March cycling: In like the Lion of Flanders, out like...?

[ny biker]

Meteorological spring began yesterday and on occasion I can feel the itch of pollen in my eyes, but we're mostly still in the grip of winter here. I am hoping to get outside for a bike ride this weekend, when (if the forecast holds) it will be colder than average but sunny.

What about everyone else?

[khg]

A persistent ridge of high pressure has had sunny skies overhead since Friday, and staying that way for the foreseeable future--astonishing considering that this time of year usually has constant damp and moss growth behind the ears...

On Sunday, my dad, husband, and I rode around on Vashon Island. It's beautiful riding, mostly quiet roads (some so little trafficked that they are green with moss. I was kinda only sorta kidding about the moss growth behind the ears...) where you're watching for deer as much as for cars. It's also challenging riding, as the island is approximately a 450 foot high plateau, and as the road goes toward and away from the water, you can lose or gain those 450 feet pretty quickly. Though my dad had never ridden on Vashon before, last summer he plotted a challenging route around the island and sent it to me as a "check this out!"--I then went and actually rode his route, and thought many dark thoughts towards him along the way. So on Sunday I made sure to detour to a couple of the *really* special hills that I had encountered on his route. And I made sure to point out that they were his idea.

We had a really fun time!

It also makes me really happy to be able to get out and ride with my dad (and my husband) like this. About three years ago, the arthritis in his knee was getting bad enough that he was having to walk with a cane--which really put a crimp in his lifestyle, since he loves hiking, snowshoeing, skiing, etc. His doctor said that exercise would actually help his kind of arthritis, so he got a little bike machine that he could pedal while sitting in his easy chair. Then he started feeling a little better, so started doing short rides on his bike. And felt better, and started doing longer rides on his bike. Fast forward to last year, and he did a hilly century with us, which was the longest he had ridden his bike since I was a kid. He also rode up some mountain passes with us, and has spent the winter emailing with me about what mountains and other challenging rides are the ones he has to be sure to get done this year. And so I ignore him when we're out riding together and he complains about an upcoming hill "I'm 66 years old, you know!"

And I'm not sure he knows where his cane is. He's also talked about training his hiking up to summit Mt. Rainier (another thing he did when I was a kid). He's said before that when he did that, he was in the best shape of his life--and watching him on the bike the last couple years, I can well believe he's getting there again.

Anyway, it was a beautiful and fun day of cycling, made more special by being out with my dad. And my husband--he's pretty awesome too.

[rebeccaC]

khg....that post made a huge smile spread across my face :D

Hoping your father feels the happiness in your spirit when you’re riding with him!!!

[lauraelmore1033]

KHG, What a lovely ride report. Thanks for sharing that. I've been struggling with extreme allergies to alder pollen and the wonderful little virus Dh brought home from work,so I've actually been cursing our fine weather. Did manage a short ride on the Centennial trail yesterday, and was gasping like a fish out of water, even after using the array of inhalers at my disposal.

[Crankin]

Temperatures are finally getting out of the Arctic zone here, but there is so much snow/melting, that for the first time since I started riding, I am wondering if I will be able to start in March.

[khg]

Thanks rebeccaC!

Lauraelmore, though I don't have allergies, even I have had a few days where I'm thinking "stupid #*^%ing flowers and growing things!"--especially when I'm wearing my contacts and an entire tree's worth of pollen flies into my eyes... Matthew Inman, who does The Oatmeal comic (and lives in the PNW), put it best with his comic captioned "Winter is when an ocean of miserable water gushes out of the sky. Spring is when an ocean of miserable water gushes out of my face."

[zoom-zoom]

Here in MI we just exited our coldest Feb. ever -- average temp for the month was a whopping 13. And the snow banks are still as tall as our mailbox with a good 2' cover on our lawn. Still too cold to ride without wearing an unreasonable amount of gear...but next week we're supposed to have a few days in the low 40s, so we're going to hopefully manage our first trek out. Hoping some of the gravel roads will not be too icy, since we have a really brutal gravel road race in ~3 weeks and haven't been on our tandem in a whole lotta months. My training has taken a back burner to weight loss and DH has only recently been cleared to ride again after a lengthy bunionectomy surgery recovery.

