The Blog With No Heartbeat

As of 2019 we're still riding as often as possible.
Living in Florida gives us year-round cycling opportunities.

This blog has been left unattended for several years.  I had started a new one to support a possible cross-country bike ride; that dream has pretty much been scrapped.  Many month back I shut down the other blog, and transferred the writings over to this site.

A few days ago I took a look at the blog and discovered that, much to my disappointment, all the text had indeed transferred over wonderfully; all the photos, however, did not. I spent most of yesterday trying to match the photos to the captions (that still remained) and reinstate the “visual aids”.  I was able to find all but one… so the time spent was fairly successful.

I should state that I’d still like to make the ride.  I had also hoped to raise money to buy a trailer to use as a “mobile base” daily, rather than camp or have to go the motel route every night.  At the end of this ride I wanted to make the trailer available to other people who wanted to make the same crossing (people of advanced age, with health issues or special needs, where camping out isn’t an option). The trailer would be used primarily along the “Southern Tier” route, which runs from San Diego, CA to St. Augustine, FL running back and forth across the land with a new group of cyclists each time.

It became apparent that there was little interest in this idea; presumably people desiring to make this crossing had either the means or the equipment.  Then came the talks of how to insure such a vehicle, and who would ultimately be held responsible in the event of an accident while the trailer was in tow.  It was easy to let go of an idea that didn’t really interest people and was a lawsuit waiting to happen.

So now what?  Time will tell if I give this blog a little new life… or whether it’s just left to flatline.  One thing is just as certain now as it was when this blog was created: there is no theme.  So if you’re looking for something with consistency… look elsewhere, brother!  

The Tour de Tahoe

Shortly after this picture was taken, "Fat-boy" had to get
ff of the tandem and catch his breath!  This was one of
the steepest climbs on the ride, complete with switchbacks.

There is an event that I feel compelled to share with anyone who enjoys the great outdoors while riding a bike.  Its name is The Tour de Tahoe, and as you might guess it’s a one-day ride that circumnavigates Lake Tahoe. 

Lake Tahoe has a reported surface elevation of 6224 feet… but it ain’t a level ride!  You will gain – and lose – 4371 feet as you pedal around the lake, and a couple of the climbs aren’t very kind!  There’s a nasty little grunter somewhere between the 10 and 15 mile mark that forced us off of the bike to walk a short distance, due a combination of altitude, early morning chill and the incline of the road.  We got to the point where we could barely breathe.  Fortunately, we weren’t the only ones whipped by this particular grade!

But the weather will improve as the morning wears on, and soon you’ll be peeling off the layers you started out with and will either find a way to carry your cold weather gear with you, or hand it off at the first rest/snack stop to have it trucked backed to the event’s start and finish line.  (We got rid of some of the gear, but kept a jacket “just in case”.)

I believe there were slightly more than 1700 riders in 2014 when we did the ride.  I am proud to say that we were not the only tandem out there, but it sure would have been nice to see a lot more tandem teams than we did.  There were all sorts of riders and styles of bicycle out there, from the elite carbon road frames to commuter bikes, “go fast” riders to the recreational cyclist who would take all day but make it to the finish line with a smile on their face.  We were probably somewhere right in the middle of the parade.

So why am I sharing this particular ride with you?  Because, if you ever have the opportunity to do The Tour de Tahoe, you really should.  At least once.  The ride is nothing short of being nature’s eye-candy.  It’s gorgeous, something that really should be seen and experienced from the saddle of a bike at least once in your life.  Plus if you had any doubts about your abilities and whether you could actually complete the ride, you’ll feel a LOT better about yourself at the end of the day!

 Bike the West is the organizer of this ride, and a couple others as well.  In addition to the 72 mile ride, there is a 35 mile version that entails a cruise aboard the Tahoe Queen to the north shore of Lake Tahoe where the rides then return to the start/finish line.  For the uber-cyclists, there is a century ride available as well.  And have I mentioned that the support stations are well stocked with goodies to eat and drink?

