Trail Ramblings: What A Difference A Day Makes. Sunday we got our preview of what’s coming in a month or so. Many put away their bikes when they see the white stuff, but others can’t wait to get out their fat bikes and hit the trails. The trails were too wet for it though, you have to wait for the ground to freeze, or at least not be muddy. I had some business to do, […]

So the bike challenge is over, it’s chilly and wet, and the resolve you had to continue bicycling into the fall has left without you. Cool season riding is arriving, though it’s supposed to be back up to 90 degrees later in the week. Much ink is spilled every fall writing about how to cope with cycling in cool and even cold weather, but by far the biggest obstacle is your own mindset. If you […]

This September has had some of the best riding and one of the worst anniversaries. Many of you have taken advantage of the great weather and enjoyed group rides on the Homestead trail, ridden gravel to the Kansas border, gone bike packing on the Wabash Trace, gone mountain biking and ridden in remembrance of Randy Gibson. I remember how I often crossed paths with him riding through the Haymarket or next to the First Street […]

  I found myself riding gravel and limestone back home after dark a couple of times this past week and was reminded yet again how great night riding is. I’m not talking about riding in traffic and facing headlights and sketchy road surface. I mean having the road and trail to yourself accompanied by a sliver of moon, intensely bright stars, and strangely glowing clouds. Outside the cone of your headlight is inky darkness. The […]

It’s difficult to know just when it’s going to rain, so either you have to be prepared for it or not worry about getting wet. Where to ride is a consideration, however. If you’re commuting in it, you probably already know where to avoid or have your alternate rain route, if necessary. I decided to do a sort of trail survey of some segments I hadn’t ridden in a while, partly so that if it […]

After a couple of hours of testimony from mostly 13th St. neighborhood residents about how dangerous it is crossing and using 13th Street, the city council voted unanimously against the resolution to stop the proposed improvements. The street re-design from four lanes to a two-plus-one with bike lanes will go ahead as planned. Many of the residents who spoke said that they primarily bicycled, or drove and bicycled, but everyone focused on how dangerous it […]

Whether you’re racing (because you want to), riding because it’s healthy (and makes you feel good), saves money, or because it’s the right thing to do for the environment (sticking it to The Man also counts), you are winning. There is really no bad reason I can think of for riding a bike. I ride (and race) for all these reasons. Why do you ride? Or, barring physical limitations, why don’t you ride? One reason […]

I know people who say if they don’t have somewhere to go, they have no motivation to ride. These people may not regularly go riding for the sake of the ride itself, but are happy to ride to special events and are perhaps even regular commuters. For those who need a reason to ride, I say do more errands by bike. If you schedule the commuting time in, which I generally consider double the time […]

The longer I’ve been aware of the cycling community (for many years riding I was not), the more I’ve come to realize there are many reasons people bicycle. Some are simple, and some are complex. The reasons often overlap, and can change, but some things stay the same. To begin, there’s the sense of freedom, of exhilaration. A Russian man I was talking to last week told me these exact words, without prompting, when he […]

Faced with beautiful weather Sunday, and having missed out on the Bohemian Sto Mil gravel race this last Saturday due to scheduling difficulties, I decided I was overdue for a long ride Sunday. Breakfast at Platte River State Park sounded like a great start, and I could add a little more for an even 100 miles.   I didn’t meet anyone else on the Mopac out. It was a beautiful sunrise with a cool breeze […]