Group on Velodromedary

And… here I am, riding my bike in the heat and humidity of Kerala, India. I’ve posted a few updates across fragmented islands of...

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 13:43:17 +0000

And… here I am, riding my bike in the heat and humidity of Kerala, India.

I’ve posted a few updates across fragmented islands of social media like Instagram / Strava, or group texts… but plenty of folks I know don’t use those sites. So I’m looking into posting updates here to link back to (though it’s not quite as easy on my phone while traveling). I’ll at least post a summary here later, after the tour, as usual.

Goats, Art, Fried Fish (Point San Pablo)

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 21:18:19 +0000

Last weekend I organized a ride up to Point San Pablo, about 40 miles of scenic, mostly-flat* riding, with the majority of it on paved separated bike paths (the Bay Trail, on-street bike paths in Richmond, the Richmond Greenway, and the Ohlone Greenway).

We had a good group of seven, some who I’ve been riding with off and on for years and some new folks. And the remarkable exchange between two people of:

Cycling South Korea, 2023

Wed, 17 May 2023 01:50:00 +0000

(This is a placeholder writeup with a few photos, perhaps I’ll come back some day and flesh it out…)

I spent a week cycling the length of Korea (~400 miles from Seoul to Busan), as a fully supported** ride with an organized tour group and about 20 strangers (though a few I’d met on a bike tour in Vietnam the previous year). By the end I felt exhilarated, challenged, stimulated, and full of great food.

Cycling Vietnam + Cambodia, 2022 (teaser)

Fri, 02 Dec 2022 18:58:00 +0000

(a brief recap, perhaps to come back to with more detail some day)

I’ve wanted to push myself farther out of my bike touring comfort zone, in terms of traveling in a culture very different from home, and for long enough and at a slow enough pace that I start to pick up on the rhythms on daily life. I dove in to a four-week tour through Vietnam and Cambodia…

DC -> Pittsburgh on car-free trails, 2022 (C&O/GAP)

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 21:46:52 +0000

For years I’ve daydreamed about biking from DC to Pittsburgh on mostly car-free dirt trails, on a ~330 mile winding route that combines the C&O Canal Trail (a dirt trail formerly used by mules to pull cargo barges along the C&O canal in the 1800s, a transportation method that eventually lost to the railroad, and was nearly converted to roads before being preserved as a park in the 1970s) and the Great Allegheny Passage (a combination of rail trails integrated and completed in 2013).

Montana gravel bike camping + GDMBR (5 days)

Sat, 14 Aug 2021 07:31:00 +0000

I never really got into “mountain biking”, because for years I associated it with going fast on rough terrain and dodging obstacles, while I like to ramble and mosey and stop a lot. I also like rides where I can walk out my door (or hop off a train or plane) and get on the bike without having to drive somewhere.

I realize my impressions were a narrow caricature of what mountain biking can be, though, and I’ve always enjoyed the bits of off-roading that sneak into rides– the last mile of dirt getting to a camp site from the road, strange muddy paths I find myself on when trying to bypass roads, or detours through parks to avoid main roads, and even when “road biking” I generally run 32mm+ tires to give myself more comfort and flexibility for unexpected detours.

s24o bike camping @ Kirby Cove

Sun, 14 Apr 2019 07:00:00 +0000

After a few years of trying, I finally snagged the coveted Campsite #1 at Kirby Cove, and gathered a group of friends + kids for a Sunday afternoon ride there… the weather was perfect and clear, the company was good, and the vibe was relaxed.

We could practically see the campsite from the bridge…

And down we go along the gravel road…

Fun 30-mile ride during Beer Week along many off-road paths and canals, MLK Jr Shoreline Park, the mosaic murals of Jingletown,...

Sun, 11 Feb 2018 08:00:00 +0000

Fun 30-mile ride during Beer Week along many off-road paths and canals, MLK Jr Shoreline Park, the mosaic murals of Jingletown, and along the shoreline in Alameda… with a stop at Cleophus Quealy for tacos and good beer.

Finally posting some photos from BikeMaine, September 2017. Smooth pavement, early-morning mist, just enough hills and distance...

Thu, 08 Feb 2018 17:28:50 +0000

In September I biked about 400 miles in Downeast Maine (the “Bold Coast”) as part of the organized Bikemaine tour-- here are a...

