How do you ride alone?

[Andrew Huston]

I had a thought. Considering the current situation it could be fun to get ideas on how you ride solo. I want specifics. Where, how far, what bike, how you make it special? Do you bring coffee, bourbon, a pipe, food? Do you pedal hard or take it easy? Maybe read at a favorite spot, meditate, whatever. Go nuts.
This could give us ideas on how to reinvent our time on the bike while we deal with this weird new world.

[Deacon Patrick]

I wave at every car (being fairly rural helps with that), which is both friendly and increases safety. I look like a regular guy, I ride in the right tire "lane" and I get passed slowly and curtiously 99.99% of the time. I ride to a trailhead about 7 miles away. It is 4-5 miles, depending what route is taken, which depends on snow/ice conditions mostly. I have a number of spots I pipe, coffee, and write at for a few hours, then I ride home. I write with a raw wood pencil, knife sharpened to get a tip that writes for hours, cursive to paper on a leather folio that doubles as a lap desk when flipped over. Coffee is home roasted, brewed at home and kept hot in a 20oz narrow neck Kleen Kanteen thermos. Sometimes I also pray the rosary.

With abandon,

Patrick

[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

I am the queen of riding alone...because I never have anyone to ride with. ☹️ 

Living out here in exile (Vegas) I have had to be creative to keep my bike culture fresh. I’ve taken to making dumb videos that I set to music and post to Instagram, because that’s where the bike people are. Then we chat. Sometimes my videos showcase something beautiful I’ve found, sometimes they show my love for my Rivendell bike, but more often than not, they’re spoofs. Usually at my loved ones’ expense. I’ll include my video of my “shakedown ride” for my new Clem L from this fall. And if you want more of that kind of nonsense, all you must do is ask. What else do we have to do? 😜

I am always on my Clem L these days, and I rarely bring refreshments. I have my favored routes which always take me somewhere pretty or to accomplish an errand. Sometimes I stop and let the sun bake into my bones at a park, but usually I keep moving. I love to listen to music or podcasts or even audiobooks. Or, I make dumb videos. 

What do you do? 

I’ll send the video in a second post, because that’s how this platform works, I guess.

Leah

[Leah Peterson]

[aeroperf]

Well, I can give you the “do it for the exercise” version.  I’ve been riding solo for the past 5 years.

I live on a bike trail and can go either east or west.  Which way I go depends on the wind - I ride into the wind going out, so it is behind me riding home.  How hard I pedal depends on how I feel that day.

I roll out my Sam Hillborne with one bottle of water and a Snickers bar, loop once through the neighborhood, and head down the trail.  If I go east, I typically do 14 miles.  If I go west I do 9, 14, or 20 miles.  That is total for out-and-back.  At the furthest point I eat the Snickers bar.  :-)  When I get back I loop through the neighborhood again to cool down.  I try to get in 50 miles a week during the good months - April-October - and slightly less during the winter.  My biking goal is to beat the same month’s mileage from the previous year.

I used to have my phone in my rear pocket and use wireless headphones.  But I found I really liked listening to what was going on around me rather than music, so the phone went into the bike bag for emergencies.

I thought doing the same trail every ride would be boring, but it turns out that a lot happens in a green corridor.  Wildlife, trees, and even the pavement change with the day and with the seasons.  For me the wildlife makes it special, everything from deer and foxes to Cooper’s hawks and feral cats.

[dougP]

Andrew:

I ride alone a lot.  It's nice to just walk out the door & hop on my bike, without making plans.  I'm lucky to live in an area with a good bike trail system so taking the same loop doesn't become a problem.  My short loop is 11 miles, and longest one frequently done is 28.  The trusty Atlantis is perfect for these rides.  There's a couple of excellent parks that make good destinations.  One has extensive formal gardens, while the other one has small lakes, and a regular group of radio control sailors that are fun to watch.  Life at bike speed is enough excitement for me.

dougP

On Wednesday, March 18, 2020 at 11:44:38 AM UTC-7, Andrew Huston wrote:

[Benjamin L. Kelley]

I actually never really fit in with a bike community anywhere I've lived(Currently Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY). So I ride alone by choice and by default.  I'll occasionally ride with friends that do, but not often.  Sometimes I'll chat it up with another rider in the bike paths.

