november rides....outside and inside

[rebeccaC]

outside for us who have mild weather or commute/ride regardless of the weather and inside trainer miles/experiences for those who don't want to venture outside

[ny biker]

Where is this rain coming from??????????????? Every weather forecast for days has said clear skies and seasonably warm all the way until the weekend. Now all of a sudden as I'm about to change and go for a bike ride, there's rain all over the place. And more rain tomorrow.

I could have gone for a ride last night if I'd known. But no, they kept it a secret.

I am not riding in the dark when it's raining and the temperature is dropping from the low 60s and there are leaves all over the ground.

Dammit.

[Crankin]

I wonder why I didn't notice the November thread...
That is weird, NY. No rain here, and clear skies, warm weather. I think there may be rain predicted for late tomorrow night, though.
Riding on wet leaves, no!

[ny biker]

It's coming up from the south. I'm hoping it's done in time to get out and ride tomorrow night. At least it will still be warm.

Why is it that long-range forecasts of terrible weather are always accurate, but forecasts of great weather are often overly optimistic?

[shootingstar]

Just doing small rides to work and back, plus minor food shopping using bike. Temp. is 0 degrees C or abit higher.

Whereas in Vancouver it will be over 50 mm of rain in 1 day..will be there eventually. We'll be in Seattle and may not even bring our bikes onto train.

[ny biker]

Wow Shootingstar, that is cold for November, at least compared to what I'm used to. I was not made for colder climates.

I did get out and ride after work last night. It was in the mid 60s and humid, the kind of weather where you warm up going uphill and then feel a bit of a chill going downhill. The rain had cleared out early in the day but the clouds lingered which limited the sunshine, so the road varied from totally dry to quite wet with everything in between. I took it slow on the turns in case of wet leaves. About a third of the way through the route I started to encounter fog in the low areas -- I think it was my first time riding in fog, definitely the first time after dark. Fortunately I was only riding through it for a couple of seconds at a time; if it had been constant I think I would have cut the ride short. When I finished the ride and took off my helmet, it was wet on the outside, so I guess conditions really were pretty damp.

I tried out a new pair of knee warmers on the ride. I got them for 50% off at the LBS. They were comfortable, but I really do not have the legs for that elastic at the top. Fine for riding, not so much if you're going to be walking around off the bike.

Next up for me will be a ride on Sunday afternoon. Current forecast calls for sunshine -- fingers crossed it doesn't change.

[Crankin]

It's currently 73 degrees. Creepy, but nice.
I rode to Bedford to meet my friend, Jack, for a ride. We listed it as an AMC ride, but no one showed up. Instead 2 of his other riding friends showed. Knew I was in trouble with them. Off we went, and just about the time we got to my street, and my average was over 16, I told Jack I was going to go home, if he didn't slow. He was fine with that, and so were the others, but the woman just had to let me know this was her recovery ride, so she needed to slow, as she had already done 4 rides this week. Ha, I just wanted to not get dropped, and we were heading up Strawberry Hill. I also knew another very steep, short climb was coming. So, we slowed a little to a nice pace, and enjoyed the beautiful day. I know this is a sign of climate change, but it's nice for cyclists. Anyway, I did not want to go back to Bedford with them, so I peeled off at a certain point and headed home, retracing some of what I had already ridden. I ended up with 29.5 miles, so I am happy, and I didn't suffer too much! Doing a ride out to Bolton and Harvard tomorrow, so trying to keep my legs ready.

[Blueberry]

I finally got back on my bike after the block from hell! Did just over 10 miles on an unusually warm day (mid-upper 70's) with gusty winds and some spitting rain. I love riding through crunchy leaves - they're past their peak here, but still nice. Thankfully they weren't wet enough to be slick. I'm amazed at how much fitness I lost in a week and a half. Sigh. Back to it!

[Pax]

Rode 2.5 miles today, the longest I've gone since the knee replacement. I'm contemplating adding an electric assist to my bike just so I can go further than the little island we live on!

[ny biker]

Rode 2.5 miles today, the longest I've gone since the knee replacement. I'm contemplating adding an electric assist to my bike just so I can go further than the little island we live on!

Yay!!

And welcome back, Blueberry!!

[Pax]

I know it's totally lame, but I rode 2.5 again today and I feel so good about it! Watch me go!!

[ny biker]

Not lame at all!!! It's progress!! Woo hoo!!

[Crankin]

I did a 37 mile very hilly ride. It was 61 and windy/cloudy when we left our friends' and house. I should have had my light long fingered gloves and toe covers. I rode my Guru today and it just felt heavy on the back end. We got to Bolton Farms to eat lunch and it was 5 degrees colder and we realized not fun to eat outside. I got chilled, but thankfully, we had a climb a after that. DH was really suffering today, in a way I rarely see.
Got back to our friends' and had tea and good conversation. I am exhausted. Glad I did it, but hoping I feel revived tomorrow.

[Crankin]

I decided I would ride to yoga this morning. It's at 9:30, so I figured I'd leave at 8:30, give myself plenty of time to get there, do a bit of clothing re-arranging, and relax. Well, I had a moment of wavering if I was going to ride, but decided I would. Didn't realize it was later than I thought. The real feel temperature was 37, despite it being 42 out, so I put my heavy tights on, over my commuter capris, that look like any other yoga pants. Wore my yoga top, a winter jersey, and my winter riding jacket. Didn't leave until 8:45, felt pressured, as the class fills up and people run in to get a spot. Somehow, the ride that felt so easy and fast a few weeks ago, felt tiring. The club is about a mile past my new condo, and the road to it is a hill (of course). Got there at 9:20, ran in with my bike, which I stored in a closet, and got to class with time to spare. However, it was crowded. And, I was sweaty. But class was good. On the way home, I did not wear the tights, and stopped at the condo, where DH was doing work, and left my jacket in the car. It was already 52 or so. Looked goofy with my winter shoes, Woolie-Bullys, etc with my capris, but it was not a fashion show. And, did I mention my heated gloves. I needed the highest setting for the ride there, but didn't need even the lowest for the way back.
I actually looked at my Garmin for my mileage totals. I've been keeping track in writing in my journal, but, apparently, I made my least acceptable riding goal of 2,500 miles, probably last week. Pretty close to 2,600 today. Now I don't feel so badly. I won't make 3K, but maybe 2,700.

