Dirt and Pavement

2011-07-06T14:21:00.000-07:00

Alrightythen, I noticed a dailymile counter on a blog today and learned how to add on here. It says I can share on facebook too. So far I haven't figured that out.

Daylight

2011-01-19T19:33:00.000-08:00

I got out for an earlier ride today. I left home just before 5:00 this afternoon. It was pretty dark by 5:30. The route in the photo is more or less what I did today, about 10 miles. I'm thankful that it hasn't been hard getting back into riding a little. Maybe Saturday I can do a little longer ride.

Night Rides

2011-01-17T19:34:00.000-08:00

I am just amazed every time I go out for a ride in the dark and cold. It is a great time to be on a bike. 50 minutes riding around neighborhoods was more than I planned, but once I was out there it was so easy to just keep going. I'm lucky to be near a couple Clovis developments that include planned walking/biking paths. They are very nice.

Small Beginnings

2011-01-16T13:58:00.000-08:00

I rode my bike to church and back today which is really two rides of about fifteen minutes each with about 90 minutes in between.
Bike Bliss, one of the blogs listed to the right has been discussing the idea of building momentum when starting to work toward fitness. It is good stuff.

Pictures of the Huffy

2011-01-05T15:33:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos of the Huffy.
The only thing that says Huffy is the Seat.
The hub says Shimano 3 Speed Cartridge Type.

Line in the Sand

2011-01-01T08:14:00.000-08:00

A couple years ago I wrote a little and thought a little more about the price of gas. That post is here.

With the price of gas going up maybe we can start thinking about alternatives again. It is time for cities, counties, and the rest of society to draw a line in the sand and begin to make it easier to get around without depending on gasoline.

As the price of gas goes up people will be driving less, spending less, and doing less. Wouldn't it be wonderful if local governments would come up with some things that make getting around town by bicycle easier? Fresno and Clovis and other cities blessed with flat topography should be able to figure out some good bike commuting ideas.

2010-12-31T18:54:00.000-08:00

I got new tires and a new tube for the Huffy 3 speed today. Yesterday I realized it will work well for pulling my grand daughters around in their bike trailer. I bought the tires and a tube at Sumner's Schwinn and got some good info on how to lube and take care of the Shimano hub.

Huffy 3 Speed

2010-12-29T15:18:00.000-08:00

I bought an old Huffy lady's 3 speed today. A guy who lives a few blocks away had it on craiglist for his mother who bought it back in the seventies.

I got it home, put a little air in the tires, tightened about eight spokes and went for a cruise to the corner. It even shifts. I don't know anything about three speeds so that is especially nice. It has been about an hour and the rear tire is flat. The seller said he thinks they are the original tires.

It has a light/horn combination. I put new batteries in and both work. The horn had a handlebar mounted switch which is missing so I replaced it with an old door bell button. I'll have to figure a way to mount the button next to the left grip.

2010-07-25T17:42:00.000-07:00

We've been out of town, camping in the Santa Cruz area and a then to a couple ball games and museums in L.A. I took my bike camping and rode very little. Back home it is 106 today and a little too hot, maybe tomorrow morning. Georgia will be here and she might want to ride the trailer behind grandpa.

Sunday Morning

2010-07-04T19:55:00.000-07:00

I took the long way to church this morning. I rode east on Bullard Avenue to McCall. Then wound around south and west to church. Including the ride home that made 12 miles. I've been pleasantly surprised that doing 10 miles or so has been a lot easier than I thought it would in light of not riding at all for more than a month. It is nice to be getting back in the swing of things again. I want to get up to 100 miles a week before too long.

Biking to Volunteer

2010-07-03T15:02:00.000-07:00

Summer is here, so I haven't been going to work, but today I volunteered at a food give away. It was about three miles from home for a six mile round trip. A ride to school is 12.5 miles one way so this was a breeze and I was home before the 100 degree afternoon came around.

Bicycle Picnic with two Granddaughters

2010-07-02T11:48:00.000-07:00

Greenway

2010-07-01T13:12:00.000-07:00

I was out for a short ride this morning and realized that I was riding on a greenway. Luckily I had my phone with me so I shot a few photos. This is a bicycle/Pedestrian path that has been incorporated in a newish housing development in Clovis, CA. A couple friends live nearby and have mentioned that I should check it out. The path meanders around among the homes and in these pictures goes behind H&E Nursery then next to a neighborhood park.

The cool thing is, now I can enter the LGRAB Summer Games.

Old Beard, Older Bike

2010-07-01T10:45:00.000-07:00

A couple years ago when I was just beginning to bike more, my daughter, Sara, got me this shirt. I put it up today because a blog I enjoy, CYLRAB was about bikers with beards and I remembered this photo. The bike is a '76, the beard a '77.

