One Mother of a Weekend

Some moms think Mother’s day is a day to be surrounded by their kids. But if we are surrounded by our kids, how is the day different than any other day? Is it wrong that all I wanted to do, as the Honored Matriarch, was…..NOTHING?

Actually, both my kids were elsewhere. Not because they wanted to be but because that was how fate would have it. I missed them but I reveled in the freedom of a warm spring day with abundant opportunities to do…..NOTHING.

As much as the day was grand, I was weary; the day bright, I was dismal; the day inviting, I was sluggish. Why do we do it? We know we have, and will, achieve great things each summer so why do we let that vision wane through the winter.

It’s the same cycle year after year.

April – look in the mirror with disdain and say, “Look what you’ve done.”

May – hit the cycling circuit hard to train.

June – Finally dig out last year’s kits, the ones that didn’t fit in April.

July – Achieve great things:

·         Conquer that hill you’ve been avoiding all summer

·         Effortlessly complete that century

·         Show the many layers of bike-short tan lines

·         Improve concentration and endurance

August – look in the mirror with euphoria and say, “Look what you’ve done!”

 We had plans to ride on Saturday but I was feeling the disdain from the previous season. Having trouble finding a jersey that fit my forgotten winter body I settled for a technical t-shirt. Fortunately, for Velojunkie, I was on a mission that required me to go to the market. For his part in this whole conundrum, Velo stayed positive while staying out of my way (probably because he knew there was a beer garden to visit). A true credit to his gender.

It truly is amazing how riding your bike can turn a bad day into a good one. It can turn a frown into a smile, and a chore into an adventure.

We departed from home mid-morning, the sun instantly evaporating the grey cloud over my mood. We took an awesome new route through Northside, over the Ludlow connecting bridge to Central Parkway. With the majority of the construction complete, Velo and I enjoyed our ride into Over-the-Rhine. I should mention Central Parkway follows the old canal route.  Recently the city installed a protected bike lane on this route and it makes for an enjoyable ride.

About 7 miles into the ride it was time for beer and chocolate. Velo bought me a Maverick Bourbon and Sea Salt dark chocolate bar and a Moerlein Purity. I did taste the lemon and lavender bar, but Velo being a left brain was more interested in the bourbon bar.  As I sat enjoying my delicacies and libations Velo showed up with some bones and jalapeno cornbread from Eli’s. Eli’s has possibly the best barbecue in the queen city. If you have never been to Findlay Market, or haven’t been in several years, you are missing out on a true urban gem.  On Saturdays and Sundays they have the beer garden, music, plenty of food vendors along with some interesting booths selling locally crafted wares

I think I could have sat in the open beer garden all day but then I wouldn’t have accomplished what I set out for. I was at the market to pick up a Bandi for a graduation gift. Mission accomplished we decided to add miles by riding south on Central Parkway to Plum Street and on to the riverfront. This was one of those journeys you make up as you go, but Plum St. has some extraordinary buildings. First we came across City Hall. Cincinnati City Hall was designed by renowned Cincinnati architect Samuel Hannaford and was completed in 1893. Next is the Isaac M. Wise Temple built in 1866, and the St. Peter in Chains Cathedral, completed in 1845. We were graced with a light sprinkle of rain as we rode past the religious houses but it subsided as we headed toward the river.

I told Velo I wanted to see if the roses were in bloom in the International Friendship Park. A slow ride through the park’s winding path was just what the soul needed to realize the gift of nature we have here in Cincinnati. I am including many pictures of the park because I do not feel my words could do it justice. 

In addition to the many flowering bushes, colorful trees, and spring blooms we met two very well behaved dogs taking their people for a walk through the gardens, making sure to stop to smell the flowers. Proof positive that dogs are our best friends!

A short video of my ride including a trip through the International Friendship Park and views of City Hall, the Synagogue, and the Cathedral. 

