Earth Day Part Two

30 Days Mileage Counter

Bike: 415.7

Car: 428

Train: 8

Today began rather auspiciously, with the removal of a client from my weekly delivery roster. It's going to result in a small cut in my commissions, but all things considered, it's going to make my life easier. I was a little upset about it when I found out yesterday afternoon, but after getting out and riding on what turned out to be a GORGEOUS day, I had all but forgotten about it until I sat down to write this. Onward and upward, right?

SO. Being that Wash Cycle strives to be as green as possible, Earth Day/Week/Month fits right in with us. After my morning route (over 10 miles before 10AM!), I was sent to my 2nd (and our company's 3rd) such event this week, this one at Thomas Jefferson University:

YEA! Take THAT, Dasani!

It was a bit windy at times, so I used my helmet (in the foreground) to keep our promo items in place. I mention this only because I lost count of how many people thought I was selling bicycle helmets, and also how many people were amazed at a helmet's construction. I guess I take this stuff for granted? I dunno... Anyway, the event went well, my farmer's tan is now on full display, and I got some free water. Yippee. One more event coming next Thursday.

Not much else to report for today. Things have been largely routine cycling-wise over the past few days (if you call 20.1 miles in a day routine), which has been nice. My legs have needed the rest, especially since softball started. I promise more big stuff coming up this weekend if the weather cooperates, which appears to be the case.

For now, I'm about to sneak in a couple more miles this evening to go watch the Flyers - I could watch at home, but they won when I was at the bar the other night, so superstition dictates my move. Go Flyers.

22 down, 8 to go. Really? Time flies, #30daysofbiking...

Rackin' Up Miles

30 Days Mileage Counter

Bike: 395.6

Car: 428

Train: 8

Today ended rather windy, but it began beautifully, and with this surprise:

Mother Nature giving me the finger? Or is it the cat giving me the death stare...

That's some sort of plant growing in the flower bed outside my house. Awesome because I didn't plant it! Anyone know what it is? I'm sure I'll find out eventually. Anyway, on to biking…

On my rather lengthly to-do list biking-wise are several modifications, most of which I don't have the time or the financial capability to do right this second. One I sorely need to move to the top of my priority list is a front-mounted rack:

Nice rack. Too bad it's not natural.

We started adding these to our Wash Cycles recently because there are occasionally some deliveries that don't require the full rig. Why make life harder on yourself, right?

This is the first time I've used one of these in a while. The old adage "It's like riding a bike" is true, despite the pun-ny nature of the statement, but it did take some adjusting. It made life much easier this morning, and if I get one for my personal bike, I'll probably only need to use my car to leave the city. There's a thought…

I did pull out the trike eventually for the remainder of my route. I paused briefly to get a snack at Front Street Cafe in Fishtown and was greeted with this:

They wanna make me a star!

MSNBC set up there to cover the Pennsylvania Primaries for some reason. I couldn't figure out why (it's Thursday, after all), but still pretty neat. On a related note, one of my clients happens to be a fellow Berner, and I visited her today:

These views are not necessarily those of Wash Cycle Laundry or its employees

She actually gave me a poster a few weeks back, too, which was pretty rad of her. We chatted for a little about the march coming up in Philly this Saturday, and I told her I'll be riding my bike there of course. She's a masseuse, and though I can't officially endorse her for various reasons (not the least of which is that I'm my roommate's client and I'm LOYAL dammit!), I enjoy servicing clients with whom I can have deeper conversations beyond "Hey, how's your laundry?"

21 down, just 9 to go, and another 16.5 miles in the books today. We're on the home stretch, and if all goes according to plan, I will actually ride more than I drive this month. Knock on something.

Records Are Meant to be Recorded

30 Days Mileage Counter
Bike:379.1
Car: 428
Train: 8

Today is a momentous day. I'm celebrating the fact that this blog post will break my previous personal record of 20 blog posts in one month (on this blog), set last April, oddly enough. I know, I know, get a life, Steve...but seriously, when you're responsible for generating daily content at work AND also trying to do so personally, it feels good to type that.

