-
What the World Needs Now: Coffeeneuring
More people than ever appear to be taking on the Coffeeneuring Challenge this year. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and even Strava are full of vignettes of people’s rides to coffee (or other acceptable beverage). The Seven is a Lucky Number theme is working! It’s our year! If you have not yet started, get on your bike… Continue reading
-
Freedom’s Run Marathon: Do It Yourself Duathlon
An annual tradition continued this year, as I completed my fourth consecutive “Ride to Harpers Ferry from D.C. on Friday, Run Freedom’s Run Marathon on Saturday, and Ride Home from Harpers Ferry on Sunday” do-it-yourself duathlon. If you look at the low running miles in the bank this year, I did not deserve this run,… Continue reading
-
Seven is a Lucky Number: The 7th Annual Coffeeneuring Challenge
My favorite birthday card ever was from my seventh birthday. The card read: “Seven is a lucky number That’s what people say And so your seventh birthday Ought to be your lucky day.” The Coffeeneuring Challenge turns seven this year, surely a lucky year. Ironically, we kick it all off on Friday the 13th of… Continue reading
-
Yoga: It’s Like Riding a Bike
Since I started going to yoga in May, I’ve been keeping a journal of my experiences with it. Nothing long, just a few sentences per class. So far, my notes vacilate between small moments of accomplishment and periods of intense frustration. The worst student of yoga in all the land in one entry, a pupil… Continue reading
-
Save the Date: Coffeeneuring Challenge Starts October 13
Hello readers, the Coffeeneuring Challenge is back for the 7th year (SEVEN!) and you are going to love it! And it kicks off on Friday the 13th, too, so you won’t forget when to start pedaling. Here is a mini-Q&A teaser for you: Has the challenge changed much in the last year? No. Why no… Continue reading
-
Go Where the Body Leads: Starting a Yoga Practice
At last November’s Philly Bike Expo, I moderated a panel on endurance cycling. Many topics were touched on over the session, but the one that stood out to me was a conversation Todd Parker led about the importance of activities other than cycling in order to strengthen the body overall and to avoid injuries. Months… Continue reading
-
Winter Park to Boulder via Rollins Pass
Have you ever dated someone you knew in your heart wasn’t for you, but they had potential and you wanted it to work? A thrill coursed through you every time you looked at them. You tried hard. When you spent hours together it started out awesome, but as time passed you always ended up arguing,… Continue reading
-
Kremmling to Winter Park
All of the tension has been pedaled out of my body. I’m so relaxed that I could ride more miles or just as easily take a nap. Right now I have my feet up and wonder if we can buy a recumbent tandem before tomorrow, it feels so good. Today’s ride from Kremmling to Winter… Continue reading
-
Carbondale to Kremmling
Public Service Announcement: If you pedal at a 4.5 miles-per-hour pace near mosquitoes, be assured they will have their way with you. We spent today crawling along the rises between Carbondale, State Bridge, and Kremmling. Our ride was unlike the last couple of days, which have been a big up followed by a big descent… Continue reading
-
Buena Vista to Carbondale
Runaway train never going back Wrong way on a one way track Seems like I should be getting somewhere Somehow I’m neither here nor there… –Soul Asylum Ever since we started pedaling from New Mexico, “Runaway Train” has lodged itself into my head and essentially become my 2017 bike tour theme song. This is a… Continue reading
-
Gunnison to Buena Vista
I would have written you sooner, but I had to return the fire extinguisher to the hotel lobby. I borrowed it when my shoes became so hot that they burst into flames before our arrival in Buena Vista. Believe me, it surprised me too, especially after our relatively cool and comfortable climb up to 11,300… Continue reading
-
Montrose to Gunnison
Greetings from Gunnison! We’re on a rest day, which I’m quite happy about. I wish you were here so we could go grab a gluten-free muffin and chat about life over kombucha. Perhaps you could also help me look for my bike tour legs, which seem to have fallen out of the Carradice somewhere. My… Continue reading
-
Durango to Montrose
Guys, we are in Montrose and I just can’t believe this day! 115 miles point to point with three big summits: Coal Bank Pass, Molas Pass, and Red Mountain. And all over 10,500 feet. Fortunately for us, the final 40 miles of our day trended downhill or I’d still be out there riding. Today was… Continue reading
-
Chama to Pagosa Springs
Update: the banana bread is gone and for a while today, so was my positive attitude. We planned for our ride from Chama to Pagosa Springs to be 50 miles. However, because of some gambles we made on exploring dirt roads – in hopes of avoiding the main highway – we ended up with almost… Continue reading
-
Taos to Chama
We’re in Chama, and I still have a few bites of Saturday’s banana bread left for tomorrow. Go me! This was our longest day so far, at 98 miles. We crossed over two, anonymous peaks on our ride from Taos on US 64 – possibly a third if you count the false summit of the… Continue reading
-
Santa Fe to Taos
After a moderate ascent leaving Santa Fe, our route tricked me with 10 miles of downhill swoop and flat. But after leaving the frontage road and entering the Pueblo of Pojoaque, the road began to twist as the terrain undulated beneath us. Soon after, we rode our first surprise gravel section of our tour, followed… Continue reading