[emily_in_nc]

Sounds like you may just have been tired from the tough ride the day before, Crankin. That sounded like a doozy!

We just did our regular Sunday ride -- 21 miles including urban to/from the bike path, two loops on the path, and Sam's Club for a few items on the way back. It was hot, humid, and sunny. Still, I would rather have this than cold and blustery! But I must say that riding here is not that much fun. There are very few routes, so it gets boring. And the urban part is stressful for me because there are these strange speedbumps they have here that consist of a series of round metal humps (half spheres). There are two rows of them, one row offset from the other, and in order for a bike to go through, you have to angle so that you go in between on a diagonal. DH thinks nothing of them, but I am always so worried about hitting the humps as I'm not as good a bike handler, and my depth perception is not the best. I have managed to go over a hump a couple of times, and it's quite jarring, though I didn't fall like I thought I might. There are at least 6 of these that we have to traverse during this ride, and I dread them.

[ny biker]

I had a really good ride today. I led a club ride on a route that I've done before. We rode just 39 miles, sort of a big loop and smaller loop that lets us pass the Chesapeake Bay twice. Great fall weather, mid 50s with sunshine, all in all just a nice ride and a nice day.

If the weather holds I'll be leading club rides again on Wednesday and Saturday this week. And yesterday I was working on a route for a ride later this month. Before I went to bed last night I actually had to check the club website to remind myself where I was going to this morning -- too many different routes in my head.

[emily_in_nc]

Sounds like a fun ride, ny! Good weather always helps.

[Sky King]

This has been such an odd fall for me. Riding once a week is pathetic. We did get out on the pavement Saturday, We had no real plan but when we hit an intersection with a half marathon in process we decided to ride "against" the race instead of in the race as they were running with traffic on the side of the road - we thought that was a bit odd as traditional runners and walkers face traffic. Anyhow it was enjoyable as we rode a common route backwards, so to speak. Lots of wind so tucked home via the cemetery and some back roads. Sunday my BFF and I opted for a walk instead of a ride. Today she is having brain surgery to remove 3 tumors, my mind is certainly elsewhere as I type this.

[emily_in_nc]

So glad you're doing better, Sheila! Did not realize that had happened to you. How did you hurt your arm?

Happy to hear you're back in the saddle. :)

[Hartmame]

This is the toughest part of the year riding outdoors as much as possible, trying to hit the 3,000 mile mark before the end of the year. Yet hitting spin classes when the temperature are too low, wet or when I don't have time to wait for the temps to rise.

[azfiddle]

I did a 35 mile ride Saturday with my women's cycling group. I'm always the slowest one so I was spared seeing an accident in the front group. One of the riders is a little bit high strung and inattentive. She rode between two others and touched bars- one of them stayed upright but she and (I think) one of the other women went down. I got there and a few cars were stopped- a man in a big pickup truck kindly offered to take the two of them back to the start. At that point "L" couldn't put any weight on her leg and I was thinking some kind of fracture... We didn't call an ambulance- possibly should have but she went straight to the ER. Her injuries included a fractured sacrum and inferior and superior ramus. I think she had a torn muscle as well. Ouch!! After they left, I had to sit down for a minute because I get light headed just thinking about it. Then someone else went back with derailleur issues and someone else left early so it was just 3 of us.

I suggested we add in the 8 mile loop at Saguaro National Park instead of just stopping for water and halfway around I realized how close I was cutting it for getting back - I was scheduled to perform at the Tucson Celtic Festival. So I ended up with a few PR's on strava (which I only use when my Garmin battery isn't charged) but made it back in time.

Much more eventful than the usual Saturday ride. 6-8 weeks recovery time for my friend- plus wheelchair and then a walker to get around for a while. She's also a teacher and I can't imagine trying to be a middle school teacher with that limitation :(

[azfiddle]

Sunday's ride was much better than Saturday's. I was signed up for a century but opted to drop down to the 66 mile option - when I got to the start I decided I just didn't want to spend my whole day on a bike. Also, one of the sections for the longer route is very rough pavement and goes through a lot of depressing trailers where I always imagine people are inside cooking meth. At my speed (13.5- 14.5 average) it most likely would have taken me at least 7 hours. So my friend and I had a good ride although we battled the wind for most of the second half and got back for lunch when the fast riders were finishing the century. It was cool but not cold (around 50) to start, and in the 70's midday. Last time I did the full century, the food was about gone and they were taking down the SAG station when I rolled in (nearly last if not completely last...)

[Crankin]

I went to spin class today. Bah. It's cold, damp, raining. But, the good thing is that the club ride I was going to do was moved to Friday, another work-free day for me.
Spin at my new club is harder and better, but, going at 9:30 AM, well, you find yourself surrounded by the "housewives." I pretty much ignore them, and the least the instructor kept telling people to pay attention to themselves, which means no talking.
I wore my US Marines bike jersey for Veterans' Day and not one person acknowledged it.

[emily_in_nc]

Much more eventful than the usual Saturday ride. 6-8 weeks recovery time for my friend- plus wheelchair and then a walker to get around for a while. She's also a teacher and I can't imagine trying to be a middle school teacher with that limitation :(

Oh man, I feel her pain! :( That's similar to the fractures I had except mine was my ilium and the two rami on the right side. Non weight-bearing for eight weeks, wheelchair/walker, back to work after nine weeks (and limping a lot), but thank the gods I had a desk job. I hope she can sit a lot while teaching until she's fully recovered.

