Thank you, Mr. Redwing Blackbird, and also thank you for not pecking me on the head when I rode past your nesting area like those Australian magpies do. It’s true, the redwing blackbird was the first person to greet me as I finished up my final Before & After ride. He or she hovered over … Continue reading "BEFORE AND AFTER: June 30"
Read MoreBy 2009 I had graduated from a hybrid bike to a road bike. With the associated change in attire from baggy shorts and T-shirt to lycra. Thanks to the good folk at West End Bicycles. They told me 1. that I had been sold a bike that was at least two sizes too small for … Continue reading "Virtual Tour 41: Outer Downtown Houston"
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If you’re like us, you’ve got a thing or ten to have the blues about right now. Don’t get me started, or we might not get to the bottom of this post. And we’re among the lucky ones this month! No jobs to lose, no home mortgage to try to keep up, healthy so far, … Continue reading "July’s Challenge: I’ve got the blues"
Read MoreIn Case You’re Counting Down, This Is The Second Last Day Of My Arduous Journey Through Beforeandafterville I was a little worried this morning. Thunderstorms have been rolling through MY Town since about nine o’clock last evening and are likely to continue almost all day. That’s okay by me. I really like thunder and lightning … Continue reading "BEFORE AND AFTER: June 29"
Read MoreHouston was home from 2008 to 2010. Zulfa and I lived in this building on Main Street. You can’t get more downtown than that. Commerce Towers is marked by the red dot in the centre of the map below. I started cycling in Houston as a painless way to exercise following ACL replacement surgery. My … Continue reading "Virtual Tour 40: Downtown Houston"
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– If yesterday’s post didn’t demonstrate how much of a pain in the ass G-2 can be, today’s Part 2 should leave no doubt. Here are five more examples of ME bailing him out of danger from the past, and five matching examples from today’s bike ride. – Before I go, I have one more … Continue reading "BEFORE AND AFTER: June 28"
Read MoreYou have seen Cameron Highlands. Fraser’s Hill is another hill station that dates from the British colonial era. Not quite as high up as Cameron, but closer to KL. I spent many a childhood family holiday in a Fraser’s Hill bungalow. Louis James Fraser, like Cameron and Dickson, is Scotsman who has a place in … Continue reading "Virtual Tour 39: Fraser’s Hill"
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I had mentioned in an earlier post that I had a bit of a break from cycling earlier this year, so I’m still in the process of ramping back up to my pre-break mileage. Today’s ride was exciting, since it’s my first ride over 30 miles since sometime late last fall. The ride goes north … Continue reading "Building up the miles"
Read More– Sad to say, the day I was hoping would never arrive HAS arrived. It’s the day I ran out of ideas to replicate old pictures of me or my bike and had to resort to using pictures of G-2. It is an act of desperation, but it’s also an act necessary to complete this … Continue reading "BEFORE AND AFTER: June 27"
Read MoreA container is any receptacle or enclosure for holding a product used in storage, packaging, and shipping.[1] Things kept inside of a container are protected by being inside of its structure. The term is most frequently applied to devices made from materials that are durable and are usually at least partly rigid. That said, (thanks … Continue reading "I Just Couldn’t Contain Myself"
Read MoreLow levels of inspiration today. So today’s offering is a selection of photographs taken from Dutch cycling paths. Unusual for it to be so still in the Netherlands. The almost constant wind makes up for the lack of hills. This was taken on the way to Moerkapelle. Rippled water is the norm. Looking down one … Continue reading "Virtual Tour 38: Random Dutch Views"
Read More– A Whole New World of Cycling Excitement I’ve been waiting for this day since May 28, which is when I placed an order for a new bicycle-related toy. (And NO, it wasn’t the Surly Ogre I’ve been talking about buying since last October but still haven’t actually done so.) Anyway, upon placing the order … Continue reading "BEFORE AND AFTER: June 26"
Read MoreA fellow R@SKL turned me on to the fact that there are a lot of murals in KL. I knew of some along the bank of the Klang River because they are visible from the rapid-transit trains. I had no idea that there were so many more within 8km / 6mi of where I live. … Continue reading "Virtual Tour 37: Murals in KL"
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This is winter – fog season – riding in my part of Oz. I dash out the door as soon as work ends and get in a short ride as the sun sets. Sunset is around 5.07pm. On the day of the feature pic, it had been drizzly mixed with showers all day. The clouds … Continue reading "Fog season riding in Oz"
Read MoreMy best riding buddy Cindy and I finally got an actual (as opposed to virtual) together ride, oh my! We have progressed from ‘virtual together ride & tea’ to ‘meet for tea in the middle of our solo ride’ to now ‘real together riding’! We stopped at a garden at the beginning of our ride … Continue reading "A “REAL” RIDE WITH CINDY!!!!"
