September riding [Archive] - Women's Cycling Discussion Forums

rebeccaC

09-04-2017, 02:43 PM

Been in the high 80’s this past week which is unusual for the beach area this time of year or actually anytime. Back to the usual low/mid 70’s this week. I rode into downtown L.A. to do some photography and inland temps got into the high 90’s. (stopping at Stumptown coffee twice for their chocolate cold brew and Urth caffe for a green tea boba helped:)) Being the weekend there was much less traffic, especially in the old industrial areas, and I also do a lot of alley riding when downtown especially in the art district where a lot of street art is. So it was just an enjoyable way of getting around. 38 miles total. Alex and I went out rollerblading before sunrise this morning and enjoyed watching the awakening of a new day together and then going for breakfast.

From my ride into downtown
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4390/36195722094_16d53b7781_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/X9ux93)

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4390/36890164091_abdff047eb_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YcRJxV)

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4441/36195722274_b88f0e1b8d_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/X9uxc9)

and back to the beach
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4344/36890164171_defbbe0901_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YcRJzi)

salsabike

09-04-2017, 11:54 PM

As always, love love love your photos, Rebecca.

Crankin

09-05-2017, 03:42 AM

I woke up really early, so another "dark ride." My back is reacting to the 5 hours sitting in the car on Sunday, I probably should have rested, but it looks like tomorrow will be rainy, so no group ride, or any other ride, most likely. It's really warm and humid out. I had arm warmers on, which I pulled down, near the end of my ride. I kind of did an aimless ride of ten miles, with plenty of hills. I've come to the conclusion that these early morning rides were easier when I lived on the other side of town, in that they were flat, until I had to climb the hill to get to my house. Now, it's flat out my door, but any ride I do is full of rollers and small hills. At least that makes it easier for me to justify only riding 10 miles! This morning I was out the door at 5:05, so early, that it was realy quiet out. But, in the 12 years I've been riding at this time, it has become busier and busier.
Tomorrow I am going to rejoin the health club I went to right after I got out of school, 6 years ago. Looking forward to twice a week, killer bootcamp, which my aging body severely needs. The ritzy club I just left kept cancelling the early morning classes, except for spin, which I only go to in the dead of winter.

rebeccaC

09-05-2017, 06:32 AM

:) @ salsa....

ny biker

09-06-2017, 11:23 AM

We also had rain on Saturday from Harvey, nothing major but not a pleasant day to be outdoors. I visited relatives in Charlottesville for a Labor Day "cookout" which was mostly indoors. I'm sure some of my friends went out for a bike ride, but I was glad that I had other plans that day. I got home late, slept late on Sunday and went out for a late afternoon bike ride. I decided to do an out-and-back on a rail trail that I used to ride often. Since I haven't been on it in a while, it was a chance to see some changes that have been made -- some good changes to eliminate busy at-grade intersections, some that really are intended to speed up car traffic and do not improve trail safety, plus some new development next to the trail. The main reason I don't use it anymore is that it's become too crowded as more homes are built near it -- good for the people living there, not good for someone who just wants to ride a long distance. Except there are still plenty of people who think the trail is a good place for time-trialing and have no concept of how to pass others safely. Really it would be a nice trail if there weren't so many jerks on it. But since I started late in the day, I saw fewer and fewer jerks as my ride went on.

There are some long unshaded sections on this trail which are not good for hot sunny days but were okay on Sunday, especially since I started after 3 pm. I wasn't sure how far I'd ride, but ended up going all the way to the western terminus before turning around. In all I rode 54 miles. This trail is basically flat, but there are sections of 2-3% slope that last for several miles. For much of the upward sloping sections I used a gear that was just hard enough to make my legs work, so I was pretty tired out by the end. It was good workout.

On Monday our bike club had our annual century ride. We had a good day for it, in terms of weather. I volunteered as SAG driver for the late shift, from 11 am to the end of the picnic. There weren't too many people who needed help, which was good. One person did crash and was injured, but thankfully it was not too serious. I was in motion quite a bit, stationed at one rest stop until it closed at 1:30, then driving part of the course to make sure there were no stragglers, heading to the last rest stop to help break it down, then to the picnic. In all there were more than 900 riders. I think everything went smoothly overall, though I know there will be debriefing and reviewing of rider comments in order to address any weak spots for next year.

There was one person who needed a ride back to the start from the rest stop at mile 62 because his Di2 battery died and he was stuck in too hard a gear. I'm at a point where I have lights to recharge after every ride and my Garmin needs to be charged every 75-80 miles. I am glad I don't have to worry about charging my derailleur, too.

Crankin

09-06-2017, 03:15 PM

NY, you have to be an idiot to not know that your Di2 needs to be recharged. I know there were issues with some of the first models, but my DH has had his for 3 years. He rides 2-3K a year and really only has to charge it once, although he does do it twice. First a yellow light comes on, then a flashing red light, then a red light. Of course, you have to look at it, to check! I would not have gotten it, if there were issues and mine is a better model than my DH's, since they have made improvements. So, I would say, user error.
My Garmin stays plugged in all of the time, except when I am using it on the bike. I have 2 rear lights (the same model), that I interchange and charge after a week or so. That way, I always have one fully charged and ready to go. I have 2 different kinds of front lights. One is very heavy duty and if I use it in true darkness, like my 5 AM rides, on high, it has about 2 hours of use. However, I am rarely out for more than an hour in true darkness, and if I switch it to the lower setting, it more than doubles the time. I use it on flash mode, for late fall and winter daytime riding. My other light, which I use for daytime rides in the spring, summer, and early fall, is always on flash, so it lasts about 5 rides or more, depending on the length.
It poured today. My group ride was cancelled yesterday evening, due to the forecast. I did go to the new/old gym, signed up, and stayed for a step class, with some intervals with weights. I sweated like crazy. Friday I will go to an early morning boot camp, then co-lead the Friday morning ride. It's scheduled through September, but I can only do 2 more of them, after tomorrow. My women's group is starting back up on the 29th. It's only an hour and 45 minutes, so as it gets colder, I can ride after lunch, when I get home from work.

ny biker

09-06-2017, 04:24 PM

re: the Di2 guy, I felt bad for him but also did feel that it was a self-inflicted problem due to incomplete ride preparation. Which of course happens to all of us at one time or another -- it can be easy to overlook or forget something. He was also very impatient to be returned to the ride start and not happy that instead of taking him directly there we shuttled him to another rest stop so another driver could take him the rest of the way. The system we used was not necessarily the fastest way to get one rider back to the start but it was the best way for us to support all riders who needed help over the entire route. But I felt like he expected us to be a personal taxi service. Anyway.

