I came across this on Facebook and wanted to share it here. Very amusing!
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Mild December Weather Brought Us Out!
It's been amazing weather in Connecticut lately! Kind of crazy, actually. In October, a freak snowstorm hit our area, leaving a large number of residents powerless for up to a week. I was thinking that we were in for a rough Winter... again.
Last year, we had a Winter for the record books with so many severe snowstorms hitting us one after another. Working full-time with a long commute, and having a daughter in elementary school that was repeatedly being cancelled, I was lucky to have been able to make it to work many times -- never mind ever getting to squeeze in a bike ride or even hit the gym. It was depressing, and I gained back weight I had worked so hard to lose the year prior.
Fortunately, November gave us Indian Summer weekends, and Dave and I took full advantage of it! We keep track of our cycling mileage on DailyMile, and it's interesting to note that last year in November, we had in a grand total of 23 miles. This year has tallied up to 352 miles!
And so far, for December, we have 50 miles in.
Twenty three of this month's mileage so far has come from two early morning rides. I've been providing childcare for my grandson, Carter, who just turned 6 months old. My daughter leaves for school a little after 8 a.m. each weekday, so Dave and I got up extra early and we were in the driveway, on our tandem at 7 a.m. to squeeze in our 11.5 mile loop.
To be able to ride in December, yesterday morning's gray skies and drizzle did not hold us back. We were grateful for the chance to get some time for US!
Last year, we had a Winter for the record books with so many severe snowstorms hitting us one after another. Working full-time with a long commute, and having a daughter in elementary school that was repeatedly being cancelled, I was lucky to have been able to make it to work many times -- never mind ever getting to squeeze in a bike ride or even hit the gym. It was depressing, and I gained back weight I had worked so hard to lose the year prior.
Fortunately, November gave us Indian Summer weekends, and Dave and I took full advantage of it! We keep track of our cycling mileage on DailyMile, and it's interesting to note that last year in November, we had in a grand total of 23 miles. This year has tallied up to 352 miles!
And so far, for December, we have 50 miles in.
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| On the road just after sunrise on December 6th, 2011! |
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| Skies like this might have scared us away from riding in July, but in December, 50 degree temps lured us out. |
To be able to ride in December, yesterday morning's gray skies and drizzle did not hold us back. We were grateful for the chance to get some time for US!
Monday, December 5, 2011
Riding with Champions!
It isn't always easy maintaining balance when it comes to exercise if you're a cyclist. So our weekend consisted of two different kind of workouts. Saturday was a lower body workout and on Sunday, we had an upper body workout.
Saturday was a day David had been anticipating for a while -- Bike Ride & Book Signing with John Allis.
And, while I didn't know anything about the man previously, I have to say that meeting this man was actually very exciting for me too!
The event on Saturday was held at Belmont Wheelworks -- a bicycle shop near Boston that is familiar to many area tandem owners because this store has a wide variety of tandem bikes on display. (Wheelworks Too which is located just around the corner from their main store, serves as the TANDEM CENTER OF NEW ENGLAND - with a selection of tandem bicycles by Cannondale, Co-Motion, Santana and Trek.)
Bill Humphreys hosted Saturday's ride and book signing celebrating the launch of his new book, The Jersey Project. It was an honor to ride with both John and Bill. Although we weren't aware of it at first, we also met and rode with Peter Mooney, a custom bike frame builder. The stories they told and the memories they shared clearly conveyed a love of the sport of bicycle racing. It's a passion David shares, and it was a joy to hear of their experiences and reflections of the training, dedication and the suffering! What was also evident was the pride and satisfaction of having been a part of it all.
Dave and I were surprised that there was another tandem in our group as well. As a couple, these riders were strong. We learned afterward, that the captain was an employee of the bicycle shop and he was an expert in properly fitting couples to their tandems. He had a great deal of knowledge and superior riding abilities!
Right off the start, Dave and I were hanging on to the back of the pack. There were a few steep hills, and while we are good with speed on flats, climbing with our 48 lb. steel tandem is another story. I didn't voice my concern, but I had my doubts about us keeping up with this group. These guys are considerably older than us, but they are way more experienced -- and on top of that, extremely comfortable with the Boston area and this particular route.
