Tent-ative Plans

I've known how to ride a bike since I was a kid, but I didn't really fall in love with it until about 5 years ago, shortly after I moved to Philly. In those 5 years, I've logged thousands of miles and packed in too many incredible experiences to count, with too many wonderful people to name here. Still, I've not even come close to "seeing it all," and I was reminded of that when I took my very first bike camping trip this weekend: 

It's in tents. 

It's been one of those things that's been on my "to-do" list for quite some time now, but for whatever reason, things never materialized. I found out on Wednesday that I had a free weekend, and my friend Jason from Roll Bicycles just happened to be hosting a bike camping adventure (not affiliated with the bike shop), so it worked out in the most random way possible. Sometimes those are the best experiences, right?

Before we even rolled out on Saturday, I was pretty stoked because I'd get to try out some new gear. My girlfriend and I have been meaning to get some backpacking equipment for awhile now, and this seemed like the best excuse to splurge. Jason was going to let me borrow his extra tent, so I initially only intended to buy a sleeping bag, but REI had this amazing deal on a complete backpacking setup for less than $200 that was too good to pass up:

I sleep here tonite?

We picked it up on Friday evening, and as you can see, I set things up in the living room to make sure all was in working order. You'd hate to ride all the way to a campsite to find out your tent had a huge hole in it, right?

 I mean, other than the holes that you use to get in and out of it...

Everything was hunky dory, so I packed up and got ready to roll out Saturday morning. Minx the cat has this habit of trying to stop anyone from going away, even if just for a nite, so he "camped out" in front of my gear the morning I was getting ready to leave:

Pun intended

I chose to use the milk crate not only for storage purposes, but also in case I wanted to have something to sit on once I got to camp. It looks a little awkward propped up on the bike, but my old school approach worked out quite well:

The crate escape

Plus, Jason stressed that the point of these rides (yes, there will be more) is to do what you can with what you have, not to go out and spend thousands of dollars on outfitting a touring bike. This definitely fits that mold, despite spending $170ish on camping supplies the nite before. I kinda had to. There was no way I was fitting my old Coleman sleeping bag on my bike.

Anyway, due to work commitments and other dilemmas, most of the expected crew backed out, so Jason and I were the only ones who made the trek to Scioto Mile on Saturday around Noon:

We really couldn't have asked for a better day for cycling, with no clouds, no precipitation, and very little wind to speak of. Our destination was London, OH, about 30 miles to our West. Our route made use of a section of the Ohio to Erie Trail, a trail I've been meaning to explore ever since I arrived in Columbus:

 There are no bathrooms at Lilly Chapel. Be warned!

The route mostly follows lands that had previously been railroad beds or canals. As a result, it's mostly flat in this section of the state, so you can click off some serious miles in relatively short order. The above pics were about 12 miles into our ride, which we'd accomplished in about an hour.

The trail is also connected to several Metro Parks along the way, including Battelle Darby Creek (the name Metro Park is a bit misleading - this particular park is about 20 miles outside downtown Columbus):

One day, I'll get to visit all of them. We didn't stick around here for too long because we wanted to make sure we got to our destination with enough time to eat, set up camp, and so on before darkness.

This ride was the first real long distance ride I've attempted since last December, and all things considered I think I did quite well. But 40 additional pounds of gear on the bike combined with just the slightest of head wind did eventually start to wear on me, and we had to pause for a minute about 5 miles from our destination. Thankfully, stops like these are plentiful on the trail:

There are no bathrooms here, either 

If you look closely, you can see a full set of bike tools attached to the pavilion post. A nice security blanket to have on a trail out in the middle of nowhere. Well done.

A short few miles later, we reached our first stop in London, to eat DINNER:

And finally, we reached our home for the nite, billed as "primitive camping" right off the trail. With a fully functioning bathroom with running water and electricity, I wouldn't call it primitive. It's a pretty neat little slice of heaven for a cyclist who might be riding the trail from start to finish, or for someone making a weekend adventure out of a bike ride. I'll let the pictures do the talking:

The only drawback? No campfires. That meant we would be heading into our tents a little early in the evening for warmth, with temperatures expected to dip into the mid- to lower 30's. It's just as well, because I was ready for bed by 9. You can't blame me. All told, I logged more than 40 miles from home to tent:

Surprisingly, I woke up early and quite refreshed. There's truly nothing like sleeping outdoors, and no kind of sleep like the kind you get after a long bike ride. We rolled out nice and early around 9:30 on a much grayer, colder Sunday:

As such, we kept most of our layers on until we got about 10 miles into our trek home, when we both decided we were finally getting to warm to handle the extra weight. I also made an adjustment to my cargo setup:

I ignored my gut when I left my house the previous day, and brought a backpack. If you've ever tried to do this on a long ride, you know it's not the most pleasant experience, even if the bag weighs less than 10 pounds. I started to feel irked by its presence about halfway through the ride on Saturday, and by this time on Sunday I was done with it. I couldn't just leave it in the middle of Ohio, so I strapped it to my sleeping bag:

It worked well for the most part, other than needing to take turns as slowly and vertically as possible, and not really being able to tilt the bike when lifting over obstacles like train tracks:

Hey, we had to stop to get a picture of the mural, right? 

I rode with that setup most of the way home until I stopped to eat lunch on the Olentangy Trail near Clintonville:

I toughed out the last 5 miles with the backpack on, and the crazy crate survived as well:

And with that, I'm looking forward to the next one, whenever that may be. Jason plans to do one of these every month. I'll do what I can to make it to as many as possible. My first experience was everything from fun to exhausting to inspiring to educational and everything in between. Speaking of, some lessons I learned:

1. Travel lighter. I always fail at this and end up bringing 3 or 4 things I don't need. In this case, just about everything in my backpack could have stayed home.
2. I'm actually out of shape. Riding to and from the grocery store every day is fine and all, but not doing a ride over 10 miles for 3 months made me lose all my leg muscle. Never thought I'd see the day.
3. Two person rides can be just as amazing as 40 person rides, if not more. Jason's been around cycling a long time and shared some great information and old stories (including some from his Randonneuring days - read about that if you think some of the adventures I go on are crazy). I'm not sure I would have learned all that if we had a larger group. Random side note: he used to work at a bike shop in Philly. Small world!
4. Biking is my spirit animal. I already knew this. I feel so much better today than I did on Friday.

Spring is here, and this was the best possible way to spend its first weekend. Oh and, by the way, 30 Days of Biking starts in just over a week. I think I'm ready for some more firsts...

Three Year Cycle

My bike, "The Bike With No Name," turned three years old last week. It's normal to celebrate your bike's birthday, right? If you're curious, here's a link to the post I wrote on the day he was "born" in Philadelphia. In those three years, we've shared more than 7,000 miles and so many memories I can't even attempt to count. What a ride it's been...

Sadly, even though I bought him a tune-up for his birthday, I haven't really had a chance to break him in since then. I did make it a point to sneak in a quick ride to do some errands in the midst of a busy February 28th:

After taking some recycling to the center and stopping off at the ATM, I paused for a slightly more scenic photo further down the road:

I rounded it out by stopping for some fast casual food for dinner:

In some ways, this is kind of a microcosm of what his life has been like. We've traveled far and wide and adventured through good and bad and most everything in between, and yet I can still count on him every day to get the little jobs done. That's probably the most important thing about any bike I'll ever own. So happy third, buddy. Cheers to many more!

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...