Me and my Bike

October 13th to 16th - 250 km At only $40, this is a great buy if you're in Beijing Trying to increase my daily mileage....it's a a bit difficult, as it means I will be getting home later.  I've been spending a minimum of 2 hours a day on the bicycle, so comfort is definitely a biggie. Monday through Friday, I ride with a loaded pack. For a weeks, Iv'e been using the Tilt 5 backpack from Decathlon. I picked it up here for about $40 USD. It's been a great backpack so far, although at 21L, it's a little on the small side for  me. The backpack has a rigid back plate, padded by four individual pads, which run alongside your spine. Water proof abilities have not been tested out yet. I really like the roll top design, however, I wish the velcro strap was a little longer, so I could pack in a little more. Perhaps I'll upgrade soon to one of Osprey's commuter packs. They have some in 32L sizes! Osprey Spin 32 Sometimes I'll have...

I Can See Clearly Now The smog is gone The winds cleared away the pollution for now...It was so great to check the AQI and see it at 19 points. I made sure I went outside and took in as much as I could get while its still nice. The Carbs Taking a rest day today to gather some supplies together and get a little organized. It seems my room is always in disarray at the end of each, even though I'm never there. Picked up my next few days supply of food from Carrefour, a department store originally from France. Luckily, I had a gift card! I prefer to make my spaghetti sauce from scratch, but with no kitchen, that's too much of a hassle. This should be enough fuel to get me through another week! All together, this cost a little under $28. Should last about a week or so.  The Candy New pedals came in today too! I picked out some Speedplay Zero's the other day to, hopefully, alleviate the pains popping up in my knees from the longer rides. With 0 to 15 d...

                                                October 8th - Burrito Run - 65km  At least the lights look pretty cool in the city... Bad day for riding to say the least...the weather forecast was sunny all day. The sun was out there, just covered by a thick layer of pollution. Rained early in the morning, which did nothing to stop the growth of today's pollution levels. They steadily rose from about 270 this morning to 431. Usual morning route, with a twist on the return trip. Return trip took me through the Zhonguancun electric district, famous for it's electrical device shops and what not. Traffic was ok at the beginning, but got worse as people began parking in the road, and "creating" new parking spots...such a safety hazard. Not to mention the majority of taxi drivers, scooters, and pedestrians moving around aimlessly, always looking in ...

Four Rivers Bike Path in South Korea - Incheon to Busan

October 5th - Beijing to Miaofeng Mountain - 140 km My legs have recovered from the previous ride....but I think my bike may be sick. Looking at my map of Beijing, I decided to head West, in search of some climbs. Picked out a road to take and got on my bike. As I pedaled a long, I felt the crank arms vibrating and a really disturbing grinding noise coming from the bottom bracket of the bicycle. Shoot....I didn't want to stop the whole ride.  Went to the nearby bike shop and spent about an hour there, watching as the mechanic looked over the bike and began to take the bottom assembly apart. $20 later, I was back on the road and finally began to head West along the 3rd Ring Road. Terrain was very flat until passing the 6th Ring road....that's how it always seems to be here. I continued to follow the G109 until I saw some winding roads going up the side of the mountains. Looked like fun! Has to be the most bikers I've seen in one area in Beijing so far. Mus...

October 2nd - 3rd - Huairou and Surrounding Areas - 190 km Stocked up on my Snickers bars....check. Bike is clean (finally), everything is working....check. Headed North through Beijing on the G101. Not many riders out today, as the weather is a little cloudy. Made it to the hotel outside of Huairou, checked in, and then continued up into the hills. Went about 35 km into the mountains, passing the very touristy Mutainyu section of the Wall. All the little towns in the hills were a bit depressing. All gray and bleak....nothing really going on. Could have been the weather too. On the return trip to the hotel, I took a little off road to find another section of the Wall in a nice little area. Gate to part of the Great Wall Bumpy ride on the part of the Great Wall Forgot the name of this section of the wall....I should start paying a little more attention. It was a good 15-20 minute climb up the hill. Scenes like this are so nice after spending so much time in the c...

Changing this blog to be based on my experiences bicycling. I have many plans for the upcoming 2 years for bicycling.....