Sometimes I’m in my office at the high-rise monolith where I work, clickity-clacking away on my keyboard, and I stop to gaze out the window to think “Man, I would so much rather be out on my bike today.”
How luxurious to wake at a reasonable hour, fuel up on coffee and mini-wheats, throw on my gear and hit the road. Maybe a lunch break at the tiny bakery several townships (and 40 miles) over.
The smooth pedal strokes propelling me forward into the world, slicing through time and space.
Floating up hills … effortless.
Fresh air and sunshine. Or fresh air and overcast. Sometimes riding in the rain is delicious in its own right – surrendering yourself to just getting wet and muddy and relishing the moment.
Recounting the wildlife encountered: the herons and emus, deer families and foxes.
Laughter. Friendship. Fun.
It’s true that money can’t buy happiness … but it does buy a bicycle, which is pretty damn close.
this is my mom and her bike. proof my addiction to bicycles is hereditary.
Everyone has certain associations with Saturday mornings from their childhood. Mine were waking up so early the test pattern was still on the local affiliate station (does that even happen anymore?) and sitting on the couch with my sisters under homemade blankets, eagerly awaiting Saturday morning cartoons. My dad would get up around 8 to cook us breakfast – scrambled eggs, fried Spam or bacon, and all the orange juice we could handle. After breakfast was time to get dressed, do our chores and go outside to play.
My dad was more of an instant coffee drinker until I was in middle school – and it was around 8th grade or so that I sampled my first cup of coffee. To this day I can’t drink coffee black – I’m more of a “like my sugar with coffee and cream” kind of girl. For many years I would simply have a cup of whatever was in the workplace breakroom, regardless of the quality of flavor. Then I went on a several year hiatus and switched to teas, a second love. Ultimately I eventually got back on the coffee wagon, began discovering quality coffees and, since purchasing a coffee maker for our home a few years ago, I am simply unable to function without a daily dose of my drug of choice.
Through the magic of the internet (OOoooo!) the proprietor of Sip, Clip, and Go! coffee and I began to connect socially. As one who enjoys a quality cup of coffee regularly, and my current supply running low, I reached out to ask which of her coffees may be right for me. I enjoy middle-of-the-road flavor – not too light but not too dark. She recommended I try Off the Chain or Carbon Free Commuter.
Fast forward to a week ago and my supply is back to running low. Instead of heading for the local grocer, I logged on to Sip, Clip, and Go! and picked up a bag of coffee and a lovely travel mug advertised to fit in my water bottle cage.
Arrived just in time!
The package arrived the day Hurricane Sandy decided to also arrive on the East Coast and with my power out, I could only smell the smokey sweetness of the ground beans. Heavenly! Now that my power is on, it’s all I have been drinking. The beans are perfectly balanced, creating a wonderful beginning to a day at the office or on the bike. My house smells amazing while the coffee is brewing – definitely a reason to get out of bed for a delicious beverage.
Overall, this product is a Must Buy for any coffee lover and particularly those of the cycling variety – not only are the beans fair trade and organic, but a portion of every sale is donated to Bikes Belong. A win-win situations AND you get an excellent cup of coffee every day.
Thanks for sharing your coffee break with me – see you on the road!
Hurricane Sandy is bearing down on the eastern seaboard … so what better way to spend the day than to head into the city for the Philly Bike Expo!
The morning began with light rain when I woke, which means no bike riding. My partner in crime on this expedition, my commuter friend, agreed the train was probably the best idea since most weather forecasts were calling for heavy, consistent rain in the afternoon – about the time we would be riding home. The rain stopped by the time we got to the train station and didn’t bother to start up again until well after we returned to the suburbs.
Always a bummer to miss a ride opportunity but the wind would have made riding significantly subpar.
Upon arrival in Center City, we had an hour to kill so we headed to Bruegger’s Bagels for … bagels and coffee. Mine was toasted pumpkin with pumpkin schmear; his was toasted everything with hummus. Large coffees in hand we headed out to explore the city on two feet (instead of two wheels). Philadelphia is a city of so many vintage buildings, narrow alleys, and ornate architecture.
one of the many narrow, uneven cobblestone streets
We talked about the stoops that still had boot scrapers and horse ties, apartment buildings with exceedingly narrow alleyways separating them with a single wooden door between them, artificial dead-ends, rooftop patios and oxidized ironworks. In one neighborhood we walked though the alley and were able to glimpse the life behind the massive rowhomes – an enclave of suburbia in the heart of the city.
We thought this was bike parking.
We crossed over the new bridge over the railroad racks down by the Schuylkill River Park (which has an adorable new dog park for all the city puppies to play) and walked the multi-use path to get over to the expo.
do not know what to make of this window display
The bike expo itself was small but fun. The first two-and-a-half hours we volunteered at the Philly Bike Club booth, talking to prospective members (and existing members) about the club and touting the benefits of membership. We managed to sell three! Met a lot of cool people and talked with many of the urban cyclists cruising by our booth.
