March outdoor rides - let's drop the Lion! [Archive] - Women's Cycling Discussion Forums

Fredwina

03-02-2014, 04:10 AM

Fredwina I noticed you have a sea sucker bike carrier. I am thinking of getting one since my car cannot take a trunk rack.
How do you like yours?
I've only had it for a week, and with it still being winter, I don't have that much experience with it(That was my second time)
Yes, it works. I usually take a sponge cloth and dampen the cups and car. I do have to mount the bike a little crooked to get enough space on the bumper for the mount to stick. The 500 has enough curvature on the roof that mount won't stick there, plus I have a sunroof.
The Q/R is a little Fussy, but it's a stock Delta unit. The only other thing I'd warn about which they don't cover is that you need to keep your car clean - dirt will cause the mount not to stick.

nuliajuk

03-02-2014, 05:14 AM

Yesterday morning was -39º C (about the same in ºF, I think) with -48º C (-54º F) wind chill. Right now it's -32 with wind chill of about -42. Where's the smiley for shivering uncontrollably? I think it will be a while before we'll be riding outdoors, and we're getting a bit tired of our stack of trainer dvds. :(

hikeandbike

03-02-2014, 08:18 AM

I've only had it for a week, and with it still being winter, I don't have that much experience with it(That was my second time)
Yes, it works. I usually take a sponge cloth and dampen the cups and car. I do have to mount the bike a little crooked to get enough space on the bumper for the mount to stick. The 500 has enough curvature on the roof that mount won't stick there, plus I have a sunroof.
The Q/R is a little Fussy, but it's a stock Delta unit. The only other thing I'd warn about which they don't cover is that you need to keep your car clean - dirt will cause the mount not to stick.

Thank you. With all the mills and what not around here my car is dirty 30 minutes after it is washed. I guess I will stick to cramming it in the back seat.

ny biker

03-02-2014, 02:06 PM

Two Sundays in a row now I have tried and failed to ride my bike. Last week the directions to the group ride start were wrong and everyone else had already left by the time I got there and the ride leader did not leave extra cue sheets on her windshield and I didn't know the area well enough to ride there without a cue sheet.

Today I got a late start (overslept and stomach felt not great when I woke up). Three different weather forecast sources indicated it would start to rain during the afternoon, but not until 4:00 or so, so I still had time for a short ride. I drove east to a park in a rural part of Maryland that's about 45 minutes away by car, because the rain was moving NW to SE so I figured it would hit later in that part of Maryland than it would closer to home. I realized I left the cue sheet home but unlike last weekend I was in an area that I know well, so I could ride without it. I started to ride at 2:20. Two minutes later it started to rain. So much for those weather forecasts. Then I went over a bump and the nose of my saddle tilted up. (This Bontrager saddle has carbon rails. If you use the recommended torque wrench to tighten the clamp, it will not be tight enough and will shift when you hit a bump.) While I was trying to re-level the saddle, it started to rain harder so I gave up and headed back to the park. While driving home, I mistakenly got on the highway going the wrong way. So I basically spent the afternoon driving around, with a short break for a 4-mile bike ride.

Both today and last Sunday I wore a new Smartwool microweight zip-top long sleeved base layer. I have decided this top is bad luck for bike rides. Next time I will go back to my old Sugoi base layers. Of course I don't know when that will be, since we are going to get a foot of snow tomorrow, on top of sleet and freezing rain, and then it will be below freezing for four days so nothing will melt. Even if it does warm up next weekend, there will be large piles of melting snow and ice everywhere.

On a positive note, I now know that my stylish red Gore Windstopper Ultra Light jacket is waterproof as well as stylish, and I continue to be pleased with the combination of Sugoi Subzero tights, DeFeet Woolie Boolie socks and LG neoprene booties for cycling in temperatures between 40-50F.

I usually find that I have one or two rides each year where some kind of bad luck -- unexpected bad weather, flat tire, etc. -- causes me to end the ride way earlier than planned. I hope I've now gotten all that bad luck out of the way, and that things will go well from here on.

In the meantime, I have to figure out how to shovel a foot of snow layered over ice using a snow shovel that cracked the last time we had snow layered over ice.