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My Many Moods of January (In Only Two Weeks)

Winter didn’t arrive in Cincinnati till almost the second week of January and I made the most out of the first fourteen days of the year. Even with the unseasonably warm weather we only managed to get one bike ride in. It was not a long ride, nor an exceptionally eventful one, but a ride just the same.

During the first two weeks of the year the “mood-o-meter” around my house pegged at both extremes, exuberance and despair. OK, maybe not that dramatic, but let’s just go through the ups and downs one at a time.

You know from my previous post that we hailed in the New Year with a wedding. Having the whole family in town to croon Auld Lang Syne at midnight was a treasure to behold. We celebrated with the Bride and Groom, taking full advantage of the open bar. Overall, the feeling on January 1^st was jubilant, albeit very sluggish.

January 2^nd wasn’t so jubilant. As a matter of fact it took a major downturn when we went to fix a leak in the ceiling only to find the stack pipe corroded along the entire horizontal section. The house is over 100 years old and we don’t know when the plumbing was added. Between the house shifting over the years, the shoddy pluming work, and sitting vacant for several winters, water had apparently pooled in the old cast iron pipe and, well the rest is history… I will spare you what the bathroom looked like after he pulled the pipe and just show you the pipe itself.

January 3^rd was a Sunday and covered a range of emotions. My mom, who had adored Mary, the

Blessed Mother, had passed away in 2015. As a sort of tribute I have been going to St. Mary’s Church to keep a candle lit as a vigil to her. The Church was beautifully decorated for Christmas so this Sunday’s Mass was a glorious yet solemn affair. Per our traditional ritual during the season we bid God and Mom fairwell for the week and headed to Taft’s Ale House for football. Our Bengals were triumphant and on to the play-offs.

After Sunday the week fell in line with post-holiday humdrums. Even though the temperatures were tolerable, the days were too short to delight in any cycling after work. Instead, all I could do was watch and re-watch my year in Strava. 

Friday, January 8^th was an up day and the office crowd was all abuzz about the record PowerBall lottery jackpot. Everyone had different plans for when we won our riches. Rescuing dogs, buying cars, and building estates to name a few. The heavy burden of buying the office numbers fell on me. How could I face my colleagues if I failed to pick the winning ticket? Fortunately I was spared the agonizing embarrassment because, once again, there was no winning ticket sold. Read all about it on our company blog here.

January 9^th was another day that covered the spread of the meter. In the late morning the weather was pleasing so Velo Junkie and I went for a ride. The nice weather also brought out the tailgating camps around Paul Brown Stadium. People had begun consuming alcoholic beverages at 1:00 for an 8:00 game. Oy vey.

I reluctantly ventured downtown and across the river to Carabello’s Coffee. Honestly I was worried about the hordes of football tailgaters we might encounter downtown. Much to my dismay, my fear was confirmed when a large group of disrespectful, jersey-clad, inconsiderate, party-goers crossed the street against the light, forcing Velo and I to brake in order to avoid a collision. Luckily, my super-hero reflexes kicked in and the catastrophe was thwarted.

I rode the Salsa with my new, shiny fenders because there was still a bit of standing water about. We had a peaceful lunch before heading back when we came across a herd of wooly mammoths gracefully grazing on the side of the road.

After an uneventful yet enjoyable ride Velo and I needed to eat dinner and get ready for the evening. We had tickets for the Bengals’ game against the Steelers. The weatherman was predicting heavy rain and falling temps. Good thing we have a cycling wardrobe for all weather of which several layers fit nicely under the team gear.

The game started slow. The mood turned dark when the Steeler’s scored. There was a whole lot of hugging and yelling when the Bengal’s moved ahead. Ultimately the game was decided by the officials, the Bengals were out of contention, and we were drenched to the bone. 

January 11^th cast a melancholy mood across the globe when we found out The Goblin King had passed from this life. R.I.P. Mr. Bowie, Ziggy Stardust, and your many other personas.

