The Therapeutic Effects of Lonely, Desolate Roads

Sometimes, it feels really good to tread old paths. I love going off on adventures, exploring new areas and seeing new sights, but after a wreck of a weekend, I just needed to get back that old feeling of pure joy that I had last year. Judging by how I'm feeling today, I was successful!

First of all, this weekend did NOT go as planned. I had intended to do some light cycling on Saturday and then head up to the Pedal & Paddle Fest in Prompton State Park on Sunday. Instead, I went to Moon Lake Park with some friends from Valley Cycles to ride the trails there on Saturday.

As I've mentioned, I usually head up to Wilkes-Barre to ride with a group from Valley Cycles. This past Thursday was to be an extra special affair, as June 6 is also my birthday. (34 trips around the sun!) But, due to rain, a lot of folks either opted to ride trainers in the shop or just skip the night, altogether. I chose to skip.

After 2 days of raining, the trail was incredibly slippery. My rear tire could gain no purchase on the many rock gardens and tree roots along the trail. I'd get the front wheel up and over an obstacle only to get the rear wheel hung up as it would spin out and dump all the energy I put into each pedal. I just wasn't having a very good time.

I realize now that the Excalibur is too big for me. I had an extremely difficult time controlling it and ended up in quite a mess. I fell a few times, and I even ended going over the handlebars once as I tried coming down a rock formation and ended up going vertical. As I felt the back of the bike coming up off the ground, all I could was tuck and roll. Fortunately, I wasn't hurt.

Wet shoes + platform pedals = OUCH

The worst part of the ride came towards the end; I was really beginning to lose my confidence. Instead of going all out and having a good time, I was trying to play it safe and avoid any obstacle that looked like it might be too dangerous. I lost count of how many times I slid sideways and was tossed off the bike, or lost my balanced and fell over. Then came the injury as seen in the picture to the right -- a result of my right foot slipping off the pedal. It's not as bad as it looks, but it hurt for a while.

After all that, I just needed to get back out there and get myself on familiar ground. On Sunday, instead of driving up to Prompton State Park for more trail riding, I chose an old, favorite route that I haven't been on since late last year. Going out Stockton Mountain Road to Route 93, then on down through Weatherly and up past the Lehigh Valley Gorge. I didn't have time to head down into the gorge, so I continued past the Weatherly Cemetery and up past Eckley Miner's Village and then home along Route 940. 2 hours and 29.3 miles later, I was feeling back on top.

Riding this route reminded me of the days when I had no plan and no agenda. I wasn't trying to make it to work on time and I wasn't trying to keep up with anyone else -- it was just me, with hours and hours to be alone with my thoughts. I could take time to feel the cool breeze on my skin while coasting along desolate roads lined with forests of evergreen that reach into the sky. Trees so tall, they easily block out the harsh rays of the sun and put you in the center of your own world. It was, and still is, the best therapy I've ever found.

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Day 19 of 30 Days of Biking: Failure to Negotiate Curve

"Failure to negotiate a curve;" that's what they call it when a biker loses control and spills it on a curve. At least, that's how the accident report gets written up when a motorcycle rider, essentially, crashes into himself. I might not have been on a motorbike, but that's the scenario I rode into on my commute to work, this morning.

You might recall a photo I posted about 3 weeks ago, "Here comes the sick drop:"

Well, here's the hill about halfway down, looking back at the curve:

Notice the black stripe, going off road? That's where I lost control and almost ended up in pretty bad shape.

Here's what happened: Usually, I take it pretty easy down this hill. The first drop is extremely steep and ends abruptly as it dumps you into a nearly 90 degree curve to the left. I've done it about a dozen times, and it's scary as hell every single time I do it. Today, though, I let my confidence get the better of me.

Long before going into the curve, I could already tell I was going too fast. I pulled on the brakes, but it wasn't slowing me down enough to safely get through the curve. That's when I hit a patch of gravel and locked up the rear wheel. The situation was quickly going from bad to worse.

If mountain biking in the muck and mud has taught me anything, it's how to stay upright when the rear wheel decides to go rogue. I felt the rear sliding and loosened up, but the line I was riding was too tight. A better rider might have been able to drift through the curve, and I'm sure it would have made for a great YouTube video, followed by a group of fixie riders blowing through red lights and running down pedestrians while some indie/hipster anthem blares in the background. I'm not that rider, though. The best I could hope for was to keep from grating my face across the pavement.

As much as I wanted to avoid sliding off the road and crashing into big rocks and tree branches, I couldn't. I gripped the brakes for all my worth, just hoping I wouldn't go over my handlebars when I eventually hit something solid enough. And then... I stopped. No Superman impression, no pain, no breakage. I threw down a foot to keep myself from falling over sideways and counted my blessings. Everything went better than I expected.

So, how was your morning commute?

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Day 9 of 30 Days of Biking: Return of the Sorting Hat

So, if you haven't been keeping up with the ongoing saga of the Sorting Hat, it showed up on Day 5 in a drunken stupor and attempted to take up residence in this hole in the road.

On Saturday, Day 6, the Sorting Hat went missing. I really have no idea what happened to it or where it went, but this morning, on my ride to work, I noticed that it was back, and it found a mate!

I'm not sure if the Sorting Hat is staging some kind Occupy protest or if it just really likes living in a hole in the middle of an intersection, but there it is.

I fully expect to see some little hats running around by the end of the week. Perhaps this is some "Sorting Hat nesting ground" and they'll all leave once they've mated and have a brood to raise? I'll provide updates as they come in. We'll see what the situation is after I ride home tonight.

