-
Two Fish Bikeblocks
I’m finishing up October with 14 rides, tying with July and April. In keeping with this somewhat off-year of riding, it’s fewer rides in October than I had in 2008, 2009 or 2010. I’m at 130 rides on the year. My goal for the year is 150, which should be doable. A couple weeks ago,…
-
Sub 40
Today was my first sub-40° ride of the season, and my first ride since last spring where I had to wear something to keep my head warm. Usually I’m good without anything extra on my head (other than my helmet) down to around 45°, give or take a couple of degrees depending on wind, precipitation,…
-
New Bike Swag for Winter
Normally, I’m all about getting rid of “stuff.” However, my one weakness is stuff for my bikes. I get a strange thrill out of buying stuff that promises to make my year-round, all-weather bike rides safer and more enjoyable. I’m sure it secretly drives my wife nuts. Just over a week to go before “dark…
-
Rain Gear
First ride in full rain gear in awhile this morning. It was nice and mild, so I took the opportunity to ride for 11.5 miles, including a loop through Patapsco State Park. Most of my rain gear is the same as last year, including Novara rain pants (REI house brand), Patagonia TorrentShell rain jacket, and…
-
Cage Rocket
I was in the bike section of my local REI the other day and noticed they were stocking a gadget called a Cage Rocket. The Cage Rocket is a water bottle-sized pod with a hinged opening, meant for carrying gear and designed to fit in a bottle cage. There’s a standard version and a slightly-more-expensive…
-
Montgomery Road Jukeage
When I originally started bike commuting, I’m glad the weather was better than it has been for the past couple of weeks. I might not have kept riding. Not only has the weather been bad, but traffic also seems to be on the uptick on some of the back roads in Howard. I’m hoping it’s…
-
Sloppiest ride ever.
First things first. Today I got out of the house around 7:45am, and took Montgomery Rd. west to Bonnie Branch Rd. I did the same thing Monday, except I left 10 minutes later, at 7:55. That 10 minutes makes a big difference. At 7:55, there are tons of school buses on Montgomery Rd, leaving the…
-
This and that
A bunch of random bike-related stuff today. I rode through Catonsville again this morning, and tried out one of my route modifications I mentioned in my previous post, for avoiding the Mellor Ave. / Bloomsbury Ave. intersection. Coming down Mellor, I detoured right onto Montemar Ave., and followed that around to Bloomsbury. I then turned…
-
Catonsville Route Tweak, Revisited
Unexpectedly summer-like weather for the ride in this morning. It wasn’t hot, but the humidity was out in full force, and I worked up a good sweat. A front is supposed to sweep through today and drop the temperatures. I brought a rain jacket because there’s a 50% chance of showers later, but now I’m…
-
Improving Conditions
Conditions in Patapsco State Park continue to improve after last week’s monsoon. All of the mudslides have been cleared off the Grist Mill Trail, so I can now get through on my road bike without having to stop and walk through any mud. It’s still quite muddy, particularly on the River Rd. entrance on the…