[lauraelmore1033]

Khg, I love The Oatmeal. I've seen the comic you mentioned and totally relate!

[azfiddle]

Getting in some of the nicest cycling weather in Arizona- did 41 miles on Saturday with my women's cycling club and Sunday I rode up Mt. Lemmon almost to milepost 16. I started from home and it's 5 miles to the base - so I had nearly 50 for the day, but met my husband for lunch at one of the regular cycling hangouts in Tucson - "Le Buzz" cafe. I enjoyed a slice of quiche and a light mocha and part of a cookie afterward.

It was my first serious climbing day in a while. The two brevets I've done had over 4000 feet of climbing but it was spread over 200k. Mt. Lemmon is just up, up, up and I had about 4500 feet of ascending, mostly in about 16 miles. My two friends went to the top, but I was feeling a little chilly after we got over 6000 feet with the clouds and breeze- and I had other plans for later in the day, so I headed down.

[rebeccaC]

Getting in some of the nicest cycling weather in Arizona-


same here....no climbing for me this weekend though.

Rode into downtown L.A. for a day of riding and photography. The Ballona Creek and the Expo Line bike paths take me the 17 miles from the beach to the USC campus downtown and then just a couple of miles of city roads into the arts district and then the industrial area. Sundays are a good day to be biking in those areas of downtown as there is very little traffic in the industrial areas and few cars parked in the arts district, which makes it easier to photograph some of the street art there.
Met a friend, who lives downtown, at the Urth Caffe in the arts district for lunch (a hummus and tabouli salad for me). I had a great time just riding and looking for images. I rode home in time to see the last early sunset at the beach as daylight savings time changes it. 57 miles total in perfect weather.

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[buffybike]

We had gorgeous weather in North Georgia all weekend, sunny with highs in the 60s. I rode 38 miles on Saturday (my longest since I broke my wrist in December) and 16 on Sunday. I was in heaven.

[Jolt]

First (short) ride of the season yesterday...rode to the bike co-op to volunteer for the afternoon, then back home. Not even a 6-mile round trip but it was a nice sunny 45-degree day and the roads going there had enough of the snowbanks melted that it felt OK to ride (the potholes on one street on the other hand...UGH). I brought home a lot of sand though...next time should rinse the bike off a little before bringing it in the house. It was also the first ride with the Power Grips that I finally got around to installing. Not sure I am going to like them (especially around town, since getting in and out complicates starting and stopping) but will do some adjusting and give it a chance. I felt like they were keeping my feet turned in a little which didn't feel right, so will loosen them a little and see if that helps.

[SheFly]

I've been riding all winter - lots of fat bike riding on snow, and lots of cold temperatures.

But yesterday? A balmy 45 degrees! No winter mittens, no bulky tights, no down jacket... It was, however, WET! By the time I got home, everything was soaked, and VERY gritty. Bike got a wash and the clothes have now been through the machine twice. Given the reports I'd heard of the road conditions (MA is only 1.9 inches from setting an overall snow record) - narrow roads, puddles hiding pot holes, etc - I opted for the bike path, with just a short venture onto some very quiet roads to get some elevation. So nice to be able to ride outdoors with less gear, and without needing lights!

SheFly

[Crankin]

I so want to ride, but I am not ready to face the craters in the roads. I can deal with wetness, dirt, and even cars on narrowed roads. I am telling myself the season is long and another week or two won't kill me, but now is the time I wish I still had a mountain bike. I did notice that the roads in Acton seem less impaired than in Concord, and I saw some crews already filling in potholes this morning.
I am going on a hike with a friend this afternoon, and since it will be colder the next few days, I won't feel as bad about not riding.