In the meantime, once again, it is absolutely beautiful out. I didn't even bother layering with "cold-weather" clothing -- just a high-vis vest and some regular biking clothes. I really hope this is it -- no more cold snaps. So far, I've ridden to work 2 days in a row and I'm shooting for number 3 tomorrow. Ride on!

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Here Comes the Sick Drop

Old Turnpike Road in Drums, PA.

I stopped for a quick tug on some Gatorade before thundering down this extremely steep descent. About halfway down is a nearly 90 degree curve to the left, definitely putting it on the scary side. Although a straight shot on 309 would make my morning commute a little shorter, I'd miss banging down this fun hill too much!

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Increasing My Methane Footprint

Since taking my place among the ranks of the mighty +Bike Commuter Cabal, I've now ridden to work twice, and I solemnly swear that I will do so again. I have thwarted the evil oil companies and saved Mother Earth... and it's not even lunch time, yet.

Q: What do politicians and bulls have in common?
(Image of politicians in session courtesy of MLive.com)

However, I had baked beans -- the magical fruit -- for dinner last night, and you know what that means... Yes, I managed to decrease my carbon footprint while simultaneously increasing my methane footprint. And methane, as we all recall from Earth Science class, is another greenhouse gas -- a potentially silent, but deadly, greenhouse gas. (Sorry. Sometimes this blog goes to weird places.) I wonder what good 'ol Washington State Representative Ed Orcutt, who wanted to impose a tax on cyclists for breathing too hard, thinks about that. (If only we could tax stupidity. Christ, we'd have a surplus the likes of which has never been seen...)

But wait! There's more! Not only am I using my bike to get to work, I'm using it to perform errands -- errands that upstanding, everyday people like yourselves might do by car.

Errands such as:

• buying cat food
• clothes shopping
• depositing money in the bank (instead of spending it on gas)
• get lunch (which converts into methane, unfortunately)

All very normal, regular things that regular people (see what I did there?) would do on a regular day. Except, I did them on a bike, which increases my smugness level to 11, which is far below Al Gore but still above the SUV driver that came dangerously close to me, this morning. Come not near to me, for I am smugger than thou!

As we count down the days to April, my commitment to 30 Days of Biking and Team +Loving the Bike remains ever present. Part of me is busy trying to figure out how to go about doing my normal routine without resorting to a car while another part of me is just desperately looking for any excuse it can find to get on two wheels. The rest of me, however, needs no excuse; I'd go out and ride in circles around the block for lack of anything more productive to do. It's just a matter of planning ahead and figuring out my limitations. Until then, I'm just here, contributing to the overall amount of methane in the atmosphere. Sorry. (You'll thank me when we no longer have Winter because of all the greenhouse gas!)

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Reaffirming My Appreciation for Rule No. 5

When I remember some of my journal entries from long distant September, it's hard to believe I ever thought 66 degrees was "too cold" to enjoy a ride.

Oh, MY GOD. You crybaby! HARDEN UP.

This morning, in observation of Rule 5, I ventured out into a chilly 28 degrees and just kept on going. Hazleton to Beaver Meadows, Tresckow and back. I even went a little out of my way to pick up cat food. A 17 mile commute just to get to the corner grocery store. I'm sure my cat would do the same for me. (Probably not.)


Now, coldness is one thing, but what would a ride into glory be without a few snow flurries and freezing headwinds? As I rode into Tresckow, a bitterly cold gust blasted me in the face, holding me back as I struggled to keep my pace. This was one of those turning points where I thought, "Why the hell am I doing this? I'm supposed to be enjoying myself; this is like punishment!" And then a thought occurred to me. "Is this worse than the soul-sucking depression I feel when I can't go for a ride?"

I didn't even need a moment to consider the answer. I knew it was better to be on the bike than to be on the couch. "You can sit on the couch all afternoon, after you get home," I told myself. "But right now? It's 'GO' time. Time to shine, time to harden up, time to crank the pedals and conquer that next hill. Over that next hill, the clouds are gonna break, the sun is gonna come out and the heat on your back will make you forget all about the cold. Over that next hill, the ride will be good again." And it was. Somehow, miraculously, that's exactly what happened.

And then the cloud cover came back and I was freezing, once again. C'est la vie.

"I have to warn you, this is about to get very personal, but, my nipples could cut diamonds, right now. #justsayin I am sofa king cold."

So, there was that. Even as the temperature climbed into the mid-30s, it was still really cold. Meh.

At least I didn't have it as bad as these dudes:

So, what have we learned?

First of all, 66 degrees isn't cold. Even if I have an extremely high tolerance for heat and an extremely low tolerance for the cold, 66 is MUCH more preferable to 28.

Second, I love my cat. All the other cats in the neighborhood should be super jelly. Like, totes, fer sure.

Third, I had "Love Song" by Tesla stuck in my head the entire ride. So now I'm going to torture you with it. Ride on!

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Rider's Log: First Signs of Spring and A Quick Reminder About Sharing the Road

The road to Tresckow, leading out from Beaver Meadows.

Did you get out and ride, today? I know I sure did! It feels so good to be back on the road.

I really hope we're not jumping the gun, but it definitely feels like we've seen the worst of Winter, and Spring is on its way. Well, knock on wood... it's supposed to snow later this week.

I decided to take a somewhat familiar route, today, riding through Tresckow (via Beaver Meadows.) I had a filling breakfast, packed a few Clif Bars (Mmm... white chocolate macadamia nut!) and filled my bottle with Gatorade. I wanted to be sure I was ready for this ride.