I also have different lights for day and night rides. I try to take all lights off the bike as soon as I get home and charge them right away. After each is recharged I either put it back on the bike or into a big plastic bag that I keep in the duffel bag with all my bike gear so it won't get lost. With the Garmin, I charge it and put it right back on the bike so I won't forget or lose it.

We had rain here today too. I think it might be gone now but the roads are still wet. I decided not to try to ride my bike tonight -- tomorrow I'm taking a furlough day and the forecast looks good so I'm going to join a weekly club ride. I might cut it short, though -- the planned route is 39 miles, which is a bit much for me given that I'm planning to do a 50-miler on Saturday and I'm trying to not to overdo things and make the torn ankle tendon worse.

north woods gal

09-07-2017, 08:29 AM

5 straight days of rain squalls, gloom, mist and temps in the 50s for a high. Don't mind the 50s, but, as a lot of up here in the north woods, do, I suffer from a bit of depression for lack of sunshine. Having lived all across the country, though, I've discovered that no place is perfect, so I can put up with a little gloom. Really am blessed to live in such a beautiful place as my north woods.

Have been riding the trails and a little on pavement, too, despite the rain. Riding in the rain is a luxury from having trails right outside my door and some excellent, very low traffic pavement riding, too, also right out my door. If things get really nasty, I can bail out, quick, and get back to the house. Rarely rode in the rain unless I had to when living in the city.

I'm thinking it will be an early color season for us, with some color already on the trees. Definitely see more leaves laying on the trails, each time I go out, too. I'll drag a rake behind me to tear off the worst of it before the snow falls. The trails really do disappear under the leaves. I could probably run a mower down the trails or use a leaf blower, but I HATE any powered stuff on my trails other than people power. :)

Given I have a choice of fat bikes and trail bikes to ride - and I do alternate them on a daily basis - I'm constantly amazed at the difference in feel between my aluminum trail/fat bikes and my steel trail/fat bikes. Oh, the aluminum bikes I have are truly excellent in all regards. They have very sophisticated and up to date geometry and handle like a dream, but there's still something about the classic steel that I love. Just hard for me to love an aluminum bike, the way I love steel, though. I could sell off my aluminum bikes and not lose any sleep over it, but the Surly Krampus and my beloved Surly Pugsley and my old pal, my Kona 26er, no way. When I really need one of those "make me smile" kind of rides, it's one of the Surlys.

ny biker

09-07-2017, 08:57 AM

I am seeing color in leaves here too, but it's brown, like they're dying. Don't know if that means they're diseased or if it's too much/not enough rain. I am downright worried that we'll have an early and cold winter. With office consolidation going on at work I don't know if I'll be able to use my light box there like I did last year.

So you'd think I'd be outside right now getting some sun. But no, when the alarm went off this morning I turned it off and went back to sleep. I've just had too many nights lately with only 4-5 hours of sleep. So no club ride for me today. There's too much traffic for an afternoon ride so I will go out tonight. I'm trying to be productive and watch training videos for work but they are so dull. Not sure what I will do this afternoon. Maybe go through my winter bike clothes and get them ready since I will probably need toe covers and tights tonight and this weekend. In early September! :(:mad::(

===

grrrrrr I decided to give up on the training videos and spend a quiet afternoon getting stuff done around the house before going out to ride tonight. But the stomping elephant upstairs neighbor came home very early [insert string of expletives in all caps here]. I had just downloaded the latest Foo Fighters song from their new album and am now playing it on repeat at a high volume. I can do this all day.... anyway, cycling related, I finally got around to ordering a new Road ID. I wanted to update the contact info and also tweak the medical info. My old one has a fabric "sport" band which is very dirty. The new one has the silicone band with the new pin tuck closure. In orange.

I'm kinda meh about the new Foos songs that I've heard so far. They don't grab me right away, but grow on me slowly. Apparently this album was produced by someone new. It sounds like it.

azfiddle

09-07-2017, 02:41 PM

In addition to my near daily commutes, I rode the 66 mile "Willcox Flyer" ride Saturday. I'll post a few pictures:

Looking southeast toward the Chiracahua Mountains

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4363/36278650523_02a140a5de_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XgPySx)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/XgPySx) by Sharon Goldwasser (https://www.flickr.com/photos/133571926@N02/), on Flickr

azfiddle

09-07-2017, 02:42 PM

Yucca plant

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4436/36903452126_38eec403f8_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Ye2QBY)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/Ye2QBY) by Sharon Goldwasser (https://www.flickr.com/photos/133571926@N02/), on Flickr

azfiddle

09-07-2017, 02:43 PM

Roadside Turkey Vulture

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4413/36903451726_a469cb549a_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Ye2Qv5)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/Ye2Qv5) by Sharon Goldwasser (https://www.flickr.com/photos/133571926@N02/), on Flickr

azfiddle

09-07-2017, 02:45 PM

One of the rest stops. They've really improved the options. The best was the watermelon slices (not in the picture).

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4339/36278650393_40d14eab07_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XgPyQi)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/XgPyQi) by Sharon Goldwasser (https://www.flickr.com/photos/133571926@N02/), on Flickr

Crankin

09-07-2017, 03:58 PM

Wasn't the Wilcox Flyer the name of the train that went from Wilcox to near the Grand Canyon?

rebeccaC

09-07-2017, 10:29 PM

The best was the watermelon slices (not in the picture).

ragbrai....very hot day....we bought whole cold watermelons and ate the hearts....perfect :)

luv those first three photos, especially the yucca, sharon. makes me want to go riding in the desert

north woods gal

09-08-2017, 07:31 AM

Having spent most of my life out west, would love to see some yucca and cactus plants, again. Thanks for the beautiful pics, as always. I'm about a thousand miles away from that country, though. Growing up in those wide open spaces does shape a person. Love our deep and dark forests, but my heart still yearns for those open spaces. My hubby, on the other hand, never lived there and is much more comfortable back in the woods. He can't wrap is head around wanting to live in places where there are so few trees that people give them names. :)

Have spent much of my summer working on my trails, then following up with a good ride. Mostly been making connecting sections to the various loops. I can now ride every day for probably two years without riding exactly the same way twice. I have a set regimen of laps, though, and every lap includes a section of leg burner climbs. Once I've completed the laps, I work on my log hopping and rock climbs. Finally, my favorite part, is what I call noodling - just riding around with nothing specific in mind.

