Day 5 of 30: I Assure You, They're Open

In a turn of events that was absolutely not shocking at all to me given the way things have been going of late, our best laid plans for a Saturday family ride were shelved due to an extremely sick kitty cat. I'll spare you the details, but basically we didn't feel good leaving him at home all day. So...

We actually did get a lot accomplished around here yesterday as a result. I rolled out early in the morning to take a look around Grove City to see how things were looking overall, what was open, and so on:

That's Hop Yard 62, one of my favourite local watering holes. It turns out they're open with limited hours for takeout (like many other local establishments), so I decided I'd stop by again later in the day if I had time. Up and down Broadway, most businesses were operating with somewhat normal hours, but with social distancing restrictions, limits on who could enter the premises, and so on. The only place I saw with an outright "Closed" sign was Transcend Coffee shop, which is closed due to the risk of one of their owners coming in contact with senior citizens. I'd say it's a good enough reason to temporarily close. It's also good to see most businesses around here are staying afloat for the time being.

After a little meandering around town, I made my way to the grocery store once again. Other than the paper products section, things are somewhat normal, and I was able to get a full haul yesterday:

Rae and I ventured out together after lunch to go get some gardening supplies. It seemed like a shame to waste a beautiful day not being outside, so we did some major work on the outside of our house for a change. The lawn is mowed, and most of the front landscape has finally been cleaned out from Autumn leaf coverage and undesired plants.

After we finished, I took one more ride to go back to Hop Yard. By this time of Day, Grove City had started to look much like it did when we came down here about a year ago to look at our house:

Cute. I was also surprised to find out that Hop Yard was still selling DORA cups, which allow you to take open beer around the town center. In addition to picking up a growler to go, I couldn't resist the chance to enjoy a nice cool beer outside on a gorgeous Spring day:

There was a scene outside with several people on benches well more than 6 feet apart from each other, all enjoying beer (I didn't get a pic - I didn't want to creep anybody out). Despite everyone appropriately practicing social distancing, it felt somewhat normal. On that note, my day also felt pretty normal on the whole, despite not turning out the way I'd originally planned.

Today is looking rather gray outside by comparison, so I probably won't get a TON of riding in, but I assure you, I'll be out there. Enjoy your Sunday, everyone.


30DoB Mileage Total: 54.1

Day 4 of 30: Detours and Metaphors

A brief aside (or detour) before today's post: I had a great interaction with a customer yesterday morning (albeit whilst standing nearly 20 feet away from each other). She was very happy to see us, way happier than I think she would have been on a "normal" day. Circumstances can change that sort of thing, I suppose. They also changed my reaction to the situation. I was running a bit behind, and on a "normal" day, I might have felt annoyed by being stopped for 10 minutes out of my day. Instead, I had a feeling of gratitude. I've been thinking the last few days that maybe this whole event has been thrown at us to teach us that we need to slow down, and not go out and try to do everything with everyone every single day.

But anyway, back to the real topic of this blog. Detours are going to be a theme, if you hadn't already guessed by the title.

I have a longstanding tradition of taking a longer than usual ride home on Fridays after work. Here in Central Ohio, we have been graced with several beautiful days to begin 30 Days of Biking, so it only seemed appropriate to enjoy the weather and continue the tradition. Let's call it an intentional detour:

That scene is from the Camp Chase Trail yesterday afternoon. I frequently use a small stretch of it during Winter to take quick rides during my lunch breaks, but other than that, I don't come through here very often. It's simply not on the way to most of the places I frequent via bicycle.

Last week, I was venturing out west of Grove City (where I live) and figured out a roundabout way to get to the trail from my house. By roundabout, I mean...it might be about 10 miles out of the way. But what the heck? It was a beautiful Friday afternoon, after all...

Come to find out that my planned detour took a small unplanned detour about a mile out, as the trail is closed for a bridge reconstruction on Wilson Road:

It wasn't a major inconvenience, as the detour was well marked and didn't lead into any really precarious situations. After getting back on the "normal" track, I continued westward. I was eventually greeted with this unnerving sight at Georgesville Road, which was not well marked in advance:

This stretch of the Ohio to Erie Trail has been under construction/redevelopment recently, so I'm not completely surprised to see something like this, but for safety's sake, I would like to see a little more advance notice. I was actually considering that if this detour works out, I may start riding my bike to and from work this way. I'm having second thoughts.

