Rays of Light

My new bike outfit

The "Amazon Recommended" feature can be a useful way of finding interesting products, but it can also be highly entertaining. Periodically, it will recommend products whose connection is tenuous at best. If Amazon recommends purchasing children's toys because you bought vitamins, it is not too much of a stretch to guess that moms probably purchase vitamins more than other people, and are likely to buy children's toys while they are at it. But every so often Amazon comes up with a recommendation that is so far in left field, that the only response is WTF? Today I encountered the following gem:

The text may be a little small to read, but Amazon is suggesting that I need a "Super Mario Brothers Costume" because I own a Cateye Adventure Wireless Bicycle Computer. Seriously. Maybe this could become my new bike commuting outfit. Forget spandex bike shorts and bright "don't hit me" bike jerseys, I really need to ride around in a red and blue jumpsuit, complete with a hat and a mustache. I think Amazon is on to something here. If I rode around in that outfit, drivers would definitely give me a wide berth on the road. They might even give me the whole road once they run off the road. "Honey, did you see that?" "What the #*#? Crash!"

Lovettsville Loop

Today, I packed up my commuting bike and headed out to the back roads and hills of northern Loudoun County. While my commuting bike isn't generally my preference for long rides, it handles the dirt roads much better than my road bike. I rode a loop from Purcellville to Lovettsville and back. This was my first time to Lovettsville, which is a cute little town not far from the Potomac. The town appears to be in the process of significant growth, which is not surprising because the town is in commuting range of Frederick, the Dulles Corridor, and (via MARC) downtown DC.

A rambling loop

The hills aren't too bad

An interesting structure next to a pond

A vineyard at the edge of the Blue Ridge

Rolling ramble in Loudoun

This afternoon's adventure was a 32 mile ride in southwestern Loudoun County. It was not a very long ride, but the rolling hills made up for it. I started up in Purcellville, and did a loop that ran through Middleburg. Middleburg is a quaint little village, with an eclectic mix of shops and restaurants, and deserves some more visits in the future.

Enough hills to keep things interesting

The road is flat for a little bit

Living in the shadow of the Blue Ridge

Reminded me of a house I know

Middleburg

Goose Creek

Osmer Siding

The following photo is Osmer Siding looking north from Warren Road in Ann Arbor Township. This is where the Ann Arbor Railroad and the Great Lakes Central Railroad meet.

Osmer Siding
Trivia fact of the day: "Osmer" was the name of an unincorporated community in Ann Arbor Township, roughly where Gleaner Hall Road and Warren Road are today.

A Ride to Shirlington

Spotted in a stream that feeds into Four Mile Run were a turtle and an interesting-looking bird.

Shirlington now has a Cheesetique, which looks like it will be a fun place for a cheese-lover like me to shop.

More Portland Photos

A city of bridges

Convention center district

Train tracks across the Steel Bridge

Go by train!

Some photos from Portland

This past weekend, I went on a short trip to Portland, Oregon. It was a very fun trip that included biking around the city, running six miles around the waterfront, and walking everywhere. The characteristics of a city often show up in their airports. So while the Denver airport has a carousel for skis, Portland has an assembly area for people shipping their bicycles. Portland deserves its reputation as being one of the most bike-friendly cities in the United States.