April 5 rides

[Fredwina]

63.39
It's been cloudy all day as matter of fact. its only 70 degrees :rolleyes:
My first time doing the mega-mondo climb up baldy Road with Bleu. Climbs about as well as the cannondale.
After an appropriate for my fellow club members to ogle the new bike, I pedaled up to Glen Helene, then headed home

[makbike]

Joined the club for their "slow and easy" ride. It is not one of my favorites simply because it travels through the city and traffic is always an issue. However, it felt good to be on my bike and I enjoyed riding with my cycling buddies. In the end I logged 30 miles at a slow and easy pace of 13.5 mph. Tomorrow's club ride will be faster and more challenging - I'm looking forward to it!

[redrhodie]

Wasn't going to ride today. The forecast was rain, so I went to Pilates this morning to do some core work. Then, called my bro for a walk on the beach. Had lunch, then a nap. Woke up, still no rain. Pumped up the tires and off I went. Lovely temps, lots of roadies out, and a good wind made the beaches crowded with surfers. Saw a family of goats in the middle of the road, but their person managed to convince them to head home before I reached them. All in all, a fun day.

[Triskeliongirl]

Did the club ride this morning. Great day, although much chillier at the start than expected for a start in south texas in spring time, 46! But it was in the high 60s by the end, and in fact our high today was 80! But it did feel cold to start. I wore tights and a long sleeve jersey, my PI gavia jacket, ibex glove liners and an earband. I was cold for the first five miles, and then I pulled the glove liners and ear band off by mile 15. I pulled the jacket off at mile 20. I was worried I ruined the jacket, since I tried to tie it around my top tube but instead it got dragged across my drive train, so ended up with a huge grease stain on that baby blue fabric. Fortunatly the stain came out with some shout. Ended up with a fast and hilly 34 miles. Felt great to be out since I'd been pretty busy with work stuff lately.

[BeeLady]

I rode in the Cuero annual Wildflower Ride and it was a lovely, non-taxing 23-mile ride. Quite cool at the beginning but had my wind breaker off by the end of the ride.

Lots of flowers this year and everything is nice and green. My ride only included a few hills. I made the short ride because it went right past my house and I couldn't resist. Next year I'll do one of the longer rides as I know where those routes go also and it is quite scenic and worth climbing the big hills. We are in the Post Oak Savannah in Texas and I love the scenery around here.

Have a nice, hilly 25-loop near my home I haven't done this year yet but I'm looking forward to that. I need another bike! Carrying my beloved Volpe between here and San Antonio is just too much. I'm sure no one could blame me for getting a second bike!

[OakLeaf]

Taught Pilates this morning, subbing for the regular instructor who has the awful cold I'm trying not to catch. I am SO not qualified to teach Pilates... but I hope that at least knowing that makes me more qualified than some of the instructors out there... Anyhow.

Rode the commuter bike to the gym and the grocery store and back. Came home, dithered a little. Then I put the new Lithia saddle on my road bike. Got on, rode to the end of the block, turned around and came home - it's so much taller than my old saddle that I had to drop the seatpost by 5 mm. Did the adjustment and went out again.

Wow, what a difference! I'm not 100% sure I'm going to keep it, but it's a HUGE step in the right direction. The T-shape makes as much difference as the wider seat. Thanks to everyone who's contributed saddle advice! It's changed my whole riding position. At a minimum I'm going to need to change my handlebar position and/or raise the stem, and once I come to a definite saddle decision I'll probably go for a fitting.

Anyway, I hadn't originally planned on riding today because there was rain in the forecast. Late this morning they stopped calling for a chance of rain, and that's when I took the bike out (I'm a total rain wuss, besides I had an excuse since I may want to return the saddle :rolleyes::D). Nice and slow and easy, although there was a pretty stiff wind. I did the southern half of our usual loop, and when I crossed over the center road, there were a few sprinkles, so I took the next opportunity to head back home rather than doing the north half. Not quite 30 miles. It wasn't an hour before the weather radio was going off with severe thunderstorms.

[7rider]

DivingBiker and I joined 5 other women from MORE's (http://www.more-mtb.org/) RLAG (http://www.ridelikeagirl.org/)(Ride Like a Girl) Series for a 19.5 mile mini-sufferfest up and down mountains around Gambrill State Park (http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/western/gambrill.html). Roads were a combination of asphalt, gravel, and mud. "Unimproved" was the term, I think. It was a time to call in DH's Big Buzz (http://www.rei.com/product/760870) bike with knobbie 32 cyclcocross tires. It was supposed to rain but the rain held off...and weather-wise, it was actually quite pleasant.

