2019 Miles

Somehow during what was a chaotic and busy year, I rode over 3600 miles. This total is the most since 2004 when I rode 4604.

I still don't know how it happened. My son played more baseball games than ever, and sadly I am still employed with a full-time job.

At any rate, I have no intention of exceeding or even matching that total next year. In the end it was just too much. For the last couple months I was obsessing over setting a "record" and rode for mileage instead of enjoyment.

Next year the goal is more fun and quality over quantity.

Later.

Bike Free by the Sea

We had a typical Monterey getaway planned, but the Spencer was pretty sick last week, missing four days of school. Then Jenn picked it up, but not nearly as bad. They were mostly recovered, but not completely. We opted to still go to the coast, but without bikes.

Instead of rides we took leisurely walks and took in the sights.

We went to the basketball court a couple times.

Walked some more.

On the last day we went to Carmel, walked around, shopped, snacked, and walked along the beach.

It was only three nights but it was nice to get away. Although I was jonesing to ride the entire time, probably due to Pavlovian response to Monterey, strangely it was also a relief to not ride.

As we prepared to leave, it felt odd to simple put my small duffel bag in the truck without the three bikes, tools, floor pump, GPS units, tail lights, charging units, various accessories, helmets, cycling clothing, etc. It was a simple, stripped down trip missing all the logistics of a normal one.

I guess sometimes it's good to get away from even the one activity you love the most.

Later.

Getaway

 Jennifer and I went to the coast again to do our thing. We went to the aquarium:

Took long walks along the beach:

Enjoyed the wildlife:

Went for bike rides:

And had a beer (or two) of course:

Good times, as always.

Later.

June 1 Weigh In

Over the course of Bike Month I lost 4.5 pounds. Not bad.

Later.

Mayo

I ended up with 507 miles in May, barely eclipsing my goal of 500. This put me into the top ten at work for the first time ever, which isn't saying much because participation by "real cyclists" is way down. In the past we would have a few guys with over 2000 miles, but this year I think only one guy went over 1000.

Later.

Failure

Well, Bike Month didn't start too well. Yesterday I had my first flat with a tubeless tire ever. I cut the tire on a rock and the hole was just too big to seal. She bled out and died right here:

I put in my spare tube, which has been in my seat bag for years, and it was no good. I had to stop and pump it up numerous times before it finally failed altogether.

I called the sag wagon and Jenn picked me up. Mileage total after day one: a whopping seven miles. It was a sticky, gooey, failure of an evening.

Later.

Weigh In

Bike Month is here and it's time to weigh in. One year I lost almost 10 pounds in the course of riding 825 miles. I only pledged 500 miles this year, but it would be nice to drop a few pounds in the process. This is more than I should weigh.

Later.

Coasting

A break in the baseball schedule allowed us to make a trip to the coast. We arrived first and then Roger joined us later. A great time was had by all.

I'll let the pictures tell the story.

Later.