Once we were turned loose, I tried out a Jamis Commuter – the handlebar shifter (8-speed internal hub) had a little picture of a person on a bike going up a hill (or zooming down a flat) instead of gear numbers. It was also whisper-quiet (internal hubs have no actual gears, as my friend discovered) and super cute but too heavy for my purposes. We checked out all the bike vendors, including the custom-made Italian carbon frames by Protek Bicycles and the sexy Cooper Bicycles. Lots of other vendors as well, including Road Holland (amazing polyesther/wool blend jerseys – seriously, I am jonesing to get my hands on one of their jerseys) and Swift Industries (Seattle-based pannier company).
With limited cash-in-hand, I picked up as much swag as I could and a $10 I Bike PHL t-shirt. We then headed south to My Falafel Bar for lunch (and the best falafel pita EVER) before ducking into the underground train station to head back home.
Now to hunker down with the family until the hurricane blows through. I won’t see you out on the road until then.
Yesterday I conquered my first century. It was brilliant; it was fun; and it was challenging.
I spent a lot of time in the days leading up to the ride oscillating between “OMG I AM THE BIGGEST IDIOT for signing up for this” and “I am going to ROCK THIS THING!” I both doubted my abilities and had confidence that I had trained well.
Saturday night I prepared a carb-tastic dinner of spaghetti and turkey-meatballs for the family (I also had some buttered whole-wheat bread) and went to bed early.
Sunday I was out of bed at 4:45am to get a quick shower (nothing like starting an all-day ride fresh), breakfast, and finish up last-minute preparations. Breakfast consisted of a Morning Star veggie sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit and my daily multi-vitamin washed down with a full glass of water. I carpooled down to the ride start with my commuter friend and another woman from our general neighborhood – they were riding the century on a tandem. (MAJOR props to them)
The weather day-of was spectacular – blue skies with fluffy clouds, high in the mid-70s, low humidity. I found Lou, a guy I’ve ridden with on other Philly Bike Club rides. It’s his first century too … hooray for a ride buddy! Interestingly, there were a lot of first-timers like myself on the century ride – many of them older gentlemen who I’ve ridden with before and thought they ate centuries for breakfast.
The start of the ride was kindof spectacular. 700 riders came out for the event and the century riders were up first in the gate. The sheer spectacle of us coming out of the parking lot and riding around the front Philadelphia Museum of Art was awesome for sure. Spinning down West River Drive to the Falls Bridge en masse – and then rolling into Manayunk and the first of many hills to come.
(You may have heard of the Manayunk Wall – a fabled half-mile of sheer 10% grade pain. These weren’t that bad – but still had significant grades around 5%.)
The rest/aid stations are set up in camp facilities – very rustic but welcoming. The mechanics were stationed outside the “mess hall.” The atmosphere around each one was warm and welcoming; the spreads were incredible. Homemade cookies, brownies, fresh fruit like grapes, c antelope and watermelon, pb&j sandwiches on whole wheat … and plenty of ice water and gatorade for all.
A brilliant move on the part of the organizers was positioning the rest/aid stations at varying increments: the first was a mere 13miles in. The next was another 19miles. Then 24 miles. Then 13miles, 25 miles, and 12 miles to finish. Many cyclists skipped the first rest/aid station but Lou and I opted to stop for a few minutes (bathroom break, fuel and water).
Next we rode to Evansburg State Park. The highlight of this portion of the century is riding along Potshop Rd, which has a stunning view of the Schuylkill River Valley and Philadelphia’s skyline in the distance. Truly a sight to behold, especially from two wheels!
31 miles in and still feeling fresh!
Also interesting to see how strung out the riders get over time … for much of the ride, Lou and I didn’t see any other riders around us after we left the second rest stop.
I met a guy named Austin. He’s a PhD candidate in Physics and was riding his Surly CrossCheck (light blue) in linen shorts and a T shirt. Bold move for a first-time century rider – but he hung in our group until very close to the next rest station. I’m hoping to connect with him on MapMyRide – could be an awesome ride buddy.
The next leg of the trip was easily the hilliest portion – to Camp Hope near Schwenksville, PA. Turn after turn of just Going Up. One hill claimed not one but two cyclists who dropped their chains mid-hill – henceforth to be known as Chain Drop Hill. It was a beast of a hill.