How I long for the days of mosquito bites and itchy eyes from tree pollen...

katluvr

03-02-2014, 05:57 PM

So everyone will be envious of my weekend. Nice spring weather here in FL. I rode a leisurely 23 or so miles yesterday and then 30 miles today including a "hilly" stretch in another county. It was a bit chilly (for me) both days at the start, but a glorious 70 degrees later in the ride with the sun shining and blue skies. Very happy to get 2 days in a row on the bike!

emily_in_nc

03-02-2014, 06:07 PM

26.5 miles today. 55F at start, 62F at end -- wore tights, long-sleeve jersey, and vest, which I shed part-way through. Hilly ride, light wind, very pretty day. Legs burning!

azfiddle

03-02-2014, 08:21 PM

First ride since last Sunday- just the usual ride to Saguaro NP and back, plus the loop drive and extra trip out to the picnic ground, so it was a bit longer than usual (27 miles). Still cool in the aftermath of our first rain in months, so I had arm warmers and a windbreaker part of the time, but just a jersey part of the time. The air was crisp and clean, blue sky with puffy white clouds and snow on the mountains. It was just beautiful out.

ny biker

03-08-2014, 05:53 PM

Woo hoo! Great ride today. I lead a 35-mile club ride in a beautiful rural part of Maryland. The weather was great -- sunny with temps rising from 50 to 60 during the ride. The roads were clear despite Monday's snow and Tuesday's cold. There were seven of us, plus a man who wanted to ride the route at a slower pace behind us. At the rest stop we met other club members who had started a longer ride in the same area an hour before us. It was fun.

I must say, I was tired out before the ride was over. With Daylight Saving Time starting tonight, I was hoping to get back to my weekly post-work ride this Wednesday, but the weather forecast indicates a coastal storm that day. So I will have to force myself to ride the indoor trainer. I've been finding excuses not to lately, but I'm tentatively planning to do a metric century at the end of April and the only way to ramp up to that is to ride more than once a week starting now.

azfiddle

03-09-2014, 10:30 AM

Yesterday was about doing a few hills- rode with my husband and a friend out to a steep hill on the east side of Tucson, then came back for a special climbing clinic with the visiting Vanderkittens pro team at the base of Mt. Lemmon. I got in 40 miles altogether. It was fun- thought not much new information except to spend time with my hands more on top of the bar while climbing. I'm still slow... but it was fun.

Then we went downtown in the evening and sat in on the pre-race meeting, watched the girls race in the Criterium here and sat in on the post-race discussion. It was an interesting window into the racing world. BTW- the race was won by one of the Optum team who nearly lapped the field, but one of the VK riders came in 5th.

rebeccaC

03-09-2014, 05:48 PM

A perfect day of riding in the Santa Monica Mountains. 6 hours of hard climbing, twisty roads, great descents and ending with ocean breezes… and weather in the 80’s. I love living here!!

Spent Saturday photographing an annual Native American Pow Wow on an ancient burial site found while doing construction on the CSU Long Beach campus. The many conversations during the day gave me a look into a spirituality that is an integral and seamless part of their very being. I used the feelings of those conversations to help on some of today’s climbs!

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3747/13022768013_471db031f2_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/100062844@N06/13022768013/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7355/13022578535_5a0d0792b5_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/100062844@N06/13022578535/)

emily_in_nc

03-12-2014, 09:33 PM

Been riding 5x a week here in southern Arizona. Today was windy, but not as bad as Sunday, which I took as a day off. DH rode and said the wind was brutal. It's been gorgeous weather -- generally around 65 when we head out at 10:30 am or so and low 70s by the end of the ride. My rides have been in the 25-35 mile range, which is perfect for me. I really don't care for really looooonnnnng rides.

Thanks to spending the winter in warmer climes, I've put in more miles for this time than any year ever. Tomorrow I should hit 1000 miles (all outdoor). Woo-hoo! I am sure I'll be slowing down at the end of the month, though, as we head back to KC and then onward in future travels. It's nice to start the year with a bang, though. :D

ny biker

03-13-2014, 10:05 AM

Many of us are envying you, Emily.

My post-work outdoor ride got rained out last night. I was actually okay with that, because I thought the rain would be heavy and would therefore wash the salt from the roads and from my car. But no, this winter is determined to be a pest for as long as possible. The rain was not that heavy, it mixed with the salt to create a dirty white schmutz on the roads, which sprayed all over the car while I drove home from work. I could barely see out the windshield. Then the temperature plummeted overnight, so this morning I was standing outside in a <10 degree wind chill trying to clean the headlights. And the roads are still all white from salt.