It's a slow road back. I rode on the trainer before I was weight-bearing and even did a 50-mile event four months out, but I've never really been the same since. Close, but not quite. I still have some residual scar tissue or something deep in that right buttock that sometimes gets achy even ten years after the fact, and all the PT, rest, ice, and ibuprofen in the world doesn't really make much difference. It mostly helps just to stay active. Foam rolling is helpful too.

I hope your friend will not have as many after-effects as I have over the years.

[emily_in_nc]

I wore my US Marines bike jersey for Veterans' Day and not one person acknowledged it.

Wow, I'm kinda surprised at that. Facebook is absolutely lit up with Veterans' Day memes today.

[Crankin]

That should tell you something about the kind of people in the class. Usually, when I wear it on rides, other women get nervous, that I was in the Marines, and I am going to drop them! At the least, I get a lot of questions.
Of course, I was also the only one wearing a bike jersey...

[ny biker]

Sunday's ride was much better than Saturday's. I was signed up for a century but opted to drop down to the 66 mile option - when I got to the start I decided I just didn't want to spend my whole day on a bike. Also, one of the sections for the longer route is very rough pavement and goes through a lot of depressing trailers where I always imagine people are inside cooking meth. At my speed (13.5- 14.5 average) it most likely would have taken me at least 7 hours. So my friend and I had a good ride although we battled the wind for most of the second half and got back for lunch when the fast riders were finishing the century. It was cool but not cold (around 50) to start, and in the 70's midday. Last time I did the full century, the food was about gone and they were taking down the SAG station when I rolled in (nearly last if not completely last...)

You've just described the reasons I don't do full centuries anymore. I have a friend who doesn't care that he's the last to finish, with the post-ride picnic over before he gets there, because he loves spending all day on the bike. But I enjoy it more when I do shorter routes, usually a metric.

Best wishes to your friend on her recovery.

I had the day off today (well our client was closed so we weren't allowed to work, but my employer was open so I had to take a vacation day, but anyway), so I led a 40-mile ride for the bike club. It was nice to do a daytime ride on a day when I would usually be going out in the dark after work. One of my friends co-led for another ride category, a slightly slower group. Yesterday's club ride was cancelled because of rain, so I expected a good group, and in total we had about 20 people. It was a nice route through farmland with a visit to a local park on the Patuxent River.

As I was driving to the ride start, just before I arrived there, the odometer on my car reached 100,000 miles. Seems nice for my car to reach that milestone on my way to a fun bike ride with friends.

[rebeccaC]

I want to ride through lots of rural fall color!!!!!

Azfiddle….i got lightheaded just reading that…..hoping your friend has a lot of positive moments on her healing journey!!!! The Tucson Celtic Festival looks like a good weekend...i like the idea of a welsh baker's tearoom too. It must be good to have the Festivals influence in the community….and good for your enjoyment of playing :)


I’m getting comfortable riding in downtown l.a. now. Took me awhile to get the traffic patterns/moves and know the streets/alleys. I don’t have vision’s of messengers in S.F. yet…..but I have met some interesting messengers. We go to meetings in downtown a few times a month…. frequently meeting with some there that have ridden/walked to the office so that works. Ellie wanted to ride more so we've done a few rides to meetings. We work close to the beach so it’s beach path to a series of paths going downtown to bike lanes and then city streets. It’s nice to have the miles of path going home to go slow and talk about work etc or if by myself just enjoy the ride. I waaaannnt that nice later sunset light back especially for weekend rides. After sunset the path’s are mostly softer light with a couple of interesting dark sections. It gives me an appreciation of looking through the dark with a headlight. ……..anyway we had a great ride on Monday. Perfect first stop for tea and a lemon ginger scone/breadfast oakmeal cookie to go, then we rode into an early meeting. We planned a few hours of being at the moca museum and eating something. That gave us a ride up some city hills and through some really busy streets where you just have to be calm…..which also gives me time to see photo opportunities or just stop and take one. A later meeting went really long so we had dinner near the start of the path and had a couple of short interval challenges on the way home to just tease each other. Just 46 miles but interesting miles and day...with pleasant weather as a bonus. Looking forward to the next ride.

moca mirrors
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/735/22292256803_f16fb31a48_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/zXTDie)

[Crankin]

Did a nice 23.5 mile ride today, with my friend and DH. Friend's husband was leaving for a business trip, so off we went. We pretty much stayed at her pace (slow), although I went ahead for part of the ride, just a little. DH is hurting from all the work he did at the condo yesterday, including lugging the new vanity for the bathroom upstairs, so he was happy to ride this way.
Went on many favorite roads, with just one bigger climb, near the beginning of the ride, through an apple orchard.
For once, I was dressed perfectly. We both commented that riding at a slower speed is so much nicer!

[ny biker]

I rode 33 miles yesterday, my third time leading a club ride in a week, 11th so far this year. It was an all-class ride starting at 9:30 am. I had declared several weeks ago that I was done with getting up early for bike rides this year because I prefer to let the sun warm things up as much as possible before rides in the fall and winter. But yesterday's ride was special. It was billed as a rededication of a rail trail that had been closed for about a year due to utility work in the area, but really it was a surprise dedication of a new trailside bench in honor of two members of our club, a married couple who have devoted many hours to improving conditions for cyclists over the past several decades. The plan was to offer two routes -- an out-and-back on the trail and a slightly longer route that started on the trail and then circled around on roads back to the start. I volunteered as one of the leaders for the longer route.

The weather forecast did not look good when I went to bed the night before -- overnight lows in the 30s, highs the next day reaching 50 but with strong cold winds from the NW. I prepared a winter riding outfit. Happily when I woke up at 6 am I found that the temperature had not gone below the mid-40s. It was still windy, with the worst headwinds at the the start of the ride, but the sun warmed things up and we spent enough time with tailwinds or on roads sheltered from the wind to make it an unexpectedly good day for cycling. I still wore my warmest tights (PI Amfibs) and my Woolie Boolie socks, but otherwise wore lighter-weight clothes than I had originally planned and was more than warm enough.