I could go on and ramble about this ride.  Suffice it to say that I bought an event t-shirt and jersey, and I love wearing either because completing this ride really meant something to me!  (I was skeptical about my ability to make it; my stoker had more faith in the two of us!)  But whenever I put on this jersey and go out for a ride, I feel like I’m entitled to wear it.  I’ve never put that much meaning into, or felt that much pride from an event jersey!

Think about doing this ride sometime.  Put it on your “biking bucket list”.  You may cuss me as you climb up some of those hills, but you’ll thank me for this recommendation at the end of the day!

Follow these links to investigate further!

Bike the West

https://www.bikethewest.com

Unless You’re The Lead Dog…

I'd think that some people would
be grateful for a view like this!

“Unless you’re the lead-dog, the view never changes”.  You’ve probably heard that one somewhere in your travels, and have maybe seen a cute little picture of a few sled-dog butts with that slogan as a caption on Facebook or some other social media site. Judging by the picture that leads in this article, one would probably concede this quote is as true as the sky is blue.

Let’s throw out a couple of tandem-terms for those of you who are “tandem-curious” but not baptized in the lifestyle.  First off, there is the word “Captain”.  This refers to the one who is blessed in life to sit “up front”.  This person is in charge of steering, braking and making damned sure that he doesn’t do anything stupid to jeopardize the health and well being of the one sitting behind him, known as the “Stoker”.

The stoker probably gets her name from the old Dutch, which loosely means “push” or “poke”.  This was also the moniker assigned to one who attended the fire on the old steam locomotives.  Some folks refer to their stoker as the “Rear Admiral”, perhaps an admission as to who really wields the “power”.  Stokers do an incredible amount of inspiring work; mine inspires me when I’m in need of a little pick-me-up by bending low and biting me in the butt. 

A quick disclaimer:  I’ve assigned gender to the terms “Captain” and “Stoker”.  “He” is up front while “she” is in back.  This isn’t another form of male-dominance and subjugation.  It’s simply the “norm” in tandem cycling, an endeavor which usuallyinvolves a married couple.  Not always, but usually. 

We tried swapping seats once many years ago.  The ride lasted about two blocks when she said to he, “No %$#@*#% way!”  There was a weight difference of nearly 100 pounds between the two of us, and a height difference of a foot.  The back end of the bike was not stable, and shewasn’t comfortable up front.  This probably wouldn’t be an issue if she was riding with someone similar (or less) in weight and mass.

One of the big questions that many stokers hear is, “Don’t you get tired of staring at his butt all day?”  It does seem a bit unfair, doesn’t it?  The Captain views a wonderful panorama of nature at its finest while the Stoker gets an eyeful of butt (or back) all day long.  There are two lessons to be learned here:  life ain’t fair, and apparently you didn’t pay attention during anatomy class.

It is true that the stoker will never be able to see the little bit of road directly in front of the bike.  Keep in mind that the spine is a marvel in engineering; it bends, flexes and articulates.  In other words… a Stoker can turn her head and stare off into the distance whenever she chooses.  This is a luxury that is never afforded to the Captain.

A Captain can only ocassionaly glance away from the road surface directly in front of him.  He is constantly watching for chuck-holes, cracks, broken glass, loose sand or gravel, rocks or other debris along the side of the road… even road kill… all of which are things you should never run over on a tandem (or a single bike, for that matter). 

The Captain is also monitoring traffic both in front of and (if he’s using a mirror) in back of the tandem.  There isn’t any time for sightseeing, except for what you can absorb through peripheral vision as you pilot your double-bike down the highway.  The Stoker can look for details in the distance to either side of the bike and breathe in all the visual beauty there is to be had during the ride. 

The Captain is busy monitoring a small width of asphalt as they pedal down the road; the Stoker is saying things like, “there’s a small herd of deer up on that hill” or “there’s a bald eagle perched in that tree”.  I’m wondering “which hill?”  “What tree?”  If I look around for any amount of time at all, I’ll be derelict in my first obligation of keeping us on course, upright and safe. 