As the route progressed, we caught up, and we were better able to stay within the group. Our fellow cyclists were very supportive, and they took turns on upcoming hills in lending us some of their pedal power with a firm hand pushing on my back. For those efforts, I was extremely touched and appreciative.
We enjoyed engaging conversation with them along the way. Both John and Bill spent considerable time riding with our tandem for good stretches, and we chatted comfortably. Their stories were captivating and inspiring.
After the ride, everyone regrouped back inside the shop where Bill and John were available at a table display. The relaxed atmosphere continued, and we all enjoyed looking through the pages of The Jersey Project book. David was surprised to have owned a couple of the jerseys pictured inside the book!
That was our lower body workout -- a very memorable day of cycling, and walking to and though one of Boston's most visited tourist attractions.
Our upper body workout came the next morning in the form of harvesting wood from some fallen trees on the property of Dave's brother, Marc. Dave brought along his trusty chainsaw, and he cut the trunks into manageable sized logs. We split those right there and then in the woods, and then we loaded two vehicles. Phew! That was a bit of work. But it was so great to spend time with Marc and Maureen! Dave snapped a great photo of the two of them coming out of the woods after we loaded our pickup truck.
Saturday was a day David had been anticipating for a while -- Bike Ride & Book Signing with John Allis.
(John Allis (born May 31, 1942) is an American cyclist who entered into international cycling competition in the 1960s. He was one of the strongest competitive cyclists in the United States in the early 1970s, winning the United States National Road Race Championships in 1974. He was inducted into the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame in 1993.)
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| John Allis shows off his vintage cleats! |
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| Bill Humpheys watches as John Allis signs a copy of Bill's book, The Jersey Project, for Dave Etchells |
And, while I didn't know anything about the man previously, I have to say that meeting this man was actually very exciting for me too!
 |
| Peter Mooney is in the background while David chats with John Allis before the ride. David's cap and jersey were both vintage and kept in good shape over the years! |
The event on Saturday was held at Belmont Wheelworks -- a bicycle shop near Boston that is familiar to many area tandem owners because this store has a wide variety of tandem bikes on display. (Wheelworks Too which is located just around the corner from their main store, serves as the TANDEM CENTER OF NEW ENGLAND - with a selection of tandem bicycles by Cannondale, Co-Motion, Santana and Trek.)
Dave and I were surprised that there was another tandem in our group as well. As a couple, these riders were strong. We learned afterward, that the captain was an employee of the bicycle shop and he was an expert in properly fitting couples to their tandems. He had a great deal of knowledge and superior riding abilities!
Right off the start, Dave and I were hanging on to the back of the pack. There were a few steep hills, and while we are good with speed on flats, climbing with our 48 lb. steel tandem is another story. I didn't voice my concern, but I had my doubts about us keeping up with this group. These guys are considerably older than us, but they are way more experienced -- and on top of that, extremely comfortable with the Boston area and this particular route.
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| John Allis |
We enjoyed engaging conversation with them along the way. Both John and Bill spent considerable time riding with our tandem for good stretches, and we chatted comfortably. Their stories were captivating and inspiring.
After the ride, everyone regrouped back inside the shop where Bill and John were available at a table display. The relaxed atmosphere continued, and we all enjoyed looking through the pages of The Jersey Project book. David was surprised to have owned a couple of the jerseys pictured inside the book!
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| David and Karen Etchells with Bill Humpheys and John Allis |
After the event, Dave and I headed over the Quincy Market, where we enjoyed people watching, the hustle and bustle of the holiday shopping, and getting a bite to eat!
That was our lower body workout -- a very memorable day of cycling, and walking to and though one of Boston's most visited tourist attractions.
Our upper body workout came the next morning in the form of harvesting wood from some fallen trees on the property of Dave's brother, Marc. Dave brought along his trusty chainsaw, and he cut the trunks into manageable sized logs. We split those right there and then in the woods, and then we loaded two vehicles. Phew! That was a bit of work. But it was so great to spend time with Marc and Maureen! Dave snapped a great photo of the two of them coming out of the woods after we loaded our pickup truck.
