30ish Thoughts on 30 Days

We made it! Or at least I did...

It's April 30th, which means 30 Days of Biking is just about over, and for the 4th consecutive year, I've completed the challenge as of 6AM today:

Once again, I wasn't sure I'd be able to commute safely due to possible weather-related issues, so I changed up my morning loop to include a trip to the recycling drop off. 2 productive miles right before work isn't a bad way to begin any day.

But of course, it was day 30, and that just wasn't going to cut it. I had to get in just a little more riding when weather permitted and time allowed. After work, I trekked into Downtown Columbus to take a peek at the festivities going on in advance of the Blue Jackets' first ever second-round playoff game. If nothing else, I wanted to see if the atmosphere matched the buzz I'd heard so much about:

As you can see, it wasn't really hopping at 4PM, but I'm sure things picked up soon after I headed back home. By the way, it will never compare to Philly, but I am cheering for the Jackets this series, because Boston is not allowed to win anything anymore. Ever.

Anyway, those 9ish miles would end up being my final ride this month, as I'm settled in for the evening now, writing this post. Each time I do this, it's a little bit different, and this year was certainly different.

I don't put much stock in mileage other than trying to beat my own personal benchmarks, but one major difference this year has been my distance. This is the first 30 Days of Biking I've completed without logging over 500 miles. But, when you consider it's also the first such go around that I've accomplished without the aid of a full-time bicycling job, logging over 400 miles is something I'm personally very proud of.

I also felt very emotionally different this time. By that I mean this was my first time attempting 30 DoB outside of Philly, a city and region that's still very familiar to me. I'm still not as comfortable around here as I was back east (I may never be, but who knows?), but I appreciate so much more of this area after forcing myself to ride a bike around it for 30 consecutive days. My homesickness may never completely go away, but most days this month, I've felt more positive than negative, and I have a bike to thank for that. I may have finally turned a corner out here.

This is also the first time I've had the chance to share most of my favourite month with a child. I stopped keeping track of how many days Faith rode this month, but I can assure you it was the majority. Coincidentally, she got a brand new bike this month at just the right time.

And with that, it's a perfect segue way to my favourite moments from this month. It's (mostly) all about the kids!

1. YOU get a Bike, and YOU get a Bike! - After much anticipation, Faith got a beautiful new bike "from the Easter bunny."
2. Baby Bike (Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo...) - My nephew got a balance bike for his 2nd birthday. We've ushered in a whole new generation of riders this month!
3. The Family That Bikes Together... - Sharing my first after school ride with our family for the first time in what felt like forever.
4. Ride for the Moment - Appreciation for some beautiful morning views on my commutes that I had sorely missed over the Winter months.
5. Roll: Out! - The 2019 return of one of my favourite monthly rides, the Roll: Bicycles Pub Ride.

Honourable mention:

1. Happy (Opening Day for) Trails! - 25 miles on opening day for the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, with a completely new (to me) group of cyclists.

And so, with all appreciation and thank you to all of you for riding along, my favourite month of the year comes to a close. I'd also like to thank 30 Days of Biking for annually reminding me that amazing things can happen when a bike is involved. It seems to go by faster each year, but that also means next year will be here before you know it. Happy riding, everyone!

30 Days of Biking 2019 Mileage Final Total: 410.5

The Little Engine That Can

On the penultimate day of 30 Days of Biking, I definitely had a case of the Mondays. I didn't get the best night of sleep on Sunday and didn't feel up to commuting this morning. At all.

All kidding aside, there was also a strong chance of thunderstorms this afternoon, so commuting via bicycle probably wouldn't have been the safest of options if it proved true. After a quick morning lap, I threw my bike into the car once more and decided to take to the Camp Chase Trail after work:  

I learned today that the Camp Chase Railroad is actually still in operation, even though some of those engines look in pretty foul shape.

Anywho, with no real plans in store for the evening, my destination was left unknown. I settled on "ride as far as you can in 45 minutes" or "ride until it starts raining," whichever came first. I kept heading west until I got to Georgesville Road, where the trail turns right and becomes a roadside trail. I eventually encountered a strange phenomenon I've noticed a ton since I moved here, sidewalks and mixed use paths that abruptly stop for no apparent reason:

What's even weirder to me is that in some instances, enough people keep walking straight after the pavement ends to wear a dirt path in the same direction:

I mean, I get it - this path and others are probably intended to continue being built eventually, connecting to whatever other destinations that also have yet to be constructed. I just don't understand why there's rarely any signage to let you know it's ending.

