A few recent events have been lagging the blog updates. This weekend, the Fourth of July was celebrated a bike/hike combo at Acadia National Park’s Cadillac Mountain. Starting at sea level about 25 miles away, the ride was past tourist serving roadside lobster pounds and onto Mount Desert Island following the typical automotive route onto park roads. While there were some hills on the approach, the road touched sea level again approximately five miles before the peak. Ascending 1500 feet to the Cadillac parking lot was accomplished via a fairly regular grade such that no particularly steep road feature was encountered. It isn’t the most challenging climb of the season, but a satisfying effort with prime season. View full article »
Category: Devon
16 miles of rolling wouldn’t make for anything to write about if it wasn’t for its part in today’s local sprint length triathalon. As a trial run for longer events I am targeting later in the season, this event including a 0.3mi swim and a 3.1mi run gave me some personal respect for the essential multidiscipline endurance sport.
The bike leg went really well. As usual I found myself running my commuter wheels in a field of carbon fiber and aero bars, but I felt competitive despite the modesty of my equipment and my legs felt strong through the duration. It was a good thing biking carried me because my swim was only average thanks to a mild panic at the reality of open water swimming and the run was predictably slow. Transitions were smooth, not at all the stress others seem to make over them.
A good time, I’m already looking forward to this event next year!
Bike At The Dawn dance
Pearl Hill Campsite
I’m sitting in a bakery/cafe in with a perfectly presented Cobb salad, a patiently produced multigrain sourdough loaf, and a view of the Connecticut river. Lunch options are numerous in Brattleboro on a Sunday, but the offerings are satisfying. Arrival in Brattleboro was a two stage process. Friday night I left Londonderry with some camping gear, including the storied hammock, and my dancing shoes packed on the bike. I rode about 30 miles to a campground in Townsend, MA where I was greeted by a cozy site and some familiar friendly faces with food! Saturday was a day of exploring the park and cooking on the campfire. View full article »
Yesterday was the last day of National Bike to work week and, thanks to a busy schedule and viral induced exhaustion, I had yet to commute by bike! It was time to get on the bandwagon. More importantly, the Friday one week before Memorial Day is the anniversary of the start of the 2009 Fernandez Brothers Bike Tour, and I was out to commemorate it.
I packed up three changes of clothes in the morning and started the day with a ride to work. After work, I rode past my house and continued along the route we took on the first night of the tour, excepting that my gps kept me on course. I rode under the train trestle bridge where we agreed that Lowell is a terrible place to ride and past the dark, forested, intersection where the first and only crash of the trip resulted from Isaac’s infamous videography. I rode past the bars where some girls asked about my reflective bracelet and ended in Auburndale at Debbie’s. I didn’t renact the crash, but I did score a flat tire.
I really enjoy riding at night when it’s warm. The roads are quiet and the breeze is cool. It’s rare to even see another rider after dark. You feel like you own the road. There is less to think about. Since you can’t even read your own speedometer, just focus on the patch of road lit by your headlight and keep pedaling. I trust the gps to light up and beep at me if I need to do something. Plus, it justifies the ownership of a 12 hour headlight system and clear sunglass lenses.
47mi Support Stop
This early season Charles River Wheelmen event that took place Sunday rolls from Wakefield through forests and upscale residences in MA and NH. The course is well marked with painted arrows. Sunny and just a touch cool, the weather was perfect, and I even had a friend interested in riding at about my pace. What more could I ask for in a ride?
I don’t like the inefficiency of driving to a ride, but I’m warming to the fun social aspect of an organized event. There’s safety in numbers too as motorists are more aware of groups of riders. The noisemaker ING cowbell, a spectator handout at last year’s Hartford marathon, that hangs from the corner of my day bag has drawn more comments than ever expected. My favorite: “More cowbell!” It gives a certain finishing touch to my beater bike motif. While I was surrounded by carbon fiber containing road bikes worth more than my car all day, I might have been piloting the only rig in the event without drop bars or with a bag on the rack. View full article »
Bike At Peterborough Town House
It was a no pressure Saturday morning and I awoke to find the air outside an honest-to-goodness, don’t-even-need-to-think about the temperature warm! This alone would satisfy my yearnings for the day. I haven’t been hot outside of the shower since before Halloween and two days ago it was snowing! Amazingly, much more was in store.
I ate way too much 10 grain cereal, practiced my 2010 campfire songs, packed up my bike in/on my car, stopped by the gym, and arrived at the carpool location in Bedford, NH around 2:15pm. In a few minutes, I got geared up, reminded myself that sunblock had been preapplied, and rolled out of the parking lot. For the few miles, as far as I can determine, I was propelled the sheer glory of sunshine. It’s 35 miles from Bedford to Peterborough, hardly a noteworthy distance, I might have to ride around town a few times to be satisfied I thought. Then again, I did remember some hills on the road going out there…
More Pizza Than Three People Should Eat
Ever wonder how to ride your bicycle 65 miles in a day and still feel guilty? Here it is folks: enough Pepe’s brick oven pizza to fill a six foot table. A small white clam, a small mozzarella, and a large chicken and garlic. Preceeded by two house salads. Yes, it took the assistance of two other guys, including my brother who rode with me, but we were proud of this digestive feat. For the record, our waitress recommended one medium for the three of us. I still prefer my own pizza, but this was easily the best restaurant pie I can remember.
