Soaking Wet

A few hours ago, I was out on the roads when God frowned upon me and opened up the clouds.  My glasses were useless after a few minutes, so I tossed them in the saddle bag, and instead of heading back home like a fellow with common sense, I continued on with my intended route.

Dark clothes.  No lights.  Rear reflector gone.  This should be interesting.  These are the things I think about only when I need them.  I never said I was the most sensible person, did I?

Actually, I had no problems.  I found most drivers actually slowed down and moved to the left.  Maybe it’s because it’s a Saturday and no one is in a hurry to get back into the day to day routine of work.  Maybe they are afraid that anyone willing to ride a bicycle in a torrential rainstorm must have escaped from the Greystone Asylum a few hours ago.  Despite the schizophrenic cyclist, a couple drivers actually thought I could provide them with direction to their destination.  Sorry, never heard of that lake.  Umm, you should see signs for downtown Boonton up ahead, I think.  While I likely succeeded in misdirecting them, I continued on with my damp pursuit of riding the large circle around the back roads of Morris County.

I saw a few other schizophrenic riders while out.  I think they too were confused with the weather.  Rain does not equate into the ideal climate for cycling on your cycle.  Perhaps they too got stuck in the storm, but not being as hefty as myself, they were farther away from their starting point, and immediately turned around when the sky began falling.  Despite the lack of specs on my face, I tried not to laugh at one gentleman riding as I noticed his expensive attire and bicycle.  He must have spent hundreds on his jersey, and looked really annoyed that he was getting his $2500.00 bike wet.  He looked at me as if I belonged on the Pulaski Skyway selling stolen bottles of water to weary commuters.  Obviously a character like me does not belong in Mountain Lakes, NJ.

Heading back home, I had a heart attack when an ambulance blasted me with its siren.  I was the only person around that lonely stretch of road with like 20 feet of shoulder.  The surprise practically pulled me into the ditch, but I survived.  Just seemed kind of unnecessary.  Perhaps they thought I was another escapee, but then, they’d have pulled me off of my sopping bicycle, and onto the stretcher, straps and all.  Moments after, I noticed the ambulance pull into the hospital.  Ok, it was a real emergency and I can stop being annoyed.

I finally pulled into my driveway.  Tired even though I only spun out 13.5 miles according to my cyclometer.  What an adventure.  Actually, I don’t mind riding in the rain.  I might try that again. Next time I’ll bring my lights.  And a rain poncho.  Stay dry.

I love that hill!

There’s this little gravel trail that I take as a shortcut that runs along the high-tension power lines.  I don’t know why, but the hill puts a huge smile on my face no matter what mood I’m in.  It makes me thankful for my front suspension, that’s for sure.

It is all downhill to work.  This hill has a way of fooling you.  First you do a tiny bit of climbing, reach the crest, from there you can see down to Route 10 by the Atlanta Bread Company, and Wendy’s across the highway.  Then you descend down the first hill, which is like a tiny bump compared to the second drop.  Woohoo!  Just like a roller coaster!

As the gravel settles more, I have to really keep in tune with the trail.  It has done some shifting, but if I keep my frame in  attack mode, I just plow through the small canyons and tears in the trail.

Anyway, it is my little escape into no man’s land.  I’ve yet to see anyone else on the trail, though I do see clues of other bikes and dirtbikes on it.

Chances are slim to none that I’ll ever attempt to climb this hill.

Crisp Fall Morning

In a few moments, I’ll be riding off towards work.  I had not been riding in for a few weeks, and was wondering why my attitude at work had gone just a little bit sour.  I think the key to happiness at work (apart from having that dream job of being a songwriter) is to get some exercise before work.  Also, the commute to work helps me to get focused and prepared.  I’m not so focused on the rat race that is associated with driving, but rather, I notice God’s creation.

Bicycling helps me to really appreciate the small things in life.  When riding home, it is a time to clear the cobwebs of work out of my mind, readying myself for the more valuable family time.  The Bible states that physical exercise profits a little.  I agree, that is some good wisdom.  It won’t be the cure for all of the world’s problems, but it helps, and it won’t hurt.

I hope everyone has a blessed day.  Take time to enjoy the finer points of God’s creation.

Vacation Time!

I cannot wait for next week’s vacation!  I plan on going up to New England, and thanks to my sister inlaw, we’re bringing a bike trailer.  So I’ll get to tow my kids around, which should be very fun!

Lately I’ve been so tired, that it has been very hard for me to get up on time.  I think I last rode in two weeks ago.  Today I actually got up in time, but was confronted with a huge rainstorm.  I’m hoping a vacation packed with a lot of riding will get me back in the saddle.

Our weekends lately have been spent working on the house making repairs and cleaning.  Our basement looks awesome, but the bicycles have collected dust.  Oh well, when life hands you lemons…

Last week, I was set on riding at the Denville day with the mayor and Kendra.  Unfortunately, mechanical issue prevented me from doing so.  I had bowered my sister-inlaw’s bicycle trailer for that ride, and while in the process of attaching it to my wife’s bicycle, I lost the quik release nut.  Spent the next hour on my hands and knees on the grass looking for this.  During that process, I managed to mangle my glasses, and while looking for my spare quick release set, I broke one of my wife’s lamps.  The day didn’t end as well as I planned.

