Getting Up to Speed in Cycling Season 2014

Welcome to cycling season 2014!
Although, for a lot of us, cycling season 2013 never really ended...

I never mentioned it here, but I moved to Wilkes-Barre in October and was enjoying a much shorter commute. Going to work was almost completely uphill along Route 309 into Mountain Top and would take me about 45 minutes to complete. Of course, that meant that the commute home was all downhill, taking me about 15 minutes from start to finish. It was great; I'd get a nice workout in the morning and a fun ride home.

My coldest commute was 18 degrees Fahrenheit in mid November, which still seemed warm compared to most of the days that followed, but that's not what stopped me from commuting. As the daylight got shorter and the clock got set back for daylight savings, it became treacherous to ride with the amount of traffic coming from the various on and off ramps along my route. Then came the snow and ice, the frigid temperatures... I kept riding throughout December and January, but I just couldn't keep up the commute. And then I got sick...

I was waylaid in late February by a bad flu and spent a few days in bed. Following that was a terrible, terrible back spasm that gripped my sacroiliac and made it impossible to walk for almost 2 weeks. It was so bad that I was worried I might have some serious damage and not be able to ride again, but my chiropractor checked me out and said I should be ok. It was a very scary time for me, as I shuffled along, hunched over in pain for the rest of the month. I'm still getting a lot of pain when I stretch my legs in certain positions, but I'm working on it, slowly bringing myself back to 100%

While it seems that pain may be a constant companion as I get older, I'm doing my best to get back in the saddle and get back up to speed. I didn't sign up for 30 Days of Riding this year because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to take part, but I've been hitting every day, so far -- even if it means riding on the trainer. From doing short sprints around the neighborhood to happily riding along my favorite Rails to Trails, I've been getting myself in shape for the Spencer Martin Memorial Ride in May. I'm happy to say that my friend +Michelle Hryvnak Davies will also be volunteering for traffic control, again. Can you believe it's been a whole year?

Speaking of Rails to Trails, I was really hoping to see the bridge on the Greater Hazleton Rails to Trails open this year. As of this writing, here's what the bridge currently looks like:

It's coming along nicely since I first saw it last year, but it's far from done. Looks like they just need to finish the deck and clean up the surrounding areas, but I'm not sure when it will be done.

Note that they added a nice fence running along the ramp up to the bridge and are fencing in the areas along the sides that run into the train tracks (tracks that are still, very much, being used. So be careful if you go exploring down there!)

I can't help but be tempted to hooft it across the small creek/marsh/whatever on the other side of the tracks and see how much farther the trail actually goes, but I'm patient enough to wait and see when it's finished. Eventually, it's supposed to run all the way to Eckley Miners' village, but that's a post for another day. At any rate, get on your bike and ride.

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The 2013 Spencer Martin Memorial Ride

As I bid adieu to friends and made my way to the car, I overheard a ride organizer tossing out a rough estimate on the number of cyclists who rode in the 2013 Spencer Martin Memorial Bike for Habitat Ride. I didn't get an exact number, just "enough to cover half the cost of building a house;" that's how much money we raised from our little bike ride.

I mention this number before moving on to write about the ride itself because that's what matters the most. The Bike for Habitat ride was, first and foremost, an event to raise money for Wyoming Valley Habitat for Humanity and to honor the memory of a man named Spencer Martin, to whom the charity and the work it does was so important. So, that's that. If nothing else, we did a very good thing for people we'll likely never meet, and that's what counts.

The Ride

I wish I did get a total on how many riders were there. 50? 100? I really can't be sure, but there were a lot. It was amazing to see that many bicycles all riding along at the same time.

At first, my aim was simply to keep pace -- to find a comfortable place in a group of riders moving at a decent rate and stick with them. Soon, however, I gave way to the temptation to push out and pass riders, to see how fast I could go. It wasn't a race, and I'm sure more riders would have dropped me if it were, but I just couldn't help myself.

