#BikeToWork – Deacon Matt's Blog

Cycling to Work: Wrap-Up

June 30, 2023June 30, 2023 M. Coriale4 Comments

I usually end each trip with a short entry to wrap up the experience. Here are a few parting thoughts.

First, about the route. The route through Kentucky was very enjoyable. The biggest challenge was to try to stay on more rural roads, away from car traffic. I plotted the Kentucky leg of the route back in 2019 when I rode from Lexington, KY to Cleveland, OH. We used nearly the same route, only modifying the few miles out of Falmouth to make for a bit easier climbing. Overall, I think the route is good, with a few caveats. First, be prepared for dogs. Second, it is inevitable that you can’t always be on the most quiet roads. We had a few miles that were on busier roads because there just wasn’t any alternative. Third, the more rural the route, the fewer the opportunities are for food and water. Just pack prepared.

Ohio has a great set of trail networks. People are surprised to learn that you can ride from Cincinnati to Cleveland on paved bike trails for most of the journey. See the Ohio To Erie trail web site for more information. On this trip, aside from a little bit of on-road bike lanes in Cincinnati, one detour (see below), and maybe 5-6 miles total of connector roads in the little farm towns, I was on paved bike trails from the time we crossed into Ohio until I reached the main road to the Josephinum north of Columbus.

Here’s the actual route I took, constructed from the GPX logs:

There was one significant detour from the regular route north of Loveland, OH. The Little Miami Trail has a huge construction project next to the Peterson Cartridge Factory (See the “Cartridge Brewing” marker in the map below). There is an official detour that you can find online, but I didn’t use it. The posted detour takes you up on busy roads for a good distance. Instead, I found a way that takes you through a residential neighborhood and back down to the trail with only 0.5 miles on a wide shoulder of Route 48, then back to the trail at the South Lebanon trailhead. My detour has a punchy climb at the start, but then is mostly easy riding.

Next, my equipment. I’ve already mentioned my equipment in the past, but a quick overview for those who are new or curious about bike touring. I’m using a bicycle that is designed for a bit heavier use than a typical road bike. It has thick wider tires, a steel frame, and eyelets to allow you to bolt on racks and bottle holders. The best way I can describe it is by comparing to cars: my touring bike is like an SUV, my road bike is like a sports car. Next is the luggage. I use panniers (pronounced “Pan-Ears”) that lock into the back rack of my bike. They’re waterproof and rugged. They allow me to carry clothes, food, electronics, and repair gear for the trip. I didn’t weigh them, but I estimate that I’m carrying about 20-25 pounds of luggage. I also have a little bag that velcros to my top tube. I put my wallet, pepper spray (which I’ve never used), and some energy food in this little bag so that I can easily access while riding. I also carry a tire pump in the event of a flat.

My blue Ortlieb panniers. Expensive but good!

I’ve been bike touring since 2010. Over time, I have developed a packing list that I review before each trip. It includes clothes, rain-gear, a first aid kit (which I’ve needed for me and others in the past), bike specific tools, important spare parts, spare tubes, tire patches, food, and electronics. Some of it may seem like overkill, but if you’re self-supported, you need to be able to get yourself to civilization no matter what happens.

We were fortunate that we didn’t encounter any difficult weather. Rain, wind, heat, or cold, you need to be prepared. I often get asked “What would you do if it rains?” The answer is simple: put on a rain coat and ride. Unless, of course, it is dangerous, then I seek shelter. I have a cycling raincoat with a longer back area and a cover that goes over the helmet. These keep most of the water off of me. Sometimes, the rain actually feels pretty good, such as a very hot day.

Unlike when I’m road bike training, when I’m bike touring, I try not to pay much attention to my speed. My only concern for speed is to see if I’m slowing down, indicating fatigue. Otherwise, part of bike touring is just enjoying the ride, not worrying about metrics.

Lastly, people frequently ask “why would you travel by bike?” I think the assumption is that riding this much can’t possibly be enjoyable. I guess it is like any other hobby or activity – if you’ve never tried it, you might be missing out on something really neat. I thoroughly enjoy bike touring. I especially like seeing the little towns and meeting great people along the way. If you’ve ever considered trying a long bike ride, I suggest doing an overnight somewhere and back. You might enjoy the accomplishment.

