Warm Night Air

Of course my last post was about not riding in the dark. Because this one is about riding in the dark. No, I didn’t change my mind. I had company.

It was a balmy 68 degrees yesterday afternoon when I received an offer to ride later that night with my favorite roadie-turned-backpacker (“It’s great off-season cross training!”) -turned-roadie friend.

We set off after the sun had set and rode into the darkness to meet Justin on his commute home. The 15-mile ride felt effortless as we filled up on the unseasonably warm night air. Lights blinked, pedals spun and conversation flowed.




It was beyond enjoyable, undeniably refreshing—and not nearly as terrifying as I had imagined.

Two Wheels Takes the Win!

May is National Bike Month. Who knew? (I didn’t until I went on the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia’s Web site.) Over the past few weeks, various events took place around here to celebrate the freedom of two wheels, including the Ride of Silence I blogged about.

In the BCGP’s annual staged race on Wednesday, three people commuted by bike, bus and car to see who would get to “work” the fastest. At 8:00 a.m., a man on a bike, a woman in a convertible Zipcar and a woman riding a Route 48 bus raced from 29th and Poplar Streets to City Hall.

True to form, two wheels took the win. Pat Cunnane, president of Fuji Bicycles, was the bike rider. Cunnane had this to say when interviewed for KYW:

"Cycling in the city, especially during rush hour, is the fastest way to travel…You just really have to pay attention. You have to be looking at the people in the cars to see what they might do. A lot of people don't use turn signals. A lot of people don't pay attention."

The bike rider completed the 4-mile commute in 12 minutes and 21 seconds, with the Zipcar finishing one minute later. The woman stuck riding SEPTA turned up after a 10-minute gap.

I didn't need proof that riding in the city is fun and fast. I just need to do it more often.

Looking for a Good Time Ride?

I rode the new cross bike from Plumstead to Philadelphia last weekend via this route.


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It was the first time I’d ever ridden (my bike) on much of these roads, and the rolling 30+ mile ride was phenomenal—even in the misting rain. We cycled through Peace Valley Park (Doylestown), past centuries-old stone farmhouses (Fort Washington), next to the Whitemarsh Valley Country Club and ended up on Forbidden Drive in Fairmount Park.



Put our thang down, flipped it and reversed it the next day.

Ruff Ridin'

On the weekdays, I spin 15 or so miles after work from the rural ridge of Pipersville to the river banks of Lumberville and back. The perfect way to unwind after a demanding day at work. (OK, maybe a cold beer would do the trick—but it tastes even better after a ride, anyway!)

Yesterday, 10 miles into my ride and on a 20 mph downhill, I ran over a dog! A first for me—and probably the dog. In lieu of swerving and taking out my riding partner and myself, or colliding with Fido’s middle and flipping over the handlebars, I braked—a bit belated—and clipped the pooch’s paw. A distraught shriek escaped my throat, and the dog hightailed it home unharmed.

Turns out I'm not the only one who's hit a dog and lived to tell about it...check out Tour de France rider Marcus Burghardt's close call!