A Rainbow of Emotions

Last night was the night of the monthly Roll: Bicycles Pub Ride around Columbus, an event I always get pretty excited to attend. I didn't anticipate that my girlfriend and I would be met with a somewhat sad event during the course of the evening, but that's why we ride, because you never know what's going to happen.

Let's start with the good. For starters, I was pretty stoked that I received a new cycling jersey in the mail yesterday afternoon, just in time for the ride:

This jersey encompasses much of the nerdiness in my life. I ordered it from Uni Watch, which is a blog dedicated to sports uniform minutiae. I've been following it since I was in college (probably since about 2003, which is pretty crazy to think about, right?). The manager of the blog rides a bike every day, so creating a cycling jersey to support the site seems natural.

I give credit to Adelph Wear for doing a great job with the customization of these. The design is based off the (in)famous Astros Tequila Sunrise baseball jerseys of the 70's and 80's, and rendered in Uni Watch colors gradient. The site slogan "For People Who Get It" is printed inside the collar. The rear features a four pocket design including one zipper pocket:

The jerseys also included two personalization options. One, the Uni Watch 20th anniversary "patch" on the right sleeve:

Two, a custom number and NOB (name on back). I chose to go with a NickNOB (nickname on back):

Pretty great stuff! So, after I was done gushing over my latest purchase, we headed out and popped our bikes on the bus to head to downtown. We decided to get a quick bite and a beverage before the ride began. Due to our dilly-dallying, we just barely made it to the roll out, so I don't have any before pics. Trust me when I say the turnout was strong, as the evening was quite gorgeous for riding:

After a short 5+ mile jaunt down the Scioto Trail, we arrived at our first stop, the BRAND NEW Columbus Brewing Company tap room:

It should be noted that CBC is not a new brewery. In fact, they are the oldest craft brewery in Columbus, and they once operated a restaurant closer to downtown (that actually closed just after I moved here). This is their first taproom expansion, though, and it's pretty nice:

There's also a small outdoor area. My girlfriend appeared to have enjoyed it:

If you're in the area and do decide to venture here, it is worth noting that the road leading up to the brewery is not the most bike-friendly, especially at night, so travel in numbers if at all possible (like we did).

Conversely, we had started out the evening intending to branch off at some point, as the last few stops on the route were places we have visited multiple times recently. We decided to do so after the first stop above, and headed back to the Scioto Trail to continue our adventure closer to downtown.

That was, until we stumbled upon a stray kitten on the trail attempting to cross a bridge over the river. We are ardent cat lovers, and we didn't want to leave the little guy (or girl) behind, so we spent nearly 45 minutes trying to convince it to come over to us.

After several failed attempts that were thwarted by general kitten shy-ness and other passing riders scaring it away, we succeeded! I had a hell of a time trying to keep it calm as I held it to my chest and gently petted its fur, but eventually I was able to place the black fuzzball in my bike bag. I closed up everything but a hole large enough for its head to poke out. I had no idea where we were going to take it just yet, but closer to the city seemed like a good idea.

Well, at least I can say we tried. Less than a mile down the trail, I felt a bump but I didn't think I rode over one. I asked my girlfriend if she could see the kitten in my bag. When she said no, we stopped immediately. We looked back, and sure enough the little critter had jumped out, but was still walking towards us.

We tried again to lure it back to us, but this time it crawled under a fence and disappeared into the woods beyond, which appeared to have a steep downhill slope. We then heard a scared kitten cry, and although it didn't sound like it was in any real danger, we knew that we couldn't do any more, and moved on. In all of this midst, we became overcome with an inexplicable sadness, and that's when I realized I'd never even paused to take any pictures.

We did eventually continue our adventure by making one final stop at Elevator Brewing in downtown Columbus. At this point, we sorely needed a beer to lift our spirits. Also, food:

Thankfully, the remainder of the evening was far less eventful. Hopefully the cat is OK, and hopefully next month's ride doesn't feature such a wide range of emotions. That said, it's partially our fault for veering off the planned route. Maybe we'll stick to the plan next time? Nah. What would the fun be in that?

Phlashback

I'm a bit late on this post. It used to be when I went away for a few days, I'd come back and everything would be right back to normal. Owning a house and having a family has changed that, and sometimes catching up takes days, or even weeks.

