Change of Plans

When Em and I originally envisioned tour de bean we thought we would be riding from New York to Boston, but a few weeks ago after some deep thought we changed the plans and have decided to ride the other way. So this post is to officially announce that the tour will be from Boston to New York instead. Why? I guess the feeling of coming home, seeing the Manhattan skyline, enjoying the comfort of our apartments, and not to mention the welcoming warmth of our friends will make the end of the tour much more enjoyable.

30 days till the tour!

em's awful shot of the Manhattan skyline!

Cheeseburgers and Grease

My idol Mitch Buchannon once said to hope for the best but prepare for the worst so last Saturday Jon and I signed up for Bike New York's Bike Maintenance 101. It was a class all about fixing your bike, and it was a class we absolutely needed to take. Just in case we get a flat tire in the middle of nowhere at least now we know how to patch it up. It was a hands on class so by the end of the session our hands were all covered with grease, but it was definitely worth it. I positively recommend this bike course to anyone who wants to learn more about their bikes.

After all that hard labor, The Bullet and I got some grub at Lounge 47 which was recommended by our very helpful instructor Roger. They had Six Point so even if Mitch always said never to drink and bike I couldn't resist it. I just love the Sweet Action...

Anyway, back to biking. Jon and I parted ways after getting back to the city. He went home while I went straight to the park to do the Central Park loop. I wanted to log 60 miles (that's 10 laps) but after only 2 laps my right knee was about to blow so I settled for 4 and just biked down the greenway back home. It was a shame since I actually enjoyed riding in the park. I plan to do it again next week so stay tuned!

roger the instructor

mr. fix it taking out his tire

the wrench and I

jon broke his bike while he was fixing it (lol)

look at his thumb

this is my artistic shot

checking the tire

certified bike doctors

lovely courtyard @ Lounge 47

mmmm Sweet Action

these are supposed to be the best hipster burgers!!! haha

the Central Park loop

beautiful day at the park

the hudson river park greenway (where I usually ride my bike)

A Guy Named Chester

To celebrate Chester's birthday, Jon and I decided that personally spending his birthday with him in Great Adventure just wasn't enough. We didn't just want to ride roller coasters with him, or eat funnel cakes with him, or even just simply hang out with him. No no no! Jon and I knew better. To glorify his 25 years of existence, The Bullet and I trekked up to the village of Brewster in Putnam County, and biked all the way down to NYC, crossing the whole of Westchester from north to south. The ride was mostly on the beautiful North County and South County Trailways but the 7 miles between Brewster station and the entrance to the North Trailway was a killer. Neverending hills plus ridiculously strong headwinds are definitely a biker's worst enemy. Nevertheless, it was a great feeling when we crossed the Westchester-New York City border. It was a long gruesome ride but it was all worth it because we knew we were riding for a special friend, a grateful friend who works at Adidas and gets free stuff.

Stats
Time: 4:22
Distance: 50.35 miles
Avg. Speed: 11.5 mph
Max Speed: 21.6

The Route

outside Brewster station

ice cream on Route 6

What's with the silly name?

Jon was not happy when he saw that warning

Yahoooo!

i like trees

i like bridges too

Welcome to the Elmsford Animal Shelter! (i took a wrong turn)

pitstop at the gas station

and now for the south

almost at the Westchester-New York City border

The Bronx! - Mile 50

May is bike month
Happy Birthday Chester!

The Day We Rode On The FDR

Saturday marked the 32nd 5 Boro Bike Tour here in New York. About 30,000 riders registered for the event including The Bullet and yours truly. It was actually my first organized bike ride and it was definitely an adventure. It was raining all day so it wasn't pleasant at all but that didn't stop us from finishing the race. We were cold and wet but eventually we made it to Staten Island. Riding over the Verazzano was ridiculous! Some fun facts below!

30,000 - number of riders
$50 - registration fee (free for me thanks to Anne!)
42 - total mileage
5 - boroughs conquered
3 - bananas devoured
2 - crashes (sorry Jon!)
1 - dirty butt

The Route

30,000 strong (try to find Jon!)

The Bullet blasting through 6th Ave.

beating the red light

my dirty butt in the park

getting off the FDR (not sure why he does that face all the time...)

on the Queensboro Bridge - Mile 15

The Bullet

off to Queens!!!

the banana and i (they were giving out free bananas!)

and sliced oranges!!!

the coolest guy in the tour (i got to learn how to do that!)

at Fort Wadsworth

enjoying the park before the final push... The Verazzano-Narrows

finish line...BOOYAH!

freezing in the ferry!