My logs show that I'm doing 40 to 50 miles a week on the trail riding and another 20-30 miles on the road. Wish I could translate that into all road miles for the sake of sharing with everyone, here, but I don't think there's a good formula for that. In terms of hours, though, I'm riding the same number of hours, now, as I was when doing 450 to 600 mile months when most of my riding was on the pavement. My backyard trail system, though, keeps me close to home and my hubby with his disabilities. We're both getting old enough that we need to keep an eye out for each other's health needs.

Yipeee! The sun is out for the first time, this week. Gotta go ride.

ny biker

09-08-2017, 12:58 PM

Great pictures, AZ. And I agree with your husband re: trees, NWG. It seems strange to me just to see photos of a bike ride on a road in the middle of nothing except mountains in the distance.

Our club has started to serve pickles at rest stops, as in the photo. We usually cut up spears and put them out in small paper cups. We've learned not to put too many out at a time, otherwise the early riders take them all and there's nothing left for the slower riders who are out in a hotter part of the day.

So, I did go out for a ride last night. I was feeling cranky and my mood was not improved by the three(!!!) drivers who almost hit me because I stopped at stop signs in front of them. From the sounds of their engines I could tell they were not slowing down. This was all within the first few miles. Later in the ride I started to encounter drivers who stopped to let me cross at intersections where I had a stop sign but they did not. Some neighborhoods just have more hostile and impatient people, others have nice people.

I rode 18 miles in all. Had to wear lightweight tights, a vest and arm warmers on top of long sleeves. I was not cranky anymore at the end but feeling generally not happy -- there are too many things going on in the world right now, massive storms and wildfires and data breaches etc etc. and I really think I am going to need surgery for the torn ankle tendon.

Tomorrow is a big century ride in northern Maryland, always one of my favorites. I usually do the metric but this year due to the ankle I am doing 50 miles. It's more than a bike ride, though. The food is excellent, fresh local fruit and giant tomatoes on the tomato sandwiches and ice cream from a local dairy and a chance to visit with friends at the picnic. Last year it was dangerously hot, this year it will be about 40 degrees cooler. Too cold for my taste but the skies should be a great shade of blue so I will bring my good camera.

Crankin

09-08-2017, 01:43 PM

That sounds fabulous, NY. I'll take the 40 degrees colder over horrible heat any day.
So, today I went to my first bootcamp class at my former gym. Same instructor as before. The thought crossed my mind that climbing El Fitu on my trip to Spain was easier... Most of it was because the class starts at 5:30 am. Before, the guy who opened up, did so at 5:20 or so, and I warmed up on the treadmill for 3 minutes. Today, I got there way too early, 5:20, as I live much closer now. The opening person came exactly at 5:30, then I had to go set up my step and weights. Some days I can ride there, until the snow comes, and that will be a perfect flat 1.7 mile warm up. But, mostly I think I'll jump on my treeadmill at home for 3 minutes before I leave. Now I know why I got lazy at the ritzy club where the classes catered more to older people...
Then, as if that was not enough, I went on my club ride. Just me and the other leader. It was so gorgeous out, I couldn't stay home. Quintessential New England bright blue skies, low humidity, 65-70 degrees. Thirty miles, pretty hilly. Although my back was hurting in the class, it felt better when I got home and on the ride. My calves, on the other hand, were killing me, from the step class I took Wednesday. I didn't get home until 12:50 and I actually ate lunch in the shower, as I had a client at 2 and 3. There is an advanage to living 2.3 miles from work. And, I brought in clothes and my lunch for Monday, when I will ride there and also do another boot camp class. I found out, in an offhand way, that the cafeteria at Welch's corporate headquarters, across the street from my office is closed due to renovations. I usually walk over there for food, when I ride to work, so I am glad I found out ahead of time.

azfiddle

09-08-2017, 05:45 PM

Thanks for the compliments on the photos.
We have a guest room here and great riding almost all year long...

north woods gal

09-09-2017, 07:26 AM

We have riding all year long, too, but better bring a fat bike (we have some area trails groomed just for fat bikes) and some warm clothes. :)

Other than some storms that bring heavy snow, but rarely much wind, we are fairly safe from those catastrophic weather events that other parts of the country see. Summer heat is not a problem, nor is smoke which many of my friends out west are dealing with. (Our forests tend to be wet and most, so fires are rare.) Just our long winters which drag on well into May with some years next to nothing for spring. Anyway, the door is always open to anyone seeking refuge from storms.