On a broader scale, this goes back to the whole "I'm not sure what this adventure will entail" thing I said on my very first #30daysofbiking post, but so far, it's been everything I could have asked for and then some. Kudos to whoever came up with this idea. It's been awesome, and there are still 9 days left after today!

Day 20 is also a day of firsts. Case in point, I received two social media mentions of note today from the East Coast Greenway:

I've also gotten some love from the OFFICIAL 30 Days of Biking Twitter account on numerous occasions:

OK maybe that makes this a second, but whatever. What this means in the grand scheme of things? I don't know, but at least people are noticing. I've thoroughly enjoyed reading other people's stories too, my own friends included. Feels good to be a part of something, ya know?

So, here we are. I woke up today knowing I would have to drive a great distance to do something rather unpleasant, but I started my day with the best of intentions and a trip to the recycling centre:

This is foreshadowing

First time riding my bike there, even though I've been there dozens of times. Just FYI, you can't throw electronics in your recycling bin, but most of them are recycle-able. I did this 3 mile ride all because of two outdated landline phones, given to me by a friend who wasn't sure how to dispose of them. This is how great 30 Days of Biking has become: I'm making up excuses and doing favors for friends just for the sake of taking a ride on my bike!

I actually had to stop in the office briefly today even though I took the day off. I had accidentally taken some promo materials home with me last night that my co-worker needed later in the day, so I detoured by about 4 miles. I could have dropped them off in my car later (we'll get to that), but again, any excuse for a ride.

Just before I left the office, I noticed my rear tire was a bit low. I nursed it home, but I knew I would have to do a repair later. Probably picked up a nice shard at the recycling centre. Tread wisely (pun intended).

I set the bike aside at home and moved on to the next part of this sordid affair today, A ROOT CANAL! It involved 177 miles of driving (round trip) that I was not pleased with, but the procedure went smoothly, I got to have lunch with my Mom, and I got to visit these fantastic animals in the process:

Cliff, cool cat

Lilly, pretty pup

Worth it. I came back to Philly, fixed the flat, spent 30 minutes trying to re-calibrate my brakes, then rode up to Olde Kensington where I was given this flashy new shirt:

Shwa?

I joined a new softball team this year, thanks to my friend Russ at Flotation Philly. I remember writing last year that barring anything crazy, I'd be back on the 3G softball team this year. Lo and behold, the bar closed, much to my displeasure (a memorial will be in order soon). Luckily, Russ was more than happy to add willing members of our crew on to his squad this year.

We played our first game with a mostly full squad tonite, and we scored a lot of runs. Unfortunately, we also gave up a lot. My buddy Max put it best: "I haven't used my softball muscles in a while." He's right. I bike every day. I consider myself to be in good physical shape. I mean, I tow up to 300 pounds of laundry on a bike and regularly lift 60 pounds without batting an eye. But...my legs are SORE for the first time in a long time (a day of firsts, I tells ya!). My throwing arm will likely be sore too, but one injury at a time... 

After the game, I rode towards home, stopping for a later dinner and to watch perhaps the last Flyers game of the season at the Royal Tavern. As luck would have it, WE WON.

It's time for bed. Day 20 was exhausting, but worth it.

Earth Day Part 1

30 Days Mileage Counter

Bike: 360.1

Car: 251

Train: 8

Part of this whole #30daysofbiking is to raise awareness of cycling, so it's only fitting that Earth Day would fall near the middle of this green initiative. After a brief morning route, I trekked the trike out to West Philly to represent Wash Cycle at Drexel University's Earth Day event:

Because they couldn't wait until the ACTUAL Earth Day for this

We had great table placement right at the top of the ramp, but I found this rather ironic:

I mean, technically it's not a BIcycle...

