Not A Big Deal

But I’ve ridden my bike this month every single day this month.

You know, because the 30 Days of Biking thing is going down right now.  Well, that and I really enjoy riding my bike.  The event is just an excuse I guess.

I’ve gone on group mountain bike rides (including another fun, social one last night), solo mountain bike rides, greenway rides, and trips to the store for groceries and beer (mostly beer.)  I even got to commute to work yesterday morning on my bike.

While I only live thirteen miles from work, I didn’t ride all the way from the house.  If I did, I would’ve ridden something else other than my rigid single speed, the Falcon.  No, I cheated.  You see, I had to drop my truck off at the shop to get the air conditioning repaired, so I took the opportunity to ride the 1.2 miles from there to work.  It wasn’t a big commute by any means, but it was still a great way to start my day.  I got there pretty quick too, even after having to wait for the train to go by.

Riding to work is something I can’t normally do, because well, I don’t always work in the same place.  I travel around the Charlotte area throughout the day most of the time, and doing it by bicycle wouldn’t be very efficient (according to management.)  So, being able to ride to work at least once was pretty damn awesome.

Even if it was only a short distance.

I rode my bike.  That’s all that matters. 


I may or may not be back here tomorrow.  I have some "maintenance" things to take care of here on the blog.  If I'm here, you'll see what I mean.

A Little Bit Of Free Time

With only two days (including travel time) in Northern Virginia, I didn’t think we would have time to get out on our bikes. We brought them just in case, and somehow we managed to find the time to ride. One of the local shops recommended a trail really close by, the Conway Robinson State Forest.

The locals said it was pretty easy, and since we didn’t have a whole lot of time I was kinda glad for that.  Even though it’s really close to the mountains, it’s surprisingly flat.

We rolled out, thinking that this would be a really easy ride.  I was on my single speed, and I was spinning like crazy.  The only thing that kept it interesting were a couple of log piles and strategically placed rocks.

As we rounded a corner, I saw something odd.  It was some sort of teepee, probably made by some local kids.  I had to get in it though.

After that brief stop, we continued along the flat (but still fun) trail.  All of a sudden we came to an intersection, so we decided to take it.  Immediately the terrain changed.

Just that that it felt like we were kinda in the mountains.  There were rocks upon rocks, and a few more “features.”  I had Little Miss Sunshine pose for me on one of them.

The trail got progressively steeper and rockier after that, much to my delight.  I felt like I was actually mountain biking, instead of riding along in the woods on fire roads.  It was really fun.

Plenty of rocks and steep drops, which were a sharp contrast to the trail leading up to that point.  We were really having a good time out there.

After that loop, we got back to the main (read: flat) trail.  The scenery was a little better though, so I stopped for another photo.

What made this so nice was the fact that we were right next to the site of the First and Second Battle of Manassas (or Bull Run depending on who you talk to.)  The state forest is right next to the Manassas National Battlefield Park, which I’ve visited many times throughout my life.  It’s a pretty cool place to visit for sure.

Back on the main trail, we ended up on a section that goes over an old railroad line used during the Civil War.  It was flat too of course, but it looked like something out of a story book.

The trail got a little bit technical after that, but it was nothing we couldn’t handle.  In fact, I don’t think I was even breathing heavy.  The last leg going back to the parking lot went over a little creek, so we got to ride across a neat little bridge.

It was a fun ride. That first loop was only about four miles, so we headed back out to do it again. Not an epic ride by any means, but at least I got to ride a little bit while we were away.  The next time I go back up there I’ll be sure to hit it again. It wasn’t really supposed to be a fun trip, but we did manage to have a good time (when we had the time.) I got to partake in another one of my passions up there, so tomorrow will most likely be all about that.

Cheers!

Nothing Can Stop Me

Even though I’m still on call for work (this is the last night for a while), I managed to find some time to get on my bike.  One of those times was out at Fisher Farm in nearby Davidson for a little single speed action.  After getting out there by myself for a while, I rolled through the parking lot to refill my bottles before I headed back out for another lap.  I noticed that I had some company…

Little Miss Sunshine decided to show up and ride with me.

And she apparently had an issue with her sock selection.

