Against All Odds, Spring Has Sprung and Family Cycling Fever is in Full Bloom!

Regrettably it has been a while since my last post. My most recent entry from early February was about my valiant efforts to keep going with winter cycling. February was a strong month, in spite of plenty of snowfall and cold temperatures. All told, I managed to eek out 115 road miles during the month, along with some hearty workouts on the trainer. The touring bike was an adequate substitute for the road bike, but I was getting increasingly itchy to get back to a more rigorous road biking schedule and really test out my new wheelset. I was getting all excited about March, since last year my season started, and then this happened. That's Ithaca for you—not enough snow when you want it most and then a useless and ridiculous early March blast.

March Madness

Enough already! Over a foot of snow on March 7th really put a damper on cycling for a few days, and I was cursing the weather gods once again. It used to be that snow got me all worked up in a good way, but  these days I just see it as an inconvenience. Fortunately for me, the warmer temps and heavy March rains made short work of a record snowfall. Finally the road bike resurfaced, and yesterday marked the beginning of my daily commute via Remington, Triphammer Lansing and back along East Shore Dr. It's so gratifying to take the road bike out after a long absence and get the confirmation that all that wintertime conditioning and cross-training really paid off.

Toby, the proud owner of a Fuji Ace 24

This week Toby finally got his Fuji Ace 24 from Glenn Swan's, and he is such a proud and happy guy. As Glenn predicted, Toby understood immediately that a road bike is so much faster and responsive on the roads than his mountain bike. It's sad that there aren't more road bike options for kids, but we are so fortunate to have Glenn's shop and his tireless cycling advocacy. Those 24" wheels are pretty cute, and it's a pretty impressive package.

Leo finally learns to ride...today!

And today, in the midst of submitting this latest blog entry, Leo has finally decided that it's his turn to learn to ride! Look how proud and determined our little guy is! Now that he's on two wheels, we are looking forward to family cycling adventures galore. This afternoon I'm taking Toby out to Lansing to start working on some moderate hill climbs. I'm not sure which one of us is more excited...

Father & Son Day

Finally another father & son cycling day. After a few failed attempts to convince the lad that another ride in the country would in fact be a fun activity for us both, Toby finally relinquished, and we had a blast. He's getting stronger and more sure of himself all the time, and he's really learning how to handle a climb. Today we averaged almost 10 mph, not bad at all, considering his age and the weight of the mountain bike he's riding.

Today I was teaching Toby all about climbing—when to shift and when to stand. He's really getting it, and the constant stream of consciousness chatter is a hoot! We also had a blast watching the planes take off and land, one of my all-time favorite activities as a child.

I can't think of a better way to stretch the legs before tomorrow's race.

Family Friendly Varna Ride

I took T, my 9-year-old, on his first ride of the year today in and around Varna, near the Ithaca Tompkins Airport. We did this loop together last year, and it's a perfect place for me to get him gradually comfortable with hill climbing. I would highly recommend this route with a few conditions:

1. The shoulders are crumbly in many places with loose asphalt and gravel, and road surfaces leave a lot to be desired.
2. There were a few loose dogs on the route, though no dogs chased us.

That said, this is a terrific place to get your kids into the cycling spirit. I took him on a little detour up Pinckney Rd. until where it meets Rt. 13 to get a little extra hill climb in, and I was most impressed when I look at the ride stats—he did around 700 ft. of climbing over 12 miles, if the Garmin is to be believed. Nothing too steep, just a lot of rolling hills with a pretty good (and very safe) descent on Pinckney Rd. He couldn't wait to come home and tell his mom that he went 26.4 mph!

That's another tip to parents considering getting their kids into cycling. Get them an inexpensive cyclocomputer. Kids tend to love gadgets, and cyclocomputers are great motivating tools for kids of all ages.

Here are directions and a parking tip as well:

• From Ithaca, head Northeast on Rt. 13 past the Airport, and turn left on Lower Creek Rd. 
• There will be a parking pull-off immediately on your right, and this is a great place to park the car and get ready for your ride.
• Head N.E. on Lower Creek Rd., which parallels upper Fall Creek. 
• If you're looking to add a little extra climbing and distance, take a right on Pinckney Rd. until it meets Rt. 13, then loop back to Lower Creek Rd.
• In Varna, go left (West) on Etna Rd.
• Turn right (North) on Wood Rd.
• Turn left (N.W.) on Sheldon Rd.
• Turn left (West) on Niemi Rd.
• Turn left (South) on Mohawk Rd.
• Turn left (S.E.) on Etna Rd.
• Turn right (South) on Pinckney Rd.
• Turn right (S.E.) on Lower Creek Rd.

Sorry I didn't give you any distances, but the maps and stats will help you out.

Stats:

Distance: 11.59 miles

Avg. speed: 9.2 mph

Vertical ascent: 604 ft.

Max. speed: 26 mph

Time: 1:15:56

Ten years old

When I was ten, I was back in the U.S., living in Endwell, NY, a sleepy suburb of Endicott, birthplace of IBM. I have such vivid memories of setting up races up and down our hilly streets. Helmets weren't even considered at this time, and I probably terrorized many drivers as we zoomed around. Mostly my friends Ron and Ted raced around the block and then did stunts in the Catholic church parking lot. We were really into skidding out and popping wheelies, but I remember that I was always most interest in going as fast as I could.

I have no recollection about what kind of bike I had. I do remember that Ron had the coolest bike, and that I was very jealous. It looked something like the photo.

I grew up without religion, and recall one time that Ted and Ron dared me to go in to the church and go to confessional. I was very reluctant, but I confessed to ten years of bad deeds, as well as never having gone to confessional. The priest must have been a bit confused.