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Corn is the Star of This Edition Minnesota has a lot of corn. Maybe not as much as Illinois or Iowa, or even California, but it does have a lot. Today, along with my corn-themed Before & After pictures, I’m going to show and tell all kinds of great things about corn. I’m kind of … Continue reading "BEFORE AND AFTER: June 25"
Read MoreMalacca, or Melaka as it is known locally, has a history that dates back to around 1402. Parameswara, the last king of Singapura, fled the island kingdom after a Majapahit naval invasion in 1398 and founded his new stronghold on the mouth of the Bertam river in 1402. Malacca is a good port. It is accessible in all seasons and … Continue reading "Virtual Tour 36: Malacca"
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– Remember that scene from the fine movie, Close Encounters of the Third Kind? I sure did when I was planning my bike tour of the northern Great Plains a few years ago. A spectacle such as that is something I had to see for myself. I arrived at the Devil’s Tower National Monument fairly … Continue reading "BEFORE AND AFTER: June 24"
Read MorePort Dickson (PD) is a beach resort destination in the state of Negeri Sembilan, about 100km / 62mi south of Kuala Lumpur. It was originally a small fishing village named Arang. It was renamed after a British official named Sir Frederic Dickson who turned Arang into a port for transporting the rich tin ore deposits … Continue reading "Virtual Tour 35: Port Dickson"
Read MoreIf you don’t want to ride a bike to these spots in Den Haag you can ride one of these. Everywhere is within walking distance of a tram stop. 1 The Knight’s Hall was built as a castle for the Earls of Holland in the 13th century. It sits in the Binnenhof, which is the … Continue reading "Virtual Tour 34: Den Haag 2"
Read More“What Are Words Worth?” There aren’t going to be a lot of words in this post even though I like words quite a bit. In exchange for not subjecting you to my wordiness, I’m going to post my favorite “rap” song of all time. It’s a LIVE version, so if you don’t like the words … Continue reading "BEFORE AND AFTER: June 22"
Read MoreSuzanne asked, “But where are the pictures of the beach?” in response to Virtual Tour 33: Den Haag 1. I have Virtual Tour 34: Den Haag 2 ready to go. There are no pictures of the beach in that post either. To correct that oversight . . . Scheveningen is one of the eight districts … Continue reading "Virtual Tour 33a: Scheveningen"
Read MoreThe schedule of family events for Father’s Day, and the weather (mostly), worked out to let me get two days of riding and over 100 miles of biking in this weekend. My daughter and her husband (and two dogs) live about 33 miles away by car in Vienna VA. We decided it would be easiest … Continue reading "Biking-centric Father’s Day Weekend"
Read MoreWe are near the time to return home, but I wanted to let you know that I have been riding and enjoying our time away from home. I do not have strong wifi here at the campground and have had to use my hotspot to do anything. Using that makes it slooooooow to post photos, … Continue reading "RV CAMPING WITHIN THE 100 MILE RADIUS"
Read MoreThe Title of This Piece Is “Father’s Day Daisy Daze.” I’m still hanging in there, but the ideas are fading fast. I am filled with dread that I might have to fall back on what I’ve previously said would be my last resort. That’s right — pictures of G-2. Today, however, things fell into place … Continue reading "BEFORE AND AFTER: June 21"
Read MoreDen Haag was home for two or so years, starting in 2010. We lived very close to the city centre, which wasn’t hard to do given that the area of the city is only 98km2 / 38mi2. I rode to and through these places many many times. 1 We lived in this apartment building – … Continue reading "Virtual Tour 33: Den Haag 1"
Read MoreThe marker pin I use finally made it to the top of the analemma indicating the first day of astronomical summer. The photo was taken on the 19th due to the possibility of clouds and rain on the 20th. Actually, at 4:43 PM, CDT, when the event occurred, thunderstorms entered the area. So give or … Continue reading "Summer Solstice Vermilion County"
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No sun to be seen today, no shadows, no sunrise, no sunset, everything veiled in rain clouds, so I figured it wouldn’t make much difference at what time or in which direction I took my pictures to mark the day with the longest period of daylight. We waited all day for it to stop raining … Continue reading "Summer Solstice Challenge 2020"
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– I was able to quickly find an old picture this morning and I knew exactly where I had to go in order to reproduce it. That certainly worked out nicely. My ride worked out nicely too. Hills, farmland, wetlands, birdlife, nice weather, nuclear power plant — what more could I ask for. Maybe not … Continue reading "BEFORE AND AFTER: June 20"
