One Wheel in Front of the Other

Free Museum Day! Saturday, September 26, 2009

2009-09-25T14:15:00.000-06:00

Ok, ok, I promised bikes and bipolar, not art, but I have to be true to myself. Tomorrow, 9/26, is the Smithsonian's Free Museum Day! Over 800 museums nation wide are offering free admission tomorrow, just go to the site linked here, check out the participating museums near you and download a free admission card. Hey, museums are expensive these days -- even if you only go to one once or twice a

The Last Chance, Part II: It's Kind of Like Your Parents' Walk to School

2009-09-24T16:36:00.004-06:00

When last we met, I'd just hit the sack after a long and at times demoralizing day in the saddle riding from Louisville, CO to Atwood, KS. I apologize in advance that the remaining installments of the story will involve fewer photos: as with food and drink, apparently, fatigue makes me forget I have a camera. Day 2: Atwood to Atwood via Kensington, KS 218.6 miles 14.8 mph average 18:35 elapsed

The Last Chance, or, A Very Long Bike Ride Uphill Both Ways

2009-09-21T09:09:00.006-06:00

Last week was, as you probably know, was the culmination of a long season of training for me, the Rocky Mountain Cycling Club's Colorado Last Chance 1200K. At 750 miles within a time limit of 90 hours, 1200K "randonnées" (as distinct from the shorter 200-600K "brevets") are the most challenging of rides in randonneuring, a type of self-supported long distance cycling that originated in France.

Back from Kansas

2009-09-12T16:19:00.000-06:00

Having now returned from the Last Chance, I am more than a little overwhelmed by Tanya's wonderful, thoughtful post (not to plug my own wife's writing, or anything) and the many kind, supportive comments our posts have received. In coming days, I will post a report on the ride and some photos, but in the meantime, I am very happy to report that I finished in something over 82 hours. I feel great

Ride update from Stephen - Day 1

2009-09-10T07:07:00.002-06:00

I finally heard from the man himself with a brief and not so detailed message. He arrived at his first day's destination last night around 9:00 pm (MST) feeling tired but otherwise great! There was a hint of surprise in his voice at how good he was feeling (though it was no surprise to me - the man's been training his tail off!). After some pizza (food of champions!) and a shower, he hit the hay

A pre-update post

2009-09-09T16:27:00.002-06:00

Hi all, Tanya here. Though I haven't yet received an official update from the man himself, I thought I'd at least take this opportunity to offer my own insight into Stephen's journey(s). As a writer, my talent is definitely meager compared to that of my dear husband. However, I will do my best to inform and entertain as best as I can.Stephen's cycling and I have had a somewhat tumultuous

Following the Last Chance

2009-09-08T18:55:00.001-06:00

The bags are packed, the chain is lubed, the chamois cream has been applied. All that's left is to ride! If you're interested, you can follow my progress and that of the other 38 foolish souls riding this year's Last Chance in a number of different places: First off, my ever-supportive wife Tanya will be updating One Wheel... a couple of times a day, so check back here! The Rocky Mountain

Preparing for the Last Chance

2009-09-08T14:00:00.001-06:00

The Last Chance starts tomorrow and I am filled with conflicting emotions -- excitement, anxiety, relief, all products of months and months of anticipation. I haven't been riding as much as I had planned, partly because of the move from Boulder to Washington, DC, but also because late July and early August included a lot of hard rides, leaving me feeling pretty burned out by the middle of the

Additional Donation Information

2009-09-07T23:21:00.000-06:00

I've been told that to use the Sutherland Foundation's online donation page, you need not only my name for the "in honor of" section (again, this is about keeping track of donations, not a desire to be mentioned in the annual report), you also need my address for notification. So, at the risk of publishing info on the web for all to see... Stephen Whiteman Dumbarton Oaks 1703 32nd St., NW

Return of the Blogger

2009-09-05T09:34:00.001-06:00

Apologies for a long absence -- the last several weeks have been consumed by moving across the country, relocating from Boulder to Washington, DC, leaving too little time for either writing or riding. The transition is now nearly complete, however, and a family wedding this weekend provides some opportunity to catch up on blog business. Coming up... an overdue review of recent mental health

Vincent Van Gogh says...

2009-08-20T22:53:00.003-06:00

"Give a bit of yourself -- donate and support the Sutherland Center!"Read more here about my ride and efforts to support the research and treatment of bipolar disorder at the Sutherland Center.

Climbing Beyond Ward

2009-08-18T13:58:00.004-06:00

I do not fall into the category of cyclists that have been obsessed with bikes since they were kids, that found their freedom exploring on two wheels or whose identity is tied up with coaster brakes and 1/8" chains. I had a succession of bikes when I was younger -- a big wheel, if that counts, a Schwinn BMX bike with a sweet checkerboard top tube pad, a blue Panasonic 10 speed with safety levers

In the News: Mental Illness and Youth

2009-08-11T23:14:00.002-06:00

Each week, I'll post links to a couple of articles about mental illness that I think are worth checking out. Of course, among the hundreds of new pieces out there, mine will be a tiny sampling with a different theme week to week. This week, mental illness in youth. According to a report in the New York Times, "cash-starved states are increasingly relying on the prison system to

How the Wheels Work

2009-08-10T08:16:00.004-06:00