Labor Day Weekend Rides

[Catrin]

I will start :)

I've been having some slight right hip pain after riding my Gunnar, but not my Jamis. While it is hard to compare the two, at the advice of my fitter I took them both in. He made two teensy tweeks - removed an unneeded washer from my Frog cleats in a very minor tweak to my Q-factor, and raised my saddle 3mm.

Tiny changes...frankly I wasn't hopeful and I do not think he really was either. However...I rode 40 HARD miles this morning and even had a PB in my average speed. No numbness in my hip, no pain. Period. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Nyet.

I did my usual stretches, and there is a hip stretch that has been consistently painful after riding the Gunnar lately - and even THAT was perfectly pain free. I will take it :cool: :D :cool:

[redrhodie]

Good news, Catrin! Hope that's that.

I heart my Sat morning shop ride. I parked at my friend's house and rode to the start from there, so 39 miles. It was especially fun for some reason. Not sure, I think I just felt good.

Maybe it's because I've reset my internal clock so I now wake up early everyday just so I won't be tired on Sat morning. How crazy is that? The weird thing is, I've never slept better in my life. I've been getting like 9 hours a night, which for a borderline insomniac, is heavenly. I'm thinking all these years of not sleeping well were because I was forcing myself to stay awake hoping I'd sleep better if I were really tired. It seems like my body likes to go to bed at 9 pm. I hit the pillow and I'm out. It's awesome.

I wouldn't have figured this out if not for the early ride. I pray it lasts.

[jusdooit]

Did the "usual" Sat. morn group ride. We had so very strong head/cross winds which caused the group to split initially, but we regrouped and stuck together well for the rest of the 38 mile ride. Had some light rain on the return trip which made a few folks decide to push the pace, but overall it was good. Had to get the ride done today as a little storm named Lee will probably make it impossible for the rest of the weekend.

[nscrbug]

80 miles for me today. It was unusually hot and muggy for a Sept morning here today...mid 70's when we started at 6:15am, and got up to 87 (as shown on my Garmin) near the end of the ride. Tomorrow's ride might be a big one (100?) since we are supposed to have a good amount of wind from the NW, and that generally means we do our "northerly" route which often ends up being over 100 miles. Not really looking forward to doing another century, since I just did one 2 weekends ago...but I don't really want to complain about it since I know that in a few short months the snow, ice, and sub-zero temps will end my riding season until next spring. So I'll keep the whining to a minimum and tough out the 100 miles tomorrow. :cool:

[azfiddle]

My DH and I did an organized ride in southeastern Arizona, from the town of Willcox to the base of the Chiracahua Mountains. 65 miles, a little more than 2000 feet of climbing. The start time was pleasantly cool but on the ride back the big climb was miserably hot and the last 8 miles were mostly flat, but windy, hot and humid. We were both really happy to get off the bikes.

Don't know if it from the recent fit changes, but my b*tt was really not happy in the saddle after the middle of the ride and I was squirming a lot.

Still, it was rewarding and I have a shiny medal to show i did it

[Kathi]

Yesterday we did our annual ride up Boreas Pass outside of Breckenridge, Co. The road is an old RR bed, with a hard packed, dirt surface. Cars are allowed on the road but the tourists had not yet arrived so we had the road pretty much to ourselves. Temps were in the mid 60's. We started at approximately 10,000 ft and rode to the top, 11,481 ft. The climb was 3-4% for 6 miles. It took about an hour to reach the top. On the ride down we had beautiful views of Aspen forests and the Breckenridge Ski area. There is still snow at the top of the mountain!

At the top there is an old RR car and several buildings left over from the RR days. The buildings have been restored and are part of the Summit Hut system. Several years ago our ski club rented the hut and we snowshoed the 6 miles to it and spent 3 days there. It was quite an experience.

[Crankin]

On Friday Hirakukibou and I rode; I did 43 miles, some flat, some hilly, and one unexpected patch of soft dirt, stones, etc, with a huge tree truck in the road. We got through it, but it was scary. Pre-holiday traffic was out of control when we got back into Concord, as compared to the rural areas we were in.
Yesterday did a very fast 11 mile ride with DH before we went to the beach. I was hurting.
Today, doing 50 or so, our hilliest local ride, about 3K ft. of climbing.

