A garage sale for your mind

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cyling

A collection of 30 posts

King of the Mountain

Trail running got me back on Strava, where it turns out I still hold one lone KOM on a stretch of road I can't even picture. Plus why 3 Body Problem scratches the same itch as The Martian (smart people who actually sound smart), and J's improvised Mandarin talent-show act.

King of the Mountain

The Value of Field Testing

All my home testing said the bike-camping rig was golden. Then I hit the first uphill out of the parking lot and the front tire lost all traction under the rear load, leaving me unable to steer. A lesson in why field testing beats neighborhood laps every time.

Stone Mountain PATH Trail

Venturing past my comfort zone again: a trail blocked by high-pressure spraying, a dead-end into Ponce, and a well-beaten dirt path that dumped me back on the far side of the construction. The Stone Mountain PATH trail lacks the new Eastside shine, but it's not bad.

Granny is no Slouch

Biking the Greenway while I wait on replacement brakes, I keep seeing this old lady, easily in her 70s, on a hybrid beach-cruiser. She moves fast and stands up on the pedals to attack every hill. Granny is no slouch.

Three Gap

For a couple years I've done the three-gap ride up north: Woody, Wolfpen, and Neel. Discovering Google Earth's elevation profile let me finally compare my route against all those complaints of 20-percent-plus grades. Apparently it's a respectable ride.

AZW-0503

An open letter to the driver of plate AZW-0503, who held down the horn racing past my bicycle descent from Neel Gap. Some friendly notes on potholes, gravel, slippery painted speed limits, and the six chances you had to safely pass. Thank you for the memorable experience.

New Bike

A birthday spent unhappily in town, softened by a new Civia Bryant. I ditched the lingering '70s tech of chains, cantilevers, and derailleurs for a belt drive, internal gear hub, and disc brakes. A thing of beauty.

And squirrels

I drove an hour to the loop, waited for sunrise, and forgot my iPod. Then a dog chased me. The collective wisdom on dog chases is: don't outrun it, don't kick at it from the bike. Apparently there are also ultra-sonic devices for this. I'm going shopping.

I So Rule

Despite a moderate level of intoxication, I rode my bike no-hands, standing on the pedals, and made a controlled 90-degree turn. You should have seen the smile on my face. Reminds me of my distant cousin: Wolverine.

New Trick

I tried to ride the whole Southern Greenway hands-free. The main obstacles: a blind turn onto a narrow bridge, oblivious side-by-side cyclists, and a mother/daughter duo who blocked the road. I need a horn. Specifically, a large, shiny, chrome one.

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