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| Marc and Maureen |
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| The end result of Sunday's efforts neatly stacked in our back yard. |
Friday, December 2, 2011
Exciting Weekend Ahead!
Saturday will be an exciting day for David.
David loves bicycle racing. He has fond memories of group rides and racing himself when he was a young man. He still holds onto a great collection of old yellowed Velo News issues from his teenage years. He has met Greg Lemond twice. And he has his autograph. It's framed and on the wall in our living room. We upped our line of cable channels when the Tour De France was televised, and it when it is televised, it is on our TV while David is dressing for work, and as soon as dinner is finished until he goes to sleep at night. He really loves bicycle racing!
Several weeks ago, when we were invited via Facebook by Bill Humpheys to attend a Bike Ride & Book Signing with John Allis, this Saturday (December 3, 2011), David was thrilled, and most definitely we are going!
Until we were invited to this event, I did not know of the name John Allis. I googled him. But David surely knows who he is, and we will be at Belmont Wheelworks in Belmont, Massachusetts tomorrow morning to meet John Allis, ride with him, and of course, to buy ourselves a copy of Bill Humphys' new book, The Jersey Project.
As described on Bicycling.com:
The thick, four-color pages show from one to 12 jerseys each, some of them captioned with the name of the rider who wore the specific jersey photographed, some merely identified by team and nationality.
If you would like to meet a three-time Olympian who has ridden in five world championships and been inducted into the Cycling Hall of Fame, join us tomorrow morning at Belmont Wheelworks!
If you can't make it, but you think Bill's book would make an awesome gift for your favorite cyclist, check out Bill's website, http://thejerseyproject.com, where you can buy a copy online.
David loves bicycle racing. He has fond memories of group rides and racing himself when he was a young man. He still holds onto a great collection of old yellowed Velo News issues from his teenage years. He has met Greg Lemond twice. And he has his autograph. It's framed and on the wall in our living room. We upped our line of cable channels when the Tour De France was televised, and it when it is televised, it is on our TV while David is dressing for work, and as soon as dinner is finished until he goes to sleep at night. He really loves bicycle racing!
Several weeks ago, when we were invited via Facebook by Bill Humpheys to attend a Bike Ride & Book Signing with John Allis, this Saturday (December 3, 2011), David was thrilled, and most definitely we are going!
Until we were invited to this event, I did not know of the name John Allis. I googled him. But David surely knows who he is, and we will be at Belmont Wheelworks in Belmont, Massachusetts tomorrow morning to meet John Allis, ride with him, and of course, to buy ourselves a copy of Bill Humphys' new book, The Jersey Project.
The thick, four-color pages show from one to 12 jerseys each, some of them captioned with the name of the rider who wore the specific jersey photographed, some merely identified by team and nationality.
If you would like to meet a three-time Olympian who has ridden in five world championships and been inducted into the Cycling Hall of Fame, join us tomorrow morning at Belmont Wheelworks!
If you can't make it, but you think Bill's book would make an awesome gift for your favorite cyclist, check out Bill's website, http://thejerseyproject.com, where you can buy a copy online.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Sharing the Joy of Cycling... Sore Butt and All!
Not only were we able to ride early on Thanksgiving morning, but since David had the following day off from work, we joined a group ride on Friday too! For the last two years, Dave and I took part in Ron Manizza's day-after-Thanksgiving spin class at the gym to work off the excess calories, but this year it was another unseasonably warm day, with temperatures eventually approaching 60 degrees! Who could pass up that opportunity? There were ten of us who met up at a shopping area parking lot in Manchester, Connecticut.
The ride was great, speedy, and a good workout for us. Again, we did about 40 miles. Our average speed was just under 17 mph.
