barren tree, white fence, blue skies, a hill in the background

Ottaquechee River from Old River Road. Barren trees and dirt road in the foreground. Pines in the background

Sessions Meadow class 4 road. Orange leaves on trees, ruts in the dirt road, road is covered in leaves, it makes it kinda hard to set all the roots, ruts, and rocks in the road

Another shot of class 4 sector of Sessions Meadow road. I didn't remember it being so orange. I was fucking sucking wind at the time, though

Not my best day out. I didn't have great legs and I did the Cloudland to Sessions Meadow climb anyway. I was spent before the gnarly part. And, the temps were only in the 40s at the time, colder at the summit and colder during the descent. Yet, I biked, and so it was a good day. #bikesky #bikeVT

There are around 10 chickens in the trees on Draper between Quechee Rd and the intersection with Brothers and Advent Hill

More chicken art. This tree has two chickens

Look for a gate at the summit. If you think you have the summit and there's no gate, you got the false summit. Advent Hill is a jerk like that

field, trees, some orange, some yellow, some green, some brown. More hills and mountains in the distance. Blue skies with a line of clouds

An afternoon cancellation meant I got to ride one of my fav climbs: Advent Hill via Draper in Hartland. Pay close attention to the trees on Draper, there is chicken art. And while I'm not thrilled by the new mansions near the summit of Advent Hill, the vista still delivers stunners #bikeVT #bikesky

It's a road. It's the Eastman class 4 portion as you head towards Taylor. It's a bit of a hike a bike. Conditions are even worse past this gash in the road.

Vermont hillside and cloudy skies from S Taylor Rd

Road sign on Barnard Road has a picture of a cow. Sign reads "When Flashing." There's no cow today. It's not flashing

Trail poem at the intersection of Prosper Road and King Farm trails

Gotta make the good bike days count once you get to the back half of October in VT. I got breakfast from the Farmer and the Bell (1 Maple cruller, 1 2xChocolate cruller, both so good) before the climb up Stage and Eastman Rds. Then, a coffee on the way down Barnard @ Abracadabra. #bikeVT #bikeSky

Mountain views from Delano Road. Rust colored trees

Spear Cemetary from Spear Cemetary Road. Most likely haunted

Spear Cemetary Road is also a golden road. Golden light. Yellow and orange leaves on the trees

Mt Ascutney from Cemetary Road. A line of orange trees. A crumbling stone wall in the foreground

This was a fun 19 mile loop with 2400 feet of climbing starting from Brownsville, roughly 50% paved, 50% dirt.

I picked up Caper Hill from 106. Caper Hill is a mfn' wall and wasn't fun. But, Spear Cemetary and Delano roads were very scenic, very peaceful places to shred. #bikeVT #bikesky

foliage and farm buildings

2 big trees, 1 little church, 1 little graveyard in East Barnard

rusty roofs on farm buildings, rusty colors from the trees

magic foliage on Royalton Turnpike

Today's ride was the ride I wanted to do Sunday before my bullshit sinuses stopped me: Stage Road - Lime Pond - Broad Brook - East Barnard - Royalton Turnpike and back to Stage Road. And, it felt good to have good views and good legs along a 25 mile route with 2500 ft elevation. #bikeVT #bikeSky

Tranquil scenes at a pond. Gold and orange tones dominate the forest

the orange is oranger behind the road sign

a golden dirt road

Another pond shot, this one into the sun. Orange hills in the background

Despite yesterday's authorization of full force, I've yet to vanquish sinus antifa from my nasal passages. The legs and lungs just weren't there, especially when the road tilted up. I'm in Vermont. That's a problem. I had to reroute after the first checkpoint, a lovely little pond. #bikeVT #bikesky

fall colors and rolling hills

fall colors, mountains off in the distance

Starting the downhill section of today's ride, a dirt road, rust colored hills in the background

golden trees line a dirt road, fruity pebble colored hill in the background

I'm not the kind to tell someone they're doing it wrong, but instead of bombing descents, try a leisurely pace downhill and take time to enjoy the fall colors. Mama Earth only puts on this show for a few weeks every year. Enjoy it. #bikeVT #bikesky

Hillside colored like fruity pebbles, clear water, blue skies, reflection of fruity pebble hill in the water

Legit my favorite part of fall is when you find the golden dirt road

Mount Ascutney off in the distance, I believe the shorter ridge is Little Ascutney

I've won fall. Foliage, covered bridge, mountain in one picture

I went back to bike Chaos Turnpike today because it's fuckin' Chaos Turnpike, and when you have a road named Chaos Turnpike, you go and ride the fuckin' Chaos Turnpike and it will be awesome. Also, I had a feeling that my Chaos Turnpike route would be good for fall foliage. #bikeVT #bikeSky

Mt Ascutney from Bible Hill Rd. Some fall color creeping on its slopes

Little Ascutney from Stoughton Dam

The Black River. Water levels are low. Some fall color in the hills

Mt Ascutney from the Banister Road summit

Timeline cleanse! I rode my bike for 25 miles today. I saw rivers and mountains. #bikevt #bikesky