[SheFly]

Another beautiful day here in the northeast, and despite a short time frame, I managed to squeeze in a quick ride after work. Opted for the bike path again thinking that it would be safer than the roads (flooding, potholes, traffic), and instead found that spring has brought out the oblivious people - ear buds turned loud enough to not be able to hear, do walkers on one side, dog on the other with leash in between, swerving toddlers, cranky pedestrians (really? The sun is shining and you don't have to dress like an Eskimo!). Oh, and the path was a veritable basin of great lakes joined by raging rivers. I think I may have been safer on the roads...

SheFly

[ny biker]

I went out for a ride after work last night, first ride since February 8. And I've been largely sedentary since that last ride, thanks to bad weather (ice, dangerous wind chills), some family obligations, and network problems at work causing me to work from home. So the hills were kinda painful.

I was unpleasantly surprised by the amount of sand on the roads, since I had thought we'd gotten enough rain the day before to wash it away. And the roads were wet, too. I just had the bike taken apart, cleaned and tuned up at the bike shop, and it's already a mess again after only 17 miles. And it wasn't shifting right -- apparently they had replaced a cable which needed to be tweaked.

Nonetheless it was nice to be back out on the road. We're expecting more rain tomorrow which I hope will clear more of the sand away. And I brought the bike to the shop at lunchtime today for an adjustment, so I'm ready to go again.

[Sky King]

Finally!!!! I had a ride I can actually consider a ride. Okay, last weekend I did ride 12 miles - 10 of it was downhill :) Yesterday 3 of us did a very easy, flat ride along the River on the bike path. Rode about 20 miles, stopped halfway for a beer (hee hee). I just kept it really easy - bit of a head wind going out. I did clip in and the foot did okay. Iced when I got home. this healing has sure been slow, ugh

[Lelani Carver]

I rode about 8 miles Saturday and 14 miles yesterday on the new bike (Specialized Vita Elite). Already much more comfortable on a properly fitted frame - still getting used to a different knee angle but starting/stopping feel much more sane.

Going out again with a local Meetup group tonight on a closed loop path... Is this a sign of addiction?

[lauraelmore1033]

Did the McClinchy mile ride yesterday, hosted by B.I.K.E.S. Club of Snohomish County. This year it was a 34 mile out and back memorial ride to Oso, the small community devastated by a mudslide around this time last year. As I set out on my recumbent, one of the volunteers pointed out that my kickstand was still down. Then she asked if I happened to be Laura. Now, I'm always conspicuously different than the other cyclists at any organized event ,and I tend to mention it a lot here, so it was a sure bet she was a TE member. And that was how I met our own MMQFC!!
The ride turned out to be a soaker! I was tempted just to stay at home, but I had already paid for it and it was a special event, so I just decided to suck it up. The route stayed mostly on highway 530, which I didn't care much for, since Sunday seems to be a good day to hitch something to a truck and roar down the highway going 20 over:rolleyes:. When I got to the mile wide debris field, I found I was overwhelmed by my emotions. It really made me feel small and powerless. And grateful and sad. A lot of things, actually. There was a food stop at the restaurant that still remains, but I was so miserable and wet I decided to skip it and head back asap. That might have been a mistake since I hadn't been drinking or eating at all up til then. I started feeling horrible cramps about 3 miles from the end. I arrived back at the start feeling very crabby, but a cookie made it all better.

[salsabike]

Did the McClinchy mile ride yesterday, hosted by B.I.K.E.S. Club of Snohomish County. This year it was a 34 mile out and back memorial ride to Oso, the small community devastated by a mudslide around this time last year. As I set out on my recumbent, one of the volunteers pointed out that my kickstand was still down. Then she asked if I happened to be Laura. Now, I'm always conspicuously different than the other cyclists at any organized event ,and I tend to mention it a lot here, so it was a sure bet she was a TE member. And that was how I met our own MMQFC!!
The ride turned out to be a soaker! I was tempted just to stay at home, but I had already paid for it and it was a special event, so I just decided to suck it up. The route stayed mostly on highway 530, which I didn't care much for, since Sunday seems to be a good day to hitch something to a truck and roar down the highway going 20 over:rolleyes:. When I got to the mile wide debris field, I found I was overwhelmed by my emotions. It really made me feel small and powerless. And grateful and sad. A lot of things, actually. There was a food stop at the restaurant that still remains, but I was so miserable and wet I decided to skip it and head back asap. That might have been a mistake since I hadn't been drinking or eating at all up til then. I started feeling horrible cramps about 3 miles from the end. I arrived back at the start feeling very crabby, but a cookie made it all better.