As for the main event, the surprise bench dedication, no one expected that we would really be able to keep it a surprise from the honorees. But we were wrong -- it was such a surprise that only one of them came to the ride, as the other had a prior commitment helping out at a local food pantry. Nonetheless it was a nice ceremony, well worth an early start on a blustery day.

[emily_in_nc]

Sounds lovely, NY! How nice about the bench dedication. :-)

Crankin, I agree -- going slower is just a lot more pleasant at times. No suffering can be very nice.

We had to skip our usual Sunday morning ride as it was raining off and on, and even during the not-raining minutes, the puddles and wet roads put us off. And by the time we thought "Gee, maybe we should have ridden after all", it would start raining again, thus proving that we made the right decision. It's been a rainy six weeks or so here in Playa, I guess because July through Sept. was dry as the desert.

[Blueberry]

I've been getting in a few quick trainer rides. Another exam tomorrow and a bad combination of "it's cold and I'm feeling wimpy"-itis. At least it's been more regular. Now to keep that up!

[Crankin]

Got in a little 11 mile ride around noon, after doing a new "yoga and weights" class. Jury is still out on that, though it gives me choices on a day off, when it's too cold or snowy to ride, and I don't want to go to spin or ski.
Bright, bright sun, really gorgeous out, around 45. I was a bit overdressed, really just the mid-layer, so I unzipped and that helped. Saw just 2 other cyclists. Glad I went, but I can tell it's getting to be the end of the season for me. Every ride will be a gift and I will force myself out there at least once a week, until it snows or is under 25 degrees. I am at 2,601 miles for the year, and that's OK, considering I haven't done many 50+ mile rides.

[ny biker]

Just finished a 19.5 mile hill ride. A few weeks ago unexpected rain messed with my weekly post-work ride. Tonight there was a chance of light rain in the forecast but it came through early and west of where I planned to ride. There was a cool breeze but it was from the SE, so it was humid with temps in the low 60s. I started the ride wearing arm warmers and a vest, ended up taking them off and was comfortable with just a short-sleeved jersey over a lightweight long-sleeved wool base layer. Unusual for mid-November but I'm not complaining!! The humidity or lack thereof makes a huge difference this time of year.

There was one part of the ride where the roads had been milled down with manhole covers and some unmilled patches higher than the surrounding surface. It was challenging in the dark. Urban cyclocross.

[Crankin]

We had torrential rain forecasted for last night and into around mid morning. So, I signed up for spin class. Woke up, the rain was tapering off by 7:00. By 9, when I left, the sun was out! It was too late to cancel (you get charged a fee), so I went, in a bad mood the whole way. I mean, it's 60 degrees on November 20th! The class was good, but the roads were dry when I left the club. Did not think it was a good idea to ride outside after that, since I am planning to ride and go to tabatta tomorrow.
Going out for a little walk now, before a week of eating commences by dinner and theatre in Boston.

[Crankin]

Did a 16 mile ride today, one i haven't done in awhile. Nothing special, but it was nice out, albeit cool, but sunny, with a slight breeze at 45 degrees. There's one smaller hill in the middle of the ride, that goes through Hanscom AFB, and then, the climb back up to my house. I keep thinking my last ride of the year will be my last ride where I have to go up that fricking hill to get home... while moving has been delayed a bit, we'll be out of here by the end of the year.
Lots of riders out, and after an initial period of my legs hurting since i had already been to the gym, I felt really good when I got home. It's supposed to rain in the AM, so we signed up for spin. I won't complain though, if it's dry when we go, as the forecast is iffy for the whole day. I am trying to up my exercise over the next week, and I am feeling it!

[ny biker]

I've ridden more in the past couple of weeks than I have in a while, while also trying to get back to a normal gym routine, and I have definitely been feeling it. Though today I felt okay, probably because I was going kind of slow for much of it.

I did a 46 mile club ride in northern Maryland today, probably our last chance to ride in that area this year since they often get more snow and ice than we do closer to DC. The weather was pretty perfect. It was in the mid 40s when we started but felt warmer thanks to the sunshine and practically cloudless skies. And there was not much wind, which was an added bonus. The route was great, lots of familiar favorite roads with some exploration on a few that I haven't been on before. I will plan to ride it again at some point. The only problem was that we had hoped to stop at a nice cafe in Emmitsburg, but found it has closed and been replaced by a tattoo parlor. The people there were really friendly, so we'll miss them.

It was almost 4 pm by the time we finished and we could feel it getting colder as we rode the last few miles. For the next couple of months we'll be doing shorter rides.

[rebeccaC]

Came out to the desert yesterday to ride, do some photography and reflect this weekend. This morning I rode from Beatty Nv to the ghost town of Rhyolite which has been abandoned since 1920. Only 56 miles but with a very strong headwind going out. It felt good to be in the moment of a hard ride with the beauty of the desert surrounding me.

A side road out of Beatty as I started out this morning
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/641/23191862715_41410a0211_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/BkomMZ)

[azfiddle]

Rebecca, as always, your photos are inspirational!

[ny biker]

Wow yes, what a beautiful photo.

[azfiddle]

I rode El Tour de Tucson today- 104 miles. 1852 out of 2450 riders (yup, I'm slow!) with moving speed of about 14.6, but only 13.8 mph with rest stops included. The national weather service had predicted a very breezy day- with headwinds for most of the first 31 miles, and very stiff headwinds on the last 24. I was trying to save energy to deal with the wind .... but the weather forecast turned out to be wrong and the winds were never as bad- and switched to a tailwind for the last 24 or so. So instead of a difficult two hours at 12 mph, my tired self truly appreciated being able to finish up most of that section going 15-20 mph! Cool at the start (mid-40's) but quickly warmed up and I think it may have topped 80 degrees.