Fortunately for me, our tandem is equipped with this technological marvel known to the common-folk as “brakes”.  If something is really worth taking a good look at, I can always stop the bike and take a look at the Stoker’s discovery without fear of running off the edge of a cliff! 

So… the Stoker's short answer to “do you ever get tired of staring at his butt all day?” 

“No.  But if I do… I can always turn my head!”

Biking in Florida

See this map in full size on the
Florida Greenways & Trails
Foundation website.

I’m writing this on the last day of January.  The sun has been up for less than an hour, although I have yet to see any hint of direct sunlight.  Clouds shroud the mountaintops to the south; all I can see is the valley floor and the bottom half of the mountains.

Where we live the temperature should hit the freezing mark by 3:00 PM for the high of the day.  (But there’s a layer of snow or frost on the road, so riding up here today is out of the question.)  50 miles to the south, Boise should reach a high of 38 degrees by 3:00 PM.  In the area we’re moving to later this year it should reach 68 degrees by 3:00 PM.  Guess where I’d rather be?

Most people get to hang their bikes up in the garage this time of year, or else they really have to bundle up before they go out and get in a short ride.  We’ve had a couple of rides this year, wearing several layers of clothing for warmth.  We survived and were grateful to be able to get out – but I’d much rather get out in the sunshine and shirtsleeve weather!  Of course this is the main reason we will move to Florida and live out the rest of our cycling lives there.

We’re excited about the opportunity to be able to ride just about every single day of the year.  Yes, the summers might be a wee bit miserable.  Perhaps that ‘s why some people go out early in the morning or late in the evening for their rides.  Then there are those who simply acclimate to the weather and humidity and just get out there no matter what. 

But back to lamenting about the lack of winter bike rides.  Wouldn’t it be nice to pack up your bike and get out of the snow-zone for a week or so for a little respite and to get reacquainted with your bike before the traditional spring thaw?  I’m excited about a couple of trails that are nearing completion in central Florida, and would recommend to anyone who enjoys recreational cycling or touring to bookmark these links and keep an eye on them.  One day they’ll be a “must do” destination getaway.

The Coast-To-Coast Connector is a project that should excite anyone who likes to bike from “Point A to Point B”.  The trail will link St. Petersburg on the gulf coast to Titusville (and then east to Cape Canaveral and the Atlantic Ocean).  There’s a 27 minute long video on the website that’s worth a watch when you’ve got some spare time.

The Heart of Florida Loop utilizes part of the C2C trail on the south as well as arcing up toward Ocala and Dunnellon to the north.  This would make a wonderful diversion (or extension of your trip) if you were riding round trip from St. Petersburg to the Atlantic and wanted some different scenery on the return leg.

Getting there will take a little planning, as you could fly into Tampa or Orlando, or take Amtrak to several locations near the C2C.  Of course, one could always drive there, although in the winter driving long distances is something most people hope to avoid!  If one flew into Tampa, it’s just a matter of getting over to the St. Pete side of the bay to connect with the Pinellas Trail, which will merge with the Coast-to-Coast Connector.  There’s either the Gandy Bridge (U.S. 92) or a “trail only” bridge north of Florida 60 (Courtney Campbell) that can get you over the bay.  I have no personal experience in this area, but it sounds from opinions posted on the Internet that getting to either of these options on your bike is not for the weak-of-heart!

As these trails reach completion I would expect people in the area to start thinking about how they can get trail users from the major transit centers to the trailheads.  As they would say in Field of Dreams, “If you build it, [they] will come.”  With the promise of the financial shot in the arm these trails will bring to the communities along the way, someone will figure out how to get you and your bike there.

How We Started Riding a Tandem

Our Cannondale gave us many years of faithful
service, including riding in England in 1993.

The short version of this story is:  “We climbed on the bike and started pedaling.”

The End

Somehow I suspect that you’d like a few more details than that!  Rightly so.  Let’s face it – The National Enquirer wouldn’t sell very many copies if they didn’t put a little extra verbiage into each article.  So like them, I’ll throw you a little more substance.  However, unlike the Enquirer, the details in the following story are actually true. 