Whatever the case, this seemed to be a pretty good turnaround point and it did start to drizzle around this time, so I fleet footed 4.5 miles back to the car. We didn't get much more than that though, so the family and I also managed to sneak in a quick ride this evening before dinner. That short jaunt happened to put me over 400 miles for the month. I'll take that as a win for my Monday, and keep chugging along for one more day. It's hard to believe April is almost over. I think I can, I think I can...


30 Days of Biking 2019 Mileage Total: 400.6

From Gray to Great

This has been my first attempt at 30 Days of Biking since moving to Central Ohio from Philly. Aside from the obvious structural differences you would expect me to have experienced moving from a dense east coast concrete jungle to midwestern suburbia, I've been pretty surprised by how drastically the weather patterns change around here. Day 28 has been a prime example. The family and I took a nice short ride to the store this evening, and it felt just as beautiful as it looks:

Side note: this was Faith's first ride in a few days, as she came down with a stubborn Springtime cold that actually kept her out of school for a couple days and beyond. I think she left her windbreaker open so she could look like a superhero to match how she was feeling after being cooped up inside for most of the last week.

Anyway, contrast the above 65 degrees and sunny conditions with how my late morning ride to the recycling drop-off looked (and felt):

I didn't get a picture of the temperature gauge, but temps were hovering around the low 40's and winds were pretty fierce, so I'm sure the wind chill factor was at least below freezing. It was brisk enough that I was wearing my heavy gloves and jacket...on April 28th. Usually on Sundays after church, parks like these are filled with kids. Today, not so much:

Still, with any gray Spring day, there's usually a good chance you can find something beautiful if you know where to look:

We used to have some a saying in PA that it was the only state where you could use the heat and the air conditioning in the same day. I guess Columbus isn't that much different in that respect. One thing's for sure, at least it keeps things interesting.

Two more days, folks. I hope you had a good weekend. Let's finish this month off strong!

30 Days of Biking 2019 Mileage Total: 388.1

Roll: Out!

The arrival of Spring means a lot of group rides get going again after a Winter hiatus. Last night was the return of what's become one of my favorite Columbus rides, the Roll: Bicycles Pub Ride. It was a near perfect night for it too, with temperatures hovering in the high 50's and no rain to speak of. Let's just ignore the wind, shall we?

My friend Jason showed up for the meet up but didn't join us for the actual ride. He did bring along this ridiculous piece of awesome that I just had to show you:

The "easy rider" handle bar name is almost laughable. I did take it for a quick spin around the block (sorry no pics) and it was as comical as you could imagine. I love it. Can you imagine trying to pedal that thing for anything longer than a few miles?

Anywho, I wanna say there were about 25 cyclists who joined in last night. We started with a few miles south on the Scioto Trail:

It seemed like the perfect time to take a bad selfie:

We then headed east through the German Village and found our way to our first stop. I'm diggin' the modest bike pile here:

Our first stop was Parsons North Brewing, which is a completely a new (to me) brewery:

That's one of the reasons I get involved with these rides. In addition to being social with other cyclists, it gets me out and patronizing more local businesses. And still finding new ones, at that, because I'm still very much a newbie to this city.

One sight I always love to see here is the Scioto River at sunset, which we were treated to after we headed out from our first stop:

Beautiful. We continued heading west through Grandview Heights and after a brief detour, eventually ended up at our second destination, Endeavor Brewing:

I love that they always let us bring our bikes in the patio area if it's not crowded. We don't even need to lock up. Simple pleasures. I started a conversation with a new friend here whose wife happens to hail from the Lehigh Valley. Small world, right?

We rolled out once more heading south back towards the Scioto Trail on the other side of the river and found our way to our final destination, Brewdog in Franklinton:

Another solid group ride in the books, and a good break-in to start the season. After many great conversations and cycling miles, it was time to trek home. This city does look pretty under the lights:

Including riding to the meetup and from the final stop, I put in nearly 38 miles. Not a bad way to spend a Friday evening on day 26 of 30 Days of Biking:

Day 27 is going to be a little more subdued. The kiddo and I are hoping to go on a ride later, but she's not been feeling so great this week. I'm sure she wouldn't be up for 38 miles even if she was feeling 100% haha. Whatever the case, I'll be on my bike at some point. I hope you'll get out and enjoy your weekend too.

