a lovely breakfast on this Valentine's Day

While not a huge cereal eater, I've always found Kashi's Heart To Heart Cereal irresistible.  Am I the only one who sees those little circles as bicycle wheels amongst all those hearts!?

I incorporated Janet Attard's bicycle stencil with a photograph I took to create the image above. 

+ + + check out this super sweet Valentine via Mission Bicycles... a friend of theirs rode 27 miles around San Francisco (burning 1,135 calories i.e. 45 milk chocolate HERSEY'S KISSES) to create a bike ♥ heart ♥ map for his girlfriend using this GPS app...

pencil it in... 2012 Bike Rides in/around NYC

one beautiful bike calendar

The list below was originally compiled by Glen, from NYC Bicycle Shows, of 2012 popular recreational rides in the NYC area...  I've added a bit to it and plan to keep updating. Let me know if you know of anything that should be added below!

♥ 2012 BIKE RIDES IN/AROUND NYC ♥

February 26

SPIN-FOR-SIGHT

http://usheriii.org/index.php

Spin-a-thon, exclusively benefiting research for Usher Syndrome Type III hosted by Rebecca Alexander at The Sports Club/LA Upper East Side

May 5

The 14th Annual Blessing of the Bikes

www.bicycleshows.us

Ride to this FREE EVENT at St. John the Divine in NYC

May 6

BIKE NEW YORK/The Five Boro Bicycle Tour

www.bikenewyork.org

40 mile, all five boroughs + traffic-free ride for 32,000 cyclists

May 12

2nd Annual Tour de Staten Island
http://tourdestatenisland.org

18 mile ride by Transportation Alternatives

May 20

The Bloomin’ Metric

http://www.soundcyclists.com/BloominMetric.htm

25 - 62 mile ride options along scenic roads of Fairfield County Connecticut

May 20

Bike MS: Traffic Free Ride

www.nmssli.org

13 mile ride through the Massapequa Preserve

June 3

8th Annual Tour de Brooklyn
http://tourdebrooklyn.org

18 - 20 mile ride by Transportation Alternatives

June 3

6th Annual Ride the Ridge Bike Challenge

http://www.ridetheridge.org

5 - 50 mile ride options in Stone Ridge, NY benefiting the new High Meadow Performing Arts Center

June 3

Bike Boat Bike

www.sbraweb.org

25, 50, 65, 106 and 137 mile options ending in Long Island's East End

June 3

Tour de Cure NYC

http://tinyurl.com/7zsc8e9

7 - 100 mile ride options, 100 mile ride ends at Bear Mountain benefitting the American Diabetes Association

June 8

Bike to the Beach NY

www.biketothebeach.org

100+ mile ride benefitting Autism Speaks from Union Square, NYC to Westhampton Beach, NY

June 8, 9, 10

Get Your Guts In Gear

http://www.ibdride.org

150 mile ride through the Hudson River Valley to raise funds and awareness for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. 

June 16

Ride to Montauk

www.bicycleshows.us 

30, 70, 100, 145 mile ride options

 

June 24

Nassau to Suffolk Bicycle Challenge

www.n2sbc.org 

25, 50, 62 mile ride options on North Shore's Western Long Island benefitting the Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Center

July 8

5th Annual Tour de Queens 
http://www.tourdequeens.org
18 to 20 mile ride exploring northeastern Queens organized by Transportation Alternatives

July 15

Mansion Ride for Autism

www.MansionRide.com

16, 40, 62 mile ride options only Long Island's North Shore 

July 22

Harlem Valley Rail Ride

http://Harlemvalleyrailride.com

25, 50, 75, 100 mile options 

July 27, 28, 29

The Farm Ride(s)

www.thefarmride.com

In and around Amherst, MA

July 28
The 4th Annual Brooklyn Waterfront Epic Ridehttp://brooklyngreenway.org
40-mile ride from Newtown Creek in Greenpoint to Rockaway Beach via the Brooklyn and Queens waterfronts organized by Brooklyn Greenway Initiative

August 12

Discover Hudson Valley

www.bikenewyork.org

15 to 100 mile ride options in the Hudson Valley

August 18

The Deerfield Dirt-Road Randonnée

http://www.franklinlandtrust.org/randonnee.html 

64 - 160K ride options celebrating 300 years of carriage roads in Franklin County, MA

August 26

The Ninth Annual North Fork Century

www.northforkcentury.com

25, 50, 70, 100 mile options on Long Island

September 2

The Golden Apple

http://www.westchestercycleclub.org

In and around Westchester, NY

September 9

23rd Annual NYC Century Bike Tour

http://www.nyccentury.org/
15 - 100 mile ride options -- the only "urban" century tour in the U.S., the NYC Century is Transportation Alternatives' premier annual bike-event.

