Judge not...

Eventually, it happens to all of us. It starts with one bike, usually a mountain bike. You get some spare tubes, a multi-tool, and maybe an extra tire (because it was on sale). After riding the MTB on pavement, you realize that you need a road bike too. Every once in a while, the pavement turns to dirt, so why not a cyclocross bike. And a single-speed. And a fixed-gear. And so on...

You learn some basic bike repair, so you purchase a dedicated set of P-handled hex wrenches. At some point, you acquire the repair stand, headset press, derailleur hanger alignment gauge, and wheel truing stand. This all, somehow, is essential for function - like oxygen. 

Cyclists are the ultimate recyclers (pun intended). Broken parts are kept for art projects - like worn bike tires woven into tapestries. We hoard extra bike parts for that once in a generation moment that you might actually need it. It doesn't matter if you live next to a bike shop because it's always happens to be closed just when you need something. 

So, as you cruise past someone's open garage and stare in, let this Bob Marley song play in your head: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHkt3iatFcs

Ride safely and happy trails.

My ride with Tandem.

No, not on a tandem... with Tandem.



Great Highway was closed to cars. They know we were coming.

Very Euro...

But just in case you forgot, we're in SF Giants territory. 

Although this isn't Post 306 painted white with five gold stars, when I win the lottery...

Uh... some bridge.

Houseboats and boathouses. They're different.

Mt. Tam, the birthplace of modern mountain biking.

View from the top...

RICE

The best post-ride food is probably rice. It's turned into glycogen efficiently, but don't forget to add some protein. My favorite type of rice is sushi rice. My least favorite type of rice is the acronym: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. The latter is the most common set of instructions from my orthopedist. The former is just delicious.

It's Spring Break, and I completed all of my work early. I marked mid-terms and lab reports, and I drafted letters of recommendation so that I could catch up on some quality time with my bike. My first ride was a "surprise" century; it just sort of happened. I followed that up the next day with a mellow 80-miler.


So, here I am typing with rice, and not the kind I like... It does give me a chance to glue tubular tires (i.e., watch glue dry) and add some photos (see next post).

Ride safely and happy trails.

Bike paths, UNITE!!!

Lots of travel usually means less biking. Last year in no particular order: Hawaii (twice), Maine, Bahamas, Germany, Czech Republic, Spain, and Japan. The only connection here is figurative... via bike paths.

Berlin.
Prague.


Barcelona and Seville.
Kyoto.

Ride safely and happy trails. (If I had the time, I'd punch that into google.translate and write it in different languages.)

Mr. Dr. Prof. of bikeology

The semester just ended, but classes are in session... I got schooled on Mt. Tam the other day. I felt like Stew (I have internal bleeding.), Phil (Who was that guy? He was so mean.), and Allen (This isn't your fault. I'll get you some pants.). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_CUV0Er7EE.

In brief, I was just past the bow-tie on Old RR when I got caught. He asked if he could hold my wheel for a bit, and I gladly obliged for two reasons. 1) He asked. 2) He was also on a cyclocross bike. I upped the tempo a bit because he did, after all, catch me. After a mile or so, he said, "You're pulling me up the mountain", which is like the bestest compliment. Just past West Point, I decided that I couldn't cash out my legs totally, since I still needed to ride the 35miles back home. (Translation: Weak excuse. My legs were empty, and I couldn't sustain the pace.) It was then when I could only watch and learn...

Ride safely and happy trails.

Birthday Century Rides

My first century ride was several years ago on my birthday. My most recent (and certainly not last) century ride was a few days ago on my birthday. On the out-and-back to Point Reyes via Mt. Tam (twice), I didn't set any new speed records. However, it just goes to show that even when you're in terrible shape you can nail down a century if you pace it correctly.

Foggy day in SF, but not on top of Mt. Tam.



Ride safely and happy (birthday) trails.

I want to ride my bicycle.

It's a surprisingly clear summer day. I can see the Farallon Islands from our house, a rarity during the foggy summer months. Why am I writing about nothing instead of riding about anything today? Well, I found out the hard way that I am terribly allergic to English Ivy, a common ground cover. So here I am... I have a rash that is literally hot to the touch, and the meds are making me crazy enough to consider setting up the trainer.

Ride safely (avoid the ivy) and happy trails.