bicycling
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The Bicycle Cycle
Given this week’s temperate weather, I’ve heaved a big sigh of relief and welcomed the idea that fall will soon be (if it is not already) here. Fall is my favorite time of year for bike riding. Ironically, fall is often when my monthly mileage slacks off, at least for a couple of months. As… Continue reading
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Weekend “Training” Ride: 80 miles
I like labelling my weekend rides as “training rides.” It’s like having a Get out of Jail Free card. No, sorry, I can’t do my household chores. Rather, I must train. Instead of reading tea leaves, Felkerino and I examined the weekend weather radar and decided that, with a 40 percent chance of precip, Saturday… Continue reading
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Winter Cycling: Hardcore or Something Else Entirely?
Today, Felkerino and I ventured out for a 120-mile training ride from D.C. to Brunswick, Maryland, and back. Training for what? I don’t know. Training to be fitter for the spring brevets, I suppose. And to justify all my winter gear purchases over the years. About half of our ride was completed in freezing or… Continue reading
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More 2011 in Review: The Rides and the Photos
The past couple of years, I started photographing more of my rides. I like having the tangible memory of an outing. I’ve always written ride stories, but this year, I enjoyed capturing commutes, weekend touring rides, brevets, meetups with friends, and miscellaneous errand running. I spent a fair amount of time cycling in 2011, in… Continue reading
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2011 in Review: The Rides and Photos
January Our neck of the woods did not receive much snow this year, making January a rideable month. We did have below-average temperatures, though, so some rides were chilly. These two shots are from a sub-freezing sunny century Felkerino and I did in early January. My ankles felt so cold that I thought they could… Continue reading
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Carradice Cheesecake, Weekend Cycling, and Mechanicals
How was your Thanksgiving? In the D.C. area, we were not only treated to a holiday, but also some spectacular late November weather. Sun, light wind, and temperatures in the mid-sixties. At least not all the good weather happens while I’m at work. Here are the weekend highlights from this neck of the woods. Continue reading
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Inclement Winter Days and Capital Bikeshare
When I looked out the window this morning, it didn’t look like a good day for bike commuting. Cloudy sky. Slush and snow on the sidewalks. I resigned myself to taking the Metro. En route to my station, however, I noticed that the roads were wet but clear, the rain/sleet/snow was not falling too furiously,… Continue reading
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Missing the Bike and Thank You Notes: Quickbeam Edition
Before hitting the road to Florida, I participated in Lovely Bicycle’s “Thanking Your Bicycle” giveaway. She invited people to write a few lines thanking their bikes for all they do. Cycling has become such a pivotal part of my life. It’s how I recreate, commute, shop, and maintain fitness. It was fun to take a… Continue reading
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Pandas!
No, silly, I’m not talking about the black and white animals you see at the zoo eating bamboo. I’m talking about “panda portraits,” photos you take of yourself while riding your bicycle. Panda portraits are one of the best ways to memorialize your participation on bike rides. You can’t always be relying on the rando-paparazzi.… Continue reading
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Does your Bicycle Gravitate towards Bakeries?
Recently, one of my cycling/randonneuring friends said to me, “I can’t but help to notice a lot of pictures of pastry on your Flickr site. Does your bike gravitate towards bakeries?” I wasn’t sure what he was talking about. Was it this? Continue reading
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No Money Fun: Gravelly Point
Did you know that National Airport is located right off of one of our local bike paths (the Mount Vernon Trail)? Of course you did! Did you also know that you can watch the planes blaze in for a landing right over your head at Gravelly Point, a park adjoining the Mount Vernon Trail? It’s… Continue reading
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The Journey
Today, I thought I’d take some time to consider the beauty of commuting by bike, despite the daily risks that cyclists face out on the roads. Be safe, everybody. I regularly commute to work by bike. I used to take the Metro, but I gradually discovered there is a much richer way to experience life… Continue reading
Chasing MailBoxes 