Our mild rebelliousness aside, things went well. I'm very much looking forward to doing it again at Jefferson University on Friday. Shameless plug: if you're in the area of 10th & Locust from 11-1, stop by! As for today, on top of a mild case of sunburn (which I actually enjoy - peeling is fun), I met some really cool women from the Drexel Dining Staff:

How ya like them apples?

They just so happened to be vegans, or at least vegan-curious. We chatted for a little while. Turns out Drexel's food service is actively promoting a whole-grain plant-based diet, and has also issued a "Go Vegan for Earth Day" challenge to students. Who knew?

Speaking of vegan, I decided to step out of bounds a bit today and help myself to my very first Dottie's Donut courtesy of Joe Coffee:

Stupid sun, melting everything and all...

It was pretty good, and dangerous. Let's just say I'm glad I ride a bike for a living. It keeps the guilt from hanging around too long.

Rather fittingly, we segue to a bit of an annoyance courtesy of our boys in blue. On my way back from Thompson St, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the city installed a bike lane on 15th St. just west of City Hall. That enthusiasm was short-lived, when I saw no fewer than 4 police vehicles parked in it:

RESPECT MY AUTHORITAHHHH

Listen, I'm not going to go on a rant here, but this is just a dick move. If I were a bike cop, I'd write them a ticket just to prove a point. If anyone knows of a good reason why all of these dudes were parking up the bike lane at City Hall today, let me know and I'll eat the damn crow. Until then, cue the NWA.

19 days down. Tomorrow should include a glorious trip to the sanitation centre, a root canal and a softball game. I'm looking forward to 1 of those things. Guess.

Monday as ____

30 Days Mileage Counter

Bike: 341.7

Car: 238

Train: 8

Insert the 4-letter word of your choice ;)

My average Monday consists of this laundry pile:

Wanna go for a dive?

I'm estimating that's about 800 pounds of linens. A large haul for sure, but not overwhelming with the right schedule and planning. Beautiful weather also makes it much easier:

That, and being able to see over the pile...

I did have to lug some of this 8 miles North in a ZipCar, but that doesn't belittle the fact that I had to lift all of it into and out of the car. Not at once. That would be a record. But seriously, it felt like Summer today, which was just dandy. I'm already sporting helmet tan in April :D

Riding all these miles and lifting all these bags, you might think I would need some muscle therapy. You're sort of correct. Thankfully, I live with a fantastic shiatsu practitioner who keeps my "gears running smoothly," and I received a treatment this afternoon:

This pic is actually from a few weeks ago, but the result is the same. Cat therapy for the win.

If you're interested, please inquire. She's really good. Sebastian is no slouch either.

I rounded out the day with a short ride to my favourite neighborhood watering hole to watch the hockey match. Let's not discuss the game, and instead focus on this beautiful black IPA from Duck Rabbit:

Duck, duck, rabbit?

I made it home in one piece. Wish the same could be said for my team's playoff hopes… All in all, nothing too crazy today (other than Wash Cycling). Tomorrow won't be crazy but I'll be appearing at Drexel's Earth Day Festival, so there's that. Really 18 down already? Damn, #30daysofbiking, you're flying by...

Who Toilest on ye Sabbath?

30 Days Mileage Counter

Bike: 323.2

Car: 223

Train: 8

Who toils on the Sabbath? ME. You'd think after logging over 60 miles yesterday, I might want to have a day of rest...

Nah. I actually woke up with a strangely high amount of energy today. In case you're wondering, I've now logged over 100 miles more on a bike this month than in a car. Go me!

Back to today: I had planned all along to run errands today, but seeing how I had a scheduled Sunday ride with a cycling friend postponed for over 2 months, I decided today was the day to make good on my promise. She picked a ride to the John Heinz Wildlife Refuge in Southwest Philly. Couldn't have picked a better day for it, either:

Provided I can get out of the phorests of South Filly...

For any of you who have driven through Southwest Philly, you know it's not much to write home about. Lots of industry, abandoned bungalows, discarded trash, etc. until you get near the far southwest, which is condo city. Kinda blah in a different way. Not worth stopping for a picture, really. We move on...

