Tune Up, Turn Down (For Now)

Over time, even the best things tend to wear down, but with the proper care and attention, they can become like new again.

My bike - The Bike With No Name - is no exception. We've spent nearly three years together, creating countless memories over countless miles. I mean, I could probably try to count the miles if I wanted to, but I have plenty of other things to occupy my time.

Anyway...if I were to estimate, it had been about 4,000 miles since his most recent tune up, and (as I'm sure you can imagine) he'd grown a little long in the tooth once again. I was a little more proactive about it this time around, planning to do it in February when bike shops aren't busy. I'm using proactive in a very liberal sense - ignore that whole 4,000 mile gap.

He was returned to me early last week after just one weekend in the shop, and I know he may not look much different to you, but to me, he looks nearly new:

Admittedly, you do have to look closely to see the real beauty of a new crank set, with the flashy stickers still attached:

I paid extra for hyperdrive 

And a new rear cassette and chain (both by Shimano, if you're interested in that sort of thing):

I always found the term "original" appearing on a replacement part to be rather ironic.

And that was really all I needed this time around. Combined with labor and parts, the total was around $200. Thanks to a very generous Christmas gift from my girlfriend, I paid far less than that. She's the greatest.

If you combine the regular maintenance I've done myself, with the two tune-ups I've had over his lifespan, I'm still below $1,000 in repairs. To some, that seems like a lot, and I know you can buy a brand new bike for far less than that. Still, there's a sentimental value that my bike holds in my brain space, and I'm willing to pay to preserve that. I also know how he handles, and I like the comfort level I have when I'm behind the bars. In my opinion, that's priceless. Which brings me to...

The best part about a tune up: testing it out! Our maiden voyage wasn't anything spectacular, but a good test nonetheless:

That's a full load to take to the recycling center, which has become my most frequent destination of late. At the very least, I know he can handle my day-to-day routine (not that I was ever worried about that). I did open it up after the drop-off to see what he could do, and there will surely be some adventures to come.

They're going to have to wait though, because I'm in need of a bit of a hiatus from this blogosphere. Most of my cycling these days is pretty routine, and I feel like in my current situation this blog isn't offering very much productivity for me. Fear not, for it's not going anywhere (I've taken several of these breaks over the years). I just need a mental tune-up, if you will.

In the mean time, I look forward to sharing The Bike With No Name's 3rd birthday with you (on February 28th), and 30 Days of Biking (in April) is not too far away after that. Happy Wednesday, everyone!

The Beast is Back

I made some major progress on my Winter maintenance checklist over the last week, both mentally and physically. 

It began with the triumphant return of the She Beast to my (our) arsenal, after a far too lengthy absence. I picked her up on Thursday afternoon and took her for a test ride at lunch on Friday:

Thanks to the help of the great folks at BikeSource, I'm happy to report that she's back in working order and better than ever (I bought her used, so she was a bit long in the tooth before I saw her). The timing was perfect, because my everyday bike was just about at his breaking point, and I had a weekend trip to Philly planned (I was not at my breaking point, but the mental vacation was needed). Not having a bike to get around my favourite city for three days would not have been ideal:

I took some time to break her in on Saturday afternoon with the intent of exploring some of the newer bike/greenway infrastructure I'd heard so much about just after I moved away last year. My first stop was the Rail Park, a greenway in the process of being built on the grounds of the former Reading Viaduct railway. The approach from 1300 Noble St. provides an excellent view of the past from where this project came and the future for which it will lead, starting with this gorgeous old building near the entrance:

I know others may have differing opinions, but I remain fascinated with neoclassical/art deco architecture. Side note: that building is apparently available, in case you have a ton of money laying around. Anyway, the park entrance from this end begins with a filled in rail trestle flanked by a rustic metal mural showcasing Philadelphia's industrial history, focusing specifically on the businesses that used to frequent the Callowhill neighborhood:

