A Strong December

Perhaps you've seen my Instagram/Twitter/Facebook posts featuring the hashtag #bikeyourbirthmonth. Perhaps you haven't. Either way, if you're reading this, thank you for stopping by. I'd like to let you know a little bit about what I've been doing this month and why I'm doing it.

Born out of the spirit of April's 30 Days of Biking, I've been attempting to ride every day during December, which happens to be my birth month (in case you didn't guess that by now). I have no mileage goal or any other goal really, other than riding a bike at least once a day.

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Back in 2016, I was inspired by my friend Todd's tradition of riding his age in miles on his birthday, a tradition I was able to join in that year, and also in '17 and '18. This led me to attempt an annual birthday ride of my own starting in 2016 as well.

Even though that ride went off mostly without a hitch, it was difficult to plan around weather in late December. The next year, I decided instead to attempt to ride every day for the whole month, and my new favorite birthday tradition was born. I realize that riding every day sounds more difficult than riding just once, but if you think about it in terms of daily routine, it's actually much easier to tackle 31 short rides as opposed to planning out one big ride.

This is my third attempt, and as always, every successive attempt is a little different. The big adventures haven't really come out of nowhere like they typically have for me during these challenge months, but there is something satisfying about riding every day and realizing you've logged over 40 miles without really noticing. Rest assured, I'll be sure to post if anything crazy happens. I did convince the family to join me for a couple quick rides this month, so who knows?

I don't do this for the adventures, though they are a nice cherry on top. It's really about doing what makes you happy, and the holidays are supposed to be a season of being thankful and rejoicing and all of that. Biking makes me happy, and...

The biggest ulterior motive is to encourage all of you to do what makes you happy, especially if it involves cycling. If you feel so inclined to join me, join me, not just in December, but during your birth month too. I realize we're already more than halfway thru the month, but it's never too late to jump off the deep end hop on your bike, provided you haven't already packed it away for the Winter.

There are still 15 days to go in 2019, and with that, plenty of time to ride. Let's do it.

There's Snow Stopping me...or is There?

The calendar still says it's Autumn, but Mother Nature unexpectedly dumped a few inches of snow on us Monday night, about two-thirds of the way through the season. As someone who works outside on an almost daily basis, I'm pretty well accustomed to the changing of the seasons and can work through just about any sudden variation in the weather. However, attempting to apply fertilizer to a lawn covered in snow would be futile, so my boss has called us off the last couple days.

Not one to be kept inside (I did shore up a few indoor projects in the homestead), I kept up with my "usual" errands in spite of temps hovering in the mid-20° range:

If you're eagle-eyed, you can see the Big Splash Water Park in the background:

It goes without saying, it's not a place you'd want to be on days like yesterday and today. At any rate, you can see that paved surfaces weren't too adversely affected by the snow, and school wasn't even delayed by this quick blast of Winter weather. I had very little difficulty getting to and from the grocery store yesterday:

That said, I'm well aware that trying to run errands on a bike in this weather is anything but usual. I was the only cyclist I saw on the road yesterday and today. I totally understand why most people don't want to do this sort of thing. I'll also say that once you try it, it gets easier every time after that.

Now that I've done this a time or two hundred, the only real difficulty is dressing for the occasion, which is simply a matter of taking the time to do so. I'm a bit old-school in my approach to gearing up for this sort of weather (which honestly isn't that extreme, in my opinion, but I've been doing this for a few years). I usually start with a standard balaclava for my head and neck:

I like my balaclava because it's not as cumbersome as a beanie and scarf combination, it's easy to pull the lower half up over your mouth/nose area for colder conditions, and it also fits nicely under a helmet:

I also go with traditional thermal long johns under my pants and socks, which have always worked better for me than any of the spage-age Under Armour style fabrics. This week's weather wasn't quite cold enough for me to switch to the ultra thick wool socks just yet. My regular crew socks did just fine:

I usually wear a thermal long-sleeved top in addition (you can sort of see it in a couple of the pics up there), and if all else fails, supplementing with the old-fashioned beer jacket never hurts:

The last remark was half sarcasm. Excessive liquid consumption in cold weather does not make you warmer (including hot cocoa, tea, or coffee). I just had to work in a plug for Grove City Brewing, one of my favourite local watering holes, which I decided to visit during today's errands. Not surprisingly (again), I was the only one who made use of the bike rack today:

Lest you think I only ventured outside to go day-drinking, I did also stop at the mailbox (because I'm an old man who still mails checks to pay bills):

And I went back to the grocery store to get some additional items for dinner tonite. One more time, I was the only one at the bike rack:

 

Obviously, since I'm typing this post, I've survived my short ventures into the outdoors over the last couple days. I'm happy I was able to get at least some physical activity accomplished in spite of lackluster conditions, but I'm also hopeful this will move out before the weekend. There's still a month left in Autumn, after all...

Good to Roll:

I was feeling a bit under the weather yesterday and spent most of the day sleeping off a debilitating seasonal cold that I usually get around this time of year. Despite this, Fall is still one of my favourite times of the year, and I wasn't about to let illness deter me from my favourite monthly ride (the Roll: Bicycles Pub Ride) during the most beautiful season. I'm always glad in the end when I decide to ride as opposed to, well, not riding.

We are in the full throes of mid-Autumn, which makes even the most mundane of settings look strangely beautiful:

As has become my routine for these rides, I took the bus into downtown to avoid some potentially dangerous experiences on the road getting there. I know it looks gray and overcast, but I think that actually makes even better conditions for riding:

It was warm enough that there were actually some crew teams rowing on the Scioto near the meet up:

Not my cup of tea, but kudos for being outside and active. From our standpoint, I guess the weather was a little chilly for some people, as we had a rather modest turnout for this month's ride. Only about 2 dozen of us:

That certainly didn't dampen the enthusiasm. In the spirit of the season, one rider chose to decorate his bike accordingly:

Nice work, Bud. I also think my bike just looks brighter under gray skies:

We headed out around 7PM. Unfortunately, we were just a mile or two from the start when my buddy Jim got a flat:

After helping him on his way, he decided to head home due to lack of extra tubes, and also being closer to home than we would be at any other point of the ride. I can't blame him. Thankfully, this sort of fate has yet to befall me on these rides. Anyway...

Due to the delay, I didn't get any pics at the first stop (Sideswipe Brewing). I've been there several times before anyway, so you've likely seen what they're all about. SO, on our way to the second stop of the nite, we found that the Scioto Trail had been blocked by the Light the Night Walk, so we had to make a slight detour. Fortunately, the streets in the area had also been blocked off for the occasion, and we took full advantage:

That was a nice little surprise, and arguably more enjoyable than riding the trail. I mean, being on a street with no cars is practically a cyclists' ideal scenario.

We ended up in downtown Columbus at Platform Brewing for our 2nd stop of the nite:

Other than providing a nice view of downtown, I don't much care for this place, especially since they were purchased by Anheuser-Busch. I'm hoping they remove this stop from future rides. But that's another discussion for another day.

I pretty much stopped taking pics at this point, but I did snap one more of Bud's bike, which had switched to Christmas-style lighting by this point:

Bonus points for versatility. The ride continued on for one more stop after this, and ended at BrewDog in Franklinton, a place we have also frequented many a time. I hopped the bus after enjoying some food and a beverage. A no frills and very few surprises ride was just what I needed yesterday evening. I'm extremely happy I did it because it's rainy and miserable today, so riding may be very limited if it happens at all. However, this is a good opportunity for some much needed maintenance. Enjoy your weekend!

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.