As expected, my husband pulled ahead right away to ride at his own faster pace. My friend started with me but after about 10 miles she wanted to go faster. I made friends with a guy from Colorado who told me he really hadn't trained at all and was carrying some extra pounds. That's probably why he didn't pass me right away.... He rode with me for 25 miles until he was able to take advantage of momentum on the downhill stretch. However we met up again around mile 50 and rode together for about 15 or 20 more miles. It was nice to have company. One drawback to being slow-ish: when the riders on the 40 mile route joined in, it was mayhem. Lots of riders with not much experience - so their riding habits were sometimes a little scary. They were all over the road and didn't stay right if they were a little slower, so the faster riders had trouble getting past them. I had a close call on a corner when a teen rider who had been pretty oblivious cut so close I almost had an accident.

But it was a pretty good day- we finished with a late lunch/early dinner at a Mexican restaurant. Imagining I could probably eat anything I wanted today I ordered a big burrito, enchilada style but then only felt like eating 1/3 of it.

[Crankin]

Do not put yourself down for those numbers, AZ! There were about 600 people behind you and 14.5 is a very good average for a century, for G-d's sake. It sounds like you had a great day.
Now I am thinking about that burrito, enchilada style, which is truly an AZ thing.
Hope you rest today.

ETA: And, I never look at my speed with stops. A stop is a stop. Rolling average is the only thing I let my GPS calculate. I don't linger at stops, though, and it all evens out.

[Catrin]

I agree with Crankin, you did very well indeed! Glad you had a nice evening, enjoy your rest day today!

[Blueberry]

Azfiddle - I agree with the others - sounds like a great day on the bike to me!

As an aside - I was so happy to see that Gabby Giffords rode the 40 mile route! So glad she's able to get back out there! Story (http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-gabrielle-giffords-bike-ride-20151121-story.html)

[emily_in_nc]

Azfiddle - I agree with the others - sounds like a great day on the bike to me!

As an aside - I was so happy to see that Gabby Giffords rode the 40 mile route! So glad she's able to get back out there! Story (http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-gabrielle-giffords-bike-ride-20151121-story.html)

I totally agree. Go Gabby Go!

Congratulations, azfiddle -- I think that is a great time! But you mentioned one of the reasons I'm not big on large organized events: the inexperienced cyclists. They do unpredictable things and can indeed cause accidents. Stopping right in the middle of the lane, weaving, etc. All that stuff makes me crazy, but I am glad to see people out there riding.

[Crankin]

Yeah, it's pretty much come down to if I am not one of the leaders, I don't ride in a group. However, I have done a few group rides this season, but every year, it gets less and less. Since i know most of the people in the Wednesday group, I know who to avoid! I have never done a large event like the Tour de Tucson; did one Wounded Warrior ride, as it started 3 miles from my house, and the mass start was super scary. Especially, since I certainly did not want to crash into one of the warriors! The one century I did (well, I started it a second time, but that was the one where the people got killed and then later, I crashed into DH, which ended it for us), was terrible at the beginning. People were rude and passing by me in all sorts of terrible positions.
Went to spin today. It was good. Felt hard, but not death defying, if you understand. I need to use Nuun in my bottle, for all indoor stuff where I really work up a sweat. It really seems to help me not feel awful from heat related stuff.

[azfiddle]

Thanks for all those kind words- probably the whole timing chip / race mentality has some effect on my thinking. I was a little faster last year but I think there was less wind. I am happy with the ride. For women in my age group (50's, and I'm 59) I was exactly in the middle.

I wish I had seen Gabby somewhere along the route- although she was with the 40 miler group, she was probably further toward the back when the merge between the 40 mile and the longer routes took place.

Today my husband and I took an 11 mile recovery ride with breakfast in the middle at a cafe that many cyclists stop at.

[Crankin]

DH and I did the club ride today (the "other" club). We were supposed to have a pre-Thanksgiving lunch, starting from a member's home, as he has a huge barn with room for lots of people. Three days ago, the guy had a stroke :eek:, which does not surprise me. There seem to be a lot of men in this group, who are super strong riders, but have big guts, and don't eat well! Luckily, his girlfriend is a physician, saw the symptoms, and they got him to the hospital right away. So, the ride was changed to a a more local start for us. We did the medium length ride, as the long ride is too fast for me. Despite having a couple of moments of "I hate group rides," due to others' actions, it was a great ride. 27 miles, and we had an Indian food lunch afterwards, in a private room. Proud of myself for not overeating at a buffet.
Temperature started at 37 and was 47 when we finished. I was dressed perfectly, for once. Bright sun and no wind make it easy.
On to baking.

[rebeccaC]

Azfiddle - I agree with the others - sounds like a great day on the bike to me!

As an aside - I was so happy to see that Gabby Giffords rode the 40 mile route! So glad she's able to get back out there! Story (http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-gabrielle-giffords-bike-ride-20151121-story.html)
makes me happy that she is continuing to challenge herself.....her determination is indeed inspirational !!!

[ny biker]

Well I had hoped to ride after work last night but just was not able to. I'm not ready for Thanksgiving! I'm leaving tonight, driving north for a few days, and will not reach my destination until the early hours of the morning. I had to get up early the past few days which left me very tired last night. So I decided to skip the ride and go to bed early. My next chance to ride will be Sunday, maybe, depending on the weather.

The combination of being sick in August and having big rides rained out in September and October has left me feeling weird -- I should be in the mindset of doing shorter, easier rides now that it's colder and getting dark earlier. Usually by this time of year I really feel like 30 miles is more than enough. But part of me feels like I should be putting in more miles, like there's a big challenging metric century coming up that I have to get ready for. I hope this feeling keeps me motivated through the winter.

[Crankin]

NY, is your bike club the Potomac Peddlers? Today at lunch one of the board members was talking about using your club as a model to change the way they do things. From what he described, it sounded familiar. I am not involved with the board of this club, but the members are getting older and older, and except for the group I ride with on Wednesdays, all the other rides are "we are out to drop you," or you end up riding alone in most cases. I am involved with AMC as a leader and the administration of the bike committee, as opposed to this group, as the philosophy is totally different. But, I thought of you during the conversation.

