Garmin Connect Level 7

I reached Garmin Connect Level 7 today. I needed 610 days of consistent effort to complete Level 6. Completing Level 7 will require a lot more than that! Garmin Connect levels get exponentially harder. To reach Level 8, I will need to more than double the number of points I have earned since I recorded my first activity on the platform on March 29, 2013. These days, I'm accumulating points faster than I did at the start. That's because I am earning them from a variety of activities and wellness metrics instead of relying only on cycling. Still, Level 7 is going to take a while!

Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park

On August 20, 2008, I crashed on a group road ride in New Jersey. That crash gave me my first collarbone fracture, but I didn't know it yet as I rode back across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania to face the disapproval of my family. There was no such drama today: I returned to New Jersey for the first time since that bad day 18 years ago, and the experience was outstanding. I spent more than two hours exploring the Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park from Lambertville to the trail's northern terminus outside of Frenchtown and back, a 36-mile trip.

The Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park runs for 70 miles, so the 18 unique miles I saw today were perhaps only an introduction to a bigger adventure in the future. I already want to see this trail again, but not until next year at the earliest. Tomorrow will be my last full day on this East Coast trip. I expect to be back in West Bend late Thursday night.

Why X-LAB? Why Not X-LAB?

What differentiates your favorite bicycle brand from all others? Is it 50 years of American design innovations, 100 years of Italian cycling heritage, a commitment to sustainable manufacturing processes? Chances are, it’s decals. Take any carbon frame–they’re all basically the same–attach some Shimano or SRAM parts, then slap on a decal that says “TREK” or “Specialized” or “Colnago” or whatever. Almost all of this stuff is coming out of just a few factories in China and Taiwan. The industry’s not-so-very-well-kept secret is that bikes are bikes and brands are created by marketing teams, not by engineers, and certainly not by craftsmen.

You probably know that. So, why do you continue to pay a premium for a bike that wins Best in Show at the start of the group ride but performs no better–and perhaps even worse–than bikes with far less sex appeal? And could you be persuaded to give up the brand to which you’ve attached your identity if there were an alternative offering such insane value that staying the course felt almost irresponsible?

X-LAB is a recent entry in the American market with the potential to redefine the expectations of the enthusiast/racer crowd. The Chinese brand is making people ask, for the first time, “Why wouldn’t I want a carbon frame road bike with carbon wheels and a power meter for $2,099?” Even with Di2 electronic shifting, you’re still coming in at $2,899.

If you’re wondering how this is possible, then check out the Emery’s event next Saturday in Menomonee Falls. I’m kind of curious myself. Maybe I’ll hurry back from Pennsylvania just for this!

Autumn 2026 In Pennsylvania

Today's roll through New Britain and Doylestown Township.

I arrived in Pennsylvania one week ago today for a stay of at least two weeks. Like all of my recent trips, this one isn’t really a vacation. Not yet, anyway. Tonight’s shift will be the last of five straight solo shifts from my temporary office in Mom’s kitchen. Thursday and Friday will be my regular nights off–my coworker will be back from his vacation–then I will work solo again on Saturday and Sunday. I will be off next Monday through Friday. The current local forecast suggests many opportunities to get on the bike.

Will I stay in Pennsylvania for a third week or return to Wisconsin before October 24? That depends mostly on the weather. If the weather is appreciably better here than in Wisconsin, then I will stay here. Otherwise, I might as well go home, fire up the furnace, and commit to six months of cold, dark, and wet.

As planned, I rode a section of the Great Allegheny Passage near Pittsburgh last Thursday. That same ride included a side trip around West Newton, my childhood home. I arrived at Mom’s house last Friday afternoon and had time for only a short ride that day. Rides on Saturday and Monday got me to 100 miles on this trip. Sunday was lost to an all-day rain. Tuesday was lost to an inexplicable bout of digestive distress. I can’t tell you how rare that is for me, but something was wrong with my gut. Things were back to normal today, so I cranked out 32 miles in sunny, 81° splendor to bring this year’s outdoor mileage total to 3,249. That beats last year (3,246), and it’s always good to beat last year.