Crankin

09-10-2017, 05:01 PM

Did a 45.5 mile ride today; a ride we *thought* we had done before, but apparently, not! More about that, later. At least it was a ride that DH had adapted to start from our house, but I suspect, it was a ride we wanted to do and we wimped out later. Anyway, the original ride was 50 miles, but I am fine with doing just under that. We ate half a nut butter and jelly sandwich and headed west, through familiar streets in our old town, with the distinct sense that apple picking season has begun. Almost got taken out by a pick up backing out of his driveway, surounded by cars parked on a narrow country road, near a small organic farm having special activities today. From there, we headed up the opposite way we usually do, a good climb into the town of Bolton. We ended up on a main road, which is not a particularly bad road to ride on, but had to get over to make a left, where cars were backed up to go go the Nashoba Valley Winery/orchard. Geez, I have never seen the amount of cars I saw there, in the overflow parking, as we rode by. Both of these places were written up in an article on stuff to do this weekend and people from the city were out in droves. We quickly got onto some quieter roads, after this. Until we got to Rt 62 in the town I used to teach in. This is the same road my street is off of, but in Concord, it's a 2 lane road, with a speed limit of 30-35. Busy, but not crazy. We ended up having to cross this road in Hudson, at a crossing with no lights or stop signs, with people coming out of a newer shopping center with Lowe's and tons of other big box stores. It is also right near the exit/entrance ramp of I-495, which helped a bit, as there's a light there, a bit up from where had to cross. We got to the center of the road, and someone stopped, thankfully. The road we were on was really lovely as we continued on, farms, and homes, but it was clear people now use it as a short cut to that shopping center. We stopped by a horse farm and ate the second half of our sandwich. There some familiar street names of streets some of my former students lived on, but I really am not familiar with this part of the town. As we turned, we realized this was not the ride we thought it was... I saw parts of Hudson I didn't know existed, with some rolling hills, crappy roads, and lots of sparsely spaced industry, with a few houses. I surmised we were behind the Solomon Pond Mall, but I have to look on a map. Finally, we entered the town of Berlin, not the town of Clinton, which we thought we'd be in. We entered a round a bout and then we were turning onto Sawyer Hill Rd; a climb that was on the ride we thought we were doing, but not what was in front of us at that moment. The beginning of it was tough, about 8%, but it had flat sections, where you could rest. We finally got to what appeared to be the top, with huge homes and views to the west, where we could see Mt. Wachusett. Just gorgeous. Then we went down a steep descent, ending up at a main street, we had to zig zag across, to continue on Sawyer Hill. Passed another orchard, tons of cars, hayrides, etc., and city ladies dressed for a day out in the country in high heels! This is where we thought we'd end up at at a little store where we ate at last year, but no, we were not even in the right town. But, the road looked familiar, so we must have been on it on that ride, too. The next turn would bring us back to a road we passed when we had gone by the winery, earlier, so we knew we were getting back into familiar territory, when there was a road closed/detour sign. We decided to go ahead to see if we could circumvent it, as the alternatives were long and hard climbs, and it was getting suspiciously dark/cloudy, looking like rain. We went through one barrier, walked on a bit of dusty road/bridge over a stream, and then there was a netted barrier, where DH lifted the bikes over and we pushed it down to get over. And, there was a port-potty there, too! One more barrier, with cones, and we were out and our turn came up. It got very dark out, started sprinkling mildly, so we started deciding alternatives to the end. We decided to take the route up a lovely rural road that actually is the road my old school is on, past where we would be turning. It's very hilly. As we decided to keep going, down a very steep descent we had to make another choice. If we followed the route, we'd go up a very steep road with a crossing/stop on another main road, and then down a hill by a very large and popular orchard, where we knew it would be mobbed. We usually go by this area the opposite way. I was going to just do it, when I noticed I couldn't shift into my big ring... apparently the LBS did not charge my Di2 after they put it on my bike. So, the decision was made. I could stay in the small ring though, but DH nicely switched our batteries, as he doesn't mind riding in the small ring as much on flat roads. There were several bail out points, to make the ride shorter, but we took our longer option. We ate our snack and I got a second wind. We finished very speedily.
I am exhausted, but it was an interesting day. Now we have to figure out how to find the route we *thought* we were doing. My battery is all charged and should be good until the end of the year.

ny biker

09-10-2017, 06:03 PM

Sounds like an adventure, Crankin.

I had a great ride yesterday, the 50 mile version of my favorite annual century. I was going to meet up with bike club friends who were doing the metric -- the additional miles on their route were all at the start, so it would have been easy to meet them by starting about an hour after they did. But I got too a late start; my ankle was hurting when I woke up so before leaving home I took the time to ice it and plot a bailout route if it continued to hurt. So I rode by myself, which was great because I had the freedom to take detours and stop to take photos. After the first few miles I saw two women who were confused about where to turn, so I rode with them until our route joined the metric and there were more cyclists on the road. Then I stopped at an old bridge for photos, then stopped again to photograph a nice house with an interesting arrangement of gourds on a bench in front, then went off course a bit to photograph a nice barn and church, then rode for a while, went off course again to go around a steep hill, rode up the next hill which was unavoidable and stopped at the top where I always like to photograph the apple trees in an orchard, then finally reached the first rest stop. Had a tomato sandwich and a bunch of peach slices, giant peach slices from giant locally-grown peaches. So good. Finally got back on the road, my ankle felt okay so I opted not to take the shortcut I had planned. Instead I stayed on course for a while, stopped to take pictures at a covered bridge, then went off course again in Gettysburg to take some quieter roads than the ones used for the official route, which took me to the next rest stop where I ate more giant peach slices.

After that I stayed on course and only took a few more photos. Along the way I was texting my friends who had finished long before me; the husband of one was driving SAG and they were waiting at the picnic for him to finish. As it turned out his shift ended just before I got there, but they waited for me to get back and had a bite to eat with me before they hit the road for home. Some other bike club friends stopped to chat after doing the full century, and one hung around while I got some ice cream. By the time we left the picnic was winding down. Before heading home I drove to a nearby park where we sometimes start rides so I could check out a different parking area than the one we usually use, then stopped at a grocery store to look for something for dinner, didn't find anything interesting there so stopped at a restaurant instead. It was pretty late by the time I got home, with the upside of having to deal with less traffic on the highway.

Since I do this ride every year, and the route usually does not change much, I had reached a point a few years ago where it was starting to feel a bit dull. Since then I've done club rides in the area, borrowed from those cue sheets and made up some of my own routes to explore different roads. As a result I was able to see some of the roads on yesterday's ride with fresh eyes and really appreciate how nice they are.

We really got lucky with the weather. It was in the 50s overnight, up into the 60s by the time I started and in the 70s when I finished. It was warm in the sun but cool in the shade, which made it somewhat hard to dress for. I started wearing a long sleeved base layer, short sleeved jersey, vest and arm coolers on top of the long sleeves. After a while I took off the vest and arm coolers, and at the last rest stop took off the base layer and put the vest and arm coolers back on. A month from now the same conditions would feel cooler but for now the sun is still pretty strong and warm.

rebeccaC

09-10-2017, 11:44 PM

NY..pickles and pickle juice ftw and for a good electrolyte boost!!!!

We rode north on the pacific coast highway to point muga beach. The long gradual climbs on the route were good for me. Feeling more confident about climbing again. The desire to go into the santa monica mountains was there as we passed a number of the roads I’ve used for riding into them on…..but I’m not quite back to my voluntary suffering ways yet and I’m still a little reluctant to do those climbs until I’ve done some more mileage and gradual climbs like todays.

We had a little bit of a head wind going north. Storm clouds and winds came as we were coming back south but since it gave us a good tailwind we were happy to have it. In the 70’s the whole ride and 68 miles with some beautiful ocean views…..and of course a great french macaroon ice cream sandwich (pistachio macaroons and strawberry ice cream) and a chocolate croissant at malibu’s le café de la plage on the way back as the ride reward.