You rode yesterday during our 2.2 inches' worth of rain! You get big NW courage points for that. :) No kidding.

[lauraelmore1033]

You rode yesterday during our 2.2 inches' worth of rain! You get big NW courage points for that. :) No kidding.

And the sun is shining today, taunting me...

[salsabike]

And the sun is shining today, taunting me...

I know. :) Also, I very much appreciate your comments about your feelings re Oso. Heavy on our hearts always, I think.

[MM_QFC!]

Yes, she surely earned every soaking "big NW courage point", f'sure! Yep, I volunteered to direct traffic to parking spots and, it was only after I waved to the recumbent cyclist starting out, then called to her about her kickstand that I put the beautiful Bacchetta together with our own TE rider and added another greeting and hug to send her off anew :)

I was a sodden mess after being out there for 3 hours, so I chose to leave my bike to stay dry in my car, and head home. Kudos to all of the riders and even those who pulled up, told me that they decided not to ride but wanted to drop off a donation to support our Oso Strong Memorial ride - very cool.

Great to meet you lauraelmore1033!

[Lelani Carver]

And the sun is shining today, taunting me...

Good job! It was for a good cause.

[lauraelmore1033]

Good job! It was for a good cause.

Yes indeed! I probably wouldn't have done it otherwise, considering the weather.
MM_QFC, it was a pleasure to meet you, and brightened up a rather dreary start!

[ny biker]

I led a 38-mile club ride yesterday. It was cold, cloudy and windy at the start, and I was not-so-secretly hoping that no one would show up. But they did show up, 12 people, so I added a few more layers and off we went. Mercifully, the sun came out after the first couple of miles, which took the edge off the cold wind. The route was pretty much a clockwise circle, so we were okay for the first 2/3 or so, then turned into a strong headwind for several unpleasant miles. Up to that point I was averaging 14 mph, just where I'd hoped to be, but by the end of the ride I was below 13. Even pedaling downhill was slow thanks to the wind. Nonetheless it was nice to get out on the bike, and I liked the route so will plan to ride it again sometime.

Later in the afternoon I learned that a friend had crashed while helping out with a big group ride that a local advocacy group holds each year. She suffered a broken femur, just got out of surgery a little while ago. We'd already been planning rides for later this spring and summer, starting with her birthday ride in a couple of weeks. I hope her recovery goes well.

[ny biker]

Finally!!!! I had a ride I can actually consider a ride. Okay, last weekend I did ride 12 miles - 10 of it was downhill :) Yesterday 3 of us did a very easy, flat ride along the River on the bike path. Rode about 20 miles, stopped halfway for a beer (hee hee). I just kept it really easy - bit of a head wind going out. I did clip in and the foot did okay. Iced when I got home. this healing has sure been slow, ugh


Yay!!

[Crankin]

That's great Sky King.
It looks like I might get out for a ride this Saturday.

[azfiddle]

Enjoying my spring break- I rode about 41 miles Saturday and 57 miles today. Loads of spring wildflowers are everywhere!

[ny biker]

I was going to head out for a ride after work tonight. But I forgot my helmet, which doubles as my secondary light system (with blinky "hey notice me" lights to augment the brighter lights on the bike). And there's a gusty cold wind tonight. And I've been pretty sleep-deprived for the past few weeks for various reasons. I'm cranky and all I can think is "I am so tired I am so tired I am so tired." And I have to finish putting things away after the painters were here last week because my parents are coming tomorrow for a visit.