Read MoreWednesday was a wet day. Not a day for riding a bike. But a good day to be in the Nangang Exhibition Centre for the Taipei International Cycle Show. The show featured 1,150 exhibitors displaying their newest products spread over 65,000 square meters on floors 1, 4 and 5 of the Exhibition Centre. It was … Continue reading "Virtual Tour 32: Taiwan Revisited Day 4"
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No matter what time of year, there is always something interesting to see down by the river. In case you haven’t figured it out by now, I like having such a fine geographic feature in such close proximity. In fact, I’m thinking of writing a book about the relationship between MY Town and the Mississippi … Continue reading "BEFORE AND AFTER: Juneteenth"
Read MoreSome of us were downstairs for breakfast at 7.00 am. We had hoped to start riding at 8.00 am. W didn’t get away until 8.30 am. Perhaps the kaoliang the evening before had something to do with it. Day 2 was an 83km / 52mi ride north from Jioxi to the Wufenshan Observatory. Our first stop … Continue reading "Virtual Tour 31: Taiwan Revisited Day 3"
Read More– Of course I have to tell a story from my day’s ride, right? I was cruising along with the wind when I noticed a bicycle rider coming from the opposite direction who pulled over to the side of the road and came to a stop. He got off his bike and bent down near … Continue reading "BEFORE AND AFTER: June 18"
Read MoreThe first effort of Day 2 was a gentle stroll to find breakfast. This was the route for the day. Southeast to Tangweigou Hot Spring Park. We were ready to start riding at about 8.30 am. It was a very short distance to the bike path along the left bank of the Tamsui River. We … Continue reading "Virtual Tour 30: Taiwan Revisited Day 2"
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It was nice to get back out into the countryside today, away from heavy traffic and stop lights and robotic voices telling me to WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT . . . I took my roadie bike north across the Mississippi River and rode along both the Minnesota and … Continue reading "BEFORE AND AFTER: June 17"
Read MoreDodsun is a Taiwanese OEM bike frame manufacturer. One of their products is a relaxed geometry road bike in titanium. What makes this bike stand out is the build. The groupset is SRAM Red 22 eTap with hydraulic disc brakes. The seat post, saddle, stem and handlebars are Ritchey. The wheels are Ritchey WCS Zeta. … Continue reading "Virtual Tour 29: Taiwan Revisited Day 1"
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See that thing up there at the top of the page. That’s the sun and it felt great today. The temperature was a comfortable 86-degrees, the humidity was moderate, and the wind was mild. It was the kind of day that makes me forget about this: That’s not my before & after, of course. My … Continue reading "BEFORE AND AFTER: June 16"
Read MoreI do mostly road riding and some touring, but over the years I’ve done lots of miles on local rail trails in the Baltimore Washington area – especially during the years when my now adult kids were growing up. As far as serenity, scenery and surface, my all-time favorite has been what used to be … Continue reading "Back on the Rail Trails: Freeland MD to York PA Rail Trail Out and Back"
Read MoreThe road from Simpang Pulai to Blue Valley is part of the second East-West Highway completed in 2004. 56km / 35mi of the route below is on Federal Route 185 before the right turn onto Federal Route 59 to Brinchang. There is much less development along this road (translate that as places to stop for … Continue reading "Virtual Tour 28: Cameron Highlands from Simpang Pulai"
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We’ve been working from home since 23 March. It is getting a little old. We are all really good with video-conferencing now. We’re churning out amazing collaborative work given the circumstances. You’d never know what a huge shift it has been by looking at all the accomplishments. I hate working from home, but I’ve gotten … Continue reading "Lunch-time gratitude ride"
Read MoreBeautiful morning here, and the winds subsided at least for the first part of the ride. Riding partner Dave is back in the game, so with a light to moderate northeast wind, we decided somewhere to the east would be the way to go. Cheneyville is one of those towns located along a railroad about … Continue reading "Back to Cheneyville"
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I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep up this Before & After stuff for 15 more days. I know I said that last week, but this time I MEAN it. I’m running out of quality, reproduce-able cycling pictures. If I am to maintain any hope of completing this project, I’m going to have … Continue reading "BEFORE AND AFTER: June 15"