I didn't go crazy with my route planning -- just a 15 mile out and back. I would have welcomed a longer trip, but I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I was a little worried about cramping up, again. That experience is something I'm still very conscious of and extremely eager to avoid going through ever again. Did I simply overdo it, or was it a sign of a deeper problem I should be aware of? I just really hate the idea of being stranded in the middle of nowhere and in too much pain to ride home. The good news is, I didn't cramp up, at all, on this ride. My hamstrings were a bit tight much later on in the day, but nothing like the crazy pain I had the other day.



There isn't much to report about this trip, aside from some jackass blowing his horn at me while I was in the lane. I'd be more annoyed if it didn't help prove the point that I was riding to be seen, and he definitely saw me.
Next time, (and for anyone in the same situation as this driver) slow down. I will cut to the right and let you pass as soon as it's safe for me to do so. There's a lot of gravel on the shoulders, and the edges of the road are usually very jagged or full of potholes. Once it's safe to pass, you have the right to cross the double-yellow lines to get around me. No need to shout or blow your horn. Remember: cyclists are entitled to 4 feet of space when being passed. If you think there's enough room to sneak between me and an oncoming car, there isn't. Again, slow down. Let's act like civilized adults and share the road, ok? It's not going to ruin your whole day to have to wait to pass me; I'm only inconveniencing you for a few moments.

Ride safe! And by all means, enjoy this wonderful weather we're having. Who knows how long it'll last until Spring officially gets here?

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Dealing with Severe Leg Cramps on the Bike

No, not Krampus. CRAMPS.

Some days, I'm surprisingly ok with failure. My thought process usually follows, "I tried something, it didn't work, I learned from it and moved on." Then, other things, I'm not ok with. Not completing a ride, for example, usually gets me royally pissed off.

It's been almost 2 months since I last tried to ride to Mountain Top and back, and I've been patiently awaiting my second attempt. Since then, we've had snowstorm after snowstorm, with temperatures dipping below 0 for several days straight -- not the kind of weather I'd like to be in for a 36 mile round trip. But now, things are getting better. The sun is staying out longer, we're days away from pushing the clocks ahead and the temperatures are slowly rising into the 40s and 50s. We're not quite there, yet, but it's close. Close enough that, on Tuesday, I saw my second chance at a successful round-trip ride to Mountain Top.

Apparently, I'm woefully out of shape. I went for a nice 12 miler on Saturday, and even with snow pelting my face and a wickedly cold head wind that chilled me to the bone, I felt good enough that an extended ride didn't sound too crazy. And, judging how I felt when I got to the NEPA Geeks office in Mountain Top, I was right. 18 miles? No problem! The ride back, however, was like a ride into Hell. My body was simply not ready for a 36 mile round trip, and dealing with severe leg cramps on the bike was the price I had to pay.

I guess I needed a stern reminder about hydration, electrolyte and carbohydrate replenishment, because I still haven't learned my lesson from the last time this happened.

Let's look at what I think I did wrong:

• Didn't eat before the ride.
• Didn't eat during the ride.
• Didn't rehydrate.

And I might as well add "Didn't train enough beforehand," to the list. Jumping from 12 miles to 36 kicked me square in the ass and dumped me on the curb to sit and think about it for a while, almost literally.

As my calves cramped up and involuntarily convulsed, I did my best to sit on a guardrail and keep them at heart-level. (For some reason, I thought keeping them elevated would help, and it did.) Then my quadriceps joined in the chorus of pain. Less than a few miles from home, my right hamstring pulled taut and sent me into the dirt. At least I was only walking at this point, so I didn't hurt myself more than I already had. It was a bad, bad scene.

As prime riding season approaches, it's definitely worth taking some time to acknowledge the fact that I need to ease back into this sport, do plenty of stretching before I ride and make sure I have plenty of water and food during the ride. I've also read from a few sources that eating Tums with calcium can help ward off cramping. Not sure about that one, but if it happens again, it might be worth a shot. Keep your eyes peeled for Krampus, and here's to hoping that it never happens again!

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2012 Giant Defy 5 - I'm just burnin', doing the new bike dance!

Regular readers of this blog (all 2 of you) might remember that I found my dream bike at Valley Cycles back in October. After months of scrimping and saving, I finally brought it home!

Dave, the owner of Valley Cycles, gave me a fantastic deal on this bike; just an unbeatable bargain. He made sure the bike was fitted properly and that I would be comfortable while riding it (as any good bike shop should do) then gave the drivetrain a good adjustment and had me ride it around in the parking lot for a bit. Everything was just as it was several months ago, when I first took this bike for a test ride -- just a few good cranks, and I was blasting off. I couldn't wait to get this thing home and go for an extended ride.

My first ride around town was a short, 2-mile sprint. This is my first "real" road bike, so I have to take some time to adjust to the drop bars and reaching for the brake levers. All in all, I only almost killed myself twice.

The side-streets in Hazleton are a mess. Many still have piles of snow on them and even the ones that don't have a fresh coating of gravel on them, making the ride an unsure one as the thin tires try to grip the pavement. I hate to admit that I didn't exactly engage in the most safe riding practices, either. It's been a while since I've ridden in heavy traffic, and my skills have deteriorated a bit.

The thing that surprised me was the number of drivers who waved me through intersections and patiently waited for me to cross streets -- and this was even as traffic was ramping up for rush hour. Maybe Hazleton is becoming more bike-friendly? Certainly not the streets, but the drivers are at least less willing to throw things at me.

I'm happy to report that the Defy ascends like a dream. Even after sitting out from serious riding for a few weeks, I was tackling challenging hills with with ease and grace. The bike is aluminum, but still the lightest bike I've ever owned. Seriously, it shocks me how light the bike is.