So never mind about the bike ride.

[salsabike]

I was going to head out for a ride after work tonight. But I forgot my helmet, which doubles as my secondary light system (with blinky "hey notice me" lights to augment the brighter lights on the bike). And there's a gusty cold wind tonight. And I've been pretty sleep-deprived for the past few weeks for various reasons. I'm cranky and all I can think is "I am so tired I am so tired I am so tired." And I have to finish putting things away after the painters were here last week because my parents are coming tomorrow for a visit.

So never mind about the bike ride.

ny biker---seems like that was a good move, to stay home. Hope you get some good rest time tonight and a little down time before your visitors arrive.

[azfiddle]

Some flowers from my ride today at Saguaro National Park 17580

[azfiddle]

More pictures from Saguaro National Park, including the first Gila Monster of the year, and he was a big 'un- maybe 14 inches or so.
17581175821758317584

[salsabike]

Handsome fellow--I like reptiles. And is that a calachortus--the single yellow flower? And blue flax? I've always wanted to see desert spring bloom--never have.

[Crankin]

Rare feeling of nostalgia for my former home....

[azfiddle]

Not a Calochortus. There is a Hibiscus in one picture, amidst a Fairy Duster (Calliandra) bush and also some Mexican Gold Poppies.
This is a great year for flowers! Much better than most.

[rebeccaC]

Spent last week traveling to a conference and then seeing family. Leaving again on work travel tomorrow night. The woman I work for asked if I wanted to spend today and tomorrow riding in the Los Olivos area and then working on the presentations that we are doing over the next two weeks. It took me a millisecond to smile and say sure! We left today around noon and got here in time for a good hard and fast 3 hour ride on Foxen Canyon road and a couple of hours of work. Tomorrow morning we are going to do a sunrise ride up Figueroa mountain.

Los Olivos and Foxen canyon rd
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[rebeccaC]

Just a wonderful morning ride up Figueroa mountain…..a great way to welcome the day. Didn’t see a car the entire ride.

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[salsabike]

They're all spectacular pictures, rebeccaC, but I have to say that the last one from the day before is AMAZING.

[rebeccaC]

They're all spectacular pictures, rebeccaC, but I have to say that the last one from the day before is AMAZING.

i like that one too

this is the kind of area that just exudes amazing.....one of my favorite areas for visually beautiful rides....you have to ride here cuz i really can't capture the beauty and feeling with a camera

leaving for home now and then flying away....safe and enjoyable rides for all of you

[Crankin]

Finally!!!
DH took the day off and we were going to do the group ride this morning. But it was 29 when we needed to leave, so we just hung out and went on our own ride after lunch. Just under 20 miles, one of my usual routes, except, we did the first part backwards. The roads were not as awful as I thought they would be, cars were polite, and we were out at a time when there's not tons of traffic, anyway. It was between 47 and 50 degrees, mostly sunny, although a bit of a headwind on the way back. Nothing hurting, except for what was already hurting before the ride, and a little reminder from my body that I need to put the Oura I bought for my Guru on that bike, too. We were even good and washed the bikes when we got back.
Speed was not even mentionable, but I am going to work hard to not hurt myself this year. Feeling good right now. Probably will ride Saturday and Sunday, with Sunday being the day I will take my Silque off of the trainer and ride it outside.

[khg]

I spent last week riding in the Santa Monica Mountains with Cycling Escapes (http://cyclingescapes.com/bicycletours/california/climbingcamp/biketour.html)

It was a nice trip--the rides were really well chosen, mixing up the challenges day-to-day (short brutal climbs vs long gradual climbs, for instance), and other well thought out details, such as finishing the long day with a climb we had done the day before, so we could be mentally prepared for what it would take. For the most part, the roads we were on were very lightly trafficked, and took full advantage of the scenery. Up in the hills, there's very little around, so the van support provided by Cycling Escapes was really welcome--I would have had to carry a lot of water and food to be able to stick exclusively to the backroads had I been trying this on my own. Between the support, and the route-finding, I felt I got more than my money's worth out of the tour cost.

