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It isn’t even Thanksgiving yet, and I’ve already signed up for the 2022 Escape ride. Hell, it isn’t even 2022. It’s hard to wrap my head around a ride so far in the future.

But, I have already begun to fret about my fitness. I haven’t done anything about my fitness, that would be too much like work, but, I know I need to do something. That’s something, right?

I may start by buying a new bike, or not. However, my bike quiver is currently at X=S-2.

There are 2 formulas for how many bikes one should own. The first is X=N+1, N being the number of bikes that one already owns. It’s simple, buy another one, right?

The other formula is X=S-1, S being the number of bikes that your spouse will leave one over.

Last year I sold my road bike, I just wasn’t riding it enough to justify owning it, and used bikes were selling at a premium. I could buy a bike, but the bikes that I have my eye on won’t help me with this ride. I’ve been looking at the Salsa Cutthroat, a very serious gravel bike, practically a drop-bar mountain bike; big tires, big fun, but the wrong bike for 140-ish miles of road.

The other bike that I’m interested in is a full-suspension mountain bike, the Canyon Lux Trail, an even worse choice for the road.

What to do? Fortunately for my bank account, I can dither for a while longer because neither one is available to buy right now. Thank you pandemic.

So, I guess, for now, I’ll worry about cooking Thanksgiving dinner and put off any buying decisions for now.

If you are inspired to donate to my ride, how ever, please do that now…

It’s getting toward the end of January and the beginning of a new cycling season. I have been more or less regular at the gym, trying to get/stay in shape since I broke my collar bone last July. (Yeah, that happened).

Spin classes, personal trainer, not riding enough, its tougher to find inspiration and get some miles. I should be out riding right now, but I’m writing this instead.

Maybe I will go ride while the sun is still out; I’ll write more later.

Seeya, bye

No horror stories from this year’s ride, no rookie mistakes, resulting in road rash, no regrets.  Well, mostly no regrets, except for not bringing a pillow for the dorm room on Allegheny College’s campus.  Oddly, they don’t provide pillows.  Oh, and I regret not get a photo of the 3 Mennonite girls.

There is a farm that we pass on the second day of the ride where, just before a bend in the road, you can see a ruined barn off to the right and the farm house on the left, then you come around the bend and BAM!, there they are.

The whole family is sitting on a long bench, under a tree, watching the riders pass by.  They make an impression, because they are at a bend in the road, so you don’t know what’s coming, then, all of a sudden, there they are, just off to the right of the road, there they are, close, only fifteen or twenty feet away.  They are dressed for Sunday, the women wearing dark, solid color dresses, aprons and white lace caps, the men wear black hats and pressed shirts.  There are a bunch of them, maybe 7 or 10, it seems like.  All ages.  Little five-year-old boys, little girls, pre-teens, teenagers, Mother and Father.  They just sit there, big as life, still as death, just watching.  It’s a little intimidating, their sudden appearance and their stillness; not really creepy, but startling.  Sometimes I wave, but the older ones don’t react.  The younger ones will give a low-key wave and maybe a little smile, but that’s it.

A couple of years ago, two of my teammates, Anna and Anne Marie, were riding together there, no idea that they were there.  Anna saw the ruined barn and the farm house and, as they approached the bend, she said to Anne Marie, much too loudly, “Holy shit, that looks like a haunted house!”.  Then the whole family popped into view.  She almost pooped a chalupa.

This year when I went by, it was raining and, having been past that farm 6 times before, I was ready.  Actually, I didn’t expect to see anybody, with the rain and all.  To my  surprise, there were three teenaged girls sitting there under a big, black umbrella.  I waved and so did they, so I asked “Are you keeping dry?” to which they answered, “Almost.”  I’m really sorry that I didn’t stop and ask if I could take their picture.  If I had, I would post it right here, but it was raining and I was on a mission to be done, so I missed a great opportunity.

 

 

This happened.

There is a hill on the first day of the ride that has gained almost legendary status.  It is called Cochranton Hill.  There is a rest stop in Cochranton Lions Park about a mile before you get to the bottom of the hill.  This year, I sensed greater apprehension among the riders than usual.  My daughter, Jill was voicing her concerns.  Some fool had told her that it is a four-mile hill.  “That’s bunk”, I said.  She was still worried.  “How many times have you ridden this ride?”  I asked.

