MORE Thursday night ride - video

I just got a HTC Incredible. As I get used to operating it, I will be doing more publishing on the move. This video I took last night while on my Thursday night ride with MORE. Nothing great, but I am impressed with the quality of the recording and playback from my cell phone.

Enjoy

Words and Video by Ray Heinsman

Rider Of The Day #17

Captured his fast moving self as he rode by me on the street.

Pictureseque Evening Mountain Bike Ride

Thursday night rides at Schaeffer Farms with MORE are great. This week 4 of the 15 of us rode the Hoyles Mill connector path between Schaeffer and Black Hills Regional Park. This path connects Schaeffer Farms to Black Hills Regional Park. It is about 5.8 miles long and was built by MORE four or five years ago. Every Wednesday I go to work around 6:30am so I can leave at 4pm to go ride with them and it has become the highlight of my week.

This week I decided to take back roads from Silver Spring to the trail head in Germantown because the beltway is always so congested. It took a little less time and the drive was much more pleasant. Usually I sit stopped on a highway for 30 minutes, travel over 50mph for 10 minutes and travel less then 30mph for another 40 minutes. It is only a 20 minute drive total when it is not rush hour. Taking back roads around here means 4 lanes most of the time, but it only took me an hour so I think I will incorporate this into my daily commute to cycling nirvana.

The Hoyles Mill Connector was a more journey oriented bike ride. There were two wooded sections that provided a multitude of obstacles like rock gardens, log hops and stream crossings. These wonderful little challenges were interspersed with nice smooth winding single track. Connecting them were a series of scenic vistas with rolling meadows, corn fields and horse farms. All in all it was a very picturesque ride that I thoroughly enjoyed.

My favorite section was near the black hills park area. We had just gotten done riding a small loop in that park, rode past the large man made lake, and re-entered the Hoyles Mill trail on the way home. It was a mostly rolling downhill through a lightly wooded area that felt more like a pump track then single track. On a couple of the rollers I was able to comfortably get some satisfying air. I hadn't gotten my wheels that high in quite a few years. I am not sure if Dennis who was riding ahead of me heard me but on the third time I had gotten a nice feel for the bike and yelled out a nice loud "Yaaaahooooo". The best part of these rollers was that they had great landings. I am a big fan of landings. The landing makes the jump and I hate jumping to flat ground.

The ride back was fast paced. Tania's allergies were bothering her and Bob lead her back via the road. That left bike breaking super speed Denis and I to tear it up on the way home. By the end, I was all tore up. Every hill I climbed, every obstacle I conquered left my legs cramped. This is something I have to address before this week. I will tackle this from two fronts; diet and a electrolyte supplement by Hammer called "endurolytes.

Of course every ride ends with good great food and beer at the Dog Fish Head Alehouse.

Looking forward to this Thursday.

Words and Photos by Raymond J Heinsman

Rider of the Day 15 and 16 - Bike to Work Day

Bike to work day had a dismal showing in Silver Spring. I only saw 2 people riding their bike all day. The bikes locked in front of businesses were no more plentiful then any other day. Because it is bike to work day, I decided to post photos of the two riders I did see. Enjoy.

Silver Cycles: A First Look

Whenever I went to the Woodside Deli for crab-cake benedict on Sunday mornings, I noticed Silver Cycles, was open. This is early for a little shop. Over the past few years, I had heard good things about them. Once, a customer came to Griffin Cycle because he had been referred there by Linda, the owner of Silver Cycles. It was a busy Sunday, but he commuted everyday to NOAA on his bicycle, so I made the extra effort to get him on his way and make sure we remained worthy of  her noble and generous recommendation. Wanting to know more about this little gem in the cycling community; yesterday, after work, I rode down Georgia Ave in DC rush hour traffic and stopped by my neighborhood bike shop, Silver Cycles, for the first time. 

Upon entering, I noticed that this store maximized space. Not much larger then my living room, there were 4 jam packed, neatly organized, floor to ceiling product displays and two, two story bike racks housing all styles of very affordable, and a few high end, bicycles. For as small as this shop was, it had more selection then I have seen in some large bike shops. There were several types of everything. If you are on your bike and something breaks, I would bet that this store is going to have something that will work and get you on your way. There was also a very efficient, well organized and clean repair area, as well as a small storage closet in the back.