[ridebikeme]

I returned from our self contained trip yesterday. On Friday, we were heading back from Colebrook New Hampshire and riding Rt 26 south, and of course over Dixfield Notch. I have ridden that route many times, but always from the other side, so this was a special treat. :p

Yesterday we were finished up riding Rt 26 south towards Newry in the rain, but had an incredible time and were very gracious to the compassionate Canandian drivers who were whizing by us!

I'll update my blog within the next day or two if any of you are interested.
http://chasecyclery.blogspot.com

Have a safe weekend everyone!

[Becky]

Friday was a commute day. Yesterday was 50 flat windy miles with DH and our friend S. S. has this issue with eating during exercise and stomach upset and, as a result, he doesn't take in any nutrition on a ride. Makes for an interesting last 10-15 miles every time we ride with him. I/We can't figure out how to convince him to experiment a little with different drinks, gels, and chews and that he's causing a danger to himself and others when he bonks. *sighs*

Today is a day off the bike for yoga, chores, and an REI trip. We'll ride again tomorrow :)

[ridenread]

My road bike is in the shop in need of some minor repairs, so yesterday I took my husband and my old hybrid out on the East Bay bike trail beginning in Bristol. Lots of storm damage along the trail with several trees and lots of debris down. There were also several groups of 10-11 year old boys riding like 10-11 year old boys all over the place. We did about 18 miles then had lunch along the water.

[tangentgirl]

Yesterday I did 40 someodd miles in the local hills. Highlights:


Great weather! Not too hot, not too cold.
Gear adjustment at the LBS and I shifted like butta the rest of the ride.
Free massages at the LBS while I waited.
10 miles of headwinds. d'oh.
teenagers screaming expletives at me out their car window. erg.
old people looking for marineland. it's been closed for almost 25 years. whoops.
the chance to attack some tough uphills and scary downhills. i rocked it.
a beautiful day and a fun ride overall.
a nice hot bath when I got home. highly recommended.

[CyborgQueen]

Did 3-in-1 ride on Saturday.


10 mile ride on my own for warm-up
20 mile Pre-Mike ride with group
20 mi Welcome Back Mike ride


The Welcome back Mike ride - He is my fitter (and the one that told me I should be on a smaller bike size!) - He was in a bike accident from a car (No insurance, no driver's license, no registration...poor Mike...he had to eat up all the costs!) 12 weeks ago, and this is his first ride back...on his SWEET expensive bike...

I needed to put in 50 miles for Century Training...so it was perfect. Very Hilly - 3k+ climbing! The most climbing I've done.

Today - I put in easy 26 miles. I think it's the most I've done in a weekend ever....that I've been riding for 2 years!

[nscrbug]

We rode 100, just as I suspected we would. My nutrition must have been a bit off today, because when I got home I immediately sat down and felt like I was too weak to even stand up. DH suspected that I was dehydrated (and I probably was) but the very thought of drinking water at that moment made me want to gag. So I just sat there, hanging my head between my knees for a while. We had a fairly stiff headwind for more than half of the ride, so I think it just wore me out...along with not drinking enough during the ride. Once I got up and moving again, I took a shower and then actually laid down for a short nap and felt a bit better afterwards. THEN I suddenly got extremely thirsty...like I simply could not get enough water in me no matter what, thirsty.
I've done many 100 mile rides, but this one (and it was a route that we've done many times, too) felt particularly tough and really kicked my @ss. Oh well, I guess we all have bad cycling days once in a awhile. Tomorrow I am planning to take it easy with a much shorter ride.

