every day's an adventure
As I emerge into openness, the wind whips across the grassy landscape and burns my cheeks. I've been climbing for a while and, as evidenced by the wall ahead, still have a while to go. But behind me, I'm beginning to see the valley far below, proof of my labors. I'd started from my office …
A couple weeks ago, I rode 212 miles from my house in central Pennsylvania to my in-law's house in the suburbs outside Philadelphia. If you missed the post about my experience, check that out here. I got a lot of questions about my bike setup, what gear I took, and how I fueled myself throughout …
I knew around mile 50 that, barring anything catastrophic happening, I would make it. The first quarter of the ride flew by. Evan and Shannon joined me for the initial 10 miles, then left me to fly solo as I headed due south down Rt. 522. The sun was dropping, the clouds turning pink and …
Continue reading "Unks to Tinker Hill: My first solo double century."
Three years ago, Evan and I rode 200 miles from Huntingdon, PA to his parents house near Phoenixville, PA, just west of Philly. We did it on a tandem, in one shot, through the night. Ever since, I've wanted to do the ride again, but on my own. So when we decided to go to the …
I got dropped from the beginning. Now, just to be clear, not "dropped" in the traditional roadie sense of the word that implies that my group just kept going without any regard as to if I made the correct turn or was okay or not. I don't ride with people who would do that. But …
I turned 27 on Monday, celebrating another year around the sun with a long bike ride, food and beer baby, and a movie in bed before falling asleep just after dark. I've always liked my birthday, but not in some sort of narcissistic look-at-me-and-how-great-I-am sort of way. I just like the time of year during …
GRAVELDURO: "Big gravel road ride + enduro-style shredth" I knew the day was going to be special when Donnie fought back tears at the riders meeting, overcome with emotion at the turnout of people for the inaugural Keystone Gravel, and, I'm sure, a sense of relief that it was all happening as planned with no …
Caleb and I have been talking about doing a century all summer. I'd never done one on my own bike. I've done a 100-miler and the 200-mile ride to Thanksgiving on the tandem with Evan, but somehow I feel like that's different. I needed to do one myself. Caleb had never done one either. I …
A couple weeks ago, we had a taste of spring. Not a rainy, sort of chilly spring, but full-on sun and warmth. More like summer, really. Tank top weather. It's been a weird winter. One week we'd get a foot of snow, the next, it would be all gone. Temperatures fluctuated between zero and seventy. …
It was dreary and drizzly all day. Chilly, too. One of those days that reminds you that fall is not all crisp and clear and sunny. Sometimes it is wet and bone-chilling. I originally planned to ride home from work. But the day was colder than anticipated. And I didn't know it was supposed to …