I had to clean my bike after last weekend's ride, even though I used fenders on both tires. Now I will need the fenders again for this weekend's ride, and will have to clean the bike again when I'm done.

To make matters worse, there is a chance of snow again on Monday, which of course means more salt on the roads. If we don't get a good soaking rain to clear it all away, I may have to stop riding outside, because it irritates my eyes and throat and when it's really thick it causes asthma problems.

azfiddle

03-14-2014, 09:19 PM

I've been out on my bike every day this week while I'm on my spring break. Longest ride was only about 28 miles, but it adds up.

Mostly my regular rides out to Saguaro National Park and the base of Mt. Lemmon. The brittlebush are in bloom right now- gorgeous yellow everywhere.

Today's ride was more of an adventure though. Wednesday I realized my chain had over 3000 miles and thought I should get it checked. Thursday it seemed like shifting wasn't going right, but hadn't gotten it in to the shop. Today-- I started on the 8 mile one-way loop at Saguaro National Park and as I started the series of rollers, I realized I was no longer able to get into all my gears. Suddenly, I only had ONE gear in the back :eek:

Fortunately for me, I was still able to shift the front into both chain rings and I was stuck in the next to lowest gear. Good thing, as there is a mile+ climb that starts around 5 miles into the loop and I am almost always in the lowest gear. Today, I rode it in the 2nd lowest gear. But did a lot of coasting on the downhill.

I took it to the bike shop and the cable was shredded inside the mechanism that the hoods cover up. First they were talking major tune-up, replace all the cables and housings, replace the bar tape, check that chain.. OMG I was seeing $$$ and they told me they were so busy they wouldn't get to it until Weds. Not so bad if I was working next week, but that would be 5 days off in prime cycling weather. I left with a sad face ...

But then the shop called and they fixed the cable, saved the bar tape, didn't need to replace the chain... $24.01. Picked it up at closing time on the same day. Wow- I gave them a couple of my cds from my old band as a "tip"- that was all I could think of but I was so happy about how it turned out.

So now I can ride tomorrow and all next week :D

BikeDutchess

03-15-2014, 10:10 AM

Last weekend we did the Skinny Tire Festival in Moab. Fantastic weekend, with great weather! We did the 2-day version. First day went to Dead Horse Point. In past years we had done the shortened version of that ride, but this year DH had his heart set on riding from town (despite our lack of winter conditioning - longest ride this year was only 18 miles!). It was hard, but so worth it! 70 miles (including the commute from our hotel) and about 4000 feet of climbing according to my Garmin, more climbing than I had ever done. And we were rewarded by this gorgeous view:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7405/13089643174_af0c4b679e_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/48330200@N04/13089643174/)
Cyclist overlooking Dead Horse Point (http://www.flickr.com/photos/48330200@N04/13089643174/) by DutchRosie (http://www.flickr.com/people/48330200@N04/), on Flickr

Luckily we still had the legs for the next day, which was only 53 miles with much less climbing, but also gorgeous, along the Colorado River (scenic Hwy 128).

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3821/13170577285_c78a3f5d01_n.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/48330200@N04/13170577285/)
By Moab Action Shots (http://moabactionshots.com/)

Crankin

03-15-2014, 01:15 PM

Yay, I can post here. First ride of the year, 19.5 miles with 1,052 feet of climbing. Slow, but I'm on my way. It was really nice out, 55 when we started, but really windy. Of course just after DH commented that the roads were in pretty good shape, we got on a series of 2 roads that were just full of puddles, snow melt, and mud. For awhile, it felt like mountain biking. After that, the roads were good, but the sun went in while we were riding through the water, and I was a little wet and nicely spattered with mud. The sun did come back out, I made it up the hill, and up my driveway, but that one had me going 5 mph.
On our way out, our driveway neighbors were also coming back from their first outdoor ride of the year. THey are 15 years younger, she's a spin/boot camp instructor and he's a triathlete. They were walking their bikes up the driveway and swearing as we were riding down :).
Guru got a nice bath when we got home and now I am going to do the same.

ny biker

03-15-2014, 03:15 PM

You ladies are posting some really great pictures here. I should take more photos during my rides.