Back On The Framed

With only a few days remaining before my next trip to Pennsylvania, today I climbed aboard my Framed Gravier for the first time since August 21, 2025. It’s still a very good bike, but I thought it had become obsolete when I purchased the even better Scott Addict. Prior to today’s ride, the Scott was the only bike I had ridden outside this year. (My mountain biking plans are still on hold.) Unfortunately, on the Scott’s last ride, a rear shifter issue surfaced and I don’t have time to get it fixed before I leave town. So, the Framed is back in service as the “go anywhere, do anything” bike. It’s capable enough on the road–most of my miles in PA will be paved–and it’s more than capable on gravel. I hope to return to a gravel section of the Great Allegheny Passage near Pittsburgh next Thursday afternoon, and there may be some additional gravel miles after I reach eastern Pennsylvania next Friday.

100,000 Lifetime Miles

On today’s ride I reached 100,000 lifetime outdoor miles. It’s a goal I chased for a long time. Here is the year-by-year breakdown:

That’s 3,500 rides. At an average of 28.57 miles per ride, getting to 100,000 miles was an exercise in consistency rather than a series of heroic efforts. Those 3,500 rides included not just training rides, but also races. Every mile counted, whether on road or off.

Today’s miles will not be the last outdoor miles of 2026. There might be a few more here at home as October begins, and my Scott Addict will go to Pennsylvania with me for what I hope will be one final block of good riding in mid-October. In any case, strength training now will be my athletic focus through the end of April 2027, and cycling will play only a complementary role. I haven’t done any proper strength training since May 31, which is inexcusable. It’s the last thing that should have an offseason. In 2027 and beyond, I need to keep working on strength even during the fair weather months when I’m putting in a lot of time on the bike.

It remains to be seen whether I will set future mileage targets for myself. I have a 22-year streak of 3,000-mile seasons. Maybe I will simply keep that going.

Brandon McNulty!

Congratulations to Brandon McNulty, who won the 2026 UCI World Championship road race today in Montreal! McNulty is the first American to win the rainbow jersey since 1993.

The Pause That Depresses

The fall equinox occurred yesterday evening, so Autumn 2026 is officially here. There should be a word to describe the end of summer in Wisconsin, but we’ll have to invent one because all of the obscenities are busy with other things. When the sun went down on Saturday the 12th, summer shot out of here like it wanted to make a point about being unappreciated. We’ve had almost nothing but low temperatures, high winds, and rain ever since. Predictably, these conditions have been bad for my cycling ambitions.

I got back on the bike today for the first time since last Wednesday. Sad, but true: I had six consecutive days off the bike at a time when I had expected to be nearing my mileage goal for the year. With 35 miles today, I am still 155 miles away from that goal. I will be disappointed if I do not reach my goal by the end of September. If I still have work to do in October, then the self-imposed deadline shifts to Wednesday the 7th. Early on the following morning, I will leave for another two- to three-week stay in Pennsylvania, where I intend to worry about nothing.

I used my time off the bike to address some things I had been neglecting, so the news isn’t all bad. In the last week, I finally pruned some overgrown trees and rebuilt a downspout that had been depositing rain into my basement instead of my yard. I also started reading books again. It was stupid of me to have stopped after beginning the year so ambitiously: 18 novels before the end of April. Finally, I replaced the original tires on my Scott Addict (3,995 miles!) with a new set of Continental Gatorskins, which performed perfectly today and should last right through the end of the next cycling season.

Pilgrimage

Used Trainer Derangement Syndrome

Supply without demand: there's never a shortage of indoor trainers on Facebook Marketplace.

As an enthusiastic proponent of free market capitalism, I am all for sellers getting the highest price that buyers are willing to pay. At the same time, I hate to see sellers failing to realize that their goods or services are ridiculously overpriced. This happens sometimes in retail markets and sellers eventually lower their prices until sales volume increases to levels that approach or even exceed original expectations. A lot of research goes into pricing before a product ever hits the shelves at a fine retailer near you. A high initial price may be designed to create an aura of exclusivity, setting the stage for a sale price that intersects with demand from bargain hunting consumers.