Read MoreThe Cameron Highlands is one of Malaysia’s most extensive hill stations. The Cameron Highlands were named after William Cameron, a British explorer and geologist who mapped the area in 1885. In 1925 a Survey Department report confirmed that tea could be grown in the area. This provided the impetus to build a road from Tapah … Continue reading "Virtual Tour 27: Cameron Highlands from Tapah"
Read MoreNext week Susan and I will be doing some RVing/camping just south of us for just about the whole week! It is easy to Shelter in Place, and great to get away for a while before another spike hits us. We have drawn a circle on the state map to encompass 100 miles from home. … Continue reading "RIDING NEAR HOME DURING PANDEMIC"
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Lake Roosevelt isn’t a real lake. It’s a section of the Columbia River that was made wider by the backup of water behind the Grand Coulee Dam. It has great scenery and it’s a great place to ride a bike. It also had nice signs for The Reckless Mr. Bing Bong to lean up against. … Continue reading "BEFORE AND AFTER: June 14"
Read MoreKinderdijk is a village in the South Holland province known for its iconic 18th-century windmills. To drain the polder, a system of 19 windmills was built around 1740. This group of mills is the largest concentration of old windmills in the Netherlands. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1997. 15.5km / 10mi from my … Continue reading "Virtual Tour 26: Kinderdijk"
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Copycat entry, thanks to Greg for the inspiration. The picture on the left is from our tour in Cambodia. We had just set out at the Thai-Cambodian border and were heading for Siem Reap. I wrote in my journal: December 16, 2007 – It is now past nine, the sun is hot and the road … Continue reading "June Challenge: Thirteen Years After"
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If you like Cajun culture, Cajun cuisine, southern barbeque, southern architecture, southern hospitality, and huge petrochemical plants –as I do — you will LOVE the city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I spent 24-hours there while on my Gulf of Mexico to Lake Superior tour and have some very fond memories. –
Read MoreI have been away from you all for a while now and think I am once again ready to rejoin you. I have been well, and have been riding my bike almost every day these past 2-3 months. I take a break from it so not to burn out my passion ?. Here are a … Continue reading "SLOW RE-ENTRY"
Read MoreVlaardingen is about 23km / 14mi due south of Den Haag. The ride down the North Sea coast and then along the Nieuwe Waterweg to Vlaardingen is more like 50km / 31mi. The cycle route kinks left at Hoek van Holland, where the Nieuwe Waterweg empties into the North Sea. Hoek van Holland is the … Continue reading "Virtual Tour 25: The Maeslantkering"
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Today’s ride took me from Brattleboro up to Newfane and back, a ride totalling about 24 miles. To tie this in to the Challenge theme, we have a bit of history with Newfane, since we lived and worked there from 2002 to 2016. Here’s the story. Back in 2002, our family was living in Raleigh, … Continue reading "Brattleboro to Newfane"
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This is sort of a new/old story, but mostly it’s just a story. Or two actually, both set in Passau. We’ve been in Passau twice. The first time, in 1996, was on a ride from Prague to Paris, a trip I kept a journal of and have published before. The second, in 1999, was on … Continue reading "Reading Jack Maggs"
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We moved from Munich to Gauting one year ago and have now experienced all four seasons in our new surroundings. Here are some pictures from our local rides in different months and now. Now a before-and-after story: In March I bought a new bike. A while back Em asked how I was doing with the … Continue reading "June Challenge: A bike for all seasons"
Read MoreYou may have seen the short discussion regarding the wearing of facemasks while cycling. It was on the comments section of Old Grumbleface’s last post. I guess it’s a pretty common practice in his part of the country and I applaud his socially responsible actions. That discussion reminded me that I’ve occasionally worn facemasks even … Continue reading "BEFORE AND AFTER: June 12"
Read MoreAmsterdam Schiphol Airport aka Schiphol is the main international airport of the Netherlands. Before 1852, the entire polder of Haarlemmermeer in which the airport lies was a large lake with some shallow areas. 17% of the country’s current land area has been reclaimed from the sea or lakes. Schiphol is 50km / 31mi from Den Haag. A nice distance for a summer’s evening ride. … Continue reading "Virtual Tour 24: Ride to Schiphol"
