Monkitoucher

Out to Baker's Bridge for the first ride of the year and the first shake down ride after the restoration.

cooperryder

40 miles last Sunday. Met up with a friend for part of that 40.

Enjoyed a 33 mile ride today in mid 50 temperatures on this 40 YO vintage Trek I built up from the bare frame and fork this week with parts I already had other than new pedals . It's a fine riding bike.

JacobLee 

Greenwood Hills Cemetery in SW Portland

northbend 

I rode down to the lower valley to meet some friends in Fall City.
We noodled around for a couple of hours before I split off from them and rode back home via the Snoqualmie Valley Trail.
Jan 14 by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Jan 14 by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Jan 14 by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Jan 14 by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
When I got into the upper valley, I had to negotiate a few obstacles while a stiff headwind kept me company for the final miles home.
Jan 14 by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr

botty kayer

It rained all day yesterday, as it has here for the last 2 weekends, but today thankfully the skies had run out of rain and we even had some moments of blue sky and sunshine. I did have a wry smile when I came across this, which would have been a more appropriate spot last weekend when it was raining cats and dogs.

It made me wonder where the phrase raining cats and dogs comes from, and I thought it would be easily explained but a bit of internetting reveals that's not the case, but proved an interesting distraction as I discovered reading later. More info here for anyone interested. https://www.loc.gov/everyday-mysteri...cats-and-dogs/
With temperatures around 7c / 44f it was colder than it looked but still warmer than average for the time of year. I'm on a Belgian bike this week rather than an Italian, and though its quite at home hammering over wet and muddy cobbles, the bike is seemingly more drawn towards the sunlight, but its been duped on this occasion.

Next to this playground is a statue of cat, which the inscription says is called 'Humphrey' and is by Marcia Solway, but gives no more information than that.

Having just spent some time since I got home reading about raining cats and dogs, it seems I've got to follow that up and look up more about Humphrey and Marcia.

It turns out Marcia was a student of sculpture in Queen's Square near here, and Humphrey was a ginger tom and was the resident cat there for 18 years, and he was reportedly a champion mouse catcher. Marcia loved cats and suffered from epilepsy and attended a hospital also on Queen's Square, but sadly she died aged just 34 in 1992, which was the same year Humphrey died, and this monument to both of them was put here at some point later. Awwww, what a sad and sweet story, is someone chopping onions as my eyes just got wet.

The occasional sunshine and local art works are making me wonder where my sunglasses are, its been a while since I've used them, and I make a mental note to search for them later.

And as I get all misty eyed at the thoughts of long summer cycling days, I realize its only mid January and those days are a fair way off. We haven't even got any plants or trees in flower/bud yet, so to give me a color boost I stop for the last pic on Lancaster Road just off the Portabello Road, and at least give the false impression I'm cycling around a warmer European city. The forecast is minimal blue sky and sunshine this coming week, so I'm trying to make the most of it.

Schweinhund

I just pedaled around the lake a couple of times...

rccardr 

Hard to beat a ride through the woods on a lovely January day.
After acting as the foundation of a bunch of drivetrain experimentation for the last few months, the Pelizzoli has been returned to compact 50/34, 12-30 ten speed configuration and was rewarded with some new woven Serfas bar tape.

noobinsf 

"When you come to a wrench in the road, take it."

Prowler 

More unexpected January weather so real cardio under real skies again. Rode the converted Trek 850 on the Thun (pronounced "tune") section of the Schuylkill River trail. It's always a pleasant ride but especially on a winter day that's warm.




I stopped at a marshy section for this happy snap. This area would usually be frozen solid in January but not this year. A brief pause while keeping an eye out for alligators and crocodiles. A quick photo then dashing on down the trail for fear of the deadly Pennsylvania Manatee, the scourge of this old road.

"There wasn't a breath in that land of death, and I hurried, horror-driven....."

RCMoeur 

Spent several minutes just now typing out a full description of today's ride, and BF gave the "Can't find that site right now" and disappeared it.

26.8 miles. And I'll leave it at that so the mods won't boot me.

Straightblock

After 3 weeks of rainy days and a few weeks of high temps in the 40s before that, today was the nicest day of riding in a long time with the temperature in the low 50s, out and back thru the suburbs and along the MUT overlooking the San Joaquin River bottom. After I took this picture, a coyote crossed the pass less than 100 feet behind me, but he was down the bluff and out of sight before I could snap a pic.

Kobe 

Great section and if you ever get the time I highly recommend adding the Union Canal section on to the ride once you hit Reading.

Love those redline tires!

Prowler 

I’m game. Come show me in the spring. I’ve not been north of Brentwood trail head.

cooperryder

Enjoyed a 20 miler on my 1982 Trek 614 bike in sunny mid 50 temps yesterday.

I would not want to encounter a real critter like this of this size or actually any size.

I know some of you have posted pics of real ones you gave encountered on your rides although a bit smaller than this behemoth.

cooperryder

I am reminded of this picture I saw years ago that if I recall correctly the owner of the bike was touring somewhere in southeast Asia.

I think I posted the picture before some years ago.

How would you like to come out of your tent for breakfast and see this critter on your bike?

curbtender

Where you at? Took the grandkids to a park north of Dallas, I believe it was called Centennial, that had one of those.

northbend 

Used a different set of tools for my ride yesterday :-)
Silver Basin by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr

cooperryder

Hi curbtender.

This one is located in the northeast part of Richardson,TX just off Hwy 75/Central Expwy and Glenville Dr.

There are other critter statues there, a beaver, a tortoise and a rabbit..

It's on the Galatyn Woodland Preserve.

I sometimes enjoy riding over that way.

Nearby is the Spring Creek Preserve which is a small forest area with good bike paths I enjoy riding around.

It's great someone looked to the future and 'preserved ' these areas.

If you live in the greater Dallas area and would perhaps want to meet up to ride you could send a private message.

Wildwood

@northbend ‘s blue bird day carried over:

Full sun and dry is good with chilly temps.
Winter crush of vegetation in the bog, but we look upward. Long shadows even near midday.


Ti with triple for a Winter’s mild jaunt. 42*F@ start, 40* by end

cooperryder

Back out on my recently built up vintage Trek 614 for 34 miles on a sunny low 50"s winter day.

​​​​​​I am enjoying this bike!



Fountains at SMU University.

I met up with a friend near downtown Dallas and rode with him a while.

I really like his new Acorn saddle bag on his terrific Rivendell Homer Hilson bike.

zukahn1

First day in couple of weeks that it was warm enough to ride safely a lot of snow cover and ice but above freezing. Went for a short ride on local roads most of the trails and bike path are pretty much a no go.

Actual dry pavement is a nice sight.



There is actually a bike here.

Andy_K 

I took my first ride of the year through the Columbia River Gorge today with @gugie. I can't seem to pass the Portland Women's Forum scenic viewpoint without taking a picture. It never gets old.



After a stop at Multnomah Falls for some much needed hot chocolate, we headed back to Troutdale. Just east of Crown Point, I saw a rather strange site off to the side of the road.



How do you even get a truck that far off the road without rolling it?

gugie 

More pix:


Multnomah Falls


Andy making the final turn to Crown Point

Cold ride, but we warmed up quickly on the climbs, and used the brakes more so than needed on the downhills to keep the windchill in check.

Andy_K 

I was afraid to ask how long you were waiting at Crown Point before I got there. In addition to being slower up the hill, I stopped for a nature break, stopped to adjust my indexing so I could use my lowest gear and stopped to take pictures of the truck that was in the woods.

merziac

That's often a normal "shortcut" or sometimes "hold my beer" moment if you live in Corbett or up Larch Mt.