[Reesha]

I grabbed a peanut butter nutella sandwich for breakfast and then did 2 hours of hill intervals with one of the students on my team. He is FANTASTIC! I am always surprised and thrilled by how genuinely cool and unique my cycling kids are. He just got himself a Bianchi Nirone and is loving it! I'm not sure how effective it was, but we took this 0.3 mile hill spinning and in big gears, alternating every other climb. It was probably only a grade of 6% or so, but nonetheless, got my heart rate going! I am psyched to train :)

Later, I forgot my bike was on top of my car and drove into a mall parking garage. My bike is ok, the shifter got twisted around, but the Thule tray it was in is toast. Whenever I tell my students that failure is an opportunity to learn, I will tell them of this story. Ugh!

[Biciclista]

did a 65 mile ride today, a very warm day; a lot of it was with Susan126. She an incredibly strong rider.

[Crankin]

My ride today was 43 miles, not 50, but it was about 80% humidity. Thankfully, it stayed cloudy and around 73 until we got back at around 1:00. We did some challenging hills, ate lunch on the side of the road at the top of the biggest one, and then rode rather quickly back home. I was exhausted, but glad we got out before the temperature went up to 85, with the humidity.
After our ride we went to the LBS, where I picked up my new road shoes and a pair of new mountain shoes and Frogs for the Guru. I got Shimano shoes in both, as my Sidi road shoes are giving me terrible hot spots. I am sad to see my red shoes be relegated to my "second" pair, but it's driving me nuts.
DH is going to put the Frogs on our Kuotas so we get used to them before we get the Gurus.

[tangentgirl]

Today I rode almost the same route I rode yesterday...on the back of a motorcycle. :)

Ok, that doesn't count, but it was fun.

[redrhodie]

I just did 18 windy miles. It's so humid. I am my own private rain forest. :rolleyes: It was so windy the ride took 7 minutes longer than usual, and I was working! I felt really good, though.

[Becky]

Our planned 40 miles turned into 21 miles. It started raining about 3 minutes after we left the house, so we cut the ride short. However, all was not lost- we stopped at the Italian bakery near our house on the way home :)

[tytbody]

Kathi- love to see pictures of where people ride. I know someone may think awe, who wants to see this. I see it but now I see, how beautiful it is to see someone else's place to ride.

[azfiddle]

25 solo miles this morning- it was cloudy all morning so the temps were quite moderate compared to the rest of the weekend- just in the low 80's. Coffee stop to meet DH after 20 miles, then I rode the last 5 miles home.

[westtexas]

Started out at 58˚F this morning (!!!!) as a cold front came through Sunday. Never thought we would see anything other than the 110˚ heat we've been having all summer in Texas. I rode to work and back, because even though we are closed, I have still have patients to keep an eye on. By the time I got home around 9, it was only 64˚, so I went ahead and donned up for a nice ride on my road bike. I just bought some Castelli knickers in anticipation of my trip to Wisconsin in a month (hopefully it isn't snowing so my brother and I can ride) and I tried them out this morning. Verdict: they're awesome. It was a blustering 20mph steady wind today with gusts in the 30s but I managed to do a 22.48 mile loop with about 3/4 of the time spent in a crosswind or headwind in about an hour and twenty minutes. Usually the wind makes me SO cranky, but today was so beautiful and so cool outside I couldn't help but smile. At each leg of the journey I just said to myself, "You're almost there, Em!"

Wonderful day. I hope this weather keeps up. Sure makes riding to work a whole lot more pleasant!

[Crankin]

Rode 20 miles to check out my Frogs and new Shimano mtb shoes that will be going on the Guru. After putting the pedals on my Kuota, we set off.
It's a good thing I did.
The Frogs were fine, after learning the little extra motion needed to clip in, different from regular Speedplays. After about 5 miles, my feet, under the whole top part/toes were burning. I thought, OK, it is 87 and humid, but still. DH felt a teeny bit of discomfort which went away. When we got home my feet were hurting for 15 minutes after I stopped.
So, first we thought it was the pitiful liners that came in the shoes, as compared to DH's. Mine are the top of the line women's mtb shoe Shimano makes. They don't make the ones DH bought for women. His shoes have a rigid, thicker liner.
But, that wasn't the culprit, although it is part of it. When looking, under the liner, DH found the screws from the cleats pushing up throughout he bottom of the shoe. No wonder my feet hurt! There's 2 screws pushing up against the sole of the shoe! That, plus the crappy liner made me feel it. So, back to the shop I went. The screws are just too long, but they are the ones you have to use with the cleats. Problem was solved by the mechanic cutting them down and then DH just applied epoxy over the plate where the screws are.
I am going to write to Shimano. The LBS owner stated clearly companies do this, because they don't think women will pay the $ to buy the shoes with the more expensive liner. I am betting there are people riding around in pain... Speedplay clearly states these pedals are compatible with Shimano shoes.

