I had to go to campus today for a meeting and then another meeting, and my strong desire to not go to campus meant I had to bribe myself, so I popped the Surly on the back of the car and drove us there with the promise that we could ride the trail out to Annapolis after work. Rather than park at the airport, I drove to the start of the B&A Trail, taking the long way because I didn’t plan my route beyond “drive toward the airport.” Continue reading
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View Down the Shore Bikeway at Erskine in Brooklyn
Yesterday’s ride was a short one-down the hill to Penn Station on the Brompton for our ritzy train ride up to NYC. Best laid plans to ride across ALL THE BRIDGES were spoiled by a snowy deluge-this cat does not ride on ice- but today it was warm, sunny, and breezy, just perfect for a ride. I wrote down directions from Crown Heights to Jamaica Bay so I could see water, and off I went. My map took me out Eastern Parkway on its busy bike/ped path where you can see the segregated neighborhoods switch over by who is sitting on the benches to a right onto Rockaway’s buffered bike lane filled with glass and double parked cars, and then through the scrap metal district leading to that Brooklyn that looks like Queens to me, all single-family homes with awkward awnings and the lattice work that looks like it’s done with bed poles-you know what I mean if you’ve seen it. I dodged some hairy traffic back on Rockaway, but then I was on the bike/ped path that hugs the shore of Jamaica Bay, and oh, it was smooth sailing. It is still obvious that Hurricane Sandy was here, and much of the ride was sandwiched between the KEEP OUT signs of rebuilding and the cars speeding by on the Belt Expressway. I pedaled out until the path disappeared, got lost in Queens due to my tendency to follow a bike lane no matter what, and then I was 12 miles out, taking a break, performing a quick shifter repair, saying my good mornings to this particular set of dogs, and wondering when they’ll rebuild all the tiny piers outside the homes at 165th Ave. and 99th Street. The ride home was into the wind but worth it as I retraced my steps, and this spot, at least, was downhill. Pedaling along under the NYC sun, yep, I am pretty lucky. Lesson learned again: it is always worth it to take your bike along if you can.
Iron Fencing Around the Druid Hill Park Reservoir
After my chain snapped on Monday I took the bike in for a day at the spa. Wednesday was a wash, but today I finally got to go for a ride again. The Surly was all fancy pants–new handlebar wrap, new water bottle holders, a shiny clean drive train, and new shifter cables and housing– and it was a treat. Continue reading
Tracks at Jones Station Along the B&A Trail in Severa Park
It’s Sunday, which meant it was time for another longer ride since, you know, I’m an athlete-in-training and all. I did that thing I always said I’d never do–I drove my bicycle somewhere in order to ride it. That seems so silly since the point is to not drive, right? Well, I need some time just sitting in the saddle and pedaling along, and I can’t into the proper groove with the stop-and-go of city biking. I strapped the Surly on the back of my car and drove to the train station by the airport and then just followed the signs. It only took about a mile to get into a rhythm, rolling past chain link fences and parking lots and gas stations and VFW posts and over the wooden bridges that add an out-of-place class to the loop trail. Continue reading
No Trespassing Sign Along the BWI Loop Trail on the Aviation Blvd Stretch
I normally work from home on Wednesdays, but a student needed to meet with me, so there you go. Well, if I had to be out there, I figured I might as well toss the Brompton in the trunk of the car and take a ride around the BWI Loop Trail, a place I never ride because to get there means driving, and why bother doing that when I can just step out my door and roll down the hill? Here’s why: I drove up to the train station parking garage (I can bring Brompty on the train next time!), lifted the bike out of the trunk, unfolded it in about a minute, and then I was off for a ten mile easy pedal on smooth asphalt, no cars to contend with–only other bicyclists, and these ones were friendly. Continue reading
Weaving Bee at Chase & Barclay
So today I decided to ride my bike somewhere out of traffic where I could just pedal for 15 or 20 miles to see how far I could go without stopping. My big charity ride is months away, but it’s 140 miles–I need to start racking up time in t he saddle now. The sun was shining, temps in the mid-40s, and aside from the pesky wind machine, it was an awfully good day for a bike ride. I hopped on and headed toward Lake Montebello for as many trips around the circle I could stand. Continue reading
Piles of Rubble at the New Casino Site from the Gwynns Falls Trail Bridge Near Oler Street
So I was in Cleveland for a week, and then a few days after I got back to Baltimore, I caught that cold that’s been taking out my students for the past few months–sore, closed throat, cough, itchy ears, fatigue, and just general blah-ness. I decided to take a couple days off the bike to see if I could just get better rather than driving everything into my lungs and making the whole business worse. Well, today I’m not totally better, but I’m good enough to get out there for a ride, and I really, really needed it. Continue reading
The View From the East End of the Druid Park Reservoir
Thursday’s ride took me up the hill and around Hampden before dropping back down to Druid Hill Park for some laps around the reservoir where I wanted to get a sense of what ten, twelve, and fourteen miles an hour on flat terrain feels like (thank you, wristwatchcomputerthingy!). I put some music in my ears and got in the lane, round and round I went. I passed that woman and her muppet dog a bunch of times, the three women out for a jog who were doing some speed work on that one lap, geese having sex (happy Valentine’s Day!), and lots of folks just out for a stroll. I snapped this picture looking out over the city on my fourth lap; I love the view here, sometimes because I can see so many neighborhoods, other times, like this day, because it’s mostly sky, an excellent reminder that the rest is pretty small. A couple more laps and it was time to head home, but I could have gone around in circles for another hour or two, just what I needed.
View Down the Herring Run Park Trail Near Parkside & Harford Road
Today was just the perfect Sunday. I woke up early, did a little reading, and then took the Brompton to S.’s for a ride over to Patterson Park where we met friends for a walk. There were dogs, guys practicing football, loud noises coming from the ice rink, a trip down the slide, swinging, a round of knee-slap (S. invented this excellent game–ask her for a demo next time you see her), and then we found a basketball and discovered that C. is a good shot and S. can get significant air. Continue reading
Geese on the Druid Hill Park Reservoir
Oh, it wasn’t easy to leave the perfect mid-70s sunshine of New Orleans for the sleeting skies of Baltimore, but I live here now, so there you go. Yesterday was a bit chilly, but we got a surprise (to me) warm up under heavy clouds today. Things started to look more and more like rain, so I put on my bike shoes and headed to the park for a few turns around the reservoir. It was so, so warm, so I took off my coat, shoved it in my pannier, and pedaled my way to the park. Continue reading
What I Saw Riding My Bike Around Today 