It was a little bit of a shock to be cycling in warm weather--the first day got into the 90's (and I actually opted to skip the day's last climb--a steep 2.5 miles in full midday sun) and then it eventually dropped to the 80's and 70's, thank goodness. True Seattleite that I am, I felt great the morning we started out with clouds and fog--then the sun came out, and I started wilting :) By the end of the week, I had ridden about 270 miles, with about 31,000 feet of elevation--it was a great way to push myself, and I definitely gained strength on the trip, which is great. Even better is that this week has involved just a couple sedate bike commutes, and a lot of couch time!

I'm trying to get a little better about making myself stop and take pictures, but I only partially succeeded this trip. But here are a few photos:

From the top of the Latigo Canyon climb (I was so glad it was a slightly overcast day):

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My bike at the top of Latigo

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Emerging above the clouds on the Piuma climb :( :

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The last bit of fog disappearing on Piuma:

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Looking out from the top of Piuma:

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Morning sky:

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[rebeccaC]

I spent last week riding in the Santa Monica Mountains

I was hoping you were going to post :) They do think it though well!!

Those photos give an excellent feel of those routes! I’m soooo glad you had a good time. You had an unusual heat wave, a friend said it was hot. There’s now one person who will know the canyon roads I’m talking about. How would you compare it to your other away rides?

You get to know where the water is after some riding and talking with people….lots of outdoor faucets with good water.:)

[khg]

How would you compare it to your other away rides?

You get to know where the water is after some riding and talking with people….lots of outdoor faucets with good water.:)

It was a really nice way to have a spring challenge--the riding was definitely hard, but there were fewer feet of elevation/mile than my Dolomites trip last summer (I'm going back this summer!!!!! Yay!!!!) It was also nice that the climbs were relatively "short"--I think the most elevation gain at one go was 2200', and most climbs were more like 1500'-2000'. We have a couple training hills that locally that are 1200'-1500' (in just 2.5-5 miles) so it was nice mentally to be able to tell myself that the upcoming climb was barely more than I'm used to at home, and likely less steep. The terrain was a fabulous mix--some long steady climbs, some with really varying slope. I'd definitely like to ride there again--but winter might be my best time of year!

Having the local knowledge of water and such would be great--it would be really fun to be able to just head out and do these rides. But I will say that it was awfully nice to get to the top of a climb and be greeted with smiling faces, camp chairs, food, water, a van that I could throw stuff into or take stuff out of, etc :) This supported riding thing is kind of addictive...

And after these few days of rest, I'm ready for my next adventure--on Friday my husband and I bike up to Whidbey Island for a couple nights there, then back on Sunday. We've been wanting to do this for a while, and it just happened that the first weekend that worked with both of our schedules was also our anniversary. So by accident, we're actually doing something for our anniversary--this might be a first...

[azfiddle]

I love all the pictures- beautiful. How do you guys get the full size pics in your posts? Mine just come out as thumbnails.

I rode ALL the way up Mt. Lemmon last Saturday- 65 miles round trip, over 7000 feet of climbing. A little chilly up at 8000 feet! I was glad I brought an extra layer and knee warmers. I rode solo- and it took 4 1/2 hours of riding time going up (more because of various stops) to get to Summerhaven at the top (skipped the last 2 steep miles to the ski lift). A little over an hour to go back down. I shaved off 5 miles and met my husband by the base instead of riding home.

[khg]

I love all the pictures- beautiful. How do you guys get the full size pics in your posts? Mine just come out as thumbnails.



It took me a while (and some googling) to figure out the pictures. Mine are on flickr, and basically you have to get a flicker link that is a direct jpeg address. On flickr, if you click on a photo's share button, then on the BBCode option, you can choose photo size, and then get a line of code that (leaving aside the brackets and the actual addresses) reads something like

url=httpstuff img httpstuff /img /url

followed by url=httpstuff and photo title /url by url my flickr id /url on flickr

I copy and paste all that, then delete the second half of it, so I have the url img /img /url part, and voila, the photo appears.