[bmccasland]

First time on my road bike, outside, in over a year. The weather is beautiful, so me an the bike went to the Cedar River MUP. I've been approved for flat rides with my "improved" knee. Road approximately 18 miles, in 1hr-20min. Why yes I did see the 10 mph signs :rolleyes:

Felt good to be out. Knee did pretty good, felt a tad odd (there's a cut nerve area), but no pain. Tomorrow I see my PT again and tell her the news.

[Catrin]

Rode 20 miles to check out my Frogs and new Shimano mtb shoes that will be going on the Guru. After putting the pedals on my Kuota, we set off.....
I am going to write to Shimano. The LBS owner stated clearly companies do this, because they don't think women will pay the $ to buy the shoes with the more expensive liner. I am betting there are people riding around in pain... Speedplay clearly states these pedals are compatible with Shimano shoes.

This is really sad they do this. I've given up on Shimano shoes myself as they are generally too wide for me. I love my Mavic mtb shoes - outside of the color (WHITE mountain bike shoes? Really?) I do look forward to eventually using my mountain bike cleats, pedals, and shoes on the actual mountain bike :cool:


First time on my road bike, outside, in over a year. The weather is beautiful, so me an the bike went to the Cedar River MUP. I've been approved for flat rides with my "improved" knee. Road approximately 18 miles, in 1hr-20min. Why yes I did see the 10 mph signs :rolleyes:

Felt good to be out. Knee did pretty good, felt a tad odd (there's a cut nerve area), but no pain. Tomorrow I see my PT again and tell her the news.

Congratulations on the road - whooo hooooooo! I remember the agony of being off the bike for almost 4 months...

Since I rode 40 miles Saturday, and planned on mountain biking today, yesterday I just went for a hike. Good thing I did because my right glute started cramping while hiking :confused:

Today I spent a full 3 hours mountain biking, and I felt much better on the trails today than ever! Lots of fun, though was shocked at the number of people I saw on the trails without helmets. It was also obvious they didn't really know what they were doing, which had me concerned for their heads :eek:

[redrhodie]

Congratulations, Beth!

[Biciclista]

here's my trip report for our ride yesterday

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showpost.php?p=599823&postcount=55

I hope you find it interesting.

[Catrin]

here's my trip report for our ride yesterday

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showpost.php?p=599823&postcount=55

I hope you find it interesting.

Wow - thanks for sharing this, you were awesome! Hot rides are so hard...

[Crankin]

Catrin, I agree, I dislike the white shoe trend. Both my new road and mtb shoes are white... for me, who scuffs up and ruins cycling shoes quite easily, I fought this. At least they are not pink.
The Shimano shoes fit me perfectly. I don't have wide feet, but my left foot is half a size bigger and has a small bunion. I need a wide toe box. Plus, not a lot of companies make women's shoes in my size. Well, the shoes are fixed, the epoxy is dried, and new Frog cleats are installed in my winter cycling boots and Keen sandals. DH convinced me to keep the Frogs on my road bike until I can test out the shoes again. Looks like it might not be until late Thursday or Friday, as rain is moving in. I actually feel like I need a break from riding and this will force me.

[Catrin]

Catrin, I agree, I dislike the white shoe trend. Both my new road and mtb shoes are white... for me, who scuffs up and ruins cycling shoes quite easily, I fought this. At least they are not pink.