Eventually, I slowed down a bit, knowing that I had a long way to go and didn't want to burn out too early. Around mile 14, I found myself face-to-face with an extremely steep hill that I came upon so suddenly that I didn't have time to down shift and had to pull to the side. That was a bit embarrassing, but not as embarrassing as the fact that I hadn't learned my lesson and ran into the same situation later on. I reminded myself that I was in completely unfamiliar territory and that I had no idea what was around the corner, so taking it easy was well within my best interests. Even so, I just had to go fast! 

The weather could not have been more cooperative; nothing but blue skies. The morning started chilly, but it wasn't uncomfortable. With the rising temperature, I was worried that I'd be stuck sweating under my jacket, but the wide-open spaces quickly gave way to shaded roads with plenty of tree cover. It was never too hot or too cold.

As we circled Harvey's Lake, I found myself incredibly jealous of the people who get to see this beautiful scenery, every day. I wondered what it would be like to live in a house on stilts, out in the water. Is it terribly cold in the winter, when the lake freezes over? Is there a lot of wind? What are storms like out there? I'd never given much thought to living in a lake house before, but it's definitely become a new fantasy for me.

I'm glad that I got to see a few familiar faces, including +Michelle Davies, who volunteered as a guide to direct us on where to turn and keep us on the same route. I met a few new people, including a woman named Colleen who I was keeping pace with until we rounded one section and headed up a series of inclines on our way back towards Harvey's Lake. She just climbed right up the hill and disappeared from sight. Even in my wildest dreams, I couldn't have possibly kept up. And she wasn't the only woman out there...

I've seen a lot of talk generated around the topic of "how to get more women on bikes." I really don't know what to say to that, except that they are out there and they are in force. Maybe the people who worry about such things just aren't looking in the right places, because I'd have to say that nearly half the cyclists at this event were female, and not that it matters, but they weren't dressed up, dainty little things in high heels and fretting over what a helmet was doing to their hair -- they were kitted out in full cycling gear, dropping other riders left and right and just generally kicking ass. And that's been my experience, all along. I see women on bikes all the time, I just wish I saw more people, in general, riding bikes.

This ride was absolutely beautiful, and I can say I am officially hooked on doing large, group rides. Looking back now, it should have been obvious, but until I found myself out there in the middle of a pack, all I ever knew were long, solo treks.

Fraught with brooding introspection, it's easy for a solo ride to become the kind of mental cleansing that you'd have to pay a professional for. This wasn't that, however. This was social and engaging. Suddenly, where you were once suffering steep hills and battling fierce headwinds alone, you now have brothers and sisters around; you're a family man. I can't wait to do it again!

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Day 4 of 30 Days of Biking: Making Adjustments. Also, I'm Doing A Charity Bikey Thing

Listen, let's not ever talk about yesterday, ok? It was lousy. It stunk like last week's garbage and it thoroughly destroyed any shred of dignity I had left. It's not like I didn't want to ride my bike, I'm just tired of punishing myself with this non-Spring we've been having so far. Besides, today was better.

Note: I'm trying to write some decent content for this blog post, but my brain has turned to mush, so here's the gist of it:

I took the cushiony seat off and replaced it with the original saddle that came stock on my bike. It's easier to pedal while perched and allows me to shift around a bit instead of being stuck in an upright position. I confirmed this by *ahem* riding my bike today. That's right; I'm back on the wagon. I also gave the drive train a good scrub down and made a few other adjustments just to keep everything running smoothly.

The weather was beautiful, today. I did about 4.5 miles wearing just a t-shirt with a jacket and some tights under a pair of sweat pants. I also did without the bandana/face mask and didn't feel like my face was going to freeze into a visage of pleasure mixed with pain.

I am so looking forward to the day I can get away with shorts and a t-shirt.

Note: The brain mush is now leaking out of my ears, so let's wrap this up...

I registered for the Spencer Martin Memorial Bike Ride for Habitat 2013 ride, which takes place in May.

It's a 30 mile ride which will wind its way through the scenic Back Mountain. Proceeds from the memorial ride will be used by Wyoming Valley Habitat for Humanity to help provide simple, decent, affordable housing for qualified families within Wyoming Valley.

It looks like it should be a lot of fun, and I can't wait to do it!

Note: At this point, my brain is now thoroughly mushed and I can no longer find the... um, words... something something... flowery language, purple prose... insert closing paragraph here. It's been a long day.

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