We walked to the beach after dinner for the end of the sunset
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4405/36970889766_b425893eeb_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YjZttU)

Crankin

09-11-2017, 04:10 AM

NY, your ride sounds lovely. I would love to ride in that area someday.
We found the ride we *wanted* to do yesterday. I knew it was on a cooler day, probably right after e moved to the condo. Well, it was 3 months after, but a cool day for June. DH keeps a log of his rides in Ride With GPS, so it was easy to look for. It did have some of the same roads as yesterday, but without the horrible crossing and part of Sawyer Hill Rd (which was not that bad). It was 40 miles, and I definitely want to do it again, but it does go through that road closure place, which I would rather not repeat. It didin't look like it will be done anytime soon.

emily_in_nc

09-11-2017, 12:36 PM

Crankin

09-11-2017, 04:23 PM

You think you'll be back that soon? It looks like power will be out for weeks!

emily_in_nc

09-11-2017, 05:52 PM

You think you'll be back that soon? It looks like power will be out for weeks!

Amazingly, the power never went out at our RV park there! We got a report today from a friend who lives in Winter Garden. The Orlando area, not being on either coast, did not suffer as badly from Irma as coastal areas. So, we got lucky! The main criteria for us will be that there is gas available and that the roads are not clogged with returning evacuees. We can avoid I-75 (which tends to be the most clogged) and travel smaller highways if needed. We have good apps to let us know about gas and road conditions, so once all looks good, we'll be heading back. If not this week, then next.

ny biker

09-12-2017, 05:46 PM

Sound like some great rides, ladies! NY, is that the Seagull Century? If so, DH and I did it (the full century) many years ago on a tandem. Unfortunately, we had a cold rain for most of the ride, just miserable. We were freezing! Don't remember any good food like what you describe, but it's been awhile. I do remember hot chocolate and coffee at the last rest stop because it was so cold. DH's lips were turning blue, and for the first and possibly only time ever, I had to coach him through the last 20 miles or so as he was really having difficulty in the cold (not enough body fat!)

Anywho, we are in our evacuation spot in Mississippi and have been enjoying some excellent rides on the Longleaf Trace. I took today off, but before that had ridden three days straight: 32, 20, and 35 miles. The Trace itself is flat to gently climbing and descending, since it's a rail trail, but the connector trail from our campground to get onto the Trace is very hilly, with marked grades up to 15%. That's only 2 miles at the beginning and end of each ride but does get your attention!

We've had the Trace almost to ourselves, even on the weekend; a real surprise. We're here until at least Thursday morning before we attempt to head back to Florida, so I hope to get a couple more rides in. It might rain tomorrow (remnants of Irma), so we'll see.

I've done the Seagull twice and will never do it again. Rainy and windy both times, the second time it was a nor'easter with heavy rain and strong wind. The awfulness began on the drive down to Salisbury the night before with a 10-mile backup to the Bay Bridge causing me to miss the dinner I had prepaid for. At the start of the ride we still had heavy rain, my shoes filled up with water and my feet went squish-squish with each pedal stroke. Then the rain ended and the wind got worse. This is flat farmland with wide open spaces, a terrible place to ride when it's windy. They do have good weather some years, but I've decided I really don't like the eastern shore very much, because although I'm slow on hills I still prefer varied terrain to flat, flat, flat. And it's far enough away to require a hotel stay, which adds to the cost. So no more Seagulls for me. Also an important lesson learned: no matter how much you prepaid for a bike ride, just say no to riding in a nor'easter.

The ride I did on Saturday was the Civil War Century. Highly recommended. Frederick County MD is a great place for cycling. The route I did went through the Gettysburg battlefield; the longer routes go up into the Catoctin Mountains and also go through Antietam and one other battlefield, South Mountain I think. None of the routes really tour the battlefields, they just go through them for a brief visit. But I will say that the Gettysburg battlefield park is a great place to tour by bicycle. Just make sure you get a good map and are prepared to make a few wrong turns, since they don't have typical street signs at intersections. I think Antietam can be toured by bike, too, though I have only ever been there once a long time ago.

In fairness to the Seagull I should add that the CWC has seen its share of extreme weather -- last year extremely hot, the year before rain all day, a couple of years before that was somewhat hot with bad thunderstorms in the afternoon. One year they had to postpone it a day due to a tropical storm. I've done it in all kinds of weather, though the year it rained all day I bailed after the first rest stop and then spent the day at the picnic eating yummy food and waiting for friends to finish. To me the big differences are -- I prefer the scenery and terrain of northern MD to the eastern shore, and the CWC has shorter route options in case of bad weather. Plus I have learned the roads up there well enough to make my own short cuts if needed.

Crankin

09-13-2017, 10:36 AM

Rode with my friend Jack today, since the club ride was in NH/Maine seacoast. Beautiful, but too long to drive there, with risk of traffic on the way home.
32.5 miles, on a ride called the rooster ride, because the route looks like a rooster head (kind of). Nothing special, just Bedford through Concord, Carlisle, Westford, S Chelmsford, and back. We did ride through my old neighborhood, but we did not go up the hill. It felt quite warm, although it was only 76 when we got back; humidity from Irma is seeping in and we should be getting some rain from the remnants on Thursday night/Friday. I just got used to cooler, dry weather, so I hope it's temporary.

emily_in_nc

09-13-2017, 04:50 PM

NY, thanks for elaborating on the century. I have always heard that the Seagull seemed to be cursed with bad weather. We drove up from NC for it and stayed in a hotel so were especially disappointed with the weather the year we did it -- probably 2004, as that was our big year for centuries before I had my crash in spring '05 and fractured my pelvis. A few years prior to that, we bought a tandem bike in Frederick, MD, and took some test rides in that area. Seemed really nice.

