The annual birthday ride (in kilometers) is done and dusted. And on my actual birthday for a change, too.
I only needed 44.1 miles for 71km, but actually covered 45.3 (72.9km), so I have a few pedal strokes in the bank for next year.
My plan was to zip down to the bosque and log as many flat miles as I could stand before turning around for the long climb back to the foothills.
As I rolled out, the air down in the valley looked filthy, and I considered bailing, but then thought, “Nawwwwwwwww,” and soldiered on.
And I was glad I did. I’ve been caught in a loop of Groundhog Rides — basically the same 20-milers over and over and over again — and this was a refreshing change of pace.
There was a slight headwind as I rolled south on the lightly greened Paseo del Bosque trail to I-40, where I hung a right to snap a shot of the Rio Grande from the Gail Ryba bike bridge. More like the Rio Not-So-Grande. Too thick to drink, too thin for swimming.
Pic in hand, I pulled a U and enjoyed a tailwind to the Paseo del Norte trail, then took the usual route back to the rancho, along Bear Canyon-Osuna, up and over I-25, past the golf course and thence to Tramway via Manitoba, and home again home again, jiggity-jig.
Well, that’s not entirely accurate. I had to head south on Tramway to Rover and pull another U to collect enough mileage (kilometerage?) to make the nut.
And then I ate everything in the house and took a shower because hey: It was my birthday. I could do whatever I wanted.
Mad Blog Media 
Way to go! I endeavor to do something similar but November in NH can be inhospitable. Against the weather crawled 114 miles on the flat ? s. w. NH to herald in my 80 th roll. Keep it up. They are gaining!
Oof. That’s a lot like cycling, there, that is. I top out around a half-century anymore. And you’re right … they’re gaining! Keep pedaling, I hear banjo music!
Happy birthday mi amigo! I bet that was a nice ride. Lemme guess, it was the Saga? No wait, Nobilette. No wait, Double Cross. No wait……….
It were the New Albion Privateer, Paddy me lad. Those 38mm tires are just the thing for these rolling, bumpy roads. Likewise the low end of 30x34T. I wanna set up the Pescadero to feel as much like the Privateer as possible, only a little lighter and livelier.
Happy Birthday, Patrick! One should always do whatever they want on their birthday. Looks like you did just that. I usually have to work on mine, but maybe that’s what I want.
Thanks, Dave. Other than the funky air, it was a perfect day for logging saddle time. Plenty of other people agreed. I saw lots of folks out on all manner of rigs, from mountain bikes to recumbents to e-bikes to tri setups.
Someone must be working around here, but it sure seemed like an optional Thursday on the bosque trail.
Happy 😃 Birthday 🎂 Patrick
Wishing you an amazing year ahead filled with joy and success
¡Gracias, hombre! Right back atcha.
Feliz Cumpleanos, mi amigo! Sounds like a beautiful way to celebrate and ENJOY! Stay the course ….. ride on …. remember Rule #1 is FUN! 🙂
The Rule was in effect yesterday, JD. The best part was that tailwind for the northbound leg along the bosque trail. Zoom zoom!
Ernest: Happy Birthday. We are moving some stuff tomorrow and need some smoke wizardry to keep those fires at bay. Crossing fingers and hoping for success selling the current shithouse wrapper.
Skeeter, you take care. Keep a full tank and those go-bags where you can find them in the dark. Jeez, you folks have had a rough ol’ ride in the Carolinas.
Happy Birthday!
Thanks, Carl. It was low-stress, low-mess. Leftovers for dinner and we split a brownie instead of a cake.
(No, not one a them brownies make you see shit what ain’t there.)
Oh yeah ! I forgot. It’s that time of year again. If you’ll allow me, please take another day of celebration today and enjoy yourself.
Cheers and Happy Birthday !
Since it’s your birthday I’m FORCED to open an expensive Chianti I’ve been squirreling. And it’s just fine. As was your ride. I chuckled when you said you didn’t want to swap out wheels from your fleet on your newest bike. I’m the same way…just want to pick the horse, saddle up and go. I am however quite jealous about your Paul brakes.