What I'm taking, depends on what I'm doing. Sometimes I carry my flask, usually pineapple rum or Rieger's Kansas City Whiskey. Sometimes a pipe. Often, especially if I'm riding w/o a destination, or in the case I'm riding thru a desolate area like Bushwick, I have my bluetooth speaker, usually playing he crypto-homo rockers(Hedwig and the Angry Inch reference to Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, and David Bowie) or lately, lots of Brian Eno and Patti Smith.

Usually a film camera. Coffee I get to go iced coffee and depending on if I've eaten or not a hard boiled egg from the bakery near my apartment. Coldbew coffee goes into a Makeshifter Canvasworks Snackhole on the Quickbeam.   If on the steamroller I get a medium coffee in a large cup, or a large and drink it down so it doesn't slosh out, depending on how much time I have.

Very rarely bring food on a ride unless its a long ride, mostly I choose to stop and grab a bite at a place along the way. Tho that might not be an option at the current time for some of us.

I pedal hard thru the areas filled filled with people, but take it slow and enjoy the ride most of the time.

If I see something else interesting along the way, I'll stop for it. A pizza, a beer, a dog to pet, a picture to take, a sight to behold, etc...  A fun detour, a shortcut, a long way,  go for it.

I always stop for another cyclist in need. Even if you don't have a spare tube or a pump handy, they might have one and are bad at or don't know how to change a tire, or just want someone to chat with while they're doing it. Sometimes someone has a crappy wrench and you have a better one. Always stop and check on them if you can.

Say hi to, wave, or acknowledge everyone on the same path, bike or ped. For me usually it's a nod and raising my hand off the bars in a low wave. 

--ben 

 

On Wed, Mar 18, 2020 at 5:45 PM Leah Peterson <jonasa...@gmail.com> wrote:

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On Mar 18, 2020, at 2:42 PM, Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! <jonasa...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Joe Bernard]

I love that video, Leah. WooHOOO!!! 😂🤣

[Eric Daume]

I make up errands: returning books to the library, running to the grocery store. Lately I’ve been finding the “little free libraries” and circulating books through them. 

I used to never use headphones, but now I almost always do. Music or podcasts. I have a big network or little used MUPs around me, so I don’t really worry about traffic.  

I also bought a tandem last fall. Now my kids always want to ride with me. So there’s one answer: grow your own riding companions. 

Eric

Plain City OH

On Wednesday, March 18, 2020, Andrew Huston <firsttolast...@gmail.com> wrote:

I had a thought. Considering the current situation it could be fun to get ideas on how you ride solo. I want specifics. Where, how far, what bike, how you make it special? Do you bring coffee, bourbon, a pipe, food? Do you pedal hard or take it easy? Maybe read at a favorite spot, meditate, whatever. Go nuts.
This could give us ideas on how to reinvent our time on the bike while we deal with this weird new world.

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[Carla Waugh]

I ride alone 99 percent of the time. I ride my ss if I'm only riding on a short 15 miles ride without a ton of incline. If I'm riding further into the country I take my geared bike for the hills at until I'm in better shape I only have short spurts of dirt and gravel available from my house. So road it is for me most of the time. I have my bags so I can take things or pick up grocery's but not so much now. I take a thermos of cold or hot coffee and some snack. Solo is my meditation.

[Craig Montgomery]

That's a big order Andrew. Do you mean solo for local stuff? To keep yourself healthy, supplied, and giddy? Or do you mean solo touring? Which is a whole 'nother ball of wax and could fill a book. Or at least a thick pamphlet. 

Craig in Tucson

Touring Solo Since 1980

On Wednesday, March 18, 2020 at 11:44:38 AM UTC-7, Andrew Huston wrote:

[Andrew Huston]

Craig, thinking of those local rides mostly but I’m happy to hear how you go long and solo.