Intersection of Cloudland and Galaxy Hill: Dirt Road, green field, green trees, mountains off in the distance

From the Cloudland Road descent, a tree in the foreground, a house off in the distance, the hills have begun to show some fall color

Vermont bike rides are the best. Today's route included a climb up Cloudland via Pomfret and Galaxy Hill, the Cloudland descent, cold brew & a shot of maple syrup at Abracadabra, and the rambunctious Grassy Lane Class 4. Even draught can't stop the Grassy Lane mudpit. It is eternal.
#bikesky #bikeVT

View from the intersection of North Bridgewater and Perkins Road. A dirt road, green trees, green hills, mountains off in the distance, cloudy skies

A good red barn seen from the intersection of North Bridgewater and Perkins

Cows greeted me at the bottom of the class 4 road. Three cows sit in a forest, two black, one brown, one of the black ones hides behind a tree

A good day for bikes! I took the long and climby way to Abracadabra coffee, via Barnard, North Bridgewater, Perkins, and Wayside. On my way out of the forest, down a steep class 4 road like a creek bed, I noticed some large animals in the woods -- Just some cows enjoying the trees

#bikeVT #bikeSky

The view from Joe Ranger road - A wood fence, green field, green trees, hills and mountains off in the distance, mostly cloudy skies

Joe Ranger Road takes its name from a local eccentric who lived there in the late 19th to early 20th centuries. He eschewed modern conveniences like automobiles, plumbing, and electricity.

I snagged this vista on my bike ride today, not far from where the road intersects the AT. #bikeVT #bikeSky

Chaos Turnpike road sign

After riding Chaos Turnpike yesterday, I can now publish my updated list of best named roads in Vermont I've ridden by bike:

Weed
Agony Hill
Chaos Turnpike
Coon Club
Biscuit Hollow
Joe Ranger
Cloudland
Galaxy Hill
Tigertown
Handy

#bikesky #bikeVT

Intersection of Cowshed and Cemetary. You can see Mt Ascutney in the distance

Blue bicycle in front of a large pond. Green hills, blue skies with big puffies in the background

It's time to update my list of best roads I've biked in Vermont. The road sign reads, "Chaos Turnpike."

Picture perfect Vermont vista. green field, green trees, blue skies with some puffies

Maybe my favorite ride of the year -- 27 miles, around 3,000 ft. of elevation gain. It began with an alt route to the top of Sheddsville Rd via Silver Hill, Cowshed and Cemetary, a descent down 106, then back up to Knapp Pond and Chaos Turnpike, one more descent, then Ascutney Notch #bikeVT #bikeSky

The valley below Webster Hill road. The sky is gray, white, and a little blue. Green hills

Coming down the mountain, a single tree on the side of a dirt road. The sun tries to break through the clouds

A stone wall, mountains off in the distance

Dirt road, descending to the valley. Mountains in the distance. The sky is a dramatic mix of gray, white, blue

3 rides in, and the Specialized Crux is as advertised -- lightweight and fast. Today I took Joni (she's blue) up a 1000 footer via Pomfret, Labounty, and Webster Hill roads, and even as the incline tilted to 15%, she was a willing and capable climber. This bike is gonna be fun #bikeVT #bikeSky

quilt art and apple art on the side of a barn, blue specialized crux leans against the barn

small sculpture of a young woman under a tree

abstract sculpture in silver and purple. Red house in the background. More art on its walls

a painting on the side of a red shed

Since I'm just now recovering from last week's sinus infection, today's maiden ride with Joni (the blue Specialized Crux) was more leisurely than my typical Saturday ride. There was a stop for maple cold brew at Abracadabra and a stop at Sculpturefest. All pix are from Sculpturefest. #NBD #bikeVT

Red barn as seen from Rush Meadow Road. Blue skies, green fields, green trees

Queen Victoria Road leading into the forest

The view of Mt Ascutney from E Rowe Hill Road.

My favorite "cow shed" has a picture of a cow

A much shorter Saturday outing than usual. I either have a low-grade respiratory bug, a bad case of the this world sucks blues, but probably both. Practically speaking, this meant less strength, less endurance, and more sweat. I did myself no favors with the Sheddsville climb then Queen Vic #bikeVT

North Springfield dam, Mount Ascutney is visible to the right of the photo.

Bluer skies today. The wildfire haze has faded. Mount Ascutney in the background

Chaos struck on my way to Chaos Turnpike. An 8.5 mile detour at Soughton dam wrecked my planned route by taking me North Springfield. I did get to see the North Springfield dam. That was cool. 106 north from Springfield was less cool. Still, I can't complain about a Saturday cycling in VT #bikevt

I'm gonna be bad with road names, but this one is just off the notch, close to 131. It's a covered bridge

Covered bridge number two was just off of Upper Falls Road

I came across covered bridge number 3 after the day's second climb of Ascutney Basin/Churchill Road

The fourth covered bridge in Brownsville, where the loop began and ended today

Today was not a day to go out and bag summits on a bicycle. The high humidity and poor air quality called for something less taxing, like the Ascutney Notch class 4 road (that descent is madness, but the shortcut made sense here), then four covered bridges to close out a 20 mile loop. #bikeVT