We had another good ride today. I led a club ride again, starting at the same place as the ride I lead last weekend, but using a totally different route. It was chilly at the start, cloudy and in the mid 50s, but like clockwork the sun came out just as we started to ride, and it was up to 68 when we finished. We rode 37 miles in all. It was an exploratory ride for me, a chance to check out some roads near a park-and-ride lot that I'd like to use as a ride start for some new routes. We also explored a couple of residential areas on the Chesapeake Bay.

Due to the chill at the start I was wearing a wool cap, windproof gloves, my Subzero tights and neoprene booties. By the first rest stop (after 9 miles) I was able to take off the cap and gloves. At the second rest stop I took off the booties, so this was my first ride without any shoe covers since last September. Though I felt I would have been comfortable with lighter tights (or capris or knee warmers), I didn't feel uncomfortably warm in the Subzero tights. I have problems with cold legs and feet (more than most people, it seems) and these tights keep me comfortable with temps in the mid-40s, so I'm impressed that I'm okay with them when it warms up. I was also happy with my Gore Ultralight jacket -- I wore it for the whole ride, and it was more than I needed near the end, but I didn't feel uncomfortable or get really sweaty while wearing it.

And now we prepare for snow Sunday night into Monday. Still, I left my floor pump in the car after today's ride, in the hopes that I'll be able to do an outdoor ride after work later this week.

Fredwina

03-15-2014, 03:24 PM

Probably should have ridden today, but didn't. Still too icy, and I'm a little blue. knew I should have gone to the mall and walked.

emily_in_nc

03-15-2014, 04:26 PM

azfiddle, I now know that climb at Saguaro NP well, and you were very lucky you didn't get stuck with only a high gear! That would be a loooooong walk.

Glad things all turned out good for you re. the bike repair. My chain is getting stretched too and getting a new one is at the top of my list!

ny biker

03-15-2014, 05:27 PM

Probably should have ridden today, but didn't. Still too icy, and I'm a little blue. knew I should have gone to the mall and walked.

Maybe tomorrow? Feel better. The ice should be gone soon.

emily_in_nc

03-16-2014, 09:10 AM

ny biker

03-16-2014, 10:08 AM

I've been riding nearly every day here in southern AZ, as mentioned, but now that it's March, the winds have increased considerably. My February rides were mostly fun, with light winds. Now it's a battle every day. Temps are fine, sunshine is great, but oh, the wind. I thought riding at N. Padre Island in January was hard with the wind there, but this is every bit as challenging.

Ugh...wind.

We rain into a headwind in the last few miles of my ride yesterday. All the other riders were ahead of me, except one. Since I was the ride leader, I stopped at an intersection to let the last rider catch up. When he caught up, he stopped too, and we took an impromptu break. We were both tired and just not feeling like fighting the wind.

We finished the ride together, reminiscing about days past when we had other struggles finishing rides on that same road, due to extreme heat and injuries. Sometimes you eat the bear, sometimes the bear eats you.

azfiddle

03-16-2014, 12:09 PM

SheFly

03-17-2014, 05:31 AM

With the glorious weather here on Saturday (sunny and temps in the low 50s), I went out for a training ride with the boys on the team. As Crankin' said, the roads here are a pot-holed mess, so you definitely need to be careful, especially when riding in a paceline at speed :eek:. Luckily, no flats. I managed to hang with the boys until we got to Harvard - they were going to go and try the new race course loop at speed (we lost a road race in Sterling, MA this year, but are getting a new one in Harvard in its place). I rode back with one other teammate, and finished with just about 58 miles and 2900 ft (nothing compared to riding fat bikes in Maine!).

Unfortunately, yesterday was a bit cooler. Ok, it was cold. Temps never got much above 30 during the day so in addition to the pot holes, we were also watching for ice on the roads. Went out with the boys again, but we all struggled with the most god-awful wind. It seemed we rode into a headwind no matter which direction we went. Managed another 57 miles and 2600 ft, and then spent the remainder of the day on my couch. Yup - we must be heading into race season...

SheFly

Becky

03-17-2014, 07:26 AM

2 rides this weekend- hooray! Saturday was a flat ride along the canal path on the MTB. 26 miles, and it was warm, sunny, and windy. So nice! On Sunday, I did a solo ride while DH did boy stuff. I ended up with 27 miles and 2300 feet of climbing. At one point in that ride, I was averaging 95'/mile of elevation gain :eek:, but it felt so good to get out, even if it was colder than Saturday and I was underdressed.