As for me, my rides are pretty short generally. Anywhere from four to 20 miles at longest. I have small kiddos and they require (and I’m happy to give) my time. I’m more than pleased with the length. I find some comfort in the familiar country roads around me. Much of it is flat, low traffic, with some gravel and woods here and there. I take a beverage, usually water but sometimes a bourbon flask. No snacks. I’m taking my time lately, looking in the fields for deer or turkey. Often I stop somewhere particularly quiet to soak that in.
I long for some warmer temps here in Michigan but the cold has a way of making you feel alive.
Either my Clem H or newly acquired Kona Rove ST take me there. Flat pedals for sure.

[Abcyclehank]

Just......

Ryan
WM
49445

[Chris L]

A co-worker showed me his wireless, bone conduction earphones, which loop around the outside of each ear and the back of the neck.  You can hear everything that is going on around you thru your ears while at the same time, hearing music thru bone conduction.  

My first thought was that I need a set of these for bike rides. 

I don't know what brand he has but this is an example of how they are worn:

[Garth]

Hi ho ... hi ho .... it's off to ride we go 

We dance and sing .... we ringa ding ding 

hi ho .... hi ho 

hi ho hi ho  

it's off to smile we go 

we laugh and ring  ... we smile and sing ... hi ho  ... hi ho

hi ho hi ho 

it's here we always go 

we surf the roads .... with birds and toads ... hi ho ...  hi ho 

hi ho hi ho 

Something like this ..... it's all spontaneous .  It could no more be pre-scribed than it could be post-scribed   !  Often a song breaks out ... and away we go  in a sing-a-long merry melody !   Just like a bike ride.... one breaks out and away we go ! 

You just never know what the inspiration may be ,and it's always fun and very good ..... Yes ....isn't THIS Wondrous ?  

Life is Infinitely Infinite Goodness 

[Paul Richardson]

took me a minute, ryan, but...sheesh.    nailed it!

paul

takoma park, md.

On Wednesday, March 18, 2020 at 8:23:49 PM UTC-4, Abcyclehank wrote:

Just......

Ryan
WM
49445

[Mike Packard]

I like to ride up to the top of parking structures at night and look out over the city. There may be cans of beer involved. Rivbikes are perfect for this; no better use of a long-chainstayed, upright-postured, wide-handlebared bike than smoothly descending the stories of ramps.

mike in austin

[Roberta]

I bought a Riv for exercise, but found I'm doing more "fun" miles than exercise miles.  That means I'm exercising in the guise of FUN and am riding more because of it.

I have a few routes, usually with a turnaround at about 10 miles.  At the turnaround site, I usually sit, enjoy the view, people watch, have a piece of fruit, read. For a 20 mile ride, I could be out for 2 1/2-3 hours, just enjoying the day.

Another route I like is on the MUP to Valley Forge Park, about 20-25 miles from my house, depending how far I go into the park.  For that one, I take a short break or two on the way there, and take the train home.  That ride is more "exercise" because I have to work around the train schedule, so less time for lollygagging, lest I wait another hour for the next train.  My goal, though, is to be fit enough to ride there and back.  Perhaps this summer.

I'll be exploring more parks here, as I prefer to ride where cars don't drive. 

Roberta

[somervillebikes]

Normally, what you describe makes up my routine solo riding-- local errands of less than two miles: library, supermarket, drug store, hardware store, PO, etc, often on my way home from work. Amazing how many you can hit in one go when you live in a city. Now with this crisis, I'm restricting the errands I do to strictly food and prescriptions if necessary, but I'm going to implement a solo ramble along random streets, or the municipal path, just to get out.

Anton

velolumino.com

On Wednesday, March 18, 2020 at 6:50:21 PM UTC-4, Eric Daume wrote:

I make up errands: returning books to the library, running to the grocery store. Lately I’ve been finding the “little free libraries” and circulating books through them. 

I used to never use headphones, but now I almost always do. Music or podcasts. I have a big network or little used MUPs around me, so I don’t really worry about traffic.  