Today was our last day here in Mississippi, so DH and I decided to go for the gusto and reprise a ride we did in May of 2016. From the campground to the town of Sumrall is 50 miles round-trip, and that is what we did. Other than the hilly connector trail (about five small hills with grades 9-15%) from the campground to the Longleaf Trace, the ride was typical rail-trail fare, with gentle grades, so it's a good one to do as a longer ride. But today my old aches from my pelvic fracture mentioned above were really barking at me (lower back/upper buttock on the right side), so I had to take extra stops to stretch. Still, it was a good ride overall, and with the Conti Gatorskin tires DH just installed on my Trek, I was 1/2 mph faster than my usual average speed on similar trails -- and 1.3 mph faster than my first couple Florida rides coming back from my jaw fracture. So, that was nice, and it was my first 50+ mile ride since last October. It's a longer distance than I really enjoy, but every now and then I do like to push myself a bit. Should make my more typical 30 miler feel pretty easy when we get back to Florida. :D

ny biker

09-14-2017, 08:11 AM

Way to go on the 50 miler, Emily.

We have been seeing traces of Irma for days now. We already had cloud cover from it while it was still ripping through Florida. The initial forecast for this week was rain every day but fortunately that has not happened. We had some rain yesterday morning, nothing heavy, and the sun was out by afternoon. It was very humid though, enough that I had to close the windows at home and turn on the A/C, which ran a long time and dropped the temperature to 6 degrees below the thermostat setting as it dehumidified. I went for a bike ride last night, 19 miles. It was in the low 70s. I was comfortable in shorts and short sleeves -- if the air had been dryer I would have needed more layers. It was a quiet uneventful ride (in a good way). My new weeknight route is still a work in progress and I made 3 changes last night. I still need to work on finding a better way to cross one very busy road at the top of a hill but overall I am making good progress with each tweak. It will be a good route for colder weather because it's easier to shorten on the fly than the old route.

Crankin

09-14-2017, 01:44 PM

It's really humid... had to put that AC on when I got home, despite it being only 77 out. It was sprinkling when i got home and is supposed to shower on and off through tomorrow. My friend is leading a ride at 5:30, a route he stole from us, but obviously, I didn't go. It's my first true rest day in a week. Tuesday, I thought I'd rest, but it turned out I had 2 free hours in the middle of the day, so I walked to the village from my office and did an errand. Only about 1.5 miles, but it was hotter than hell and I walked fast, in my work clothes. I had to use my bath cloths I keep there for when I commute, when I got back. I have my boot camp tomorrow, and since the weather doesn't look too good, I don't think I will be riding. If it's ok in the AM, I may ride to work. Next long ride is Saturday.

rebeccaC

09-14-2017, 09:27 PM

sounds like a good ride Emily!! good for you on the 50 miles......NY....hoping you have a good weekend ride!!

Ellie and I did a bike path ride to USC for a meeting today. (a testament to student activism to get a path to the beach :)) 19 miles of not needing to be traffic cautious makes for a pleasant ride. Doing a few competitive sprints on the way back also gave us some good exercise…with Ellie taking it a little easier on me. I know I'll probably never have a more supportive and just wonderful CEO in my career. 44 miles total for us with a continuing ride to an early dinner with Alex joining us.

Alex and I are going for a ride on a lesser steep San Gabriel mountain route this weekend to finally start my real climbing exercise. Feels good to be improving my muscular endurance and lactate threshold for climbing again.

eta...btw emily...having a movable home to escape severe weather is such a great idea !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Crankin

09-16-2017, 01:10 PM

OK, I am seriously exhausted from a hilly ride I did today. Not so much tired exhausted, butI started having mild pain/cramping in my left hamstring, after we ate lunch, and I can't figure out what's up. We road into Harvard, MA, in a circuitous way, to climb Oak Hill. None of today's ride was on unfamiliar roads, just a few we rarely ride on, or, ride in the other direction. So, it's really humid out. Was only about 70 degree when we left, but I wore sleeveless, as it was supposed to go up to 80 or so. I was cool at first, as it was cloudy, but the sun came out when we were climbing Oak Hill. It's shady, so that was not an issue. I had adequate liquid (Skratch, which I reserve for longer, hilly or hot rides). We stopped for lunch at mile 26, where I had half a veggie wrap, ate my Lara Bar, and off we went. We knew we had about a mile climb we always dislike after lunch; so being stiff from sitting, we took it slowly. But, it was after this my hamstring started acting up more. After that, we had a long downhill, so I got to rest it, but I never really felt good for the rest of the ride. The hamstring was hurting, my sit bones were too, and we still had some ups and downs. One thing did make me feel better and laugh was we saw a guy, riding in the opposite direction, with his helmet on backwards. :eek: The only other time i have seen this was at the start of a very large ride we were leading, with 3 others, and I was elected to tell the woman. This guy had the back tilted straight up, in the front. It looked ridiculous. If I had felt better, I would have stopped. I did manage to pick up the pace on one of my favorite, semi-flat roads, but as we get near home, there is a small hill, I usually go up at 10-12 mph. DH got so far ahead, I felt like crying... I wasn't bonking, just hurting. He slowed after we turned off this street, and we made it home. My average was similar to rides we do in the Berkshires or Europe, I was so slow! Yes, I rode 44 miles and climbed 2,500 ft., but, it wasn't much different than last weekend. The only difference is that last weekend, I rode on Sunday, and only did a short walk on Saturday, after an intense ride and bootcamp on Friday. Yesterday, I went to bootcamp, it was hard, but I was not sore when I got up.
I have really upped my exercise in the past 10 days, so perhaps I am paying for that. I rolled out my hamstring and will do a short recovery ride tomorrow.

emily_in_nc

09-16-2017, 01:11 PM

eta...btw emily...having a movable home to escape severe weather is such a great idea !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It surely worked out for us this time! We enjoyed our evacuation and treated it as a vacay. We had power and water and no worries about the hurricane, though it was a little costly because of the post-Harvey spike in gas prices and our motorhome getting 7 miles to the gallon! :eek:

We got back to our "home" campground in Florida yesterday and are all settled in again. They never lost power, but a huge tree fell on one of the fifth wheels that stayed here. They should have moved it to one of the many sites with no trees! Fortunately, no one was in it as they had evacuated, but why they left their rig right by a line of tall trees escapes me.

We are not even sure if the bike paths are open here as there are many, many branches and some trees down all over the entire area, but we'll be checking it out next week.

rebeccaC

09-16-2017, 07:02 PM

emily...glad to hear you're back to your florida campground and hoping the bike paths are cleared soon!!