My wife found the missing piece a couple days ago while weeding one of her garden beds.  Who knew something could mysteriously fly so far from the location where I knew I left it.

So, I’ll try to post some pictures of my adventures in New England.  You all enjoy the last few remaining weeks of summer!

Flying Sodas

How anticlimactic is it when throwing a large soda at a cyclist, only to miss?

Ask the goofy teenagers in the black SUV who tried that yesterday.  They are so lucky they didn’t come to a stop light immediately following their failed attempt at humor.

Tons of riding

My Specialized and I had a truly wonderful vacation (oh, and wife and kids too).  I rode down by the shore one day (this was with my father-inlaw’s hybrid), and had plenty of day trips around Denville, Rockaway, Morris Plains.  I even rode with a former co-worker, though I was trying to convince him to ride on the right side of the road, and not the sidewalk.  He drives a motorcycle, too so I was a little suprised.  He did ride safely on the quieter roads.

Of course, last day of vacation being yesterday, my last mile I scored a flat tire!  No repair kit, and I’m all out of spare tubes.  Nice!  That’s life.

Also, I wore bike shorts yesterday.  Pete the crazy cyclist would be proud.  Luckily, these are the kind with the extra layer, so I don’t show off my leg definition.  I’m taking these things in small steps, folks.  I’m sure some years down the road I’ll be shaving my legs like the rest of them, but for now, I’m sticking it  conservative style.  The bike shorts are very comfortable, though.

Funny thing, even though my inlaw’s bike is a hybrid, I felt like I was flying, when compared to my Specialized Hardrock.  Makes me wonder if I should just finally get an old steel road bike.  In fact, the guy down the street was selling an ancient steel bike for $50.00.  I don’t remember the name of the company, but it seemed Italian or French.  I know if I want to start getting some serious mileage, I will need a road or touring bike.

Vacation

I’ve had a cheap vacation staying at home with plenty of riding.  Not much else to say, I’m still in vacation mode right now.

Longest. Ride. Ever. (For Me).

33 Miles

Today I set out on a mission.  To break my record, which, though I don’t remember it, I pretended is somewhere in the 20’s for mileage distance.  I can’t remember any rides longer than 25 miles since I started riding again last year.

Here are the details of the ride, with some unprofessional photographs, and the first ever Shaky Metalcommuter Video!

The Start

I started out heading down Franklin road towards the south end of Denville (or Ward 4, according to all of those political signs out on the yards right now).  This is a rural part of town with winding hilly roads, and even a couple farms.  My first stop was at the Veterans Memorial Park on Zeek Road:

This is a nice park with soccer fields, baseball diamonds, a dog park, and…a tank!

Like any red blooded American dude, I had to stop.  I love tanks.  If anyone can tell me anything about this particular model, please do.  I know next to nothing about the intricacies of the American tank.  I do know they are awesome at blowing things up.  My Specialized looked great next to it, though I was a bit worried the tank would just crush it.  Doubtful, because the Specialized is made of aluminum alloy, which sounds like Terminator.

Insane

After confronting an American tank, I swung past the local insanity asylum.  Greystone Park, in New Jersey, is a must do for all Weird NJ trekkers.  I didn’t go past the haunted building, but I did catch a sign as proof that they weren’t able to put me into the cuckoo’s nest.

I once read that the original hospital had the largest building footprint in the world until the Pentagon was constructed.  I would not recommend trespassing because you’ll get arrested.  There are cops stationed at the road entrances waiting for midnight runners.

Patriot’s Path

Eventually I ended up on Sussex Avenue in Morristown.  I finally spotted the paved portion of the Patriot’s Path.  It was a nice break from the roads, though I was confronted with more uphills later on.  This was about 3 miles, and no one was on the road.

Village City

Eventually I ended up on Washington Street in Morristown.  I didn’t stop to hang out, though.

I followed South Street down to the Loantanka Park.  I have visited this park plenty of times, and love it.  There are a few miles of paved trails, and a dirt trail that takes you through a brook a few times.  Fun, easy, and a top of the line park.

Funny, I drafted a couple newbie roadies on the way to the park.  The girl was in the lead, and the guy was trying to hammer it to break me.  Heh, first time on the road, probably.  I let them go when I turned into the park.  Not bad for a 240 lb guy on a mountain bike, carrying a pack on the rear rack.

Timeout for the word

I took a much needed break and spent sometime studying the book of Exodus.

There were plenty of recreational riders with the kids, a cool thing.  Again, this is a favorite park of mine.  I guess I hold some sentimental memories for this park.

I then headed down the trail towards Madison.

More paved trails in the woods.  Morris County New Jersey is a nice place to live.  This one taken while in motion.