September 9

Bike MS: East End Ride

www.nmssli.org

25, 50, 75 and 100 mile route options ending in Southampton, NY

September 21, 22, 23

Braking the Cycle -- Boston to New York

www.brakingthecycle.org

10th anniversary of Braking the Cycle, benefiting the HIV/AIDS services of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center. Fully-supported, 3-day ride from Boston to New York City

September 22

ESCAPE NEW YORK

enyinfo@nycc.org

50, 65 or 100 mile ride options from Manhattan into Bergen and Rockland counties hosted by the New York Cycle Club

September 23

Cycle For Life

http://manhattan.cff.org/cycleforlife

32 - 62 mile ride options around Brooklyn benefitting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

September 23

Tour of the Hamptons

www.massparkbikeclub.org

25, 50, 70, 100 mile options fundraising for Make-A-Wish Foundation

September 29 @ 11:59PM

Bike the Night -- The Night Ride

www.bikethenight.com

Evening long ride on the Long Island Sound ending at the beach -- at dawn!

September 30

Bike New York Twin Lights Rides

www.bikenewyork.org

30 - 100 miles tour through the back roads of Monmouth County, NJ

September 30

Bike MS New York City

bikeMS@msnyc.org

30, 50 or 100 miles including the FDR and West Side Highway 

October 5

Seagull Century

www.seagullcentury.org

100 mile ride along the scenic roads of Wicomico, Somerset and Worcester counties benefitting Women Supporting Women, Habitat for Humanity and the Alzheimer’s Association

October 14

Bike the River Valley

www.biketherivervalley.com

30, 70, 100 mile options in Hudson River Valley

October 21 (TENTATIVE)

Tour de Bronx

http://tourdebronx.org

Organized by Transportation Alternatives

Cycle EXIF Bicycle Calendar 2012

... thirteen of the world’s most beautiful custom bicycles, from builders including Bishop Bikes, Feather Cycles, Icarus Frames, Fast Boy Cycles, Pereira Cycles and Stanridge Speed.

wishing you a lovely holiday

What an awesome year it has been! Alas I'll return in 2012 with more cycling love... until then you can get psyched about the new year (and as of today register for the next D2R2 among other rides)!

Bike the Night gets cancelled (another post-Hurricane Irene post)

via nycbicycleshow.com

Just as I was all ready to share with you details on the upcoming Bike the Night ride, I sadly got the news the ride had to be canceled. The North Fork of Long Island is still dealing with clean up efforts due to Hurricane Tropical Storm Irene and is not permitting large organized bike rides since the streets won't be cleared in time... hence the photo below taken this week along the ride's route. Glen, the ride organizer had the following to say:

Believe me if you think that you're bummed out about the cancellations and I'm bummed out, imagine the crew at the Greenport Fire Department, who we hire to prepare our post-ride meal. They took the largest financial hit of everyone, and you know they would have moved forward with this if they could.

via nycbicycleshow.com

While Bike the Night (organized by the same nice people who host the North Fork Century and Ride to Montauk) won't be rescheduled this year, here's more about the ride just to ensure you get excited for next year's 72 or 50 mile route options which start at the traditional 11:59 pm(!)...

We’ll be in Orient NY out on the North Fork of Long Island.  This is what the Hamptons must have once looked like -- farms, vineyards, small towns...  start riding just before midnight and pedal under the stars on roads lit by a full moon.  These are quiet back roads lined by trees and marsh grass.  There’s a beautiful old lighthouse.  Several beaches.  Some special views of the water. By dawn we’ll be out at the beach where we’ll have breakfast (included in the price of the ride) before finishing our ride.

'til next year, North Fork...

by Steve Jones via bikethenight.com

The Deerfield Dirt-Road Randonnée, a.k.a. D2R2

{UPDATE/STORM REPORT: August 31st}
Details below, but if you would rather make a donation to the "Green River Restoration Fund" electronically [here] by Sept. 11th. I just did.

{UPDATE/STORM REPORT: August 30th}
My original post is below, but I wanted to share the following message from D2R2 creator and manager, Sandy Whittlesey. Hurricane Irene sadly did a number on the roads, bridges, and beautiful land we cycled through. Please take a minute and consider making a donation in the rebuilding effort of this very special community - whether you rode or not...

All those pretty stretches of road along the water look like the rugged Maine seacoast, nothing but the biggest boulders and stones.  We will post pictures in the coming days.  The locals are already taking matters into their own hands, using their tractors to push fill into place.  Entire families are on the river bed tossing stones up by hand to rebuild the roadbed!