We rode the Angeles Crest Highway to the Mt Wilson Observatory today. 42 miles total with 4500+ ft of climbing and temps in the 70’s. Less difficult grades than the other rides we’ve done in the San Gabriel/ Santa Monica mountains but with a final 5 mile climb that was a challenge….but in a good training way and I was able to keep a rhythmic and controlled breathing pattern the whole of the days ascent. I was really sweaty when we reached the observatory but I felt mentally good and some yoga stretches helped with tightness and soreness. We split an olive hummus, heirloom tomato, cucumber, spinach and avocado sandwich we bought at the observatories Cosmic Café and with wonderful banana smoothies we ate overlooking a peaceful and beautiful view. Little traffic, nice smooth roads and a great ‘lots of grins per mile’ descent were big pluses.
Tired tonight but my first hard climb in 10 months felt good to get in. Well that….and the chocolate marshmallow fluff brownie ice cream we stopped to get on the drive home at salt and straw and we just ate was good too. :)

No photos cuz I felt the big need to be a weight weenie on this ride. It was just I, the bike and water cuz I let Alex carry all the needed essentials. She was happy to.
Thinking I’m going to sleep in tomorrow. :)

.....it was sad to see the police aftermath of a motorcyclist's death on the lower part of the descent going back to the car. It happened after we had gone by the area on the ascent

Hoping everyone had/has safe and satisfying rides this weekend!!!!

emily_in_nc

09-17-2017, 12:16 PM

I am drooling over your food mentions, rebecca (all except the olive hummus; you can keep that). Salt & Straw...mmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Sounds like a great ride you had. I haven't ridden since our 50 miler due to our travel days, and then getting lots of stuff done re. settling in: lots of laundry, lots of groceries, and the bike trail is indeed closed (per DH, who rode today to check it out). Tomorrow I have an orthodontist appointment and more errands to run, so looks like Tuesday is going to be my next riding day. I did do some yoga/light weights today, and we've been walking, of course!

Crankin

09-17-2017, 01:49 PM

And my recovery ride turned into a 4 mile walk (rt) to get ice cream! Was just about to get in my cycling clothes when DS called and told us he was coming earlier for a visit with my granddaughter. After going to an event at a local farm, it was about 1:30 when he left and we were choosing between an 18 mile round trip ride to an ice cream place we like, that is not open all year round, or the walk into town. Walking actually aggravates my back more than riding, but I was good with it.

rebeccaC

09-17-2017, 06:40 PM

Salt & Straw...mmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
:)

It's first location was in Portland Or. When i did the Seattle-Portland ride with my Portland friends they got me hooked on it. Felt blessed when it came to the LA area and even more when a Venice location showed up on my work commute, which unfortunately makes it even more of a calorie hazard…..

We woke up late, we did bike to get massages and a late lunch but basically it’s a being lazy and content day/night

north woods gal

09-18-2017, 11:27 AM

Just got back, late last night, from our San Diego visit, which included three days of biking for me. I managed to rent a bike from an outfit called Stay Classy. Pete, the owner, will deliver a bike to your hotel and pick it up when done. He will also come to the rescue if the bike breaks down or has a flat. Yup, I did have a flat on day two, thanks to the goats heads which are present in the area. He fixed it, no problem, though, and I was back to riding in no time. The bike was a typical 700x35 SE hybird with flat bars (I specified I wanted a flat bar), but he has other bikes to choose from. Don't expect a high end carbon road bike with Ultegra Di2, though. This is typical tourist stuff as far as the bikes go, but, me, I'm happy with very basic fare when it comes to bikes when doing the tourist thing.

The riding was a definite change of pace for me, being all pavement. Everything paved, including the bike paths. Oh, dropping off the bike path to ride the dry river beds was tempting, but wrong bike and the goatheads, too, not to mention wasn't sure about the legality.

Weather was super, with clouds off the ocean in the morning, burning off by mid-morning with highs every day in the 70s. Real treat to meet back up with Bill at the end of my ride, then head to the motel swimming pool for a nice swim.

Each day of riding included a trip to the many beaches in the area with lots of time watching birds along one of the wildlife sanctuaries. Loved the Ocean Beach area. Lots of coffee shops and neat shopping. The Sunset Cliffs city park was spectacular and had some great hills to climb, to boot. Real people watching place along the beaches with surfers and all the other California type activities. On Saturday, there were probably as many people on the beach as we have in our whole county, up here. :) Sadly, lots of homeless people on bikes along the bike trails, but that, too, is common for big cities.

Now, don't laugh, but only put about 60 some miles total for three days, but they were 60 fun miles with lots of stops along the way to chat with folks, stop for coffee and watch everything. It was a real change of pace from my daily MTB riding at home, for sure, and I appreciated the difference. Have to say, this was a very bike friendly area to ride with lots of bike lanes and bike trails. Having lived the urban/suburban living on a bike lifestyle, before, so I can safely say that I could manage it, nicely, in San Diego. I'm very much a country girl and backwoods girl, though, so I'll just stay put, but I had a fun time. As I've always said, the best way to get to know a new area is to grab a bike and go for a ride.

Crankin

09-18-2017, 03:54 PM

Glad you had so much fun, Northwoods! You know, while i have not actually lived in San Diego, my parents moved there in 1979, and I stayed in Phoenix, then on to Boston. But, I have spent a lot of time there, as one of my kids lived there for 5 years, too. In 2011, when we went to see my son, after one of his deployments, we went on a bike tour of La Jolla, Bird Rock, OB, and PB. I saw things I had never seen in the 30+ years I've visited. I'd love to get back and do more. My brother is still there, so it's a possibility.

rebeccaC

09-18-2017, 09:40 PM

So at least 3 days and under 2 hours away???:(....you know this forum has a private message system :)

Glad you enjoyed the Ocean Beach area and the riding!! That section of coastline is nice.….and yeah, Sunset cliffs ftw. Happy you enjoyed/embraced the differences from the North Woods. I enjoyed riding the river bike path from Ocean Beach to the mission valley and back with friends living in La Jolla. There are some nice paved river bike paths in S.Ca.

Ocean Beach is kinda San Diego's Venice Beach, although we’re larger, more touristy, a little more eclectic and alternative but similar in vibe/people and especially in weather…well, and we have more eccentrics too :)....and a 26 mile, on the beach with lots of interesting stops, paved bike path!!!