Snow was beginning to fall as I headed home, but that didn't stop from taking some time to make a Vine video, celebrating that "new bike" smell.

Another notable thing about yesterday's ride was that I was able to squeak it in right before February was over. My commitment to make at least one ride a month, no matter the weather conditions, remains in tact!

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Welcome to Mountain Top. Here, have a flat tire.

First ride of the year, and the first significant ride in weeks. The predicted temperature was supposed to be in the 60s, but after weeks of freezing in the 20s, I decided to take what I could get. Upper 30s/lower 40s? Sure, why not?! And so began a 50 mile ride. Or so I had hoped.

I work for a computer repair shop in Mountain Top, PA called NEPA Geeks, which is just under 20 miles from where I live. My plan was to do a trial ride and see what it would be like to commute by bike. Also, to pop in and say, "Hi!" to my boss, Jason Percival, who was working today. And then there was the Dunkin' Donuts a few blocks from work... Hey, you need to restore glucose if you don't want to bonk, right? So, off I went.

Being a bit out of shape, and carrying a few extra holiday pounds, I certainly wasn't charging up hills like I was a month ago. Even then, I was hardly one of those guys who'd shift it into the big ring and stand out of the saddle. I honestly don't know how those guys do it... I'm fine with just sitting down and peddling a little faster in the granny gears, especially since this is supposed to be a commute to work, not an intense, 4 hour workout. As long as I get where I'm going, I'm happy. And I was going pretty good, until I heard the dreaded hiss of an inner-tube, rapidly deflating.

12.7 miles into my effort, just as I was rolling past the "Welcome to Mountain Top" sign, as seen at the top of this post, it happened; another inner-tube bites the dust. I blame gravel. Well, I blame myself for not inserting something to cover the hole in the front tire from the last time I had a blowout, but I blame the gravel for getting into the hole and cutting the tube. That is, if that's what happened. I didn't really inspect the damage, I just started walking as I texted my boss.

As luck would have it, he wasn't even at the office -- he'd left an hour early this week. D'oh! The next part of the tale is pretty amazing, though, because after texting Jason to let him know I was a bit stranded at the side of the road, he came all the way back from getting pizza at Maroni's in Scranton just to give me a ride back to Hazleton. Can this guy get any more awesome?

One day, I will make my goal and commute to work by bike. Just not today. Also, invest in a patch kit and frame pump. Let this be my lesson to you.

Hey, look! I figured out how to embed Strava results in a blog post!

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Sunday's weather surprise - getting my kicks while it's still 66!

After being threatened with a blizzard a few days ago, it only makes sense that it's 66 degrees out today. Hey, I'll take warm weather when I can get it... Whazzat? 66 is warm?

I guess it really just comes down to conditioning. Now that I've finally come around to the idea that riding my bike in temperatures lower than 40 degrees won't kill me, suddenly there's a wide range of climates I can enjoy. As such, today was absolutely beautiful.

I started off taking advantage of the warm weather by cleaning the mud from my bike and inspecting it for further damage after the ride on Thursday. I pulled the rest of the broken chain-guard from the sprocket and gave the pedals a few cranks, just to see if the drive-train was working correctly. All that was left to do was take the bike for a quick spin to dry it off and make sure everything else was ok. After a mile or so, I decided to go another... and another, and another. 10 miles later, hey, where did the time go?

I saw neighbors putting up Christmas lights, teens skating and riding BMX bikes in the skate park up the street, a guy on a motorcycle and a couple of little kids riding bikes around. One even yelled, "Hey! He's got a bike, too!" I pity you if you're not out there, enjoying the weather today.

In other news, I've been thinking about single-speed mountain bikes, lately. My chief concern is that I won't be able to crank fast enough to keep up with the pack while finding the ratio too high to climb some of the steep inclines out on the trail. If I recall correctly, I mostly stuck to the middle ring while shifting up and down only 1 or 2 gears and did fairly well. I know a few of other riders were on single-speeds Thursday night and they didn't seem to have any complaints. Just something for me to think about...

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Using the Full Lane: A response to Darryl at LovingTheBike.com

Yesterday, I read a great post by Darryl on LovingTheBike.com titled, "Cyclist May Use Full Lane... But Should We?"
Darryl raises some very good points that I agree with. He seems mostly concerned that riding down the center of the lane could lead to more accidents, either by distracted, negligent drivers who don't see the cyclist, or aggravated drivers who want to take their frustrations out on a cyclist.

This is a subject I think about quite often, and I've been meaning to write something similar because I feel very much the same way as Darryl. There are certain roads I ride on where traffic is traveling at speeds much greater than the posted limit, and I'd rather not be in the middle of the lane when a distracted driver comes along at 60+ mph. Take the Weatherly Plains Road, for example -- a two-lane stretch that runs for about 4 miles between Beaver Meadows and Weatherly.

The Weatherly Plains Road, image from Google Maps

The Weatherly Plains Road is a popular road with cyclists. As such, drivers along this stretch are used to seeing cyclists on it. However, the traffic tends to go above the speed limit, so most cyclists stick to the shoulder. If I'm reading him correctly, that's exactly what Darryl is saying, that this is one road where we probably shouldn't take the lane, even if the law says we can. However, I think we probably should, and I have a few good reasons why.

The way a driver passes a cyclist begins with where the cyclist is riding. We tend to only see things that are directly in front of us, so by riding in the lane, I stand a better chance of being seen and easily avoided. If I stick to the side of the road, however, I increase the chances that a driver will hit me without even knowing I was there. Furthermore, even if they do see me, by hugging the shoulder to stay out of traffic, I'm sending a message to drivers that says, "The lane is all yours, take it," so they do. And, of course, they pass as closely as possible without slowing down because I told them they could. It all starts with me.

