Philly Bike Expo 2011: A few items that caught my eye

The 2011 Philly Bike Expo subtitled its show as Artisans / Activists / Alternatives. Those three ideas were on full display during my Sunday visit. Custom builders, handmade accessories and local bike based activism filled the booths of the Philadelphia Armory. 

Here's a sample of some items that caught my attention (click pics for full size and links for more details):

Pinelands 200k Permanent- setting a personal best. October 23, 2011

I stand with my back to the shower nozzle. The hot stream of water thrums against the tightness in my right trapezius that feels like the precursor to a stiff neck. The knot doesn't go away. 

A layer of road grime and dried sweat swirl down the drain. Soap lather stings tiny abrasions brought on by hours in the saddle. They will need Bag Balm. 

Despite having spent the day drinking fluids on a 15 minute schedule, my eyes and lips feel parched, foreign, dry from within. The shower brings no relief.

After 129.3 miles of pedaling, simply standing takes effort. 

These minor discomforts will soon fade, leaving only a personal best time for a 200k -  just under an hour faster than on any prior 200k course.

(click on pictures for full size image)

Coffee fix

Riding a fixed gear bike is to cycling as 

taking black and white pictures is to photography.

N + 1 - Fixing what ain't broke.

According to Rule #12 -  "The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.While the minimum number of bikes one should own is three, the correct number is n+1, where n is the number of bikes currently owned.  This equation may also be re-written as s-1, where s is the number of bikes owned that would result in separation from your partner."

Hawk Mountain 200K brevet -

September 17, 2011

The first hours of the brevet felt timeless - nether morning nor afternoon, neither hot nor cold - a space between moments. Under a covering of mottled gray clouds, we rode through shadowless terrain. The flora, plump from recent torrential rains, could barely contain their color. Yellows, oranges and greens brightly popped against the muted background. This was Summer's last Saturday, but I felt the touch of Fall. Cool air drew excess heat away from laboring muscles, leaving just enough warmth, like a thin flowing shield, to ward off the chill. With the threat of overheating gone, this would be a good day to climb mountains and this brevet would provide just the course.

Hawk's Nest 200k - Through Promised Land.

76 miles into the ride, I got my mojo back. Finally. On a category 5 climb deep in the Poconos, it emerged to lift me just above the discomfort and effort of riding brevets. No longer did that aspect dominate my thoughts. It took a while to get there, but I got there. Now I could just ride. 50 miles to go.

Hawk Mountain 200K

July 24, 2011

My ride of the Hawk Mountain 200k permanent began just after dawn in the small town of Ephrata. Located in the midst of east Pennsylvania farmland, Ephrata was once the home of the Mystic Order of the Solitary, a mid-18th century semi-monastic religious order that incorporated ascetism and creative expression into its practices. That history seemed to make this a fitting place to begin a 128-mile solo Sunday bike ride through the mountains on a mid-summer day that came at the end of a record setting heat wave.