Last night I was putting in some late night miles — 16.5 to be exact — to beat the heat and keep my stats up, you know, like I do. I approached a red light and came to a stop. Here’s what I wrote in my Strava ride summary: “Wassup, Killah?” Said the man at the bus stop, a descendant of Africa, pleasantly and with no malice, to the dude on the bicycle who is of the Caucasian persuasion. “I’m good, thanks. How ’bout you?” Also good. They then discussed how the weather wasn’t as hot as last night. The light changed, adieus were bid, and the dude rode on, an otherwise lackluster day made. “Huh, I guess I am kinda a killah on a bike!” He pedaled a little harder, his mph a bit faster. So yeah, that happened.
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C’est le 14 juillet, où est le Tour de France?
Bastille Day, France’s independence celebrated July 14th, is a day when a French cyclist turns himself inside out to win this day’s stage in the Tour de France. But not this year. Due to you-know-what, it’s been postponed. How, and whether, it happens at all is a big question. Sites like Cycling News explain how testing, keeping team staff and riders away from fans, podium protocol to a minimum and so on will perhaps make it as safe as possible. But it’s up to the microscopic coronavirus and local health officials what happens. Let’ s hope Mother Nature and the government will, as the Cajuns in Lousiana say: Laissez les bons temps rouler.
Continue readingCoronavirus Cycle Commuting: Survival Tips for Your Trips
For the last few weeks I’ve been biking to a job. This isn’t new, as I’ve been 15 years not a slave to cars. But recently I’ve not had work to go to, so a daily ride to a workplace, and then returning home during the still surreal situation we’re all in, is a bit odd. The global coronavirus pandemic is a huge tragedy that will be with us for a while until there’s a vaccine and maybe longer. One small consolation is that it has reduced traffic and pollution. This is good for bike riders, but there are still plenty of hazards so cyclists should remain vigilant. Here a few challenges I’ve noticed and tips for things you can do to make your ride to work as good and as safe as possible.
Continue reading3,100 Miles Pedaled in 6 Months: A New Personal Best
When I began bicycling more than i ever thought possible, in 2015, I estimated I covered the distance from LA to Boston, about 3,000 miles. It was an educated guess based on Google maps, training rides for two charity rides, and general commuting. Now, it seems I’ve doubled my pleasure, and doubled my money (spent on bike stuff). That’s no big deal to pros, racers, and the generally faster. For me, it’s pretty good. But like my blog buddy back East, I’m working to Be Sorry… Less. By riding every day since last fall, I’ve given myself a better shot at attaining a higher mileage goal for the year. So now it’s time to look at the first half of the year’s stats.
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I Upgraded Strava: Membership Has Its Privileges
Recently the founders of the activity tracking software Strava (“strive” in Swedish) sent out a blog saying they had yet to make money after a decade of offering a free and a premium service. So they decided to make free members pay up to get some of the features that were previously gratis. Predictably, there was an uproar, including from frugal types like moi. But once I looked into it, I saw they’re point. And having hooked me on things like Training Log, Monthly Progress and some other stuff, I caved and bought in. At $8 a month it’s a decent deal; I got it for $5 a month plus two month’s free. So let’s see what you get.
Continue readingWhy Are Exercises Called Activit-Ease When They’re So Hard?
I joke, but it’s true. Exercise is work. That’s why it’s called a work out. Used to be, you could only do it outside. Then some lazy people said let’s invent air conditioning, and then the exercise fanatics said let’s work in. But that term never caught on so they called them Jim Nayseeums. To not embarrass their founder, they spelled it differently, to make people think it was the Greeks. Oh, I’m just being told that is really was the Greeks. Never mind.
Continue readingAustin Black History Social Bike Ride #2
After the previous Sunday’s smaller ride, Bike Ride for Black Lives Matter… I somehow heard about another one even though it was organized on Facey Spacey. I happened to be awake and I’m always in need of more miles. Rather than stand around looking at the police station or state police, I decided to join in and try to learn something. The organizers expected 50 people, and they got at least 500. It was a huge event and lasted four hours in the hot Texas sun, but it was a cool thing that is hoped will catch on in other cities.
Continue readingThe Women I Saw Today
International Women’s Day was back on March 8, part of Women’s History Month. But isn’t every day women’s day? When noodling about for today’s topic, I realized the incredible variety and diversity of female human people I crossed paths with today. As a lifelong male who happens to play on Team Straight, I’ve devoted my fair share of time contemplating the opposite sex. I’ve been single a while, so apparently I haven’t learned very much. But that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate them. So while this is predominantly a bicycle and assorted lifestyle blog, today’s post is about da ladeez.
Continue readingJob Sucks Soul Out of Cyclist; A Dude (and World) Keep Spinning
It’s been two days on my new temporary job and my body is already exhausted and my spirit crushed. After a fairly good amount of time off, now it’s the moment for making money. I owe, I owe, so off to work I go. The average Joe or Jo would probably give up or severely curtail her or his extracurricular activities. But I’ve never been called average, mediocre perhaps, so I keep on walking, yoga-ing, writing and the big time suck, biking. I’ve been watching my programs, too — and currently it’s the last six stages of last year’s Tour de France. That counts as bike-related education, right?
Continue readingThe Heat Is On, Again
Summer again approaches Austin, America and well the northern hemisphere. With a 100 degree day forecast, the heat is on, again. It’s been almost a year since my post Surviving the Summer Heat on a Bicycle. While full of useful advice about not just hydration but acclimation and other stuff, there’s no need to repeat it, but feel free check it out. Even knowing what to do to minimize the effects doesn’t change the fact that it’s just sweaty and uncomfortable. In addition, I’ve attended several protests and demonstrations for Black Lives Matter (see posts here and here). One involved a march that was in the hottest part of the day. People were ducking into the shade, and numerous volunteers were handing out water. Add into that the increasing temperatures from global warming, and it’s that least wonderful time of year: summer. How can we make it less of a bummer?
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A Dude Abikes 