Anywho, I sidestepped that obstacle safely and headed south towards home. I reached my destination after more than an hour:

For reference, my usual bicycle commute takes about 40 minutes and involves a bus ride. Quite a detour, eh? In hindsight, it was well worth it, as always.

So maybe take some time during your quarantine or social distancing to embrace the fact that some aspects of your world are operating at a slower pace. I'll always encourage you to ride a bike, but at the very least, do something that's relaxing. The family and I are probably going to take a nice little ride today (it is the weekend, after all) to enjoy one more beautiful day while we can. Have a great weekend everyone, and stay safe & healthy.


30DoB Mileage Total: 40.7

Day 3 of 30: Enjoy it While it Lasts

If you dared to venture outside here in the greater Columbus area yesterday, you were treated to some beautiful conditions. I paused briefly on my morning commute long enough to take in the sunrise just down the road from our shop, with the skyline visible in the distance:

A small token of beauty from Mother Nature in the midst of turmoil. I really do appreciate moments like these so much more nowadays. With some similar conditions forecast over the next couple days, I'm planning to make the most of them, while also being as safe as humanly possible.

On the way home, I dropped in to support another local staple here in Grove City:

Jolly Pirate has become one of my favourite occasional guilty pleasures since we moved here. The donuts ain't half bad, and they have a super cool retro neon sign out front that's very near and dear to my graphic design brain:

But my REAL ulterior motive was to pick up some additional sweet treats to cheer up my girlfriend, whose birthday was yesterday. It wasn't the happiest of birthdays due to everything that's going on around the world these days, which has shelved my (our) original plans for this weekend, among other things. I've worked up a backup plan, but it's going to be a minute until I can put it into action. I'm sure there are many of you out there who can relate. Just remember, though times are tough right now, we WILL get through this if we do the best we can.

I hope you all have as excellent of a Friday/weekend as possible, and you may want to open your windows if you don't want to risk going out! You'd be surprised how good the fresh air feels. Be safe, much love.


30DoB Mileage Total: 21.4

Day 2 of 30: Goals

Good morning on day 2 of 30 Days of Biking! The exclamation point may seem a bit excessive with everything going on out there right now, but with nice weather in the forecast for today, I'm choosing to be optimistic. I hope you are too. Let's call it a goal.

I've been doing a lot of thinking about goals over the last week or so. I've always been relatively terrible about managing them, but I do think they're important. Then I got to thinking about how many people have had goals for this year that have been completely wiped out (my family is not immune). I got to thinking that it might be time to shift goals, both in the short term and for the big picture. Let's face it: we're not going back to normal any time soon, if ever. So, I decided to set some goals for this month...

If you read my post from yesterday, there really is only one goal relating to the 30DoB challenge, and that is to ride a bike every day. But if you know me, you know me better than to just do the bare minimum. This is now my 5th attempt at this fun little challenge, and every year I like to set my own personal goals for it that are a little bit different each time.

From a cycling perspective, I'm keeping it pretty simple: commute more times via bike (and public transit) than car. I'm grateful to even have a commute, so I'll call it an act of appreciation if I accomplish this. Side note: I'm also having some mechanical issues with my car, so I really don't feel like driving it right now anyway.

On a broader perspective, I have a couple additional goals that are more ambiguous. One is to continue to support the local economy which has been hit pretty hard by this whole thing. So far so good, as I made it a point to stop by Grove City Brewing on my ride home yesterday:

Me being one person stopping in to pick up two crowlers (and leaving a tip) is not going to save the world by itself, but every little bit helps, right? As you can see in the top two pics above, Grove City has a Carry Out Local initiative going on, with the slogan "Be Safe. Keep Calm. Eat and Drink Well." That's right up my alley. Expect to see more of these over the next 29 days (and beyond).

I've also set a goal to keep up better with this blog, if for no other reason than to have a record of what I experienced during this absurd time to be alive. My girlfriend has suggested that everyone write a journal or something to keep notes of what we've gone through, and I do agree that we should all try.

Writing has always been therapeutic for me too, and the 30DoB challenge has lately begun to be the true shaking off of my Winter depression that has seemed to hit me extra hard this year. Maybe you've felt this way too. Writing just makes me feel better, and at the very least, if we all try to do things that make us feel good inside, we'll get through this before you know it.

It goes without saying that riding a bike is another one of those things for me, and to come full circle, I'm about to be 2/2 in bicycle commuting this month (picture is from yesterday morning):

Small steps, to reach the bigger goals. Basically, do what you need to do, but don't forget about doing what makes you happy. Do what you can to help others. And if any of those somehow involve riding a bike, even more power to you.