[F8th637]

Wasn't planning on riding today either since it was suppose to rain but wouldn't you know it's a beautiful day and the rain is moving in tonight. DH said he was thinking of riding and so I said I'd go with him. We rode around for a ride time of 80 minutes and did about 16 miles. We did a little on the W&OD trail and then went riding around one of the neighborhoods we are thinking of buying our first home in and then rode in subsequent neighborhoods very leisurely. Then we stopped at the local Whole Foods to pick up some things for dinner and then it was back up the hill we live on with our groceries. Great ride and absolutely beautiful!

[redrhodie]

Taught Pilates this morning, subbing for the regular instructor who has the awful cold I'm trying not to catch. I am SO not qualified to teach Pilates... but I hope that at least knowing that makes me more qualified than some of the instructors out there... Anyhow.

You've hit the nail on the head with the issue I have with the class I went to this morning. The teacher is really sweet, and a good yoga teacher, but this class was not Pilates. I suspect she's not trained by an accredited studio. Do you think this is common?

[Beane]

Did our usual 25 mile out-n-back, but alone (usually have DH to draft off), and the wind going out was nightmarish. It was a challenge but man the return trip was awesome. Easily cruising at twice my speed on the first half. This was my second real outdoor ride with my new bike and I must say, I LOVE it. This bike rocks. I was worried about it being too big, but it's just fine. Now I just need a new saddle...

i LOOOOOOOOOOOVE steel!

p.s. 63 and sunny... pretty nice :D (we here in wisconsin have earned a nice spring)

[kelownagirl]

I went for a run this morning. Then I took the bike with me to the pool so I could ride right after my swim. The weather is beautiful this afternoon, warm, sunny, a bit of a breeze. Can't wait for real spring... :)

[Midmichigangal]

I went on a nice and easy three mile loop around the neighborhood this evening after my brother got the Schwinn 12 function cycle computer installed on my bike. Weather is finally warm with temps around sixty degrees with sun. Saw lots of kids outside on bike enjoying the first real warm day of the season.

[SouthernBelle]

I headed out this morning, changed routes at the last minute. It was pretty chilly and the promised sunshine never appeared.

I had planned on doing something in the 30-40 mile range, but started having terrible stomach pains. I had to stop a couple of times to just bend over.

So my ride was shortened to 21.48 miles.

Gas-X cleared things up. :o

[DDH]

It was a perfect day to ride today. I started out about lunch time and headed for my 13 miles loop, well withing that loop is my hair dresser and I needed shampoo so I stopped and got that, pulled my paniers down and put them in, it felt good to save that trip in the car.
I rode towards home and on the way, these silly guys on motorcycles passed and one of the guys sticks his legs out and starts making peddling motions. I know he was probably making fun of me, but I'm a good sport, ecspcially when I found it quite funny. LOL

I got to my turn for home and I thought, shoot, I can go further I'm not ready to go home, so I kept going. I went 23 miles today. That's the longest ride this year, all I have been able to get in so far, is about 12 or so miles.
It was a really nice day for it and I had a good time. I am pretty tired now though, but am hoping the weather holds out so I can go again tomorrow.

[OakLeaf]

You've hit the nail on the head with the issue I have with the class I went to this morning. The teacher is really sweet, and a good yoga teacher, but this class was not Pilates. I suspect she's not trained by an accredited studio. Do you think this is common?

It's extremely common. In a gym setting, with the exception of large urban gyms that have a pool of local instructors to draw on, responding to the demand for Pilates classes has meant getting some minimal training for their existing pool of fitness instructors. My "certification" comes from a two-day workshop, the same as the other instructors at my gym in Ohio. The instructor I subbed for today got her certification by a correspondence course. In small towns where there are two or three gyms and no standalone Pilates studios, it's not cost-effective for even one instructor to go to the time and expense of a 100 or 200 hour course. Occasionally you'll find a yoga instructor with 200-hour certification, but I think that's because the spiritual aspects of yoga draw people to do it for love, with no expectation that it will pay for itself.