-
Albuquerque to Santa Fe, New Mexico
We’re back on tour, everybody! I spent the initial miles out of Albuquerque today feeling guilty about leaving work for vacation, but eventually I yet again realized that my employer is a bureaucracy, designed to continue happily along without me. I then resolved to check my bank balance periodically to make sure I remain on… Continue reading
-
RUSA Member Profile: Michele Brougher, Great Lakes Randonneurs RBA
Tough as nails is the phrase that comes to mind as I reflect on my recent RUSA Member Profile of Michele Brougher of the Great Lakes Randonneurs. Michele is currently the RBA for the Great Lakes Randonneurs, and has spent much of the last two years recovering from a serious accident during Paris Brest Paris.… Continue reading
-
RUSA Member Profile: Seattle’s Theo Roffe
This edition of RUSA Member Profiles turns to the Pacific Northwest for a conversation with Theo Roffe, active member of the Seattle International Randonneurs in Washington state (Yes, that Washington!). A randonneur since 2010, Theo talks about the appeal of the flèche, volunteering, and the ways randonneuring opens up the range of what we think possible. How… Continue reading
-
RUSA Member Profile: Greg Olmstead of San Diego Randonneurs
In today’s RUSA Member Profile, we head to San Diego to talk with Greg Olmstead of the San Diego Randonneurs. Greg shares how he first became a randonneur, what it’s like to ride around San Diego, as well as his diligent pursuit of the American Explorer Award on his custom Zinn 74 cm (!!) randonneuring… Continue reading
-
Randonneurs USA Profile: Jerry Phelps
A little over one year ago, I began interviewing Randonneurs USA (RUSA) members for American Randonneur, the quarterly RUSA newsletter. I have the pleasure of talking with members from clubs across the country who not only ride brevets, but are active in their local randonneuring scene and volunteer for randonneuring events. In order for these… Continue reading
-
Made-Up Me: D.C. Randonneurs 600K
The uncertain arc of a ride as long as a 600K draws me to it. So many factors define the ultimate experience: fitness, weather, terrain, traffic, and the bike itself. Moments where I wonder why the heck I’m doing this are almost a given over such distance. Frustrating as these times are, it intrigues me… Continue reading
-
Enjoying Every Mile on the D.C. Randonneurs 400K
Stopped at mile 110 of our 252-mile ride, someone asks us where we started.”Frederick, Maryland,” we respond. When asked where we’re going we again say, “Frederick,” and then pepper in a few additional details about our day’s route. “Will you camp along the way?” our dining neighbors inquire. “No,” we answer. “We’re doing the whole… Continue reading
-
Top of the Town
I’ve been meaning to write you about my new daily escape through the city – from the lowest part of D.C. to the top of the town. It’s a 7.5-mile contraflow endeavor that takes me out of the heart of the city to a residential tentacle. Since beginning this commute, I’ve felt a novel joy… Continue reading
-
Once in a Blue Moon: 2017 D.C. Randonneurs Fleche
That Jerry Seager sure is a charmer. After swearing off the flèche for the rest of my days, Jerry’s keen routing skills and thirst for adventure convinced Felkerino and me to join him yet again for the 2017 edition of the D.C. Randonneurs flèche with Team Once in a Blue Moon. This year our team consisted of… Continue reading
-
My 2017 Errandonnee, or How I Turned My Bike Commute Into Every Category of Errand
This year I attempted both an Errandonnee by bike and one on two feet. I was successful in both, although it involved flexibility in interpretation of the already-broad categories, and almost all trips were linked to a commute. Having started a new job that isn’t as near to downtown and retail, I’m not passing the… Continue reading
-
Errundonnee: Running with Purpose
When A View from the Crosswalk completed the very first Errandonnee on two feet – which he called an Errundonnee – I added transportation running as an option for the Errandonnee. Since then, I have challenged myself to complete both an Errandonnee by bike and one on foot. This is the summary of my two-footed transportation running over… Continue reading
-
The Errandonnee 2017: Out Like A Lion
Let’s run out the month of March with an annual tradition. It’s the Errandonnee, a challenge designed for the utility cyclist and transportation runner with errands to do, no matter the season. The short version of the Errandonnee is: Errandonnee: Complete 12 errands in 12 days, and ride or run a total of 30 miles between… Continue reading
-
Follow Through: D.C. Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon
If you never disclose your intentions, no one will know whether or not you ever followed through. But if you share them, then the plans are out there, just waiting for the next water cooler conversation. Such was the case for me with Saturday’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in D.C. The freezing weekend forecast after a winter full of mild weather set… Continue reading
-
Coffeeneuring Challenge Recap and Guest Post!
Hello friends, it’s been a little while. I’m still here, though, and I hope to return to a more regular schedule of blogging soon. Tooday features a guest post from fellow coffeeneur, blogger, and six-time Coffeeneuring Challenge finisher, Vannevar, who has put together some intriguing facts and figures about the latest edition of the challenge. Patches… Continue reading
Chasing MailBoxes 