“Six”, she said.

“Then you’ve ridden up Cochranton Hill six times already.  What are you worried about?”

“Yeah, but now I’m old” she said.

My friend, Bruce Ungar was walking by, he looked at her incredulously.  “How old are you, Jill?” he asked.

“Thirty”, she said

“Hell”, he said, “I have shoes older than you.”

Knowing Bruce, he probably has.

 

Oh, so much is new.  A lot has happened since my last post, and I will eventually get to most of that.

But, for now, I have, once again, signed up for the a couple of gravel rides in order to force me to prepare for the Bike MS Escape to the Lake.   You can donate here, hint, hint.

First up is the Barry Roubaix on April 21st.  I am riding the 36 mile option.  The weather last year was 42 degrees and raining for the whole ride.  But, that was run in March.  I’m hoping that, since its in April this year, it won’t be as frigging cold.

Two weeks later, on May 5th, it’s the Black Fork Gravel Grinder in Loudensville, Ohio.  Last year, I didn’t believe their claim “We have hills!”.  It’s Ohio, right?  How bad can these so called “hills” be?  Oy vey iz mir, did they have hills.  Tall, long sandy gravel climbs that were slippery in the rain.  About 100 feet of climbing per mile.   I have no idea why I am going back.

I will let you know how this turns out…

 Any port in a storm.  Waiting out a 30 minute thunderstorm delay at the start.

   Herding cats Official preride team photo.  What a bunch of Bacon8ers!

According to the rules* of the Velominati , rule #12 states that there is a formula for the proper number of bikes a cyclist should own.  Actually there are two formulas (formulae?).  The first is n+1; n being the number of bikes one currently owns.  The second is s-1; s being the number of bikes owned that would result in separation from your partner.  Having sold a spare mountain bike last year, I had an opening.

I’m really happy with my mountain and road bikes and I have no interest in a cruiser or bmx bike.

I had been reading about gravel riding.  At first, it sounded like a masochistic sport for deprived mid-westerners who don’t have decent mountains or paved roads to ride on.    The bike used is basically a cyclocross bike.  It has drop handlebars like a road bike, but burlier and comfier with wider tires.  It’s a great all-around bike, like the utility infielder of road bikes, it good for all sorts of things.  Interestinger and interestinger….

It would be more comfortable for commuting.  It has eyelets that would allow me to attach packs and panniers if I want to do some bikepacking,  Being a bit heavier than my road bike, it would be a good training bike for longer road ride events like the ones Bike MS put on.  You can ride this bike on lots of different surfaces.  Pavement, gravel roads, double track, single track, it’s all good.

So….

Last fall I found a great deal on a great bike.  I pulled the trigger and, so far, it has been a blast.

To help justify the purchase to my better half and to push myself a bit out of my comfort zone, I signed up for a couple of gravel races.  If nothing else,  getting ready for these early season races would put me in good shape for the Bike MS Escape to the Lake, for which, by the way, I am currently fundraising.

The first race, the Barry-Roubaix is next Saturday, March 25^th.  Oy!  What was I thinking?  It’s Michigan in March!  The weather could be crazy.  Right now, they are calling for 45 degrees and 80% chance of rain.  Ooh, la la!  I think that I would rather have 25 degrees and snow, but I don’t get to choose.

I am traveling with 3 friends, to the frozen north.  We are riding the 36 mile route.   And, being Michigan, I am told that the hills are not Pittsburgh hills, that’s a little good news

More good news is that the event is sponsored by Founder’s Brewery and the finish line party promises to be mighty fine.

And there is always rule #9, “If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass.  Period.”  At least I’ll have that going for me.

Please donate to my Bike MS ride.

Thank you.

 

Sunday was a beautiful day to get out and explore the gravel roads near Hillman State Park, aka Bavington.  Instead of our usual loop, Gary Schultz and I chose to see if we could expand our knowledge of the area and find some new gravel roads to ride.

What we achieved was just that.   We discovered some new (to us) gravel roads, and some paved; maybe more pavement than we really wanted, but very scenic.  Some decent hills, but mostly rolling countryside, some miles along Raccoon Creek.  I’m glad we waited until  noon to head out, the 40 degree sunshine was a delight.