Anywho, hectic schedule aside, I did still want to make some time to write a little more about my experience in Philly last month, even if it took me several weeks to get it done. See, I'd decided to take a trip there in August for several reasons, the main one being the Naked Bike Ride. I also really, really missed my city and I really, really needed some time to myself, and some time to visit friends.

I rolled in on a Friday morning after splitting the drive overnight. I parked my car in South Philly, where it would stay until Sunday afternoon:

As you can see, it was gray and overcast, and at times the weather did turn rainy and misty. It didn't really matter, because I wasn't going to NOT ride a bike in Philly. After stopping at my macrobiotic counselor for a sorely needed health consultation, I headed out for some errands and explorations. It's interesting to see how the city changes just a little bit each time I return. For starters, there's now a two-way buffered bike lane on South 11th St, which is a street I used to use daily for commuting:

It's an improvement, for sure, but as is usually the case in Philly, these projects get segmented and interrupted. Turn around 180º from this exact spot and the scene looks much different:

There's also the inherent flaw that cars will undoubtedly back too far into the bike lane, but other than that U-Haul truck up there, I didn't see too many problems with this on that particular day. Anyway, I ventured on and headed west to stop by a "new" microbrewery in Point Breeze:

Despite the ladder, the place was open. It's not really a new brewery, but rather a satellite location of Dock Street Brewing, which is actually Philadelphia's first craft brewery (their home base is currently in West Philly). I'm happy to report that the beer is still quite tasty and photogenic. It also pairs well with a book:

After enjoying that and a light lunch, I continued on toward Center City for some additional errands. Sadly, I happened upon this building being torn down:

It's tough to see in the view above, but there was a mural bearing the phrase "Philly the Bern" on the side of the building. Here's how it (and my bike) looked in 2016:

It's sad because that particular moment was part of a really memorable bike ride with some really wonderful people. It's also sad because I really dislike when art of any form is demolished, and I really hate it when old buildings are torn down rather than rehabilitated (I understand that sometimes there are safety issues, but still). I mean, some buildings have been around for more than 200 years, like this rather famous one I passed by during my gallivanting: 

If you are unfamiliar, that building is Independence Hall, which is currently undergoing some rehabilitation work of its own (not pictured). Of the many things I miss about Philly, riding past insanely old buildings and pieces of American history on a daily basis are some of those things I took for granted and now would give anything to have back. They are truly magical. But this isn't supposed to be a sad post, so we'll move on.

I stopped for a beer in Old City in mid-afternoon (no pictures, it was kinda unremarkable) when I received a call from my buddy Dan, who was graciously putting me up for the weekend. He needed some beer and other adult beverages for the weekend and asked if I could pick them up on my way back to South Philly. Of course I agreed. Not wanting to move my car, I did a couple runs on the bike. It looked a little ridiculous at times, but it got the job done:

I then biked to dinner in Bella Vista with my old bosses from the Strengthening Health Institute before biking back to South Philly for karaoke at the end of the night. It was quite a full day, and most of it was connected via bicycle.

All of those little trips added up to nearly 20 miles of biking, which wasn't unusual for me in my Philly days, but certainly isn't common in my suburban life. I tacked on another 17 the next day (including the Naked Bike Ride), and for a brief 48 hours, I felt completely at peace with the universe...because I was doing everything via bicycle once again.

I mentioned in a recent post that I've been doing a pretty good job of keeping cycling included as part of my daily routine. For the most part, I haven't had to force rides into this routine of late, but there have been a few. When I lived in Philly, I never had that problem. I know that's one of the reasons I miss her so much, and why I really, really needed to visit again last month. She just makes biking so much easier, despite what the detractors (myself included) have said.

So until next ride, I'll miss you, old friend...

The 10,000 Mile View

Obviously, I like to ride bicycles. Like many cyclists, I also like to keep track of my mileage. However, I don't keep track of miles as a way of competing or training. I just like to see how far I can go, and sometimes I like to look back at how far I've come and gone. Let's just say, I've come a long way...

Yesterday on a gorgeous late Summer Saturday, I passed yet another milestone: 10,000 cycling miles (since I started using Strava to log mileage 3 1/2 years ago)! I couldn't have planned the moment any better:

As so many of my cycling milestones have, it began with a commute to work (thanks to COTA for the assist):

I decided to detour into downtown Columbus on the ride home (as seen above). The ride there on the Scioto Trail was about as beautiful as you will see it this time of year. The leaves are starting to change and I dare say that Autumn is in the air...