Sweet Tea

I decided to stop at Atlanta Bread in downtown Madison.  Lori and I spent many of our “honeymoon” years living in downtown Madison.  Madison is a cool little town with a lot of boutique shops.  Also, for a conservative town, they are really bike friendly.  It seemed like there were “Share The Road” bicycle signs every 50 yards, and they painted out bike lanes on most of the major roads.

Ymmm…sweet tea hit the spot.  While there, my wife called.  She locked the keys in the car, and was at her brother’s house in Parsippany.  It was decided she’d just wait for me to get home.  Good, because I was a long way from home.

This is my 30th birthday gift.  I love it, and can’t imagine carrying a backpack ever again.

Madison-Morristown Traction Line

From there, I headed towards the Traction Line.  Or, I tried to find it, going down side streets off of Madison Ave.,  only to realize that the Traction Line entrance in Madison is off of Park Ave., which runs on the other side of the train tracks.

I did catch an entrance at the Convent Station stop.  I used to ride on this for exercise back before my bike commuting days.

You can see the sky grew dark.  That is because it started raining.  As soon as I entered the dangerous intersection on the Morristown side, it started to downpour.  Honestly, the rain was refreshing.  No big deal.

Through Morristown onto Morris Plains, and back up my familiar bike commute.  Here’s a picture of the Mt. Tabor park entrance.

If you like old Victorians, then you’ll love Mt. Tabor.  Some very interesting architecture lay beyond these gates.

I leave you with a terrible video of the last minute of my ride.  This was taken with my digital camera, and you can tell my attempt at creative angles failed miserably, and the auto-focus feature had a hard time keeping up with my pace.

All in all, it was a great ride.  I’ll be feeling it tomorrow.

Rogue Trail Riding

So I’ve been using the Morris Plains “Borough Walking Trail” for the ride on the way to work.  This cuts about 5 minutes from my commute, and the descent is F-U-N!

The entrance has a sign which states “No Vehicles Permitted”.  I believe a bicycle is a form of a vehicle, but I pretend the definition means motorized vehicles when I ride past that sign.

The thing is, the trail is like an alternative to coffee.  It is just too fun in the morning to ignore.  Hoping along at over 30 miles per hour on a short steep hill is something I look forward to know.

The normal way is just boring, though I do get to look at Pfizer on one side and Johnson and Johnson on the other.

Feeling Stronger

I recently had a record time heading the most direct route home.  Thirty minutes portal to portal, including the massive (not so massive) hill in Mt. Tabor.  I don’t know, something clicked, and I decided to ride the entire trip with very little coasting breaks.

Compared to a few weeks ago, I feel like my legs are in slightly better condition, though I haven’t dropped a ton of weight.  Yet.  This will start to happen as I get smarter with my diet.

Pete has encouraged me to take longer more challenging routes.  I’ve taken his advice, and the route of choice takes me an extra thirty minutes with much more challenging hills.  I hope to have some pictures, because this route is pretty (well, except for the high tension power lines on some of the ride).  While it has less traffic, I’ve noticed myself a bit intimidated climbing a winding country road hoping the next car flying around the bend sees me before it is too late.  My direct route has nice shoulders for much of the ride, whereas this route forces me to take the road.

Flat Tire Mishaps

I’ve had two flats in as many weeks.  Both times, the rear tire mysteriously emptied out over night.  I am beginning to wonder if I have some sort of bicycle gremlin lurking in the shadows of my basement, waiting for the most inconvient time to wreak havoc.

I think the reasons for the flat tires are to be attributed to riding in the early season when road debris is at a higher level.  Still, I hate flat tires!

Boston Sports

Both of my spring time playoff teams were knocked out of the playoffs early.  Alas, this means that the Bruins, and Celtics will be hitting the links, cruising in their yachts, getting dental surgery, or whatever it is that pro athletes do in the offseason.  On the plus, this also means that I won’t be staying up all hours of the week watching my teams win championships, the plus being that I’ll go to bed at more Godly hours ready to ride early in the morning.

I’m still rooting for the old team in Boston though.

Work Move

Next week my company moves.  This maybe adds a quarter mile to my commute, but I’m wondering if they have showers.  So far, I have had no luck in locating them, but I’ve only looked at the one men’s room near our new office.  Bonus, they actually have a cafeteria.  Not that I have money to spend there anyway.

I may have to learn how to commute without taking a shower.  Yuck!  I know other (if not most) commuters do it this way, but once you have the luxury of a shower you start taking it for granted.  Some good advice I’ve read, is to take it easy on the way in so that you don’t build up a terrible sweat, and then get the real work out on the way home.  I may practice this next week.

My thought

The president wants to make it so all new cars by 2016 have to have a minimum 35.5 MPG.  I’m not sure this is realistic, and I’m also unsure if this is the best way to confront our dependency on foreign oil.  While I’m a big fan of new technology and advancement in different energy outlets, I wonder if we should just allow the market to dictate MPGs and how to figure out a cheap way at extracting the oil from shale.

Then again, I’m no energy expert, I just enjoy riding a bike.