balto charlie

@MAx: I agree Pixs are a pain loading onto BF. Great seeing you the other night.

Everyone: A great ride coming up in B-more. The Baltimore Bike Party, Portland has nothing on this ride. They are hoping to top 1000, yes, 1000 riders all in Halloween garb. Plus beer at the end.
https://baltimorebikeparty.com/

maxine

I had a great time, thanks again (and thank Mary again!) for hosting everyone! I've got some good photos of the party, I'm going to try to get them up somewhere tonight and post a link.

balto charlie

Hey Max Glad you could make. It had been a long time since we saw each other. Loved the pictures. Had to create a false ID to log on. I now see you used flicker, better choice for others to view. I use photobucket and I find it hard to share with it. Flicker might be the best out there these days. Loved the picture of NR and the Irish Whiskey. Devilish smile

CycleRail

Hi all! Peter in Baltimore checking in.

RaRah

Im going! Was at the last one. It's a really good time.

greaterbrown

Welcome to the MD peeps thread! We'll need new blood to get us to 10K posts.
See you tonight at the Bmore Bike Party!

maxine

Yes, I like that shot of him -- a face of such joy, HAHAHA!!!

Here's a link (I hope!) to the ride I did that day instead of bringing up the rear (the waaaaay back rear ) with you guys. It was a fundraiser for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Yes, in addition to finally getting a smart phone, I've also broken down and gotten a bike-specific GPS (Garmin Edge 500.) My little dumb bike computer, which has served me faithfully lo these many years and miles, finally succumbed to old age sometime during the downpours of this year's 24 Hours of Booty ride. NoRacer has the same model, lucky for me, so he helped me get it set up and showed me how to use most of the features. Instant user's manual!

https://connect.garmin.com/activity/236068639

Dang, I'm way too slow! There were a few short-but-steep hills, and then there was that stretch on Darymple where I stopped, and then walked the bike for a while so I could take about a million pictures of the 3-4 bucks (nice racks!) and a few does that were eyeing me up curiously from the other side of the fence around the Naval Research Lab.

I'm going to head out on the bike a little later this morning, not sure where yet -- get a ride in before Sandy arrives!

greaterbrown

Damn. Charlie and GB are trying to unplug while Max is plugging in. Who's more up to date? Something deep inside tells me that Max generally has more common sense than me and Charlie. And, I have to admit that whenever I zoom down a hill in a group ride, I feel the need to ask the riders around me how fast we were going. Later, I carefully study other peoples garmin tracks of the ride like they were numerical ride reports.

Max, the last time I was on those roads was the Chesapeake Beach Ramble. I can guarantee you would've been beating my speed that day!

I'm stuck inside at work today, a little hung over from the bike party last night, and bummed that Sandy will likely give all these beautiful fall leaves their final smackdown.
Enjoy the ride, Max.

maxine

Not much of one, as it turned out! I decided I'd ride my bike to early voting. Originally, I was going to go to the Severna Park location, make a nice 30-ish mile ride out of it, but at the last second I changed my mind and went to the North County library branch in Glen Burnie. Good thing, too, because I stood in line for 3 hours and 20 minutes to vote! I was nervously eyeing my watch and the daylight, because I hadn't put my headlight on the bike. But I made it back just a little bit after the level of dim was where I would normally want to fire up the light.



(line at the library.) So my ride ended up being 13 miles -- I stood in line longer than I rode.

greaterbrown

The guy in the skirt voting for question 6?

maxine

I didn't realize I had gotten him in this photo! During the long wait, I had ample opportunity to check him out -- handsome older gent in what looked to be authentic full Scottish black-tie.

Everybody in line was quite good-natured, and we did a bit of chatting along the way. I was not the only person who biked to the library -- I saw a younger guy in roadie kit, helmet in hand, way ahead of me in the line, and saw him bike away later. And the older guy behind me, and the guy-girl couple behind him, were also occasional cyclists.

balto charlie

Peter, welcome to our group

@Rah Rah & GB: Sorry guys. I got sick most of the week healed by the wknd but lacked energy to motivate for the ride. I heard it was great. Hungover? Tried to get your monies worth, didn't you?

