January 29, 2022

Waste Not, Want Not

In these pandemic days, it is easy to become a hermit. This is not exactly why I have been absent from these pages since last spring, but it is why I decided to focus on family and my responsibility to be present for 16 young children in the classroom. All the while trying to avoid the Coronavirus, which so far, I have managed to do. I certainly did not stop thinking about the challenge of finding adventures near and far. As my fellow ripper faithfully reports, we are casting our net as far as we dare in new directions while also appreciating what is outside our front door. But now…

December 22, 2021

Seasons Change!

I love seasons. Doesn’t much matter which one. I get just as excited about the change from cold to warm as I do about warm to cold. Each season has its own attributes (and liabilities), and they each seem to last just about the right amount of time before the next one begins. Sometimes the transition takes longer than it should, and sometimes it comes too quickly. This year, finally, winter has arrived. It was too long a wait for us. After all, we live to ski. October started off in a promising manner. An early storm turned everything optimistically white. But then November hit. Temperatures back in the 60’s….

November 12, 2021

Gravel Bike Riding (Part 2)

After last week’s post, we hope many of you have had your interest piqued about gravel riding. So this week, I asked a friend, Randall Jacobs, Founder of Thesis Bikes (the bikes that Gail and I ride), to answer some basic questions about gravel bikes. We hope that this will help you understand what gravel riding is, and how gravel bikes can help fuel your adventures.  SR: What is a gravel bike? Randall: The term “gravel bike” has been used to describe everything from road and cross bikes with a smidge more tire clearance, to de-facto drop-bar mountain bikes with huge tires or suspension. The former can feel light and…

November 2, 2021

Gravel Bike Riding (part 1)

Two last bike posts of the season (probably). I promise (mostly). This week is mostly about the race Gail and I recently participated in, and partly about gravel riding generally. Next week’s post will be about gravel bikes generally, and our bikes in particular. When I mention to people that we are gravel riding, most people say, “huh? What’s that? And what’s a gravel bike?” These are not easy questions to answer. Suffice it to say that gravel riding is a cross between road riding, mountain biking and cyclo-cross. As to what differentiates a gravel bike, that question will be answered next week by a special guest. But as a…