Assume for a moment that I'm in the lane and a car is approaching from behind. The driver should easily see me which should cause them to change lanes to give me 4 feet of space, as required by Pennsylvania law. (I understand this deviates greatly from state to state.) In another scenario, if a car is approaching from ahead in the other lane, the car behind me should slow enough to allow the oncoming car to pass us both before attempting to change lanes and overtake me. Perhaps this is annoying to a driver... I can sympathize, I drive a car, too. But I'd much rather they be temporarily annoyed than for me to be permanently dead.

Keep in mind, I'm not talking about hogging the lane and adopting an attitude that everyone should should go around me, I'm talking about riding defensively and having the confidence to adopt a more assertive stance that reduces my risk of being hurt or killed. If I take the lane, I am showing the driver that I am a part of regular traffic and that they are to treat me as such by slowing down and giving me space. In return, I will do my best to make their passage as convenient as possible. I understand that I am a slow moving vehicle, and I apologize for the inconvenience, but there must be a mutual amount of respect for us each to share the road properly.

Think of it like this: would it be any different if I were in a truck pulling a wide-load? Or a road maintenance vehicle, or farm equipment, or a horse-drawn cart (as seen in many parts of rural Pennsylvania)? It wouldn't; it's not different at all. Those vehicles are often moving slower than traffic, yet aren't expected to pull over for every impatient driver who comes along. And neither should cyclists. In fact, I believe it would be a detriment to cyclists everywhere if we did.

Darryl, I completely understand where you're coming from, there are a lot of distracted drivers out there, but I respectfully disagree. I think we should use the full lane, and I think we should do it as often as possible, if only to increase the awareness that we are out there, too.

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Debunking the myth of the "perfect" day

Lousy weather, good times.

It starts by looking out the window to check for rain. Then I'll check a weather app on my phone to get the temperature and the day's forecast. From there, I check my schedule to see if I have time to take a long ride while looking for other potential obstacles. One by one, I check things off until the day seems "perfect."

Warm weather, clear skies, nothing to do but ride and ride -- these are my ideal conditions for a perfect day. But this is a trap. As Summer fades into the distance, the conditions of a perfect day are becoming extremely rare. At this rate, I won't ride again until next June. Therefore, I must adapt.

The weather on my 60k was lousy, but by wearing the right clothing, I actually found it warm and didn't mind the little bit of rain we had. The ride before that -- going through the gorge while the temperature lingered in the mid-50s/lower 60s -- was cold enough that I needed a pair of gloves, but I still had a great time. Meanwhile, by heading out earlier in the day, I can assure myself enough time to get a good ride in and still complete my daily tasks.

Over the last 2 weeks, I've become much more tolerant of weather conditions. Now, I don't mind a little rain, and I'm usually sweating more than shivering on days I used to think were too cold for a ride.  I've learned my lesson. Setting conditions for a perfect day will only lead to fewer rides and good days gone to waste. Every time I jump on my bike on a less-than-ideal day, I feel like I'm debunking the myth of a perfect day, because I'm discovering that even lousy days can be great.

Ultimately, whether a day is perfect or not depends on your attitude, and the more conditions you set to define what makes a perfect day, the more excuses you'll come up with for why today isn't one. So just ride. Make today the perfect day to have a perfect day.

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I did it! The Serento Gardens Seasons Change Fall Foliage 60k Ride

My alarm went off at 7 A.M., followed by a mad scramble to grab my gear, get dressed and load my bike onto my car. The weather was already sizing up to be a dreary day, but it still felt warm out. At any rate, I didn't think much about it. If it rained, it rained; I wasn't going to let that stop me. I'd been training for this day for 2 months, I was ready for anything.

Registration area.

I was in a hurry, but I wanted to make double sure I wasn't forgetting anything I'd need for the ride. As a result, I was a few minutes late and missed the first big group. Even so, many riders were arriving about the same time I was, so it really didn't matter. Everyone was welcome to ride at their own pace and leave when they wanted.

There were a lot of people there for some of the other events that were taking place, including a 5k walk/10k run with awards. After registering and getting my number, I was ready to go. I'd hoped there'd be a few other riders to ride along with, but as I headed out, it was just me. Well, just me and Adele singing "Rumor Has It" (blech) and Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" (double blech) which were the last two songs I heard playing over the loudspeakers as I left. They each got hopelessly stuck in my head and continued playing for the entirety of the ride (triple blech.) I really need to tie a radio to my handlebars, or something, because this happens way too often.

From the Arthur Gardner Parkway, the first turn took us onto Route 309, heading into Hazleton. The course ran through Hazleton and eventually led us to Route 940. There were pink arrows marking the way, but I had the map pretty well memorized. In fact, except for cutting through Hazleton, it's the same course I've been following for weeks.

The first big change from my usual route is where we turn left on State Rt. 2053. I like to go right and ride down Buck Mountain Road, but I was eager to see what this way was like. And that's when I hit the first big hill.

This is one of those hills that, well, you look at them and just sort of want to cry.

The first big hill going up State Rt. 2053/Highland Rd/The Beginning of Pain

Actually, I've prepared an educational film that accurately portrays the exact feeling of riding up these steep hills.

The image doesn't quite show how steep it is because I shot this picture as I left the flat and started climbing, but at least it's a short climb.

Eventually, the road meets up with Route 940 and continues for a bit before we had to make a right on Sandy Run Road. At about 11 miles into the ride, there was a van set up with some water and food at the turn, which I chose not to stop at, but I waved at the people standing there. "Are we having fun, yet?" I shouted, because I'm a dork. The man yelled back, "Yep! It's all downhill from here, pal!" and I was really excited to hear that. I even said, "Great!" and made an even dorkier "fist pump" with my left hand, which is something I've never, ever felt compelled to do, ever before. But it really was great, because I really wanted to go downhill after all that climbing.