With a weekend forecast just as wonderful, we decided to share the joy of cycling with my daughter, Katie, on Saturday. She has just recently learned how to ride on her own bicycle without training wheels! On Saturday, we loaded three single bikes into our minivan, and we headed east to Rhode Island where they have a nice kid-friendly bicycle path along flat ground.
Upon arrival to the path in the Warwick area, the three of us put on our helmets and started out. While there were piles of crunchy fallen leaves along the way, Katie was pretty confident. She was hesitant at times, but through the piles of leaves and into tunnels and over bridges, with people walking dogs and moms with strollers unaware that we told Katie to stay to the right at all times... she did very well!
She pedaled ahead maybe another half mile. Then she stopped again. Then she got on again, and pedaled ahead further for a while.
The ride was great, speedy, and a good workout for us. Again, we did about 40 miles. Our average speed was just under 17 mph.
With a weekend forecast just as wonderful, we decided to share the joy of cycling with my daughter, Katie, on Saturday. She has just recently learned how to ride on her own bicycle without training wheels! On Saturday, we loaded three single bikes into our minivan, and we headed east to Rhode Island where they have a nice kid-friendly bicycle path along flat ground.
Upon arrival to the path in the Warwick area, the three of us put on our helmets and started out. While there were piles of crunchy fallen leaves along the way, Katie was pretty confident. She was hesitant at times, but through the piles of leaves and into tunnels and over bridges, with people walking dogs and moms with strollers unaware that we told Katie to stay to the right at all times... she did very well!
Katie was doing great for the first few miles of our ride!
The part of the path we covered was approximately 8 miles one way and 8 miles back. As we approached each intersection, I asked Katie how she was feeling ~ Did she want to head out further or turn around for our return trip?
Somehow it didn't click with her that the distance she had already covered was going to be done again in reverse... She claimed she was fine at each intersection, she was happy, and we went on further. Finally, we reached the end point in my mind, and we changed direction. About 1/3 of the way back, Katie stopped unexpectedly. She got off her bike and started to walk.
I asked her what was wrong, why did she stop? She told me that her butt hurt.
Well, at 3:30 in the afternoon in late November, we had only about an hour of daylight left. We tried to explain to Katie that walking those miles would not get us back to the car in time. I encouraged her to get back on her bicycle.
This happened a few more times, and it was trying our patience to get her to continue to pedal to make it back to the van before dark. But, all-in-all, she did it. I've told her that she should be very, very proud of herself!! I don't think many 7-year-olds can say that they have ridden a bicycle for 16 miles in an afternoon!
A Cycling Day to be Thankful!
I am still in amazement over the great weather we've been having in Connecticut this month. It's late November, we've enjoyed lots of riding days!
Niantic Bay Bicycles hosted a 40 mile ride from their shop on Thanksgiving morning. Since we were eating dinner at Dave's parents' home, and dinner time wasn't until mid-afternoon, we woke up extra early and bundled up for the 8 a.m. ride.
Even with glorious sunshine, the temperature was still a bit cold at that time of the morning. David looked sharp in his vintage Molteni wool jersey; I actually wore 6 layers on top! This group was comprised of approximately 20 riders of varying abilities. We took off with the pack up front, since our average speed has been considerably faster in our most recent group rides. We were the only tandem riders. Within the first couple of miles, a few people off the back fell out of sight. We were glad to find ourselves still with the pack.
The ride was enjoyable and the scenery was exceptional, mostly rolling hills on tree lined roads. We crossed a bridge alongside a hi-way which brought us into a waterfront town. The view was stunning with glints of sunshine playing off the ocean. (This is one of the pluses to being a stoker! I'm able to soak in the incredible views and take photos, while David keeps his eye on the roads.)
After turning off a stretch of road with amazing views, the route brought us through a residential area with many turns. It was around the 23-mile point or so, and with a headwind, we started to fall behind. A couple of other riders were off the back too. We caught up once or twice, but then with so many turns, we lost our way.
As we rode on, we passed another cyclist riding alone. Initially, we weren't sure if he was from our group, but in fact, he was! At 15-years-old, he was riding without clip-in pedals, and we learned that while he had done some off-road riding with the bicycle shop, this was his first group ride on the road. Dave took him under his wing and led the way back over the bridge by the hi-way and then back to the shop. (I'm grateful that Dave knows Connecticut roads pretty well, because if it were me out there on my own, I'd have been lost for sure!)