The good news is that the Colrain Covered Bridge is intact, and the Green River Covered Bridge at the lunch stop still stands.  Incredibly, (just imagine this picture) the water there came within two feet of the bridge deck, and the force of the water on the abutments made the whole bridge shake!  But it held fast.  Not bad for a stone and wooden structure built during the Civil War!


The park we use at lunch did not fare so well.  It's under a foot of mud.  The fences and retaining walls have been knocked down, the fish ladder is mucked up, and all the fill between the fish ladder and the side of the dam is gone.  All told, it's about ten grand in damage.


I am thus appealing to riders to contribute to the reconstruction of the park.  The neighborhood maintains everything with money out of their own pockets, and they just paid to have the dam area dredged last year.  Even if you only send ten bucks, there were a thousand of you out there, I know we can do this!!


Please send donations to:
Green River Village Preservation Trust
Kim Hamilton, Treasurer
2014 Carpenter Hill Road
Guilford, VT     05301

shadow of Thule rack + frame while on the road

morning mist at 7:30am before starting the ride

Last Saturday this year's D2R2 ride took place as Hurricane Irene slowly headed up the East coast. It was my first trek up to Western Massachusetts for the ride so I would have been mighty sad had the weather infringed on the randonneuring fun! In case you not familiar with the ride...

The Deerfield Dirt-Road Randonnée was conceived in the 1990's as just a favorite dirt-road loop in the hilltowns of Franklin County, Massachusetts. Since its birth as an organized event in 2005, many have hailed D2R2 as the hardest, most beautiful, most fun, most traffic-free, most unique, and overall best ride that they have ever done. However, D2R2 will continue to maintain its original character as just a bike ride –

• The courses will use the narrowest, oldest, twistiest, quietest, and most-scenic roads available.
• A range of courses will provide access to novices as well as challenge the world's strongest riders. 
• D2R2 will never offer prizes for anything other than gags, nor will finish results ever be presented like it was a race. 
• Riders shall cover the course in a self-sufficient manner, without motorized crew vehicles. 
• The organization will put as much effort into its food offerings as it does the ride itself. 
• The event is a key fundraiser for the Franklin Land Trust's efforts to preserve land in the region, but the route sheets will always be available on its website for free.

iconic New England covered bridge at the lunch stop

the reason why I didn't ride with my 23cm/road bike tires -- flats!

This year's R2D2 offered three routes (180K, 115K, and 100K) which entailed lots of dirt, stony washouts, fast descents on some incredible 300 yr old carriage roads in Western Mass. and Southern Vermont. As a first timer I stuck with the 115K route and rather then riding my road bike, I opted to borrowed a cyclocross bike - a Ridely X-Bow which made for a comfortable ride and with 700c X 32 tires I had much better handling power on the steep dirt ascents as well as rocky descents. I would say that my gear ratio of 48/34 in the front and a 12/25 cassette in the back was a little tough - in particular on Patten Road that starts paved at 20% grade I would have loved to have been able to downshift, but still made it (but can't say the same on those jeep track portions!). If I were to do the 180K next year, I would def. want to go with a lower gear ratio. Also, I left my road shoes behind and used mountain biking shoes w/ SPDs.

I rode with Ted and who had his Garmin computer so you can take a look at all the cool stats like elevation, temperature, and his heart rate! In just under 6.5 hours we climbed 6,273' over the course of 74 miles...   

Another element of the D2R2 is the mighty cue sheet. The courses are unmarked thus one wrong turn is very easy to do and can really set you back (we came very close to having that happen). A couple weeks ago, I had posted photos of Ted's awesome mini clip board cue sheet holder SO I was thrilled to spot this guys' cue sheet holder (above). YES, that's a trusty mouse trap and C-clamp!!! Note that you can download the GPS route to your computer but some reason the 115K loop was not working!


It was truly one spectacular ride. Had my iPhone battery not died on me mid-ride, you would be seeing documentation of lots of exquisite randonneur bikes complete with fenders and saddlebags(!), hilly landscapes, dirt roads through the forest, the Little Big House Gallery at the last rest stop, and lots of livestock!  If you are asking yourself 'What Makes a Good Randonneur Bike?' check out this PDF via Bicycle Quarterly.


Thanks Uncle Ted for all your help leading up to the ride - and on the day of!