I don't know why it's called Sandy Run Road because I sure didn't see any sand, but I did finally see some other riders who were headed in the opposite direction for the 100k ride.

Sandy Run Road goes on and on forever until it hooks up with Lehigh Gorge Drive, which goes on and on forever until Weatherly. One neat thing about this route is that you end up going under these extremely tall high-tension wires. If you listen closely, you can hear them humming and popping as the power flows through them. It kind of freaks me out, and you have to go under them twice, (once on Sandy Run Rd and then again on Lehigh Gorge Drive) so that's fun.

Speaking of fun, after more than 700 miles, my bike is in desperate need of a tune-up. The bottom bracket squeaks like a nest of mice and the chain jumps all over the place on the smallest cog. Either the chain is stretched or the teeth on the cog have worn down (probably because of the chain stretching), but it really doesn't matter which part is to blame because the only cure is to replace them both. That's something that will have to wait until the beginning of next season, but in the meantime, I have to be careful with it. While going up a steep incline, I tried to down-shift and the chain popped off. As I fell forward, the seat caught my "naughty bits" and nearly ripped them off. It was not a sensation I'd care to feel again.

There was a rest stop set up near Eurana Park in Weatherly, so I decided to stop, hoping I'd see some other riders. I didn't see any other riders, but the people inside insisted that I help myself to some water/sports drink, fruits and cookies. I had my usual load of granola bars, but I grabbed a fig newton, asked how many riders had stopped by and headed out. I was about to face the worst part of this course, the Weatherly Plains Road.

Welcome to your doom.

The Weatherly Plains Road just goes up and up and up and up. Then it flattens out, but it's still not a lot of fun. This is why I started riding down it instead, which is probably why everyone continues to just blow right past me.

After not seeing a single rider going my way, suddenly, several went right past me. "Hang in there!" said the first guy, followed by another man who said, "Almost there, keep going!" The last guy said, "Just a few more miles!" And then they were gone, disappearing into the distance. I keep hoping that, someday, I'll be as fast as these guys, but I obviously have a lot of work to do.

On the other side of Beaver Meadows, the weather started to change. The sky had turned some scary shades of grey and a fierce headwind was beating me backwards. Then again, when am I ever not battling a headwind? After going up some tough climbs, this wind was something my legs did not want to deal with, but I pushed a little harder and continued on, eventually meeting up with some other riders and holding my pace with them. Before long, we were at the home stretch.

The home stretch, Arthur Gardner Parkway

More of that fall foliage action, coming your way.

We were treated to a large picnic of hot dogs, hamburgers, fruits and cookies. There was coffee and sports drink and plenty of other treats to enjoy. I met up with some of the cyclists who passed me on the Weatherly Plains Road and we began commiserating about the awful headwinds we'd encountered heading out of Beaver Meadows. I even got props for riding the course on my $200 city hybrid from Walmart while most folks had bikes that cost more than my car. Not that I was going for that -- I wasn't really trying to make that kind of an impression on people, it's just that this is all the bike I can afford, so I make do with what I've got. Also, I don't get to humble-brag very often, so this is one time I'll gladly do so.

I stuck around to see some of the trophies and medals get handed out to the runners who participated in the event, but then it started to rain. Cold and tired, I was eager to get home.

Prize bikes for the kids. Note the loudspeakers. RUMOR HAS IT - RUMOR HAS IT - RUMOR HAS IT

Awards and trophies.  

GIANT PLUSHY SQUIRREL

It's been exactly 2 months since I started this blog on August 6, 2012. The primary driving force behind that decision was to keep myself motivated and to hold myself accountable by making my effort public. This was my first ride like this, and it won't be my last. Until then, I'm just happy to finally look back and realize that I was able to stick with it and achieve this goal. I don't know exactly where I'm going from here, but I intend to maintain this blog with plenty of information about biking in North-East Pennsylvania, as that continues to be a deep passion for me. If you've followed along this far, thank you. But there's definitely more to do!

And, just for good measure, one more time.

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Seasons Change/Flaming Foliage Rides Updated Again

The routes for the Seasons Change/Flaming Foliage Rides organized by Ed Pane and Serento Gardens have been updated, once again.

I reported that the 50k and 100k routes were altered a few weeks ago due to chip seal being laid down on several areas along those routes. The re-altered routes now avoid those areas completely, in addition to being extended.

From the Seasons Change/Flaming Foliage Ride page:

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania decided that September 2012 would be a wonderful time to tar and chip the route used for the 100K, 50K, and 20K routes!! Well, obviously we're not sending you out on miles of tire shredding, bone jarring cycling, so we have rerouted the event. In the process, the 50 and 100K turned out to be two of the most beautiful and scenic rides we've ever taken. Check out the new maps on the links below.

Both rides briefly route through Hazleton City along well paved residential roads, then onto rolling terrain with a few good hills.

The 50K turned into a 60K but we promise you won't mind it a bit. The 100K turns into a 102K with breathtaking scenery along PA Bicycle V and L routes. Most of it is rolling terrain, but it has four brief, challenging climbs. 

The 20K has turned into a 22K (13.7 miles) bike ride into McAdoo, PA and then through Hazleton neighborhoods near the main event site. The streets are wide, well paved, and the traffic will be light. It's a nice way to meet some of the people your participation helps throughout the year.

