Breeze wafting through the feathered reeds,
Dragonflies lightly touching the blade while the sun begins to warm
Osprey reels overhead as herons regally search the banks for food
Cicadas and frogs harmonize as people pass by unhearing.
All is right, all is well.
When Eddie Cochran penned this little anthem, he obviously didn’t know about riding a bicycle! Yep, it’s Summertime! Today is the LOOOONGEST day of the year, and I plan to take advantage of every second of it.
First, let me apologize for my three week absence; it’s been a busy time of year for me. In addition to regular work/home stuff, The Pedal Factory hosted its first ever summer bike camp for kids. Ten participants, five days, 20+ hours of fun on two wheels. In addition to riding, the kids got to learn how to take care of their bikes, about different types of bikes, and some of the history of the city. A good time was had by all!
Also since our last visit, I’ve begun what I’m hoping will be a series of events/rides to demonstrate to others how their bikes can be used for more than just recreation. I’m also hoping to use information gathered to show the city how infrastructure can be improved to promote butts on bikes (of course, I won’t discuss it with them with those terms!) The first ride started is To Coffee/To Market. Each Saturday morning that TPF is not open, we’ll be leaving from the shop to ride out to get coffee and/or breakfast at one of the local eateries. Then it’s on to the Farmers’ Market where we’ll see what the latest harvest has provided. The first such ride (where it was more than just myself) took place two weeks ago on June 8. Six of us shared the joy and the lack of bicycle parking.
Back on June 1, I led a band on intrepid bicycle tourists on a trip to Boone’s Cave County Park in neighboring Davidson County. This was in conjunction with Adventure Cycling Association’s Bike Travel Weekend. Sixteen miles each way, it wasn’t a great feat but it did allow some folks who’d never considered it a taste of what bike touring can be. A good time with good folks!
I think that about covers it! I am still riding around the roads here and in town, but won’t bore you with pics of those this time. Hope to catch you on the road, on the trail, or in the pub sometime! Until then…
Roll on!
Sometime last year, I mentioned another cyclist out on the same roads that I frequent. Driving a white pickup, he parks at one of the intersections I pass through and rides from there. The only reason I knew he was a cyclist was that I happened to see him driving off one day with his bike in the bed of the truck. Since that time, I’ve looked for him on the road without success.
That changed today! He’s a gentleman of my own vintage who rides what looks to be a gravel bike with flat bars. Looked like a Specialized. We were going in opposite directions and, rather than just a nod as we passed, we both chose to stop, exchange names, and route details/ride preferences.
Greg, it was great to finally meet you! Hope to see you again on the road. In the meantime, keep the rubber beneath you and the blue sky above.
Roll on!
Don’t dismay! The title this week doesn’t mean I’m shutting down and closing up shop. There’s a different good-bye involved.
As readers of moderate time know, one of my bikes, Trixie Blix the e-bike, didn’t get a whole lot of use. Not because she isn’t a good bike, but I’m just more comfortable riding Shirley Surly (on the road) or Eunice Univega (in the woods, trails.) So, after some deliberation, I decided to find a new home for Trixie.
Last week, I found one: a professor at UNC-Charlotte, no less. After some back and forth, we came to agreement on conditions of transfer, and Trixie found a new owner. Richard, I know you’ll be getting a lot of enjoyment commuting to your office now. Believe me, two wheels beats four any day!
This past Saturday saw the inaugural Coffee/Farmers’ Market Ride from The Pedal Factory. Not sure this one should count since no one showed up but me! I did have a good ride, nonetheless, scoring kale, tomatoes, potatoes and onions at the market after an iced coffee at Mean Mug.
The first heat wave of 2019 kept folks from showing up for the Sunday Social Ride. I didn’t much feel like riding alone in those conditions, so I packed up and headed home. However, I did get out and ride yesterday and went in to the shop to see how Todd was doing with a build/education customer. Got there just in time to see it finished and then went out out for coffee (again at Mean Mug.)
Before I headed into town, I setup my tent to make sure it was ready for next weekend.
To wrap up this post, I went on another ride this morning. Just over 13 miles, it combined paved road with gravel. As I rolled on the rocks, I remembered there was a time when I did my best to stay off such roads; now, I almost seek them out as a challenge and to enjoy what are roads less traveled. I was also reminded how close we are to the mountains by this view of a “hill.”
As Spring winds down, I hope that you’ve had a chance to get outside and do the things that make you feel whole. For me, that’s cycling. For you, who knows but I wish you well doing it.
Roll on!
Good day! Hope your Bike Month has been going well. I know mine has (even if I don’t post it here more often.)
Since last we spoke, I’ve put some time on the bike, although not as much as I’d like. Stuff just keeps on getting in the way. Work, family, other endeavors. But I have taken both Shirley and Eunice out for spins.
