino, Jerry, and I agreed to a shorter 540K version (336 miles) of the ride, riding 192 miles on Day 1 and 144 miles on Day 2. This lopped off the flat to rolling stretch between Frederick and Thurmont, Maryland, and positioned us at the base of the first climb of the day. Perfect. Continue reading “Kit’n Kish 540K: Good Honest Pennsylvania Countryside”
The emerging warmth and green of spring days tempt us. Long days at the office interrupted by relatively brief spates of outdoor time urge us to spend weekends actively exploring.
This weekend Felkerino and I joined bicycling friends Andrea and Jerry to revisit the Devil’s Daughter 210K permanent, a ride carefully crafted by RUSA permanista Crista Borras.
This weekend Felkerino and I hightailed it out of the city to escape the crowds that have descended on Washington, D.C., and arranged to do the lovely Old Rag 200K out of Warrenton, Virginia, with bicycling buddies Andrea and Mike. Continue reading “Old Rag 200K Permanent: Hills, Vistas, and Math Word Problems”
With temperatures taking an unusual leap into the 50s this weekend, Felkerino and I committed to our first 200K distance of 2014, meeting up with a few others in Urbana, Maryland, on Saturday for the Repast at Rocco’s RUSA permanent.
Continue reading “Repast at Rocco’s 200K Permanent: A Winter Ride that Felt Like Spring”
There’s nothing that kicks off a bike tour better than riding the highest continuous paved road in the United States. Continue reading “Trail Ridge Road on Tandem”
Or so it’s felt the last three days. From temperatures in the 60s, 40s, and today’s dip into the 30s with snow, it’s been quite the climate roller coaster here in the Mid Atlantic.
Saturday’s too-good-to-be-true weather had anybody who ever pedaled out and about. Felkerino and I, along with a few friends, decided to carry cards and ride Crista B.’s “Last Train from Clarksville” 201K permanent. The route took us through Maryland rollers, up to Fairfield, Pennsylvania, and back.
I am so lucky to live in Washington, D.C. Despite the large metropolitan area in which Felkerino and I live, we are a stone’s throw away from beautiful cycling (with mountains, yay!) on quiet back roads.
This weekend, Felkerino and I headed out to the Shenandoah and the mountains of West Virginia to work on our climbing legs. This particular ride was the 203 Kilometer Wild & Wonderful RUSA Permanent #713, designed by D.C. Randonneur George Moore.
Making the trip out was a bit of a haul (about a two hour drive), but the ride was stunning and lots of the riding was shady (always a plus in the summertime). Here are a few highlights to share.
Continue reading “Wild & Wonderful West Virginia RUSA Permanent”