But alas it was time to get moving since the rain started as we scarfed down BBQ ribs and mac'n'cheese and headed home... as we approached NYC that night, we had a glimpse of something that we'll likely never-ever see again... not a single other car on the Triborough Bridge, thanks to Irene:

two pre-Labor Day rides: North Fork Century & D2R2

I was torn. August 28-29th, the last weekend before Labor Day. The North Fork Century, a gorgeous 100 mile ride along quaint and quiet Long Island and the epic Deerfield Dirt-Road Randonnée (D2R2) are taking place that same weekend!

Having done the North Fork last summer with my friend Sara and totally enjoyed it and highly recommend it, I decided to try something new. These two rides couldn't be more different but here are some comparisons: The North Fork starts/ends in Greenport (with a nearby campground) is on the furthest north eastern part of Long Island, a slice of NY paradise with beautiful beaches, vineyards, farm stands. It's also virtually all flat and paved for fast smooth riding! The D2R2 starting/ending in Deerfield is nestled in the hills of western Massachusetts and almost entirely off road, steep, and high up there in the list of demanding rides. Navigating the course is also a dividing point - unlike the well indicated route on the North Fork, the D2R2 (from what I hear) is VERY easy to get lost on and is all about keeping an eye on your cue sheet. It was suggested that I print out and laminate my cue sheet - I did two weeks before the ride feeling like a responsible and well prepared geek even taking a highlighter to every other line...
And then Ted, who's done the ride before, sent me a photo of his cue sheet...

OMG - forget laminating and highlighting, this has freakin geek cool written all over it!!! I'll report back after the 27th with photos and no doubt stories.  If your not familiar with the D2R2, you can read up about the course and it's creator, Sandy Whittlesey [here] on the Rapha site. Even better, see you there?!

Mt. Washington bicycle hillclimb (finally)

my setup for riding up: triple crank on the front (with only the 30T) and Ultegra 9 speed 12-27 cassette

Recap from the climb along with some background...
Nested in the New Hampshire's White Mountains is Mt. Washington, the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at 6288 ft (1917 m). It's been named the "home of the world's worst weather" and on average, hurricane force winds are present 100 days a year. The Mt. Washington Auto Road is 4,727" of vertical feet of loveliness. Though a mere 7.6 mi (12.2 km) in length, it's freakin steep. The road is mostly paved with an average grade of 12% with extended sections at18% and the last 50 yards 22% grade - and no flat or downhill sections whatsoever. And naturally since there's an auto road to the summit, there's is a bike race to the top! Steeper than any of the famous climbs in the Tour de France.... and has the reputation of one of the toughest bicycle climbs in the world!!!

Some visual context...

images via North East Cycling

My non-abbreviated back story...
In 2004 I was all geared up for the climb. Had trained, been doing local road races, and was feeling totally psyched and ready to TAKE IT ON. That morning at the base I ran around finding a ride to hitch back down with -- it's illegal to ride down on a bike due to the steepness. As the road was closing to car traffic, I quickly threw in my bag of warm clothes and food into the truck so I'd have them once I reached the top, got back to my bike to start warming up and then... looked down to realize I was still wearing my flip flops. My heart sank. My bike shoes were left in my bag which was already making its way up to the summit. Big OOPS.

So, a couple months back when my uncle-in-law, Ted, told us he was signed for Newton's Revenge (currently one of two annual bike races up the Mt. Washington Auto Road) I was SO DOWN. The whole 2004 incident had put such a damper on the thought - but having taken a good dose of Kettlebell and Spin classes throughout the winter (thanks to Joanna!), along with long rides and a hell of a lot of hill repeats... thought it was about time to tackle that Mt. Washington.

 kept getting caught in super heavy downpours in New Hampshire the week prior - thus kept drying out my shoes

my awesome husband helping to clean off and prep my bike

During and post ascent...

top photo by Leo Kenney

The race:

EPIC and completely awesome. Indeed, the road starts off steep and my body went into survival mode. At the start I didn't recognize my own breathing and wasn't sure if I was going to keel over hyperventilating - but our human bodies are amazing - and soon found a rhythm and just didn't stop. For the first 3 miles there was little else then heat and lack of air flow until getting above treeline...  realized then that I'd never biked so high up - so surreal - and all worth it just for that experience alone. Looking down onto the slopes of Wildcat (love skiing there) simply blew my mind. And as unpredictable as the weather on Mt. Washington can be, on July 9th it was predictably dramatic and ever changing. Had it been perfect and mild the entire way, it really wouldn't have been a true Mt. Washington inaugural ride. At the base it was warm in the 70's and sunny, at the summit, Ted noted gusts of 60mph with steady winds of 40, fog/mist so thick that visibility (seemed like it at times) to be basically zero and 42 degrees temperature with wind chills in the 20's. I did notice that once in the clouds, about half a mile from the finish line, frost was forming on my handlebars where the sweat of my hands had held on... but as a rider you are so pumped and over heated from exertion that it felt 100% better then having the sun roasting you. That said, I def. felt the side wind gusts and did my best to not get knocked down since that would be most challenging to even attempt to get back on bike on that road. I was happy to have made it up the entire way -- on my bike -- especially after hearing horror stories of chain issues, derailleurs malfunctioning, and the myriad of possible weather inflictions. I made it up in 1:37:41. (Tom Danielson holds the record with an outstanding time of 0:49:24 from 2002 - love comparing my time with the 2011 Tour de France 9th placer!)

