August 9th Rides (Sunday)

[Ana]

It's sweltering here (heat index up to 100 degrees) but I still managed 11 miles :)

I'm impressed that those of you who live in the southwest ride in this weather all the time! It's exhausting!

[kjb]

Oh, boy, do I feel your pain today! It's 95 in Chicago with the same 100 degree heat index. Not a cloud in the sky, humid as all get-out, and windy. I did 15 miles along the North Shore Channel Trail, and it was just hateful. Super-gusty, so I couldn't get a decent pace going, with sweat stinging my eyes the whole time. I filled up my CamelBak, which I only use for really hot/long rides. It got the job done, but I'm sitting here, with my actual kneecaps sweating, in front of the fan, drinking massive amounts of EmergenC. Planning on hiding out at Starbucks in the AC for the rest of the day!

kjb

(pant, pant. sweat, sweat.)

[wackyjacky1]

Got on my bike for the first time in over a month. (First a toe injury, followed by a second and more severe toe injury, followed by a sinus infection that wouldn't take "no" for an answer.)

Had a great ride to Mission San Jose and back -- a little over 22 miles round-trip. Felt good in spite of the long lay-off. :)

[Tri Girl]

just rode to the lake to help out with the IronKids triathlon. Only a mile there and back. After my century yesterday, I feel good, but my butt wasn't thrilled with being on the bike. ;)
Maybe later today I'll get out there. Maybe...

[deeaimond]

rode the return leg of the 2 day ride (150km each way)

weather was great, in that it was hot and humid but the sun was shaded out and the haze meant that sun wasn't blazing down on us.

we also missed all the rainstorms and showers and did not need to get wet while riding (frequent occurence here in south east asia).

we managed to complete the ride without biting too many heads off of each other...

so yep! I'm still in one piece except my thighs hurt a little.. :p

[Pan Dulce]

I rode around 15 miles this morning. I would have gone further, but I got stung by a bee or a yellow jacket or something, and I usually have a bad reaction to stings so I called someone to pick me up. The one time I brought my cell phone! It was pretty cool this morning, around 55 degrees, but it was excellent because I get overheated pretty easily.

I also encountered some odd guy on the trail.. it was really early so it was pretty deserted, but I came up behind some guy walking, and he glanced behind at me then jumped into trees/bushes on the side of the trail. :confused: So I was all, great.. is he going to jump out and attack me or something? So I slowed way down to try and see what he was doing. He poked his head out a tiny bit to look back at me, then went back in. So I rode by very quickly and didn't look. Weird..

[nolemom]

It is hot and humid here in central Florida. Rode 76 miles and sweated out 4 1/2 pounds despite the 80 ounces of cytomax and enduralytes. I can't wait for fall!!

[KathiCville]

My ride isn't technically an August 9 ride; more like late on August 8. Last night, my BF, a friend of his, and I joined about 1000 other cyclists in the first Moonlight Ride through Richmond, Virginia.

Perfect evening to be out and about on a bike. The day's heat had faded to a great temperature for riding. We rolled out of Sports Backers Stadium en masse at 8 pm. Probably half of us did the full 17-mile route through the city; the other half did the 8-miler. Some people wore costumes or tricked out their bikes. Probably 150 of the riders were kids, accompanied by parents.

I thought everything was very well-organized, particularly for a first-time event. The most impressive part was the presence of police at every intersection of the route, holding back vehicular traffic as we poured down the streets. Everybody was super-polite, cheerful and mostly very careful. I loved the sea of bike headlights and tail lights stretching as far as the eye could see! We even had some people standing on the sidewalks and median strips cheering us on.

GREAT fun! Can't wait to do it again next year!

[Miranda]

Yep... it was a hot and windy day here in the midwest as posted prior.

Day 2 of my club's tour ride.

Temp 92 degree F with heat index 101 degrees F, wind speed 19mph w/gusts 24mph. More climbing on today's route too.

Completed 47mi loop as planned--yippie:).

[denda]

17 miles. Light winds, mid 90's. This was the first time I had been back on the bike since we went backpacking. It seems to take my legs longer to get over those long hikes than it used to!

[7rider]

I find it amazing that a single ride can bring a thousand stories.
A friend and I were chatting about that as I finished today's shop ride. 36 hot, steamy miles, and so much can happen in that brief time.
I won't bore you with them - some are good, some are not so good. Some of the characters played to their type, and some surprised.
But is always interesting.
I love our group rides.....

[pfunk12]

Oh, do tell...do tell! ;) Do I know these characters? :)

I did 25 miles today. Second time on the bike since my crash last Saturday. the crash that I did not report on TE because it's still making me cringe.


I find it amazing that a single ride can bring a thousand stories.
A friend and I were chatting about that as I finished today's shop ride. 36 hot, steamy miles, and so much can happen in that brief time.
I won't bore you with them - some are good, some are not so good. Some of the characters played to their type, and some surprised.
But is always interesting.
I love our group rides.....

[7rider]

Oh, do tell...do tell! ;) Do I know these characters? :)

I did 25 miles today. Second time on the bike since my crash last Saturday. the crash that I did not report on TE because it's still making me cringe.