I also bought a tandem last fall. Now my kids always want to ride with me. So there’s one answer: grow your own riding companions. 

Eric

Plain City OH

On Wednesday, March 18, 2020, Andrew Huston <firsttolast...@gmail.com> wrote:

I had a thought. Considering the current situation it could be fun to get ideas on how you ride solo. I want specifics. Where, how far, what bike, how you make it special? Do you bring coffee, bourbon, a pipe, food? Do you pedal hard or take it easy? Maybe read at a favorite spot, meditate, whatever. Go nuts.
This could give us ideas on how to reinvent our time on the bike while we deal with this weird new world.

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[Jason Fuller]

While I have a good group of people here I enjoy riding with, I really enjoy a long ride alone. Part of it is that I'm not so keen on schedules, so riding alone gives me flexibility there. Another part is that not everyone I ride with has a bike capable of such varied conditions, so when I want to ride long stretches of pavement followed by singletrack, followed by rough gravel, followed by steep pavement - it deters a lot of people.

Being a beer guy, I tend to bring a can of IPA, stout, or pilsner with me to a nice viewpoint - whether urban or more rural. I am fortunate to have some incredible frontcountry forests not too far away that I can ride into and find a nice spot.

I am putting together a cherry blossom tour route (that Leah would love), which I am going to propose that our social riding group does independently and takes photos along the way at specific spots so we can enjoy a group ride seperately. Maybe there will be a scavenger hunt of sorts!

[Leah Peterson]

Jason, you all are having a cherry blossom bike tour without me? See, why oh why don’t I live in your city?! A cherry blossom bike tour!!!

Today I was (like usual) riding alone. I was thoroughly engrossed in The Dating Game Killer podcast and things were getting grim. I was wound tight because it was looking bad for the girl. It was not until I had nearly passed by the disappointed waving woman that I realized I had snubbed my friend, who was walking her dog and trying to say hello from across the street. 

If I had real bike friends I wouldn’t have to resort to serial killers for company, you know? That’s all I’m saying. 

But I guess serial killers all we’re left with in these cruel days. So, I’d like to recommend these podcasts: The Dating Show Killer, Dr. Death, and The Man In the Window. Pro tip: If you start on that first podcast your ride will be like 4 hours long. You’ll just keep pedaling until you get through all four excruciating episodes. Like a junkie.

Most of you will be not having bike friends for the next several weeks. You can comfort yourselves by saying, “It could be worse. We could live in Vegas and have zero bike friends nearly every day of the year!” This, too, shall pass. For you. 

*I do get Roberta a couple days every March. I love you, Roberta!

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 19, 2020, at 10:08 PM, Jason Fuller <jtf.f...@gmail.com> wrote:



While I have a good group of people here I enjoy riding with, I really enjoy a long ride alone. Part of it is that I'm not so keen on schedules, so riding alone gives me flexibility there. Another part is that not everyone I ride with has a bike capable of such varied conditions, so when I want to ride long stretches of pavement followed by singletrack, followed by rough gravel, followed by steep pavement - it deters a lot of people.

Being a beer guy, I tend to bring a can of IPA, stout, or pilsner with me to a nice viewpoint - whether urban or more rural. I am fortunate to have some incredible frontcountry forests not too far away that I can ride into and find a nice spot.

I am putting together a cherry blossom tour route (that Leah would love), which I am going to propose that our social riding group does independently and takes photos along the way at specific spots so we can enjoy a group ride seperately. Maybe there will be a scavenger hunt of sorts!

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[Jason Fuller]

Obviously this isn't a good year for spring traveling but SERIOUSLY, book a trip to Vancouver BC for late March / early April next year. I'll organize the ride. We have the most cherry blossoms in the world outside Japan.

[Mat Grewe]

[Philip Williamson]

Group ride separately is a beautiful idea.

Philip
Santa Rosa, CA

[Craig Montgomery]

Another one is a group of one separated from the rest of civilization. Started riding about 10:00 am, camped out, and around 10:00 the next morning I rode by a fella underneath the awning of his travel van. It was another 2 hours, when I hit the "main" highway that I saw cars. About 3 of 'em till I got into town that afternoon. Misanthropic Heaven. 

