Another Reason

Here's another reason I subscribe to a different way of thinking than the "Road Bike = Fast Bike" philosophy. My bike actually is fast. The tires aren't as skinny as some road bikes. The steel that it's made out of is heavier than other materials. I don't average much more than 16 mph on most of my rides. But it is fast enough for me.

But those "other" bikes can't pull of the road, head down a trail and follow a creek to a secluded bench to read a book. I choose not to go fast. I choose to read a nice book (strapped to the back there) when the moment leads me there. It's harder to find opportunities like this when you're glued to the asphalt.

I love this bike. And I love this way of making a bike part of my life.

Get out there.

Horse Country

If there's one thing people know about Kentucky, it's horses. And it's quite a true stereotype if you're going off my bicycle commute. I pass about a half dozen horse farms on my 11 mile route. It's a beautiful thing to see them. This time of year is when the foals are new and learning the ropes. This morning I pulled over to snap a few pics. It's just another reason I love bike commuting.

I even saw this little puny pony. He's only about three feet tall (and in need of braces).

Get out there.

Best Mom Ever

My lovely wife is seriously the best mom I've ever known. She's full of love, compassion and joy that she passes on to our three kids. Without her, this blog wouldn't exist because my life in biking wouldn't exist. She allows me to take the time to do what I love and I allow her the same. We have an incredible marriage.

Thanks so much, Babe. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me!

Bike Lanes on Trash Day

Hmmm. Makes my own lane less of a perk, doesn't it.

Get out there.

Getting Ready

Last week I talked about how my bags help me to get ready a little quicker than my old set. It got me thinking about prep time and it's influence on my riding.

It may sound silly, but the effort that goes into getting ready every night really does have an impact on when and how much I ride. When you're asking yourself if you want to ride in the morning, you tend to think about the pain of finding all the gear versus the joy of riding in the gear.

When I first started riding, it was sporadic. My gear was strewn all over my house and I had to put a lot of mental energy into what was needed. If it was going to rain, I had to search for my rain gear. If it was going to be cold, my gloves were nowhere to be found. Then it got really easy to talk myself out of riding.

I eventually realized that I needed a good system for keeping track of all my stuff. I bought a cabinet for my garage, put a crate in my closet and started bringing my bike in the night before. Everything I need is easily accessible and all I have to do is brush my teeth, get dressed and head out.

Eventually I was able to build in a rhythm of laundry and bike maintenance in there, too. When the right systems allow bike commuting to be "second nature," it gives you the opportunity to ride more and think less. It's totally worth it.

Get out there.

Dinosaur?

I saw this guy on the ride in this morning... all 24" of him. He was taking in the warm sunshine coming off the pavement. I just hope he doesn't take in a farm truck coming over the hill.

Get out there.

Lunch-time Ride

I headed over to a local park for a 12 mile round-trip over lunch. Man, was it wet out!

You can see above that there's a bike path here that's been cut down the middle by a stream of water.

I've been seriously considering taking the fenders off of the Cross Check for a couple weeks. I try not to ride it in the rain. But even though it was sunny today, I definitely needed them. I think they'll be staying on for as long as today remains in my memory.

Right here I'm riding through about 6 inches of standing water. The bike path through the park was completely flooded for about 50% of the trails.

All over, ditches had become creeks. Creeks had become torrents. Plains had become ponds. It was really cool to see all that water. That's what I call a lunch break.

Get out there.