Cycling!

Me and one of my trusty steeds atop Bear Mountain, 10/06

I've become a bit of a cycling nut lately, conquering the mean streets of New York (well, perhaps conquering is a bit strong, maybe surviving is more appropriate!) and venturing out to the hinter lands of Jersey and "upstate" over the Washington Bridge. The Bear Mountain ride was one of the best: miles of forests along the aptly named Seven Lakes Drive. From the summit, you can just make out the towers of Manhattan, 30 miles south through the haze. It was organized by the New York Cycle Club, a great group to ride with! I've also started touring; check out my trip in New Mexico here!

I now have three bikes, a Trek 6500 mountain bike I've had since my junior year of high school, a Fuji Marseilles I picked up for a good deal at Jay's in Philadelphia during my graduate school days, and a Dahon Tournado touring bike that breaks down for traveling. I use the mountain bike for getting around the city and shopping (the 'Round Town Panniers from REI are great - perfect for grocery bags). The road bike is for longer trips and escaping the confines of the city, and the touring bike for really escaping!

I sadly don't have any good pictures of my trek! I took this picture one Saturday after my normal spin through Fairmont Park in Philly. It's a nice ride, right along the Schuylkill River underneath 20 bridges or so! The river had flooded the day before, leaving a layer of wet silt across the path near the Fall River bridge. My road bike is relaxing under a cherry tree in Fairmont Park in the other clip while we picnicked under the blossoms one beautiful spring Sunday!

Cycling is the best way to explore the city. I took this picture crossing the Triboro Bridge on the NYC Century - 100 miles through 4 boros. I took on the last boro, Staaten Island, this past January, making it all the way to the southernmost tip, right up to the water line on a soggy spit of sand! (I touched all 5 Boros in the Bike New York ride, but it was a little skimpy on the Bronx and Staaten Island. None-the-less, I recommend it as a fun ride. There's nothing like cruising up 6th Ave with 30,000 other cyclist!!!)

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