Sky King

03-18-2014, 07:35 AM

We had a fantastic Wandering Wheels Idaho Desert Ride on Sunday. Per usual we started with a loose plan in mind and ventured off course :) One of my riding buddies titled the ride "page 64" in honor of a new book about roads and trails in and around the Owyhee Wilderness area. We really did start out following the directions but ended up in a great spot she also named "little lost indians" here are a few shots, one is a rock we decided looked like the Indian Head Nickel.16981169821698316984 The only downside for me was I really need to learn how to fall better, Two dumb crashes, one I was trying to do a favor and pick up a multi tool someone dropped and the other was due to coming off a dirt road onto a gravel road to fast, both time I feel on my left side which is my bad knee side so am paying for it with swollen and stiff knee, ugh.

emily_in_nc

03-19-2014, 10:21 AM

Emily- I started a ride yesterday and turned around much earlier than planned. I couldn't fathom riding into the headwind for another two hours, and then playing at the St. Patrick's Day festival (also outside and in the wind). Took the tailwind home.

Don't blame you a bit. It was nearly blowing me off the road a couple of days ago and easier going uphill (with a tailwind) than downhill with a headwind. Yesterday not quite as bad.

This would be a perfect time to mountain bike in the woods, shielded from the wind. However, DH is training hard for a possible cross-country tour this summer, so road bikes it is. I'm not riding nearly as many miles as he is, but I'm putting in five rides a week, which is a lot more than usual for me.

Crankin

03-19-2014, 02:22 PM

Second ride of the season. G-d, I am slow. But, nothing hurt today and I was dressed correctly! By the time I got out, a bit after 1:00, it was cloudy, but the sun peeked out near the end of the ride. It was about 44, no wind, and I didn't have as much water in the road as on Saturday. The town has nicely filled in the horrendous potholes, but, unfortunately, they are covered up in kind of a "lumpy" way,that I don't want to ride over. I think they may settle in once the temperatures even out. Saw a few riders, all going the other way, which means no one passed me. At this point, I feel like I can barely make it up my driveway, but, I am forcing myself. Did my regular loop, not the short one, about 15.5 miles. All the climbing is in the first half, until I get back to my street.
Onward. It's supposed to be near 60 tomorrow, DH is working from home, so we'll go out when I get home, around noon.

rebeccaC

03-20-2014, 01:51 AM

The VP I work directly for wanted to take two days to get away from the office, do some riding and photography and when not that think about and work through strategies for a couple of new bids and a new project. When she interviewed me cycling was a much longer subject than it should have been for an interview and I kinda knew my chances had gone up.
We went around 40 miles north of Joshua Tree NP and rode part of the Ca. portion of the old Route 66. Good desert riding with very little traffic, temps in the 60 to 70 range, little wind and a good sense of isolation. Yesterday we worked in the morning rode 52 miles and worked again later. Today we rode some side roads for 42 miles in the morning, worked and then had dinner and came back to LA.

Part of the road between Essex and Amboy on Route 66

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7309/13281297145_07fdb5a40c_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/meC7VP)

Sky King

03-20-2014, 06:15 AM

RebeccaC sounds like a perfect way to get some work done. Looks awesome!

BikeDutchess

03-20-2014, 10:31 AM

I like that VP!

azfiddle

03-20-2014, 04:11 PM

Rebecca- neat picture. How were the wildflowers?

I've ridden every day this week: wore our Irish jerseys for a quick 16 miles on St. Patrick's day before gigs, quick trips to Saguaro NP Tuesday and Wednesday, and today rode the very long way via Pistol Hill (southeast of Tucson) to my classroom with a friend. Took her to lunch at the Thai restaurant and she generously helped spend about 2 hours organizing and sorting papers to be filed and recycled. That's a really good friend!!

43 miles, perfect 70's with almost no wind and very thin cloud cover. We saw lots of wildflowers everywhere. These are ones I noted from the ride: brittlebush, desert marigold, Parry penstemon, desert chicory, paper flower, desert zinnia, lupines, phacelias, creosote, fiddleneck, popcorn flower, Streptanthus (common name??), fairy duster, some little yellow mustards, desert globe mallow and prickly poppy. Plus I got a look at a circling hawk that seems to have been an out of place Gray Hawk- usually found in riparian areas where there are some cottonwoods, but this was over dry and not too vegetated Pantano Wash. Other birds noted- Pyrrhuloxia, Phainopepla, Mockingbird, Curve-billed thrasher, Gila Woodpecker, Red-tailed Hawk, Mourning Dove, Black-throated Sparrow.