Craig in Tucson

[Toshi Takeuchi]

Sorry, I'm late to the discussion, but these bone conduction headphones are amazing.  They work best in the higher register--the bass is not so great.  I like to listen to piano music and all of the street noise comes through perfectly well because the ears are totally open.  In addition, the car noises tend to be in the lower register/rumbling which is not in the range of the piano music, so there is no loss of hearing for street sounds.

I use the Aftershokz brand and they are comfortable and highly recommended for exercise.

Toshi, sheltering in Oakland

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[LeRoy]

I  tried riding alone on the local trails yesterday. But so did everyone else. Add to that those who were walking alone, dog-walking alone, pushing the stroller or dragging the wagon alone, and walking in smallish family groups. There wasn't really much alone time until the paved portion of the trail turned to an unpleasantly hard and rutted dirt surface. This, as the picture shows, is my idea of riding (almost) alone.

LeRoy, wishing for less need for alone time.

[masmojo]

I ride alone 95% of the time; especially since my local Rivendell/Surly/All City sort of hipster shops all closed down. I used to like going on their weekend rides.
I find myself not working currently so I can ride during the week, middle of the day, whenever.

I like the exercise aspect of riding, because I am trying to slowly lose the dad bod, but really I just like to be "out there" on my bike. Alone with my thoughts. I do find it's good to take a little snack, more so as I get a little older, instead of the way I used to ride when I was younger, take nothing with me & just assume there would be water fountains & convenience stores along the way.
I love all things mechanical, the elegant simplicity & efficiency of a bicyle really resonate with my soul. When the bike is working well & I feel good it's quite magical.

I do quite enjoy useful trips on my bike and incorporating errands into my rides. Yesterday was a shakedown of my new Crust Titanium Evasion, but I also went to the Post Office, then a bike shop and ultimately hammered out 30 miles. Felt pretty exhausting in the 90° heat & 20 mph wind.
Probably the main thing I enjoyed about working was it gave me a good excuse to ride as much as possible. The job itself was sort of secondary to my getting there & back! 😂

[Leah Peterson]

I’m definitely cracking up over here. This is what I do now. I go out on my Clem, have my deep thoughts, video-journal them, and inflict them on others. Also, I do it wearing one Air Pod because I ruptured my left ear drum, but that’s another story. Send help.

I have long frequented the trails around my neighborhood - by bike, walking my dog (God rest his soul!) and running. The trails are teeming with folks and I don’t recognize them. They are being driven crazy and are taking to the trails! I can spot all the  new bikers. They’re riding the bikes with squeaky chains. Alas, the KIDS. There are plenty of kids on their bikes and I have yet to see one single kid on a properly-sized bike. They all ride bikes one or two sizes too small. It doesn’t look fun.

I should just put the rack on and take the bike somewhere new to ride.

[in Dallas nick]

I mostly ride alone.

Occasionally the missus will  join me.

Occasionally I do meet up with a like minded friend or two that likes

 to ride at a casual pace.

Riding to accomplish an errand

is a large part of my riding with many shortish rides but they add up.

I try for around 50 miles a week. 

Sometimes weather or other life's activities cut that goal a bit short. 

Sometimes I'm able to ride longer usually maxing out at around a 40 mile ride.

I got in one 50 miler last year.

For example yesterday I got in 25 riding to help out a very elderly friend that no longer drives. 

He had ran out of light bulbs and a bulb in his hall had just burned out with no replacements on hand.

He was a bit stressed about it.

Serendipity occurred as the previous day I had stopped at Home Depot to pick up a few plants and passed the light bulbs and decided to buy two packages.

He's 10 miles away and it was a nice day so I decided  to drop off the bulbs via bikes.

Oh, also he said, 'all out of prune juice and it keeps me regular".

Ok, so a quick trip into the store on the way for prune juice,

 ( why dont the call it plum juice? Sounds nicer.)

