A review of the Surly Troll steel-frame touring bike and all of its wonderful features.
Cycling – Rockville, MD to Washington, DC National Mall (with COVID shut-down coverage)
A 50 mile loop from Lake Needwood in Rockville, MD to the National Mall in DC and back. It seemed like the time was right to explore via bike and investigate the state of the COVID-19 pandemic in the nation's capital.
Why not to push it
It's been 5 days since my failed journey across the United States by bike. My consolation prize that I thought of this week is biking from Philadelphia to Montreal: only a ~600 mile journey, just a bit longer than Delaware to Pittsburgh (as far as I made it across the country). And, learning a lesson …
A few stories from my GAP and C&O ride
In my haste to bike across the country, I didn't get to stop and smell the roses very often. I completed a ride of the GAP and C&O towpath, roughly 330 miles, in under 4 days (not recommended). As a result, I couldn't tell you much about anything I rode past. The Great Allegheny Passage …
Shooting the GAP – biking the Great Allegheny Passage in two days (or less)
Once you have completed the C&O canal from DC to Cumberland, you can continue directly onto the Great Allegheny Passage, or GAP for short. The GAP has a much better reputation among cyclists. The surface is crushed stone which is very tightly packed. It is also meticulously maintained. I saw crews in multiple locations either …
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The C&O Canal Towpath – biking North in two days
The C&O Towpath (trail) is 184.5 miles long and runs parallel to the Potomac River and the partially-completed Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. It runs from Washington DC to Cumberland MD (it never made it to the Ohio River). I have a history with this trail. On two occasions I have attempted to complete the entire …
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It’s really good to have friends – day 2 on the bike tour
Ideally I would have started today's ride at 9, but 10 at the latest. I was able to get myself out of bed at 7:30, so I had a shot to start earlyish. I stayed up at my friend Allen's place playing some bizarre video games until 11pm the night before. Probably should have gone …
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The first day is the hardest – starting a bike tour
So the plan was to start early; no later than 9. However I didn't sleep well the previous two nights so I allowed myself to catch up on sleep. So I wound up getting up at 9 and not leaving until about 11:30. I think it was worth it. I didn't want to start the …
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Communication is good, so is preparation
I was very slow to adopt to the smart phone. I just got one last year. I suppose my reservations would be that I would get absorbed by the phone or the government would track me. But the world we live in is amazing. I am writing this blog with my smartphone. How connected everything …
More adventure = more gear
= More money spent. On my last bike tour, I purchased a brand new bike a few weeks beforehand. $900. I still have that bike, but now that my planned route involves a lot of trails, including the gravelly C&O towpath, I did my research and decided to go with the Surly Troll. $1700 woo! …
Hello World – Let’s Go For A Ride
Welcome to the blog. I used to think blogs were a waste of time, but I think I understand one of their purposes now: sharing ideas. Well it looks like I finally have one 🙂 In theory, my idea is to be a point where you can see objectively where and how you might want …
