Recent Additions
The Gosling Incident
Trauma On The Trail
On a warm May evening I set out from home and descended onto the canal trail. It was one of those days when everyone wants to be out. Cyclists pedaled, joggers strode, dogs on leashes dragged their owners along, and geese spread out in fuzzy family units across the trail.
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“Toward the Unknown”
Chapter 1: “CRASH”
Excerpt from forthcoming Novel By Dave Bone
Sitting on the curb in a daze, Lemmy noticed something shimmering on the other side of Willow Street and realized it was his dollar store sunglasses, or at least one of the lenses that used to be press fit into the black plastic frame. Leaning against the curb off to the side was the helmet that had been hanging from the rear rack. “Shit,” he thought, “the one time I don’t wear the damn thing…”
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Philadelphia-to-Green Lane Park
Overnight Bike Camping Ride
Sometimes it’s nice to get out of the city for a night. Fortunately, if you live in Philly, there are lots of good options. If you want to do the whole thing on two wheels, with no cars, buses, or trains involved, a ride out to Green Lane Park in northwest Montgomery County is a great choice.
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Cycling Gear
Review – Ortlieb Saddle-Bag Two 4.1L
The Perfect All Around Seat Bag?
The Saddle-Bag Two is an impressively designed piece of equipment. It’s light, has a large capacity, attaches and detaches quickly and securely…
Touring Gear
A Comprehensive List
I just finished an 8-day, 400-mile trek around Quebec and took the opportunity to document my current touring gear, which has been refined over a decade of trips…
Review – $2 Ebay Mirror
The Value of Hindsight
Last year I started thinking about how it might be safer to ride with a mirror. I considered the various styles and decided that a handlebar-mount model would be best for me…
Tours – Us – East
Philadelphia-to-Green Lane Park
Overnight Bike Camping Ride
If you want to get out of Philly for a night and do the whole thing on two wheels, with no cars, buses, or trains involved, a ride out to Green Lane Park in northwest Montgomery County is a great choice…
Delaware Beaches Day Ride
Gravel, Dunes, and Boardwalks
The Delaware shore has a cluster of beach towns that are great for cycling. Moderate traffic, flat terrain, interesting scenery, and nice trails make it well worth loading your bike on the car for some exploration….
Tours – Us – West
Eastern Oregon Day Rides
Sagebrush and Gravel in the High Desert
When I returned this year to visit friends in Portland, we agreed it was time to get out and see some of the natural wonders in the east, and to do a lot of it by bike. The distances are long and our time was limited, so we planned a mix of driving and day rides…
Day Rides Around Portland, Oregon
Three Rides within 30 Miles
I visited bike-friendly Portland this summer and did three nice day rides in and around the city. Each was flexible in length, with options up to 40+ miles and offered great scenery with minimal traffic concerns…
Springwater Corridor (Or)
Easy Ride – East Out of Portland
If you’re looking for a flat, easy, relaxed ride starting downtown or in the southeast quadrant of Portland, the Springwater Corridor is your choice. It’s a rail trail that starts along the Willamette River near the southern end of the Eastbank Esplanade…
Banks-To-Vernonia Rail Trail (OR)
Good Workout in the Hills West of Portland
If you’re looking for a day ride that’s a bit more strenuous than the Springwater Corridor or Sauvie Island, but want to avoid the stress of traffic-heavy roads, check out the Banks-Vernonia Rail Trail…
Sauvie Island (OR)
Bucolic Loop – Just north of Portland
Just a 60 minute ride (or 20 minute drive) from downtown Portland, Sauvie Island feels like a world away, with winding country lanes, quaint farms, lakes, beaches, a lighthouse, and wildlife refuge areas…
Tours – Canada
Montreal-Laurentians-Ottawa Loop
Mountains, Valleys, and Canals
A few years ago, I read about a loop ride from Montreal north into the Laurentian Mountains, down to Ottawa, and back to Montreal. This summer, I finally mapped it out, packed my gear, and hit the road for a solo adventure…
P’tit Train du Nord
Rail Trail in the Laurentides
The rail bed that once fostered the development of this famous ski region has now been converted to an off-road trail that transports cyclists from the outskirts of Montreal about 200 km (124 mi) to Mont-Tremblant and Mont-Laurier…
Tours – Europe
Northern Italy – Bike and Barge
Mountains, Valleys, and Canals
I had never done an organized tour, and it sounded intriguing. We agreed it should be somewhere in Europe. None of us had spent much time in Italy, so we focused on tours there, eventually settling on a bike and barge tour of the northern part of the country….
Ride Your Age
Discovering NortheasterN Scotland’s Moors, Glens and Tearooms
When we turned 60, my friend and I started a tradition we call the “Birthday Ride” in which we ride our bicycles the same number of miles as we are years old. This year the target was 62 miles and we chose a route in the county of Sutherland in the Scottish Highlands…
Touring Tips
Learning a New Language
Getting the Most Out Of Foreign Travel
Touring in a different country can be both challenging and exhilarating. A lot of things are different from what we’re used to, including the food, road signs, and cultural norms, but often the biggest difference is the language…
Words of Wisdom
Lessons from the Saddle
Pedaling for hours and days and miles give you a chance to contemplate the details of life. Sometimes they’re important. Sometimes they’re not.
Essays
The Gosling Incident
Trauma on the Trail
On a warm May evening a few years back, I set out from home, descended into Manayunk and headed down the canal trail. It was one of those evenings when everyone wants to be out. Cyclists pedaled, joggers strode, dogs on leashes dragged their owners along, and the geese spread out in fuzzy family units across the trail…..
Lessons from a Stolen BMX
I Had a Dream
At 12 years old, I had pretty well worn out the bike I got for First Holy Communion, which was a classic 70’s cruiser with a banana seat and sissy bar. By the late 70’s, that style was falling out of fashion anyway. The cool new thing was BMX bikes, with mag wheels and bar/frame crash pads….
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.”
– albert einstein
Photo Gallery
Here are some of my favorite images from rides both local and distant.
Morning on the Potomac
Idaho Wheat Field
I Dunno