For me, I often try to bring in sabbath time when I’m out on the touring bike – time to not only rest, but also to reflect on my relationship with the Lord. What’s the difference between vacation and sabbath? They’re both valuable, but sabbath recognizes the Lord and what He has done, is doing, and will do in our life. Sabbath recalls the relationship we have with the Lord. Sabbath is more than just resting from work. Sabbath includes prayer and worship of God. Vacation time (and money) is often earned at work, but sabbath is a freely given gift of God that we need to accept and open. Much like spouses who need to spend intimate time with each other to keep their relationship strong, we need to spend intimate time with the Lord. So as I turn the cranks, when I take a rest at the end of a long day, and in the people I meet, I try to remember that the Lord is there at all times.

Wrapping up, Here’s a link to each part of this trip to make it easier to find:
Day 0 – Prologue
Day 1 – Lexington, KY to Paris, KY
Day 2 – Paris, KY to Falmouth, KY
Day 3 – Falmouth, KY to Milford, OH
Day 4 – Milford, OH to Cedarville, OH
Day 5 – Cedarville, OH to Columbus, OH (Worthington) and The PCJ

This was a short tour, but I had a great trip and really enjoyed it. I’m already looking forward to a longer tour this fall with some friends. Plans are TBD but taking shape.

Peace,
Dcn. Matt (and Joe)

Cycling to Work: Day 5 – Cedarville to Columbus, OH. Arrived!

June 27, 2023June 27, 2023 M. Coriale5 Comments

I slept very well last night but woke up a bit earlier than planned. After the regular morning routine of self-care, the Liturgy of the Hours, chamois cream, and sunblock, I ate a quick breakfast and rolled out of the hotel just a few minutes after 7AM. As I posted yesterday, the Hearthstone Inn is a gem for anyone cycling through Cedarville and needing a place to stop.

The weather today was just about as ideal as I could have asked for. It was cool enough that I needed my arm warmers all day, it was overcast so the sun didn’t bake me, I had a little tailwind most of the day, and no rain to speak of. My sunscreen was probably a waste today, but you can’t be too careful when it comes to sun protection.

The route for today was very easy: Head out the hotel door. Turn right. Follow the dedicated bike paths nearly the entire way here, with the exception of a few connector miles going through South Charleston, OH and London, OH. I clocked in just over 63 miles, and I didn’t really take any wandering side trips today. I wanted to arrive around lunch time to be prepared for a 1PM Zoom call.

First Stop: South Charleston, then London

The first destination was South Charleston. To get there, I took the Prairie Grass Trail from the hotel right into the town of South Charleston. Like the most of the rest of the trails in the Ohio part of this trip, the PGT is an old rail line that has been converted for hikers, walkers, joggers, and cyclists. Unlike the Little Miami Trail, however, it does not have much shade. The PGT makes a nearly straight line between Xenia and London, passing through farm land. The farms were very pretty today with a little bit of fog as I made my way out.

I paused for just a few minutes in South Charleston to get a couple of pictures and eat some quick carbs to keep me going. As I sat at the Veteran’s Memorial, I watched the farmers driving into and out of town.

South Charleston, OH and heading to London

Next stop: London. London is a larger town, not huge, but enough to support several restaurants, stores, and so on. I stopped at the trailhead, ate a few snacks, and topped off my water. I chose to bypass the downtown area to avoid traffic and be a bit quicker getting through. If you’re camping, the London trailhead is one of the best camping spots on the entire Ohio To Erie trail. There are raised campsites and a large covered picnic area that you could easily set up a tent under in the event of heavy rain.

A few miles further is the Battelle Darby Metro Park. It is a pretty park and the trail winds through the forested part of the park. Some time between 2019 and now they paved a nice section of the trail within the park so that cyclists don’t have to compete with cars on the parking lot access road. It is a mild climb, but nothing difficult.

Once you leave the park, the first signs of getting closer to Columbus start to emerge: denser housing and more roads cross the path. I was now riding on the Camp Chase Trail. Large parts of the Camp Chase Trail parallel a set of railroad tracks. They don’t look very active though. I also noticed several homeless encampments in the woods near the trail as I got closer to the city.