The Shimano shoes fit me perfectly. I don't have wide feet, but my left foot is half a size bigger and has a small bunion. I need a wide toe box. Plus, not a lot of companies make women's shoes in my size. Well, the shoes are fixed, the epoxy is dried, and new Frog cleats are installed in my winter cycling boots and Keen sandals. DH convinced me to keep the Frogs on my road bike until I can test out the shoes again. Looks like it might not be until late Thursday or Friday, as rain is moving in. I actually feel like I need a break from riding and this will force me.

My LBS staff tells me that men want white shoes, women do NOT want white shoes, and what color shoes are delivered by the bike shoe companies? White for women and not for men. It was an interesting conversation and it appeared to be a little frustrating for them.

I am sorry that you've had this problem with the shoes and cleats. I do think you will like them, and glad you were able to discover/solve the problem so quickly!

[tzvia]

When we got home my feet were hurting for 15 minutes after I stopped.
So, first we thought it was the pitiful liners that came in the shoes, as compared to DH's. Mine are the top of the line women's mtb shoe Shimano makes. They don't make the ones DH bought for women. His shoes have a rigid, thicker liner.
But, that wasn't the culprit, although it is part of it. When looking, under the liner, DH found the screws from the cleats pushing up throughout he bottom of the shoe. No wonder my feet hurt! There's 2 screws pushing up against the sole of the shoe! That, plus the crappy liner made me feel it. So, back to the shop I went. The screws are just too long, but they are the ones you have to use with the cleats. Problem was solved by the mechanic cutting them down and then DH just applied epoxy over the plate where the screws are.
I am going to write to Shimano. The LBS owner stated clearly companies do this, because they don't think women will pay the $ to buy the shoes with the more expensive liner. I am betting there are people riding around in pain... Speedplay clearly states these pedals are compatible with Shimano shoes.

Oh man, you are sooo right. When I went looking for new Shimano MTB shoes late last year (the Shimano shoes fit my feet well with the wider toebox compared to SIDI), none of their 'WSD' shoes were anywhere as nice as the mens shoes. So I tried on a pair of Shimano mens shoes, a carbon soled, heat moldable model, and fell in love. They don't make that in WSD, what gives? I bought them, and had them vacuum molded to my feet. Heaven. Plus the women's shoes were white. A white MTB shoe. My last pair of white mtb shoes looked like crap in a week. What are they thinking.

On my road shoes, I have to thank Specialized for realizing that women want good shoes. I bought their 'Pro' model earlier this year, and it is a top notch shoe. Ok, it's white, but this is a road shoe and I am good with it. They came with their good insoles and are well made. I don't find the straps on their MTB shoes comfortable (too narrow and the anchor for the ratchet pressures a bone) or I would have bought them.

As for your cleat/screw issue, that's weird. Usually MTB soles are thicker than road soles and the screws should fit...

You can get really nice footbeds from Louis Garneau (heat moldable) and Specialized (different amounts of varus wedge) and others, for your shoes. I used the Louis Garneau ones on my previous WSD Shimano MTB shoes; they were easy to mold to my feet

[Biciclista]

I have the red SIDI dominator MTB shoes. I love them. I don't know what I will do when I need new ones; I sure don't want blue and WHITE would be gross.. and black is so... black.

[tzvia]

Four days off and I finally get a chance to ride. Yesterday, some food attacked me, oh I was sick. By last night I started feeling better and the fluids were staying in- so I tried to rehydrate some for today and did a 2 hr MTB ride in Agoura Hills. There were lots of MTBers and hikers so I was not expecting to see any wildlife larger than a bee, but as I stopped to rest a moment and drink- I looked up to see 3 deer staring at me from maybe 25 yards away. It took a moment to register as I was not expecting it. Two does and a big male- next to a downed tree. I just stared at them for a moment, then decided to get going again. When I got back on the bike, they spooked but only ran maybe 10 yards and one of the does stopped under a tree. OK, I should take a picture (boy, you are slow today Tzvia). So I get the phone out of my pack, and take one quick shot as the doe is skiddish, but the camera is set for deep shade as I last used it in deep shade. Ok the picture sucks, so I quickly change the setting but the deer are gone... Sigh. Usually I only see crows, rabbits, rattlers and bugs, and never saw a big male deer with full headgear before in these hills.
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/k607/Tzvia2/deer.jpg

See I told you the picture sucked.