Then there’s Facebook Marketplace, an online “yard sale” used by millions of people to extract a tiny bit of residual value from secondhand items that probably never lived up to the promises of retail marketing. And there may be no greater example of this disappointment than indoor bicycle trainers. Thought you would use yours more, didn’t you? Didn’t really like it. Kind of boring. Or maybe you’re the exception: loved it, upgraded to a smart trainer, spend all your time riding through virtual worlds now, and don’t need the old magnetic or fluid trainer anymore.

Whatever the case, that used trainer is worth far less than its original retail price. On Facebook Marketplace, you’ll be lucky to find someone willing to take it off your hands for free. (I scored a free magnetic trainer placed at the end of a driveway in July 2020 and still have never used it! Last December, I snagged a free smart trainer listed on Facebook Marketplace, and it has become my go-to trainer.) Anyone thinking about getting an indoor trainer likely knows that smart trainers are superior, which more-or-less fully devalues magnetic and fluid trainers. But don’t take my word for it. Watch as prices fall on Facebook Marketplace. You can see a couple of local examples in the screenshot above. I don’t expect individual sellers to price their items with the same accuracy that is characteristic of most professional listings, but get real! Prospective buyers don’t care what you paid years ago. It’s easy enough to look at similar listings from other sellers, price your item competitively, and then hope for the best.

Expectations For September 2026

I need a good September, not a great September, to reach my mileage goal.

As September begins, I am 535 miles away from 100,000 lifetime miles. I mean to reach my goal before the end of the month, and history suggests that I will. In the last decade, I always surpassed 500 miles in September, and in 2020 I set a personal record:

Of course, past performance doesn’t guarantee future results–just ask me about the value of my Walmart stock this year–but in this situation it inspires confidence.

I also expect to get comfortable with my new sleep schedule this month. I made the transition from an early morning bedtime to a late afternoon bedtime on August 24, and the results have been mixed. As the days continue to get shorter, more of my sleep will take place when it’s dark outside. That should help.

You Hate To See This

The only consolation for Pogi today was the attention of the cutest paramedic in Spain.

Tadej Pogačar, regarded by many people as the greatest road racer of all time, crashed out of the Vuelta a España today. Pogačar began Stage 8 with a 3 minute, 50 second lead over his closest rival. It’s probably true that only a crash with serious injuries could have stopped Pogačar from winning the tour, and today his number came up. The Vuelta will continue, of course, and the fight for overall victory should be very interesting. Enric Mas is the new leader. If he holds on, then he will be the first Spanish winner of the Vuelta since Alberto Contador in 2014. Mas leads four-time Vuelta winner Primož Roglič by 1 minute. American Sepp Kuss, the 2023 Vuelta winner, now sits in fourth place, 2:15 behind Mas. With two weeks remaining in the tour and with several brutal mountains to climb, the 2026 Vuelta is now wide open.

The big question for Pogačar now is whether he will be ready for the UCI road racing world championships in late September. Pogačar is the two-time defending champion.

A Detour On The Journey To Mythical Sleep

For more than a year, I have been refining my approach to sleep. Poor sleep has been a limiting factor in my performance not just on the bike, but in life! When I wrote about this last July, I was averaging 6 hours, 12 minutes per day. But that was the average only for the 4 weeks leading up to that post. My current 52-week average is 5:41. February and March were a mess: I endured 6 consecutive weeks with a daily average of less than 5:00.

My current 4-week average is 6:31. That’s not just more, it’s also qualitatively better. Garmin calculates a sleep score in which duration is factored alongside stress, movement (“tossing and turning”), and time spent in different stages of sleep. Did I get enough deep sleep and enough REM sleep, etc.? During the last 52 weeks, my average sleep score was 64 out of 100. During the last 4 weeks, it improved to 75.

I’m still fighting to find a consistent sleep schedule–in bed at the same time, then out of bed at the same time–which so many sleep experts recommend. Some recent advice resonated with me, though I have not yet tried it: hold yourself to a consistent wakeup time and your body will rapidly discover its optimal shutdown time.

