Later, when the first few warmer days arrived in spring I was happy, but I still struggled to recover from the injury and the overall exhaustion from my winter rides. Quite pitiful considering I didn’t ride any long routes for two, three or more hours but only my daily commute to work. In June, I finally began to feel up and ready for a few longer rides again and started to work on it again.

Last week I started to record my rides and workouts again, inspired by the MapMyRide.com Tour de France challenge, and I will continue this until later in fall or winter. Next winter I plan to walk more, especially on bad-weather days, and perhaps keep the rides for the less ugly days. I’m not sure if I can keep myself off the bike yet, but I will try. Hopefully I can get through the cold months without doing that damage to myself again.

Today I went out for a 50-something minute ride to Druid Hill Lake, passing the Baltimore Zoo, continuing on the Jones Falls Trail through Woodberry and back to the Hopkins campus on Clipper Mill Road, Falls Road, Wyman Park Drive. I totally forgot how pleasant and relaxing a ride can very early on a Sunday morning and not having to deal with rush-hour traffic, maniacal motorists, bus-drivers, trash trucks and filthy alleys. I had a hard time motivating myself, but as usual, I didn’t regret getting out of the house around 6am and riding on calm and quiet streets and through a beautifully smelling green of the park. What a contrast to the weekdays! It was just what I needed after a long week. Perfection.

My condition was surprisingly good, too. Usually I struggle my way up/down to work, but I didn’t have this problem today. Even on the uphill segments I managed to keep my calm and climb it without much pain. The mindset, unforced and stress-free mental state and the quiet, calming roads without any doubt have a huge impact on my own condition. Something to keep in mind whenever I don’t feel very motivated! Some stats:

Date/Time:

07/12/2009 06:16 AM

Route:

Homestead, Charles St, Hopkins Campus, Druid Hill Lake, passing the Baltimore Zoo, continuing on the Jones Falls Trail through Woodberry and back to Hopkins Campus on Clipper Mill Road, Falls Road, Wyman Park Drive, and back to Homestead.

Length:

Approx. 9.7 miles

Traffic:

Easy going most of the way.

Weather:

Warm and a bit humid, but still pleasant enough.

Bike:

Jamis Durango Hardtail Mod. with 26×2.2 Maxxis Holy Roller

Heartrate/Elevation:

(Heartrate recording didn’t work properly during the second half of the route.)

I have to thank Ramsey for pointing me to this event last Friday, and Alice for joining me on this ride today. We entered the JFX at Penn Station and rode up to Cold Spring Lane where you could find some stands of the MTA, Joe’s Bike Shop, some environmental groups, some food/drink stands as well as a stage for the live music that started later around 11am.

There even was a chess stand! I always knew that cyclists are good chess players and vice versa, but I didn’t expect this to be confirmed today.

We had a drink and snack, watched people and the band setting up their equipment, watched cars zooming by in the opposite direction… who I’m sure had not nearly as much fun as the our side of the road. Eventually we continued our trip on the highway, took the Falls Road exit, continued on Falls Road and took the route back through the Hopkins campus.

So great… I wish the highway was closed every Sunday! In Germany during the oil crisis in 1973 there were four car-free Sundays that left the Autobahn free and open for cyclists and pedestrians. Too bad I wasn’t old enough to remember that. These few car-free hours on the JFX were definitely a highlight of the year for me!
Here are a few pictures courtesy of Alice:

There will also be games, displays, food, beer, and music. Check out the JonesFalls.org site for more details and photos from last year’s Rally on Flickr. That looks really fun–I wonder why I didn’t know about it before. I’m already looking forward to this!

When I browsed Jones Falls Watershed Association to register for the Rally I also spotted the Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival which is actually a nationwide festival that started off in Nevada City, CA and celebrated its 7th anniversary last January. During the year a selection of films makes a round on tour through the US. More details and dates can be found here. The festival will reach Baltimore in October and will be hosted by the Jones Falls and Herring Run Watershed Association. Find more details on the Herring Run site. It will take place on October 16 from 7pm-9:30pm at the MICA Brown Center (map). I’m curious about the selection of films and definitely look forward to this event as well.