emily_in_nc

03-20-2014, 07:27 PM

I've ridden four days in a row -- 25, 33, 36, and 35 miles. Today was down to Nogales, AZ (with a view of Nogales, Mexico) from Patagonia. VERY hilly but beautiful ride, and some of the best highway shoulder (wide, smooth) ever. Tomorrow I take a well-earned day off the bike, but I am feeling really good, and DH says I'm riding the strongest he's seen me since my accident in 2005. I've certainly put in the most miles in an early season in 10 years. Not bad for an almost 53-year old!
16987

Biciclista

03-21-2014, 06:38 PM

hopped on the bike finally on this lovely spring day and got in about 8 miles. I have been very distracted by life and haven't ridden much so far this year. It got to the point that I was afraid of getting back on the bike. Of course, once I actually got on the bike, it was like riding a bike.

Veronica

03-21-2014, 07:30 PM

Nice to see you back Mimi!

Veronica

ny biker

03-21-2014, 08:01 PM

jobob

03-21-2014, 09:08 PM

Lee & I took a midweek trip down to Pacific Grove. Our hotel was near Asilomar, great riding around there. On Thursday we rode thru Pacific Grove, past Cannery Row in Monterey and headed north up the coastal trail towards Seaside, and back, ~25 miles. It was great being there midweek in the off season, riding by Cannery Row there were hardly any tourists or pedicabs to dodge.

We stopped a lot to admire the scenery.

16988

Crankin

03-22-2014, 11:13 AM

Third outdoor ride of the year. Thought it might have to be a trainer day, but the impending rain has been pushed back a bit. DH and I did what we call our flat loop. Well, it's the flattest out the door loop we can do. Several false flats and little rises, though. The temperature went up, the sun came out, and I felt good I was wearing my rain jacket, to ward away the rain. I just inherited DH's Garmin, as he bought a new one, so I had my first ride with that.
DH wanted to go slowly, and guess I am kind of glad he made me go slowly, too. I did not want to pull him for 20 miles, into a stiff wind. Hence, I actually feel good, after the ride! But, I am getting antsy to ramp it up, which always comes back to bite me in the zzz.
It started sprinkling as soon as we turned onto our street, which actually felt good, as I was definitely overdressed a bit. Sun is out again, after a short shower. Supposed to get cold tomorrow afternoon, but maybe there will be another outdoor ride in the cards. I am ready to venture further afield.

Fredwina

03-22-2014, 02:30 PM

I got out for whole half-mile before I decided it was too cold for what I had on. Still lots of ice from snowmelt. Now have head cold :(

Blueberry

03-22-2014, 02:33 PM

Crankin

03-22-2014, 02:36 PM

Welcome back, Mimi. I have often thought about you, and how nice it was to meet you!

emily_in_nc

03-22-2014, 03:30 PM

Great to see you on TE, Mimi!

Tis true, "it's just like riding a bike". :D

marni

03-22-2014, 04:47 PM

todays' charity ride "Education Expedition" was foggy, warm, humid but with very little wind. Rode 50.25 miles in 3 hours of riding time giving me an average moving speed of 16 mp[h which for me is phenominal. Unfortunately the cool front will bring back rain and wind tomorrow. Still today felt nice.

azfiddle

03-22-2014, 05:25 PM

Last "vacation" rides this week. Yesterday I rode 33 miles with my soon-to-be coach and one other woman from my team. It was climbing practice- no huge hills or steep grades but a lot of rollers. She was very encouraging and gave me really good pointers!

Today- 54 miles with one my husband and one friend (who only went part way). We rode north of Tucson to the turn-off to the Biosphere, riding around the west and north sides of the Santa Catalina Mountains, but not up into them. Still quite a few flowers were blooming along the roadside- lupines, parry penstemon and poppies, but I think some are not actually native....

I calculated that I've ridden 385 miles since my spring break started March 8. These last two rides finally did me in- I'm taking a well-earned DOR tomorrow and probably a couple more as I ease back into the last quarter of the school year.

ny biker

03-22-2014, 06:29 PM

I did 40 miles today on a local rail trail, so it was pretty flat, with long upward or downward slopes between 1-3%. I wanted to ride alone so I could just pedal, push myself a bit and not worry about staying with a group. I also wanted to test a pair of shorts for long rides and am still testing a new cleat position on my left shoe, and a long flat trail is a good testing ground for those sorts of things. The trail was very crowded, but happily there were only a few morons who refuse to accept that they have to slow down and wait until it's safe to pass on a trail that's crowded with all sorts of cyclists and pedestrians of all ages.

