Our big trip for 2020 was supposed to be spent at Oktoberfest. Sadly, the Germans cancelled that event due to Covid issues. Undeterred, we seized upon the idea of another bike tour and quickly found a promising one in southern Arizona. Within weeks, the tour operator reported that it wouldn’t be possible to hold the […]
St. Michaels, Maryland
With our more ambitious vacation plans for 2020 scuttled, we recently opted for a short weekend getaway to St. Michaels, Maryland. Situated on the east side of Chesapeake Bay, St. Michaels has much of what Maureen and I like in a vacation spot – water, history, and good cycling roads. We had visited once before, […]
25 versus 23
I have decided to take a leap into the Great Unknown. Well, unknown for me at least. I recently ordered new tires and eschewed the 700×23 tires I have used for well over a decade for the wider 700×25. Exciting, isn’t it? Let me tell you all about it. For decades, conventional wisdom held that […]
Cycling During A Pandemic
“May you live in interesting times,” is an old Chinese curse that I thought might be appropriate to this post. I wasn’t sure if this was truly a Chinese curse and I didn’t want to impart incorrect information to you, Dear Reader, so I did some actual research. I’ve learned that nobody really knows where […]
A Case For Mountain Bike Pedals
Are you a professional racer or perhaps a serious amateur racer? Do you like riding ultra-long distances? When you’re riding your bike, do seconds count? If so, then this post isn’t for you. For everyone else, I would like to propose we think about the unthinkable. What if we rode our road bikes […]
RAGBRAI: A Few Thoughts
During my hiatus from blogging, I participated in arguably the greatest cycling tour in North America – RAGBRAI. Every year, 20,000 people start at the west end of Iowa and pedal across the state in what amounts to a week-long party on wheels. The ride was originally conducted by staffers of the Des Moines Register […]
Cycling Lake Champlain
Technology can be amazing. After all, it is the technology of the internet that allows me to share the incredible stories of my cycling adventures with you, Dear Reader. But sometimes technology moves faster than your Humble Author. It has come to my attention that my iPhone saves pictures in a new format known […]
An Ode To My Garmin Edge 500
A sad thing occurred this week – my Garmin died. This device has been by my side for almost nine years. This is a big loss. My Garmin has dutifully recorded almost every cycling ride (and several runs) I have been on since I bought it – almost a thousand events. I’ve downloaded each ride […]
Miami to Key West
As I type these words, a hard rain mixed with sleet is pelting my window. This depressing weather is what greeted me upon my return from South Florida, where my wife and cycled from Miami to Key West. Rather than deal with the literally cold realty outside my home, I think I’ll escape for awhile […]
Back Again
Hello, there! How’ve you been? All is well on my end. As I mentioned to you when I signed off on this blog four years ago, I intended to continue cycling. I’ve done a pretty good job of that. I’ve gotten into the usual adventures and misadventures. I’ve bought new cycling gadgets, clothes, and related […]