We were both in the middle of our respective divorces at the time: hers civil, mine anything but.  In spite of that turmoil, we had a feeling we were heading for a long term relationship and found ourselves at a local bike shop one day.   They carried a few different brands of bikes (as most bike shops are apt to do); one of their offerings was from Cannondale bikes, and among Cannodale’s lineup in 1991 was a road tandem.

I made it clear that I’d always wanted a tandem; she made it clear that she had more beauty than brains when she immediately agreed to the plan.  We pooled what little resources we had, gambling that we’d actually stay together so the tandem would have a constant pair of riders and together we made our first major purchase.

Not a good plan, by most standards – but surprisingly it worked for us!  In fact, when we look back at it, this was probably the smartest purchase we’ve ever made.  We’ve been riding together for 24 years, and have no desire to stop doing so for the next 24.

There are a variety of riding styles when it comes to cycling on a tandem.  Some people communicate every little detail.  “Left pedal up.”  “Coast, 3, 2, 1…”  “Pedal!”  “Turning right.”  And so the list goes on, with a command or warning for each and every action that’s about to occur.

There wasn’t anyone around to teach us the nuances of tandem riding when we started, so when we took the bike out for the first time there wasn’t any communication to speak of.  We just got on and figured it out as we went.

We learned quickly that when we’re at a standstill, the “stoker” (the person on the back, oft times called the rear admiral) remains seated and the “captain” (the one up front) holds the bike up for both of them.  We found that Valerie is very intuitive at feeling when we’re going to pedal, and when we’re going to coast and that I don’t need to communicate this to her.  She feels what I’m doing and reacts immediately.

We (or should I say I?) found out that calling out a warning for a bump before we hit it saves the captain from the stoker’s wrath.  (Bumps seem to be intensified through the seat on the back of a tandem, and for some odd reason stokers don’t like it when you hit a major rut without a verbal warning so they can rise up off of the saddle just in the knick of time.)

All-in-all, we were very lucky with the outcome of our purchase, considering we went into it with NO knowledge of what the heck we were getting ourselves into!  We didn’t have the opportunity for a test ride as the dealer didn’t have any tandems in stock.  He simply told us that he thought the Cannondale was a good, solid bike and suggested which size would work best for us.  It wasn’t until he had ordered the bike and set it up for us that we took our first tandem ride together.  Not the greatest plan… but it worked for us.

Today we ride a Santana Beyondand the Cannodale has gone on to find a new home elsewhere.  We drove from Idaho to a couple of different shops in California (who had several tandems in stock and available for sale) specifically to test-ride various models before we made a decision as to which model would be our next “baby”.  No more buying “sight unseen” for us!  In fact, had we simply relied on the construction information about each bike, I would have chosen a different model than the one we’re now riding.  But having been able to test ride the different models all in the same afternoon we soon came to understand that our initial impression would have been a bad call!

The moral of this story is two-fold:  don’t rely on The National Enquirer for the truth, and try and seek out a shop that will allow you to test ride tandems before buying!  Internet searches are a great tool for tandem clubs in your area, members of which are usually quite happy to answer questions about tandem riding, and to find  shops that actually have some inventory on the floor.  Don’t be hesitant to travel to a city where there’s a shop who has a tandem inventory; in the end it’s well worth the time and effort to find the perfect tandem that fits and feels right for you.

Or you could rely on ignorant dumb-luck like we did back in 1991 and just buy one sight unseen!  (But that wouldn’t be my first choice today!)

A good article to accompany this one is "My Tandem Inspiration".

The Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes

An exaggerated curve in the Trail of the Coeur d'alines,
thanks to a panorama shot.

If you like to ride a bicycle, tandem or single, and enjoy getting “away from it all” while not really being too far away from civilization, then pay attention to the next couple of articles.  I’m going to share with you the “secret” location that we’ve been enjoying for the past decade: The Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes.  (Core duh-lanes: probably not the correct pronunciation, but it’s the way I’ve heard everyone in the area say it!)