[nscrbug]

Today we rode 61 miles. Quite chilly this morning (52 when we rolled off), with a strong (15-20) headwind. I actually broke out the knickers and long-sleeved jersey...an earband under my helmet and a layering glove on top of my cycling gloves. That was a big change from the sleeveless jersey and shorts I wore on Saturday & Sunday.

To comment on the shoe thing...my Northwaves are silver, and that is one of the reasons I chose to buy them. I did not want a white shoe. I would have been okay with black, but when I saw the silver ones...that sealed the deal for me.

[RubyTuesday]

Today I did my first 40 mile ride. I am so happy! I know, I know, newbie. But I have only been at this six weeks and if someone told me six weeks ago that I would do a 40 mile ride, I would have said they were nuts!

Great day, good fun and fun people!

[nscrbug]

Today I did my first 40 mile ride. I am so happy! I know, I know, newbie. But I have only been at this six weeks and if someone told me six weeks ago that I would do a 40 mile ride, I would have said they were nuts!

Great day, good fun and fun people!

Congrats on your milestone ride! :cool:

[Veronica]

Rode Mt Diablo plus a half. 4800 feet of climbing in 24 miles. Felt like a descending machine just flowing through the corners - came close to hitting 40 mph - 38.8. Fast is fun!

Veronica

[Kathi]

Kathi- love to see pictures of where people ride. I know someone may think awe, who wants to see this. I see it but now I see, how beautiful it is to see someone else's place to ride.

Thanks, I love showing off this beautiful state of Colorado. It's why I live here.

[RubyTuesday]

Thanks nscrbug! It was a fun day.

You are my hero, Veronica.

[BC2COCyclist]

I only rode to Walgreens and back :( to pick up a photo of our cat that just died. Having a 7 year old means I can only ride for a short amount of time and only when DH can stay with the baby. Blargh.

[DebW]

I got in a 44 mile ride yesterday, first longer ride for a few weeks. I arranged to meet a friend on the Nashua River Rail Trail at 9:30 am, so I left at 7:40 and rode the 20 miles to Groton. Very little traffic, so a great ride and a good average speed. Got there early enough to ride 3 miles south down the path and back before my friend arrived. Then we rode north to the end of the rail trail in NH, took a break by a pond, and rode back. I got a ride car home with lunch on the way. Then spent some time making her hybrid bike fit better, including cutting down the bars that were much too wide. When she was happy with the fit, we rode to a local ice cream place and she was delighted with the improvements.

[limewave]

We went camping this weekend and did a lot of mountain biking. Every day was pretty much the same:
1) sleep in (as much as little children will let you)
2) make giant pot of coffee and eat saucer-size blueberry pancakes slathered with Peanut Butter
3) get the children kitted-up and do some family trail-riding
4) 20+ miles of single-track while the men watched the kids
5) afternoon family time
6) dinner around the fire and s'mores with the kids while the men did some night riding

My new Trek Superfly Elite is AWESOME! I LOVE IT!

SO. MUCH. FUN. And below is a picture of my little hero. So incredibly proud of her. I did some of my best riding ever this weekend because I was so inspired by my 5 year old attacking log piles half her size and whoop-de-doos without hesitation.

[Catrin]

I know a 5 year old who drops me on a beginners trail ;) It is awesome she got over that log, I would walk that!

It looks like you had loads of fun!

[Norse]

Leaving from home, as is usual, I did an easy 28 mile ride yesterday mostly on trails - Cedar Lake trail to the river, south along the river road, back west on the Midtown Greenway then to the Kenilworth and back on Cedar. A beautiful day. The day before I took Katy dog for a short one-hour hike along Minnehaha Creek. She's 10 now, and slower, but she still loves her hikes and loves getting in the water - she jumped in 6 times Sunday and looked like she was smiling every time. (This photo clearly is not from Sunday) :)

13688

[tytbody]

Dang GreaseMonkey.You da bomb.

