Riding for a Cause

On my bike trip this summer, a number of people asked me if I was riding for a cause. "Sure," I said, "I'm riding to experience the pure joy of traveling by bicycle."

But then I felt a little guilty. I knew what their question really meant. Other cyclists were riding for a "charitable cause" -- to raise money for guide dogs or to raise awareness for three-toed, pink-haired hermaphrodites. Am I a bad person for not riding for a cause?

But then I came across this beautiful tidbit of wisdom from Lao Tzu. After reading these words, I felt not an ounce of guilt. Rather, I embraced my original cause. And I embraced it proudly.

Bloated Fish & Butt Raisins

It was a perfect, autumnal weekend for a rectangular ride with spectacular company.

The company, enjoying the autumnal spectacularness.
From left to right: Whitney, Phil, Me, Rich, Jason, and Claudia.

The ride, in all of its rectangular glory.

"The Rectangle Ride" is a 110-mile route that starts in Arlington, WA, heads east to Darrington, north to Rockport, west to Sedro-Wooley, and then loops back south to Arlington.

This is the fourth time I've done this route, and only now has it earned the name "The Rectangle Ride." It's safe to say that this is my favorite local overnight route, and so I was super-duper happy to share the route with five friends.

Kale Tail

Oh my! I've sprouted a tail! And so has my friend, Jason!

Our Kale Tails.

Indeed-ily-do! These tails do resemble kale stems! You are such a smarty pants!

Truth be told, our tails sprouted just after we destemmed some kale, in preparation for baking some kale chips.

Video Montage: Portland, OR to Portland, ME

It was a perfectly rainy day today and thus a perfectly spectacular day for making a video montage of my bike ride from Portland, OR to Portland, ME. You will recognize most of the photos from my blog entries, but you'll notice some newbies as well.

As this is the first video I've ever edited, bear with me on some of the rough transitions. With a few more bike rides under my belt, I'll become a pro at editing videos.

I hope you enjoy watching the video as much as I enjoyed making it!

Bob Is Famous!

Meet Bob.

Bob & his Surly Long Haul Trucker.
(From Bob's Facebook photos.)

I met Bob earlier this year. We both signed up for a bike maintenance class at Wright Brothers Cycle Works. When we rolled our bikes into the first class in January and noticed that we both had Surly Long Haul Truckers, Bob and I instantly bonded!