[Crankin]

On Thanksgiving, I did a little 13.5 mile ride. I was a bit sluggish, as I had already done 20 minutes of hill intervals at a fast walk pace on the treadmill. Trying to up the metabolism here.
Just got back from a just under 20 mile ride. It was 62 when we started, but very windy. We were supposed to meet 2 of our leader friends in Concord center. They are actually an AMC "love" story, and have now moved in together. Pretty awesome, since he is my age. We were waiting for them, when he called and said his bike rack had fallen off of his car in West Concord, and now they have 2 wheels that are wrecked :eek:. Let's just say he was pretty upset. She's the one who bought my Kuota and she had a pretty bad crash at the bike club rally in June, and the wheel on that bike was all out of true. She still hasn't had it fixed, as she wants to get the bike professionally fitted. Anyway, they went off to hike.
The ride we did was fun. We were only going to do 10 miles after my friend called, but the wind died down, I took off my arm warmers when we stopped at Ferns, and we ended up going faster than I thought I would.

[rebeccaC]

My mother arrived Wednesday to spend a few days here. It’s good to have her here. This morning she, Ellie and I biked south on the beach bike path to a wonderful bistro for breakfast…orange ricotta pancakes and biscuit french toast both topped with warm mixed berries ftw!!! :)
The wind gods were quiet, very few people were on the bike path, sunshine, the ocean, perfect riding temps and great conversations. A total of only 36 miles but it was a great time just being with her and Ellie.

[Pax]

Some nice rides going on!

I did an indoor ride at the gym yesterday, really nice to just sit there and pedal instead of dodging cars.

[rebeccaC]

Some nice rides going on!

I did an indoor ride at the gym yesterday, really nice to just sit there and pedal instead of dodging cars.

any pedaling is good pedaling :).....i know we are blessed here with some good bike paths without car worries!!!

[emily_in_nc]

Man, everyone was out today. We always do the same ride on Sunday morning, which involves riding on urban roads to a very nice bike path, two times out and back on the path, then riding home, stopping at Sam's Club for a few things 3 miles from our apartment. Being Thanksgiving week, I guess, there have been a lot more people around, and cars, so we had to stay on our toes even more than usual (and we always have to here). Also with the cooler temps lately, there were a lot of folks on the path -- walking, running, and cycling. Oh well, who can blame them?

Nice 21 mile ride and no lives lost. That's always a good outcome here. :D

[ny biker]

NY, is your bike club the Potomac Peddlers? Today at lunch one of the board members was talking about using your club as a model to change the way they do things. From what he described, it sounded familiar. I am not involved with the board of this club, but the members are getting older and older, and except for the group I ride with on Wednesdays, all the other rides are "we are out to drop you," or you end up riding alone in most cases. I am involved with AMC as a leader and the administration of the bike committee, as opposed to this group, as the philosophy is totally different. But, I thought of you during the conversation.

I'm an on-and-off member of Potomac Pedalers, but the club I ride most often with (and lead rides for) is the Oxon Hill club, which is smaller and focused on riding in southern Maryland, whereas PPTC also has rides in other parts of the metro DC area. My experience with most PPTC rides actually is of the "we are out to drop you"/you end up riding alone variety. For the most part I only ride with them if I know the ride leader personally or it's a route that I really want to ride and am comfortable doing alone.

[Crankin]

Well, the guy I spoke to seemed to be enamored of the way the rides were listed. I will tell him what you said.

[ny biker]

There are plenty of people who like the club, so either their experience has been different or they don't mind getting dropped/riding alone. The ride listing is fine. Their website is more complex than that of other bike clubs I've seen, with more options for displaying and filtering the rides on the schedule. I can't speak to how hard or easy it is to post a ride since I've never done it. They typically post the schedule for the entire month during the last couple of weeks of the prior month, and I think the individual ride leaders send the info to a ride coordinator (one per ride category) for a mass posting rather than each leader posting on their own.

I think the issue I have with them is one of culture. My impression is that all bike clubs or organizations that try to have group rides struggle to some degree with pace inflation and keeping riders together. But different groups have different approaches, cultures and expectations.

[Crankin]

I went to spin today, as it was raining and yucky out. The group ride was rescheduled to Friday, so that works out well for me!
Class was hard. I felt a little bonky in the middle, but that happens sometimes when I am inside, where overheating is easy. It is well ventilated, so I just dialed down the intensity for about 15 minutes.
I disliked going to this class when i belonged to this club before, and it still is annoying today. It's the people in the class. I like to get there early to warm up, and the vapid conversation bugs me. It's hard for me to tune them out. Back in the day, the instructor was someone who rode outside, her DH was a racer that knew my son and exchange student, and her rides were great. The class itself is great now, but the fitness director, who teaches it, was giggling about the "nozzle" of the new saddles on the bikes, saying they were too long and hard. Oy. I wanted to say it's called a nose and if you wore bike shorts, it wouldn't hurt.
But, I kept my mouth shut and worked really hard.

[ny biker]

Last night's post-work hill ride was rained out, but the sun was out today so I'm planning a ride tonight. It's been breezy today too so I hope that has helped to dry out the leaves on the roads.

I've got some new clothes to try out. I have an Endura fleece jersey that's hi-viz pink with lots of good reflective bits, but it's not windproof. Some months ago I scored a Gore windstopper base layer on sale from TE, so I'm going to try it tonight under the Endura jersey. I'm thinking I'll wear a lightweight wool layer under the windproof top.