He was so grateful.

He lives near a bike path so for about 15 minutes we sat out in the sun and watched walkers, runners, dog walkers, stroller pushers, cyclists,  ducks , birds, and cirrus clouds passing overhead.

I could see his spirit revive a bit just to get out of the house, get some sun, and have some social engagement.

Of course we practiced social distancing.

He thinks I help him a lot but hanging out with someone 5.5 years from the big century mark helps me more.

Listening to his stories and insights to life and having him as a friend is a blessing to me.

On the way back I added an extra 5 miles for the fun of it. It felt longer as a strong head wind added a lot to the effort.

I know low traffic routes all over my area and sometimes explore in all directions just to see what I can see.

Yesterday on the return trip I noticed something cool on a section of the multi use path.

Someone with an encouraging mindset used chalk to write encouraging messages on the path.

I saw 3 of them space out along the path.

Very cool. Bless them.

I stopped to snap a pic of one.

Even a shortish ride helps me to unwind, clear out stressful thoughts and get in a thankful,  count your blessings frame of mind.

Riding to help a friend adds to the joy and if you look close at the pic of the message on the path, more serendipity I think.

Ever so often I will also play the book of Psalms on my phone and ride until I've listened through half of them.

Paul in Dallas 

 

[rob markwardt]

Greetings,
I ride solo almost everyday. I never get bored and If I didn’t have a family I could see myself creeping into Freddy Hoffman territory. Almost 95% of my rides are out and backs from my Seattle home and none of them are ever exactly the same path. I have several basic ride “routes” and usually leave with a plan but my a red light or a whim can alter my course in a 180 direction.
I do like to listen to music on long trails. If I don’t have my phone songs/jingles/old army marching riffs often go on repeat in my brain. I used to run marathons and ultras so I’m used to using repetitive sounds to get in a zone.
I’ve also used other mind games to mix it up. Example: I’ll sometimes pick a destination across town and will try a riding in a pattern to get there (1block north, 1 block east, repeat til you there and see how close you get). Another thing I sometimes do is follow all roads that go up. In our hilly area this can take you to some really scenic spots and is also a great workout. I’ve also looked up the steepest hills in the city and have done rides climbing as many as I can find...we’ve got some steep ones!!
The main thing I do though is take pictures. There is always something interesting to see and it motivates me to keep exploring and find new places/things...,evidence in the links below.
Enough words...I’m going for a ride.

https://www.instagram.com/robmarkwardt/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/77502424@N00/


Rob Markwardt
Seattle

[Luis Garcia]

On Sunday, March 29, 2020 at 1:08:31 PM UTC-5, Luis Garcia wrote:

This is a great thread. I truly enjoy reading everyone's posts.  

I live in Dallas, Texas close to downtown.  I mostly ride by myself.  Occasionally, I ride with my like minded cycling friend and regular contributor to this group, Paul Cunningham.  During weekdays, my rides rarely exceed 10 miles.  Typically, I ride to a park after work, do the outdoor exercise machines, and then head back home for dinner.  On the weekends, I go for longer rides complete with coffee, reflecting time, photos, and food.  These past 2 weeks my alone time on the bike has been more focused...more concentrated.  By that, I mean my thoughts.   10 days ago, I had an endoscopy and colonoscopy.  Long story short, the doctor removed polyps from my colon.  It was determined that I had a touch of cancer in one of the polyps.  The doctor said that I dodged a bullet and that I am cured.  I will need to have a colonoscopy every year.  (I am okay with that!)   I am sure you can now understand why I say my alone time on the bike has been more focused and concentrated lately.  As I ride during these strange days, I have been reflecting upon all of the things that have been happening in my life and in the world. Sometimes, I listen to music through my little blue tooth speaker.  I have been listening to just about everything from Pavarotti to Darden Smith (Texas singer songwriter).  Most of the time, I haven't been listening to music. I have been quiet.  The city is quiet.  Not much traffic.  I have been riding on streets that I would normally never ride because of traffic.  As I ride, I think about so many things.  I pass by churches and pray that the ministers have the right words to say to comfort their parishioners and also inspire them to do good works.  I think about friends and family.  I think how fortunate I am to own a beautiful A. Homer Hilsen bicycle.  I think about the homeless.  I think about my sweet wife who is out there working as a flight attendant. As I ride, all of these thoughts combine to create a  singular feeling of joy and sadness...but, not too much sadness.  Right now, it is 1:00pm on Sunday afternoon.  I am about to get off the computer and get on Homer.  Cheers my friends!