Isaac Completes Holiday Hill
Oh, you came to hear about cycling? Ok, here’s the ride: 65 miles round trip from Hartford to the New Haven suburbs. Aside for a few miles of city traffic and one notable hill, this was mostly a flat trip through moderately settled neighborhoods. At the farthest excursion after a 30 mile warm up, was about a mile of climbing with the inaccurately auspicious moniker Holiday Hill. While far from the toughest climb we’ve ever encountered, this hill has sections as steep as you please. Consider that even riding my brakes (which need some service) most of the way down I still exceeded the 25mph speed limit by 18.6mph!
Acceptable riding weather is becoming dependable and riding season is now in full swing. This weekend I covered about 70 miles including a noteworthy Sunday ride around the Goucester and Rockport MA. It’s too bad this coastal island is such a drive away, because the local route that travels the island’s circumference makes for a great ride on a warm day. The 20 mile loop features a couple sections of rugged, rocky beaches not unlike the Maine coast, and a handful of other sea views. It’s interesting enough to make multiple laps enjoyable for a full day’s ride. The town centers of Rockport and Gloucester are perfect for hopping off for a break and grabbing a bite to eat. This island’s bakeries get my stamp of approval. A cue sheet from “Pocket Rides” pointed out that some additional good views are available on side roads, but be warned the condition of secondary roads in this area may be poor. As an added excitement, dood location is beat out this weekend by the chance to participate in Debbie’s personal weekend record of 57 miles!
An inspection of my rear wheel at the end of the weekend found a broken spoke before it was able to cause a flat. This is the second broken spoke I’ve had on the rear wheel in less than 1000 miles. Does this mean my wheel is reaching the end of it’s service life? Time for a stronger wheelset? For now, I’ll have this one strung back up this week and see what happens next. Since I can steal the identical wheel off the back of my trainer bike while I’m waiting for the repair, this failure won’t prevent any riding at all.
23 hours ago I woke up in Londonderry, NH at 2am and suited up to ride my bicycle. My intermittent reliance on the bicycle as a primary means of transportation has continued for a couple extra unexpected days. Reduced mobility left me with extra down time at home and I rewarded my bicycle for its efforts with the maintenance promised in my previous post. In the photo here, the installed replacement cassette and chain illustrate textbook shiny newness. Overall, swapping these components was a quick job. Shifts are a bit snappier and there’s noticeably less play in the pedal stroke.
Luggage On Bike At Gym
Wasting no time putting my handiwork to the test, my challenge for the weekend was to deliver myself and a week’s worth of luggage the 12+ miles to work to catch a 4am airport shuttle. Benefiting again from seasonally advanced warmth, I opted two trips, a daytime one to deliver the bulk of my luggage and the early morning one for the primary purpose of delivering myself. The first truly warm saturday of the spring brought out many lightweight road bikers on the winding rural roads of Londonderry and I couldn’t help but laugh at my own image grinding through town with a suitcase tied to my rack. :) Truth be told, it was a very pleasant ride. I enjoyed the luxury of comfortable riding in my short sleeved jersey at least as much my streamlined comrades. Further, the 2am ride in reminded me of the great peace in rural summer nighttime riding.
Birthday Cake
I finished today here in Santa Cruz as Fin’s Coffee’s lone customer at 10pm local time, with a slice of carrot confection to suffice as birthday cake. Here I’ve seen more bikes at night with proper headlights than I do in a month in NH. It’s perhaps the most hours I’ll ever spend awake in one birthday. Unusual, but certainly memorable!
At this point, everyone’s already heard the story of the fateful night of automotive woe that inspired the purchase of my bike as a backup form of transportation. I don’t remember what was going through my head as I rode the block around the bike store working my way through the glittering clean cogs, but I’m sure I had no idea where that bike and I were going. I was just hoping to have a backup plan for my work commute the next time my car was out of service. Oddly enough, that exact situation didn’t happen again for another year and a half, but it’s finally here. Working its way through the inspection and maintenance gauntlet, old four wheels has spent a few days this week away from home and I’ve been relying on pedal power to bridge the transportation gap.
It’s liberating, to prove that it’s possible to get through a day without a car. Sure, I’ve done it plenty of times before, but there’s something grittier about living the necessity of not having another choice. It also simplifies things, since there’s nowhere to rush off to when you get home, although I have to admit there is still no way to be a social creature in rural New England. I can bike almost anywhere I usually drive, but when getting somewhere interesting and back takes the whole day, it can’t be a complete solution.
I’ve recruited a few fellow cyclists to contribute. My dad, my brother, and my friend Debbie have all had some role in my adventures and I’m hoping they will share theirs too.