Bike Tour Planning: (Relationship) Lessons Learned So Far
These are not lessons from a bike-touring expert by any stretch of the imagination. As a couple we’ve gone on three multi-day “sheets and showers” bike tours so far: Seattle to Lake Stevens and surrounding area: I planned this four-day outing as a test of touring a few years ago. Great Allegheny Passage/C&O Canal Towpath: […]
Why 30 Days of Biking? (Or More)
You may think that by pledging to 30 Days of Biking you’re helping yourself form a healthy new habit. That may be the case — but it may take more (or less) than 30 days. Heaven knows I’ve taken enough runs at it, sometimes successfully, sometimes not. I have a bike habit but it doesn’t […]
Bike, Transit, Car: Three Transportation Perspectives from Seattle
An earlier version of this post compared my transportation experiences in Spokane. After living in a much larger population and a more urbanized environment for over five years, I wanted to revisit the topic of why you might find biking and transit better choices than driving, once you make the mental shift. Seattle is currently […]
Travel Takeaways: Mental Musings from a Long Bike Tour
Riding my bike for ten straight days on a touring vacation gave me physical effects, of course, and also some policy/professional thoughts and these mental takeaways. Getting truly away from everyday routines and geography creates the most vacation-y vacation ever. I haven’t given myself that kind of complete break for that many days in years–possibly […]
Travel Takeaways: Physical Effects from a Long Bike Tour
A week after wrapping up the longest bike travel effort I’ve ever undertaken, what’s going on physically in addition to the mental and professional aftereffects? I did a reasonably good job of preparing myself physically for the trip and I’m really glad I trained. Each day definitely left me knowing that I’d ridden a loooong way, and […]
Now THAT Was a Vacation: Day 10 and Done
We made it! The final day started with the hotel shuttle back to the tiny ferry to get on the trail. While the sun was shining in a clear blue sky, the air felt much cooler than we’d thought looking out the window and within minutes of starting to ride we stopped to put on […]
Swimming on Bikes: Day 5 on the Great Allegheny Passage
Eric: One good thing about all this rain–it will wash the muck off the bikes. Me: That’s a very Sally Sunshine comment for you. Eric: I know. ——————————————– A couple of minutes later– Me: This is like swimming on bikes! Eric: Yep. ——————————————– Rider sheltering in a tunnel: Great day, isn’t it? Me: Liquid sunshine! […]
Biking Is the Spice of Life
I have missed many things while driving for transportation thanks to a broken elbow (with recovery complicated by a frozen shoulder). To name just a few: Exercise (hello, +10 pounds) Sense of connection to my surroundings and the people along the way Flexibility — the ease with which I can change my mind, navigate to […]
Personal Safety and Privilege: A Vignette
Setting: A separated trail running between the Duwamish River and a corridor thick with truck traffic spilling over from the Port of Seattle, part of my regular route to work. A row of bushes and trees and an active heavy rail line separate the trail from the road on the west side of the trail. On […]
#30DaysofBiking, #30words, #30pix
In the major leagues batting .500 would be worth millions. In 30 Days of Biking, it means I didn’t get on my bike every single day in some of my attempts in the past couple of years since I heard of the event and started signing up. That’s okay, because some things really are bigger […]
Zen and the Art of Bicycle Riding
A Zen teacher saw five of his students returning from the market, riding their bicycles. When they arrived at the monastery and had dismounted, the teacher asked the students, “Why are you riding your bicycles?” The first student replied, “The bicycle is carrying the sack of potatoes. I am glad that I do not have […]