Even without that fresh advice, my sleep stats have been trending in the right direction this summer. But summer is rapidly winding down, and that’s becoming a problem. Back on August 13, I slept so late into the afternoon that I missed a group ride and ended up with a fat zero for the day. That was an anomaly. However, recently I have had a lot of wakeup times in the 4-5 p.m. range. I don’t have much success going straight from the bed to the bike; give me at least an hour. So, most of my rides are starting between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., and I can’t continue to get away with that. Today’s ride was my 32nd consecutive post-5 p.m. start. The last time I started earlier than 5 p.m. was way back on July 8! Sunset in West Bend will be at 7:29 on August 31 and at 6:59 on September 17. We’re losing daylight in chunks. I need to make a change.

I could continue to go to bed early in the morning–immediately after my shift on nights when I work–and then wake to an alarm set earlier in the afternoon. That would mean fewer hours of sleep overall or a return to biphasic sleep, which always was a compromise. What I will do instead, damn it, is stay up to ensure I get my chance to ride, then go to bed late in the afternoon and wake up again sometime around 10:45 p.m.! There are all sorts of problems with this, not the least of which is that I will be exposed to melatonin-suppressing sunlight shortly before I want to sleep.

But, yes, I’m going to risk the progress I have made with my sleep issues because right now it’s more important to me to hit this year’s cycling goals. And anyway, there is no real fix as long as I continue to work overnight. At worst, I’m trading adequate for inadequate. The Garmin Connect “Mythical Sleep” badge remains elusive.

More Rules They Only Hope You Will Obey

These signs appeared on the Eisenbahn and presumably on other state trails this year. Let me know if you ever see a law enforcement officer with a radar gun on a state trail. Let me know if you understand how a law enforcement officer can determine that a motor was engaged when the rider exceeded 15 mph. Most riders of non-motorized bikes are capable of bursts over 15 mph, and many riders of non-motorized bikes are capable of sustained efforts over 15 mph. It can be hard enough to distinguish, at a glance, an e-bike from a non-motorized bike; it can be harder still to distinguish one class of e-bike from another. So, what? Pull over everybody, just in case? I don't expect the City of West Bend, Washington County, or Fond du Lac County to devote any resources to enforcement on the Eisenbahn. Things might be different in a more heavily urbanized area like Milwaukee, where 28 mph e-bikers on the Hank Aaron State Trail are an obvious danger to other users.

"We're from the government and we're here to help!" Yeah, thanks again.

99,000 Lifetime Miles

Summer in Washington County is a shorter season than the calendar would have you believe. Already we have reached the time of year when 80° is warmer than average, and already you can see leaves beginning to change from a robust green to a sickly yellow. Wednesday will be our last day this year with an 8 p.m. sunset. Let me have the next seven weeks. That’s all I ask. When October arrives, you can have your sweaters and your pumpkin spice lattes and your yards full of trashy Halloween decorations.

On today’s bike ride I surpassed 99,000 lifetime miles. I want to reach 100,000 lifetime miles by the end of September. I will reach my goal before the end of 2026, even if I have to travel somewhere warmer to get the last miles. September 30, though, is my self-imposed deadline because I want October 1 to be the start of a new chapter in my life. On that day I want to feel free to do whatever I want for my fitness. That might be mountain biking: same time commitment, but fewer miles. That might be hiking. That might be some combination of exercises in my home gym. With 100,000 lifetime cycling miles behind me, I won’t be chasing every last mile anymore. If you care at all when I get to 100,000, then surely you won’t care when I get to 100,001. We love our round numbers, don’t we? Getting to 100,001 will be a greater achievement than getting to 100,000, but no one will look at it that way.

With the big mileage goal and summer behind me, you can count on me not to fight very hard against cold weather. In October, I plan to spend 2-3 weeks back in Pennsylvania, where the average daytime high should be 7° warmer than it is in West Bend. Those are 7 precious degrees at that time of year! And sometime around November 1, I will fill the kitchen pantry with supplies for the winter. By December 1, grocery shopping might be nothing more than a weekly order of perishables delivered to my front door. I’m not dealing with winter anymore. I will shovel my sidewalks – municipal code demands they be kept clear – but otherwise I’m done. This week I purchased a battery charger to keep my car from dying during the long periods of disuse I predict for it. I kid you not: full hermit mode this winter.

