Blue Skies, Zero Day: I’ve been going at the bicycle thing pretty hard lately. I’ve ridden all but two days in the last four weeks. Not surprisingly, yesterday’s ride was an unpleasant slog. Lifting weights for a half hour in the middle of it didn’t help. So despite it being an awesome day with perfect blue skies, I am taking a zero day today. This should recharge my batteries for the 65-mile Great Pumpkin Ride on Saturday.
Steed of Choice?: Last year, I rode the hilly Great Pumpkin Ride on Big Nellie, my long wheel base recumbent. Everything was going fine until, during the second half of the ride, the bike started misbehaving every time I shifted. With about 15 miles to go, I figured out what was wrong: my rear axle had come loose. I’d shift and the wheel would start to inch forward in the drop out. It felt like I was riding on an oval wheel. It took me a while to diagnose the problem which made for a stressful day. In any case, I fixed it with about 15 miles to go and all was right with the world.
I was planning on riding Big Nellie again this year but I stumbled into an alternative that I am interested in trying out. About a week ago, my friend Beth fell while commuting (she’s fine). The wooden bridges on the trails around here are slick when they get wet. Big Nellie with its lightweight front end, is prone to these kinds of crashes so I started riding The Tank, my Surly CrossCheck. In addition to being wet, it was cold so I switched to warmer footwear, my low rise Vasque hiking shoes. As it turns out, they are not only warmer but also much stiffer in the soles, giving me an unexpected speed boost. So despite the fact that the CrossCheck is a lousy bike for climbing (it’s heavy and lacks a granny gear), I’m going to ride it on Saturday.
Friday Sunrise Club: It may be getting colder but (until last week) my rides to Friday Coffee Club featured some sweet sunrises over the Potomac River at Dyke Marsh on the Mount Vernon Trail. I’ll get a few more after daylight savings time ends before the dark days of winter descend.
Decorating for the Season: Halloween is approaching. Northern Virginians go bananas with decorations this time of year. Maybe even more than at Christmas. The owners of this townhouse didn’t even need a yard.
Dealing with Dogs: Ever since encountering dogs for a week on a bike tour in Appalachia a couple of years ago, I’ve had dog attacks on my mind. Fortunately, they are rare around my neck of the woods. Not so in rural Texas. I have been watching videos of bike rider down there who has gravitated to using bear spray. He initially tried using a trekking pole ( he’s an amputee) then an air horn but nothing works as well as bear spray. No need for accuracy either; just leave a small cloud of the stuff in your wake and dogs loose interest in the chase.
