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Summer’s End
Labor Day weekend is looming, the kids are back in school, the traffic is back in the mornings, and multiple tropical systems are swirling around the Atlantic. Must be the end of August. This time last year, we had just survived Hurricane Irene, and were bracing for Tropical Storm Lee. Hopefully, September 2012 will be…
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Breaking the Chain
You’d think after 4 years of bike commuting, I’d have seen every bike malfunction possible. But today on the way in to work, my chain snapped. That was a first. As Murphy’s Law would dictate, it happened while I was crossing an intersection in traffic, going uphill, trying to make a left turn. At first…
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Reboot
I’m easing back into biking regularly after taking most of July off to rest my hip. It’s still not 100%, but it’s manageable. I honestly don’t think the time off the bike made much of a difference. The soreness is in the front part of my left hip, and it happens on downward pedal strokes,…
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This and That
I just ordered new tires for my road bike. I’ve been running Continental GatorSkins on it for the past several years, and the front tire has lasted almost 4500 miles, with the back not too far behind. I’ve had maybe 2 or 3 flats on these tires the entire time I’ve had them, but the…
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Rain and Routes
Today was another one of those mornings where the weather radar failed me. Usually, weather radar is a valuable ride-planning tool. Today, although rain was predicted for most of the day, things looked fairly dry for my morning ride. As soon as I got on the road, though, the rain picked up, and it rained…
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New Month, New Routes
I rode 16 times in May 2012. We’re now into June. After an exceptionally warm winter and early spring, June has started off with a spell of cool weather. I’ve actually ridden with long sleeves on two mornings this week, which is almost unheard of in June. It’s not ideal weather for enjoying our newly-replastered…
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Off-Road Commute
On a complete impulse this morning, I decided to try out some single-track commuting for the first time ever. I live in Elkridge, MD, and work at UMBC. Directly between my house and work stretches the Avalon area of Patapsco State Park, which is known as one of the premier mountain biking destinations on the…
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Crash Diet
So.. I lost a quick 5 lbs over the past weekend. It’s all thanks to the amazing “stomach bug” diet. The idea is, you catch the stomach bug one day. Then for the next two days, immediately try to resume a regular diet as soon as you start to feel better, thus ensuring at least…
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Ironic Flat
It’s been a sloppy start to May. Almost every day has been cloudy with off-and-on drizzle. Plus it’s been warm and muggy. Not exactly ideal biking weather, but it hasn’t kept me out of the saddle yet. Yesterday I was all set to ride my mountain bike to work, when I discovered the rear tire…
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April in review
April was my first “light” riding month of 2012. I rode only 11 times, compared to 14 times in April 2011 and 16 in April 2010. I did beat 2009’s total of 10, barely. The blame lies entirely with my schedule over the past month. I was on vacation at the start of the month,…