New Year's Day Ride

[Veronica]

Tell us about your first ride of 2005.

It looks like it's going to be a clear morning so Thom and I think we'll join the hordes of other riders going up Mount Diablo today. We're planning on riding around 11 - give the day some time to warm up. :p

Anybody else planning on doing it?

Veronica

[skibum]

We're having unseasonably warm weather here in Atlanta this weekend -- highs in the 60's. Days like this are few and far between this time of year so there's no chance that I'll pass up the opportunity to ride. Nothing major planned though -- just going out with some friends for a leisurely cruise around town of about 40-45 miles.

Happy New Year everyone!
Beth

[Trek420]

Veronica, Happy New Year to you, Thom and all of you TE'ers

looks like a great day to ride Diablo, pavement's wet so watch the descents but weather's nice out here, we finally got a break.

I'm off to a slow start and still hobbled by the car thing (should be resolved shortly, stay tuned as the nice folks from St. of Ca. Dept. of Consumer Affairs drop by to chat with my mechanic on Monday. I think Guaranteed auto WILL be returning my calls shortly, ya think? ;-)

I plan to get a short ride in today and possibly more on the cycleops in front of the tube. :p ;) :D

[spazzdog]

check under the seats before you drive away... the old "dead rat under the seat", dirty nuke, etc. :D

[Trek420]

ewwwwwww

[DeniseGoldberg]

I just got back from my own "welcome the new year" ride. The roads were mostly dry, but there were enough wet patches that my poor bike was a mess by the time I got home. Don't worry, it's clean and re-lubed now!

It was a beautiful day for a ride, and much warmer than normal here in the Boston area - 50 degrees at the start, 45 by the time I returned home, with a bit of wind. What a great way to start the year.

http://denise.smugmug.com/photos/13522131-M-1.jpg And yes, that is snow that you see on the sides of the road...

[aka_kim]

I didn't like the looks of those dark clouds in the distance, so I bailed on Diablo and did a short 16 mile ride (to Castle Rock park). I left at 11 also, and now at 2:15 pm am back home enjoying my Starbucks chai. And I had to clean my bike too.

V, I know you guys will have your camera, so post your pictures, please :).

[Veronica]

We only went to the Junction. The road was closed at Juniper. Thom had the camera but didn't take any pics. It was pretty breezy. We figured if it started raining we 'd just turn around.

V.

[jobob]

Lee & I went on an ACTC ride which started in San Jose, went thru Monte Sereno and a bit up Route 9 and then up Peach Hill Rd and Canon Drive, which are very quiet, scenic and hilly side roads. Although it looked like we were going to luck out on the rain when we started out, the heavens opened up on us as we were about to do a moderately steep, windy descent - yee hah :D

Lee had some great luck - he had a puncture within a block of the finish and since it was a slow leak he was able to ride up to the car.

I keep forgetting how fun it is to ride in the rain - Pokey was sporting his fenders and I was wearing a new screaming yellow Gore Windstopper jacket (with removable sleeves, of course!) so when the rain started up I put the sleeves back on for the descent, and they really did the trick - the upper half of my body stayed warm and reasonably dry, and the parts that did get wet dried off pretty quickly when we returned the main roads and the rain subsided.

Once I get over the fact that I'm going to get wet, and so long as I'm not freezing to death, riding in the rain for me is kind of like stomping in puddles when I was a kid - messy fun. 'Twas a blast.

Our ride leader had a camera so I'll add the link if he posts photos.

- Jo. (....clean my bike?....)

[snapdragen]

my head is exploding again. off to the doc next week :mad:

[jobob]

dear, we need to pitch in to get you a head transplant, that's all there is to it.

:D

[snapdragen]

Nah, just remove one of my sinuses - right hand side, thank you.

snap"tylenol sinus in one hand, asprin in the other"dragen -- with a bit of saline solution thrown in for good measure.

[Trek420]

my Mom prescribes steam ...that and chicken soup... but the steam always works, just fill a sink with hot hot water, put a towel over your head and lean over the sink, and breathe. Always clears me right up.

[mtbstarr]

I used to get the stuffy head, sinus headaches that turn into migraines thing daily. I started using flonase. Not only do I no longer get headaches daily, but all of the stuffyness and allergy symptoms are gone. (Allergies leaving was simply a nice added side effect.) Still occassionally get a sinus headache/migraine, four Advil liquid gels usually gets it for me. And a big second on the steam thing. I have a morning coffee just to get the head open.

Just my two cents;)

[spazzdog]

I am residing in the house of flu, and it's my turn. Miserable since yesterday (or the day before... am in a phlegm phog)

[Barb]

Happy New Years Ladies!! You always amaze me. The miles you put in, shesh! I dragged my boyfriend out for 9.75 miles on New Years. He is a non biker, but has started shopping and talking components! Anyways, it was in the 30s for the ride and very cloudy. Today it was 55 but rained like crazy. I chose to shop.

[Trek420]

my hat's off to all of you ladies riding in the snow, sleet, dark and rain....I'm a wimp, set the bike in front of the tube, watched the 49'ers once more rescue defeat from the jaws of victory. :rolleyes:

[spazzdog]

funny... I was watching the same game. Watching my NE Patriots step on another team on the way to another Super Bowl championship.


:D You know I love ya, right Trek?

[Trek420]

wait'll next year, well, probably wait about 4 years....:confused: :mad:

[jobob]

Bah. The club I belong to started a long distance training ride series today that I was really looking forward to, but I simply couldn't drag my sorry carcass out into the rain & wind this morning. It's one thing to be caught in the rain, it's entirely another to willingly drag myself into it :p

So much for working towards my goal of a century or a double metric in 2005. Instead, I'm curled up with a book enjoying my Pumphrey's blend tea (from Peet's) - yum.

- Jo "I'll start next week. Yeah, that's the ticket" bob

[JanT]

Well, I didn't get out on New Year's for a ride, but my riding buddies and I did head out on the trails today. It was very muddy, but the weather was fine. Sure can't complain, especially when I just enjoyed two weeks of nearly daily riding on either trails or road. Tomorrow, it's back to work again, and I really, really want to get more rides in during the week. No more wimping out--you cold weather ladies inspire me!

[DirtDiva]

Heh - my first ride of 2005 was 6km to go pick up my car from outside the friends' hose where I saw in the New Year. I think y'all might be a tad more dedicated than I...

[ctwirlee]

It has been "unseasonably warm" in NC for the last week, so using my time away from teaching to ride when I can.

After five days consecutive (about 30 miles +/-) my riding partner suggested a New Year's Day Recovery Ride -- never mind the speed, never mind the distance, just make it easy, so easy it's boring... what a concept. No pushing. Gearing easy on hills, and just floating up...

I was in great shape to go with the gung-ho guys the next day. If I had done my usual (max effort) ride, I would have felt like garbage.

Recovery rides work!