Read MoreAs we work through the 5 phase plan to reopen Illinois something has to occupy our thoughts and time, such as watching the drapes fade, paint dry, grass grow, and of course watching the corn fields develop. Currently in Phase 3 it is possible to enter Phase 4 by late June. From Newsweek: Phase Three: … Continue reading "Time Measured by the Corn"
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I went off route onto some rough gravel to explore western Arizona’s KOFA National Wildlife Refuge. I was on a quest to see some desert bighorn sheep which are known to roam the area. I never did find any bighorns, but I did find some great plant life in this transition zone between the Mojave … Continue reading "BEFORE AND AFTER: June 11"
Read MoreThe island of Penang is a favourite destination for the R@SKLs. We’ve gone there annually since 2016 for the Campaign For A Lane (CFAL) rides, and have always done at least one other ride on the island during those weekends. Penang has one of the longest histories of the cities and towns in Malaysia. It … Continue reading "Virtual Tour 23: Penang"
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In our newspaper today, a letter to the editor complained because, someone wrote, bicyclists around Santa Rosa refuse to wear masks when riding. Hunh? I promptly masked up, cruised out the Greenway, and snapped a selfie to demonstrate that some of us understand our social responsibilities. Meanwhile, I managed to slip away when a deranged … Continue reading "Masked man"
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I don’t have many old pictures related to cycling, so this month’s challenge is, well, a challenge. I do, however, have some recent before and after pictures from nearby. Taken on bike rides but not showing bikes so not really an entry. The above is my shortest “standard” ride. It’s 15 kilometres that can be … Continue reading "Old, damaged and then GONE"
Read MoreToday’s BEFORE picture involves one of my all-time favorite rest stops. It was a historic general store in Aladdin, Wyoming (population 15). I just wanted something to drink, but I was so enamored by its creaky wooden floors and its quirky ambience, that I hung around there for quite a bit longer than I do … Continue reading "BEFORE AND AFTER: June 10"
Read MoreHam chim peng (Chinese fried doughnuts) and coffee for breakfast. We rolled out of Taiping at 6:30 am. I used Ride With GPS to plot the shortest route from our hotel to Federal Route 1. We would spend most of the day on that road. All went well until 7km from the hotel. We came … Continue reading "Virtual Tour 22: Kuala Lumpur to Penang Day 3"
Read MoreThis daily project is getting to be a little more difficult than I thought it would be. I’m having trouble finding suitable “before” pictures. Nevertheless, I refuse to quit after only three or four days. That would be pathetic. I will persevere, but I just want to prepare you for how this will inevitably end: … Continue reading "BEFORE AND AFTER: June 9"
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So I haven’t posted to this challenge yet because I’m doubly challenged by it. I have very few photos of myself on a bike from the deep past, and most of my stories and newer photos have already been blogged. Here’s something though, more or less on the subject of time. We’ve cycled in Greece … Continue reading "The June challenge: in Naxos"
Read MoreWe were on the road a 6:00 am. We had 126km / 78mi to cover to Taiping. By the time it was light enough to see our surroundings we were on the A112 Jalan Kampung Bali. A quiet Kampung Bali road. Very quiet. No one had eaten breakfast before we left Kampar. Once we had … Continue reading "Virtual Tour 21: Kuala Lumpur to Penang Day 2"
Read MoreYa know those blow-dry machines that women use to dry their hair after a shower? (Some men too — if they still have hair, which I don’t.) Well, today I had to ride into a gigantic version of one of those things. I just got home and I’m dehydrated and I can’t stop sweating, so … Continue reading "BEFORE AND AFTER: June 8"
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George Floyd / “I can’t breathe” / Black Lives Matter demonstrators have marched through Santa Rosa every day for at least a week. For the most part the marchers have been peaceful, but on some nights the composition of the crowd alters noticeably. A few of those individuals with a different agenda have been responsible … Continue reading "BLM"
Read MoreMy entry into the Trike category of the June Challenge. Actually one of the few pictures I have of my early days. 61 years later, I’ve made it to two wheels. Who knows, maybe I’ll be back to three someday. Tried to get the same pose, but didn’t quite make it.
