WNG

Nice sky!

PhilPub

Knockholt, Kent, UK. For about the 300th time... but I never noticed this sign before!

thinktubes 

^^^^^^^^^^^
just when you thought a sign couldn't be any more hilarious....

otg 

Good to see you out and about, pretty scary helmet pictures.

I rode around Rangely Lake in Western Maine this morning, about 22.5 miles.

jimmuller 

I did ride my commute yesterday despite not intending too. The weather people kept pushing back the prediction of t-storms until today. I finally drove to the office today but my legs were indeed complaining last night. Just before leaving the office at 4:50 yesterday I decided to check the radar map. Yow! Despite no predicted storms a big blotch of yellow and red menaced like a Steven Spielberg movie. Despite wanting to take it easy I hammered home into a southwesterly headwind and seemingly outran the weather as the sky grew lighter. I made home dripping wet but not because it rained.

Sometimes riding a bike throws something your way which you didn't expect and you just have to take it in stride. A few days ago Woburn was putting a finishing surface on the northbound lane of the multi-name road (Pleasant St?) between Four Corners with Woburn Center. As I approached the construction site I chose not to run the right shoulder because a big paving truck was visible in the distance. The right lane was steaming with shiny asphalt, and orange cones defined the traffic lanes: left lane for northbound, left shoulder for southbound. I had no choice but to enter the northbound traffic and take the whole lane. Once I was in there was no way out. I held my own with the cautious drivers (slightly under 20mph, I'd guess) until someone a few cars ahead had to wait to make a left turn. We all stopped for a few moments, and then the two vehicles in front of me took off. Uh-oh, I'm all alone at the head of a line of cars, hot pavement to my right and oncoming traffic to my left. I hammered as long as I could but then the road started uphill into Woburn Center. When a break in the oncoming traffic occurred just as I went by a road to the left I bailed out, crossing the oncoming lane over to the left sidewalk. I explained to the policeman there that I could sort of keep up with the traffic but not uphill! He and a road worker pointed out that the paving ended us a few hundred yards further. They offered as how I could walk across the new pavement to the other side of the street but I declined, thanked them and walked the sidewalk. A minute later I was back on the bike and pedaling to work.

Bianchigirll 

Well thanks to work, life and several other factors yours truly has not been in the saddle for quite some time Until yesterday. I had a small health crisis a few weeks ago and now I am off work for a few weeks {I hope just a few** for some test. Anyway I am supposed to be getting some exercise, eat right and lose some weight yadda yadda yadda. After a day or of walking, and feeling fine I said this is for the birds, well Emus and Kiwis anyway. So got my Project 3 cleaned up and saddled up yesterday for a first ride in sometime and turned in a 13 mile. Today I wanted to take my Boarala out for a spin but she came up lame, more on that later.


Yesterday I was looking for a good backdrop to take a pic and could not resist this great looking motorbike.




Today, almost everything that goes to a ship passes through here. Well not like fuel, foodstuffs and ammunition but tons of equipment, parts and the like. I am not sure if it is the only one but there is even a test kitchen here.

jarle

My girlfriend went shopping for essentials...

Kobe 

I hope you get out for a lot of rides and you pass all your tests.

I did not know you had a Project, but I guess I should have known you have all thing Bianchi. Speaking of which, is that water in your bottle celeste green?

Bianchigirll 

I have a special pipe that runs from the Reparto Corse right to my tap.

Thanks the Projects are fabulous bikes, they just didn't catch on back then but now with everyone "gravel grinding" they would be the perfect machine. I was a never very good at riding/climbing over big logs on 26" so the 700s are great for me as they give me bit more speed, it handles rear fast too. It also makes a great commuter and grocery getter.

jimmuller 

BG, it's good to see you presence here again!

Bianchigirll 

Thanks!! I could not believe when I logged in the other day it had been more than three weeks. I have to stop working so hard!