Offseason cycling goals have always been tricky for me. There will be turbo trainer sessions, but probably not Zwift sessions. I still have three very worthwhile Garmin Connect challenges to attempt: the Tacx 75K Ride (75 km / 46.61 miles), the Tacx 100K Ride (100 km / 62.14 miles), and the Indoor 4-Hour Ride. All sound terrible while the weather is still fair, but we’ll see what depths of desperation I reach in winter. Hey, with just 16 more hours of indoor riding before January 1, this year would be a Top 10 season on the trainer!

I legitimately want to get into a new strength training program in the home gym. That will happen. And I am committing to try each of the seven preset walking workouts on my treadmill. I have had the machine for 2.5 years now and still haven’t pressed those buttons! The last big walking challenge on Garmin Connect is Stepping Up 50K: 50,000 steps in one day. My current PR is 41,635 steps. Completing the challenge would take something like 7.5 hours. That’s an insane amount of walking in a single day, and it’s probably something I would attempt indoors only if there were a full day of sports on TV.

Cycling has never been my only tool for fitness, but for more than two decades it has been the most dominant. Starting this autumn, I will try to find a better balance. I don’t want to feel guilty for doing other things and “neglecting” the bike. The focus isn’t competition anymore. I haven’t done a bike race in almost two years. The focus is now longevity. To be on the bike for years to come, I need to pay more attention to other activities that can support my overall fitness.

That Was A Good One

I finally had a chance to do a Thursday evening group ride, and it was great! I missed the June rides because I was in Pennsylvania. Last week, bad air quality caused by wildfires in Canada and Minnesota prompted the ride organizer to cancel. There were no weather worries today. Even the wind cooperated. I rode to the start location and then home from there after the ride, adding about 3 miles to the official route. That made today’s ride my longest so far this year: 36 miles. I’m still living in that 25- to 30-mile range, but my average is starting to creep up. Today’s ride also was my fastest so far this year: 18 mph. So, no, it was not all Zone 2. I spent roughly half of the ride in Zone 2 and most of the rest in Zone 3. Speed on the flats was not an issue; dragging myself over the hills was the stimulus that pushed me past Zone 2. Today’s 1,237 feet of climbing was my highest total so far this year.

One of the more interesting stats from today’s ride was my average cadence: just 73 rpm. That’s really low. I wasn’t aware of the number during the ride, but I was aware that I was turning the pedals far less frequently than my fellow riders. And that doesn’t count for much. Do I dare say, “Different strokes for different folks,” or is that too obvious a play on words? I was pushing a bigger gear. By itself, that fact is neither good nor bad, it’s simply different.

As usual, today’s ride was offered with two route options. I had planned to do the shorter route, but as we approached the point at which the routes diverged, everyone agreed to complete the long route. Now, having completed it in good style, I would be disappointed if I had cut off early.

If you’re not already familiar with West Bend’s group ride on Thursdays, then check out the Washington County Bicyclists page on Facebook.

Back From The Big Road Trip

On this busy day, I had time for only a short "Welcome Home" ride.

I returned to West Bend early this morning, ending a 25-day East Coast trip. During my time away, I was on the bike 15 times for a total of 375 miles. And I walked 65 miles, so that’s good. I even managed to lose 5 pounds, though I was not careful with my diet. At today’s weigh-in I recorded my lowest number so far this year. Carrying too much weight is the biggest drag on my cycling performance. With tighter control of my diet now that I’m home again, and with more structured training, I expect significant weight loss between now and the end of Daylight Saving Time.

My overall training volume was comparable to what it likely would have been if I had not been away from home, but strength training suffered. That needs a big reboot.

I had a serious problem with my car during my trip, and I paid serious money to get it fixed. Overall, though, the trip was a huge success. In addition to the time I spent with my mother, I visited with one of my nephews and two of my cousins. I also saw a Pirates-Nationals game in Washington DC with my closest friend since childhood. He and I last attended a baseball game together in Pittsburgh in 2000, the Pirates’ last season at Three Rivers Stadium. This year’s short visit to DC was my first there since 2014.