Sat, 05 Nov 2016 15:07:25 +0000

Bicycle Dumpling Tour (4th Annual)

Sat, 14 Nov 2015 06:31:58 +0000

Three times makes a tradition– after last year, I had to do it again– organize a bicycle tour of my favorite dumpling shops for friends and strangers through the SF Bike Coalition (picking up hundreds of dumplings as takeout to eat in a nearby park).

I spent the previous weekend scouting, test-riding, and test-eating, and put together a route combining low-key roads, paved off-road paths through Golden Gate Park, and riding along the ocean… with stops for last year’s group favorite (pan fried pork buns and ‘soup dumplings’ from Dumpling Kitchen, eaten in a small park nestled above Stern Grove), the chicken and Chinese spinach dumplings from Kingdom of Dumpling (most notable for the intensely pleasurable fiery orange chili sauce) ferried all the way to a strip of trees and benches at Judah and Great Highway, and new-to-the-ride Shanghai Dumpling King for the eponymous dumplings and ‘dessert’ in the form of sweet BBQ pork buns plus a few other sweet dumplings from across the street, eaten in a nearby playground.

Biked around Lake Tahoe

Mon, 18 May 2015 01:51:35 +0000

A friend organized a ride around Lake Tahoe for a group of 7 adventurous comrades (many of whom hadn’t biked much this year), and it was an excellent weekend.

76 moderately hilly miles and 4200′ of elevation gain (maxing out at 7000′ where there was snow on the ground). I’d never biked at any significant altitude (maybe a short distance in Glacier Park) and while it wasn’t noticeable on the flats, I was surprised how much I felt it when pushing myself or going uphill– deep breaths feeling like shallow ones. Or maybe I just need to ride more.

Third Annual SF Bike Dumpling Tour: recap

Sun, 11 May 2014 21:31:00 +0000

Saturday I organized a third “SF Bicycle Dumpling Tour“ (year 1: friends, year 2: public) for about 50 people. Good food, weather, and a casual 15-mile bike ride around the city, with a few hills….

A few photos I took or people on the ride sent me:

Pork and chive dumplings arriving in the park by bike:

For the $10 registration fee (definitely a zero-profit endeavor) you got all the dumplings you could eat, a low-tech copy-and-paste ride booklet (map, directions, trivia, and a dumpling recipe), and some useful tools…

Friday - bikeit holiday drinks - postcar travel - artcrank

Fri, 06 Dec 2013 05:45:47 +0000

riders, friends.

bikeit’s having a holiday party tomorrow (Friday), without bikes. In which we drop by the Post-Car Travel Agency party at Huckleberry Bikes around 7, then walk down to the ArtCrank bicycle-themed poster show with $5 beer, then wander to a nearby bar for a festive drink.

If you came on a ride this year, the first drink’s on me.

Bike & Kayak Marin

Sun, 17 Nov 2013 04:34:00 +0000

An easy, relaxing local adventure.

Meet at Velo Rouge in the morning. Bike to Larkspur, partly along dedicated paved bike trails (about 17 miles). Rent kayaks from Outback Adventure ($30 for 2 hours, I called ahead since we were a group). Paddle along Corte Madera Creek and side creeks under Mt Tam (a few hours before low tide so we were paddling against the current on the way in but the ebb was carrying us back out). Head to the Marin County Brewing Company a few blocks away for some food and refreshment. Catch the 4:45pm (sunset) ferry (also right there) back to SF.

Foraging, Blackberries, Picnic, Ice Cream

Sun, 28 Jul 2013 02:46:00 +0000

On the epic Lagunitas Brewing Ride a few weeks ago I noticed huge stands of green blackberries lining one of the Marin bike paths, and vowed to return on a foraging mission.

So 11 of us wrapped blackberry picking, an escape from the fog, a picnic by the bay, ice cream, and a casual ride around Marin into a day.

In quick cell phone photos:

Jingletown, San Leandro, Beer Ride

Sun, 26 May 2013 06:06:00 +0000

Great weather for the first annual Session Beer Festival, and an excuse for a ride with friends from Oakland to San Leandro.

White Elephant building:

Jingletown:

Free wood (so consistently, it’s labeled in the mosaic):

Large tires (foreshadowing…):

Miles of car-free paved paths along the water:

Sacramento Delta Overnight Tour

Sat, 27 Oct 2012 03:03:00 +0000

[ Finally posting a map and photos from a great group ride organized by K back in October ]: Amtrak to Sacramento with our bikes, then two leisurely days of riding back to BART via the Sacramento river delta.