30 Days of Biking 2019 Mileage Total: 379.3

Happiness is a Warm Bike

I offer no apologies to the Beatles.

Last weekend, my Mom gave us this great wall decoration that I just hung up yesterday:

It was rather timely, because the last couple days have been trying for someone who loves to ride as much as I do. Working a physically demanding outdoor job all day in wind and rain doesn't really make me want to get out and ride a bike in the wind and rain. They weren't necessarily bad days at the office, just not as good as I'd like. But of course, in between storms, I've managed to find time to ride if only for a few minutes:

That was from a short ride this afternoon, which means no matter the circumstances, I've kept my portion of the 30 Days of Biking challenge alive for the 26th day. It also means I found happiness in each of those days, even if only for a few minutes at a time, and that's what it's all about, right?

I'm pretty excited for this evening. The storm appears to have fully cleared out and the first Roll Bicycles Pub Ride of the season is tonite! I'll surely have much more to say about it tomorrow. Enjoy your Friday evening, everyone.



30 Days of Biking 2019 Mileage Total: 341.5

Cruisin' for Caffeine

The forecast on day 25 of 30 Days of Biking suggested that showers would happen intermittently throughout the day and be heavy at times. As such, I decided not to commute via bike today. I did sneak in a quick lap during an early morning lapse in precipitation, as I was unsure I'd be able to beat the heavy wind and rain later in the day.

As luck would have it, the skies calmed for a bit just as I finished up my work day, so I took to the trail to head to another trail of sorts:

You may ask, what does a coffee shop have to do with a trail? Well you see, Third Way Cafe happens to be one of the stops on the Columbus Coffee Experience Trail:

It's yet another trail that's right up my alley. Three things I absolutely love in life are biking, beer, and coffee. Some of my vices are healthier than others, I suppose. But speaking of beer and coffee...

Experience Columbus is pretty big on trails. If you've frequented my blogspace, you already know about the Ale Trail, and there's also the Made in Cbus Trail in addition to the aforementioned Coffee Trail. They all have the same goal in mind: getting people interested in supporting local business. I'm all about it, and to the extent that I can, I try to do so on a bike, of course.

This is my second stop on the trail. Each one offers a stamp, and collecting a certain number gives you rewards:

After doing my business, I headed back to the bike trail to head home. Just in time, too, because as soon as I got in my car, it started pouring again. I'm going to see if I can get a couple more errands in on the bike later this evening. If not, 4 cycling miles and patronizing local business on a rather lackluster day is none too shabby. Happy Thursday, everyone!



30 Days of Biking 2019 Mileage Total: 332.0

"Hiatus" Over

I've been pretty good about commuting via bicycle for the majority of 30 Days of Biking, but for whatever reason, I awoke on day 24 and realized that it had been exactly one week since I'd done so (even though I've still been riding every day). With a cool but sunny day in the forecast, my commuting hiatus had to end:

After a week since I'd traversed my usual route, I noticed a dramatic change in the sunlight at my usual commute time. It happened to be extremely gorgeous, but I may be a bit biased because I'd missed this:

I heard from my girlfriend that she and the kiddo took advantage of the day and rode to and from school while I was out. One day, she'll remember to send me pics so I can share here. Anyway... I barely had to use my lights at all this morning, which is also great news, because increased sunlight (usually) means increased safety. It truly was an amazing way to kick off the final week of 30 DoB. My only complaints are that I still had to wear gloves this morning, and that my return commute was marred by finding out that Upper Arlington has closed one of the nicer roads that I utilize every day:

The silver lining is that it will give me an extra .5 mile on each commute. I don't think I'll mind that too much. Another silver lining, some time this week I went over 300 miles for the month! Only 6 days left after today. Are you still riding with me?



30 Days of Biking 2019 Mileage Total: 327.9

YOU get a Bike, and YOU get a Bike!

I prepared for the worst of weather on day 23 of 30 Days of Biking and opted to pack my bike in my car once again, thinking I would only have time for a brief post-work ride in between showers. It actually turned out to be a mostly pleasant day, and my post-work ride was going equally pleasant when I received a phone call I'd been waiting to receive for nearly a week that made it amazing. That's right, Faith's new bike had arrived and was ready to roll!

So my nephew got a bike this week, and now Faith. Who's next? YOU?

