August was my fourth consecutive month with riding mileage above 1,000 miles. I hit 1,030.5 this month, even though I took six days off. I did two rides over 100 miles and one 92 miler.
For the year, I’ve ridden 8,767.5 miles. As most of you know, pulmonary embolisms caused me to fall short of 10,000 miles in 2017. I had a little over a week to go and over 9,900 miles ridden. Of course, when you’re in the hospital dealing with a collapsed lung and a potentially life threatening illness, mileage goals get put in their place.
It does look like I should break the 10,000 mile barrier by the end of October this year. I’ve never done this before so I am pretty psyched about it. A long, long time ago I set a running mileage goal of 3,000 miles. I hit it on December 30.
I had to talk to my car insurance agent today. As you might expect, I get a discount for driving low mileage. I am certain that I have ridden more miles than I have driven this year. It’s probably true of last year too. My agent thinks this is pretty amusing.
On the way to 10,000 miles, I hope to do three event rides: the 50 States, the Boundary Stone, and the Cider Rides. It looks like I will have at least four people riding with me on the 50 States. The Boundary Stone is supposed to be pretty hilly. There is beer at the end though. The Cider Ride is the unofficial end of riding season for me and it has the best after party.
I plan to install V-brakes on The Mule in the hopes of actually being able to stop the beast. The brakes that I have been test riding for 51,000 miles stink. I am concerned, however, that changing brake levers will alter my seating position. Right now The Mule fits me like a glove. So I am proceeding with caution.
Off the bike I am busy with car maintenance, passport renewals, and getting on the registry of foreign births for Irish citizenship. I also need to take my daughter to at least one baseball game before the end of the season.
I am still thinking about the next big tour. The Grand Canyon is calling me. To ride there then up into Utah would be pretty epic. If I start in mid-March I could ride for three or four months. Who knows what characters I will meet. Rolfers and plant nerds and elevator installers, oh my!
I’ve lost my mind.
But whenever it gets quiet, my thoughts turn to riding the Great Plains and the northern Cascade Mountains. A calm descends. And I feel the urge to hit the road.
Furthur.
A Few Spokes Shy of a Wheel 
With my Handsome Devil I started with canti’s but switched to V- Brakes because I thought the canti’s were too finicky to set up, and I like the stopping power of the V-brakes, but as you say that necessitated a swap of brake levers. I think you will like the difference but be sure to take careful measurements of your current set up, stem height, lever position on the handle bar etc so you can recreate your current glove fit. Good luck and congrats on the MASSIVE number of miles ;-).
PS Have you tried Kool Stop pads on your current canti brakes? that and proper set up can make allot of difference, Since my V-brake conversion I’ve had 4 bikes with Cantis and learned to adjust them.
I have Koolstop pads on now.