On the west side of Columbus is a place called Amy’s Donuts. It is right along the bike route … and very tempting. I’ve stopped there every time I’ve passed before. But today I broke the tradition. I was feeling pretty good and didn’t want to take the time to stop. Next time. (I really shouldn’t eat donuts anyway since most of the doughs have a small amount of milk in them. However I will, on a rare occasion, make an exception for a good donut!)

Next time I’ll go in and grab a cruller!

The rest of the trip into Columbus was uneventful. I picked up the Hilltop Connector, then the Scioto trail, and finally the Olentangy River trail. The Olentangy trail runs very close to the Josephinum. I frequently ride the full length of the Olentangy, so I knew I was in the home stretch!

The Olentangy Trail has a major detour for some sort of construction. You have to go up onto the campus of The Ohio State University, go around the stadium, and then join back up with the trail near the river. I have a friend who tells a great story about finding one of the gates of the stadium unlocked and open, so she went out onto the field to take a selfie. I think of her every time I ride past the stadium and chuckle a little bit. I didn’t see any open gates today, sorry Kim.

Sights along the Olentangy River, including THE Ohio State University stadium

Once I reached the Olentangy Park on the north side of Columbus, it was time to say goodbye to the trails and head up to the Josephinum. A gentle climb of about a mile took me up to North High Street. You’d have to have a death wish to cycle on North High Street – although I do see cyclists out there occasionally. I strategically used the sidewalks to finish the rest of the route over to the Josephinum entrance. Campus is one of my favorite places in the world, but it was especially welcoming as I completed my 250+ mile journey.

Welcome to the Pontifical College Josephinum!

I arrived with about 25 minutes to spare before my meeting. Not enough time to eat or shower. I took a chocolate Clif Bar, broke it into pieces, and ate it with spoonfuls of peanut butter. It was actually pretty good and filling! It tided me over until after my Zoom call and a much needed shower.

The Pontifical College Josephinum is a Catholic Seminary. I run the permanent deacon formation program. I work most of my time from home in Lexington, but I try to be on campus as much as possible. I really enjoy the campus and being around the seminarians. There are some remarkable young men in formation here and it gives me great hope for the future of the Church.

There are four chapels on campus. Here are the two that I most frequently spend time in. The first is St. Turibius Chapel. It is the largest chapel on campus and has a phenomenal pipe organ. This is where we celebrate the Liturgy of the Hours in community, have adoration, and mass when the seminarians are here during the Fall and Spring semesters. The other chapel is much smaller. It is named for St. Rose of Lima. I like to go into this chapel when I need some quiet prayer time or if I’m saying the Liturgy of the Hours by myself.

So, I guess it is time to wrap up this adventure. My laundry is finally done, I’m thoroughly scrubbed, and it’s about time to look for a very much needed dinner.

Final Stats:
Miles: 250.88
Time: 20 Hours, 40 Minutes in the saddle
Flat Tires: 0
Broken Spokes: 0 (Yay for new wheels!)
Beers Consumed: 1 large, 1 extra large
Clif Bars: 8
Clif Gel Shots: 9
Dog Chases: Lots, but only a couple of scary ones

I really enjoyed this bike trek. It was fun to travel with Joe again, the weather was great, and the route is very enjoyable. I may have to do this trip again.

May the Lord bless you and keep you, may He shine His face upon you, and grant you peace.

— Dcn. Matt

Cycling to Work: Day 4 – Milford to Cedarville, OH

June 26, 2023June 26, 2023 M. Coriale1 Comment

Last night was the best night of sleep both Joe and I had this week. We got up early and hit the trail. Weather throughout the day was another fantastic day, with just a few drops of rain. The end of the day was a bit windy, but a good day nonetheless.

I purchased a couple of vegan double-chocolate cake donuts at the market below the B&B last night. We had those for breakfast to get us started. We decided we’d get more to eat a few miles later at a Dunkin’ Donuts in Loveland.

Our first destination today was Xenia Station, about 50 miles up the trail. We both had a wonderful and uneventful ride up to Xenia on the Little Miami Trail. I’ve ridden this trail numerous times over the years and I still enjoy it. It is not challenging – it’s an old railroad grade. The trail is mostly canopied by trees and passes through many small towns along the way. This made for an easy and relaxing day.

