Bike Summary
It was a pretty mellow month as far as bike riding is concerned. I rode 774 1/2 miles quite a bit less than last year, but, in my defense, I did take five days off. All my bikes are now ready for the summer after some TLC at bike hospitals. The Mule is tour-ready. Big Nellie is out of the basement. The Cross Check has a new rear wheel. Little Nellie gathers dusts. (Anybody want to buy a lightly – okay, over 20,000 miles) used folding travel bike?)
My longest ride of the month was yesterday. I rode 53 miles on Big Nellie through the azaleas and dogwoods in Bethesda. Dang, if that neck of the woods doesn’t have awesome landscaping.
So far this year, I have ridden 2,824 miles. That’s an average of 23 1/2 miles a day and a 8,590 mile yearly pace.
Tour Prep
I am starting to prep for my bike tour in earnest. Today was the tent competition. I have a lightweight backpacking tent and my daughter has a heavier, inexpensive tent. The heavier tent is roomier and is free standing. I will be sleeping in it tonight to make sure my back can take sleeping on the ground.
I need to acquire a few goodies for the tour. I would like to have a bigger back up battery for those days when my phone runs down. I also need some all purpose soap (like Dr. Bronner’s). I think my last task will be to inspect my panniers and patch the holes in them. Duct tape to the rescue.
Reading and Watching
I’ve been watching baseball games nearly every night since the season started. The Nationals are pretty lame this year. Cold weather has kept me from attending any games. I might get one in before I leave for the tour.
We did a quick trip up to Harford to visit our daughter who is finishing up her first year in law school. We went to a Yard Goats minor league baseball game, ate some Frank Pepe’s pizza, visited Mystic Aquarium, and ate at Dunkin Donuts. Mission accomplished.
My wife and I are watching Moon Knight, a Marvel series on Disney+. It is bizarre to say the least. Oscar Issac, Ethan Hawke, and May Calamaway are all very good. I can’t help but wonder what they were thinking when they first read the script. My guess is WTF?!
I read only two books: Lola and Vida, the fourth and fifth books in the Diva series by Delacorta. They were okay. One more to go (Alba).
A Few Spokes Shy of a Wheel 