She also brought her single speed, and we took another lap around the trail.  I’m really amazed at how much of a better rider she’s becoming just from riding her SS.  I asked told her how I am starting to prefer riding only one gear all the time, and asked if she would be doing the same in the near future.

“No, I like my gears.”

I used to say that too.

Riding a single speed has done wonders for my strength on the climbs, and I really like the fact that she’s getting the same benefit.  I’ll keep pushing her to give up the gears, because I know it’s the right thing to do.  She has fun every time she rides it, and she can keep up with me just fine.

The single speed…this is the weapon of a Jedi.  Not as clumsy or random as a geared bike, an elegant weapon for more civilized days.

I got in another ride, but I didn’t take any photos.  That’s too bad, because the Dirty Party Cycle made an appearance.  He doesn’t get out my way too much these days.

I think I’m done for today.  I got a lot of shit going on. 

I should be back here tomorrow though…

30 Days Of Biking

That’s right, I committed to ride my bike for thirty days. What is 30 Days of Biking?

Well, it’s a movement of sorts.



Wait, not that kind of movement.


It’s just another way to promote bicycles. I like bikes. I like riding bikes. During the month of April, thousands of people commit to riding their bikes every day. Any kind of bike, any distance. It’s not some hammerfest or a way to get people to stop driving cars. It’s just riding bikes. If you read this crap every day, then you probably like riding bikes too.


I don’t normally ride every single day. I always say I would like too, but shit usually gets in the way. Long days at work, laziness, and a host of other things can keep me off the bike. Normally though, I get out three or four days a week. With 30 Days of Biking, I decided that I could somehow make time to ride my bike at least a little bit each day.


I started on April 1st with the New Belgium Urban Assault Ride. The very next day, I had to say goodbye to my dog, so I thought that I wouldn’t ride for a while. I somehow ended up on my bike that evening riding around the neighborhood (drinking a beer to drown my sorrows), and at that moment I realized that there was no excuse that could keep me from riding every day. I just kept going from there.


This is the 12th day, and I’ve been on my bike eleven times (and yes I will ride again tonight.) Two of those rides have been races (Urban Assault and the 6 Hours of Warrior Creek), a few have been “training” rides, and even one time I rode to work. Most rides though have been short distances like trips to the store, out to eat, and just around the neighborhood. I’ve ridden my road bike and both mountain bikes. It’s really pretty easy to get off your ass and ride every single day.


How do you get involved? You just ride for thirty days during the month of April. It’s probably a little late now if you haven’t been riding, but if you have then you should register on the website. If you are on Twitter, then every time you ride you should tweet about it and use the hash tag #30daysofbiking. They also have a FacePage.


What do I get out of this? Nothing directly. I just like to see people riding bikes, ‘cause that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.


Why are you still sitting here? Go out and ride your bike!

Back to Whatever Normal Is

I don’t know what the hell that is, so don’t ask.


Finally I feel better. After a long bout with the 2011 Death Virus, I’m pretty much back to my normal, healthy self. I had almost forgotten what it was like, but it is very much welcome. Now I can get back to the things I love doing. I don’t really have any plans for this weekend, although the next three weekends are looking busy (more on that later.) Tonight I may bust out my new skateboard and shred it up with Lunchbox for a bit at the local skatepark. Since my racing season is over, I can enjoy myself a little bit. Not too much though, because I’m getting way old for this shit.


Two major things are on my list though.


Bike riding.

Yes, I would love to. After battling sickness for the past week, I don’t have much in the energy department. If I get out on the trail somewhere, I will definitely be taking it easy. That means no hot laps or personal best times or any of that kinda shit. It also means that I’ll probably still ride the singlespeed, because what fun is bike riding without the torture? My geared bike will just have to wait a while.


Beer Drinking.

Yes please. It’s been far too long since I’ve consumed any type of adult beverage, and I know y’all are a bit concerned. Don’t worry, I plan on making up for my deficit over the next two days. Wish me luck.


I’ll save you the suffering and cut it short here. I know you’re all glad I’m back to my old self, which means more not-so quality blogging in the near future. I know you love me, just like Han Solo.






Yeah. Have a good weekend and all that shit.