mileage

4,000 Miles Bicycled on Sophie, My Fairdale Weekender Archer

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 2 Comments

For some riders, 4,000 miles is not alot. For me, it’s no joke, and a milestone worth noting. I’ve had Sophie the Fairdale Weekender Archer bicycle for two years this month, actually. But to reach 10,000 miles on my lighter Fuji Silhouette bike named Sookie (on whom I finally pedaled almost 13,000 miles before she developed a fatal crack in her fragile aluminum frame), I gave the steel commuter and light touring bike a rest for seven months. The other day I was asking about getting new disc brake pads, and it turns out that after a while of frequent braking, they wear out. Well, that’s because I’m riding her all the time now that Sookie has been forced into retirement.  Nothing lasts forever.  But while the ride still lasts, it’s important to acknowledge the accomplishments and share them with you.

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5,143 Miles in 2018: 4,554 Biking + 589 Walking. Pretty, Pretty, Pretty Good for A Dude!

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 13 Comments

The headline is this:  I beat 2017 by 429 miles!  (4,714 Miles Bicycled in 2017 = 10,000 in 2 Years! A Recap of My “Epic Velocimania” (Day 1) 

Of course that’s not proof, for that, see below.  But I can assure you it’s accurate.  Except that maybe it’s not, because the annual strava video shows I rode an extra 100+ miles.  The point is that I biked my butt off (well, it’s still there) and added the daily walking.  So even though I biked 250 miles less, I walked 500+ miles more than last year, when I barely did any.  In addition to my daily yoga practice of 5+ years now, and writing this blog or in my book-in-progress, I had a very busy year.

The effort took me 427 hours, which is about 18 full days of biking.  The elevation was 122,700 feet, which is less than last year, but not by much.  And I definitely didn’t seek out hills this year.  I didn’t go on many group rides, either.  But still, somehow I was able to GIT ‘ER DONE!

Keep reading for more…

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Cycling with Sookie and Sophie: The Saga Segues

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 3 Comments

I found a picture of both Sookie and Sophie, my two bikes. (A third bike is elsewhere; that one was ridden pre-blog/Strava.) The photograph was taken at a community event sponsored by Bike Austin that I helped with. It was attended by several dozen people concerned about bike lanes and sidewalks on two busy and dangerous roads and Austin City Councilmember Greg Casar in April of 2017. Why on earth did I have two bikes at the same event? Well, former BA Campaigns Manager Miller Nuttle forgot his bike, so needed to borrow mine. Something inspired me to snap this shot, and I really like it alot. With the recent news about Sookie, the Fuji Silhouette (left) having a fatal crack in her frame, causing me to have to ride Sophie, the Fairdale Weekender Archer all the time, it got me thinking more about my journey. Keep reading to hear more about this passing of the torch.

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An Imagined Chat with Sookie, My Fuji Silhouette Bicycle, Upon Her Forced Retirement

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 7 Comments

Hi Sookie, are you there?

Yes, Dude, I am.

Good! Well, Sookie, we need to talk.

Oh, that doesn’t sound good.

I’m afraid I have some news that you probably aren’t going to like.

I’m a big girl, lay it on me.

Do you remember when we were at the Sun & Ski Sports bike shop the other day?

Yes, I remember! I always enjoy seeing Mike in the bike shop and the other guys. And all those cool new bikes, including some of my decendants.

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3,000 Miles Biked in 3 Quarters of 2018: Pain & Rain, But I Did Not Train in Vain

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 4 Comments

October is the time when my birthday arrives, and I got myself an early present:  I met my (original) bicycling mileage goal for the year!  Actually, it was 2,600, for 50 miles per week, so I could cut my riding time in half and devote those hours to writing this blog and the book that is in progress.  As for the rather long and unwieldy title, it got longer when the Clash song came to mind (Annie Lennox version).  Alliteration appeals, apparently.  Despite a decent bit of discomfort and alot of precipitation, the work paid off.  I did the Mamma Jamma breast cancer ride, which was rewarding, and that might not have been possible without doing putting in more time.  So it’s been a good month, and year so far.  I delve a little into the statistics for those into such things. That’s you!

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I Raised $1,364 in Two Days for the Mamma Jamma, and I Haven’t Even Biked 65 Miles in the Rain and Wind Yet!

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 8 Comments

Well, apparently the hordes have spoken, and there is support for me to ride this event, and then some!  It will be my third Mamma Jamma Ride.  n fact, two generous souls even put in for the whole minimum amount of $300.  It’s all for a good cause, to help women in my area (Central Texas, USA), survive and thrive after a diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer.  I’ve also raised $100 for my registration and bike(s) repair and had help from friends and two bike shops.  I say bikes, because I don’t even know which one I’ll ride yet!  So there’s lots to do and not much time, but below are a few more details of what it’s like doing a charity ride.  And a way for you to donate if you can.

Give here:  https://Fundraisers.MammaJammaRide.org/ADude-Abikes

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A Random Rest Day Potpourri Post After a 153-Mile Week on the Bicycle

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 7 Comments

It’s blog deadline time again.  Usually I have no problem coming up with a topic.  Tonight I kind of did.  I notice my posts tend to fall in several categories:  a status report on my biking / walking / yoga / dieting / blogging / book-writing; something educational, entertaining or informative about bicycling; something off-topic but tangentially related to riding a bike; and then the totally random rave, rant or other piece like a movie review.  This one is kind of a mix of the first and last.  I’m as curious to see where it goes as hopefully you are, and  I hope you like the smell of potpourri! Continue reading →

543 Miles in May 2018: My Next Best Month on the Bicycle Ever!

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 5 Comments

To say that I rode my bike alot in May is an understatement. 543 miles is 125 miles per week and almost 18 miles per day. My activity app Strava, paired with my Garmin GPS watch, are fairly accurate. Believe me, I feel it in my bones. Also, this was the hottest documented month of May in Central Texas ever. So I’m feeling pretty happy about that accomplishment, seeing how my original goal for this year was 50 miles per week. It could all change in a moment, and there are some things on the horizon which may mean I’m spending less time on the bike. But that’s all fine. For now, I’m satisfied that I still have some legs. Oh, and I also walked 45 miles. Today is a well-deserved rest day, so let’s dig into the stats a bit, shall we?

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Love to Ride Austin Biking Challenge

~ A Dude Abikes ~ 9 Comments

It’s Monday’s deadline, and I still have not come up with a topic for this post. It’s rather embarrassing. Sure, I could write about the biking I did over the weekend. But it was nothing spectacular and if I have grown weary of doing that (riding and writing), I suppose readers of this blog may have, too. There’s the book I finished reading and two more movies I saw, but some say only write about your specific blog niche. I could talk about blogging itself, my book in progress, bikes in the news, my struggling job search, health updates, (another) horrific school shooting, or politics. But finally it came to me, Love to Ride! Read on to learn more.

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