LITTLE EAST FORK RIDE CLEARS THE COBWEBS

Thursday past looked to be the last pleasant day for local riding before the cold front accompanied by rain invaded Western North Carolina so it seemed prudent to get out and enjoy it. A late afternoon ride up NC 215 helped work out the cobwebs and stiff muscles associated with little sleep and uncomfortable time spent in chairs in the family waiting room at our local hospital ICU where the Navigator and I spent the early morning hours attending to a family medical emergency. The ride proved to be a perfect antidote to that “stove up” feeling in my bones…

(Enjoying my colorful new Road Fish jersey from our recent trip…)

The ride started amidst a crowded parking lot of Bethel Middle School footballers…

INCREASING EXERCISE TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST CANCER

I received a request to share exercise information for cancer patients through this blog. I’m pleased to do so and hope that the information provided by the author is helpful and motivating to all those fighting cancer. Having lost both of my parents to differing forms of cancer, I know the day-to-day struggles that can be barriers to using exercise as a tool to beat the disease. Now, here is the article….

FADING COLORS HINT AT THINGS TO COME

October has been an interesting riding month this year. It started with a week of riding in the Low Country of S.C. where the temps were still quite warm and late summer seemed to this Mountaineer to still be in the air. As we wind down October here in the mountains of Western North Carolina, the fading colors of fall are more the norm with quite cool seasonal temps near freezing occurring.

(Last week’s bright colors have darkened quickly…)

I finally managed to get myself back on two wheels yesterday for a brief spin around the Pigeon Valley Loop. Having ridden my Salsa Fargo each and every ride since purchasing it, I opted for a return to…

TWO BIRDS AND A BIG ‘OL MESS

O.K., I know what you are thinking and I’m pretty sure that the image you have this moment of birds and a mess isn’t where this story is going. But, then you never know until the story is finished…

THE RETURN TO THE HIGH(ER) COUNTRY

The Navigator, Sherry Shazam, the Wood-Man and I have completed our time in the Low Country of South Carolina and are safely back home in the High(er) Country of Western North Carolina. I indicate High(er) for the benefit of those fine folk living out west whose low places are higher than my high places. Still, High or High(er), it is good to be home. We were welcomed home to a gorgeous view as the mountains have put on their fall colors and are resplendent in yellows, reds, and shades in between. Also, the temperatures are cooler.

(My snazzy new Fat Cyclist jersey got a nice workout in Palmetto Bluff)

We had a great time on our week long getaway. My overall summary goes something like this…

WHAT IS OR IS NOT ON UNION CEMETERY ROAD?

Yesterday’s (October 4, 2011) ventures out and about on Hilton Head Island took the Wood-Man and I to the Hilton Head Diner located off of William Hilton Parkway. We’ve had fine breakfasts and better service at this location while on our trip to the Low Country despite numerous negative reviews on Trip Advisor.  Our riding for the day was by plan limited. The most ambitious we felt was…

FROM A ROAD FISH TO A BLUFF

In our effort to discover new areas of riding in the Hilton Head Island zip code, we stopped by an excellent LBS, Road Fish Bike shop, and asked for some direction on riding that wasn’t characterized by constant stop and go. As I’ve noted before, HHI has really made cycling from place to place for transportation, commuting, and shopping quite easy. The separated bike paths along major roads like William Hilton Parkway keep cyclists relatively safe from the speeding traffic, which is often quite heavy. From a fitness point of view, the downside of the paths however is…

DOWN LOW, WAY LOW…

The Navigator and I, along with Wood-Man and Sherry Shazam, are into our 2nd full day of vacation in the Low Country of S.C. We’ve made our 3rd annual trek to Hilton Head Island for a little fall getaway and Low Country cycling, sun, and, of course, cuisine. But first…