I’m a bad influence on ya, Herb. Please apologize to the family for me.
The whole wheel thing got to be … well, a thing. Most of my bikes are 135mm rear spacing, or a middle-of-the-road compromise that can accept either 130 or 135. But the Pescadero is a firm 130mm rear, and I was flat out of that size.
Now, the Velo-Orange rear hub on the Soma Double Cross can be switched from 135 to 130, thanks to replaceable endcaps. But I seem to have misplaced that replaceable. And the wheel would probably need redishing. And then I’d have to find a wheelset for the Double Cross.
Which I have; it originally was on the DC when it was still a kinda-sorta touring bike. But now it’s on the Soma Saga (canti version), an actual touring bike.
So: I could take the wheelset from the DC and give it to the Pescadero. Then take the wheelset from the Saga and give it to the DC.
“What about the Saga? you enquire.
Glad you asked. I have an uncommitted wheelset, Velocity Cliffhangers laced to LX hubs, which would suit the Saga right down to the ground.
But: Each of these wheelsets has a different rim width. So I’d have to tinker with the brakes on each bike to dial ’em in.
“Jaysis H.,” I sez to myself I sez. “I’ma just buy another wheelset. It’s only money, and I know I can’t take it with me, because Herself won’t let me.”
But now I have this uncommitted Velocity wheelset to consider. Clearly I need another bike that takes a 135 rear and needs some burly hoops. …
N + 1 bikes, eh?
O, to be sure. I’m running out of rim-brake possibilities, though. Even Soma only offers something like four models and I have two of them.
Congratulations on the 71 km ride. I just hit that milestone on Wednesday. It’s not nice enough here to do the ride, but I spent 71 minutes futzing with the Le Mond, buying new tires for the beast, and looking at a Ritchie gravel bike. Lord, I envy the weather and trails you have. I will spend the next five (5) months dodging rednecks in jacked
up 4x4s and snowbirds from Arizona and Texas with various stages, colors of red, orange, blue, brass, and jet black hair and stages of senility, dementia, alzheimers and other brain fogs. . Looking at the abq trail system is muy tempting. Anyway, congratulations on another trip around the sun in the upright posture. may journey continue
Happy birthday to you, John. I’ve lived in tourist country myself, and don’t care for it. Fanta Se drove me witless, and Bibleburg was nearly as bad, but considerably cheaper.
The Duck! City’s tourism rarely ventures into my neighborhood, praise Cthulhu, may Its tentacles grow ever longer. But some of the locals make a fella wonder whether tourists might be an upgrade.
Ah hub spacing, rim width, tire clearance, chain length, all the kinds of problems that can be solved one way or another. (isn’t that a Blondie song?) Well at least most of us left behind the ever-squealing Mafac brakes and spongy Simplex shifters which coupled to the delrin rear derailleur, made for shifting adventures that led to much weeping and knashing of teeth.
Well, you could thin the herd down a little. Yea, right.
I have four guitars. The space allocated to me for guitars, by someone much smarter than I am, has room for five guitars. Should I assume that means I need to buy one more guitar? I have a Martin hat, so I should buy a Martin so I can wear the hat? Don’t want to be a poser.
Ah right. Happy co-birthday. I rode zero miles. Did get in some fence and acequia repair on the rancho. All best in our 72nd year.
Congrats on yet another successful 365.256363 day, 583825190 mile, 66610 mph lap around the big ball of fire!
Hopefully this rock we’re strapped to doesn’t jettison us in the next 12 months.
Thanks, matey. Batten down the hatches — 2025 looks like a rough ride.
Hey, you caught up! Happy 71st (belatedly, as I was not checking the computer very often while on the East Coast).
We wondered where you’d gotten to, Hoss. Still looking for property? My man Tim C. reports apocalyptic conditions in the Carolinas, just in time for his retirement. Which reminds me, I need to tug on his sleeve today, see how he and his lovely bride are getting along in the End Times.