2010-06-28T11:39:00.000-07:00

I haven't been out on my bike for the longest time. I've had this endless summer cold/sinus infection/allergy thing going on and am just starting to think that a ride would e nice. I'm finally feeling that going to the coast in a couple weeks will be a nice time camping and biking, maybe even a little surfing.

Summer Fun

2010-05-16T19:52:00.000-07:00

As I was reading some blogs today, I discovered a cool site I hadn't noticed before. The ladies at Let's Go Ride a Bike are having some summer fun. I think I'll try some of their ideas. Who knows maybe I'll win something?

2010-05-16T19:40:00.000-07:00

This weekend I went on two nice rides around town. Today I explored another ride along a canal that runs through town before it winds its way to farmland west of Fresno. The Fresno Irrigation District seems to encourage cyclists, walkers, and horse riders to use the easements along their canals for recreation opportunities. My Giant Cypress handles the dirt and gravel paths nicely. Upon leaving the canal, most of today's ride was on pavement along the Old Town Trail in Clovis, but I plan on exploring the canal farther west to see where it goes. As it get into central Fresno, I think it goes underground for long stretches. I'll see.

Ten Days of Global Prayer

2010-05-12T21:00:00.000-07:00

Today after work I went on a ride for an hour and a half and ended up at church for an evening of prayer led by the mid week children's ministry, JUMP. The kids and their leaders did a great job of leading the congregation in a time of prayer for the children of the world. The ride was nice. The prayer time was better.

Enterprise Canal Trail

2010-04-28T17:59:00.000-07:00

This is where water from the canal is diverted and some of it goes into Dry Creek. It is where I usually get on the trail.

Once across Sunnyside Avenue, the trail looks like this, dirt and gravel, but very ridable.

Soon the trail is paved.

Eventually, the canal disappears under Highway 168 near Temperance Avenue. Someday I'll check out the other side of the highway to see what the canal and trail do upstream.

Sunday Morning

2010-04-25T15:37:00.000-07:00

I rode my bike to church today. Afterward, I rode out the old town trail to Willow and Shepherd, then east on Shepherd to the Dry Creek Trail crossing and across the creek to the Enterprise Canal Trail. I rode the Enterprise Trail along the canal bank as it winds east and south to where the canal disappears under Highway 168 east of Temperance Ave. then back to Temperance and home. Part of the Enterprise Trail is dirt/sand/gravel. I've been trying out the routes along some of the Fresno Irrigation canals and enjoy them.
Clovis and Fresno have many miles of canals running through town and there has been some work at making them available to cyclists.
My Garmin said I went 18.4 miles. I'll do it again soon and take my camera.

2010-03-27T19:43:00.000-07:00

I rode across town to Riverpark today. I took the Clovis Old Town Trail to Shepherd then the Sugar Pine Trail. There is a new underpass on the trail at Fresno Street. It is very nice. It would be nice to have a few more around town to make crossing busy streets easier. I'm sure the people in that part of town are taking advantage of the trail and underpass.

2010-03-24T20:13:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoon Anna and I rode the Old Town Trail out to Shepherd and Willow then across to the Dry Creek Trail and back. We started and ended at Clovis Avenue and Sierra. It was a great time. We talked to a gentleman who mentioned that the trail out near Riverpark has a new bicycle underpass. I'll have to ride over and check it out.

2010-03-20T20:28:00.000-07:00

Another ride to Willow and Shepherd, I had the wind in my face on the way home today. Tomorrow afternoon Anna is riding with me. I think we'll take the Dry Creek Trail.

End of Winter

2010-03-17T19:33:00.000-07:00

Winter is dead in Fresno. We had a high of 78 degrees today.

It feels good to be riding again. This was a beautiful day and I got home early enough to go out for about an hour. I rode across to the Old Town Trail and out to Shepherd and back. My Garmin said it was 12.3 miles and 64 and a half minutes. The wind was in my face going, and still blowing on my way back, lots of fun.

Good to be Back

2010-03-14T19:59:00.000-07:00

I went on my first ride in months today. It was just 7 miles but good. When the wind is blowing like today, I like to head into it and have it at my back on the way home. I was surprised that it felt as good as it did. I hadn't done more than ride to the store (about a mile) in a long time.

My daughter, Anna wants to go on a ride sometime soon. I think she wants some exercise after the birth of her second daughter four months ago. She'd like to go about ten miles. I figure we will start from downtown Clovis, take the Old Town Trail out to Teague or Shepherd then over to the Dry Creek trail back to Clovis. It is a little less than 10 miles with a couple areas I think she will like. I'm looking forward to it.

Blogs I Read

2009-11-08T12:19:00.000-08:00