[Crankin]

Temperatures are going up, but there is still quite a breeze, but not 40 mph gusts like yesterday. It was 33 at 8:30 AM, and even though it was predicted to be 40 at 10, when my rescheduled group ride starts, I knew the real feel would be less. I got the urge to go to yoga and I did...
But I came home and got on my heavy commuter tights, a heavy base layer, regular LS jersey, and my winter jacket. Wore my heated gloves. The wind, and increasing clouds did make it feel colder,and I was, for once dressed correctly. Just did a little 11 mile loop, to get fresh air and continue my mindful feeling from yoga. This helped me when I started feeling like complaining about my slow speed. In fact, when this happened, I slowed down, and in the end, ended up with same average I usually have at this time of year.
It is going to be warm this weekend, 50-60. Doing 25 with a friend tomorrow, and not sure about Sunday.

[ny biker]

I rode about 17 miles last night. My pace was slower than usual and my legs were feeling it at the end (and this morning). But after not being on the bike for almost 2 weeks and lots of sitting and eating during that time, I had no expectations of speed. This whole year has been a fitness yo-yo for me -- every time I reached a point where I felt I had built up some strength and endurance, something happened to keep me from riding and cause me to start all over again. But, what matters is just getting out and riding when possible and enjoying the experience of it.

The new outfit that I tried out -- lightweight wool long-sleeved base layer, Gore Windstopper baselayer, Endura fleece jersey -- would have been good for slightly warmer temperatures. It was 45 when I started and a few degrees cooler when I finished, probably closer to 40 in the middle of the ride when I was in neighborhoods with lots of trees and creeks and relatively little pavement. I started with a vest on top of it, was able to remove the vest about a third of the way into the ride, but had to put it back on towards the end. I was comfortable going uphill but cold on the downhills and when I picked up speed on flat roads. The Windstopper fabric does indeed block the wind, but the base layer has a mesh fabric in back and on the insides of the sleeves. This kept me from overheating, but it also made my arms cold. So I will probably not use this same outfit again until the spring when things start to warm up again. In the meantime I want to test the Windstopper base layer with a Pearl Izumi jacket that I have. The jacket has a fleece inside and a wind resistant outside. I always seem to need a vest over it in order to be comfortable, so I'm hoping this base layer will combine well with it.

[Crankin]

Rode 24 slow miles with my friend this afternoon. Really beautiful out, about 50 and sunny. The real feel was 47, but after about 10 miles, I had to take my head cover and glove liners off. My ears were a little cold, but I had already experimented with pushing it up behind my ears, and I was still sweating. Usually taking the head cover off is the only way to stop this, as I didn't have a heavy jacket on, just a light wind jacket, a thin fleece lined jersey, and a short sleeved base layer. My fingers were starting to get cold at the end, as the light full finger gloves I have are vented. Then I noticed a hole in the index finger.
I stayed behnid my friend for quite a bit, as I just felt dead, but in the end I did go ahead. Average was still really, really slow, but I planned it this way. It's going to be 60 tomorrow, so I want to be good for a long ride with DH.
I had a flu shot yesterday, so maybe I am a little achy from that? Last year, I felt kind of sick for a day after the shot, but nothing like that this time.

[rebeccaC]

Started a little later than usual for a santa monica mountains ride cuz the friend I was riding with can be a ditz and didn’t show up until 11. She’s an incredible climber though and it’s always a good challenge riding with her so I didn’t mind the wait that much. After the coast ride on the way out we rode up the steepest canyon road into the mountains, a 9 mile 2000+ft gain ride with some up to 12% grades. Madison has a smooth constant flow to her motion that helped my climbing with my first rides watching and talking to her when I first moved here. She's been a large influence on my determination and riding technique. Her willingness to help others become better riders and her positive attitude are gifts that i've always truly appreciated. We did three good climbs off and back to Mulholland hwy and came back down to the ocean at leo carrillo beach. Beautiful riding weather in the low 70’s the entire mountain part of the 78 mile ride.

We stopped at the Urth cafe by the beach in santa monica on the way home and took some drinks and their incredible cheesecake to the beach and watched the sunset....a good ending to a good ride
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5673/23208193009_6655b7b116_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/BmQ4dM)

[salsabike]

Beautiful photo, rebeccaC. Thanks.

[Crankin]

Did a hilly 14 mile ride yesterday, before our Chanukah guests arrived. Weirdly, it was only 2 degrees warmer than yesterday, but it felt much warmer. I was a bit overdressed, but same scenario as yesterday, took off the head cover and glove liners, and dealt with it.
I have so much eating this week... last night, and tomorrow is my anniversary and we are going to a really great farm to table restuarant that is extremely hard to get into. Then Wednesday is my bike group's Chanukah party. I am planning on riding before the eating, but there is also an alternate hike. The past 2 years I've hiked, but it's not that fun of a hike, and the group goes too slowly for me. I've ridden at this party when it used to be up in Portsmouth, NH, and we would ride along the coast. For the past few years, it's been very close to where I live, which is nice, but I've let the cold weather give me an excuse.

[ny biker]

I did a 34-mile ride on Saturday. The weather was great, sunshine and in the 50s, and I think it was around 60 at the end. We rode to a small market/deli on the western shore of the Chesapeake and sat on their patio in the sun. They were playing Christmas music. There have been so many hot summer days when we've stopped there looking for ice, cold drinks, a table with an umbrella to shield us from the sun. Not this time -- the sun felt great. It was a bit cooler by the bay though, so it took a while for us to warm up again on the return ride. The water was a beautiful shade of blue and there were a few sailboats. I wished I had brought my camera.

[Crankin]

I got myself out the door and did my group's 23 mile ride before the Chanukah party. There was a 33 mile ride that was supposed to be at regular pace for the group, but then someone added in the shorter ride. Hence, the longer riders were going to be averaging 16 or so. I looked at the route, and said no way, so I suited up and and planned to be going slowly. But, I was surprised, although at the end we slowed and my average was way low, it did not feel slow for most of the ride. I stayed behind the leader (or 2nd behind him), and since there were only 8 or 9 of us, we stayed together, as there was no downloaded route for this ride. We didn't need to use human arrows, either, just waited twice. It wasn't like we were riding anyplace i hadn't been, except for one neighborhood in Acton, where I haven't been in years. My kids had several friends there, but never ridden there. The ride was pretty flat, with enough small hills to keep me busy.
We got back before the other riders and the hikers. I was able to clean myself up a bit without tons of people clamoring to get in the bathroom. Food was awesome (this group likes to eat), but I was restrained. I did have a glass of wine, 2 PM, though! I did not stay for the Yankee swap, which often goes on for hours.
A very pleasant day, and I am glad I went. My only annoyance was the one guy who always is half wheeling me, passes me, and then I drop him when we get to a hill. He calls out "car back, 2 cars back, 3 cars back," as well as other unecessary things. But, I think he got the message today, without me saying anything...