[Raymond Galang]

Before the quarantine, I used to commute to work about 34 mile round trip. Casual pace, and I would typically put on my favorite podcast during the ride.

Now that I work from home, I've had to find a couple of hours in the day to get out. Sometimes, I'll take my Ventana El Martillo CX and hit the local bike path/ trails. I get suited up, I ride in a faster pace. The other day, after a long day I found that I was going to lose light so without getting in the "bike costume", I simply walked out with my AllRounder with my rubber shoes and flat pedals and civilian clothing. I had no destination or timeline and just casually rode through town. 2 hours later, it was getting dark and rolled home. It was meditative, no music/ podcast or other distractions apart from a few hellos with passers by. Got in my head a lot contemplating the quarantine situation. In the end, the ride made my feel physically great, my head cleared and found gratitude amidst the turmoil.   

[James Davis]

This thread is amazing. I have really enjoyed reading everyone’s posts! I enjoyed it so much, I decided to contribute my first post. Today, I took the Clem-L out for some post lunch ramblin’ along two local greenways. Today, I stopped after riding for roughly an hour and had an apple while some prairie dogs ate the rough foliage around me. We sure had a time out there. Then I turned right back around and headed home.

While riding, I usually listen to Grateful Dead shows on a tiny Bose speaker that attaches to my handle bars. I don’t know what it is about the dead, but they just put me in the right frame of mind to ride and observe. I don’t feel like there is anything that I need to do or prove. I am just out there ramblin’ round much like the dead’s music just goes out into outer space without much effort in doing so. It’s super conducive for just letting the mind go blank and enjoying whatever season we are in. Today (3-29) was the anniversary of a great dead show from 1990 that featured extensive sit-ins by Branford Marsalis. I enjoyed that while the sun burned off some clouds in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

Pictures of my Clem-L on a particular pretty creek crossing on the Sand Creek Greenway can be seen on my Instagram page:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-VTeSrJstf/?igshid=j5k4mjsap3df


James
Denver, CO

[Buck Flagg]

I have been a year-'round daily bike commuter for about 35 years. My daily commute from Brooklyn to the middle of Manhattan is about a 9-mile ride, each way. I am riding a 58cm mid-aughts Ramboulliet, my setup informed by the aesthetic influence of the 1970's Gitanes, Motobecanes, Peugeots of my misspent youth; fairly narrow, slopy drop bars, 23mm slicks. Until a recent accident, I was running a 3x9. When my bike gets out of sick bay, it'll be a 2x11. The temperature range I'll commute through is, roughly, 10° F to 100°+ F. In my backpack will be my work wear, a spare tube, a small pump and a small assortment of tools. Bike commuting, for me, has always been a fairly solitary pursuit... Because I'm usually running behind, I tend to ride flat out. As flat out as this schlubby sixty-sonething can manage... Sometimes I'll pick up someone who's interested in pacelining off/with me but even that is fairly solitary, as well. With my roadie laid up, my fallback has been my early eighties, aluminum frame Cannondale M800 MTB which I run set up for simple single track. During the this quarantine, while riding solo, I have been taking advantage of the relative paucity of automotive traffic to explore NYC's fairly extensive network of set-asides for bikes. Tip of the hat to the administrations of Bloomberg and deBlasio for that! If I'm out riding with my wife, we'll tend to do circuits of Prospect Park, in Brooklyn. It's certainly a terrible time for NYC but, perversely, there's probably never been a better time to bike here. The streets are quite empty. It's very strange.