That's how it works for flickr photos. I've also used photos from my blog, and in that case, I just insert the photo's specific address (I just click on the photo in the blog entry, then copy/paste the web address that the photo itself has) using img /img (plus appropriate brackets).

If you hit "reply with quote" to someone's post (with photos you like), you'll see in the quoted section how it works. The basic idea is that you need a stable web address ending in .jpg for your photo, either by it being hosted on flickr or similar, or on your own website, and you insert that with proper html, and then the image gets retrieved in the process of posting to the forum. And that is the workaround I have figured out for posting something larger than a thumbnail.

[khg]

I rode ALL the way up Mt. Lemmon last Saturday- 65 miles round trip, over 7000 feet of climbing. A little chilly up at 8000 feet! I was glad I brought an extra layer and knee warmers. I rode solo- and it took 4 1/2 hours of riding time going up (more because of various stops) to get to Summerhaven at the top (skipped the last 2 steep miles to the ski lift). A little over an hour to go back down. I shaved off 5 miles and met my husband by the base instead of riding home.

By the way, nice ride! It only took me once to learn to bring *warm* things on a mountain climb, no matter how warm the weather at the bottom. It gets really cold up there, especially when that air starts rushing by you at 30+ mph!

[rebeccaC]

Hoping you’re having a great anniversary weekend khg!!!....and that was a good description of your rides. thanks

Azfiddle….you've been doing some good climbs!!!! I’ll second Flickr….easy to sign up, just getting a yahoo email address that you never have to use. I’ll also re-sign up getting a new email for just a days/event photos I want to share with certain people who may want to download an original file for a print, which you can’t do on my main flickr site because I have settings that won’t allow it. As khg explained it’s very easy to get the code to just copy and paste into a post for showing a photo the size you want. The santa monica photos kgh posted look like 800 pixel size and I post 1024 pixel one’s for more detail.


Doing some work in Portland so friends (my STP riding friends) set me up with a bike (a beautiful purple Sweetpea) and we went for a ride. Drove south to the Champoeg state park and then we did a round trip bike ride to the Ankeny wildlife refuge south of Independence Or. on the Willamette Valley scenic bikeway. The bikeway is a wonderfully scenic route that follows the Willamette river, is 135 miles long and ends just north of Eugene Or. I’d really like to do the whole route someday. Wonderful pastoral settings with farmland, hop fields, some vineyards, grazing alpacas, sheep, cows to moo to, covered bridges, a 250 year old black cottonwood, a Blue Heron at the wildlife refuge that unfolded its huge wings and flew away when we accidentally startled it and a quaint small ferry ride. We rode through a few small towns and the larger Salem. No real climbing, mostly rolling hills and some short climbs up river bluffs. Weather was in the high 50’s to middle 60’s with the occasional cross wind but mostly tail winds going south and slight headwinds by the time we headed back north….109 miles total. It was nice not worrying about where the route was as I just followed my friends who have done the whole route a few times. A farmer had put a large hand painted sign in his field close to the road that said ‘life is an adventure’…..indeed

Rewarded myself with some ice cream at Salt and Straw when we got back to Portland. They opened a store in LA around 6 months ago so I knew how good it is…..Chocolate gooey brownie ice cream ftw

[Crankin]

Unlike all of you doing big climbs and 50-100 mile rides, I am just getting back into the season. Even though 12 weeks is not a long time to be off the bike, and I certainly did enough x country skiing/snow shoeing/gym work to stay fit, every year it's the same for me. I have to go through a few weeks of suffering, even on short rides. It's mostly my legs, not my endurance.
Yesterday we had snow showers all day. Today is about 40 and bright sun. Waited until it hit 40 to go out, so a 16.5 mile ride that is sort of flat, except for the beginning and the end, about 800 feet of climbing. Monument St. in Concord is full of dangerous pot holes; the town just fixed these last year, and now it's worse. I am so glad we changed the location of a group ride we lead in early May, because I don't want to take a group of people I don't know down this hill.
Speed was better than Wednesday, but way off my average on this particular ride. I am going to ride to work Tuesday and do a group ride Wednesday.