@ Max: A garmin! I'm still trying to figure out my cell and Bob hasn't even gotten that far. I like the route near Chesapeake, Deale etc. Enough hills t change the pace but not kill ya. The last Rando was rather gentle....as far as the Randos go.

The monthly Rambles really has the bike community talking. When I talk to local bike store owners they all know about it.

balto charlie

balto charlie

Very crazy storm, need a kayak for commuting tomorrow. My daughter lives near the Jones Falls @ Woodberry and its really nasty down there. GB better watch out as he is also down there. We did not go to work today and I think tomorrow as well. MARC train is closed and I doubt I will drive....time to brew??? I hate idle hands! I'll have a drink and think about it.

greaterbrown

Cheers! my friend.

We're fine up here on the hill in Hampden. Out front of our house, lower falls rd is closed to traffic. I hope Kaitlin is well down in woodberry. Very cool seeing her at Union brewery after the bike party ride.

Stay safe. Keep your heads down, y'all.

CycleRail

Amtrak is not running trains tomorrow, either. The Stoney Run behind our house is raging like never before. Glad we fixed the roof earlier this year...

maxine

I know, right??? My non-biking friends were flabbergasted that I finally broke down and bought a smart phone, around Labor Day. My poor little old dumb phone was biting the dust . . . so I jumped in with both feet and got a Samsung Galaxy SIII -- that phone is smarter than me, hahaha!! It really is a cool tool, though, I'm using/enjoying it more than I thought I would.

Yes, I've ridden down in that area a few other times, and I like it a lot, too.

Woo hoo!!!! That is very cool. GB, you're becoming a legend!

balto charlie

Survived the storm, no major trees down, a little water in the basement and a slight roof leak in the pantry, one window blew open last night(Mary just discovered it.) I was wondering why it was so cold upstairs this morning. The day looks rather mellow....time to brew.

@cyclerail: Are you Peter D from the Rando ramble?

CycleRail

@cyclerail: Are you Peter D from the Rando ramble?[/QUOTE]

That's me! We lucked out for once with this storm. We only lost cable for a few hours but the power remained on. The kids are beginning to get cabin fever though.

greaterbrown

Sheesh. Now the md peeps really is a party. Welcome PJ.
For once I know some one in the real world who then appears in cyberspace.
With Charlie. Max. Isaias and Harry it was the other way around

balto charlie

She said she saw you at the beer line(where else??, actually she didn't even ride, only drank!)

balto charlie

That's me! We lucked out for once with this storm. We only lost cable for a few hours but the power remained on. The kids are beginning to get cabin fever though.[/QUOTE]

I recognized the bikes. Saw 2 of them last ride Tell your kids to come and play with Jack.

balto charlie

Sketchy commute this morning with all the down leaves and branches. Shoulders were nasty. Fish-tailed on leaves trying to make a turn, same corner I broke my wrist years ago.

Hey we got a tiny bike lane in Catonsville. Along the recently rebuilt Rolling rd and the I-195 intersection they dropped some signage and bike lane paint. Finally Balto County is getting on board. Short lane but a start.

CycleRail

Anyone go for a ride today? I woke up and took a ride to Glyndon. It was cold and windy this morning; my feet are still thawing out. The traffic was pretty calm except for a short stretch on Padonia Rd. Most of the debris from the storm is gone. https://maps.google.com/?q=https://sha...21103-0654.kml

greaterbrown

+1 Morning commute from Hampden to Owings Mills was into the teeth of that chilly wind the whole way. Should be an easier downwind run home.

BTW Ramble to the Union Mills Fire House breakfast is next sunday. I'll get it up on the blog/BBC sched./MeetUp by this evening.
There's a few changes for this new version of the route: more dirt road riding (abt.10 miles), it's a bit shorter(98.5 miles) and we'll be launching earlier (7:30AM).