January 12^th was no brighter. The world is full of heartless idiots and, try as we may, we sometimes cannot impart compassion. My state has no recourse for animals left chained in the cold. With temperatures dipping into the single digits I tried to get this man to take his dog in. I contacted the SPCA who paid him a visit. I lay awake that night praying for his poor, freezing pup and gave each of my pups an extra hug. I can only presume he took his poor pit bull in because he survived the night. My sister saw him back out on his chain the next day.

January 13^th – Nine years ago today I met Velo Junkie, my partner in life, love, and cycling. He has a way of making me laugh. And, even though I wonder what I did to deserve this crazy person, he always serenades me with some romantic ballad of which he has morbidly twisted the words.

Tonight was no exception:

(To the tune of “Danny’s Song”)

Even though our eggs are runny

Doesn’t mean our food is funny 

Tell me every day our bread is gonna be all white

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#thereluctantcyclist #velojunkie #whodey #cincinnatibengals #lifelovecycling #thegoblinking #woolymammoth #yearinstrava #auldlangsyne #salsavaya #carabellocoffee

Waiting for the Riders to Return, a Reflection

I attended an event called Roll-Out-The-Barrel the other night, a bike-and-bourbon fund-raiser for Cincinnati Off-Road Alliance, or CORA. I do not ride off-road, it hurts too much, but I wanted to make a contribution and I love spiked cider. It was kind of iffy as to whether we could even make it in time for the group ride, which, alas, we did not. (Work interferes with everything). No worries, though, we made our own short ride around Covington and then went back to sample the libations before everyone else.

While I was sitting there with Velo Junkie waiting for the riders to return I asked myself what I was doing there. I wondered “what has brought the Reluctant Cyclist to a place in her life that she wants to be around a bunch of gravel-eating, hill-jumping bikers”. Hmmmm….

I have a couple of degrees and 25+ years of experience in manufacturing and maintenance. And yet I write about my life through simple bike rides. As I pondered this fact I wanted to come up with a reason why. Then it got bigger than me. Why do some people identify with their work and others with their past-time or passion? I could just as easily have started blogging about enterprise asset management or industrial chemicals, but I didn’t. I chose to start a blog about my life through cycling.

I used to identify with my work. If people asked me what I did, I assumed they meant for a living, so I answered in context. If the roles were reversed and I asked the same question I expected a likewise response. How narrow minded of me. We are so much more than that. We work to live, not live to work. So, then, why? Why does one person say “I’m a mechanic, or I’m an engineer”, and another say “I’m a cyclist”? Or one responds “I work at Company A” while the other says “I advocate for bike safety”?

This is my unprofessional, unsolicited explanation.


I identified with my work when I was foolish, and believed someone actually cared. Get over yourself. No one cares what you do for a living unless you are at a business conference. They will never take part in that facet of your life unless you can offer them a job.



So, just like I did, I think folks believe that someone else may find their title, or the name of their employer impressive. Yeah! Right. When in truth, if your title or employer is impressive you are probably not at liberty to share the information. Tell me you run covert operations for an underground band of reclusive, royal, vampires, you might catch my ear. Or tell me that you were part of a team that just launched the first SpaceX rocket, yes you will grab my attention.

Gotta love a room full of Geeks.

Tell me you test the rust inhibition characteristics of amines in a salty environment for “Major Company A” and you will get a blank stare. Not that your work isn’t important, it may save many a marine vehicle, it’s just that, well, it’s a title only a mother could love.

As I have grown wiser I find it much more enthralling to recognize people for how they live, not how they exist. So now my short truism has come full circle. Why do I blog about cycling, which I spend less than ten hours a week doing and don’t particularly excel in, instead of the thing I spend 40+ hours a week doing? Put simply, because I can; because cyclists are fun, neat people to be around; because I feel less judged around a group of urban commuters than I do in a room full of business professionals, albeit, many of those cyclist are professionals as well. I believe that can be said for any group of people who all share a common interest, a passion for something. Whether you run, bike, or play video games, it’s much more interesting to share those trials and tribulations than try to explain what you do for a living. Unless you make money doing what it is that you are passionate about. At that point you are the envy of the rest of us.