The weather was beautiful. The morning was cloudy but the sun came out just as I started, around 1 pm. I was very pleased with my pace after the first 15 miles. Then the headwinds kicked up (which I knew to expect from last night's weather forecast). My speed dropped from 14.9 to 13.4 mph. Fortunately it was an out-and-back ride, so I had tailwinds for the second half, which brought my average speed back up.

My eyes were tearing for much of the ride, I guess due to pollen and the headwind. When I stopped for a break at a trailside bench after 18 miles, I put eye drops in my eyes and rinsed my eyelids. As I started to ride again, my left contact lens felt like it wasn't in the right place, so I closed my eye and tried to center it better, and the next thing I knew it was out of my eye and stuck to my face. So there I was, out in the middle of nowhere on a trail, trying to keep my contact lens from blowing away while I took off my glove, got the eye drops out of my top tube bag and took the top off the bottle. Somehow I managed to accomplish this and get the lens back into my eye. Crazy.

After the ride I stopped in to visit the LBS and had a nice chat with the owner. His oldest kid is 12 now. I remember when that boy was a little baby.

We're due for another cold snap this week but it should be warmer again next weekend. I am tired of seeing bare trees -- I want flowers and then leaves. I know the pollen will irritate me, but I'm ready for those shady green leaves.

thekarens

03-22-2014, 07:36 PM

We rode Head For The Hills in Chappell Hill, TX today, which kicked my rear. On the plus side the wild flowers are starting to bloom. Unfortunately I didn't get any good pics of the bluebonnets.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b188/thekarens/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20140322_103339.jpg (http://s19.photobucket.com/user/thekarens/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20140322_103339.jpg.html)

Crankin

03-23-2014, 12:18 PM

Rode another short ride, again today, same ride as Wednesday. It's pretty windy out, about 43. Wore my winter Assos jacket, with a lighter weight thermal jersey and I was on the verge of being too warm. I swear, the jacket is a size small, I usually wear an x small, and I think I could have taken a medium in this jacket. DH bought it for me, half price from some weird on line place, so I'll keep it, but it's really short and tight across the shoulders. I guess you need to be a female "little Spanish climber" to wear Assos :).
Saw quite a few riders today and the only ones that we passed were on very old folding bikes, carrying heavy messenger bags. Well, and most were going the other way.
Also planned the 29 mile route for our club's bike rally, which is starting from a different location for the first time, ever. It's a nice route, but we had just re-done the one from the old start place last season, and it had rave reviews, so I am sorry we can't use it again, although several other leaders are using it for regular rides.
69.3 whole miles for my first week.

ny biker

03-23-2014, 02:03 PM

Here's a photo I took on my ride yesterday. This is the WOD trail (Washington & Old Dominion), a 45-mile rail-trail in northern Virginia. I took the photo at Clark's Gap, which is roughly around mile 40, west of Leesburg, VA. When riding west, you reach this trestle after a long, slightly upward incline, then the trail corkscrews up at a steeper grade to the intersection of Dry Mill Rd and Charlestown Pike. That intersection was my turnaround point yesterday, which of course meant I could enjoy a long, slightly downward-sloping section of trail.

Once or twice on past rides I have hung out under that trestle waiting for a rain storm to pass.

I16989

(It looks much more inviting with leaves on the trees.)

emily_in_nc

03-23-2014, 05:56 PM

Today I did my longest ride in Patagonia (AZ) so far -- 40 miles. I'm finding I really enjoy riding frequent but shorter rides. My typical ride is 25-30 miles with just a few shorter or longer than that. But I'm riding five days a week so very consistent. My body seems to do well with this regime, though I am constantly hungry so think I've actually gained weight here! Have not had access to a scale for four months!