This is a surprisingly confusing map - It sits at a 45º angle, which totally screws with my sense of direction

We took one of the trails through the park, which adds up to about 3.4 miles. I didn't see any crazy wildlife on our short journey, but it's a decent enough place to go for a ride, considering it's bounded by the city on one side and I-95 on the other:

I don't recommend using your bike as a pontoon boat

About halfway around the park, I saw yet another prophetic marker portending another item I WILL cross off my to-do list one day:

This also apparently marks the nexus of the ECG universe

I've been reading and thinking about riding the East Coast Greenway for nearly 2 years now. I don't know how I missed that this was part of the trail. Strangely enough, I followed a good portion of it on my route home, too. Baby steps.

We were about to leave the park when I spotted this sign:

They didn't have the budget to post a picture of Blinky?

Not the most reassuring sign to see in a wildlife refuge. Maybe it's best we get out of here…

So we did. Around 61st Street, she went back the way we came and I branched off to the left (straight), continuing up through West Philly en route to Trader Joe's to visit another friend while also picking up some groceries. All things considered, it was actually the closest grocery store I trust on my way home, and it was still some 4 miles away from where I was.

Here to find out, her shift was over at 4 and I got there well afterward, so I was forced to brave the insanity alone. I do some crazy things on a Wash Cycle, but I nearly outdid myself today, with a book bag AND a grocery bag filled to the brim:

Quite a haul. See what I did there?

I really need to get a front-mount rack for this hog. This is about 50 pounds' worth of stuff (including my water bottles and u-lock) strapped to my back and arm. I thought I threw out my shoulder at one point on the trek home. I should have been beat, but like I said earlier, I had a strange amount of energy in the tank today, and I cooked a 4-course macrobiotic meal:

Clockwise from top left: arame with tahini, tofu, carrots & onions; blanched vegetable salad with cabbage, broccoli & carrots; brown rice with barley & lentils; barley miso soup with wakame, daikon, and broccoli rabe greens

"But Steve, where's your protein?" I'll spare you the rant, but 300+ miles later, you can trust me. It's in there. The best thing after a long ride is a delicious home-cooked meal. That, and a beer.

21.7 miles is basically a rest day, right? 17 down, lucky 13 to go, and a busy week lies ahead: 2 Earth Day events, softball, a root canal (yes, you read that right) and probably something else I'm forgetting. What else ya got, #30daysofbiking?

300

30 Days Mileage Counter
Bike: 301.5
Car: 223
Train: 8
Accurate as of 11:15PM 4/16/16

HOOOOOOO BOY! I got LOTSA pics for y'all tonite! I began today knowing it would be quite epic. Unintentionally, and half-jokingly, I ran into this mural on S. 22nd St. I've been meaning to pass by for some time:

Philling the Bern right now...

Yes, I was already feeling the burn in my legs from a vigorous week of, well, pretty much anything I could possibly do on a bike, knowing that approximately 60 miles of cycling lie ahead of me today. By the time I reached the mural, I was already 2 miles deep. By the way, Go Bernie.

Some Wash Cyclists (and non cyclists who also work for Wash Cycle) got together to organize a ride for a co-worker's birthday. It started out with a group of about 10. Those who survived to "play" showed up today:

I wore pants. It was cold. Don't question my fashion sense.

So here's the really awesome part: Todd, whose birthday we were celebrating, is the dude who inspired me to do the #30daysofbiking challenge in the first place. He's wearing the blue fleece above. Here's the second awesome part: Noelle (all the way on the left) helped us organize it and joined us for the first part of the ride, even though she's Asthmatic and it was downright frigid on the river this morning. Like I said yesterday, this month is about inspiring people to get on a bike. I think we've succeeded already, and it's day 16.

