Really, I prefer 2 wheels. And tail winds

All things being equal, if I could ride to work (better yet ride AS work) everyday, I would.  Of course that would make lugging sample bottles of wine a little difficult and it would take me 2 days just to get to Buffalo.

Which would be a little impractical...

So I have to content myself with getting the bike out on the road or trails when I can.  I should qualify that a little bit.  Don't think I jump on the bike anytime there's a half an hour window in the day (although I should).  Ironically, the older I get, the more of a baby I become.  I don't go out in the cold, wind and rain like I used to.

Which is why I have been enjoying the warm, dry and often still weather we have been having in upstate NY this fall!  Especially since I want this blog to be about what you see from a bike as well as from a car.

This is the bike I have been riding for a while now.  It actually belongs to my neighbor
Eric, who has been kind and incredibly generous in lending it to me.  
Eric raced on a high level amateur team in Britain back in the 80's and 
this TI Raleigh Team was his racing bike.  Back in the day, it was the baddest thing 
on the road, and it's still better than most bikes out there today! 
 I'm lucky to have the chance to ride it!  
Thanks Eric!!!! 

I headed out on a short ride the other day, even though there was a good wind blowing (so brave!) with my camera phone in my jersey pocket and immediately discovered several things:

      1. It's much harder to take a picture from a moving bike than from a moving car.

This picture may be pretty, but it is supposed to be of the 2 tiny lambs in the middle of
frame.  They are both wearing what look like little red sweaters, which is funny if
you think about it.  You know, sheep in sweaters?  I didn't realize until I got home
just how small they appeared in the frame.  Maybe they'll be there next time I go out. 

     2. It's a lot easier to slow down or circle back to take a photo on a bike than in a car.  

     3. I really hate headwinds.  Okay, I knew that already, but I'm making a list here.

     4. When you are riding "out and back", headwinds turn into tailwinds.

WHEEEEEEE!!! 
Yes, that is mph and this was actually taken on a slight up hill, so well done wind!
And yes, I know that "WHEEEE" is not dignified. 

     Yeah, I knew that too.  But I needed an excuse to use this picture.


     5. My average speed on a ride is a lot lower if I'm looking for pictures to take.

That last one is a good thing in a lot of ways.  I used to race (very slowly, actually) in triathlons and when I went out for a ride, the goal was always to go faster than before, which meant keeping your head down and you mind focused.  Not a lot of sightseeing.

It's still hard not to focus on average speed; I actually make rules for myself on how often I can check it.  But I have been enjoying riding just for regular exercise and the different views the bike affords.  Thinking about photo ops makes that even better and easier.

In the wine business, we talk about micro-climates all the time; riding a bike out in the country is a great way to experience them as the temperature, smells, wind and even the humidity change as you ride along the road.  I'm finding that the less attention I pay to the speedometer, the more I notice the road and what's around it, and that's a good (if obvious) thing.

Speaking of the road, one of the nice things about riding around the Ithaca area is the roads themselves.  Sure, there are plenty of rim destroying pot holes but one thing we have more of than many places is good wide shoulders, especially on some of the busier roads that head out into the country.

Nice wide, shoulder.  It even makes riding on Rt 13 (near the airport) feel safe
with lots of room to maneuver when needed. 

Of course we have our share of poor roadways too.

Bad, narrow shoulder (Hanshaw road, near Sapsucker Woods Road).  Makes riding a little nerve
racking.  Going off the road here to avoid a car can easily lead to a wipe out!

But overall the shoulders and the sheer number of cyclist you see on the roads here abouts helps to make this a very bike friendly area.  Most major road resurfacing or repaving projects lately have included new and wider shoulders, with more on the way.  Plus we have lots of great hills to climb.

And plenty of beautiful views...

I know what you're thinking, why not lose the speedometer altogether, really focus on the world around.

Let's not get Crazy!