My 2026 motto: Be careful what you wish for. Wherein I am reminded that professional growth requires a degree of sustained discomfort.

PSA: mud is not, strictly speaking, ideal for freehub internals.

Out and about on a fat bike this morning. Old tote roads and class fours makes for a nice Sunday morning.

Spent the day getting dried mud out of the Wednesday, washing the drivetrain, rebuilding the freehub, and bleeding the front and rear brakes. For reasons my better three-quarters has not yet fully explained, she and the bicycle wound up fully submerged in a mud puddle just after taking this photo.

Point: I need to drop a few pounds to really enjoy summertime riding this year. Counterpoint: fresh sourdough bread.

I got caught petting a cat.

And the litmus paper says trans rights

I’m not sure I buy the mobility and homeowner accessibility argument here.

One of my hobbies is being the “hey riding bikes is fun, why don’t you ride with us” people in the neighborhood. We’re at 11 friends and counting that we (re)introduced to riding bikes as adults.

Aioli is a French word that means “overpriced mayonnaise”

Fixed it.

Not pictured: getting absolutely drenched by those dark clouds in the distance.

The conversation I imagine: “What do you want to do today?” “COMMIT ATROCITIES NEVER BEFORE WITNESSED BY MAN. Or nap. I haven’t decided.”

My bike friends are a bad influence. See for example: a tire lever, spoke wrench, rotor truing, and sling shot multitool.

My favorite hobby is driving the speed limit and coming to full and complete stops in a sports car.

The scientists are pissed.

Who'd have thought. Make changes, improve things.

Diva Plavalaguna, the opera diva best known for her performances on the ship Fhloston Paradise, has announced she's pulling out of the Freedom 250 concert.

Cat trees, bags of mulch, and toilets are cool and all, but the carry shit Olympics has a new high water mark.

Uncritical use of Al in science needs reality check www.nature.com/articles/d41...

@amtrak.com Your service is borked because of a fire and you can’t bother to post updates? Do better.

Oof.

Big Ass Framboise Macaron from Patisserie Stohrer (est 1730)

The dishes can wait. Go ride your bike.

“learnings”

53 miles. Spotted 7 woodchucks, 5 bunnies, 3 deer, 1 cat, and a shitload of suicide squirrels.

My wife: how much food and water are you bringing? Me: 3 liters, four clif bars. Wife: oh… it’s that kind of ride, huh? (Walks back to the kitchen and fills another water bottle with a heavy sigh…) END SCENE

Riding 45 miles and eating a light sushi dinner is how you wind up walking to shake shack at 9 pm.

Bikes ‘n coffee

So, uh, what’s everyone in Philly doing this weekend?

Listening to @billsradvermont.bsky.social recommendations is my favorite way to break out of whatever musical rut I happen to be stuck in on any given day.

@bcgp.bsky.social @bikeaction.org A useful metaphor the next time you speak with city personnel on the topic of Spruce and Pine street protection.

Pro tip: convert your resume to a PDF before sending it out. Do not send the .docx with markup and unresolved comments from your Ph.D advisor. While the insight into your thinking is fascinating, it is not necessarily something you want a hiring manager to see.

ditto

Why do ostensibly grown adults insist on engaging in car horn slap fights? “Here’s what my horn sounds like!” HONNNNNNNNNK “Oh yeah? Here’s what MY horn sounds like!” HONNNNNNNNNNNNNNK

With apologies/photo credit to @bikepedantic.bsky.social, this struck me as the perfect composition for B&W.

There’s the right way, the wrong way, and the AI way. Which is the wrong way, but faster.

Best read in GLaDOS voice

As well as the good points below, storybicycles.com/blogs/ebike-...

Since I’m going to need a shower after riding anyway, I might as well make it worth my while. Out and about on class four roads, plowing straight through every mud puddle in sight.

Polymerase Reverse transcriptase Phosphatase Endonuclease Peroxidase Exonuclease

Went overland via fatbike on some class 4s to the local farm stand for some maple syrup and dried scotch bonnet peppers.

I’ve just gotten back from an errand by car and it took me a minute to realize why it felt so strange: it’s the first time I’ve driven in 6 weeks. More people should be able to enjoy this feeling.

The Supplementary Materials section would like a word.

Cool. Do Spring Garden, Spruce, and Pine next.

Well that kicked my ass. Commuting ≠ trail riding.

My wallet when it realises I have just discovered the Blue Lug Global Online Store

PSA: any bike can be a cargo bike

Well read humor is best humor.

Out and about on a bicycle.