Bike Rack

D made me a bike rack for my I came out of the womb day. All it took was five 2 x 4's, four hooks, two sawhorse brackets, and one 2 x 10. Oh yeah, some nails as well. He forgot the fifth 2 x 4 to run length wise neat the bottom to act as a brace/wall protector so eventually we will have to take a trip back to a store whose contents and layout mystify me. My brain just cannot wrap itself around Home Depot.

Here are the measurements or ingredients:
Four 2 x 4's cut 83" long
Two 2 x 4's cut 80' long or however long you want the bike rack to be
2 horsesaw brackets
1 1/2 inch nails
2 1/2 inch nails
4 hooks or enough to space them about 18 inches to 22 inches apart.
2 2 x 10s 48 inches long

Directions: Make it look like the above picture...but with one more 2 x 4 nailed across from one end to the other at tire height to prevent the tires from hitting the back wall. Also, you can add smaller hooks to the side beams so you can hang bike locks, tools, tool basket, helmets, etc.

Length of wood may need to be adjusted depending on the angle of the sawhorse brackets. I found this website useful.

New Trend Alert: Hipsters bathe at well pumps!

D and I went on our first bike camping excursion. It went fairly smoothly. We took it as a chance to test out our gear and wilderness survival skills.

Lessons Learned:

1. Hang your food even if you think there is no risk of bears eating it. I awoke to D saying, "Something is eating our food." As he pointed the flashlight towards the paneer, the animal tried to drag the paneer away with it. Neither of us ever saw the animal as we are both legally blind without contacts. We just saw the reflector slowly moving away from the other bags' reflectors. Only four peanut butter sandwiches were lost. However, all the next day, D lamented the four missing sandwiches.

2. Bring glasses if you are legally blind and need to see quickly in the middle of the night.

3. Bring a map. Like baking, even if you think it is simple and you have cooked the recipe a thousand times, it is easy to forget a step. We biked the C&O Canal, our destination Harper's Ferry. Supposedly some of my lady relatives founded it with their families. We missed it by 2 miles or so. Sounded simple, you just get on the trail and bike the whole way there. No detours. Nothing. What we didn't know was that there is a small town before Harper's Ferry, which we mistook for Harpers Ferry. This small town did have a nice ice cream shop which included kids running behind the counters and everyone chatted us up. Not getting to Harpers Ferry gives us something to look forward to next time...

4. Bathing in a water pump is amazing after a long day of biking.

5. If you are biking somewhere very humid, nothing dries at night so be prepared for moist biking clothes if you leave them out at night.

6. Items not included in the last list that should be: small bottle of contact solution; extra toilet paper; grocery sacks for dirty/wet clothes, shoes, etc; hand sanitizer.

Bike Touring

I got my bike back! They put a Surly fork on my little Aurora. It looks great and it is true that absence makes the heart grow fonder. I cannot wait to ride my bike after the flash flood advisories end.

JB and I are planning on doing a bike tour of the Adirondacks in late June. Below is a list of all the gear I am planning on bringing. If anyone has any suggests, please let me know...

Camping Gear
1. Tent
2. Sleeping bags
3. Tarp
4. MSR Stove Kit with fuel
5. Towel
6. Metal silverware
7. Waterproof matches
8. First Aid Kit
9. Camelbacks
10. Bug spray
11. Sunscreen
17. Scrubber for pots
18. Dish for person not using MSR
19. Coffee Mug (to share)
20. Tent cord for hanging food/tying down fly
21. Strainer
22. Sleeping pad

Bike Gear
1. Bike tool (JB)
2. Tire change: bike tire levers, patch kit, extra tube, bike pump
3. Bike Lights (front and rear)
4. Bike Lock

Clothes
1. Bike shorts (2)
2. Swim suit
3. Lightweight hat
4. Rain Gear
5. Wool Sweater
6. Long Underwear
7. Three pair of underwear
8. Jeans
9. Dress
10. Sandals
11. Gloves

Food
1. Trail Mix
2. Dry Hummus
3. Granola
4. Instant Milk
5. Coffee
6. Powdered Gatoraide or Tang

Changes to bike:
1. Bike Seat
2. Pedals with clips (L)
3. Bike shoes
4. Fenders (?)
5. Front racks and bags (L)

Misc.
1. Laundry detergent
2. Three pairs socks
3. Soap (dish washing/armpit washing/clothes washing)
4. Sunglasses
5. Camera
6. Cards
7. Tent cord for hanging food/tying down fly
8. Blister Kit
9. Ibuprofen
10. Toothpaste/toothbrush
11. Deodorant
12. Extra batteries

Back to the Grind and I Bought a Bike

Update on life:
A poem

I went back to work.
I moved back to my house.
The oven doesn't work.
There are mice in the kitchen.
I bought a bike.
It is a touring bike.
I am in love with it.
Roommates taught me how to shift gears.
I am planning on biking across the US.

The end.

PS More to come soon. I cannot bake or cook for a couple of days. Big paper due.

Road Bike

I want to buy a road bike. Light. Not fixed gear. Fast. $800 or less.
Any suggestions? Any must haves?
Purpose bike to work. Any suggests on how to carry my stuff to work? I usually have some books, some work out clothes, a pair of shoes, and food. It rains and snows where I leave. Sometimes, there are even hurricanes although I probably won't go to work on those days.