Date/Time:

07/02/2008 06:13 AM

Route:

Similar to last week’s route through Druid Hill Park to Baltimore Zoo, but didn’t take Druid Park Drive this time. Instead I followed the arrows spray-painted to the ground through Druid Hill Park, along the Jones Falls Trail. I followed the beautiful path and exited the park at Parkdale Avenue, continued to the Woodberry lightrail station, then back on Clipper Mill Road toward Penn Station. Instead of making a left to Charles Street, I continued following the marks right onto Maryland Avenue, then right onto West Oliver Street, crossing the lightrail tracks to Park Avenue. There I must have missed the next arrow, but it was time for me to return anyway, so I made a u-turn, returned to Penn Station and followed the old route back home. [Google Map]

This was another blissful cycling experience. The Jones Fall Trail was really beautiful and a much nicer ride than my previous routes along Druid Park Drive. I had no idea — but I’m sure I will ride this route more often now. I’m quite sure that the spray-painted arrows were indicating the route for the annual Tour dem Parks event in Baltimore. They don’t have a google-map of the route on their website, but I did find two Tour dem Parks routes on Bikely.com here and here. These are the long routes with a length of between 62 and 88 kilometers. I would love to participate in the Tour dem Parks one day, but it looks like I have missed it this year. It took place on Sunday, June 8th. But I will continue exploring this route and perhaps ride its full length on one of the next weekends.

Length:

approx. 10.8 miles

Traffic:

none to easy going all the way

Weather:

very nice, sunny, fresh, good air-quality

Bike:

Jamis Durango Hardtail Mod. with 26×2.2 Maxxis Holy Roller

Heartrate/Elevation:

Date/Time:

06/25/2008 05:47 AM

Route:

Resumed last week’s route through Druid Hill Park to Baltimore Zoo, continuing on Druid Park Drive toward W 41st Street. This time continued Druid Park Drive, right onto Clipper Road, across the Woodberry lightrail station, right onto Clipper Mill Road all the way straight. Continued straight after it became Falls Road to Penn Station, then back uphill on North Charles Street. [Google Map]

“Oh bliss! Bliss and heaven! Oh, it was gorgeousness and gorgeousity made flesh. It was like a bird of rarest-spun heaven metal or like silvery wine flowing in a spaceship, gravity all nonsense now.” After I returned last week I checked the map and found that West 40th street was not necessary and that instead of just returning uphill to the zoo I should have continued across the Woodberry station. Clipper Mill Road was really pure bliss — what a beautiful and quiet road to ride on. This discovery finally allowed me to complete the old boring circles around the lake to a more complete route! Next I want to explore the park further north around Greenspring Avenue etc and make the route longer than the current  length of about 9.2 miles.

Length:

approx. 9.2 miles

Traffic:

easy going all the way

Weather:

very nice, sunny, fresh, very good air-quality

Bike:

Jamis Durango Hardtail Mod. with 26×2.5 Maxxis Hookworm

Heartrate/Elevation:

Date/Time:

06/20/2008 05:56 AM

Route:

Morning ride through Druid Hill Park to Baltimore Zoo, continuing on Druid Park Drive toward W 41st Street. U-Turn at WJZ-TV station, continue on Clipper Park Road, back uphill on Druid Park Drive and return via Druid Hill Lake, Wyman Park Drive and Hopkins Campus. [Google Map]

When I looked at the map I thought Druid Park Drive, West 41st Street, West 40th Street, East University Parkway, or West 41st Street/Falls Road or Roland Avenue might make a nice round trip. Druid Park Drive was a nice road to ride on, leading downhill fast. I remember driving on Falls Road when I used to work in Hunt Valley a few years ago, but I never explored this area by bicycle, so I wasn’t sure if this area is suited for cycling. When I reached West 41st Street it turned to something that looked like a highway and not remembering how long this segment was on the map, I wasn’t sure if I could continue riding there. So I made a u-turn and returned back uphill.

Interesting route — Oh, on the ground of Druid Park Drive I spotted not a penny or a dime, but a bullet! I don’t know, eight or nine millimeters? At least it wasn’t shot, but with a bullet there is usually a gun, too. Nice—makes me wonder if it’s really safe to ride there. Oh well, it’s the Wild West after all :)

Length:

approx. 9.9 miles

Traffic:

easy going all the way. A few cars on Druid Park Drive, but no busy or dangerous traffic.

Weather:

very nice, sunny, fresh, very good air-quality

Bike:

Jamis Durango Hardtail Mod. with 26×2.5 Maxxis Hookworm

Heartrate/Elevation:

Date/Time:

06/18/2008 06:02 AM

Route:

Morning ride through Druid Hill Park to Baltimore Zoo, around Druid Hill Lake, back via Wyman Park Dr. and Baltimore Museum of Art. [Google Map]

Length:

approx. 7.8 miles

Traffic:

easy going most of way, no dangerous segments. Busy at BMA; Hopkins campus or Falls Road might be better ways back.

Weather:

very nice, sunny, but fresh, very good air-quality

Bike:

Jamis Durango Hardtail Mod. with 26×2.5 Maxxis Hookworm

Heartrate/Elevation: