October rides...

[ny biker]

Hoping to get out and ride after work tonight. Anyone else?

[north woods gal]

Pretty steady rain, at the moment, so probably not me.

Did get out and do some mountain biking, yesterday, though, but careful not to overdo because still have a touch of my lingering cold. Love biking this time of year, as I've said, but now find all my mountain bike trails covered in leaves. Not good. Those leaves make it hard to actually see the trail and some of the sections are very narrow, not to mention the leaves cover some tricky spots. May just drag a rake down my trails around the house, but not much I can do on the backcountry MTB trails other than be extra careful. Oh, well, that's mountain biking.

For those of you on pavement, watch those leaves when wet. Ask me how I know. :)

[Crankin]

*Finally* went out on a longer ride today and it was fabulous. Went with my normal group, my friend was leading and all of the super fast people went out ahead of the group, so it was not too big. Most of this ride was going in an opposite direction than I usually ride these roads and there was one small section of neighborhood streets i had never been on. Basically, the ride went from Bedford, MA, to Billerica, south Chelmsford, a teeny bit in Carlisle, then Concord, and back to the start. The weather started out chilly, but warmed quickly. I was dressed just a bit warm, but I would rather have that than the opposite. I did change to short fingered gloves at the rest, and had my vest and jersey (light thermal) unzipped. However, a lot of the ride was in the shade, so no overheating... until the 2 climbs. The first was going the opposite way than usual on Vose Hill Rd., a climb I did twice this year in close to 90 degree heat. It's a neighborhood street, a loop, and it was easier going this way, but not easy. I could stay with the faster people. Then, lo and behold, the second climb was my old street. I have not ridden up it since March. It is also a loop and we went up the steeper grade side. Couldn't keep up with the fast guys here, but I was not with the slow ones, either. All I can say, is I am glad I don't have to do this every time I ride anymore.
There are pops of fall color, but not enough to take pictures. We will do some riding this holiday weekend, west of here, where I might get some pics. Today's ride was 33 miles, with 1,719 feet of climbing.

[ny biker]

Crankin, does "Bedford" rhyme with "Medford"? (I have a friend whose family is from Medford and he has schooled me in the correct pronunciation. )

It was chilly here last night, in the 60s, when I got home from work. Since then I've been thinking about what I need to wear to ride comfortably tonight. We skipped over short sleeves and shorts weather and are going straight from tank tops to long sleeves, capris and wool socks.

[Crankin]

Ha, ha. My son lives in Medford, also pronounced as "Meffa" or "Medfa," or "Medfid." The first is the really old Italian townie pronunciation, which is who settled the city. The others are just variations of the Boston accent, which gets stronger as you get closer to the city. So, my answer is, not really, but you probably won't hear Bed-ford, with the last syllable accented and pronounced like the car brand. You probably will hear Bedferd, which is probably what I sound like. I moved away in 1969, came back in 1990, and I still have to force some of the "r" syllables.
It was 39 here last night and 53 when we started our ride.

[emily_in_nc]

We finally got out for a good long ride today after many days of traveling. We are in western Ohio now and rode on gorgeous rural roads from our campground, out through Amish areas, lovely farms, and over into eastern Indiana, where we picked up the Cardinal Trail. We had ridden this trail a couple of years ago when staying in Richmond, IN, but this time we only did around 8 miles each way into town, grabbed some ice cream, then headed back north. On the way north on the Cardinal, a passing shower caught us by surprise as we thought it was supposed to be sunny and warm all day long, but that's the midwest for you!

Ended up with over 51 miles, so made up for lost time. Even though the terrain was not too bad -- flat to rolling -- my quads were burning on the last 25% of the ride since I hadn't done anything over 30 miles for quite awhile. Fortunately my lungs seem to be doing very well after being in the high-altitude west for so long. No more huffing and puffing to extremes, thank goodness!

Very little fall foliage here; it's like going back in time after being in Colorado!

[ny biker]

I decided to go for a walk after work tonight instead of riding. I'm just not ready for the cooler weather and playing the "how many layers" game. Now waiting to see how the weather shapes up for the weekend.

[north woods gal]

What with rain through mid afternoon, wasn't planning on a ride, but the rain stopped, the sun came out and the temp was right at 60 degrees, so couldn't resist. Only did 22 miles, but the gorgeous color and wonderful aroma of the north woods after a rain made for a great ride. Would have done more, but had to be back in time for a dinner date with friends. Yup, just cool enough to wear leggings with the brisk wind, but well worth it.

[azfiddle]

I've been riding regularly in spite the crash that finished my ride Saturday. (Detailed elsewhere). That was about 35 miles I think- "biking & birding". Tucson weather is great right now- cool in the morning but still pretty warm by late afternoon.

Sunday I took the Surly out on the path just to see if I could keep moving. Monday I did a bunch of errands on the Surly, and picked up the Ruby from the bike shop. Flat tire, a little brake adjustment (the rotor got bent a little and they tightened a couple spokes). That was a relief.

Tuesday- commuted into work for a meeting (even though we're on break), rode to a home visit to see a student, and took a very long way back to check a couple birding spots for 36 miles.

Wednesday- another student home visit, then continued to my classroom to do some clean up and get ready for having a substitute- I'm skipping the first day back after the fall break.

Thursday I drove to the other side of Tucson and did a 47 mile expedition looking for hawks etc through the Avra valley. Very flat- not my usual ride experience.

[north woods gal]

Rained all night, temps in the 50s and dropping all day with strong gusty winds as a cold front pushes through. For sure frost, tonight. Will ride, today, just around the house on my trails. One thing about riding back in the heavy stuff; wind is not as much a factor as when on the road.

[ny biker]

We're looking at rain tomorrow and wind on Sunday. I'm trying to figure out if there's someplace I can ride on Sunday that will offer some protection from the wind. Many of the usual routes through farmland and near the Chesapeake are too exposed.

[Crankin]

Had originally planned to do a 50 mile ride west of here, but we were not feeling it, to get out of the house by 10:00. We ended up doing 28 miles over to the cranberry bogs in Carlisle, hoping to see the harvest and some fall color. Apparently, they are not harvesting now, and I am not sure if it's due to the drought, or that it's just too early. I know they harvesting down on the Cape.
However, there were areas of some nice fall color, but I definitely need another week before it's photo worthy. All in all, a nice ride, and I always like it when my DH is feeling slow! It started out at 63, but it was cloudy and humid, and felt warmer. After 7 miles, I took off my arm warmers and vest. The temperature went down a couple of degrees, but not enough for me to put them back on. We will be getting some of the outer bands of the rain from the hurricane, combined with another front tomorrow, so no riding or hiking. I will go to the gym and do a power lifting class, as I am off from work Monday and will not be going then.

[rebeccaC]

After doing some work in Colorado I did a couple days of research in the Mojave Desert by the Sierra Nevada’s this past week. The desert always calms me and gives me a perspective of peace and beauty, just what I needed after long days of work and traveling. I’ve found a few favorite roads that I try to ride every time I’m there. Did a couple of morning and evening rides and spent all of yesterday riding into the Sierra’s. Temps in the 50’s in the morning and only in the 70’s in the afternoon. Perfect weather and perfect rides.

https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5493/30199001515_157ef09e77_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/N1zM2V)


https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7493/29903231330_ecde79153c_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/MyrSRY)


https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5651/30164684716_350562c13b_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/MXxTQY)


https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5226/30198989115_c42fb75d28_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/N1zHm8)


https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8136/30114100311_f6598f8e26_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/MT5CS4)

[emily_in_nc]

Had a nice ride yesterday in Ohio: 11 miles on somewhat busy (with no shoulder and high speed limit, not a great combo) road to get over to the Little Miami Scenic Trail, which we've ridden portions of several times and love, rode part of the trail, then rode back to our campground another way including up one killer hill I actually had to walk up it was so so steep. I had hoped to get 50 miles but ended up with 48 and was so glad to be finished as my quads were DONE. The trail was flat but the rest was most definitely not.

Not a lot of fall foliage in southwest Ohio yet either. Wore a sleeveless jersey for probably the last time this fall yesterday; a front came through last night, and today was breezy, brightly sunny, and cool (60s but felt cooler with the north breeze). Did yoga and weights and took a walk instead of a ride today!

[Crankin]

So, a story on the front page of today's Boston Globe answered my question about the cranberry bogs. The lack of color (in the bogs, not on the trees) is related to the drought. Usually, the fields are irrigated, the berries float off the vines, and people or machines use a giant rake to harvest them. Because of the lack of rain, and hence, water to irrigate, a few harvesters have chosen to "dry harvest." This is labor intensive and they lose about 10-15% of the berries when harvesting this way. A few of the smaller farmers have chosen to give it up. While Ocean Spray will not be affected financially (the harvest last year was spectacular and they have been irrigating), the small bog near me is most definitely one of the ones affected by the drought.

[Sky King]

Rebecca C that looks awesome - thanks for the photos

[north woods gal]

Yes, great photos. Thanks, Rebecca.

Unless the weather takes a turn to something unusually warm, probably had my last ride going sleeveless and no leggings, as of last week. A warm day is now in the 50s. Oh, well, that's bicycling in the north country.

Been doing more work on the MTB trails around the house, mostly clearing leaves on the tricky spots. Yeah, raking mountain bike trails. Who would a' thunk it? Darn leaves can hide a multitude of dangers, though.

Finally drying out a bit after a near record wet summer. Will work on some trails that will be rideable once the ground freezes. These swamp trails are fat bike, only, at the moment and given that it means a thorough washing of the bike when done, pretty much have avoided them.

The really good news is that my MTB house trails will get use as cross country ski trails, come snow, but will also fat bike them in the snow. That, too, is part of life in the north country. Home, sweet, home.

Emily, speaking of killer hills, I have about half dozen "steeps" on my MTB trails that take me into the lowest gear on the MTBs and still require me to stand on the pedals. Have one, though, that is impossible to climb, though I've tried many, many times. Hairpin turns at the top and bottom, so no way to build up speed to climb it. Will take another look, today, and maybe re-route it. An hour workout on my trails leaves me huffing and puffing, big time. Sometimes wonder if an old lady like me should have her head examined for pushing herself like this, but would rather crash and burn, so to speak, than just fade away. :)

[azfiddle]

Rebecca, those photos were great- the clouds in the second one really wowed me. Where exactly were you?

It's so different from the Sonoran desert....

[rebeccaC]

Thanks sky and nwg

Rebecca, those photos were great- the clouds in the second one really wowed me. Where exactly were you?

It's so different from the Sonoran desert....
The second photo is looking towards the western edge of the Panamint mountains.

We do work on the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan and other research grants in the northeastern Mojave between the western edge of the Panamint mountain range in Death Valley and the eastern Sierra Nevada’s. That area of the Mojave also gives me such a wonderful counterpoint to the usual urban/coastal mountain riding i usually do.

The Mojave is drier year round and colder in the winter than the Sonoran so yeah the landscape is different.
….and our tortoise’s are cuter than yours and we don’t have all those thorns on the road :)

here’s one more than I post processed after my last post…and one of my favorite riding roads.
https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8679/30106683162_344caf9671_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/MSqC1b)

[azfiddle]

I used to get into that area occasionally. When I did research on Bell's Vireos in the late 1970's there was one little oasis (Shoshone?) that I would go to, plus some recreational birding at other oases.

The Sonoran Desert is lush by comparison with the stark beauty of that part of the Mojave. Beautiful country (but not in the heat of summer!)

[rebeccaC]

Shoshone is on the eastern side of Death Valley and yeah the area has the same kind of ecosystem. Riding in the heat can be done with the right preparations and mindset. I see it as a good challenge when work takes me there during the summer.:) I usually only do long rides there in the fall/winter months though.

And speaking of birds, there is some productive and needed work being done on solar farms/avian mortality by the Ca. Fish and Wildlife Dept., the Center for Biological Diversity etc. I do worry that a change in U.S. political direction will have a big impact on that though.

[ny biker]

So, a story on the front page of today's Boston Globe answered my question about the cranberry bogs. The lack of color (in the bogs, not on the trees) is related to the drought. Usually, the fields are irrigated, the berries float off the vines, and people or machines use a giant rake to harvest them. Because of the lack of rain, and hence, water to irrigate, a few harvesters have chosen to "dry harvest." This is labor intensive and they lose about 10-15% of the berries when harvesting this way. A few of the smaller farmers have chosen to give it up. While Ocean Spray will not be affected financially (the harvest last year was spectacular and they have been irrigating), the small bog near me is most definitely one of the ones affected by the drought.

I learned about this when we took the scenic train ride on Cape Cod. Though now I'm not sure if I'm remembering correctly. But I think they told us that typically about 75% of the cranberries are wet harvested and these berries are used for processed products like juice and canned cranberry sauce. The dry-harvested berries are sold as is, unprocessed.

Meanwhile, I have not been on my bike in a couple of weeks now. On Saturday we had rain all day, and I just couldn't get motivated to ride on Sunday because it was very windy. I've gone for a few walks around my neighborhood, though, which is not as good a workout but it does work some different muscles.

[north woods gal]

After posting that my riding sleeveless and shorts season is over, it actually warmed up enough, today, to at least not have to wear leggings. It also warmed up enough to have hordes of mosquitos on my MTB trails. ??? This is very strange for us, this late in the year. Makes me wonder what kind of winter we will have. Anyone else getting unusual weather for their location?

[Crankin]

Although I haven't seen any mosquitos since I came back from my vacation, there have been 3 cases of West Nile Virus in my county in the past 2 weeks. The word is to still protect yourself. Our drought has been so bad, that the last 2 weekends, when we had one day of rain, each, I can't begrudge it. But, since I am so unused to lazy rainy days, I also have not ridden much either, NY. I feel lazy and guilty. On Sunday, I got up, was ready, but just did not want to go out and drive the one mile to the gym. So, I stayed home, ate bagels and lox, and read the paper, like a normal person. I did, for the first time since I moved to the condo, do one of my 30 minute yoga DVDs in the sunroom, which is perfect. Windows surrounded by woods, and peaceful.
Yesterday we did a 3 mile flat hike in local woods and then went to Cambridge and walked another 3 miles.
I rested today and tomorrow I am going to ride on a bike trail with a friend, who is being another bad Jew, by not observing Yom Kippor.

[emily_in_nc]

Emily, speaking of killer hills, I have about half dozen "steeps" on my MTB trails that take me into the lowest gear on the MTBs and still require me to stand on the pedals. Have one, though, that is impossible to climb, though I've tried many, many times. Hairpin turns at the top and bottom, so no way to build up speed to climb it. Will take another look, today, and maybe re-route it. An hour workout on my trails leaves me huffing and puffing, big time. Sometimes wonder if an old lady like me should have her head examined for pushing herself like this, but would rather crash and burn, so to speak, than just fade away. :)

LOL...but I am sure you are in killer shape for doing all that! Wow!

I rode yesterday around the large state park where we were staying (paved but cracked roads; should have taken the fullie MTB and not my roadie, as it was kinda miserable..bump.....bump....bump....ugh!) and a little on roads outside of it. DH has a bum shoulder -- either strained or torn rotator cuff -- and can't ride, and I just didn't feel all that motivated to head out on roads unknown without him. I managed to get in 20 miles, but it was a pretty slow and uncomfortable ride. Today was a travel day.

We had planned to ride over to see his folks tomorrow, but since he's out of commission, that is not going to happen. We have to drive over in our motorhome. This is one of the first times I've wished we had a tow'd vehicle. It's a pain to have to unhook from utilities, bring in the slides, take out the leveling blocks, stow everything away so it won't go flying, just to drive 14 miles down the road and back later (and reverse everything to get settled back into the site). Normally we only stay in campgrounds where we can walk or bicycle to places we need to go, but there was no place closer to their assisted living facility and we didn't count on DH being hurt when we came to visit. :(

[azfiddle]

First day in a while I've ridden with anyone else. (Since the Grand Canyon trip, actually!). I didn't make her stop for birds more than three times, but we did stop for a great look at a Peregrine Falcon. About 28 miles.

[Crankin]

Sorry about your DH, Emily. Is he going to get it looked at? Hope it gets better quickly!

[azfiddle]

Emily, sorry, I missed that about your DH - I hope he's okay.

[north woods gal]

Me, too, on your DH, Emily. One thing I love about my drop bar bikes with the fatter tires is that those Ouch! Ouch! road cracks turn into more mellow Thump! Thumps!. :)

AZ, has been many years since I've seen any falcons, save a Kestrel pair the nests and hunts in the little open country we have, up here, via a potato farm on one of my paved bike loops. Just not great falcon country in our thick north woods. The one falcon I miss seeing the most, though, from my prairie days, is the Prairie Falcon. Magnificent birds.

Cranking' and NY, hope you'll be up and pedaling, soon. Yeah, the guilt thing is a real pest. I know it all too well. Just comes with the territory for those of us who ride a lot. Don't let it get you down.

[Crankin]

So, my friend and I rode 19.7 miles today, not on the bike path, thankfully. What a gorgeous day. Leaves still not so colorful everywhere, but here's a picture at the South Cemetery in Boxborough, about a mile from where I used to live.

[ny biker]

Cranking' and NY, hope you'll be up and pedaling, soon. Yeah, the guilt thing is a real pest. I know it all too well. Just comes with the territory for those of us who ride a lot. Don't let it get you down.

I must confess that I don't feel guilty. Today we had nice weather, I have my bike and all my gear to go for a ride after work, but I don't feel like it. I am going to have to force myself. All I really want to do is take a nap.

Yet I am planning a ride on Saturday, possibly a metric. Part of my brain is business-as-usual and part of it has no motivation.

Emily, I hope DH's shoulder is better soon. It does sound inconvenient to have to drive short distances.

[north woods gal]

40s and rain, most of the day, but the rain stopped, so what could I do? Yup, pulled on the leggings, cap under the helmet, lobster mitts, the whole cold weather riding thing and worked my MTB trails for an hour. Walked back into the house with ruddy cheeks and a smile. The woods are avery different place, now that the leaves have fallen and the green undergrowth, gone.

[Crankin]

NY, I feel guilty because I am at least 500 miles behind for mileage where I usually am at this point in the year. It sounds silly, but I started out really ahead, since I rode through the winter (no snow and warmer). But, this kind of confirms what I have thought. If I lived in a place where I could ride all year long, I think it would burn me out. I started doing more hiking, and I am a firm believer in cross training, but I started feeling lazy about riding in June, instead of August or September! I do love the fall, so I forsee some good riding ahead, until the snow flies. We have our hiking trip up to Acadia the 21st-24th, so after that, I hope I have at least 6-8 more weeks. I always look forward to the x country ski season, as it's so short here. The prediction is for a snowy and long winter, and I am looking forward to it.
We also didn't do any cycling trips this year, except our 4 days in the Berkshires, and even there, we had to shorten one day, because of the extreme heat. If all goes well, we will be doing a trip in northern Spain next summer.

[ny biker]

NY, I feel guilty because I am at least 500 miles behind for mileage where I usually am at this point in the year. It sounds silly, but I started out really ahead, since I rode through the winter (no snow and warmer). But, this kind of confirms what I have thought. If I lived in a place where I could ride all year long, I think it would burn me out. I started doing more hiking, and I am a firm believer in cross training, but I started feeling lazy about riding in June, instead of August or September! I do love the fall, so I forsee some good riding ahead, until the snow flies. We have our hiking trip up to Acadia the 21st-24th, so after that, I hope I have at least 6-8 more weeks. I always look forward to the x country ski season, as it's so short here. The prediction is for a snowy and long winter, and I am looking forward to it.
We also didn't do any cycling trips this year, except our 4 days in the Berkshires, and even there, we had to shorten one day, because of the extreme heat. If all goes well, we will be doing a trip in northern Spain next summer.


I agree about not wanting to ride year-round. I think my problem for the past six months was that I worked hard in the early spring to be ready for a challenging metric in early May, and I ended up feeling burned out instead of enjoying rides during the summer that I usually look forward to.

I did enjoy my ride tonight after work, though. A little over 18 miles, skipping the steeper hills because my legs were burning from the start. Strange that after such a hot summer I still feel like it was just a week or so, not 5 months, since the last time I had to wear tights and toe covers.

[north woods gal]

Glad to hear that you got out, NY, but especially that you enjoyed it. In the end, that's what counts. I have a tendency to push myself, sometimes to the point of asking myself what the heck I am doing. Looking back, though, the memories that stick with me the most, are the moments of bicycling bliss and contentment I found and, more often than not, those were on the easy and pleasant rides, not the crash and burn epic adventure rides. Oh, I need those, too, and they do give me a sense of accomplishment and are great for confidence builders, but it's the less ambitious day to day rides I enjoy the most. Anyway, good for you.

[rebeccaC]

I think my problem for the past six months was that I worked hard in the early spring to be ready for a challenging metric in early May, and I ended up feeling burned out instead of enjoying rides during the summer that I usually look forward to.
I can see and enjoy the satisfaction of designing and implementing a training timetable/plan for a hard organized ride….and of course it’s a different type of riding than just going out to enjoy moving through a day on a bike. The next time you create a training plan perhaps things like stretching out the timeframe, preparing lots of strategies to help with motivation, designing it specifically for your strength/condition and the measurable success you need for the ride....can help in making it more enjoyable and not getting a ‘burn-out’ feeling. Training with someone/others can also bring an invaluable feeling of support too.….and for me, training intervals can help in getting rid of some of life’s frustrations :)

nothing better than just enjoying your riding now....and hoping you have more before winter :)

[Crankin]

I avoid "training plans," like the plague. However, if I have a trip coming up, I do prepare by riding more, longer, hills, etc. I've always said I let the hills i ride prepare me for whatever. If it feels like work, it kills it for me. I tend to push through any riding challenge that presents itself, and then pay for it later. It's a head game.
After 35 years of endurance activities, sometimes I just wish I could be a lazy American who doesn't care... but, I am not, so onward.

[ny biker]

Thanks ladies.

I didn't really have a training plan other than "ride often, ride hills, work up to 60 miles by the last weekend in April." But even that apparently was too much, possibly due to the weather and having to force myself to do longer rides on cold overcast early spring days. And I think I might have a sort of annual "circadian rhythm" when it comes to cycling -- I'm happier putting in the hard efforts during some parts of the year but not at other times. In past years I've felt plenty of pressure and anxiety while training for hard rides in August or September, but I was still able to keep riding into November before it stopped feeling like fun. I think I'm just better suited to a more relaxed, gradual buildup of miles in the spring. So, lesson learned, I will not plan to take on anything too ambitious next spring.

And speaking of ambitious, despite my inactivity over the past few weeks I'm looking at a 60+ mile club ride tomorrow. But I'll be with friends in one of my favorite places to ride, and the weather should be cool but sunny. I do expect my legs to be hurting long before the end, but no mental pressure to push too hard. As it should be!

[Crankin]

And that, pretty much sums up my attitude.
60 miles by the end of April, no. Maybe by the end of May, more realistically, June. I did a couple of 50 milers in May this year, then I flamed out.

[north woods gal]

I worked up to 900 plus miles a month for June and July doing road work, but then got the mountain bike bug and my miles tally went downhill, fast (pun intended :)). Would love to find a way to translate mountain bike trail miles into equivalent road bike miles, but just not doable. If there's one thing I learned this summer, it's that the only thing the two kinds of biking have in common is that they both use bicycles. Very different kind of physical workout. Oh, well, love both kinds of riding and will enjoy both for what they are and not worry about it, even if it means my road mile count goes way down. Don't see too many more 900 mile months in my future.

[Crankin]

Gorgeous fall day, today. Was about 30 this morning when I got up, though :eek:. Decided to do a shorter ride today, a tomorrow is going to be warmer, so we did 19 miles of our "flat" ride, into Bedford and back. As we were approaching the center of town, we could see a very long and unusual traffic back up ahead on Main St, so we quickly rerouted ourselves around that. DH then remembered it was swap and drop off day at the municipal building, so one of the roads, which leads to parking, was closed at one end. Nothing unusual, on the ride. I was dressed on the edge of too warm, but at least I didn't have a base layer on, as DH did. I had my lighter weight tights on; those were a mistake, but I survived. Glad I went, but glad I didn't do more.

[rebeccaC]

NY..sounds like you did have a training plan of sorts.:) I started getting into plans in college when I started doing long brevets. I've accumulated enough knowledge about putting one together and my strengths and weaknesses that it’s much easier to do now. I only do them in detail now for a much longer ride (200+) or a long hard multiple climbing one like the Death Ride last year. I guess I just like the structure and motivation they can give me. I'm sure the mileage of the ride i plan for will also change as i get older....but it will probably still be about the structure/motivation.

Hard but beautiful ride into the santa monica mountains today….made even better being with alex. Temps were mild and in the 60’s to low 70’s which is usual for this time of year. We had a slight headwind going out of santa monica but little wind in the mountains and not much of a tail wind by the time we were back down to the pacific coast highway and then bike paths going home. Coming home it was good to feel the cooler ocean air after the climbing too. Some good climbs, beautiful views and wonderful feelings of togetherness. The SM’s have more motorcycles on the weekend and we do roads that help to lessen that and especially auto traffic. Met a couple of good friends half way into the ride and we stopped together for a nutrition and stretching/relaxing break. It was good to see them and share the combination of our olive/sundried tomato rice cakes, homemade energy bars and dried fruit with each other while sitting on grass under the shade of a color turning big oak…..one of those unexpected feelings of connection and conversation that makes a day better. We took separate roads leaving as they came into the SM’s from their home on the eastern side.
A few more climbs and a great descent past Pepperdine University and we were back on
PCH. We did stop at the Malibu Country Mart on the way home to sit, relax and drink some thai iced tea boba and eat some yummy dark chocolate covered apricots from K chocolatier….the blessing of calories burned on climbing.:)
76 good miles

[Sky King]

Wind, Rain and the DH, my riding buddy, is nursing a silly injury so this weekend is reduced to walking the PUP. DH was test riding a bike he was doing some work on, went to hop the curb, which was taller than he thought, front tire hits the curb making for a hard stop. He launched off the saddle as the back tire left the ground and slammed into the top tube, right behind his private parts - ouch. Attempted to ride and the saddle pressure was a no go. Poor guy. IMO curb hopping is such a guy thing - ha. Of course if any of you are curb hoppers than I stand corrected :)

[Crankin]

I did ride today, but a short ride. It's warm, windy, and cloudy. A nice ride, but DH is suffering with some sort of malaise, so we cut it short.
My right knee felt a bit jacked, and since my hiking trip is in 5 days, I did not disagree with ending the ride.

[north woods gal]

Odd weather for us continues. Rainy and cold a couple days, ago, so stayed inside and did a solid and very hard hour on the trainer. Yesterday, the sky cleared and the temp hit the upper 60s, so dug my shorts back out of the drawer, went with a sleeveless top and hit the road. Wanted to ride some gravel roads a 9 mile ride out on pavement, but not feeling especially up to the technical part on the gravel riding, so took my Trek Stashe with its big 29er plus 3" tires - no finesse gravel riding needed with this bike. Called it wrong, though, because the gravel roads were in about the best shape I've seen, yet. Could have done them on the 700x25 road bike. Way too easy on the Trek. Oh, well.

Riding on the pavement on the way home, got a little nutty and started making mad dashes on and off the pavement to the gravel and sand shoulders, looking for something that might be a challenge for the Trek. When I could find a suitable embankment, would ride up and and back down to the pavement on those, too. If someone had been watching, they'd probably have thought the girl had lost it. Well, maybe I have. Mountain biking and mountain bikes just bring that out in me.

26 miles, total, on a beautiful fall day. Life is good.

Upper Wisconsin river, yesterday, about four miles from my door on one of my bike loops.
http://i68.tinypic.com/16a4ke8.jpg

[emily_in_nc]

Thanks, ladies, for your commiserations on my DH's shoulder injury. I have not been on TE for a few days as we were without internet.

He didn't get to a doctor since we are traveling, so it would take a pretty major emergency to go to the effort of trying to find someone to see and to actually be able to get in on short notice, but his shoulder has slowly improved with rest, ice, heat, and gentle stretching. He thinks it is his rotator cuff. He is much, much better than he was a week ago and finally got out for a short bike ride (first time since this happened) today. He was very careful and avoided using his upper body as much as possible. He has been able to walk and do easy hikes for the past few days, after several days of resting it.

Yesterday I took the MTB out for a ride in the park where we were staying (Bob Amos). It is a city park in Pikeville, in eastern Kentucky that had a really nice mostly unpaved bike trail. They had paved the climbs, I guess to deal with heavy rains/runoff, but that was very helpful to keep from spinning out, as each climb was steep. The trail was disappointingly short at only 4.5 miles round trip, but there were some tough climbs and gorgeous scenery in the autumn woods. I also rode on a very, very steep road in the park up to an overlook (had to walk part of the steepest hill). Only 8.5 miles total, but it was an excellent interval workout.

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A few days earlier I had done another campground ride in West Virginia. Had to ride the same road over and over, but it was a nice one, with pretty lake and foliage views. Got in 20 miles on that one.

18224

[north woods gal]

Looks like a beautiful ride, Emily, and a good workout, to boot. Can't beat that.

We had over 5 inches of rain, Monday night, so first thing the next morning, hopped on the fat bike to check the trails around the house. Pretty sure which sections would be flooded from past experience, but how much water was the question. Pretty bad in some sections, for sure. The good news is that the flooded sections are a small percentage of my trails and even those sections could be ridden with the fat bike, but no sense in tearing up the trails and cleaning the fat bike, later.

I did try a 29er, later in the afternoon, but found that it was digging in too deep on soft spots and prevented me from getting up enough speed to climb some of the hills. The fat bike is no speed demon, but have to admit that when things get soft and gooey, it is the bike to ride. An hour's worth of MTB work on a beautiful day, though, so happy, happy, happy!

[Crankin]

I went to a workshop today, a 79 degree day in the middle of October! I was angry about this, but I need the hours for keeping my professional license.
So, I went out to ride at 5:10 AM. Did a very short loop, like 6.5 miles, as I had to shower, eat, and drive 20 miles. It was longer than my commute is, and I actually felt great. Too bad after breakfast, my stomach started acting up. Not sure why.
I am exhausted, going to chill out. I hate sitting all day.

[rebeccaC]

lovely ride emily...so glad you're finding and sharing all these wonderful roads!!!!

Afternoon temps have been in the unusual 80’s for the last two days and the next couple. My commutes have been in the high 60’s mornings and low 70’s evenings though which are perfect for me. My commutes are one of my favorite parts of the day. I do wish more people could see the mental and health benefits to commuting by bicycle. Because of the hours I work I usually get to ride into a sunrise and then a sunset along the ocean this time of year. What a wonderfully calm way to start and end my workday. ….and especially like today stopping to reflect on the oncoming day at my favorite coffee bar at 6am and having a chocolate affogato :)

https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5582/29808662923_6fdd69bb1a_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Mq6bYc)

[north woods gal]

Good ride, yesterday. Did a bit over an hour of pushing myself on my MTB trails around the house and tallied over 6 miles. I know that doesn't sound like much, but lots of tight turns, obstacles to work and, especially, plenty of steep climbs. I now have over a mile and a half of trails I've built over the summer, but they consist of over a dozen interconnecting loops, so there's an almost endless variety in how you can ride them. An hour of pushing myself, aggressively, on these trails leaves me huffing and puffing, but in a good way. Have definitely noticed it takes more leg strength and wind than my usual road biking on pavement. My private little trail system has also been very informative as to how the various types of mountain bikes handle and perform. Be glad to share what I've learned if anyone has questions on mountain bikes. Lastly, I'm never more than a short walk from the house to warm up with a cup of coffee. :)

[emily_in_nc]

NWG, I totally get what you're saying. After managing just a bit over an hour on my MTB the other day due to the steep climbs, I was wrung out! Huffing and puffing for sure! I think 1 to 1.5 hours of tough mountain biking is a tremendous workout and probably equivalent to double or even triple that on a road bike, depending on terrain. I always feel like I should get extra credit when I ride off road. :D

[north woods gal]

Okay, you get extra credit (from me, at least :)). When the trails are soft, as they have been for me, this week, rolling resistance goes through the roof, so even more extra credit when you ride those kinds of trails.

Never got out of the 40s, today, but did a little pavement riding after spending most of the afternoon repairing flooded out trails from our big storm. Trying to keep one foot in the road bike world and one in the MTB world as much as I can before winter sets in. When it does, will do some fat bike riding and indoor riding on the trainer till spring. Love the snow and will be doing my usual cross country skiing, but hate to see my road biking and regular trail riding shut down for the winter. I do sometimes miss living in an area where I can ride pavement all four seasons. Oh, well, can't have it all.

[ny biker]

I rode last weekend -- a 65-miler that I was not in shape for, with temperatures ranging from 42 to 73. Knowing how warm the sun can be this time of year, I dressed in easy-to-remove layers and went with toe covers instead of booties. As a result I was too cold for most of the first hour, and my feet were very cold. The irony was that I had ridden similar routes on several very hot days this summer when I sought out whatever shade I could find to try to cool down, but last weekend those same shady areas were too cold in the morning when we started. The other negative was that the route was planned by a fast rider who has no trouble going 28 miles between rest stops. But for me that's a good 2 hours of riding, which is never my preference; 60-90 minutes between breaks is much better, otherwise I start to ache from sitting on the bike too long and I'm way too hungry several miles before we stop for food. So the start of the ride was cold and the finish was achy. But things were pretty good in the middle, and the suffering will make me better able to enjoy one or two more long rides before the cold really sets in.

On Wednesday I went out for my post-work hill ride. It's been hot here this week, with record breaking high temps in the 80s. I enjoyed it, but would have enjoyed it more if it wasn't so insanely humid. The local electric company had some equipment problems that caused blackouts in parts of the area where I rode, so I went from totally dark neighborhoods to normal lighting back to the dark for almost half the ride. At one point I stopped to check the local news on my phone, to see if there was any explanation for the blackouts, and the sweaty humidity was so uncomfortable. But while I was riding it was okay and I generally enjoyed my last short-sleeves-and-shorts ride of the year. And despite overdoing things on Saturday my legs felt mostly okay on the hills.

Now the hot weather is gone. The rain on the edge of the cold front just passed through minutes ago, and the wind will change from the SW to the NW now. And we're expecting gusty winds tomorrow. I have to run errands -- going to vote in-person absentee, among other things. So I'm watching the forecast for Sunday. I had hoped to do a ride by the Chesapeake Bay but they're still expecting it to be breezy. I think something farther west might be better. So I will probably decide the night before.

[ny biker]

NWG, I totally get what you're saying. After managing just a bit over an hour on my MTB the other day due to the steep climbs, I was wrung out! Huffing and puffing for sure! I think 1 to 1.5 hours of tough mountain biking is a tremendous workout and probably equivalent to double or even triple that on a road bike, depending on terrain. I always feel like I should get extra credit when I ride off road. :D


I totally agree with this. Just riding my mtb on the dirt trail next to the local paved rail trail is enough for a really good workout, harder work than riding the road bike on the adjacent pavement.

[wnyrider]

I rode last weekend -- a 65-miler that I was not in shape for,...The other negative was that the route was planned by a fast rider who has no trouble going 28 miles between rest stops. But for me that's a good 2 hours of riding, which is never my preference; 60-90 minutes between breaks is much better, otherwise I start to ache from sitting on the bike too long and I'm way too hungry several miles before we stop for food. ...

I was relieved to read that you feel a need for a break in a shorter amount of time with less miles between! I appreciate your honesty. So often I read of all these fast high mileage rides and beat myself up because I haven't been able to match up. After having signed up for a springtime cross country tour, this has had me second guessing my ability. I know that I am not exclusive in this respect, but it just feels reassuring to read of someone who validates it. I don't know if this makes any sense. I just wanted to put it out here : )

[ny biker]

I was relieved to read that you feel a need for a break in a shorter amount of time with less miles between! I appreciate your honesty. So often I read of all these fast high mileage rides and beat myself up because I haven't been able to match up. After having signed up for a springtime cross country tour, this has had me second guessing my ability. I know that I am not exclusive in this respect, but it just feels reassuring to read of someone who validates it. I don't know if this makes any sense. I just wanted to put it out here : )

We may be not be in the majority, but we're definitely out here. When I look at the ride classifications for bike clubs, I fall right in the middle in terms of my usual average speed (13-14 mph). But for the longer rides that I like to do, I am on the slow end. There are just a few people in the clubs I belong to who ride a similar pace and do longer rides. Actually some of them can ride more often and do more miles than the faster riders -- because they know how to pace themselves.

When I consider doing an organized ride (usually a metric century because I don't enjoy longer rides than that), I always try to look at the route and see how far apart the rest stops will be. If they're all more than 25 miles apart, I will make my own plans to stop more often, usually just bringing my own snacks and stopping at the side of the road for a break. Sometimes I will conclude that the ride organizers do not want to support slower riders and I will decide not to do the ride. And even if the stops are only 10 miles apart, I expect that I will be dropped early on and will not have much company on the road for much of the ride. I also look for information from the ride organizers about minimum speeds or cut-off times for reaching certain points along the route. As long as I can ride within their parameters, I figure I'll be okay even if I am one of the last people to finish.

As for last weekend's ride, which was just a club ride, I really should have stopped and taken a break after about an hour, and again about halfway between the second and third stops. I kept going because I wasn't too far behind the main group (for a change) and I didn't want to drop back further. Also I was riding with someone and I didn't want to hold him up. But lesson learned, in the future I will have to tell my riding companions that I need a break and will understand if they don't want to stop.

As for not being able to match up and second-guessing anything -- as I said, some of the slowest long-distance riders I know are the ones who can ride the longest. They do week-long tours, they ride in the mountains, they stop when they need to stop and they slow down if they need to slow down. And they enjoy the scenery while they ride because they're not suffering in a paceline trying to keep up with the wheel in front of them.

[north woods gal]

NY, thank-you for all the perspectives on group riding, Amazingly, in all my years of riding, have never done any group riding other than with a friend or two and even that has been infrequent. It's not that I'm anti-social - far from it - it's just that I've always worried about being forced into a pace other than my own and my pace very much changes with my mood and interests. Our local bike shop hosts weekly rides and divides them into average speed for assignment to groups. I'd also fall into the 12-15 mph average speed, but just worry I'd be a drag on everyone. I suppose I should try a group ride before I turn up daisies, but I'm content riding my usual solo. I very much enjoy reading your posts and others who do group rides, though.

[Catrin]

I did solo rides for the most part as I would be dropped by seasoned riders within the first few miles. I did metrics regularly (in the first year every week - yeah that wasn't wise), and once I recovered from the overuse injuries from THAT I averaged 25-45 mile rides for the most part. I don't think I every got higher than 12-14 mph on the average for a ride. Regardless I enjoyed all of my rides. There were 2 group rides a year I generally did because I liked their atmosphere, they supported a good cause, and here was entertainment at the SAGS. I was fine riding solo, but I HATED group starts. I think I never really got faster because certain physical issues required an upright riding position.

My point is I never felt forced into a pace that would be beyond me, and those who knew me also knew I didn't expect them to hold back and ride with me. A couple friends would from time to time, then take off. It was a good balance. I just made sure I had a good map - I remember a couple remote rides where the Dan Henry's were poorly marked and I got lost. I always figured it out however. At least the last SAG was always still open when I got here for all of my group rides. They may have been on the verge of packing up, but they WERE still open ;) Wynrider - don't let that fear of holding others back make you second-guess yourself on the spring tour. Enjoy!

I totally agree that MTB riding is far more challenging to the body than road riding. I consider it almost a different sport as it has such a different skill-set (speaking specifically of cross-country). I think the longest mtb ride I had before my crash ended that activity was 12 miles, and I was quite proud of that!

[Crankin]

I pretty much am the same. I can average 15 on a shorter, flatter ride, but on a 50 mile ride with climbing, it's more like 13.5 or less. Sometimes it's 12. I ride diifferent speeds for different purposes. I am lucky i have a group i fit in with, but i still dislike group rides, unless
I am leading.

[emily_in_nc]

I am right there with most of you! Depending on which bike I ride (Bike Friday is a bit slower than my Trek) and the terrain, I can average as low as 11.5 to 12.5 mph on a utility ride and 14-15 mph on a flat, shorter ride. I have occasionally averaged 16, but that's usually for only half the ride -- then we turn back into the wind, and I end up at 14.5 for the overall! :D For most of our longer recreational rides with several stops, I average 13-14.5 mph.

On longer rides I like to stop approximately every hour to stretch, give my posterior a rest and sometimes have a snack and/or bathroom break. The longer the ride gets, the more I have to stop; i.e., the first stop may be at 90 minutes in, but then it goes down to 60 and finally maybe 30-45 minutes at the end, when I'm petering out!

[north woods gal]

Well, looks like rain and snow in the forecast for mid-week. It's normal for us up this far north, but, still, I can't help but wonder where my summer went. I go through this every year, doing my best to prepare for winter, which I actually enjoy, but I always find it hard to say good-bye to biking in shorts and a sleeveless top on those warm summer days. Sometimes I think about having a winter home, down south, but hubby says, no way. Oh, well, on to snow biking.

Hard hour and a half on my MTB trials, today, despite showers and temps in the 40s. Hope everyone else is staying warm.

[rebeccaC]

I’ve learned to really like mild weather :)…….it’s wonderful you’re so well connected to the season’s there though nwg….

Worked all weekend. We did ride to the farmers market yesterday and alex dragged me out today for an ocean bike path ride south to have lunch with friends. Good way to change mindsets, get some exercise, be with alex and then also with good friends. We got so into riding and being together that we did some climbs in the palos verdes hills before heading home…….40+ miles, overcast skies, and low 70’s
….and we were blessed with some ocean tailwinds that came up on the way home!!!!!

[azfiddle]

I have a guest from France and today we rode up to Saguaro NP together, along with my son. She kept exclaiming out gorgeous the desert was. And really, it is, even in fall when the weather is still warm but everything looks pretty dry. No interesting wildlife today though. 25 miles altogether,

[north woods gal]

You girls are making me feel warmer in my mind, at least, with those posts. Keep 'em coming. :)

[emily_in_nc]

This is behind real-time, but in this blog post about our Columbus Day weekend I wrote about our ride in southwestern Ohio, partly on the Little Miami Scenic Trail and part on rural roads. You'll have to scroll by some campground and hiking stuff, but it's there at the bottom of the post!

http://travelingtwosome.weebly.com/traveling-twosome-blog/columbus-day-weekend-at-caesar-creek-state-park-in-ohio

No riding in the past few days as we've been traveling in Appalachians and doing some great hikes. Now we're visiting my folks and will head to the NC mountains tomorrow for a few days. I am so excited as my brother is joining us; I haven't seen him in almost three years! I'm not even taking my bike as my step-dad is driving all of us and doesn't have a car rack, and we will be loaded down with luggage and food. Maybe I'll finally get back on the bike next weekend after we return!

[north woods gal]

Good for you, Emily. Glad you got to visit family. Family visits are one thing we do miss. Had hoped family would want to visit more, once we retired up here in the woods, but pretty tough since we're so far of the beaten path.

Been doing quick repeats on stiff climbs I built into my MTB trails. Can now do four or five in a row on climbs I could barely manage, once, earlier in the summer. Kind of a Rocky Balboa thing. Yup, she's getting stronger. :)

[Sky King]

2 1/2 days, 70 miles of desert riding. I am a tired girl today. We volunteered for the BLM in the Owyhee Wilderness this last weekend and rode an area that was new to all of us along the South Fork of the Owyhee River. The roads were some of the best we've been on (keeping in mind where we were) More than enough of dropping in to the canyon and hike a bike back out - geeze. I said to one of our friends that he should send me all the photos he has of me pushing my bike and we could make a book - ha. We had to ford the river twice, up to my knees both times. I am not skilled nor strong enough to carry my bike across a river so I make two trips. One to carry my panniers and another to push my bike. This trip was in sage brush country - miles of sagebrush. Not much for wildlife. We did see a badger as we rolled into first nights camp. Saw some fresh cougar tracks the next morning! Couple of coyotes and chased some wild horses - those guys are really skittish. Once again, zero people. The downside was I made the mistake of eating a cliff bar before we started and had intense stomach cramps and you know what that follows - ugh. Not a great way to ride 20 miles, with nothing but sagebrush to squat behind. the guys were great, allowing me to lag behind but never out of their sight. Sapped my energy for the entire trip (couldn't be my age- ha) Made it back to the truck just as the rain started to fall. Today it is pouring. Just in case you aren't tired of wide open desert photos - here are a few.18233182341823518236

[north woods gal]

Sky, thank-you, thank-you, thank-you. When I think of adventure riding, riding such remote roads comes to mind. The closest thing we have, up here, are old logging and fire roads. I think such roads are the perfect blend of features for riding with an MTB - not super technical, but still challenging enough to be MTB, only and, above all, always interesting and true backcountry kind of remote. Really is my favorite kind of riding.

Nothing more tempting than this for me.
http://i68.tinypic.com/rrpj05.jpg

Get what you're saying about the digestion thing. Eating immediately before, or during, a long ride might work for some folks, but definitely not for me. Have learned this the hard way, more than once.

Keep those pics, coming.

[Sky King]

I would love to come and ride that. If my DD ends up a Mayo at least she'd be in the near area!

[Crankin]

First day I had time to ride after getting back from my hiking trip. I had a lot to do on my day off, before I leave shortly for the hair salon...
Just a little ride, but my first cold weather one of the season. It was 46, not bad, but partly cloudy and breezy. My extremeties were dressed correctly, but I should have either wore a short sleeved base layer and not LS, or a lighter jersey. Jacket was fine, too.
My quads are still just a little jacked from the hiking, so I've been vigorous with the stretching, foam roller, lacrosse ball.

[rebeccaC]

Luv the feelings those desert photo’s give me Sky. It really does help me find moments of calm/peace when I’m in that landscape. Your challenges on the ride help reinforce the being in the moment feelings too, even the physical ones….well, not the stomach cramps….hoping you work out a solution for the next time.

That’s a great back roads image nwg….the softness of it takes me there in a very fall overcast sky way. Looks like part of a wonderful days ride!!!

On my ride home tonight I came across a homeless woman who was having a serious mental episode. She ran after the bicyclist in front of me and pushed him over, yelling at him that he stole her clothes. I stopped, he landed in the sand by the side of the path and wasn’t hurt so I turned my attention to her and talked to/comforted her. She had definitely distanced herself from reality but I was able to calm her. I called a friend who works with the homeless and the issues around it. She showed up in a short time to offer her assistance to the woman and they walked off together. Made me feel good about having the friends I do.

[Sky King]

Luv the feelings those desert photo’s give me Sky. It really does help me find moments of calm/peace when I’m in that landscape. Your challenges on the ride help reinforce the being in the moment feelings too, even the physical ones….well, not the stomach cramps….hoping you work out a solution for the next time.

That’s a great back roads image nwg….the softness of it takes me there in a very fall overcast sky way. Looks like part of a wonderful days ride!!!

On my ride home tonight I came across a homeless woman who was having a serious mental episode. She ran after the bicyclist in front of me and pushed him over, yelling at him that he stole her clothes. I stopped, he landed in the sand by the side of the path and wasn’t hurt so I turned my attention to her and talked to/comforted her. She had definitely distanced herself from reality but I was able to calm her. I called a friend who works with the homeless and the issues around it. She showed up in a short time to offer her assistance to the woman and they walked off together. Made me feel good about having the friends I do.

rebeccaC - thanks for showing such compassion. Sometimes we hesitate to reach out to the mentally unstable due to safety reasons. Congrats on being able to help her push pause. Hugs

[north woods gal]

Plus one on your compassion to the homeless woman, Rebecca. We have a friend who is homeless, not because of money issues, but because of mental issues and despite all our attempts to help her, she refuses to find a permanent home (she lives in her car, even during our winters) and refuses to seek mental help. Very frustrating and very sad. So many of these people fall though the cracks in what passes for mental health care in this country.

On a more positive note, changed out to a raised stem and wider handlebars on my Giant Trance full suspension bike and it worked like a charm. Not to get too techno, but the Trance is very typical of the current breed of trail bikes with a very slack front end, meaning the front wheel is way out there in front of the handlebars as with a chopper motorcycle. (The MTB bike scene is very trendy. Slack geometry is currently "in".) Makes for very twitchy steering and a bike that is hard to keep on a straight track when on a steep climb. Was seriously thinking of selling the bike, but will keep it, now. So excited about the "new" improved Trance, that I rode for an hour in the cold rain (some flakes of snow mixed in), yesterday.
http://i68.tinypic.com/se8sxv.jpg

[north woods gal]

Still riding, up here, on a daily basis and will continue to do so, even when the snow starts to fall (fat bikes are snow bikes and we even have groomed trails for them in the winter.) Most of my riding has been MTB, but hope to get out for some road work before the snow falls. Been waiting for a sunny day to take some of the chill off, but sunshine is NOT what this country has in abundance. In fact, it's pretty darn rare in the winter. The snow and the cold I can take, but it's the long month of gloom that get to me.

[rebeccaC]

Not a lot of miles this weekend (netflix’s first season of Doctor Foster and the 3rd of The Fall were to blame yesterday :)….but we needed and just enjoyed the snuggling and downtime for a change). We did do a ride to the farmers market today for veggies, fruits and cheese. We also did a late afternoon ride to Venice's Día de los Muertos celebration which is a wonderfully colorful event with an altar and tree of life built by local elementary school students, Aztec drumming,dancing and ceremonies, lots of celebrants, art and good food. Not many miles but lots of sharing a relaxing time together made more important cuz i leave for a few days tomorrow for work.

[north woods gal]

Sounds lovely, Rebecca. Glad I'm not the only one that is still riding. Anyone else do winter riding? Just wondering. I get it that it's not something everyone does or enjoys. Be nice to have some company, though. :)

[emily_in_nc]

Anyone else do winter riding? Just wondering. I get it that it's not something everyone does or enjoys. Be nice to have some company, though. :)

I'll be riding all winter!

But in Florida...LOL! :D

Currently doing some family stuff and RV chores so not riding much but hoping to get out this week. Supposed to be nice and warm Wed/Thurs before cooling off a bit after that.

[Crankin]

I usually do ride until it snows. I am taking a more relaxed approach this year... because I am doing other stuff, if I am not riding. Saturday, it rained, so I went to tabata. Sunday was actually 65 degrees, but we were in Boston overnight Saturday for a fund raising gala and then on Sunday we stayed in the city and went to our monthly theatre at a matinee. We did walk a little. I went to power class at the gym today and then I work until 7... probably spin class tomorrow before work, though, and ride outdoors on Wednesday and Saturday, tabata on Thursday. Friday is my birthday and I am deciding if I am going to ride my age on Saturday. It's getting to the tipping point for me on that!

[north woods gal]

Well, okay, Emily, we'll count Florida as "winter" riding. :)

Happy Birthday in advance, Crankin! Have a good ride.

As for me, October was a good month, though I actually spent as many or more hours working on my homemade trails as riding them. Have added rocks and logs to climb over and some hairpin turns and other goodies to make things challenging when I'm in the mood. The rocks and logs have been a learning experience for me, but have learned how to get the bike over them using technique, rather than sheer upper body strength to life the front wheels. Way, way short of being any kind of expert or daredevil backwoods biker, but learning some of the basic MTB maneuvers has been a big confidence booster for me. Fun, too.

[azfiddle]

I finished up October with quite a few shorter rides focused on commuting, birding and a community ride - Tucson's "Cyclovia" event. So my mileage was about the same- around 100 miles/week or so (more during my fall break) in spite of the shorter distances (and also riding with some injuries after my little crash). I'm not riding El Tour de Tucson this year because I have a conference on that weekend, so I don't pressured to schedule longer rides like I have in previous years.

I had full or partial commutes on 5 of the last 7 work days! I hope the weather stays nice - I've really been enjoying the daily rides. My commute route is about 9.5 miles each way, mostly on a mulit-use path that is not too crowded, so I don't have to worry too much about cars.