By the way, I promise my daily posts will become less cerebral at some point. I'm just "writing out" a lot of things right now, and I appreciate you coming along for the ride.

30DoB Mileage Total: 12.5

Day 1 of 30: No Time Like the Present

It's April 1st, and that means my favourite annual tradition has come around once again. Not April Fool's Day, which does hold a very dear place in my heart, but 30 Days of Biking. If you're unfamiliar, it's pretty simple: it's a pledge to ride a bike every day in April, and share on social media with the hashtag #30DaysofBiking. No mileage goal, no other goals except riding a bike every day.

You might be thinking to yourself, why would I want to go outside and ride a bike when the vast majority of the world has been told to stay home? Even though 30DoB comes around at the same time each year, I always feel that it comes up at just the right time, and I think this year's timing couldn't be more perfect. Here's why:

Certain outdoor activities have been deemed acceptable
In fact, they're good for you if you're in good health. Taking a walk or a bike ride should be totally fine as long as you maintain appropriate social distancing practices (the Ohio Coronavirus Information Page has some great info on this and more, and I encourage you to seek out similar resources in your state). Speaking of social distancing...

Auto and pedestrian traffic is as low as I can remember
This means riding a bike on a road shared with cars might actually be safer than usual. Furthermore, pedestrian traffic is also somewhat lower, making potential run-ins with either much less likely than normal. It's been a bit spooky at times, being alone on a normally busy road, but I don't mind not having to dodge aggressive motorists. If you still don't feel like going outside, the good news is...

ANY bicycle riding counts
If you have a trainer, and you hop on while you watch TV, it counts as a ride. You can still join the 30DoB challenge while staying home! Now, that's not my cup of tea, but it's a nice added option so that as many people as possible can get involved.

-   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -

I'll be posting here every day with my adventures along the way, as has become my tradition (now 5 years running!). You might find quite often that adventures don't have to be all that epic. In fact, sometimes they take the form of a simple morning commute:

Hey, any ride counts, right? My friends from Roll: Bicycles have created a Facebook Group in a similar vein titled "Riding is not Cancelled." The mission is as follows:

"We could all use a little motivation and inspiration to keep us moving forward in our lives and connected in our communities. Riding is NOT cancelled is an opportunity to perspire, inspire, and educate one another to get out there and ride at appropriately social distances."

I couldn't have said it better myself. They're upping the ante with some fun challenges and prizes to boot. For me, the prize of riding every day is enough. Riding has tended to be a bright spot in my life, and we all need some positivity now more than ever. That's really why the timing couldn't be better to be on a bike every day.

So I encourage you to join me and all the other crazy cyclists out there, and share it wildly. It might make you feel good. I just ask that you do all of this safely. With that, it's time to ride...

Crisitunity

There's an old Simpsons quip some of you might remember where Lisa tells Homer that the Chinese use the same word for crisis and opportunity. Some quick Googling will tell you that statement is largely false. In any case, it goes without saying that we are currently in a state of worldwide crisis as we deal with the Coronavirus outbreak, but in spite of that, there are opportunities...

In accordance with the Ohio Department of Health Director's order to stay at home that was enacted on Sunday afternoon, my employer has graciously granted me at least a week of paid leave. That's actually a little depressing, because we were just getting started with outdoor work after several months indoors. Still, I'm thankful to have an employer that not only cares about the safety of its employees and customers alike, but that also cares about the well-being of its employees to offer paid leave during this crisis.

Three days in, I've made the most of the "extra" time that's been afforded to me. Days have begun by sharing yoga with my girlfriend and daughter, in addition to sharing more meals and activities together throughout the day. For me personally, on day 1, I finished the 2nd coat of paint on what will become an office in our home. On day 2, I mowed the lawn and did some cleanup around the house. And today (day 3), I took advantage of some beautiful weather to get in a nice 14-mile ride this morning:

Part of the order has encouraged outdoor activity, albeit with the caveat that social distancing precautions are taken. As you can see from the picture above, I didn't have much trouble staying more than 6 feet away from anyone. There's good and bad news that comes with that. On the one hand, sun and fresh air is actually beneficial to low-risk individuals, so it's kind of a shame to see these ideal conditions being underutilized. However, less people out and about means less risk of potential infection, so there's that.