This is another ride that I’m going to pass off as “training” for the MS ride.  It really didn’t have the pace or distance to really make a big difference, training-wise, but, what a spectacular day!

The bonus was that we ran into some mountain biking friends, Karl and Steve at the Haul Road trailhead and again at the Bavington Roadhouse for burgers and beers.

In case the hint is too subtle, I’d really appreciate it if you donated to my ride against MS.

I am currently fundraising for our local chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society.  I am doing so in order to hold up my end of a bargain with the Society.  That bargain is that I will raise money for them and they will then let me ride my bike, care-free from here to Lake Erie.

Riding my bike is one of my favorite things to do.  Usually a good road ride for me is somewhere between 25 and 40 miles.  Much more than that requires too much planning and infrastructure.  A two-day ride from here to Lake Erie with an overnight in Meadville takes a lot of planning.  The beauty of the MS ride is that it doesn’t require me to do a lot of thinking.  Bike MS makes all the plans, all I have to do is show up and ride.

The ride is completely organized, Bike MS has everything figured out; after 32 years, they have worked out most of the kinks.

Rest stops are set up every 15 miles or so that are completely stocked with water, Gatorade, power bars, pbj’s, bananas, first aid and a repair station, anything a cyclist might need.  A number of Western PA Goldwing motorcycle clubs volunteer their time to monitor intersections and direct traffic to keep the cyclists safe.    Lunch is provided on the first day and there is a welcome reception on the campus of Allegheny College at the end of the first day.  Beer is supplied by Penn Brewery.  And there is live music.  Bikes are securely stored in the gymnasium.

Some riders stay on campus, others get a hotel room in Meadville.  Team Bacon usually gets a team suite on campus and takes the shuttle bus into town for dinner at the Voodoo Brewery.

On the second day, on the shore of Lake Erie, there is a finish line party with a DJ and buffet lunch and the local Dairy Queen donates Dilly Bars.  How great is that?

And, when it’s all over, there is a trailer truck to haul all the bikes back to the starting line at Moraine State Park and Trailways-type busses to haul our tired butts.

It’s a great experience that I recommend.  Sure, it takes some effort and some training and some preparation, but it’s not really hard, not like climbing Mt. Everest or stalking Bigfoot.

And the satisfaction that you take away from it is amazing.

All this happens after the riders have done their part.  It’s up to us to go out and fundraise.  Bike MS gives us tools to use, but it is up to us to use them.  Different people approach this task differently.  Some riders accost strangers face to face, or sell raffle tickets or set up garage sales or bake sales.  I generally prefer to beg via email.   This website is an attempt to try something new.  A different way to reach potential donors.

So, now that I have reached you, please, donate to my ride.  Thanks!

Toast is what my legs are.

These guys are responsible.  (Note the suspicious Captain America socks on Mr. Thick Bikes on the right.)

On a road ride, 18 miles doesn’t amount to much.  Even on a gravel ride it’s  not bad.  But for me, 18 miles on a mountain bike is about 6 miles too far.  Much further than that and I’m not so pleasant to be around.  Even on trails as fun to ride as the Allegrippis Trails at Raystown Lake.

The Allegrippis Trails are some of the best riding in our fair Commonwealth, maybe in the East.  They are fast, smooth and flowy.  These trails were designed by IMBA, the International Mountain Bike Association, in conjunction with the Army Corps of Engineers, who control the property around Raystown Lake; implemented and maintained by the Raystown Mountain Bike Association.

Last week, to celebrate the unseasonably fantastic weather, we drove 3 hours to get there and it was worth every mile, all three of us in the front seat of a pickup truck.  Typically, this is the off season and we have to drive almost that far in the other direction to ride Ray’s Indoor Mountain Bike Park.  But who would have predicted fair and mid-sixties in February?

Nice view, no?  This overlook is at a trail junction at the eastern most end of the trail system.

Afterwards, we celebrated at Boxer’s in the nearby town of Huntingdon with manly sammiches and IPAs.

Definitely better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick!

Meanwhile, please donate to my Ride Against MS.