When we reached Xenia we grabbed a quick second lunch at Wendy’s before going our own ways. Joe and I haven’t done much riding together in a while and I really enjoyed touring with him for the last few days.

Xenia Station is the intersection of several great bike trails. We left the Little Miami Trail behind. Joe went west on the Creekside Trail and I cycled northeast on the Praire Grass Trail. He’s off to Dayton to meet his family for a college visit to UD. I’m continuing along my way to the Josephinum in Columbus.

I only had about 8 more miles to my destination for tonight: the Hearthstone Inn in Cedarville. The last few miles were fairly easy with a bit of a tailwind. I had to stop to climb over a downed tree on the trail. Otherwise, it was an easy trip.

The Hearthstone Inn is a great family run hotel right on the trail. I checked in and triple-scrubbed myself down to get off the bugs, dirt, and sunscreen before I joined a quick Zoom meeting for work.

Sitting in the hotel room by myself feels a bit weird after spending the last four evenings together. Joe texted me a little after I arrived to let me know that he’d arrived at his hotel. I’m glad to know we both made it safely. It’s a buddy-thing.

I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s ride. The weather looks cool and comfortable again. I’d like to arrive at the Josephinum around lunch time, if possible – we’ll have to see how things go.

May the Lord bless you and provide you rest.

Dcn. Matt

Cycling to Work: Day 3 – Falmouth, KY to Milford, OH

June 25, 2023June 25, 2023 M. Coriale1 Comment

Our accommodations in Falmouth were fun and comfortable. The Airbnb is located above an old bank in downtown. I woke up around 5:30, a bit ahead of my alarm. I did my morning prayer, packed up my stuff, ate some breakfast, and slathered on a generous layer of sunblock to start the day.

The overall plan for the day was to get from the Licking Valley up and over to the Ohio Valley, then follow the Ohio River up to Newport, Kentucky. Once in Newport, we would cross into Cincinnati, and follow a series of bike lanes and bike paths to arrive at the Little Miami Trail, taking the LMT to Milford – our destination for today. Simple enough. One challenge is that there isn’t really much of anything between Falmouth and Newport. We had to carry enough water and food for this part of the trip.

Our first stop was to get to Our Lady’s Farm, about 7 miles north of Falmouth. Nearly all of our climbing today was done in these first 7 miles. The route had 2 moderate climbs with steep and/or long sections and one easy climb to start the route. Overall, not bad. I liked this route a little better than my last time through and would do it again. We were treated to some beautiful views and farmland along the way.

Our Lady’s Farm is at the top of the ridge between the the Licking Valley and the Ohio Valley. The farm is the sight of a Marian apparition. It is a beautiful place. We spent a few minutes there before resuming our journey.

A few more miles along the top of the ridge before descending all the way back down to the Ohio River. We picked up the Mary Ingalls highway for about 27 miles. We saw very few cars for the first 20 miles – I think I counted fewer than 10 cars. However, when we reached the town of Silver Grove, there was a lot of traffic. Too many cars to count. The speeds were slow, but no shoulder made it a little less pleasant than the previous part of our journey.

Several miles of the Mary Ingalls Highway are closed to traffic. The road is impassible for cars: the pavement has heaved beyond repair in many places. We only had one place where we had to walk our bikes over a barrier, but otherwise, it was kind of like having a private road all to ourselves.

Thou Shalt Not Pass! (Meh, it wasn’t too bad)

Along the way, we did take a nice break. Yesterday, knowing we would need some decent portable food, Joe purchased a 4-pack of Uncrustable PB&Js (grape jelly, of course). We each scarfed down two of them to fuel us along and tide us over for the last few miles in Kentucky. When we reached Newport, we grabbed second lunch, took a break, and prepared for the rest of today’s journey on the Ohio side of the river.

Crossing into Ohio is easy, taking the “Purple People Bridge”, then joining up with some bike paths and bike lanes.

Reaching Lunken Field, we then joined up with the Ohio River Trail, taking us to the Little Miami Trail. This is very familiar territory – I ride the LMT frequently with friends. One nice milestone – nearly the rest of my entire journey to the Josephinum will be on bike paths, with just a couple miles of roads in small towns linking various bike trails together. I’m (mostly) done sharing the road with cars.