Oh, and about that very last portion at 22% grade... I was totally anticipating it once I was in the clouds and thinking once I see a bunch of people at the top, that'll be it. Well, with the visibility the way it was I found myself right at the bottom of that portion and almost came to a complete stop realizing I wasn't in my lowest gear! Somehow I thought I would be able to see it clearer but instead ended up feeling like I was in front of a wall while still on my bike. A soon I heard my husband yelling "YOUR ALMOST THERE" to me and the crowd cheering so I focused on the task at hand and (very roundaboutly - trying to do a little switch back) biked up the steepest portion of ground I have likely ever biked up and crossed the finish line.

Ted got a time of 1:31 --  which was awesome, almost 15 minutes faster than his previous time

Shots taken from the car on our way back down -- from the clouds above treeline to below... 

the slopes of Wildcat

Seriously a fun time - so much so that once we made it back down to the base I suggested the we all hike up Mt. Washington after lunch. Umm, that was likely the adrenaline talking - but wouldn't it be awesome to bike up AND hike up all in the same day?! Maybe next year!

This weekend's lineup with... Community Bookstore & Bicycle Habitat, 718 Cyclery & The Bird Wheel + a Century Ride

via Community Bookstore

It's looking to be one jam packed weekend of bike-loving activities for your bike-loving self to enjoy...

Saturday, July 16th

Stage 14 of the Tour de France (streamed live)
9am-noon(ish)
Community Bookstore
143 Seventh Avenue, b/w Carroll and Garfield, Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY
[map]
 
Bicycle Habitat & Community Bookstore in Park Slope hosts with coffee, croissants - and climbs! And in case you are having bike issues, bring it with you for a complimentary consult with a Bicycle Habitat's expert mechanic.


Sunday, July 17th

Bike the Hudson Valley 2011 Century Ride (with 40 and 70 mile options) 
7-8:30am start
start/finish in Highland, NY (about a 1.5 drive north of NYC)
[map]

With truly spectacular architectural sites along the route...  FDR’s home, the Vanderbilt Mansion and Gardens, the Mills Mansion, Frank Gehry's theater at Bard College, and over the car-free Walkway Over the Hudson bridge. And an, fyi, the same people are organizing a Farm Ride in August! 

Meet Your (Bike) Match & Summer Party
12noon-4pm
718 Cyclery
461 Seventh Avenue, corner 16th Street, Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY
[map]

South Slope's newest bike shop, 718 Cyclery & The Bird Wheel hosts bike portraits, test rides... and check out free seminars on the finer points of bike care, maintenance and repair presented by the 718 staff!


+++ if you just can't get enough, next Saturday Brooklyn Skillshare hosts a HOW TO PLAN FOR & ENJOY A MULTI-DAY BIKE TRIP class

via the Alps: 4 days touring

Cycling is a bit of a family affair. That's my cousin Victor who arrived last week in Venice by ferry (wearing a FTLOB Tee ♥) after crossing the Eastern Alps... Victor, who lives in Geneva, met up with his brother-in-law, who lives in Sweden, for four days of touring through Austria, a detour into Slovenia, to end in Italia! Here's their Google Maps itinerary which begins in Linz, Austria and ends in Venezia (Venice!) by ferry. While the weather forecast just before departure was dim:

it was fortunately neither prohibitive nor correct! Oh, and about the ascents...

we climbed a total of 2700m on the first day, some 1400 on the second and probably about 2000 on the third - the 4th day was flat: we were riding at 35km/h like maniacs across southern Italy. also tried to get it calculated using veloroutes.org... but it wasn't working.

A totally dreamy trip. The photos are so beautiful - makes it mighty tempting to buy an airplane ticket + bike shipping case!

off to a good start!

Entering Slovenia soon..

Arrivati in Udine! (After crossing 2 passes in Slovenia, 2000m climb. Over with the Alps!)