Todd has this tradition where he rides the mileage equivalent to his age each birthday. He happens to be turning 58. We've got some work to do, right? So, already 5 miles in (for me), we began on the Schuylkill River Trail on our way to Valley Forge:

There are usually more tourists, but we sent a cowcatcher out in front

I didn't take pics for awhile, because you don't need to see any more pics of runners' or cyclists' asses, which is basically what the River Trail offers for the first few miles within the city limits. We move on...

Somehow this is still considered within city limits

Noelle had branched off after East Falls and we continued on through Manayunk, which was the farthest I had been on the trail to this point in my cycling life. It turns left, then sharply right midway thru the neighborhood:

Fifteen miles on the dreary canal

Riding on the towpath reminded me a bit of back home:

Only difference was the lack of Dutch Whale sightings

It opens up a bit after that, and I was able to throw some cheezballz into the mix:

It's not technically a selfie if I'm including my friends, right?

At this point, we started chatting, because we were finally free of all other distractions and we could just...well, ride and hang out like we wanted to. I stopped taking pics for a while. At some point, I snapped this mile marker:

I don't wanna read it. You do it.

AND, we ran into another fellow Wash Cyclist on the way:

Heyyyy. Caaaaarl. Good to see you.

He was actually planning to join us, but our ride didn't coincide with his other ride he had going, yadda yadda yadda, but I may end up joining his Full Moon Ride later this month. No nudity. Promise. Anywho, I decided to "stretch my legs" at this point, but I did "pause" to snap this during a coast:

I just wanted to show off my light

As we neared Valley Forge, Todd pointed out the would-be Hollywood of Pennsylvania that never quite made it:

I mean, the concept of a "motion picture" is inherently wrong, right?

And then, we reached the halfway point, so to speak:

The Helmet. That's where we'll meet. It will be there. With a Wash Cycle logo on it.

At this point, it was getting really warm, so we all got naked shed some layers, and Todd revealed his Bike PHL shirt that had been signed by people he met on an international ride:

There's no witty caption here because this is too cool.

We began our trek back towards the city, with a much-needed and intentional stop at the Conshohocken Brewery:

Just throw your bike on there. Maybe you can pick a better one when you come back

I was "warned" by my friends that biking to Conshohocken and going to the brewery on a Saturday was kind of the "thing that you do," but it was still worth it. I mean, who doesn't love a flight?

Not pictured, the vegetarian chili with the jalapenos that will most certainly destroy my colon

Wanting to make sure he got his 58 miles in, Todd took us on a beautiful detour to the Cynwyd Heritage Trail, which can be accessed from the old Manayunk rail bridge extension. It provides some great views of the area and the river:

OK, that last one, not so much. I hope, for his sake, she said "Yes." The remainder of the trail was pretty tame:

Except for this part where we needed to get the cowcatcher out again. GET OUT OF MY WAY ALREADY TOURISTS

BUT there was this neat bike pump installation, and it works!

Because if it didn't, that would be a dick move...

We finally finished up on the River Trail on our way back to the Art Museum:

Don't try this at home. Unless your home happens to be a 57 mile round trip

I commissioned a beautiful young woman to take our triumphant "victory" photo afterward. Apparently she knew how to take pictures, because we did 4 takes, 2 in landscape form, 2 in portrait form. They were all good, because seriously, look at this subject matter:

And you were expecting the Rocky Statue, WEREN'T YOU?!?!?

We did it. A great ride, a great time. Can't wait to do (something like) it again. Like the next time someone has a birthday??? Just a thought...

However, I wasn't finished. By the time I got home, I was at around 57 miles for the day. Not wanting to come up short of 58 miles per Todd's stipulation, I decided I needed to go the extra mile (there's no way I couldn't make that pun) by riding to the New Wave to watch the Flyers tonite. Let's not discuss the game. Turns out, the round trip from there to my house and back put me over 300 for the month and close to 200 for the week. This isn't Sparta, but damn, that's a lotta ridin'.

Many, many thanks to Todd, Noelle, Johanna and Elliot for their companionship in cycling today and everyone who continues to ride along literally and figuratively through this adventure. 16 down, 14 to go. #30daysofbiking FTW.