We arrived in Milford and worked our way up to the Airbnb on Main Street. It is located above the Harvest Market. This is a very nice little apartment and super comfortable. The hosts are wonderful and I highly recommend this place!

Dinner at a local Italian place filled me up and now we’re having a quiet evening and hopefully a restful night. Joe’s legs were pretty tired today, so hoping that a good night’s rest will prep him for tomorrow. We have a long day ahead of us.

Until tomorrow, may the Lord provide you the grace to face all of your challenges with hope and joy.

Peace,
Dcn. Matt

Cycling to Work: Day 2 – Paris to Falmouth, KY

June 24, 2023June 24, 2023 M. Coriale1 Comment

We took a lazy start to the day, finally getting rolling about 8:30 or so. A little breakfast before we hit the road and then a quick stop to get a picture of the bikes with the miniature Eiffel Tower on the way out of town.

The route today took us from Paris to Cynthiana and then to Falmouth. Most of the route was on back country roads, with a few miles of state route roads to connect to the towns. Riding out from Paris to Cynthiana is very pretty. Nearly all on quiet roads and no problems – if you don’t count the chasing dogs as a hazard.

Cynthiana is a farming community. We arrived mid-morning and stopped at the park to stretch out and refill on water. The farmers’ market was up and going. There was a very cute puppy that I was introduced to. His name is Clyde and his sister’s name is Bonnie. Clyde is 12 weeks old and probably about 25-30 pounds. He’s going to be a big boy. He was very well behaved and cute.

Leaving Cynthiana, we had about 5-6 miles of well behaved traffic before we turned onto another quiet country road. The next 15-20 miles were a series of rolling climbs and descents with only a couple of longer climbs over 4%. The views from the tops of these hills were very pretty. Last time I rode through here, there was a Chihuahua “farm” along the way. I think they’re out of business, but the same place had a whole bunch of random dogs – a couple of which felt the need to come warn us away.

The last 3 miles into Falmouth took us along State Route 27. A bit more traffic today, but nothing too scary. About mid way along Rt27, we visited Punkyville. The creator, who has now passed, had amassed a large collection of road signs and antiques that he wanted to display. So he built a little town, named it after his own nickname, and declared himself to be the mayor. Rest in peace, Punky.

When we arrived in Falmouth, we pulled up to the old bank building that hosts our Airbnb. There were a few of the locals sitting on benches outside chatting. They greeted us warmly. I looked at the one guy and said “You look familiar. We’re you here about 4 years ago when I rode through?” Sure enough, I looked up pictures on my phone quickly and this is the same guy I sat next to at lunch in 2019. His name is Larry. Super nice people.

One of the things I really enjoy about Bike Touring is meeting people. Nearly everyone we meet along the way, especially in these small towns, is so delightful. Big city folk seem to think they have it all, but I think the people in small-town America genuinely seem happier from what I’ve seen.

We got all checked in, cleaned up, did a quick wash of my bibs, and then had a delicious meal at the Smoking Pig. Food was good! Joe was just about out of gas, so eating was a high priority. No complaints, for sure.

After late lunch (or maybe first dinner?), we went to mass at St. Francis Xavier church. On our way back, stopped at a mini mart to grab some food for breakfast. There isn’t anyplace to grab a bite for about 40 miles tomorrow morning, so we need to carry some food to tide us over until we reach Newport KY.

Reflecting on today’s ride, I have to say it was overall a spectacular day and I feel great. The only negative was the number of dog chases we had today. I don’t think I’ve been chased by this many dogs in the last 5 years combined. Only one or two dogs were aggressive enough to make me nervous, but I could do without the extra adrenaline bursts.

Tomorrow looks like another beautiful day. It’s going to be a bit warmer by mid afternoon, with temps in the upper 80s. Hopefully we’ll arrive in Cincinnati around lunch time.

Until then, may the Lord bless you and grant you peace.
Dcn. Matt

Cycling to Work: Day 1 – Lexington to Paris, KY

June 23, 2023June 23, 2023 M. Coriale2 Comments

Today was a very nice start to our trip and uneventful. After packing up the panniers for my bike and saying goodbye to my family, it was time to get started.