Lots of driving? You bet! I covered 2,356 miles through Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. Not DC, though. I met my friend at his home in the Virginia suburbs and we took the Metro to Nationals Park and back again. You don’t want to drive in DC if you don’t have to … or park there. Like almost everything on the East Coast, it takes forever and costs a fortune. I think I’ll be content to have a quietly productive (and cost-conscious) remainder of the summer here in Washington County before I think about my next trip.

Tales Of Brave Ulysses

"How his naked ears were tortured by the sirens sweetly singing."

Enjoying those 90° days, Washington County? I know you’re not used to them. They are far more common here in the Philadelphia suburbs. Considerably less common are 105° days, but that’s what we got at Mom’s house today. By visiting at this time of year, I expected honest-to-goodness summer weather. I have not been disappointed.

A couple of days ago, I was talking to Mom about Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. To me, they are foundational works of Western literature. To Mom, they are completely unknown. She missed them somehow, and she was unmoved even when I told her how Odysseus, a/k/a Ulysses, was tied to the mast so that he could hear the sirens’ song without driving his ship onto the rocks. Their ears stuffed with wax, the ship’s crew passed the danger while Odysseus alone heard the call that had doomed all who had heard it before. He might have stuffed his ears with wax too, but he had to satisfy his boundless curiosity.

Mom is 93 years old and a firm believer in all of the dire warnings about heat exposure that the TV news people are repeating ad nauseam. She really didn’t want me to go outside today. I wanted to know what 105° felt like. At home in West Bend, I have never felt anything like it. We briefly touched 100° back on July 4, 2012. I remember that day. But 105° … ? So, this afternoon I did a 42-minute walk around Mom’s neighborhood and, yeah, it was hot. I had the neighborhood to myself; everyone else was inside with the AC on. With that walk I earned the elusive Toasty badge on Garmin Connect:

The Toasty badge didn’t exist in 2012 – Garmin introduced it in 2018 – and who knows when West Bend will see another 100° day? I couldn’t pass up today’s opportunity.

The temperature dropped below 100° late in the evening, so I tacked on a 20-mile bike ride to complete my day. Mom thinks I’m crazy. I think I really made today count.

Halftime 2026

Today brings the first half of 2026 to a close. I have covered 1,400 miles so far this year. By this date in 2025, I had ridden only 894 miles. I’m happy with the difference, but a lot of work remains before I reach my goal of 3,075. Today’s ride was my 60th this year, so I’m averaging 23.33 miles per ride. That would be my lowest average since 2004, my first season of cycling, when I averaged only 16.52 miles per ride. I can’t live with that. Longer rides are coming soon.

Last year on this date, I reached 555 miles of walking. I finished 2025 with a personal record: 1,141 miles. This year, I have 600 miles already. I didn’t set a walking mileage goal for 2026. Nonetheless, a new PR is a strong possibility.

Strange but true: I didn’t plan to end the first half of the year with exactly 1,400 cycling miles and exactly 600 walking miles. It just worked out that way.

Garmin Connect’s Appalachian Trail Expedition

Early this morning, I completed Garmin Connect’s Appalachian Trail expedition. It was the longest of the 17 “hiking” expeditions. I did all 17 in ascending order. This is another kind-of-neat Garmin challenge. Completing it didn’t require any unusual effort on my part; it required only the accumulation of steps over the last 11 months. Completing the 13 “climbing” challenges will be much harder. I have completed only 2 so far. The climbing challenges track elevation gain, and most of my walks have almost none. As I did with the hikes, I will progress through the climbs in ascending order. Each will be harder than the one before. I needed 73 days to complete the first climb and 125 days to complete the second. I have been working on the third since February 19, but it’s still only 79% complete. Even if I were to commit to regular stair climbing workouts, it would take years to reach the summit of Garmin’s virtual Mount Everest. Because of their long time horizons, Garmin’s expeditions don’t work well for motivation. There’s no deadline; you will get there eventually. But there is something to be said for consistent effort over time, so I will take those little rewards as they come.