[chicago]

absolutely beautiful day in Chicago... the city was out enjoying the sunshine... and so was I:D

my boyfriend and I got in 50 miles with the club... then came home and walked about 4.

tomorrow we're hoping to get in around 60... oh summer in Chicago, you gottta love it... it's here again:D

[jobob]

DH and I did a 25 mile out to Mission Coffee & back. Saving myself for tomorrow. :cool:

Yeesh, it was windy out.

[Veronica]

You're going to do fine tomorrow Jo. You know you are in charge of the map. :D

Is Lee coming out? Thom's going to join us at Nicasio.

V.

[uforgot]

I had to go pick up prom supplies in Belleville, (a 2 hr. drive) but I threw my folder in the car "just in case". As I was leaving Belleville, I spied a paved bike path that crossed the road I was on, and a park with a parking lot. I had a terrific ride through the town of Belleville and along the metrolink too. My first time in that town.

[jobob]

Lee's dropping me off at the Safeway and then he's planning to toodle around on his own. I'll see if he'd like to ride with us, maybe over the bridge & into Sausalito or thereabouts.

Map? there's a map?

[PinkBike]

had a great ride in the tour de phoenix. 4th year and i finally got under 4 hours, tho the headwind climb that never ended was brutal. 72 miles, temp a mild 82. i had figured that i'd need 19.2 average to get in the platinum range (3:45), and i had 19.6 all the way up to mile 59. then as i was climbing at about 8 mph i was watching the average just drop and drop. after the hills, when i saw 8 miles to go i still had 24 minutes to finish under 4 hours, and i knew i could do it. i totally sprinted at the finish and saw the time clock at 3:57. woohoo!

[Veronica]

Okay, cue sheet, not a really a map, other than the one you did in Bikely.

V.

[jobob]

I'm just messin' with you, V. ;)

[jobob]

Very well done, pinkbike! Congrats!

[Veronica]

I'm just messin' with you, V. ;)


I'm not bringing the GPS. So, it doesn't matter, you're in charge of making sure I don't get lost. :D

V.

PS Nice job Pink!

[OakLeaf]

Way to go Pinkbike!

[Geonz]

I'd called a 'level 2" (14-16 mph) preseason ride ... about 15 people came! 32 degrees at the start... I got out early for an extra dozen and then we did a very extended ride - 59 miles on the folder - and I reminded myself that I wasn't leading the ride so I could go as far as I wanted :) ... and along the way I found out that two of my riding buddies were going to go to a dance recital at Skateland so we all went and that was worth another dozen miles (and FPTRNT was there). Grand total 84 miles on three different bikes. (H-435)

I can understand why folders make a person want to tour the world! They're easy to ride and when the road deteriorated to gravel and mulch... no problem. Those two-inch Schwalbe Big Apples just CHOMPED it up (and I am a very serious gravel weenie).

Yea, I"m a bit tired :)

[melissam]

Way to go, PinkBike -- that's an awesome accomplishment!

Jo, don't get V lost while you're off on your permanent tomorrow.

What did I do today? I rode the Cinderella Metric with my sister-in-law Johanna. We had a blast! But I didn't see ANY TE'ers there this year.

We did have one mechanical. While pumping my tire, I removed the entire valve stem rather than merely removing the pump from the valve stem. I guess I don't know my own strength!

I just blogged the ride report at my ALC Homepage. If anyone's curious, cruise on over to the Team Mel blog: http://www.aidslifecycle.org/6752#blog

[Aggie_Ama]

Way to go Pink!

DH and I did the 62 mile Hill Country Advocacy Center Wildflower ride in Stonewall. Started at LBJ's ranch and rode the famous Willow City Loop. Unfortunately it has been a dry winter and the wildflowers aren't really popping yet. The Willow City Loop has some long uphill grinds, I totally loved it. I am a total hill weenie but really love them. Beautiful area, great ride, good cause and spectactular weather. :D

[Geonz]

had a great ride in the tour de phoenix. 4th year and i finally got under 4 hours, tho the headwind climb that never ended was brutal. 72 miles, temp a mild 82. i had figured that i'd need 19.2 average to get in the platinum range (3:45), and i had 19.6 all the way up to mile 59. then as i was climbing at about 8 mph i was watching the average just drop and drop. after the hills, when i saw 8 miles to go i still had 24 minutes to finish under 4 hours, and i knew i could do it. i totally sprinted at the finish and saw the time clock at 3:57. woohoo!

WOOHOO back at you :D Good job on keeping the faith and finding the legs!!!! You could hve caved so many times...