Just saw somebody hit one of those “Stop for Pedestrians” signs with their minivan in a Target parking lot while I was unlocking my bike 😬
Impressions from an Evening Bike Ride in Late Spring
I was in my favorite cocktail bar celebrating the felony conviction of a former president while rain fell elsewhere in town: the sort of pop-up showers that soak this neighborhood or that for a few minutes while leaving the next block over completely dry. After settling up I kept riding around the city enjoying a mild spring evening while my wife had the kids at swimming, and I started to notice patches of wet asphalt and a few small puddles. Not enough to wish I had fenders, but enough to fill the air with the pleasant smell of petrichor.
These days at the end of the week, the end of May, the end of our children’s school year, are considerably drier than the last couple of weeks. Even the brief rain couldn’t change that. So I rode aimlessly through Richmond while I had the time, enjoying this vernal aroma and cool breeze that preceded the sunset, before heading home. They can’t all be this good, but I’m glad I get a handful of rides like this every now and then.
I don’t give a shit about what happens on appeal or with SCOTUS (okay, I really, really do), for today? I’m celebrating the conviction of one of America’s most odious politicians. Trump the felon. He wears it so well!
Going to the mattresses
Taking a rest day on purpose is not easy for me. My brain knows it’s good for me, and I should recognize that I deserve it, but emotionally I always feel like I’m one rest day away from falling back into a deeply unhealthy lifestyle.
Bathroom beaker plant at Star Hill’s Richmond location
And the award for best tech headline of the year goes to…
Finding good bib shorts for cycling is frustrating; it’s hard to know how well they fit/work until you’ve used them multiple times on your typical type of ride, but it’s pretty costly to experiment. So I’ve ended up with a number of bibs where most are kind of okay and 2 are excellent.
No smoking at golden hour
Finally ate at Beauvine after a recommendation, and it’s solid! Tasty burger, nice beverages, nice vibe!
Valerie’s turn to take the kids to swimming, so am I going on another bike ride? You bet your hindquarters!
And now it seems my old rear wheel won’t hold air either. Sealant lightly burbling out of two spoke nipples, making me think they weren’t taped well when the shop set them up a couple years ago 😐
Related: I have the worst luck with tires.
Using a GRTC bike rack for the first time time since I caught an unpluggable slit in my rear tire on the way back into the city 🤦♂️
Trampoline parks, especially for kids’ parties, are overwhelming.
Some seriously loud bangs in the Northside a few minutes ago, like…shotgun blasts? Backfiring car? Seemed louder than a gunshot, but not sure what it is/was.
Ugh, is there really no bike route out to/past Mechanicsville that doesn’t put me on a 4 lane road for a segment or two?
Trying to string together something like Northside > Mechanicsville > RIC > Cap Trail back into the city, and all options look kinda crummy.
Not me trying to play it cool standing behind my congressional representative while waiting for a Girl Scouts event to start 😜
I’ve always enjoyed James Hoffmann’s videos for their information and instruction, delivered with enthusiasm, entertainment, and no judgement. His latest is quite different—an artful, visual contemplation of what makes a “great” cup of coffee: youtu.be/IkssYHTSp…
Slowly, sporadically formulating a working theory in my head about how our perceived bright spots in creative media mask and/or distract from things we normally dislike.
E.g. instrumental skill covering up Ben Folds’ off-pitch vocals.
I know I’ve somewhat cartoonishly become a local “bike guy”, but in reality I feel like I’m becoming somethingng worse, something darker.
I’m becoming outdoorsy.
Rode a little on the new contra-flow bike lane on Norfolk Ave. in Scott’s Addition this afternoon. So glad to have that, but would be much happier if it at least had pylons or better, given the high speed one-way traffic in the other direction.
How am I a magnet for local media? Just had to politely decline an RTD reporter who knocked on my door asking about traffic on Chamberlayne.
I’ve been in the paper for comments on Scott’s Addition, CBS6 talking about my council person, and several other times in the past for a variety of reasons :-P
Man, I’m glad I have an indoor trainer so I can keep up my riding fitness/saddle toughness, but this rain has me starting to haaaaaaate indoor riding. No amount of variety in Zwift can replace even the most mundane route around town.
If you look really close, you’ll notice a li’l skelly riding in the back.