July Cycling Summary: it was a low mileage month on the bike - the heat kept me indoors for the last weak #bikeeveryday #bikeVT #dangerpanda

A cross in the forest, a memorial to those who crossed the summit and passed on to the other side

Such happy cows, and look at that beauty posing just for me

Two white horses and two black horses living in perfect harmony

Mount Ascutney, seen through the woods on the descent of Garvin Hill Road to Weed Road

As I crossed the summit of Cream Pot Road, I saw a makeshift cross in the forest. Am I seeing things? Why was it there? In my current state, totally fucking wrecked, drenched in sweat, gasping for air, there was only one reason: A memorial to the folly of middle aged men in lycra #bikeVT

Picture perfect Vermont afternoon. A dirt road intersection, river with the sky reflected, trees on either bank, a blue sky with puffy clouds

Reflections on the Ottauquehcee River. A rope hangs from a tree where the youths jump into the river on hot days

A good day for bikes in VT: A new PR on one of my regular lunch time routes (up Hillside and down High Pastures and Otis Hill) and I set that PR even though I took a couple nature breaks. I should add that these were literal nature breaks, where I stopped and admired nature for a moment. #bikeVT

The rocky road to Wayside Road: A wet spring and dry July means this class 4, like many others has more, bigger rocks, and more looser rocks. A stone fence is on the right side. Green trees line the road

Check your head. We're still on the class 4 road between Perkins and Wayside. It's overgrown with big ruts. Trust me, this is the way.

Now, we're on the descent of Wayside Road. An abandoned house, overgrown field, green trees, and hazy skies

Another abandoned house on the descent. This one hasn't been lived in for decades maybe. The trees obscure its view

I am lucky man to live in such a great cycling state. First, there was the big climb (Barnard-N.Bridgewater-Perkins). The class 4 sector was rocky, and had a daredevil descent. There was some hike-a-bike. Then, the more scenic descent of Wayside Road -- Cloaked in green with a happy stream. #bikeVT

An All-American chicken statue on North Bridgewater Rd

Atwood Class 4 road, it's narrow, there are some big rocks, I've seen worse

Just look at those Vermont skies. A dirt road, a fence and a house on the left

Some shade next to the Lincoln covered bridge. The Ottaquechee River could use more water. I can't believe I'm saying that after all the rain we had this Spring

A beautiful day to bike in Vermont, and this ride had it all -- one big climb (Barnard-North Bridgewater-Atwood), blue skies, a gnarly class 4 road, a covered bridge, and a very patriotic chicken. I'll do a similar route this weekend. I got a tip that Perkins to Wayside is also a blast #bikeVT

Birdhouse tree in Quechee, VT. The birdhouse tree sits in a green field. Green hills in the background. Blue skies and poofy clouds

I took a mostly leisurely ride through Quechee today -- Cruised around Lake Pinneo, rode the trail by Dewey's Pond, and came across this wonderful birdhouse tree #bikeVT

The All-City Cosmic Stallion hangin' out at Abracadabra Coffee in Woodstock at the corner of Barnard and Wayside

The best part of today's 22 mile ride was the cold brew with a shot of maple syrup at Abracadabra Coffee. #bikeVT

Rolling down Garvin Hill Rd, a dirt road, there's a bend ahead and a structure off in the distance with a green metal roof

Too damn hot for Vermont, today. I biked up one hill (Garvin Hill Rd via Lincoln and Hartland Hill) and biked down that hill. I thought about cremees and cold brew with a shot of maple syrup all the way down. #bikeVT

Red barn, stacks of hay wrapped in bales, green field, green trees, cloudy skies

It was hot and humid -- it felt like a 90s high school football practice in full pads for punishment reasons, and my legs refused to work under these conditions. I could have drained 3 water bottles on an 11 mile ride, but I did get a sweet picture of this farm on Quechee-West Hartford rd. #bikeVT

I would not walk through that opening if I were you. I've seen this movie and that portal leads to another dimension. Trees, fence, I was sweaty, the picture is blurry

Hilltop lake in Barnard, VT. Blue skies and big clouds, reflections in the water

Vermont gravel road bliss. Trees providing shade on the road. Mountains off in the distance. More clouds than 20 minutes ago

My savior. Abracadabra coffee in Pomfret at the intersection of Wayside and Barnard. I wasn't inside long, but this building also houses the roastery, they sell some vinyl, and it's as rustic on the inside

The cold brew coffee from Abracadabra in Pomfret saved my life. I am forever grateful to the woman who kept the shop open an extra 5 minutes. For it was a big ride today -- 29.5 miles and 2900 feet of elevation with a new to me road whose beauty was only exceeded by its cruelty. #bikeVT

An all city cosmic stallion with a green, gray and white frame and lime green tires, leans against a stone wall at King Farm. A tree gives the bike shade. Green hills are in the distance. There are big poofy clouds in the blue sky

A freedom machine named Crazy Horse #bikeVT