Joe and I left from my place around lunch time and made our way to Paris, KY. Only about 20 miles today. The weather was cool and comfortable and we even had a bit of a tailwind. We took some very familiar roads out to Paris. There’s a road closure along the way, but I’ve been through here several times this year and you can easily walk your bike through.

The rest of the ride to the outskirts of Paris was very uneventful. The skies were a bit dark, but no rain.

When we arrived in Paris, we took a picture at the monument. Somehow both the monument and the Eiffel Tower seem smaller in person than they look on TV.

We arrived at our Airbnb in Paris: “The Parsonage”. This is an old building that was the parsonage for the First Baptist Church many years ago. The current owners have done a nice renovation and made it comfortable. On top of that, she left us some Blue Moon, fruit, and juice in the fridge! That was a fantastic surprise.

After getting cleaned up, we walked to a nearby Mexican restaurant. Not a “Tex-Mex” place. The food was fantastic. My Spanish is embarrassingly non-existent (don’t ask me why I took German in school – Spanish would have been much more useful). The reason I mention this is that some Spanish would have made ordering dinner much easier. The wonderful lady at the restaurant and I pantomimed and pointed at the menu until I ordered two tamales and two tacos. I asked for fish tacos, got delicious steak. I guess my Spanish really needs help. Nonetheless, the food was delicious.

Back at the Airbnb and getting ready for bed. Tomorrow’s ride takes us about 40 miles to Falmouth, KY. Weather and temperatures look good.

May the Lord bless you and shine His face upon you.

Peace,
Dcn. Matt

Cycling to Work: Day 0 – Prologue

June 22, 2023 M. Coriale6 Comments

The 2023 cycling season is shaping up nicely. My personal goal for this year has been to get back into great shape. I had rotator cuff surgery in the fall and set my fitness level back quite a bit since I wasn’t allowed to do much cardio or leg exercise until late February. The older I get, the faster the fitness goes away. The forced time off from my surgery recovery took its toll. I hit the Peloton bike hard in February and March. Once the weather warmed up, I started adding on road miles and endurance length rides. I’m finally in reasonably good shape again and I’ve dropped the weight I’d gained over the winter. Getting (back) in shape sucks – no two ways about it, but it was worth the hard work.

My riding buddy Joe and I haven’t done much touring together the last few years. Family and job responsibilities have made it hard to plan much together. We decided to plot out a short/medium length tour that kicks off tomorrow. I’m going to head to work. The catch is that I work about 220 miles away by car, roughly 250 miles away by bike. It’s going to take about 4.5 days at a touring pace. Joe will join me for the first 4 days, then we’ll split off as we each head to different destinations.

We will be starting from my house in Lexington, KY and I’ll be cycling to my office at the Pontifical College Josephinum north of Columbus, Ohio. Joe will split off from me in Xenia, OH and head west to Dayton. We will be following the same route I used a few years ago when I rode to Cleveland, using country roads through Kentucky to get to the Ohio River valley, then following the Ohio River to Cincinnati. Once we arrive in Cincinnati, we’ll be following the Ohio To Erie (#OH2ERIE) route.

The Pontifical College Josephinum – my second home ❤️

We’re going to take a somewhat relaxed pace for the first couple of days and increase the milage as we go north. This is a shorter tour, but I’m really excited about getting started. The weather looks like good temps and we might get a chance to avoid the rain.

People often ask me why I like to do self-supported bike touring, or specifically why am I cycling to the Josephinum? Seeing the world at the speed of bike travel is much nicer than seeing it at automobile speed. The country roads I take are often very picturesque and not heavily traveled by cars. The people I meet are friendly. The hours on the bike are a great opportunity to take in the views, pray, talk with friends, and slow down the pace of life. Some people like the beach for the views and relaxation. I like the pace of bike travel for many of the same reasons. As for the “Why bike to work?” question: Just because. It’s a nice goal and the route is good.

For those who have been following my cycling adventures, you may recall that I had a few broken spokes on the last two bike tours. I learned from the local bike shop that the wheels the manufacturer used on my bike are prone to that issue. So instead of getting them re-laced with new spokes, I purchased some new DT Swiss wheels. Let’s hope these wheels are more reliable.

Shakedown test ride: Baby has new wheels!

So now that I’ve tested out my blogging setup and my gear is packed, I’m ready to go!

Peace!
— Dcn. Matt