3 employees were in the store along with the owner, Linda, when I visited. A young man, Josh, (who had been there 5 years) and I had a nice conversation. He started by coming over and saying, "I approve" upon inspecting my bike. This is always a good thing. Shop employees that take a postitive interest in their customers bike, will always be who I go to when I need service. This attribute was obviously due to the shop's leadership. Even though Linda was busy moving product, polishing a BMX bike and generally taking care of things in the store, she took the time to discuss each individual part of a vintage Japanese Fuji brought in by a customer while I was there. It was at this moment that I realized what makes this Linda and her little shop special. She has an unparalleled passion for bicycles and helping people riding them.

It seems no matter what shop I visit, they are making improvements to serve their customers better. As you can see from the picture, Silver Cycles is moving. In a few days, a much larger space immediately adjacent to their current location will be a welcome change for Linda and her crew. I cannot wait to see what they do with it. If you need a quality affordable new bike, or some expert service; I recommend stopping in at Silver Cycles: 9330 Georgia Avenue (at the intersection with Seminary Road) Silver Spring, MD 20910-1726.

(301) 585-1889

10 Reasons Why Riding a Bicycle is Awesome

1. Riding a bicycle is low impact cardiovascular exercise.

2. Riding a bicycle is convenient urban transportation.

3. Parking your bicycle is free.

4. Fueling your bicycle (yourself) is tasty.

5. Insuring your bicycle is ridiculous.

6. Bicycles can be ridden anywhere in any direction.

7. You can say "Hi!" to people while riding a bicycle.

8. Bicycle parts can be purchased from a local fabrication company.

9. Bicycle maintenance is simple and inexpensive.

10. People who ride bicycles are cool.

Rider Of The Day #14

Rider of the day #14 outran the cars from the intersection of Spring Street and Colesville Rd. He won.

Bespoke: The Handbuilt Bicycle

The exhibit runs from May 13 - August 15, 2010:

"Bespoke: The Handbuilt Bicycle"
displays the designs of six internationally renowned bicycle builders whose work in metal, as well as graphics and artifacts, elucidate this refined, intricate and deeply individual craft."

Located At

• MUSEUM OF ARTS AND DESIGN
• 2 COLUMBUS CIRCLE
• NEW YORK, NEW YORK
• 10019
• 212.299.7777

LINK:

http://collections.madmuseum.org/code/emuseum.asp?style=browse&currentrecord=1&page=search&profile=exhibitions&searchdesc=Current%20Exhibitions&searchstring=Current/,/greater%20than/,/0/,/false/,/true&action=advsearch&style=single&currentrecord=1

I recommend checking it out if you are in the area

Photo of bike courtesy of Jeff Jones Bicycle

http://www.jonesbikes.com/bike_design.html

Photo of Exhibit courtesy of Jamie Raines

Rider of the Day #13

Riding up from behind me on the sidewalk, I photographed todays rider as he passed me. I held the camera in front of my chest pointing to my left, and as he rode by I snapped the picture at the moment he came into my viewfinder. I had been trying to get a shot like this since I started the blog. Practice make perfect.

words and photo by Ray Heinsman

Germantown Cycles, A First Look

I stopped at Germantown Cycles on my way to the Thursday night Schaeffer Ride with MORE. It is located in a strip mall on the corner of Wisteria Drive and Great Seneca Highway in Germantown, MD. Craig, the owner, greeted me with a smile. He remembered me from the article I wrote a few weeks earlier: Walmart Bicycle vs. Bike Shop Bicycle; Why pay more?.

From the outside, it is a small single storefront with the simple word BIKES on the awning above. Inside, there is a comfortable friendly personality that wonderfully compliments the quality presentation of glistening bicycles and components Craig is currently installing. After he finishes, I will be posting some pictures of the interior. We had a good conversation and he told me a little bit about his plans.

If you are in the area and want to shop in a quaint store with good people to help you, I recommend stopping in and saying hi to Craig and his crew at Germantown Cycles, 12615 Wisteria Dr., Germantown, MD 20874. 

Phone 240-404-0695

 Words and photo by Ray Heinsman