Let’s be honest, not many of you care about my work or education, unless you are in the same profession. Cycling, running, or any other pursuit of endurance can reach across boundaries, can bridge unlikely comrades, and can introduce us to friends across all walks of life.

I guess the moral of the story – "Do the best you can in all aspects of your life" and "All work and no play makes for a dull life"!

Happy New Year!

#rolloutthebarrel #CORA #simplebikerides #whatdoyoudo



BTW… If you are interested in my work, that's a picture of my desk (nothing too exciting there). You can click on the Minions Caption for a link to my latest Webinar.

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/2851776190744556034

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A Three Day Hiatus from Driving - Day 2

Sis didn’t want to spend the entire trip sick and in bed so she went out riding with us after breakfast. Our destination – Hair of the Dog Brewing. Remember, we reside in the Eastern Standard time zone so beer after breakfast makes sense. Actually, we often ride for beer and breakfast back home. Ever had a “Beermosa”? Check out  Rivertown Brewing.

At least this time we knew where we were going. We found the bridge to cross over the river to the east side of Portland. Velo was a little ahead of Sis and I so he wasn’t around when….WHOMP!...the seat on Sis’s bike fell. She tried to keep pedaling because there was nowhere to stop on the bridge ramp. Remember we were riding our folding bikes so when the seat falls, it really falls. It looked like she could have given herself a pair of black eyes from her own knees. Not to mention one cannot pedal uphill when the seat is that low. We had no choice but to stop and walk the bikes to the top of the ramp. We must have really looked like a couple of doofeses, walking up the side of the ramp. Velo was still oblivious to the whole dilemma Sis and I had gotten ourselves into. He was already at the other end of the bridge with no way to turn around. We had no choice. We had to raise her seat so she could make it across the bridge.

So, here we were, two middle-aged women, on the side of the bridge, in street clothes, working on her bike. We finally made it across, found Velo, and continued on.

We hadn’t gone far and Sis’s seat was slowly sinking. At least this time we were on a trail and not in the middle of traffic. We raised her seat and tightened the quick release this time. I am not sure what happened, but she threw her leg over the top of the seat only to fall backwards with the bike on top of one leg. We’ve all done this before, right?. You’re lying there, on your back like a turtle on its shell, surrounded by other cyclists, and you just can’t get up. She got up, her seat finally fixed, and TaDa, we were lost. Just a little lost, though, if there is such a thing. (You’re either lost or you’re not). 

We found our bearings, headed towards Hair of the Dog, and in the end it was well worth the trip. I had a glass of Adam, the first beer they ever made, and a great Turkey and smoked mozzarella sandwich.

We left hair of the Dog and started our tour of the River Trail in downtown. We rode to the other side of the trail to find the brand new, car-free Tilikum Bridge. I felt privileged to ride across it in the first week of its opening. In case I forgot to mention, we were in Portland to see how we may be able to take ideas back to our hometown of Cincinnati and the Tilikum Bridge will definitely be a discussion topic.

Portland’s Saturday Market was really hopping so we walked through the vendors. Cosmic Garden Designs was there with a host of useful, handmade items, including some really cool bike handlebar bags. Because they are all made "upcycled" they reduce waste, most are one of a kind, and they double as a cross body bag when off the bike. I had to put that plug in there for a very dedicated and conscientious craftperson, Tika Bee.

For dinner we went brewery hunting again. We found Rogue Brewing, but I ended up passing on the beer for a Pumpkin Spice soda. It was fantastic. It would be an awesome mixer with apple cider or cinnamon bourbon. 10Barrell Brewing was on the opposite corner so we stopped there for one beer before heading back to the hotel for the night. Score – three craft breweries in one day. I love Portland!

#portlandbybike #roguebrewing #hairofthedog #saturdaymarket #10barrellbrewng #tilikum #cosmicgardendesigns #ternfoldies