One thing I have started to do is carry Eunice into town with me when I go. I’ll park at The Pedal Factory (as it’s a good central place to be) and run my errands by bike from there. So far it’s worked out nicely and is allowing me to get a feel for small urban cycling. This is a good thing as I plan to be moved into town by the first of July.
Shirley and I have also taken a few rides around the house out here in the country, plus the regular Sunday Social Ride this past weekend. So I’m getting bike time in.
Sunday also saw my first visit to the Steel Bike Rendezvous in Farmville NC. This is an annual event showcasing vintage steel bikes and a flea market for parts. While I see a lot of potential here, the showing was VERY light with fewer than ten vendors hawking their wares. I hope it grows. Todd (from TPF) showed a couple of rebuilds he’s done for the experience of showing. While his are things of beauty, the competition was stiff! For some reason, I was drawn to this orange beauty.
I continue to work on my parking project, adding a couple of spots that I hadn’t yet discovered on Sunday. There’s more bike parking in Salisbury than I’d first thought, but not as much as could be needed.
That’s it for now. Until next time, keep the round on the ground and…
Roll on!
Today brings to a close this visit to the old homestead in Northern VA. Waking at my usual 5:30 – 6:00AM, I packed my clothes in my duffel, my laptop and electronics in my backpack, and headed down for that elixir of the gods: coffee! After finishing a couple of cups, I went to the garage and took Shirley out. Since it has rained pretty much the whole past couple of days we hadn’t seen each other for a while. She didn’t seem to mind. I wheeled her out into the sunlight, up to the patio by the front porch, and loaded the duffel, water bottles and running lights. She then waited patiently as I went back inside for another cup and to say farewell to Dad & Linda.
Shortly after 10:00, I said my final farewells for the trip and together we headed out. At just under eight miles, it look just over 45 minutes of travel, but closer to 55 minutes of real time; the traffic lights just didn’t seem to work in our favor this morning.
Once at the station, I took off the bags and bottles to get her ready for boarding. Shirley waited with anticipation for the arrival of the train. You can see my bags on the bench to the right.
Once the train arrived, I left her in the care of the baggage car conductor. I always do this with some trepidation, even though I’ve yet to have any real issues with Amtrak on this route.
The ride was fairly uneventful. No “manspreading” companion on the return trip, just a young woman who preferred sleeping. Makes for a quiet trip. Outside of Fredericksburg, the train slowed to a crawl. Apparently, we were last in line for priority. That put us 45 minutes behind schedule. As I write this section, we are approaching Raleigh NC and have made up four minutes. I should still be in Salisbury before 9:00 this evening.
I’ve been asked by a few people why I choose to take the train. To me, it’s much more relaxing that driving. I can work (like this) on the way. In fact, most of the time I get enough done to pay for the trip. Can’t do that while going down the road at 70mph. Besides, I’m not 100% sure my poor ol’ Outback could make the trip too often.
On a personal note, during this visit more than any previous, it was apparent that my Dad’s getting older. Heck, at 88, I guess he’s entitled. But his memory seems to be on the way out. I’ll offer to come up and help with him if it progresses.
FINAL NOTE: Train ended up falling further behind. Our 8:06pm arrival was actually closer to 9:15. Just a reminder that we don’t take the train with the expectation of arriving on time. Perhaps that should also be how we approach living.
Roll on!
On one of my trips up last year, I went to visit Velocity Bike Shop, a non-profit bike shop in Alexandria. I had also planned to go see Phoenix Bikes, but the deluge that hit while I was at Velocity (just before I got there, actually) caused me to put that visit off. Today, I planned to rectify that aborted mission.
Shirley and I set out from the house shortly before 9:00am in order to arrive just after the 10:00 opening. It was a pleasurable ride, just over 14 miles each way. We took the Mount Vernon Trail through Alexandria, climbed onto the Western and Old Dominion Trail (W&OD) until we reached our destination in the Del Ray section of Arlington.
Catering mostly to kids, Phoenix Bikes offers many of the same programs that The Pedal Factory does in Salisbury. It was great to visit and see how their operation works.
About ten miles in on the return trip, I found myself at Dyke Marsh, a favorite place of mine. I stopped to take a rest/water break and ended up talking to a father and his two children for a bit. His daughter had learned to ride just a month earlier and was taking her second 11 mile trip! I commended him for taking the time to encourage them to ride. As for the kids, they were more interested in Shirley’s bamboo fenders than anything I had to say.
After bidding them adieu, I sat and enjoyed the birdsongs and watching the sailboats dance on the Potomac River. Finally, I loaded myself back onto the saddle and finished the ride home.
All in all, this was a fantastic day! How better to spend it than in doing something I love and speaking with folks who share the joy?
Roll on!