I could have spent all day looking at this thing. Eventually, I did actually make my way into the park, which is actually not bicycle-friendly according to the signs posted at the entrance:

No worries. A short walk never hurt anyone, right? The park has been manicured to resemble your typical park, with mulch beds and trees and shrubs in pre-determined locations. There are a number of relics that have been preserved, such as signal lamps and electric poles:

I also spotted some other relics, old trolley switches and lines lurking down below, at street level:

I'm not certain those will be there much longer. Anyway, the park is currently just a quarter mile in length, but the overall experience is worth a quick adventure. For now, it ends abruptly with another not-as-decorated metal wall:

I'll be excited to return when more of it opens up. At this point, I picked up my bike and headed down the stairs back to street level to continue on. My next "stops" would be the recently added protected bike lanes near City Hall:

I began by heading west on JFK Boulevard:

Not really much to write home about on that particular stretch, but it's still something that would have made my life a heck of a lot better when I lived there. On or about 20th St, I headed south briefly and then turned back east on Market St:

Traffic sign defacement has never been a favourite thing of mine, but I thought it was kinda funny someone wrote "longboard" below "bike" on this one. Maybe we should change it to "alternative transportation lane?" OK maybe not:

Speaking of traffic signs, this bicycle traffic light at 16th and Market is the first I can remember seeing in Philly:

The city has also added some new green paint near the southwest side of City Hall, where the bike lane turns right. This area used to cause a lot of confusion for novice cyclists:

Sadly, people still park in crosswalks (that's true just about everywhere). My adventure was just about over at this point, so I stopped briefly at Broad & Chestnut to take an incredibly cliché picture before heading back southward:

I had a little bit of spare time on Sunday before my friend's anniversary dinner, so I did sneak in a quick ride up to the Art Museum/Ben Franklin Parkway, a perfect chance for more touristy pics:

I know Philly still has a lot of work to do, but it's exciting to see some positive changes every time I return. I'm glad I finally had some favorable weather to truly enjoy the weekend. Until next time, my friend.

So the beast is definitely back, and that's a great thing, because I really enjoy switching up bikes every now and then (judge her not by her color). I put in nearly 30 miles last weekend, which was also a bit of body maintenance I've sorely needed with all of the severe Wintry weather keeping me inside these days. I'll be getting my everyday bike back tomorrow, and I'm told there are a few mild days ahead...

FOUR MORE GEARS!

Four years ago last week, this blog was born. I can't believe it's been that long; in some ways, I can't believe it's been that short, too. I mean, think about where you were four years ago...

I didn't celebrate the anniversary with anything major, but I did pause just now to think back on a couple things. When I wrote my first post, I'd been living and working in Philadelphia for barely a year. I'd been working at Wash Cycle Laundry for less than three months. Wow.

True to what I wrote that day, there have been plenty of ups, downs, and straight up oddities in those four years, and as you can probably imagine, the blog has evolved into its own thing. In fact, it's still evolving, and I'm not quite sure where it's going to go exactly, but that's part of the fun. I'll check back in with you in four years to let you know how it went (ha!).

One thing I didn't have four years ago was my everyday bike, The Bike With No Name, seen here today on a not-so-typical 60° February afternoon ride:

He's coming up on a third birthday pretty soon, and he's seen quite a bit of mileage in those three years (the understatement of all understatements). I've been slowly working through my "offseason" maintenance to-do's, and he's finally getting dropped off for his much-needed birthday present tune-up tomorrow! Believe it or not, that will only be the second such time I've had this guy in for a full tune. What a trooper.