I cut my ride short and headed home to meet her after school to go pick it up ASAP. I think she's a beaut. Or he. I'm not sure. Faith hasn't picked a name yet. Anyway, she picked this one out with a little help from her Mom and I. It's a Trek FX1 Stagger small size, which is just a bit big for her right now, but with the way she's growing it will fit her in no time. Before we left the store, we just had to get a photo to soak in that new bike glow:

She really wanted to take it for a spin around the parking lot, but silly me forgot to remind her to bring her helmet with her to the store. If you're surprised that she picked a black bike, she actually had a very good reason - customizing is easier with a neutral color. To that end, we got her started with a purplish bottle cage (and a kickstand, but that's also black):

Sooner or later, we'll probably get some colored grips and fenders. And a back rack. And whatever else she wants or needs for her cycling adventures.

This is a pretty big step up for her, as it's her first bike with a freewheel and multiple gears. Once we got home, we showed her the basics on shifting and took that sweet inaugural ride:

After some initial breaking in, she really got the hang of it quite quickly. I already know it's going to fit in great with our cycling routines and wherever she goes with it on her own. Who knows? One day soon her bike might be looking like this:

OK, we're not quite there yet. In due time. With any luck, our first big ride together will happen this weekend, weather permitting. Stay tuned, and happy riding everyone!

30 Days of Biking 2019 Mileage Total: 308.0

It's Contagious

As I was taking my post-work ride yesterday, I received a text from my girlfriend that read, "Do you want to go for a ride when you get home? I want to go for a ride." I'll toot my own horn and claim responsibility for this enthusiasm. Haha... 

It turns out she and the kiddo rode to and from school yesterday while I was at work, and they both weren't ready to put the bikes away for the evening. I mean, who could blame them? We settled on a dinner (and drink) ride, and ventured a short ways away to Somewhere in Particular Brewing:

Being less than 2 miles from my house, I'm surprised this place hasn't made it into my 30 Days of Biking roll sooner. I guess I'll say that it was worth the wait, because the beer was almost as beautiful as the ride. Almost:

Any time spent outside on a day like yesterday is beautiful, especially since today appears to be much rainier. We'll see if I get any ride requests today...

30 Days of Biking 2019 Mileage Total: 300.0

Learning From Loops

After a short stay in my home town this past weekend, I found myself back in Columbus late last night. Despite the gorgeous weather in the forecast for today, I wasn't quite feeling energetic enough to commute via bike on day 22 of 30 Days of Biking.

Of course I still had to ride, though. I opted instead for my most recent favorite number two option, throwing the bike in the car and taking a short ride after work. I've come up with a few decent loops from the shop that take me about a half hour and/or 5 miles round trip, and I came up with a new one today by turning around at Wilson Road Park:

I like the look of that sign on the right. I Googled it, and it turns out that's a logo regularly used by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to promote acknowledgement of grant usage, education, and so on. Also, I learned that the cardinal is Ohio's state bird, hence the sign. Happy Earth Day, amirite?

Anyway, I've been meaning to stop by here for about a month or so to scout it out as a potential jumping off point for some longer rides. It sits conveniently off the Camp Chase Trail:

There's not much in the way of amenities, but there is a water fountain and some bike parking at a small shelter, plus ample car parking for those who choose to drive to the trail head:

At the very least, I've found another decent post-work ride or potential picnic lunch destination. I'm hoping to commute tomorrow despite rain in the forecast. We'll see...


30 Days of Biking 2019 Mileage Total: 299.0

Baby Bike (Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo...)

The family and I have been in my home town this weekend. My visits home usually coincide with holidays and/or special occasions, and yesterday happened to be one of those, my nephew's second birthday party:

Those are just some of the gifts he received. As you can see, he was not lacking in the gift department. Of everything that was up there, clearly his favorite was his new balance bike that he got from his Mom and Dad:

If you're not familiar with these, it's a newer alternative to training wheels to get little ones used to balancing and steering on two wheels. It'll go great alongside the tricycle we bought him last year, right?

Of course, you're never fully dressed without a matching helmet:

It looks great, and makes you the envy of the entire neighborhood:

And of course, this occasion called for a selfie:

No word on whether or not he's been riding every day during April, but I can see it in his future...

We're hitting the road back to Ohio this afternoon. Enjoy your Easter Sunday (if you choose to participate in such activities)!

30 Days of Biking 2019 Mileage Total: 288.9