Crankin

03-29-2014, 10:58 AM

Longest ride of the season, so far, just under 30 miles. I felt really good. First ride on the Kuota, too. I usually leave it on the trainer until April 1, but there's no snow in sight.
We didn't ride anywhere special, just into Boxborough, a bit of Harvard, and back through Stow, Acton, and into west Concord. It is supposed to start raining badly this afternoon, and at one point, I thought we should take the shortest route home as it was getting kinda dark out, but we didn't.
I love riding on the roads I first started riding on. And there's not so many yahoos from the city riding, like there are in Concord. We did see one large group, and lots of single/couple riders, too. One guy, on the way home was annoying me with bad etiquette, so I dropped him on a hill going into west Concord and then he proceeded to stay on my azz right up to the point where we turn off to go home.
All in all, a very good ride.

shootingstar

03-29-2014, 11:47 AM

We've had snow off and on for past 2 wks. So didn't go far ...um 15 km. Around -10 degrees and there was a sharp wind. Tiny mileage before it snows again in about 12 hrs. from now.

Catrin

03-29-2014, 04:21 PM

We've had snow off and on for past 2 wks. So didn't go far ...um 15 km. Around -10 degrees and there was a sharp wind. Tiny mileage before it snows again in about 12 hrs. from now.

Yikes! Sounds worse there than here, we had slushy rain this morning that became rain for much of the day, but the temps are above freezing (F). -10 = 14F? Brrrrr

azfiddle

03-29-2014, 04:56 PM

About 50 miles today - over Gates Pass west of Tucson, around the back side of the Tucson Mountains and then west over Picture Rocks Road. The hill was misery- I've been trying to up my cadence the last week and although it didn't seem to be an issue, I think it really did make me a little sore and tired. Most of the rest of the group went ahead and I rode back the last 10 miles or so a little slower - fortunately my husband didn't mind riding slower with me and listening to me complain.

Still, the weather was great and there are still some wildflowers even at the lower elevations.

emily_in_nc

03-30-2014, 03:21 PM

Had a really good month here in Patagonia, AZ. Ended today with a short 22-mile recovery ride after a difficult MTB ride yesterday (lots of climbing and 35.7 miles) Leaving tomorrow and will be on the road for three days, so I did my monthly totals today:

March total miles: 678.96, Year-to-date: 1414.03

I won't be able to keep up this torrid pace since we have a lot of traveling ahead, visits with family, and probably some chilly weather days back in KC, but it's been a really good first quarter of the year, my best ever by far. It pays to fly south for the winter, like the birds!

Catrin

03-30-2014, 04:50 PM

So no riding yet....BUT I give my Gunnar some well deserved love this evening. Polished all the dust away, cleaned and lubed her chain and let her know in so many ways just how pretty a girl she really is! She hasn't been ridden in 6 months, and while my neck may not allow me to ride regularly (that remains to be seen), I intend on giving her a little outing soon! Just as soon as all the snow has melted, none in the forecast, and the temps are above 60. There is, indeed, still a little mound of snow in front of my building...

rebeccaC

03-30-2014, 09:19 PM

I really like the softness of that image thekarens!!! Catrin....it's moments of zen for me when cleaning or working on my bike :)

Did a pilates class at 6:00am, worked for a few hours at home and then took a leisurely ride south on the beach bike path to Manhattan Beach. There are a series of steep streets coming down to the beach in MB. They make for a hard climbing workout! Riding on to Redondo Beach for some volleyball with friends, some sushi after and a leisurely ride home to later attend my small group ministry meeting. Good Sunday mix of exercise, friends, fun, good food, faith and getting some work done.

didn't take any cameras today but this is an earlier image i took of the beach bike path
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7410/9496931049_471da77ced_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/ftdfJv)

SheFly

03-31-2014, 05:34 AM

Biggest mileage week of the year for me last week - just over 200. Had some warm-ish weather that meant some nice solid after work riding during the week, and a stellar ride on Saturday (finally no jacket/vest or winter booties!). Did a 63 mile tour of most of the same towns as Crankin and her DH (whom I saw out in the wilds of Stowe). Rode with a new riding partner from the local popular cycling cafe, Ride Studio Cafe. It's amazing we've never ridden prior to this, but we are now going to be teammates for an east coast version of the Rapha Prestige race, so it was nice to finally meet her, and know that we can ride compatibly over a long distance.

Yesterday was another story - the rain had started, and temps were only in the upper 30s. After an hour and a half of riding, I was frozen, and reasonably miserable. We did, however, continue the 2014 tradition of no indoor riding ;)

I checked my mileage/hours ridden so far for this year vs. last. With all the fat bike riding, my distance totals are down, but my hours are up!

SheFly