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 […]

Turkey Trotting

I finished the 2013 event calendar in fine style this weekend, completing Fort Belvoir’s 10k Turkey Trot without injury and with a respectable (if not spectacular) time.  Given my inability to run the Marine Corps Marathon last month due to a pulled hamstring suffered the week prior in the Army Ten Miler, it was nice to compete […]

Reston Ride

I’ve been cycling long enough to have “enjoyed” several rides in heavy rain.  The 2011 Vasaloppet comes to mind, with 6 hours in an early March downpour adding to my fun.  The 2011 Reston Century was the only ride where I pondered my mortality as lightning streaked across the sky during a deluge of biblical […]

The Town Of Clifton, And Lessons In Physics From My Water Bottle

Mile 2,000 for this year found me in the town of Occoquan, on the banks of the river which goes by the same name.  I was making a rare trip northward into Fairfax County.  I only make this trip about one time per year because it takes me that long to forget just how bad […]

The Case Of The Rotating Handlebars

Once again, recent events have provided ample evidence indicating that I am an idiot.  I have conducted an investigation into my oddly-positioned handlebars and have come to the conclusion that a simple inspection would have solved the problem. I mentioned after my inaugural ride on the Madone that my brake hoods felt like they were too […]

102.2

The “After Work Peloton,” also known as, “The Gaggle of Fellas Who Occasionally Meet For A Pedal After Work,” scheduled their semi-regular ride for today.  We are in the midst of a heat wave right now (a heat wave so oppressive that a visitor from Austin Texas remarked that she preferred the weather back home – […]

Clifton

The chain worked.  It skipped a bit, but it worked.  The skipping could be due to wear on the rear cassette or the cheapness of the chain.  Either way, it’s tolerable and I’m good for another 1,800 miles (or so). I headed north this morning on Minnieville Road, a road which is normally very busy, […]

W&OD Trail

I cycled with other people today, which is always an event worth noting.  A couple of coworkers invited me for a spin on the W&OD trail after work today.  I’ve never been on this trail and I’ve heard many good things about it, so I was eager to give it a shot.  With a little […]

There But For The Grace Of God Go I

I came upon an accident scene on my way home from work yesterday.  It was on the corner of Ox Road and Burke Lake Road.  There were two fire trucks, a police car, and an ambulance present, all with their lights flashing.  They had temporarily closed Burke Lake Road and I could see a few […]

My Half-Baked Theory On The Relative Perils Of Cycling

  Long work hours and crummy weather have combined to limit my cycling as of late.  This is unacceptable, I know, and I intend to remedy it shortly.  In the meanwhile, let me share with you one of the many half-baked theories that wander about my subconscious and occasionally pop to the surface, sometimes with […]