With drawbridges (and an impromptu tour of a control room), birds at night, a quaint old-timey hotel, a ferry, and old-town California.

The route (about 95 miles, click through for a detailed map):

Bike Camping, Point Reyes

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 05:47:28 +0000

My second year bike camping for a three-day weekend in Point Reyes: eight of us rode up lugging camping gear, braving the hilly Four Corners / Panoramic / Highway 1 route, and admiring the views.

The blackberries were out in full force. We filled up a whole container for breakfast the next morning:

Oyster break in Olema:

Dumpling Ride Recap

Sun, 01 Jul 2012 22:14:00 +0000

This weekend a group of adventurous dumpling-lovers went on a casual 14-mile bike ride around the city (the Richmond, Sunset, West Portal), trying seven kinds of dumplings from three restaurants, on a foggy but surprisingly warm day.

For variety from the usual coffeehouse start, we met up at SoW, a pop-up fresh juice bar in the Pause Wine Bar space. The “stonefruit flight” of yellow peach, saturn peach, and santa rosa (tart) plum juices was excellent:

Livermore Wine Ramble #3: recap

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 06:03:00 +0000

A casual day of bike riding, picnicking, and wine tasting around the Livermore area. The initial interest in this many-times-rescheduled ride and the good weather made me think 15 people might show up… but it was a group of 31, word of mouth through three degrees of separation. Thanks for being great, everyone.

Riding a few miles through Sycamore Grove Park– interesting trees on either side, bridges to ride over, and almost no cross-streets or signs of other people:

Recap: Russian River Brewery overnight ride

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 08:03:06 +0000

120+ miles, a group of 15 great people, sunny weather, lush farmland and shady redwood forests, a few exciting hills, the kindness of strangers, good beer, and an action-movie just-in-time finish… easily one of my favorites. Read on for a longer than usual writeup in story form, with photos and details…

Back in December I’d floated the idea of an overnight ride up to Russian River Brewing Co during the two-weeks-a-year Pliny the Younger release. Interest blossomed, we hashed out logistics, and by the day of the ride we were a group of 15(!): people I’d done long rides with as well as new friends-of-friends, on loaded touring bikes and sporty road bikes, people who’ve ridden centuries and people who’ve rarely biked more than 40 miles… and even someone who hadn’t biked more than 7 or 8 miles in a stretch (I’ll admit, I was a little worried, but he was a natural).

Feb 11th: overnight ride to Russian River Brewing

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

The SF -> Russian River Brewing Company overnight ride I mentioned is on! I sent email to everyone who told me they were interested with more logistics details that I won’t bore people reading this with. The quick summary:

Feb 11th -> 12th (rolling out *early* Saturday from Four Barrel)
A 65-70 mile route roughly like this (doing a 40+ mile practice ride beforehand if you haven’t been riding in a while is recommended – I might organize one a weekend or two before)
Early lunch break along the way (probably in Fairfax)
Arriving late afternoon, drinking some Pliny the Younger and other beers, being flexible if we have to wait a long time, getting food…
Staying the night at the Flamingo Resort ($99/night via this web site for a room with two doubles, it’s up to you to reserve your own or pair up with someone – it’s fully refundable up until 2 days beforehand)
Biking back Sunday
It looks like it will be somewhere between 6 and 12 of us, including a few friends or significant others driving up (carpools might be possible)

Bike to Russian River Brewing in February?

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Looking ahead– biking to Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa (about 60-70 miles each way from SF, some hills) is something I’ve wanted to do for a while. And hey– they’re serving Pliny the Younger for 14 days in early February.

The plan: ride up either Saturday Feb 4th or 11th [edit: we’re doing it the 11th], early, hang out at the brewery, get a hotel/motel/airbnb for the night, and bike back the next day. With stops for lunch and so on.

Fiets & Frites 2011

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 02:51:00 +0000

The (first annual?) Fiets & Frites, a casual bike ride and tour of french fries around San Francisco:

Starting out at Frjtz:

Three orders of fries (too many!), curry ketchup, wasabi mayo:

Bike rack as condiment tray…

Ride maps:

Photos from our recent 7-person Livermore wine country ride (in somewhat-brutal 95-degree heat), over a 30-mile route.