(I was kindof annoyed to see my Strava app took into account the time I spent waiting as riding time – it says I only did 3.2mph up the hill, but my on-bike computer registered 6-7mph when I was actually riding. Oh well. )
We just had to laugh when we turned on the road to go the last .7 miles to the rest/aid station and the road turned upward again. You really had to earn that rest stop. We kept our rest station visits to a minimum – 15min or so. Just enough time to use the bathroom, refill water bottles, get a quick snack, and shake out the fatigue. Spent some time talking with Skip, a guy I’ve ridden with on other Philly Bike Club rides. Coming out of Camp Hope resulted in a few more miles of climbing before the flats and descents started to become common.
I also gobbled two ibuprofen to quiet my aching lower back. Note to self: adjust seat position back a touch!
Quick stop back in Evanburg State Park – this one a touch longer because I called my husband to tell him I was about 35 miles from the end and to expect me in about 2.5 hours. I also shut off my Strava app because I was at 25% battery and wanted to be reachable at the finish line. Ended up being a smart move, even though I cheated myself out of more data, because I had 5% remaining at the finish line.
(Note to self – pick up a Garmin of any sort that will give you gps data to upload later!)
Lou and I decided to skip the last rest/aid station and just bring it home. We met another guy – Dima – who ended up in our little group charging to the finish. Soon after we added another rider into our little peloton – a guy with blonde curly hair henceforth known as Surfer Dude. We rode the last 35 miles hard – pushing 20mph on flats, 12+mph on the hills, and bombing the sharrows through Manayunk. Almost got hit by a car a couple times – people who don’t know how to parallel park are THE WORST.
Did I mention I was leading this little ragtag group of century riders back into the city? Because I totally was. The guys were very thankful I “brought them in.”
All in all, a great day in the saddle – and we got to the finish line 5 minutes before they stopped serving pizza. Hooray – GOAL ATTAINED! My family met me at the pizza tent – I was so happy to see them.
Lou and I at the post-ride pizza party, celebrating the completion of our respective first century rides!
Stats:
101.5 miles
average of 13.2 mph
7 hours, 40 minutes, 12 seconds of ride time
5,797′ of elevation gain (4,022′ in the first 66.5 miles)
It’s really sad but I haven’t been on my bike in almost two weeks now.
The shop took a few days to put Electric Dream Machine together and I opted to have a basic fitting to get her specs back in alignment for Cycling Nirvana. And the next day I went on a non-cycling vacation.
But I promised a recap of the Travel with Your Bike experience.
The boxing/unboxing experience was probably the most painful part. I’m not mechanically oriented just yet – so I don’t feel comfortable disassembling/re-assembling my ride. It was ~$35 per instance to have the shop take care of that for me – so $150 total. (Although making appointments for said services tended to speed things up. )
The box itself is moderately unwieldy – standing on its end it was almost as tall as I am. But it was surprisingly easy to wheel around and load into a mid-size SUV by myself.
Frontier Airlines was awesome. The box came in at 52 pounds (53.5 with my saddle bag included on the way back). Both overweight fees were waived – but I attribute this to having status on the airline more than a testament of the airline. Had I needed to pay the fee, it’s $75 each way ($150 total)
Having my bike to ride? PRICELESS.
Have you seen my ride? She’s beautiful!
So the question becomes – do I take my bike with me on my next vacation in July? Or do I rent one from a local shop? Financially it’s a toss-up – about $350 total for a week-and-a-half vacation. The edge goes to renting because there will be no delay in assembling or the hassle of schlepping it around with me while also trying to keep track of my kids. But it’s not my bike.
Looking forward to being back home for a few weeks to get back to cycling a few days a week. My son and I are doing the 25 mile route in the Cycle Bucks County event next weekend – will be his first cycling event with rest/aid stations. He’ll be on his mountain bike and I’m committed to riding his pace to make this the most positive experience possible. We’re both pretty excited to do this event together.
I also signed up for the Scenic Schuylkill Century this fall – need to finish 100 miles in 9 hours or less including rest stops! I’ve built my base miles pretty well recently – 50 miles is completely manageable now. Time to start adding miles for endurance and working on speed to get to about 13-14 mph over the entire ride (finish in about 7-7.5 hours). I’m at a verified 13mph average over 50 miles now. Planning on a 63 mile ride in about a month (self-mapped and with friends) and then meeting up with another local female rider on weekends to increase to a consistent 75-80 miles per ride.
So look for more talk of training rides and elevation gain all kinds of stuff that really only is interesting to me. 🙂
Yesterday was my first anniversary of buying a bike, hitting the bike path and enjoying the ride. So much has happened in the last year, it’s hard to believe it’s only been a year. And yet, it’s been an entire year!
In celebration (and because it was a Tuesday) I rode with fellow Philly Bike Club members for a D/C- recovery ride out of Glenside. The five of us had a wonderful jaunt through Jenkintown, Abington Township, into Philadelphia and back through Melrose Park and Elkins Park. I love it when my phone battery doesn’t die on my mid-ride so I can check out where I’ve been post-ride. Since I’m so clueless about where the heck I am out here.
