A “mobile treadmill” - what will they think of next?
Those days of slipping on a pair of running shoes and going for a quick jog could be over with the introduction of the mobile treadmill. For just about $6000 you can have your very own treadmobile. Best of all - there’s no motor, just hundreds of pounds of extra weight and bulk for you to take outdoors and cruise, I mean run with, in the neighborhood. Now I could be wrong, but if your neighbors have wondered about your sanity in the past, this will definitely help their argument.
Check it out. . .you tell me do we file it under “innovative fitness equipment” or “stupid exercise machines”?
In the coming weeks as we wind down the summer and cruise into Fall, don’t miss your chance to get some good mileage in on your bike before the snow falls. Some of my favorite rides are right in our backyard.
MS150 Pedal to the Point (August 15-16, 2009)
I have participated in this ride many times over the past 15 years. With over 2,100 participants, this two-day, 150-mile ride is one of the Society’s top 20 cycling events and one of the largest bike rides in the Midwest. The event begins in Middleburg Heights, Ohio at Polaris Career Center. From there, cyclists travel 75-miles to Sandusky, Ohio (home of Cedar Point) with an extra 25-mile option for advanced cyclists. The next day, cyclists make the return trip of 75-miles back to Middleburg Heights. Read the rest of this entry »
This past Sunday I participated in the annual Sweet Corn Challenge bike ride. It’s a beautiful ride that starts in Richfield Ohio and travels 25, 50 or 100 miles through the beautiful Cuyahoga Valley metroparks area and surrounding HILLS. This wasn’t the first time I’ve done this ride, in fact, I have had the pleasure of participating for the past 5 or 6 years.
Not sure why, but this year I think it was better than most. The route seemed easier, or less hilly in the first 20 miles or so, but as we pedaled into the second half of the 50 miler the hills were numerous. Hill climbing is not my strength, so typically this terrain will wear me down quickly. But not this year, instead I truly enjoyed each climb. Maybe doing 430 miles of flat terrain at GOBA just one month ago, convinced me that a hill or two is a good thing! Read the rest of this entry »
After an incredibly hot and long 102 miles on Thursday - Friday’s 60 mile trek to Fostoria was a breeze! For those of you who are not familiar with Fostoria - it is well known for its train traffic. Home to a double diamond track intersection, Fostoria gets more than its fair share of trains daily. For cyclists railroad tracks are not a good thing and during our 60 mile ride we encountered a bunch!
Once we arrived and set up camp, it was off to the downtown area to find something to eat. Not a lot of choices - but we managed to find a place for wings, onion rings, cheese fries and beer. . .and we wonder why americans are so overweight? And lots of pizza places too! Just no place to have a nice lean cut of beef with some steamed vegetables. Read the rest of this entry »
Sorry for the delay in getting my updates posted, but the last couple of days of my adventure on the bike did not allow for much time at the public library, so here’s the scoop from my notes on the trip.
Thursday Julie, Doug and I participated in the 100 mile ride, fondly referred to in cycling terms as a century. The weather report was calling for late afternoon thunderstorms and a warm windy day throughout, so Julie was a little apprehensive about the whole ride - clearly the distance wasn’t the issue for her, she’s competed in and finished over 10 full Ironman Triathalons, but the thought of thunder, lightning and all the other good things that come with a storm was not appealing to her at all. Doug and I on the other hand, were thinking lightning around the 80-90 mile marker might be just the thing to get us to the finish. Read the rest of this entry »
Day four, or Wednesday - which is how most of us would refer to it, was another beautiful day of flat roads, corn fields and lots of opportunity to eat peanut butter sandwiches, bananas, and gatorade as we rode 50 miles down the road to Defiance, Ohio. For those who are not familiar with GOBA and how it all works, each day we are treated to some wonderful stops along the route where the local community churches, boy scouts, girl scouts or other non-profit organizations have prepared food for us to purchase. The word on the street is that GOBA officials provide the local community with some suggested treats, drinks and foods that GOBA riders like to consume along the way.
This year’s menu at most stops consisted of hard boiled eggs, bananas, yogurt, apples, grapes, bagels, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, sometimes pizza, shredded pork, beef or chicken sandwiches, cookies, muffins, rice krispy treats, granola bars, pies and baked potatoes. Not the healthiest food on the planet, but it gets the job done when you’re outdoors all day, riding a bike and sweating. . .did I mention sweating! Read the rest of this entry »
Today we rode from Elmore, Ohio to Bowling Green. Great day to ride. . .weather cooperated all day. A little hot, and a little windy - but not bad. We left camp at 7am after packing up our wet tents/camping gear and loading them onto the designated luggage truck. Next year I will remember that regardless of how much time in the gym, packing too much crap weighs a ton and the distance from your camp site to the truck seems a lot further in the morning than it did then day before.
Once on the bike I felt good and thought it would be a good idea to “take a flyer” as they say in cycling - got out around a huge paceline only to have my watch break from my wrist and conveniently land in the on-coming traffic lane. Slammed on the brakes, went back to retrieve it and then once again, back in the the right lane travelling with traffic. Read the rest of this entry »
Day One was perfect. Hardly any wind, flat country roads - no cars and lots of other cyclists. Got to see some old GOBA buddies, spent the night in Elmore, Ohio. Along the way we were treated to an Elvis concert in the park - the guy really did look like Elvis!
Then once in Elmore we found a local pub - imagine that, and discovered BudLight lime - didn’t look at the nutritional content, too busy drinking. Then off to dinner in the park with 200 or so of our cycling buddies.
Mileage total - 49 or 51 depending on who you ask!
Tuesday - off to Port Clinton to catch the Jet Express and spend some time at Put-in-Bay, then a 25 mile ride back to camp in Elmore. Total mileage for Tuesday should be about 50 once again.
As promised, I am going to try and detail each day of my wonderful, week long vacation with a few thousand of my closest cycling friends. I leave today at 5am to drive to Norwalk Ohio for the start of the ride. Gear is packed, none too soon. I am not big on getting things done early so I started packing on Saturday at about 5pm…discovered that I needed new tent stakes, new rubber mallet and another pair of shorts - oops!
Quick trip to Gander Mountain and we’re good to go. I am riding with a few friends, we will try to find each other first thing Sunday morning at the check in area. Weather should be good - hot, but no rain. . .and that’s a good thing.
I will stop by public libraries to access a computer and hopefully update you on what’s happening each day.
I just signed up for my annual week long cycling trip with 2,999 of my closest friends. It’s called GOBA which stands for the Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure. GOBA is a week long cycling tour that travels through a different region of Ohio every year. I was first introduced to GOBA back in 1998 when the group came through my local community of Hudson, Ohio. I was driving home from a game of golf when I noticed the high school literally surrounded by tents, bicycles and rows of port-a-potties.
I knew then, GOBA was something I wanted to do. Sure enough just a few years later, and I am now a veteran rider. GOBA cyclists come in all different sizes shapes and ages. We ride approximately 45-65 miles a day with an optional rest day in the middle of the week for sightseeing, sleeping or just hanging around camp and talking to some of your new and old friends.
I just signed up for my annual week long cycling trip with 2,999 of my closest friends. It’s called GOBA which stands for the Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure. GOBA is a week long cycling tour that travels through a different region of Ohio every year. I was first introduced to GOBA back in 1998 when the group came through my local community of Hudson, Ohio. I was driving home from a game of golf when I noticed the high school literally surrounded by tents, bicycles and rows of port-a-potties. 