Eventually, we arrived back. It still came out to be just over 40 miles, and the rest of the leading group somehow arrived back just about 5 minutes after us.
David chatted for a while with fellow cyclists, while I peeled off layers, enjoying the warmth of the sunshine streaming in through the windows of our mini-van.
We drove home, and I gathered up a side dish and desserts we were contributing to Thanksgiving dinner at Dave's Mom and Dad's house. It was a wonderful way to spend the holiday, enjoying the company of family!
Niantic Bay Bicycles hosted a 40 mile ride from their shop on Thanksgiving morning. Since we were eating dinner at Dave's parents' home, and dinner time wasn't until mid-afternoon, we woke up extra early and bundled up for the 8 a.m. ride.
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| David wears his vintage wool jersey for the 40 degree temps! |
The ride was enjoyable and the scenery was exceptional, mostly rolling hills on tree lined roads. We crossed a bridge alongside a hi-way which brought us into a waterfront town. The view was stunning with glints of sunshine playing off the ocean. (This is one of the pluses to being a stoker! I'm able to soak in the incredible views and take photos, while David keeps his eye on the roads.)
After turning off a stretch of road with amazing views, the route brought us through a residential area with many turns. It was around the 23-mile point or so, and with a headwind, we started to fall behind. A couple of other riders were off the back too. We caught up once or twice, but then with so many turns, we lost our way.
As we rode on, we passed another cyclist riding alone. Initially, we weren't sure if he was from our group, but in fact, he was! At 15-years-old, he was riding without clip-in pedals, and we learned that while he had done some off-road riding with the bicycle shop, this was his first group ride on the road. Dave took him under his wing and led the way back over the bridge by the hi-way and then back to the shop. (I'm grateful that Dave knows Connecticut roads pretty well, because if it were me out there on my own, I'd have been lost for sure!)
Eventually, we arrived back. It still came out to be just over 40 miles, and the rest of the leading group somehow arrived back just about 5 minutes after us.
David chatted for a while with fellow cyclists, while I peeled off layers, enjoying the warmth of the sunshine streaming in through the windows of our mini-van.
We drove home, and I gathered up a side dish and desserts we were contributing to Thanksgiving dinner at Dave's Mom and Dad's house. It was a wonderful way to spend the holiday, enjoying the company of family!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Tandem Tires Wearing Thin
A fellow cyclist pointed out the condition of our back tire a couple of weekends ago. The overall wear was clearly evident, and it had actually worn through on spots. Ever-fearful of accidents or even having a breakdown being far away from our home or vehicle, I carried a sense of awareness about it over every bump in the road. However, once safely on our way home in our Dodge Caravan, the bicycle tire's condition was unfortunately, quickly forgotten... Busy with work and kids, we hadn't taken the time to get the tire replaced. We actually rode on it two more times, and we were lucky it lasted. As I recall, that tire was brand new this year and it was quite pricey!
Now, our rear wheel is again at a bicycle shop.
Earlier this year, we experienced a stretch of time where we were constantly popping spokes. Since the Spring, we've naturally dropped a few pounds, and that issue eventually resolved itself.
Come to think of it, it seems that issues we've had to deal with regarding the functionality and smooth operation of our tandem bicycle seems to hit us in cycles.
For a while last year, we experienced difficulties with our chain. Broken links, dropping while shifting, etc. On one memorable ride, we were caught in a rain storm climbing a steep hill when the chain let go. Not fun.
Then for a series of rides we experienced a series of flats. In fact, there was one particular ride from home on our own when we flatted out 4 times in a row!! That 30-mile route was shortened to about 15 miles and it took us almost 4 hours to complete with all the time spent on the side of the road.
Let's hope that our new tire is good and strong and holds us well. We plan to ride tomorrow for an early morning Thanksgiving Day group ride from Niantic Bay Bicycles!
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