So, where the old 50k originally went through Tresckow and McAdoo, the new route now cuts out those towns to go through Hazleton and up past Freeland towards White Haven before heading down through Weatherly and Beaver Meadows. (Hmm. This route looks kind of familiar... Well, except for the part where we'll be turning left on State Route 2051/Buck Mountain Road instead of right, as I typically like to do.)

I'm actually excited to ride this new route. It'll be a fresh perspective on riding through Hazleton, which I normally try to avoid, and a chance to go in a direction I haven't tried before. It's amazing how easily you can get set in your ways, riding the same routes over and over.

Here are links to interactive maps of the new routes, from the Seasons Change/Flaming Foliage Ride page:
Click here to view the 22K

Click here to view the 60K

Click here to view the RIDE version of the 60K

Click here to view the 100K

Click here for the RIDE version of the 100K map

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Rider's log: heading North on the Lehigh Valley Gorge trail

My first ride of October has been done. I haven't been on a ride in over a week, due to lousy weather and lack of motivation. I'm thinking my annual bout with Seasonal Affective Disorder is going to be pretty bad if I'm already feeling it. But, I got tired of hearing myself whine about the impending Winter and decided to change my attitude.

Dressing in layers, I wore the Under Armour compression shirt my brother gave me (like this Under Armour cold gear shirt (Google Affiliate Ad) but not all black) under a t-shirt and a zipped up jacket. I also wore some thermal underwear under my tights and a pair of sweatpants. I was quite comfortable in the mid-60 (F) temperatures, but, of course, once I actually got down into the gorge, the sun disappeared. Obscured by the high ridge, the lack of sun meant the gorge was much colder; I'd say about 10 degrees colder. I ended up wishing I had a pair of gloves, and I'll definitely be wearing some for the 50k on Saturday.

Yes, so, I'm a baby when it comes to the cold -- and this isn't even cold, yet. Regardless, I went for a total of 50 miles and had a blast.

In all the weeks I've been riding into the gorge, I never once thought to head left, following the trail North towards White Haven. This was a hideous oversight that I sought to correct, right away, and I'm all the happier that I did. The sights are incredible!

There is still a lot of green on the trees, but Mother Nature has been hard at work, and her palette has diversified quite a bit. Yellows, reds and oranges are becoming more pronounced, but you have to take in the whole landscape, viewing a wider panorama of the gorge walls to really see it.

Much of the Fall foliage sights I saw today were like riding along in a picture postcard. I half expected to see 50-foot-high letters on the side of the gorge, spelling out the words, "Welcome to PENNSYLVANIA." It's such an amazing scene; the view is delicious, a treasure.

As beautiful as the foliage is, because I never rode North before, I had no idea of the other natural sights there were to see in the gorge. For example, this beautiful waterfall that was much more amazing than any I had previously seen on the trail heading South.

The top of Buttermilk Falls

The pool at the bottom of Buttermilk Falls

This waterfall was too tall for one picture. Unfortunately, you still don't quite get the scale of how high that top ridge is. Another unique feature is the pool at the bottom. Huge slabs of stone make up a path that you can easily walk down and into those falls. Just when I thought I'd seen every amazing thing the Lehigh Valley Gorge has to offer, I see something like this, and I suddenly remember that I've only seen fractions of the whole thing.

Riding along, if you look out over the river, you can seen train tracks that run along the length of the gorge. This is all a part of the original lines that were a part of the gravity railroad that helped deliver timber, coal and other supplies down the line, to Jim Thorpe and beyond. When riding South, you do eventually cross the tracks that come over from the other side of the river, but they cross the river up North, as well. At the point where they cross to the North, I never expected to see anything like this:

Unfortunately, I never expected to see something like this, either:

Interstate 80, crossing the Lehigh River.

From an architectural standpoint, it's interesting to ride under a double-lane highway, especially to see how high up it is. However, the traffic is extremely loud.

The Lehigh Valley Gorge Trail (aka D&L Trail) continues up past White Haven for quite a distance. I stopped before actually reaching White Haven, as my bike computer clicked over 25 miles (it's a 15 mile ride just to get to the gorge from my house) and I only wanted to do a 50 mile round trip. The sun was rapidly setting, and I wanted to get home before dark.

Of course, just because I was eager to get home doesn't mean I was in such a hurry that I couldn't stop to take more pictures.

These huge pylons are all that remain of a bridge across the Lehigh River.

Since writing up this post on the 4-feet when passing bicyclists law in Pennsylvania, I decided to take the initiative to "take the lane" when going into intersections and turning. I also rode a little deeper in the lane on the Weatherly Plains Road, just to see if it would make any difference in the way drivers pass me (and to avoid the nastier bumps and potholes that inhabit it.) I have to say, 3 or 4 cars did give me a wider berth. Most, however, just continued cutting it as close as possible while blazing past at ridiculous speeds.

Normally, I wouldn't have bothered mentioning it, except that one driver happened to come much closer than comfortable -- in front of a state trooper who was coming from the opposite direction, no less. I had hoped the trooper had seen what had happened, but he just continued on his way. So much for my attempts at public education. Although, taking the lane leading up to stop signs, lights and intersections had much better results. One driver approaching from the opposite side of an intersection even waved me through, allowing me to make a left turn after waiting at a red light. Signaling your intended direction and making eye contact can go a long way.

After more than 5 hours of riding, a hot meal and a comfortable chair were exactly what I needed. I've read that taking a break for a few days after intense training can have many benefits, and I have to admit, I really did feel much stronger today than ever before. It has almost been exactly 2 months since I started training for the Flaming Foliage Ride, and I'm riding farther and faster than I ever imagined back in August. I can't wait until Saturday!