Read MoreThe annual Campaign for a Lane (CFAL) ride on the island of Penang was coming up. My cycling group aka the R@SKLs has made a weekend trip out of CFAL for three or four years now. We usually fly or drive to Penang. This time seven of us decided to cycle to Penang over three … Continue reading "Virtual Tour 20: Kuala Lumpur to Penang Day 1"
Read MoreBack to doing long rides on Saturday, I did a favorite 61 mile loop from Harwood MD down to Chesapeake Beach and back up again. This is a standard Potomac Pedalers ride called “The Express Train to Chesapeake Beach” but still no PPTC group rides. There was a good number of cyclists out on the … Continue reading "Another Close to Normal Ride: Chesapeake Beach/North Beach MD"
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MY FIRST MEMORIES My first bike was a 16-inch bike that was red with training wheels. I was the fourth kid in the extended family to learn to ride on it. I have memories of being on that one at the end of our sloped driveway. My dad also had made me a scooter out … Continue reading "June Challenge: Encyclopedia of Childhood Bikes"
Read MoreToday’s edition is a very easy one. I quickly chose a picture from a past tour and, unlike yesterday, I knew right away where I’d have to go to replicate the scene. When you see this, please keep in mind that the “before” and “after” pictures only have to meet the fairly low standard of … Continue reading "BEFORE AND AFTER: June 7th Edition"
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Okay, Suzanne. By 1952 or 1953 I was ready for some tricycle races. And then I was considering a new career on Java in 1984, also involving a tricycle.
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If I had just waited with writing up my first cycling adventures, I would have had so much to contribute to this month’s challenge. Alas, I squandered all that good material about my early cycling days a couple of months ago. Bad timing. But I did need an excuse to post the first picture of … Continue reading "June Challenge: Time"
Read MoreTeam Hess coming to life early in the morning on Day 2. Some of us were still digesting the excellent barbecue dinner served out of this monster. Adios La Grange. It is usually pretty chilly as we roll over the Day 2 start line. This gentleman never fails to lift the spirits. He occupies the … Continue reading "Virtual Tour 19: The BP MS150 Day 2"
Read MoreBeautiful morning for a solo ride which became rather interesting south of town. On the lookout for Spontaneous Ejection objects, I spied a black — what I thought was a bicycle tool case or CO2 kit — along the road. Rode on past it, had second thoughts,. and turned around to photograph and investigate it. … Continue reading "Interesting Road Swag"
Read MoreYup, it happened again; another thought entered my head today. A thinking man’s gotta think, and this morning I was thinking about how I was going to pull off the bold idea I had yesterday. (The one about riding around for 25 straight days and taking a picture when it reminded me of a picture … Continue reading "BEFORE AND AFTER: The June 6th Edition"
Read MoreThe MS 150 is a two-day ride of between 150 mi / 240 km and 180 mi / 290 km, depending on which of the three starting points you choose in Houston. Day One ends at the Fayette County Fairgrounds in La Grange. The final destination is the Texas State Capitol in Austin. It is … Continue reading "Virtual Tour 18: The BP MS150 Day 1"
Read MoreThe longest so far this season, not all that long, but long by comparison to what has been so far this season. Dave is semi out of self-imposed isolation — he first words were: “This [stuff] isn’t ever going to end is it?” No. 🙁 So off we went south of town, west to Range … Continue reading "Friday Morning Ride"
Read MoreI must be a pretty bright dude because an idea comes into my head almost every day. Interestingly, such thoughts only happen when I’m riding my bike. The rest of the day my brain is controlled by other entities — music, the internet, words in print, movies, television, The Feeshko, etc. Yup, when I’m riding … Continue reading "THE JUNE CHALLENGE BECOMES AN EVERY-DAY THING"
Read MoreThe A12 motorway connects Den Haag with the German border near Zevenaar. The bike path alongside the A12 was a regular ride route. I would ride through Voorburg to get to the A12. Voorburg is thought to be the oldest city in the Netherlands. It has its roots in the 2nd century when a local … Continue reading "Virtual Tour 17: Sights along the A12"
Read MoreI started road cycling in 2010 after ACL replacement surgery. (My pre-teen Raleigh Chopper days don’t count). The 2010 photograph was taken at the finish of the BP MS150 in April. The 2020 photograph was taken in May after more than two months of lockdown. The beard is gone now.
Read MoreThe older picture of me referred to in the title doesn’t have a bike in it. Therefore, if you want to get all nit-picky about it, you could say it should not have been posted here. I wouldn’t even argue with you because, using the most strict interpretation of Cycle365 bylaws, you’d be right. However, … Continue reading "JUNE CHALLENGE II: Wanna See An Even Older Picture Of Me Than The One In My Last Post?"