[tytbody]

TVZIA - tiss still a good shot. I can see the deer:)

LIMEWAVE - Sweet. Great shot of her doing it. So you can tell her she has been doing it since age 5

[Kathi]

Yesterday we did our annual ride up Boreas Pass outside of Breckenridge, Co. The road is an old RR bed, with a hard packed, dirt surface. Cars are allowed on the road but the tourists had not yet arrived so we had the road pretty much to ourselves. Temps were in the mid 60's. We started at approximately 10,000 ft and rode to the top, 11,481 ft. The climb was 3-4% for 6 miles. It took about an hour to reach the top. On the ride down we had beautiful views of Aspen forests and the Breckenridge Ski area. There is still snow at the top of the mountain!

At the top there is an old RR car and several buildings left over from the RR days. The buildings have been restored and are part of the Summit Hut system. Several years ago our ski club rented the hut and we snowshoed the 6 miles to it and spent 3 days there. It was quite an experience.

I forgot to add, we had to ride this trail this past weekend because there soon will be SNOW up there. Predictions for light accumulation this week in the mountains!

[Melalvai]

I feel guilty that I'm posting my story without having read the 4 pages of everyone else's stories! :o

We went to my parents' in Kansas this weekend. My dad said "We'll bike the Flint Hills Nature Trail, south of Topeka. We've got plenty of bikes around here, you don't even need to bring a bike." Ha ha. I brought my bike anyway. But my daughter Nell decided to leave hers at home, and I unwisely went with that. Here's the thing. My dad is 6 feet tall. My mom is 5 feet tall. They each have two bikes. My brother and his girlfriend also have at least 2 bikes each-- they are both super tall too. Nell and I are lots taller than Mom, lots shorter than everyone else, and pretty close to the same height.

The day before our ride, I looked at the options for Nell and realized we might have trouble. I've ridden Dad's commuter bike before, and it's not lovely but it's not horrible. I was able to lower the seat enough that it seemed to fit, at least in the basement not actually going anywhere. I said "We should take it for a test ride before tomorrow" but we didn't end up having time to do that.

So off we went to Vassar, Kansas. The trail conditions were not good, at least, not as good as the Katy Trail that we are used to. There was some almost sandy stuff that grabbed at our tires, and it was dumped in the middle and sloped out toward the sides. After a couple miles, Nell was walking her bike more than anything else. She said her arms hurt. I looked at her on the bike and saw how much she had to stretch to reach the handlebar. It looked horribly uncomfortable.

Then Dad started this game of musical bikes, trying her out on every single bike. The logical thing would be for me to switch bikes with her, because I know my bike would fit her--if we could lower the seat. Neither Dad nor I had brought a multitool. That's probably the first time in ages I've been caught without a multitool. I always have one! I don't know why I left it at home this time. We got the seat on Mom's bike high enough for Nell, but she had to stoop so much to reach the handlebar on Mom's little 13" bike! Nell and I were ready to give up, when a couple rode past. "Do you have a multitool?" we asked. They did, and we adjusted my bike for her.

After that we had a good ride-- though it wasn't long before I was remembering why I don't like to ride Dad's commuter. It's just so uncomfortable. But the wind was neither a headwind nor a tailwind, just a reasonable crosswind, and the temperature was PERFECT, and the sun shone but didn't burn me.

Here are the lessons from this ride. Some of them I already knew, but they were reinforced.
1) Bike fit is the most important factor to an enjoyable ride. Well, bike fit, and appropriate clothes. Well, bike fit, appropriate clothes, and a bike in good repair...
2) Bike fit is about so much more than seat height.
3) Always carry a multitool (in addition to a flat kit). And know how to use it.
4) When planning to use a bike you haven't ridden lately, try it out before the ride.
http://www.kemenel.org/melalvai/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/100_4578-300x225.jpg
Dad on his big bike

http://www.kemenel.org/melalvai/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/100_4583-300x225.jpg
Mom on her little bike

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Resting in the shade