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Crossing the double yellow line - gimme 4 feet!

Did you know that, in Pennsylvania, drivers must give cyclists 4 feet of space when passing? Neither did I, until a few days ago.

This is exactly the kind of situation I'd like to avoid. Image source

I'd read that in some states, 3 feet of space is the rule. That sounded like a good idea to me, as I've had some pretty close calls, and I wondered if Pennsylvania would ever get a similar law. Imagine my surprise to find out that we already did; it went into effect on April 2, 2012. In fact, we even get an extra foot in the deal. Here's an educational video to tell you all about it.

Ok, did you watch the video? Did you? Riveting stuff, I know. I just wish I could have hauled out a film projector, loaded the reels and found a really uncomfortable desk/chair-hybrid thing to sit in to complete the effect. Maybe even throw in some jittering frames, film grain and the always classic, "film gets jammed and starts to melt" effect to make it real. 'Cause I'm all about keepin' it real.

So, a couple of things blew my mind while I was reading up on all of this, like the fact that it's totally ok for drivers to cross the double yellow line in order to fulfill the requirements of the 4-foot rule. That's something that even California's Governor Brown doesn't like too much. But then there's the bit about "taking the lane."

I try to avoid unpleasant conversations, and it seems like pretending I'm a car by riding in the middle of the lane is the first step towards having an unpleasant conversation. However, as I've learned, I'm not pretending to be a car when I do so, I'm simply exercising my right to the road, same as any other vehicle. (think: large load vehicles, tractors/farm equipment, horse-drawn carriages, etc.) Of course, cyclists are still required to avoid becoming an impediment to traffic, which means getting over to the right as far as they can safely go. Just because a driver must give us 4 feet of space doesn't mean we get to be dicks about it.

It seems weird, but it's safer. Riding in the lane keeps cyclists visible to drivers, and it keeps us away from some of the fun stuff we're bound to find on the side of the road that could damage our tires and put us in a world of hurt. And, again, drivers are encouraged to go around us to give us 4 feet of space -- even if that means crossing the double yellow line.

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Another Perfect Day

This is where I ate my sammich today. Jealous?

Much like Friday, today was another perfect day for a ride. As such, I decided to push it a little harder than usual.

First of all, if I'm going to go, I'm going to go hard. Otherwise, what would be the point? Even if I were going on a leisurely ride, it would be a hardcore leisurely. Why? Because I have other things I could be doing, like cleaning out my DVR by getting caught up on Honey Boo Boo episodes. I'm not out here to waste time. It's not fair to drivers who have to go around me, and it's not fair to myself for skipping work. Besides, I mean, Honey Boo Boo. With that much motivation-crippling distraction available at my fingertips, of course I'm going to stay in the saddle as long as possible. Sometimes, you have to save yourself from yourself. I think Dr. Drew said that once, I'm not sure.

So, results time. Just how hard did I actually push it? According to the computer, I travelled 42.7 miles for a total trip time of 3 hours and 37 minutes at an average of 11.8 mph. I like that number. I like it a lot. I like it especially because my trip on Friday took 3 hours and 32 minutes to travel 40.6 miles. That's an average of 11.4 mph. In other words, I rode farther and faster today (following the same route, plus a few extra miles on the gorge trail) than I did on Friday. That makes me happy -- much happier than I would have been sitting at home, watching Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.

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50K and 100K Routes Updated for 2012 Flaming Foliage Ride

Received an email from Ed Pane at Serento Gardens that the 50k and 100k routes for the 2012 Flaming Foliage ride have been updated.

Updated 50K Ride Map

Updated 100K Ride Map

According to Ed, PennDOT recently tar and chipped the roads along the old routes, making them awful to ride on. The new routes go around the affected areas, which is good. I'm glad the ride organizers acted quickly to change the routes and didn't decide to just make us tough it out.

If you've never had the displeasure of riding on chip seal, allow me to break it down for you. Chip seal is extremely rough to ride on. You'd think it would be about the same as riding on a well groomed trail, but it's not. It's very hard and unforgiving, whereas a gravel trail tends to offer a softer ride.

It also slows you down and makes it hard to keep pace. Ever have one of those dreams where you're running as hard as you can, but just can't move forward? That's exactly what it feels like. Then the rocks stick to your tires and slowly dig in, until you end up with something like this. Oh, it's fun stuff, and I don't think it's a coincidence that I rode across chip seal and then had a blowout on my very next ride. There's a reason I don't use the Quakake Road past Weatherly anymore.

Chip seal is awful; I hate it. Rather than attempt to fix a road properly, someone decided to save money by pouring tar all over it and stuffing holes and cracks with millions of sharp, tiny rocks. It's a half-assed solution that doesn't fix the problem, it makes the existing problem worse.

Again, big thanks to Ed Pane and the ride organizers for helping us avoid this mess.

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Another Ride to the Gorge

I couldn't wait to make another ride to the Lehigh Valley Gorge. I was eager to see what the river was like after the remnants of Hurricane Isaac made its way through our area. As I had expected, the Lehigh River was swollen and wild, running violently in places. The rocks where I stood a few days ago were now under water with a rushing current splashing around them.

Even the bottom steps of the staircase leading down to the bank of the river were fully submerged. What a sight it was to see! Compare the shots below to the shots I took the other day.

I rode the trail for almost a mile before heading back. I don't want to spoil whatever awaits down that path until I'm ready to take it all in. Maybe on Friday I will head out early enough to follow it to its terminus and visit Jim Thorpe. Until then, I wait. I simply cannot resist the natural charms and beauty of this place.

This area was dry only a few days ago, where I sat along the rocks and ate my lunch.

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