I made this situation a bit complicated because I decided to get the backup bike tuned up first, which I'll be picking up tomorrow as well:

Remember her? That's the 'ol She Beast, who's been sidelined since last Summer due to an unfortunate injury to her front axle. Owing mostly to not absolutely needing to call her into action, I let the poor girl collect dust in the basement. However, aside from not having a working front tire, there wasn't much else wrong with her:

Still, letting a bike sit for any length of time allows dirt and dust to accumulate, so I figured it's as good a time as any to get her freshly cleaned and tuned. I mean, she didn't even look purple at some spots:

Why do this before servicing my everyday bike? Well you see, just because it's Winter and just because 60° days are uncommon doesn't mean I'm going to cease riding. I mean, someone has to take the recycling to the dumpster:

I have a little added excitement/motivation because 30 Days of Biking opened registration early this year, and that's a little less than two months away. Better to have all my bikes in working order ahead of schedule, and start the next four years off on the right pedal. Right? Right.

As always, thanks for riding along after all these miles, and here's to many more. If you haven't started already, get your bikes in shape for Spring. It'll be here faster than you think...

'Tis the (Off)Season!

In case I haven't said this to you already, Happy New Year everyone! Also, happy Winter, because it's been that long since I've checked in here. I'm probably in the minority, but I look forward to Winter, just like any season. They're all different, and they all present opportunities.

Back when I was a Wash Cyclist, I was often asked what exactly I did in Winter. I realize the concept of delivering laundry on a bicycle seemed crazy to be doing in Winter, but I rode, of course.

I work in Lawn Care now, so I still get asked that question. We also still work during Winter; we just don't go out on lawns. Our busy season officially wrapped up on December 13th, and after some end-of-year housekeeping, we all went on a brief hiatus. For me, it was the perfect time to take the family back to PA to celebrate the holidays and my birthday, which did include some riding:

If you frequent this blogspace of mine, you may have noticed the bike above that's not a regularly appearing character. Long story short, I couldn't take our bikes with us due to an issue with my car, so I was forced to borrow bikes from my Mom & Step Dad for the week we spent back home. Thanks to their help, I kept a promise to myself to ride every day during my birth month. I even convinced my girlfriend to brave the cold on the D&L Trail with me one day:

It was a little strange to be riding someone else's bike for an extended period of time. Even stranger to be doing so in the town I grew up after so many years away. Strange, but good. If nothing else, the nostalgia was a breath of fresh air:

My ride down memory lane continued after we left Palmerton, when we ventured back to Philly to celebrate my birthday, and our 2nd anniversary on New Year's Eve. I made sure that we called the IndeGo bike share system into action for a day to finish out the month of December:

I did have another ulterior motive in all of this, but despite my best efforts, I came up just 7 miles short of 3,000 for the year. I'm not too broken up about it, because in the last month I rode on 2 different bike share systems and 4 other bikes in 3 different states, so I'd say it was a pretty successful final month of 2018, and a pretty great year overall.

We returned to Ohio in the midst of some unseasonable warmth. I was able to sneak in a couple days of beautiful bike commutes on my first few days back at the office:

Winter finally showed up (seemingly) for good at the end of that week, and we're now blanketed with several inches of snow after several dustings and a near miss from a blizzard. I've sneaked in a ride here and there, but I think it's time to move into full off-season mode, namely tuneups and maintenance. I'll be doing plenty of those types of things to our work equipment over the next month or so.

At home, it's time to seize the opportunity to overhaul the bikes. They surely need it. Of course, I'm not going to disable all of them at the same time, just in case we get a nice weather day mixed in here or there. BUT, this is as good a chance as any to gear up for next year, and if you haven't done so to your bike, get crackin'. Happy off season!

Another Cycle Around the Sun: 2018 Edition

2018 is nearing its end, and like many of you, I've been thinking back on the year that's been and beginning to look forward to next year. I generally don't put much stock into the flip of a calendar being responsible for any dramatic changes, but nonetheless it seems an appropriate time to check in with oneself, right?

As much as I try to keep my eyes forward, I do enjoy compiling my year (of cycling) on this blog. That's one thing that's never going to change, but 2018 was full of change, to say the least. In June, I moved out of the city I love to be with the woman I love, while attempting to continue to do all of the things I love to do. To say this was a game-changer would be an understatement.