Before I go any further, I will mention that I am only venturing out to do things like this because I'm a middle-aged man in good health, and although I have made it a point to get outside for at least a little bit every day, I do still limit my interactions with humans outside my own home. Case in point, after spending about an hour outside (mostly alone), I will probably stay inside the rest of the day other than maybe heading out onto my porch to enjoy an afternoon beer. I don't want anyone to get the idea that I'm going out there thinking I'm invincible and not a potential carrier, and I also don't want anyone to think that what I do is good for them to do in their situation. I encourage everyone to use their best judgement and take all necessary precautions, and for the love of science, WASH YOUR HANDS.

Anyway, beyond just getting some exercise and sunshine, I did need to stop at the grocery store on the way home, so I tried a new cargo setup on the bike today. This was inspired by a random dude I saw on the trail during one of my lunch rides about a month ago:

It looks pretty nifty, if I do say so myself. Reflective panniers and a bright orange crate create high visibility, and lots of storage space to boot. More on that later.

As I mentioned above, outdoor activity has been encouraged in some respects. One area in which it's not encouraged is at playgrounds, which have all been temporarily closed here in Ohio. It makes sense, as they're definitely a haven for all sorts of germs. Still, this creates an eerie scene when you happen upon one in the middle of a beautiful day:

Furthermore, I rode past the High School and it felt very much the same when I neared the sports complex:

In the midst of all of this, I really do feel bad for the kids who are missing out on their senior athletic seasons, or all of the festivities and enjoyment that comes with being a senior in high school. I'm sure they're not all that upset about missing class time, but the friends and extracurricular activities...

Anywho, I did some meandering through some neighborhoods that I regularly work in but hadn't yet had time to explore, and I found a few new trails and other places within riding distance that I'll definitely have to revisit (including a Metro Park!). I eventually reached my only true destination about an hour later:

I didn't take any pics inside, but things were civil among patrons and workers, and I found all the groceries I was looking to buy today. It was encouraging. I'll be the eternal optimist here: everything is going to be OK. I'm sure I'm not alone in feeling depressed because of the events of late. It's completely understandable. If we can all find some positivity, do a thing (or things) we love at least once a day, and above all else be supportive of one another, I do believe that we will all be OK.

As for the new setup, there are about 40 pounds of groceries in there, plus bike tools and water. I had plenty of room for more actually, and the old boy handled the heavy lifting nicely despite having been out of action for a little while.

I do have some routine maintenance I'm going to perform hopefully later this week, but that's going to be reserved for another rainy day. I'm thinking of making it part of "shop class" with Faith, being that we're learning from home nowadays. We will all hopefully be heading back to the "office" before too long, so I'm going to continue to make the most of this opportunity. I would encourage you all to do the same, and to do so safely.

Bike Finds a Way

Random adventures are always the best, and on the coldest and dreariest of Winter days, an adventure found me:

I realize happening upon an old caboose may not seem all that adventurous, but the circumstances by which I found it were completely random, and outside conditions were less than ideal.

My employer had registered my coworkers and I for a seminar today at the Makoy Center in Hilliard (about 5 miles outside of Downtown Columbus). During a break, I noticed that the center just so happens to be adjacent to the Hilliard Heritage Rail Trial. Sensing an opportunity, I made it a point to take a little ride after the seminar had ended:

It's a good thing I've been keeping a bike in my car to take rides on lunch breaks during the Winter. :D
No matter how things change, my bike always finds a way to make my life more interesting. Anyway...

I've been wanting to explore this trail for quite awhile but haven't made the time to do so. It's a 7-mile trail built on a former rail bed (a fairly common thing around these parts) that connects several parks and housing developments to Downtown Hilliard. Of course my first experience occurred unexpectedly on a day when temps hovered around the freezing mark. There had been some rain and wet snow coursing through the region recently, which you can see in the pictures below:

I like that they preserved some of the old rail signs, like the one you see here:

I'd entertained the idea of biking its entire length, but due to said cold temperatures and the imminent threat of more freezing rain, I decided to turn around once I reached the caboose (seen above) at Homestead Metro Park. It's a neat little park that I'll definitely look forward to returning to on a nicer day. For one, it features several historic structures including this old train station:

There are also some walking/fitness trails, and for those of you with children, a decent-sized playground area:

After returning to downtown Hilliard, I did look around and noticed a new microbrewery and several restaurants that definitely need to be visited some time soon. Mayhaps my next adventure on this trail won't be so random, or brief...