If you follow the above link, you’ll find specific links to:  the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes, the Route of the Hiawatha, and the Old MilwaukeeRoad.  There are also other trails and links for you to explore.

With this installment I’ll write about The Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes; in the next article I’ll tell you about the Route of the Hiawatha. 

First of all, the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes is PAVED.  Yes, indeed – 72 miles worth of asphalt that might occasionally cross a few roads but is always separate from them.  Other than the occasional crossing, which seems to happen more after you pedal east of Kellogg, you’ll be riding on a dedicated path and never have to share a road with cars.  You might have to share the trail with a moose or other wildlife if your timing is good.

The trail follows an old railroad bed, and because of this the gradients on any inclines are minimal.  You’ll find that the beginning of the trail (at Plummer, Idaho) and the town of Kellogg, Idaho are at about the same elevation.  As you travel east from Kellogg, the trail noticeably “kicks upward” a little bit, and it becomes even a little more noticeable from Wallace to the terminus at Mullen.  Even so, remember this trail is built upon an old railroad bed and generally speaking the gradient usually is never greater than somewhere between 3 and 4 percent.

There are lodging opportunities in the area, from Plummer to Wallace and a few spots in between.  We personally like to stay in Kellogg.  Two of the places we have stayed at before are the Guesthouse Inn and Silver Mountain Resort.  The trail runs right behind the Guesthouse Inn; it doesn’t get any more convenient than that!  This motel offers complimentary breakfasts in the morning, which are always a great way to start a day of cycling.

Across the street you’ll find Silver Mountain Resort.  The rooms are a little more spendy, and there are a couple of options available.  You can rent from the resort itself, or directly from owners of the individual units (condos) through websites like Airbnb.  While there’s no complimentary breakfast, there is an on-site restaurant, pizzeria and espresso shop.  Also, most of the units come with a full kitchen so you can always whip up your own meals if you choose.

Another interesting feature of Silver Mountain Resort is an indoor water park.  While the cyclists in your group are out for the day on the trail, the non-bikers and the kids can splash about to their heart’s content.  Also at peak times during the summer, the gondola will run to the top of the ski hill, allowing mountain bikers to take advantage of what used to be only a winter wonderland!

The town of Wallace also has lodging and dining opportunities and is a great destination for someone wanting to ride the length of the trail in one day.  We stayed there last summer after being dropped off in the morning at the trailhead in Plummer and cycling back to the Wallace Inn. 

You will see many ages and abilities of cyclists riding on the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes.  There are some who will ride the length of the trail in a day, while others park at one of the many trailheads along the route and plan a short “out and back” ride.  We have done many such “out and back” rides, either starting from our motel in Kellogg and going about 25 miles before turning around or driving to a trailhead further to the west and then riding to Plummer and back.

There are sections of this trail that are very remote, so a tool and patch kit are something somebody in your group should be packing.  Bringing enough water with you is also an important consideration; because of the remoteness of this trail running water is hard to come by.

The Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes crosses over the water
on the Chatcolet bridge, once used by trains and now
by cyclists and pedestrians.

There are many opportunities to view wildlife along the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes, depending on the time of day you’re riding.  We have seen bald eagles and several varieties of waterfowl, deer and moose.  In fact, our first trip to the trail was the most memorable as we saw a mama-moose with two little ones along side the trail.

This trail is a cyclist’s delight, whether you’re out for a day trip or have several days to spend in the area.  Whether you are riding solo, with a group or on a cross-country tour the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes is an excellent way to get off of the highway for a while and treat yourself to a little peace and quiet.  There is no charge to ride this trail, although you’ll find donation boxes at the trailheads – a lot of work has gone into the planning and maintenance of this trail and I don’t mind throwing ‘em a bone now and then.  Hopefully after you've cycled the trail you'll feel that way too!

If you’re looking for a cycling destination this year that’s “doable” for the average bike rider, look no further than the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes.  You’ll be glad you checked this one off of your “bucket list”, long before you even knew it belonged there!