Something about no permanent geological fixture to indicate West.
Friday I completed a 50 mile ride with two other women and three guys. It was a slight stretch in that I posted a 12.7 mph average but wasn’t totally wrecked by the effort. I’m hoping to get to a solid 13-14 mph average by the end of the summer over that length – including hills. Last week’s final mileage was just a touch over 100 miles for the week over three rides, of which I am fairly proud. Longer distances are becoming easier as part of my mission to be more conscious of my energy output. Focus on smooth fluid pedaling, not raw exertion.
Taking a look at my stats over the past year …
May 2011 – I bought my Specialized Crossroads Sport hybrid. That first week, I went on three rides for a total of 28 miles with an average of 7.3 mph.
June 2011 – My first month I went on twelve rides for a total of 157.61 miles with an average of 8.06 mph. I am most proud of the 34.89 mi ride with a 12 mph average because it was on my hybrid. I was such a wreck at the end of that ride but felt so accomplished.
July 2011 – Month Two was dominated by longer rides – not as many shorter rides with the kids. I also shifted to 3-4 rides per week. Total mileage was 123.62 with an average of 8.25 mph.
August 2011 – After three months, I had improved my average speed to 9.93 mph. Fewer rides, but longer distances dominated.
September 2011 – Month Four marked the end of the summer and my first Half-Century ride with my girl friend – and another gain in average speed to 11.98 mph.
October 2011 – Month Five saw only three rides, as it was getting colder and we were in the process of selling our house. Less time riding, more time fixing up the house. Only 37.65 miles this month with an average of 8.6 mph.
November 2011 – Six months on the hybrid and we got an offer on our house! My favorite ride was Thanksgiving Day – I headed out before eating. The city is eerily quiet with all the stores closed, barely any cars on the roads. I encountered only one other cyclist on that ride. It was also cold enough to make breathing feel horrible, like my alveoli had become tiny ice pops. Two rides for a total of 39.47 miles, 10.77 mph average.
December 2011 – not a single ride because we packed up and moved across the country. No big loss, since it was also single-digit temperatures, icy and snowy in Colorado!
January 2012 – New state, new house, new community, no clue where to go or what to do. Joined Philly Bike Club. Two rides, 4.7 miles with an average of 5 mph. And colder temperatures – mid-forties!
February 2012 – three rides around the neighborhood for a total of 14.3 miles and recovering my average to 8.43 mph. Joined Sturdy Girl Cycling.
March 2012 – Only one ride! 10.6 mph average. Whee! But then I purchased my new Felt ZW5. Now I feel like I can get out and ride with the rest of he civilized cycling world.
April 2012 – The weather is getting amazing and staying above 50 degrees. Took a Beginner Cycling Clinic and feel more confident on my road bike. 116.5 miles with an average of 10.26 mph. Starting to see big swings in average speed depending on my bike (12 mph as opposed to 8-10 mph).
May 2012 – This month has been great so far – 142.3 miles with an average of 9.63. Road bike averages are closer to 12mph; hybrid 8-9 mph.
One year total: 898.09 miles.
So what are my goals for Year Two?
Improve to a consistent 13-14 mph average on my road bike.
Accomplish a metric century (62 miles).
Accomplish three-quarters of a century (75 miles).
Ride at least twice a week with groups.
Ride on weekends with my kids – it still feels good to go slow and enjoy the scenery. And getting a treat mid-ride or post-ride doesn’t hurt either.
Just the other day I was walking home from the train station, pondering how much longer the sun would be out and if I could get a quick ride in before nightfall. Sadly, the very next thought was:
But where would I go?And do I *really* have time??
The reality is I am balancing being a wife and mom with my unrelenting desire to head out for a few hours and pedal my way to happiness. The house still needs to be cleaned, the lawn mowed and the flower beds tended to. May is the hardest month for this – the weather is nice, the sun is out longer and the kids’ school events ramp up before the year ends.
But even if it were just me, I’m not sure I’d just jump on my bike and head out for an evening ride. I’m working on getting to know the terrain and becoming comfortable and familiar with it. It’s part exploration, part adventure … and part just plain time. You just can’t force knowing where to go.
So I joined the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia – to have a better view of what is being advocated in my area and to also access their super-awesome regional maps that categorize many roads so I can plan better routes. And find the best places to take my kids so we can cycle together. It’s not always about riding hard or fast – sometimes it’s awesome to just cruise to the local ice cream shop with the fam for some refreshments.
I’m also attending a beginner cyclist’s clinic this weekend between getting my kids to their various activities – sports, camping, play-dates and spaghetti dinners.
wife. mother. awesome girl. 