Expensive T-Shirts.

I was reading a thread on a cycling forum the other day about a certain expensive cycling clothing manufacturer and thought it was time to offer up my own overpriced t-shirt for sale. Get'em before the copyright infringement lawsuit kicks in!

Eating, Drinking and Riding.

Drive, Coffee, Drive, Eat, Drink, Sleep, Ride, Drink, Eat, Sleep, Eat, Ride, Eat, Drink, Sleep, Eat, Eat, Ride, Drink, Eat, Sleep, Eat, Eat, Ride, Eat, Drink, Sleep, Coffee, Drive, Eat, Drive, Ride, Eat.

That pretty much sums up my Thanksgiving weekend. Hope yours was great! The above is the graph out of my bro's Garmin from yesterday's ride. That first big bump just might have been the steepest hill I ever climbed. Not the longest, but ouch it hurt. Only 27, 45, 37, 45 miles for each day, but the eating was a whole lot more! :)

Just got back from a nice slow and easy 45. Today's weather was really nice.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I just want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. I hope your day is filled with much good food and cheer. I'm enjoying a nice Kellerweis as I type this to get the long weekend started!

YouTube Playlists

It's that time of year again. Yep, indoor trainer riding. Tonight I confiscated my wife's laptap, loaded up an hour+ of cycling videos in a youtube playlist and spun. Not much more to say than that.

Riding Buddies.

Today I caught up to a guy on a LeMond named Jeff from Baltimore and we rode together for 15 or so miles before he turned his way and I turned mine. You meet some really nice people out riding a bike. On Blackrock Road I headed west to Westminster, then south to Liberty Road and back home. A similar ride to one I did a few weeks ago. 60 miles in all.

This pic is of O'Lordan's Pub in Westminster. One day I'll have to stop in. It looks interesting.

Liberty Reservoir

Today I got out for a late lunch ride out past Liberty Reservoir. This road on the way back has fairly heavy traffic, but the wide shoulders make for pretty good riding anyway. I have a sore throat and didn't feel particularly good out there so it was kinda slow going. Even so, getting outdoors is always nice and as you can see the sun was bright.

Left Nut of the Week.

I've admired Richard Sachs bikes since I first saw one as a kid in the pages of Bicycling Magazine. I particularly like the CX model you see here. It's a modern classic, blending cutting edge components with a steel frame built by the hand of a master who quite literally has dedicated his life to the craft. I'm not sure there's a rational reason for a peasant like me to actually own or race a Sachs though. Wonder if Mr. Sachs would be offended if I used it as a winter commuter?

Mantua Mill Bridge.

All through the summer these flower boxes are in full bloom. Many bidon have been thrown from their cages while crossing this bridge. It's quite a bunny hop at the ends.

The Ride.

Thirty Seconds To Mars - Kings + Queens - HD

30 Seconds to Mars | MySpace Video

I was sent this video by a fellow tweetster who thought I'd like it. I sure do! Enjoy.

Tuesday Lunch Ride.

I came into work at 6am today so I was able to ride a bit longer (31 miles) over lunch. Felt a bit tired so the plan for tomorrow is to go easy unless I feel great by then.

Giro for DC in 2012?

Logistical nightmare be damned, Washington DC is going to bid on hosting the prologue and another stage for the Giro d'Italia in 2012. I think it would be great, but my only advice; Please don't send Barry to make the sales pitch.

Vive Le Tour!

I watched this the other night and was thinking how like most things it seems, The Tour has lost something in the last 50 years. But on further thought I think it's still the single greatest sporting event in the world. Nothing else comes close for me. This is worth watching for the photography alone.

Riding at Lunch.

Today I woofed down my sandwich and applesauce and went out for a lunch ride. I felt pretty strong out there today. Amazing since yesterday my ass was dragging all over Baltimore County for 3+ hours.

No pics today, sorry. Maybe I'll snap one on the ride home from work.

70 in November!

I got out for 3 hours this morning in perfect weather. Everyone else must have had the same idea it seems. Tons of riders out there.

This pic was taken in a parking garage near the train station on the way back. It just might be a great place to do hill repeats in the middle of winter!

Decision Time.

Riding in 40 degree rain? Indoors on the trainer listening to podcasts? Sitting in the front of the TV with a beer? Pretty obvious choice there eh?

New inFormation.

I've had the Scott CR1 about 1 year now. It's been good to me, but 6000+ miles later, besides the snapped SRAM 1090R Chain and worn out tires, the saddle is the weak link. It's never been comfortable really, so today after Lunch I headed over to the bike shop for a butt fitting. They make you sit on a board covered in what looks like cake icing under a sheet of clear plastic. The impression that's left is like a walk-of-fame impression for butt cheeks. The width is then measured, color coded and matched to a saddle. Anyway, I now have the new Bontrager inForm RL and matching PRO handlebar tape.

I'll put them on this evening and if the weather gets better tomorrow will be their maiden voyage. Wish me luck.

Top of the Hill.

I caught this pic at the top of Geist Road today. It felt good to be riding in 70 degree temps one more time? Get out and ride if you get a chance.

Dark Hollow Road.

Right next to this gate is one of the many horse jump crossings in the area where I ride. Sadly I didn't get that in the shot, but I liked this one anyway. This road is called Dark Hollow road. Funny thing is it's not particularly dark. Back home in PA the Dark Hollow Road is actually very dark, no matter what time of day.

I had a pretty hard ride today. 55 miles. I caught up to and rode along with a guy named Paul from Route 1 Velo out near Westminster. Eventually he continued south and I headed east back towards home.

Stone Bridge

It was another perfect day here in Maryland for a lunchtime ride. I usually don't like stopping when I'm out there on the road, but then how would I get these pics? This one was taken on a twisty descent a few miles from work.

The Old Walnut Tree.

I pass this old walnut tree all the time when I'm out there on the road. Today I stopped for a closer look.

They Loved My Bike.

When I pulled off the road to take a pic these horses ran over and showed way more interest in my bike than they did me. I thought the middle one was going to take a bite out of my Saddle. The short one was super friendly.

A Tricky Commute.

The Impossible Journey from John Bonner on Vimeo.

This is well done in so many ways. Worth a watch. Thanks to Karl's Site for bringing it to my attention.

Riding at Lunchtime.

I found a really great 1 hour loop that can be varied from 17 to 22 miles depending on how fast I'm feeling on a particular day. I feel really fortunate to live and work in an area with great roads for riding. I know the blog has taken a real hit in volume of updates this year, but I'm gonna try to keep it going, with at least pics from my rides like you see above. They don't take much time to do and will be a great reminder for me as to why I ride in the first place.