I no longer need a bike to make my commute more efficient. I no longer ride a bike at work. In many ways, my life has seemingly been flipped upside-down. So obviously, I have experienced some growing pains this year, but what I realized more than anything while putting together this compilation was that there were still many great moments throughout the whole year, and that's what's most important.

Of course, moments don't mean nearly as much if they're not shared with friends and family. Many of you joined in my adventures, and many more have followed along here. I don't place much value on statistics (I think you know by now that I don't write here for the sake of gaining readers), but as I keep doing this, I do find it interesting to see what piques others' interests. Without further ado, here are my top 5 blog posts in 2018 by readership:

1. For the Love of Wash Cycling - My emotional farewell to the job (and city) that helped define my life.
2. Bike to School - Not only did we welcome our third and youngest member to our cycling tribe this year, but our child did something we've never done: she rode her bike to school!
3. Zippity Doo Dah - A 22 mile family adventure braving the heat on the 4th of July.
4. Triggered - A short blurb on some new (to me) cycling infrastructure.
5. Today Didn't Suck - Powering through 11 arduous miles on the Wash Cycle while facing some severe winds.

Surprisingly, for the first time since I started this blog, the Philly Naked Bike Ride didn't make the top 5! But you know it had to make the list, so here are my top 5 blog posts outside the top 5 (with the caveat that some of the above were some of my favourite moments from this year):

1. Dare to Bare - The Philly Naked Bike Ride will always be one of my favourite moments of the year. This time was extra special, as I returned to the City of Brotherly Love for the first time after moving to Columbus.
2. 6 Seems to be a Theme... - My third year celebrating a friend's birthday with a bunch of friends biking his age in miles.
3. Bikin' on the Bayou - Among all of the amazing times I experienced in my weekend in NOLA, carving out some time to ride their bike share system was one of the best.
4. Pedaling for Pints - A beautiful evening exploring some of Columbus' oldest areas, while also enjoying some excellent beer and meeting some equally excellent new faces. My first real "aha" moment out here.
5. The 700 Club - Crossing over 700 miles for the month of April during 30 Days of Biking, a favourite if only because I'm not sure I'll ever reach that total again.

Honourable mentions:

1. Citi Cycling - Sneaking in a ride in NYC before my girlfriend and daughter arrived. I believe this is the 6th different bike share system I've used.
2. I Already Live With too Many Ghosts - My first Ride of Silence, just days after Philadelphia lost another cyclist due to traffic violence. This was quite memorable, but for very melancholy reasons.

Sometimes pictures are worth more than words, and what's a good blog without pictures? I took hundreds of them this year, most of which will never see the light of day. Here are some of my favourites from 2018 that did make the cut:

Being touristy in NYC

Brisk Winter mornings in Philly

High above Carbon County early in 30 Days of Biking

A throwback special to my early days as a Wash Cyclist

Midway thru my friend Todd's 59th birthday ride in April

The Wash Cycle trike looked a little out of place on the trail...

My last ride on the SRT before moving out of Philly gave me this bittersweet view

My former bosses and me on my second last day as a Wash Cyclist

And of course, my final day as a Wash Cyclist

My first commute in Columbus

One of my first rides on the Scioto Mile

22 miles on the 4th of July!

PNBR end of ride - I don't know the lady who took the picture (in the foreground)

A triumphant first ride to school!

Beautiful Autumness

Starting the month of December in NOLA, in the best way possible.

The best bike lane market ever

Errands led me to Ireland! OK, not really, but...

I did bike on Christmas Day, in my third different state this month

And of course, this year still isn't over. I don't usually have set goals for mileage, but with 4 days remaining in the year, I find myself sitting 26 miles short of 3,000 for the year. It goes without saying that I'm going to do my best to squeeze one more moment in to 2018.

As always, thank you so much for riding along, and cheers to another year of cycling and adventuring in 2019!