Christmas Bike 2012

Much as I have been with this blog this year, so have I been negligent in celebrating my annual Christmas tradition - The Christmas Bike. In the past, soon after Thanksgiving, I'm cracking open a craft beer and decorating my bike for the season.

This year, I stood in my garage the evening before my last ride to work before the Christmas holidays and my bike stood there all plain and forlorn. Well - better late than never. I climbed into the attic and found the decorations, took a cold beer out of the frig and went to work. I decided to downscale this year and limit the decorations to a wreath on the handlebars and lights around the frame.

On my first and only Christmas Bike ride of the year, I realized the full measure of my negligence. It was early morning and quite dark. The Christmas Bike blinked brightly and cheerfully. I rode up to a stop sign and cars were coming from both directions on the crossing road, so I came to a complete stop. As I stopped, so did the car heading East and then the car heading West. So there were the three of us at a stand still, no one moving. The thing was, I was the only vehicle that had a stop sign. The two cars had the full right away. On any other day, they would have run me over had I even thought about crossing their path, but this morning, they stopped and waited patiently. I pushed off while the cars waited patiently and waved as I passed in front of their headlights. I couldn't see the drivers faces, but I'm certain they both smiled.

When I decorate my bike and don my Santa hat, I'm under no disillusionment, I raise my dorkiness level to new heights. So why bring that kind of attention myself? That's simple - it causes people to stop and smile - a pleasant interruption in our otherwise hectic lives and in a world of tragedy.

Merry Christmas everyone!

 

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Russian Roulette on a Bike

We all see them, especially those of us who ride. You know them, the folks we notice riding bikes that go to great lengths to, unbeknownst to themselves, to get in harms way.

Today, I witnessed perhaps the most egregious example that I've ever had the unfortunate privilege of witnessing.

- a teenage male

- riding down a busy, one way, 3 lane road road - On the LEFT SIDE OF THE ROAD

- rush hour traffic

- no helmet

- riding a clunker

- ear buds in his ears

- one hand on the handlebars

- the other hand on a smart phone - non stop texting

- head down and focused on smart phone

- weaving precariously between shoulder of road and closely zooming traffic

He might as well have put a single round in a revolver - spun the cylinder - put the barrel to his head and pulled the trigger.

 

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Last Piece - Let's Ride

One may be tempted to look at these pictures and conclude that they have nothing to do with bicycling. That would be a rash conclusion indeed. These pictures have everything to do with bicycling.

The story begins the Summer of 2011. That was the Summer that I did a week long bike tour in upstate New York. I promised my wife that when I finished that ride, I would start focusing on getting things done around the house.

True to my word, as soon as I got back, I hung up the bike and picked up a tool bag. Over the last year and half, I've completely re-sided the outside of our house. It took longer than I thought and was much more involved than I envisioned. But yesterday, as documented in the pictures that started this post, I installed the very last piece of siding!!!!!


Now my attention will once more drawn toward that which has been in the past and will be in the future, a ever present and comforting force in my life - my bicycle!! And you my faithful readers will benefit as well, cause I plan to talk about it.

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Cargo Bikes Carry More Ice

Four 10 lb. bags of ice with room to spare...

 

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Riding Above the Clouds

It was the final day of my final Summer Micro-adventure.  The day dawned beautifully, sunny skies and temperatures in the low 60's.  I was slow to get out of bed.  These were perfect sleeping conditions.  I turned my head to the right and looked out the window of my camper.  Nothing but trees and sky atop the mountain upon which I chose to make camp.

Check out time was noon and I still had a bike ride to get in.  After 2 quick cups of coffee and a muffin, I donned Lycra and mounted my trusty steed.  I shot down the mountain to the Skyline Drive and headed North.  I glanced at my watch and realized I had a scant 2 hours to ride, a woefully inadequate amount of time on such a gorgeous day amidst such stunning scenery.  Then I looked on the bright side, I could be at work right now.

How far did I ride?  Uhhhh - I don't know.  What was my average speed?  Don't know that neither.  I didn't even bother to turn on my cycle computer.   Today was not about distance or speed or cadence or heart rate or power.  I stopped at every scenic overview.  I took pictures.

At one scenic overview there was a Sign that indicated that on only 10% of days in summer was it clear enough to see 48 miles and the mountains in West VA.  I saw them clearly.  I hit the one hour out hard stop far too fast and was forced to turn around.  I was back at the base of Loft Mountain before I knew it and was forced to climb the hill that earlier I had shot down.  It was long, it was steep, it was ecstasy.

As I slowly rode upward, I noticed something black just off the side of the road and a few feet ahead.  Then that something moved and I realized it was a black bear.  I startled it as much as it startled me.  It took off running into the brush just as I stood on the pedals and hammered uphill.  Realizing neither of us were a threat to the other we both stopped and looked at one another.  Then the bear went its was and I continued riding to the top.

It was a simple, but epic ride.  Perfect weather and breathtaking scenery and close encounters with wildlife.  What better way to celebrate and remember it but than to toast it with a pint of Ordinary Bitter and put it into words.

Two days earlier I hiked the Appalachian Trail for 13 miles and to quote Karle Wilson' "...I have grown taller from walking among the trees.". 

Today I rode on the Skyline Drive and to quote myself, "...I have grown taller from riding above the clouds."