Such a moment calls for a celebratory beverage of course, so I popped in to Land Grant, one of my favourite Columbus craft breweries:

While I was enjoying that gorgeous beverage (it's called Concentrate, in case you like hazy IPAs), I posted a photo to my Instagram page. A friend saw it and commented that he was just down the street at BrewDog, so I hopped over there to join him for another beer:

While we were there, another mutual friend stopped in and joined us. Realizing that I actually have friends out here was another small moment that reminded me how far I've come in those 10,000 miles.

From a single guy living in Philly working 3 part-time jobs to get by, to a home-owning family man in Columbus, let's just say it's been one heck of a ride. I've seen just about everything I think I could have seen and shared so many great rides with people of all ages and walks of life. The best part is, the ride goes on, and on, and on...so cheers to the next 10,000 miles, everyone. Thank you for riding along thus far.

A Little Goes a Long Way

I'm reminded very often that winning small victories is not only an easier task, but also more worthwhile in the long run.

I bought my girlfriend an extremely belated and overdue Mother's Day gift a few weeks ago (before you judge me, we bought a house together, so I WAS A LITTLE BUSY). What did she want, you ask? A front basket for her bike:

The orange crate is not normally on her bike, so bear with the unsightliness for a minute and I'll explain. I needed to pick up a sizeable amount of groceries on Saturday before my parents arrived, and my bike wouldn't have enough space for all of them. The easiest solution would have been to jump in my car and do it that way, but you know me better than that. With a crate and a basket, I was in business.

The front basket is actually pretty ingenious and multi-purposed. When riding, it sits attached to the front handlebars with a velcro strap and metal bracket like so:

But, when you pick up the basket handles, it allows them to slide through the slots on the bracket so it can be removed easily:

You can take it in to the store and shop with it! Pretty nifty, right? Sometimes the simplest gifts are the best. If you want one for your own bike, they're made by Retrospec and are available on Amazon.

As for the trip to the grocery store, I had more than enough room for a full haul (about 40 pounds' worth of goods):

That ended up being the only time I rode that day, but at least I made time to ride, and that's a small victory that can be achieved every day. Believe it or not, this was a challenge for me in recent months and also for long stretches when we lived at the old house. I'd say moving has been a big success in this regard so far. Since we went on vacation July 20th, I've only rested on 3 days. Even if it's only a short lap around the block, all of those little rides add up, and I approached 200 miles in the month of August without ever logging a ride more than 10 miles:

Simple pleasures and small victories make up the big picture. So instead of trying to do everything or only trying to do big things, I think I'll keep doing the small things well. Little rides go a long way...

Staycation Sensation

In my adult life, I've heard many elders say that they never took a day off in their life. While that's admirable, I don't think it's necessarily a good idea. I'm sure you've also heard someone say that if you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life. Again, I understand the sentiment, but I also think taking an occasional break from work is a good thing to do.

My Mom and Stepdad were in town for Labor Day weekend over the last few days, and I decided to take an extra day off (yesterday) on the long weekend to spend a little more time with them before they headed back east this morning. My body and mind more than appreciated the 4 days away from the daily grind, and I'm ever so grateful that I got to spend them with loved ones.

That extra day off turned out to be extra special for me, because I was able to ride with Faith both to and from school for the first time since...actually I don't think I've ever been able to ride with her in the morning due to my normal work schedule:

Photo credit: Mom 

Side note, my stepdad also joined us for the rides. This sort of thing wasn't commonplace where I grew up, so he was understandably eager to join as well. It was a beautiful day to boot. We were among the first to arrive in the morning, when there were many fewer bikes at the bike rack than there were in the afternoon:

I almost never get to see this in person, and it's quite flooring to see so many kids riding bikes to school. I freaking love it. Before we moved, Faith was the cool kid who rode her bike to school. Now, she's just normal (which is fine). Still, I'm glad I got to finally share at least one full commute with her. These little moments can't be taken for granted.

We had a few other family rides throughout the weekend. The favourite by far was a morning trek to Jolly Pirate for some indulgences:

None of them were quite as fulfilling as the simplest of rides to and from the school, though. And neither of those would have happened if I hadn't taken a day off. Basically, life can be pretty crazy sometimes, so make sure you take time for yourself, and your family.