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0000

Port Costa + Picnic recap

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 06:47:00 +0000

Today was my 4th or 5th Port Costa / Carquinez Scenic Drive ride over the past four years and it was a good one (and with no flats or infected bee stings). Seven of us met up at Pleasant Hill BART and headed out for a late afternoon casual-pace 29-mile ride and picnic.

For variety, we took what looked like a side path along Alhambra– but it rapidly rose above the road and turned into a rough dirt path.

Met and rode for a while with a friendly group of 10 folks from Limburg (in their 50s/60s, taking a 3-day ride and staying at...

Sat, 11 Jun 2011 14:30:04 +0000

Met and rode for a while with a friendly group of 10 folks from Limburg (in their 50s/60s, taking a 3-day ride and staying at hostels)

Point Reyes Bike Camping recap

Wed, 18 May 2011 03:54:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, I did something I’ve wanted to do for years– a bike camping trip to Point Reyes, self-supported (carrying everything, no car support).

I wanted to camp in Point Reyes National Seashore itself rather than nearby in Samuel P Taylor, to be somewhere more remote that wasn’t drive-in. I picked Sky Camp (based partly on this SFgate article), managed to get two nights reserved, and we ended up with a hardy group of 11 (friends, friends of friends, riders from last year’s SF RAGBRAI contingent).

on the road with our luggage, on a beautiful day

Sun, 10 Apr 2011 00:26:27 +0000

on the road with our luggage, on a beautiful day

Overnight bike trip: SF -> Montara

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 07:51:00 +0000

Well, that was a great weekend.

A group of 10 of us biked from SF to Montara (on the coast, between Pacifica and Half Moon Bay, about 30 miles), stayed overnight in the Montara Lighthouse Hostel ($28/night, includes linens, fully booked most Saturday nights months ahead of time but the web site availability is often incorrect– you can call them directly to make reservations, and should if you’re going with a group), and biked back the next day.

Lighthouse, california bear, 10 bikes, at the end of a day of riding.

Sun, 16 Jan 2011 06:40:31 +0000

Lighthouse, california bear, 10 bikes, at the end of a day of riding.

RAGBRAI, condensed

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 06:42:00 +0000

I spent a week biking and camping across Iowa with 10,000+ strangers. It was one of the better vacations I’ve taken. Here’s a map of the route, about 450 miles (50-80 miles/day, only one day with serious hills).

I emailed some updates and photos to this blog from my cell phone while I was on the ride– I’m combining all those updates into this post (link below).

Saturday:

Starting off the trip with a near-disaster: the airline (Fronteir/Midwest) lost my bag (tent, clothes, cycling gear, everything except my bike itself). The bag wasn’t even in their system– they had no idea where it was. Then an agent in Milwaukee called me because he’d found my bag and it had my number on it. He didn’t know I was in Omaha. They said they could get it to be a few days later– not useful since I was about to get on a bike the next morning. They said there were no flights left today to send it on. Then I asked someone else and he found a flight to put it on. 4 hours later, it showed up at the airport!

Port Costa #3 debrief

Mon, 24 May 2010 04:37:00 +0000

The ride today was both a great success and a collection of minor disasters.

On the up side:

Eight people, including a few people who hadn’t been riding in a while.
A casual-pace 29-mile ride, with successful climbs of many winding hills and a few thousand feet of elevation gain. People got tired of me saying “I think this is the last hill.”
Port Costa was not at all sleepy– there were 100-200 motorcyclists (of the Harley / leather / chaps persuasion), a live band, and more loud-exhaust bikes rolling in every few minutes. It was a scene.
We’d heard “the motorcyclists are taking over the Warehouse kitchen for the day” and it felt like a private party, so we weren’t sure we’d be able to get food… but they encouraged us to help ourselves to the spaghetti, salad, and bread, for free!
A few interesting (and also large, and strong) beers.
All in all, about everything I wanted out of the post-birthday ride, thanks everyone.

On the down side, members of the group experienced:

About 150 bikers at 9am on a Saturday.

Sat, 30 May 2009 16:40:00 +0000

About 150 bikers at 9am on a Saturday.

It was a nice 8-person ride today to Ocean Beach, where it was sunny, clear, and play-frisbee-in-t-shirts weather. Crazy. About...

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 04:18:00 +0000

It was a nice 8-person ride today to Ocean Beach, where it was sunny, clear, and play-frisbee-in-t-shirts weather. Crazy. About 15-20 miles round trip depending where people started and ended, see a sample route