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Sorry, “World Bicycle Day” was yesterday, June 3! I missed posting and also didn’t give a heads-up for the rest of you. But I did ride my bike. It was a sunny day, so of course we were out on our bikes. The beer gardens have now opened and it was the perfect opportunity for … Continue reading "World Bicycle Day 2020"
Read MoreThis was our last full day in Taiwan. The itinerary at the start of this trip listed a Day 5 ride as optional. Not having ridden at all the day before, we were all up for riding in Taipei. There are at least 200km of bike paths in the city. We rode a 95km / 59mi route … Continue reading "Virtual Tour 16: First Taiwan Trip Day 4"
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The prospects appeared excellent for a drive down to San Rafael today and a little two-wheeled excursion. And so it was. Warm weather. Some familiar scenery. Some terra incognita. I parked by the local Target and puttered around San Rafael. Crossed the big bridge to the East Bay and back. Pedaled through the tunnel to … Continue reading "Bay Heat"
Read MoreThe plan for Day 3 had been a 125km / 78mi ride from An-Tong to Hualien. With 1,139 metres / 3,737 feet of elevation thrown in just for fun. That plan was modified into something less ambitious. We would instead drive part of the way and then ride. So we lounged in the hotel while the … Continue reading "Virtual Tour 15: First Taiwan Trip Day 3"
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Alrighty, here we go with my first attempt at a challenge. After much searching, I really wasn’t able to come with then and now photographs that showed both me and a bike. So, this is going to be mostly a story, with a couple photos that hopefully capture the time vibe, and of course keep … Continue reading "June Challenge – to Jekyll Island, then and now"
Read MoreSomewhere in the world there exists a short film of me and a couple friends racing our bikes, hopping up on curbs, riding with no hands, riding wheelies, and speeding down a dirt path to a riverbank from which we launched into the Little Maquoketa Creek. (In Iowa) We made the movie ourselves for a … Continue reading "JUNE CHALLENGE: Wanna See The Earliest Known Photo of Me With a Bike?"
Read MoreOur Day 2 route took us northeast out of Taitung across the Beinan River and along the coast for the first 35km. Our first stop was at the Jialulan Recreation Area. Not even 10km under our wheels and we were already stopping for photographs. You must admit that the views are stunning. The site was … Continue reading "Virtual Tour 14: First Taiwan Trip Day 2"
Read MoreTo my knowledge, no photo of youthful me and bicycle exists. That was many many years ago, and few photos were taken of anything. Not to mention Mom didn’t like the exploding flash powder. 😉 So, here is a time challenge of sorts: Which clock is from Tiffany’s in New York? (Don’t get the wrong … Continue reading "Time Challenge"
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We’ve had two nights of “I can’t breathe” protests and some property destruction downtown. Nevertheless, I was surprised today to discover, as I was riding my usual route westbound on Sonoma Avenue, the street ahead was being blocked by a mass of protesters coming in my direction. Read more at Bill Bikes
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In late 1982 or early 1983, a camera-wielding friend photographed me and my Roberts in the driveway of the house where I lived in Illinois. Later she surprised me with a poster-size print of one of the photos. I happened to run across it — rolled up for almost 40 years — the other day … Continue reading "The more things change…."
Read MoreNothing quite as interesting as what Bill seems to find, but more and more is appearing both in town and out in the countryDiscarded mask along 6th street, another on west Maple was not photographed Black T shirt? Along 1550 E Lacking a 10 foot pole, it didn’t merit further investigation West Maple street Also … Continue reading "Spontaneous Ejection is Spreading!!"
Read MoreI ride with a group that calls itself the R@SKLs. One of the R@SKLs is Taiwanese. He suggested a cycling trip to Taiwan. He would make all the arrangements. So in April 2018 fourteen of us arrived at Taoyuan Airport in Taipei. Our bicycles were loaded onto the two vans which would accompany us over … Continue reading "Virtual Tour 13: First Taiwan Trip Day 1"
Read MoreThe weekend weather was perfect here this weekend – low humidity, mostly blue skies and temps in the 60s and 70s. I had done so many local short loops I decided it was time to throw the bike on the car and do an old favorite ride: a 52 mile loop around a local attraction, … Continue reading "An Almost Normal Sunday Ride: 52 Miles Around Sugarloaf “Mountain” in Maryland"
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