The Velo Hobo

The 2^nd issue of Bicycle Traveler Magazine is available.  It’s downloadable as a PDF and has some of the most spectacular photographs and stories from around the world.

 Check it out here: Bicycle Traveler Magazine.  Extra points if anyone can spot the quote by yours truly.

Hello.  My name is Jack and I’m a recovering hammer-head.  You may have seen me before.  I’m the guy who flew by you screaming “On your left!!!!!”  You remember, I was the one riding an inch off your back tire.  The one deep in the drops, clipped in, head low, elbows in.  That was way back in the early 80’s.  I rode like a racer, dressed like a racer, and rode a racing bike but I’ve never been in a single race. 

That was over thirty years ago. I think I’m in full remission and not likely to relapse. My palms no longer get sweaty when I see an all carbon bike and I can’t even remember how to spell paleton or have a clear recollection of what VO2Max is (a shampoo maybe?).  I pawned my heart rate monitor decades ago to pay off a bar tab.  I can’t remember the last time I rode a bike with a computer on it.

I’m 48 and getting thick around the middle.  I’m no longer aerodynamic.  My knee is shredded and pops out of joint if I try to sprint, not that I ever try.  But every year my love for cycling grows deeper.  No, that’s not it.  Every year my love for where bicycles take me grows deeper. 

If you’ve stumbled across this blog, and for some odd reason, keep returning, maybe hoping it will get better, 2012 will be an interesting year. 

Thanks for reading, Jack

The Velo Hobo stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 48,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 18 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

Congratulations HA1KU!

HA1KU, if indeed that is your real name, following a random drawing, you are the Grand Prize Winner of a custom hand crafted alcohol stove and wind screen.  Cash value is less than nothing of course, but fame and adventure is your true reward.

I’ll be contacting you tomorrow via e-mail to get your shipping instruction.

Thanks, Jack

You just never know what’s around the next corner.

Everyone has their holiday traditions.  Mine has always been to run away and hide until it’s all over and done with.  Not wanting to break with tradition, I decided to take the wife and kids (and bikes of course) to explore a little bit of the South Carolina coast.  Myrtle Beach, although surrealistically cheesy at the height of tourist season is peaceful and uncrowded mid-winter.  Raquel, on a bargain hunting mission, found a tremendous deal on a sea-side condo for the week.  Myrtle Beach, like most beach towns, is very bike friendly.  It has both bike lanes and a greenway.  The greenway comes to an abrupt end in a pine tree patch just south of town, but it looks as if extending it is in the works.  The South Carolina coast has a much different feel to it than the North Carolina coast. North Carolina is known for its wind swept dunes and ever shifting shoreline.  South Carolina is more developed, not as wild and untamed, but still a beautiful place to visit.

But, after a day of riding and shooting photos, none really struck me as being very good at all.  Last week I was riding among the blue-green ridge tops of home.  As awe inspiring as the ocean is, move half a block inland and it’s “eh, okay, picture of a bike on a bike path.”  I think what Myrtle Beach is missing more than anything, and town officials should work to have some installed, is altitude.

Hope you’re all having a happy holiday, Jack