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"Â 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 …
I remember when it used to be a big deal. It wasn't so long ago that riding the 15 miles to work seemed like it warranted a lot of extra effort---waking up earlier, packing extra clothes, making sure to allow enough lee time in case of a flat or dead legs. Then when I got …
Though I don't do it nearly as often as I'd like, every time I leave on a bicycle with everything I'll need to spend the night packed in my panniers, I just have this good feeling of excitement and adventure and utter peace all at once. A couple weekends ago, I went on my first …
Continue reading "Bikepacking Rothrock State Forest & Big Valley."
Sunday was the first really warm day of the season, with temps souring into the 50s and barely a cloud in the sky to boot. Luckily, it was also my day off. Trails and wooded areas were still pretty well packed in with snow and ice, so it was a fitting occasion to break out …
The past couple of days have been unusually warm, with temps rising into the 50s, and sunny skies to boot. And, lucky for me, I had a rare Saturday off due to the holidays. I took full advantage of this fortuitous combination of events and broke out the Willard for some back-road and gravel exploration. …
helena kotala 