It's About the Ride Not the Distance

I've never been a milage addict. I ride for the joy and sometimes the thrill but never to just accumulate miles. I don't want to end a days ride exhausted and unable the enjoy the rest of my day. Many of my rides end with a meet up with my wife Carrie at a coffee joint, restaurant or anyplace where the beer is cold and dark. Eventually I throw my trike on top of or in the car and call it day. 

The ride I'm going on February 14th, the Tour de Palm Springs, is no different. I'll be ending the half century ride 14 miles short of the finish and will meet up with my Valentine at a Starbucks.  My stopping point marks the end of the beautiful open desert portion of the ride and starts the final 14 mile ride through civilization with some dicy roads. As usual, after a bagel (maybe a donut) and a cup of tea at Starbucks, I'll throw the trike into the car and head back for cold beer at the event area.

Again, it's about the ride not the distance. Why end a beautiful ride with 14 miles of slogging through city streets?

Schwalbe Valve Cores

Have you ever got up in morning and found your tire lacking air? If you use Schwalbe presta valve tubes check the removal core. It just may need a little tightening. I have a small but useful tool that was given to me many years ago by Dana at Bent Up Cycles. I use it to tighten loose Schwalbe valve cores without having to use pliers that may damage the threads upon which the valve cover screws onto.

A Schwalbe presta valve core removed from the valve and the hard rubber valve core tightener.

The tool is small. I keep a red string tied to it so I can easily find it without having to reach for my glasses which always seem to be where their not suppose to be.




The valve core tool is available at Amazon.

Pic of The Day

Taking a break at one of the many parks I have scoped out. This particular one is in a more affluent area so it doesn't have any restrooms for low life outsiders like yours truly. It does have a nice wooded area...need I say more.

From Two Lanes to One

Progress. 

An existing street in Thousand Oaks repaved and reduced to one car lane each way to make room for a new bicycle lane and buffer lane.

Scott Wayland et al Desert Tour 2014

After weeks of being unplugged Scott, Jodi and their four legged sidekick Django post a report about the first day on their Desert Tour 2014 on Scott's An American Explorer blog. They're pedaling their Greenspeed tandem with their dog Django walking alongside or riding in his trailer through the deserts of California and Nevada.

Restrooms...

...the not so glamorous side of cycling. 

Like most cyclists I have all the restrooms (or whatever) scoped out along my regular routes. Basically when the time comes you have two options when in civilized company.

Option A

Option B

1st Ride Of 2015

Better late then never. My New Year Day's ride had to wait until today due to a pulled neck muscle (nothing to due with riding my trikes). After a heated debate with myself I opted to take "Red" with it's lower gears and get some climbing in.

Working my way to the top.

At the top.
Now a nice downhill run and then up another hill.