[marni]

and I'm sure that you thoroughly enjoyed Californias brief 10 day spring green period which can be so clearly seen in all of your beautiful photos. Amazing, a car free ride. If only.

[khg]

We had a lovely weekend up on Whidbey Island. It was a 27 mile ride from Seattle to the Mukilteo Ferry, and it was a better ride than I anticipated. The Interurban trail has been much improved since I last rode it, and even a lot of the suburban unfriendliness of Snohomish County has a bike lane or a reasonable shoulder. Then, after a short ferry ride, just 6 more miles or scenic island roads, and we were at vacation!

The best part was even though the bike ride wasn't too strenuous (we both took it easy, and had a huge tailwind), it was just enough to help work up a good appetite for the wonderful dinner we had reservations for.

Though I took no ride photos (the Mukilteo Speedway just isn't that scenic), here's my bike on the balcony of our room:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7609/16353390953_49a63db481_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/qV6por)

And a couple of the views we had:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7646/16786008990_6408d59ed3_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/rzjFE7)

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7623/16787320519_a55a5b796a_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/rzrpwF)

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8697/16947694436_fe19121b15_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/rPBn7d)

Biking into a monster headwind today to get home seemed like an appropriate way to be welcomed back to real life... But headwind and all, it was really fun to get there under our own power. I foresee more trips like this in the future!

[VeganBikeChick]

Beautiful pics! And looks like you had gorgeous weather, too. I'm moving back to Seattle in a few weeks and your pics make me happy :)

[Jolt]

19 fairly hilly miles today, with quite a bit of wind at times. I've decided crosswinds are worse than headwinds...headwinds make me have to work harder, but crosswinds are just nerve-racking! At one point as I was going down a hill, I felt like I was about to get blown into the crapload of sand on the side of the road, which might well have resulted in a wipeout. Other than that, the ride felt pretty good for being about the third one of the season so far. Only averaged 12.5 mph though...I guess the headwind at the beginning and my slow climbing really brought down the average, because I felt like I was really cruising along nicely during the second half of the ride.

[khg]

19 fairly hilly miles today, with quite a bit of wind at times. I've decided crosswinds are worse than headwinds...headwinds make me have to work harder, but crosswinds are just nerve-racking! At one point as I was going down a hill, I felt like I was about to get blown into the crapload of sand on the side of the road, which might well have resulted in a wipeout. Other than that, the ride felt pretty good for being about the third one of the season so far. Only averaged 12.5 mph though...I guess the headwind at the beginning and my slow climbing really brought down the average, because I felt like I was really cruising along nicely during the second half of the ride.

I totally agree about crosswinds--they can be really scary! On one climb I did, the wind was strong and unpredictable/gusty, and before I knew it, I was riding perpendicular to the road in the downhill (opposite) lane. It was just luck that there were no cars or cyclists coming down at that moment. After a couple more moments like that, I decided that walking my bike up the rest of the way would be just fine. Better to swallow my pride and still be alive to tell about it.

Did you see any of the highlights from Gent Wevelgem? It was so bad that even the pros were getting blown off the road


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn577y4J7d8

Only 39 finished out of almost 200 starters...

[Crankin]

I did my first commute of the year today, a whole 10.4 miles RT. 36 degrees in the AM at 9, 46 on the way home at 6:20. Slow, but fun. Only one big pot hole from the storms had to be avoided on the way home, as the rest have been filled. Anything else was there last year! Been wearing my heated gloves, which work very well. We got them at half price, and that pretty much solves my cold weather riding problems. Any other gloves/mittens that kept me warm compromised my shifting and made my hands feel strangulated. I've had everything else dialed in for a couple of years.
Don't think I'll be commuting again this week, but I am going on a hard group ride tomorrow.