Chrome Molly

Cut out early today to do a 26 mile shake down of the Trek 660. This will be my brother's ride at the Bartali festivities in a few weeks. After that, made another important trip.

WNG

Ah, just what the Dr. prescribed for that sore neck!

southpawboston

Earlier in the week, I was in the Catskill mountains so I did a Summer Solstice ride, although technically I was a day or two late. Took in 73 miles with about 35 of those being dirt. Here are some photos:

Catskill Scenic Trail, a Rails-to-Trails easement that starts near my house:


One of the many brook crossings along the trail. These brooks feed into the Delaware River, which feeds into the reservoirs that feed into NYC and provide 9 million people their drinking water:


Lots of farms:


Dairy and corn used to be the mainstays of the Catskills, but with a withered dairy economy, many farms have had to diversify. This one is raising alpacas:


Beginning of a steep descent, one of many on this ride:


Typical dirt road:




Boston has its Museum of Fine Arts, and so does the tiny Hamlet of Treadwell:


Near the top of a long climb:

southpawboston

More dirt roads. This one, lined with tall ferns, follows the top of the hill for about four miles:



Nice village home, Bovina:



One of many abandoned farm structures:



Another shady single lane road, this one with a steep climb:


Lastly, a shot of the steed, my Rawland Stag 650B, recently shod with the new Compass Babyshoe Pass "extralight" tires. Remarkably fast!

Vonruden

Awesome pics Southpaw. I love the blog, makes me long for the hills of Northeastern PA.

JJScaliger

Great pics southpaw!

@ otg Rangeley lake is a cool place, I haven't had a chance to get back to in a long time. I stayed at Webb Lake, sort of near there, for a week about 15 years ago. I bet you're having a great time!

WNG

Simply stunning photos of the Catskills, Anton!

otg 

Thanks JJS, we spend a week here every year, been coming since the early 70's. I had lunch here today.

jimmuller 

You guys are making me wish for a gravel grinder and empty rural dirt roads!

northbend 

Southpaw, you are one guy I would love to ride with someday. Riding those Catskills would be a perfect day. Very nice ride photos.

Just bike commutes for me this week. Not that I am complaining though with views like this in the morning:

photogravity

Jim, we have quite a few gravel roads near where I live. I like them for many reasons but the fact there is less automotive traffic makes these roads especially appealing. The scenery, while not quite as nice as the Minute Man on a Sunday morning, is nice enough.

Velocivixen

@northbend - WOW! Fantastic. Tonight as the sun was setting I saw pink & purple clouds, but nothing like yours.

I took the Fuji on the train to Portland for another "urban adventure". Rode to a very popular bike co-op to buy a used replacement Shimano "Light Action" rear derailleur. They have two bins for derailleurs (other components too) - one that's out and anyone can just paw through it and one in a glass case for nicer items. In the box in the case I found the EXACT model as the one I wanted to replace. The date code is only one month different! Bought it and then rode along the river to my favorite cappuccino in the city so far - Water Avenue Coffee. I am proud that I rode two different routes today and I navigated them quite well. There are some unique traffic situations around, for example, MODA Center where the Portland Trailblazers play, and I just figured it out and followed the signs & on ground graphics for bikes.

Burnside Bridge the Steele Bridge

Part of my journey took me along the Eastside Esplanade along the Willamette River. I stopped on this floating portion of the path to take some photos and just relax. This multi-user path is on the east side of the river, which was industrial, and still is, but is becoming "hip" with distilleries, cool restaurants, etc. I rode my '86 Fuji and it is very solid and a touch on the big side for me but it feels like a sedan! It wasn't too hot and overall had a productive and adventurous day.
Ended with an excellent cappuccino.

Vonruden

Storm coming in, got in an early morning ride.

"Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in morning, sailor’s warning"

jimmuller 

No ride today.

VV, that's a nice looking cup of coffee!

And VonR, stay away from the surf. That's for the TV news reports to go stand in fron to fwhile they warn people not to go there.

Those houses might take a beating today.