The Buang Biker™ and the Blustery Day

Aplogies to A.A. Milne and Walt Disney

The Buang Biker and a flapping bag.

There’s nothing like a blustery day (97kph gusts) to walk about and ruminate. My lunch time walk around Towson got me to thinking about all the adventures I haven’t posted yet from last year.

There were a few nice rides along the York County Heritage Rail Trail with Mrs. Biker. There was the scare last August when Henergy-on-Wheels™ contracted infections after a ride that led to oozing, weeping legs and the fear that necrotizing fasciitis might be a possibility. I’ve careened down hills at 64kph on a bicycle while thinking of the disasters possible should I wipe out. I’ve been struck by a car and thought I might lose my foot just before it hit. But NOTHING compares to that summer scare with my son. I’m just so glad that his doctors figured out what was going on and were able to help him get better.

I also got to thinking about will I ever go on a bicycle tour? I would love to have the time, money, and physical capabilities to ride Pennsylvania Bicycle Route J from state line to state line.

So while walking along alone thinking of life, the universe, and everything it just seemed fitting that my thoughts would be strangely drawn to the lone plastic bag perched atop a winter-barrened tree, flapping noisily in the winds, struggling to get away. Your Buang Biker™ is definitely looking forward to Spring. But winter is certainly easier to maintain my moniker, because, yes, I’ve been on a few rides at -5C.

Pedal on!

The Buang Biker™ Gets Rocked

Tried to take the trail less traveled tonight at Rocky Ridge. Started out on 5. Moderately challenging. That morphed into 5B. Looked interesting. Then 5B disappeared somewhere and became 6. Ohhhh six! 6 puts the rocky in Rocky Ridge.

Got rocked, but never rolled. Thankfully. Then the Buang Biker™ stopped off to see if there were any radio buds at the Keystone VHF Clubhouse.

No luck. Not even a deer around. But my! Those antennas are impressive. I believe the Norwegians would call that antennaskog.

Henergy-on-Wheels™ Learns Improv on the Trail

After about an hour into a group ride today, Henergy-on-Wheels™ lost his front tube. With no visible damage, we decided to try pumping it to see if that might help get us quickly to the car. We figured that if the tire weren’t punctured, then perhaps the leak was just a small pinch hole from log jumping. Why didn’t we fix it then and there on the trail? We just made the cliched move: no back up tube or patch. Cue the eye roll.

But…it worked.

Sweet.

It got us back to the car, but it was going flat again. We wanted to ride a bit more, so what to do? We rummaged through the car for a patch. The Buang Biker™ can be shamed for not having extra bike repair gear on hand. However, he’s also a ham radio operator. And that means copious rolls of electrical tape laying around.

At first we had trouble getting it to stick to the tube, but that had more to do with the residual talcum powder. We rubbed as much as would come off in the area of the pinpoint hole, and we got a few strips to stay on long enough to reseat the tube/tire and ride for another half hour or so.

A few hours later it’s still firm enough for a ride! But we’re not pushing it. Mainly because we might have to push it.

Still, Henergy-on-Wheels got his first taste of improv. Too bad the joke was on me. 😉

The Bang Biker™ — Back in the Saddle

The doctor released me from the splint yesterday and cleared me for light road riding and rail trail travails. I made it out for a ride tonight. Only 3 miles around the neighborhood with Joe, but it felt great. See the freed hand! The 3.03 miles! The super shirt that provides inspiration to ride and the Clark Kent glasses that conceals my Buang Biker identity on the road. Hard to ride when the groupies starting asking for my autograph. 😂

The Buang Biker™ Wipes Out

Unfortunately,  The Surfaris weren’t involved. It was the rough, ripped roads of Towson that brought me down.

At one point my hand looked like James T. Kirk’s in J.J. Abram’s first
Star Trek movie after an allergic reaction to McCoy’s injection.

The Joe ended up looking a lot worse. Wheels flopped like frisbees. Race Pace Bicycles of Towson trued the wheels in a day. It’ll take the Buang Biker a bit longer to recuperate.

Hopefully, I’ll be back in the saddle when this heatwave ends, because the Buang Biker loves to ride at 40 Fahrenheit. However, he withers at 40 centigrade.

Pedal on!

The Buang Biker™ Celebrates Father’s Day at York College

So, the Buang Biker™ and Henergy on Wheels™ actually got a little Father’s Day ride in before chilling out and laughing our helmets off watching the Fast and Furious spoof Superfast! I haven’t appreciated such brain candy since grad school and Xena: Warrior Princess. And it was heavenly hearing Henegry’s great guffaws. ?‍??‍♂️

 

The Buang Biker™ Chills at Spruce Street Harbor Park

Some of you may be wondering what happened to the Buang Biker. Nothing bad, I assure you. It’s just that BBer and family spent four PHAAAAAN-tastic! (said in my best imitation of a British accent and as spoken by a waitress at The Giraffe in Islington, London many years ago) days in Philadelphia. This trip culminated in a wonderful night at the amazing Spruce Street Harbor Park .

It was a bit surreal as I was both tourist and tour-guide. The wall along the promenade of the park in front of the Hilton was covered in love-locks, which I explained to other tourists was an expression of love. They thought it was a cool idea. Mrs. BB looked bemused at the sight of tourist-turned-tour-guide explaining this to what was beginning to feel like an endless line of tourists. I quickly hurried away lest more people stop and keep me from making it to the park. In retrospect, I think I should have worn my Phillies hat and used it for holding tips. 

Anyway,  after returning home we ended up with a week of rain. Great for getting things done around the house, but horrible for biking. But wait! I hear you say: What’s a little rain to someone who bikes in 20F (-7C) temps? Well, yes, I do. However, that’s dry and visible weather. Expecting to survive a ride in the greater Baltimore/York Metro area in the rain and fog (even with bright blinking lights) is like stepping off a mountain into thin air without a parachute and expecting to not get hurt. Ain’t gonna happen. I don’t trust drivers that much.

After all, I’m the Buang Biker™, not the Gago Guy on a Bike™. ?

Cheers!

The Buang Biker™ and the Grapes on the Path

The Buang Biker took yet another lunchtime ride through hill and dale in the delightful wilds of West Towson. So many cool things to see. Old houses with nice gardens. Or in this case, a huge trellis with purple flowers. Sorry. It’s hard to see in this picture. Just above the white fence. I’d move closer, but it’s likely I’d be talking to the PoPo, as my son Henergy on Wheels™ would say, if I looked too suspicious. However, next time I’m out I’ll have to check for grapes. Perhaps a good review of the great landscaping would get me invited over after fermentation.?

STILL MORE Power to the People!

The Buang Biker is pointing to Three Mile Island across the river from York Haven. For those with a sense of history, TMI was the site of the worst nuclear meltdown in history.  Until the Russians had to one-up us with Chernobyl.  Believe it or not, 2 of TMI’s 4 reactors are still used to generate electricity.

Speaking of nuclear power, please remind me to rant on about the inefficiency of using nuclear reactions to boil water for electricity instead of more directly. Gr. What is this, the 21st century?????

The Buang Biker™ Cruising Historic Towson Woods

After 25 years, the Buang Biker made it back to this bridge nestled on the grounds of Towson University. Last time he was there, there wasn’t a fence. Or anything else for that matter.  Now there is Johnny Unitas Stadium just a short field away. Go Tigers!

 

The bridge is also near to the Sheppard Pratt’s campus.  Sheppard Pratt is a premier mental health institution in Maryland. Thankfully, the Buang Biker was just passing through even though it sounds like he should stay awhile….