Your crash still makes US cringe!!! Ouchie.
- Just past Manor Care, approaching Jones Bridge, some guy on an Orbea (who was spooky and making folks nervous the whole ride), failed to unclip at a light (yes, they were all stopped), tipped over and took out this guy Jeff, who tipped over and crashed into Pam, who went down on her elbow. Jeff sliced open his forearm down to the bone on Pam's crank and an ambulance had to be called. Poor Jeff was just getting back into riding since a MAJOR accident where a car took him out on his bike commute to work. All he kept saying (so I heard) was "She's going to take the bike away from me!" - "She" being his long-suffering wife who had checked him out of one too many hospital visits.
- Mike was riding his new Seven Triad. SCHWEEEET. You gotta see the paint job. It is pretty hot.
- Erica's been giving me some smack-talk, telling me her only goal is to beat my time on the bike at the Iron Girl triathalon on the 23rd. Hmmmm...I smell a challenge there! :D
- Tom hit 45 mph leading out Aziz on the sprint. I can only imagine what Aziz hit.
- I got tangled up with a guy on a flat bar bike who joined on with the group after the N2 start, heading toward E/W Hwy. I guess he had to show the group that strong riders don't always ride fancy road bikes and wear matching kits. I was passing him on a hill by Manor Care (that was a hazardous place today), and he swerved out into me, trying to avoid something. The two of us rode for a bit, shoulders/elbows/handlebars/hands all tangled up. The bar ends on his bike smashed my fingers into my hoods.
- Folks were asking for you. Hope you're doing better...

[pfunk12]

Oh, wow! I am soooo glad I don't have the courage yet to do a group ride! So sorry to hear about all the mishaps (including your fiasco!). I might see you next weekend if I continue to feel good this week.



Your crash still makes US cringe!!! Ouchie.
- Just past Manor Care, approaching Jones Bridge, some guy on an Orbea (who was spooky and making folks nervous the whole ride), failed to unclip at a light (yes, they were all stopped), tipped over and took out this guy Jeff, who tipped over and crashed into Pam, who went down on her elbow. Jeff sliced open his forearm down to the bone on Pam's crank and an ambulance had to be called. Poor Jeff was just getting back into riding since a MAJOR accident where a car took him out on his bike commute to work. All he kept saying (so I heard) was "She's going to take the bike away from me!" - "She" being his long-suffering wife who had checked him out of one too many hospital visits.
- Mike was riding his new Seven Triad. SCHWEEEET. You gotta see the paint job. It is pretty hot.
- Erica's been giving me some smack-talk, telling me her only goal is to beat my time on the bike at the Iron Girl triathalon on the 23rd. Hmmmm...I smell a challenge there! :D
- Tom hit 45 mph leading out Aziz on the sprint. I can only imagine what Aziz hit.
- I got tangled up with a guy on a flat bar bike who joined on with the group after the N2 start, heading toward E/W Hwy. I guess he had to show the group that strong riders don't always ride fancy road bikes and wear matching kits. I was passing him on a hill by Manor Care (that was a hazardous place today), and he swerved out into me, trying to avoid something. The two of us rode for a bit, shoulders/elbows/handlebars/hands all tangled up. The bar ends on his bike smashed my fingers into my hoods.
- Folks were asking for you. Hope you're doing better...

[CyborgQueen]

Today....i did it.

I did 30 miles! Funny enough - last Sunday, I completed my longest ride, which was 17.2 miles (prior to that ride, 11 miles was the longest). THEN, I had the longest ride on Wednesday - 17.5....now 30. That's a HUGE jump!

I'm just thrilled that I pushed myself just a little further to see my computer hit "30.0 miles".

On top of that - I've only have been road biking (technically since I bought my first road bike) for 2 1/2 weeks. I would say that's pretty damn good comparing to the first day ride - measly 1.2 miles a month ago on my other bike.

[chicagogal]

Hey kjb,
I feel you on the heat today. I got a 50mi ride in, but not before the heat index reached some really uncomfortable levels. I felt ok on the ride, but was exhausted once I got home! I've been drinking water all day like its going out of style to replenish, because boy was I sweating like a pig out there . . .

[CyborgQueen]

It's sweltering here (heat index up to 100 degrees) but I still managed 11 miles :)

I'm impressed that those of you who live in the southwest ride in this weather all the time! It's exhausting!

I live in Las Vegas and this weekend was a really nice weather. Mornings was in high 70's and between 80's and 90's by afternoon then up to around 100. No humidity at all. Fab time to ride...and I rode Friday, Sat, and Sunday total of 56.17 mi.

I think it pretty much depends on how early you get up and ride. It can get a little cold in the mornings, and it's the best time to do it before the sun beats down on you.

[kjb]

Hey kjb,
I feel you on the heat today. I got a 50mi ride in, but not before the heat index reached some really uncomfortable levels. I felt ok on the ride, but was exhausted once I got home! I've been drinking water all day like its going out of style to replenish, because boy was I sweating like a pig out there . . .


11 pm in Chi and it's still 80 degrees. What's this all about, beloved city? Tomorrow looks like it'll be cooler, but I have been dragging all day from the ride - only 1/3 of my normal distance. Should probably head out a few hours earlier. Maybe it'll actually rain tonight and cut some of this nasty humidity. . .