[ny biker]

I got myself out the door and did my group's 23 mile ride before the Chanukah party. There was a 33 mile ride that was supposed to be at regular pace for the group, but then someone added in the shorter ride. Hence, the longer riders were going to be averaging 16 or so. I looked at the route, and said no way, so I suited up and and planned to be going slowly. But, I was surprised, although at the end we slowed and my average was way low, it did not feel slow for most of the ride. I stayed behind the leader (or 2nd behind him), and since there were only 8 or 9 of us, we stayed together, as there was no downloaded route for this ride. We didn't need to use human arrows, either, just waited twice. It wasn't like we were riding anyplace i hadn't been, except for one neighborhood in Acton, where I haven't been in years. My kids had several friends there, but never ridden there. The ride was pretty flat, with enough small hills to keep me busy.
We got back before the other riders and the hikers. I was able to clean myself up a bit without tons of people clamoring to get in the bathroom. Food was awesome (this group likes to eat), but I was restrained. I did have a glass of wine, 2 PM, though! I did not stay for the Yankee swap, which often goes on for hours.
A very pleasant day, and I am glad I went. My only annoyance was the one guy who always is half wheeling me, passes me, and then I drop him when we get to a hill. He calls out "car back, 2 cars back, 3 cars back," as well as other unecessary things. But, I think he got the message today, without me saying anything...

It's sometimes a fine line between calling out helpful information and being annoying. I know one person who always yells "Car back" in a very loud voice, even when there are only one or two people riding with her and we're all close together. But then there are the people who ride in front of you without giving so much as a hint about potholes and debris that you need to avoid...

Wednesday was chilly and cloudy here with fog expected at night, so I did my weekly hill ride on Thursday instead. We're having this unusually warm weather right now and it was in the low 60s with sunshine yesterday. But it was also kind of humid, especially after the sun went down and temps dropped to the high 40s, which were the conditions when I was riding. I was warm when I first started out, where I ride alongside a highway. But as I rode into the neighborhoods with less pavement and more creeks, it got noticeably cooler. On hot summer days it's great to reach the cooler part of the ride, but this time of year it can make it tricky to figure out how many layers you need. Fortunately last night I was dressed more or less correctly and was mostly comfortable, though it was chilly going downhill. Originally I planned to do the shortest version of the route but since I know I will probably have to start riding indoors soon, I decided to only take some of the possible shortcuts. In all I rode about 17.5 miles.

It was nice to see all the houses decorated for Christmas and to notice the different styles -- some were understated with just wreaths and electric candles while others had lots of colored lights and other decorations. One large house had a wreath in every front window -- I counted 12 plus the big one on the front door. (It's a beautiful house with a great front porch, I envy it every time I ride by.)

[Crankin]

Did 32 miles today. It's 55 out, and starting to feel slightly creepy being so warm in the middle of December. But, I'll take it.
We wanted a lunch destination ride today, but we didn't end up doing exactly as we planned. Still, plenty of climbing before lunch, nice lunch at Nancy's Airport Café, in Stow, and then back a very different way, that maximized flat, but busier roads. I was mostly dressed correctly, though it never felt quite as warm as it should have, as it was partly cloudy, with a steady light breeze. Tons of riders out today, as well as runners, walkers, and generally lots of traffic doing holiday stuff.

[ny biker]

We rode 41 miles yesterday. I led a club ride. The weather was fantastic, rising from 60 to the mid 70s. Some clouds in the sky but they were white, not gray, and there were patches of blue and peeks of sun. We rode a route that we've done many times before but not recently. It was a great day.

[Crankin]

I think we need a December thread, now that it's about half over...

[Helene2013]

Did only a 16km ride yesterday, but outside. That is very unusual for us. No snow, warm with a 8c. But I think that will be it for now as freezing rain tomorrow and temperatures will be dropping. But it was so much fun riding outside. In the end the sun was hiding and wind picking up so we got cold feet and the back of my neck was really cold. But for the rest of body I was good.

[ny biker]

I think we need a December thread, now that it's about half over...

Ha! I never noticed! Too many things going on right now -- December is flying by.

While Christmas shopping after my ride yesterday I stopped at REI and got some chemical toe warmers. I want to be able to wear them on top of the cleats in my shoes -- that is where my feet get cold (and they will get cold soon -- this weekend was fantastic but reality will be back soon). But I think maybe adding an extra layer of anything under part of my foot will cause discomfort. We'll see.

Glad you were able to get outside, Helene.

[Crankin]

NY, I have used chemical warmers on the bottom of my foot, and occasionally on top for many years. You may have to wear a slightly thinner wool sock (I have a lot of different thicknesses), but it works. Also, you have to ratchet your shoe a bit looser. The chemical warmers, with booties allowed me to ride in pretty cold temperatures and my regular shoes. Just remember to open the packet of warmers, and let them breathe for about 15 minutes before you put themin your shoes. They need air to activate. This why you need a little extra space in the shoes.
That said, I have had winter riding shoes for a couple of years. The ones for my road pedals are not as warm as the ones for my Frogs (on my other road bike). I occasionally use the heaters with them, but not as much as with regular shoes.
It was hard to find winter riding shoes in my small size (37) for road cleats. I got both pairs through an on-line store in the UK, for half price, at the end of the winter season. They have free shipping, too.