…..thinking the homeless also like the weather in the Southern Ca., especially areas that have some good services for them like here.

north woods gal

09-19-2017, 04:13 PM

OMG, never thought there might be one of my forum friends in the area! Duh. Anyway, my bad on that one.

I always try to see the best in a new area, just like I always try to see the best in people, even when they are way different than me. I do think that SD area has a lot to offer. Not really me, but I could adapt.

Back home and riding my north woods trails, again, and, have to admit, it feels good. Trees are turning, but not looking to be a great color season. Some trees have already lost most of their foliage and some have barely turned color. One of those mixed color change years for us.

emily_in_nc

09-20-2017, 09:00 AM

Yesterday was my first ride since we've been back in Florida (west of Orlando) post-Irma evacuation. DH had explored the bike path to the east on Monday while I went to the orthodontist and ran errands. He discovered that it was closed, with numerous trees blocking it. Not too surprising. So, he took the path west into Lake County, which we've been avoiding since returning to FL in early August because there are fewer trees and more hills = VERY HOT this time of year. But temps have cooled just a bit, humidity is lower than it was a month ago, and this part of the path was open. Yay! So we did that yesterday. Saw a lot of post-Irma damage but all had been moved off the path. Kudos to the Oakland, Clermont, Groveland city & Lake County workers as I know they have been busting butt.

We also found out last night from an acquaintance that works for the Orange County parks & recs dept. that more of the path east is now open -- not the whole thing, but more (Winter Garden to Ocoee) -- so we'll explore that tomorrow.

35 miles yesterday.

ny biker

09-20-2017, 04:11 PM

I rode on Saturday. Just 30 miles, but with steeper hills than I've ridden in months so it was quite a workout. Another club in this area had its annual century on Sunday out in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, which is just over the river from Sharpsburg MD and the Antietam battlefield. They have started a tradition of holding a ride around and through Antietam the day before the century, and this ride is open to anyone regardless of whether they paid for the century ride. I've been wanting to explore Antietam so I decided to make the drive, about 1.5 hours and more than 80 miles. Fortunately the start time was at noon so I didn't have to get up insanely early for it.

The weather was sunny, humid and warm, very nice actually, and the first time since July that I've had really sweaty helmet hair after a ride. Several of my friends were there and we stopped several times in the park to visit significant battle sites. It was a very good ride. There was traffic near the battlefield which was to be expected, especially since Sunday was the 155th anniversary of the battle, but enough of the ride was on quiet roads. The first and last few miles were on a road next to the C&O Canal, a part of the canal that I've never ridden. We talked about planning other rides in that area in the future, since it's definitely worth making the drive now and then.

The rest stop on the ride was at an ice cream parlor in Sharpsburg. I had peach frozen yogurt, delicious with big peach slices. After the ride I went with a friend to a pizza place in Shepherdstown. The crust was a little thicker than I usually like but it was still foldable and quite good. It's hard to find really good pizza in DC but sometimes when you get away from the city you find some that surprises you. Shepherdstown had a bunch of restaurants that looked good, and on the drive to and from the ride I passed a few others in the small town of Boonsboro. I suspect the proximity to a major battlefield site draws enough visitors to help support them.

Antietam and Gettysburg are roughly 50 miles apart. It's possible to tour both of them by bike. There are some areas of both battlefields that are only accessible on foot, but both have paved roads with designated auto tours that could also be done as bike tours. One of the friends I was with on Saturday estimated that a full bike tour of Antietam would be 9-10 miles whereas a tour of Gettysburg is about twice and long. It is also possible to cycle between Antietam and Gettysburg, though there are a couple of mountains that would need to be crossed.

So that was my weekend. Last night I went for a ride after work, about 16 miles. It's still warm and humid. I had planned to take tomorrow off as a part of the furlough time that I have to take before the end of the month, and was going to do a club ride in a nice area near the Patuxent River in southern Maryland, but today I had a change of plans. A colleague is out from tomorrow through next week and they want me here to cover for him, so I no longer have to take the last 3 furlough days that I thought I had to take. This is a good thing overall since it means 3 days of sick and vacation time that can keep for the future. I am kind of disappointed about not being able to do that ride tomorrow, though, since I haven't ridden in that area in months and I was looking forward to enjoying a warm sunny day outdoors. I will do a shorter ride after work instead.

Crankin

09-21-2017, 02:30 AM

We had mist and light rain from José yesterday, so no group ride. I went to step and sculpt class instead, where I had the thought of comparing the level of suffering between that and a hot, hilly ride. It was so humid out, that the AC in the room was struggling. I always put Nuun in my bottle when I go to this class.
I wanted to get up and do a dark ride this morning, but, I hardly slept last night. I will rest today. It's Rosh Hashanah, and I am going to work, which is making me feel guilty... my family is coming over for dinner tonight, so there wil be a little celebration.
Tomorrow will be my last Friday group ride for the summer. The series has not attracted a lot of people, so it's mostly been me riding with the other leader. Not sure what is going on, as about 10 years ago, DH and I led Friday AM rides and they were well attended. I think part of the issue is my friend, who set up this series does the same ride every week! It's also at a start place that is further away from the city than the previous one. We always started in the same place, but we did different rides. He's kind of an old, set in his way guy (won't travel anywhere, except into NH), but is a good friend, and volunteers hours for both of the clubs I belong to.

north woods gal

09-21-2017, 07:25 AM

Warm, rainy and then foggy all day in our woods, yesterday. A little different to be riding trails in the fog in mid-afternoon, to be sure. That's when it's a real plus to know your trails.

Also a real plus to know my trails now that they are almost completely covered with downed leaves. A stranger would be lost, but I know them like the back of my hand, so not an issue in that respect. On the other hand, a buildup of wet leaves under the tires can be a hazard as far as the tires slipping as I'm sure some of you have experienced with your road biking with wet leaves on pavement. Can be an issue for MTB riding, too, especially with wet leaves on rocks. Yup, I do get sometimes get slippage on wet leaves with my classic MTBs and their skinny 26x2" tires on our trails under these conditions, but not with the fat bikes. The fat bikes pretty much take that hazard out of the equation. Nevertheless, I'll probably walk some of my trails with a rake at some point before the snow falls. Trails dry out, quicker, when not covered with leaves.

Talk about slipping on wet surfaces. Yesterday, as I was walking one of the fat bikes down our wet wood steps from our deck, I slipped. Me and the bike went sliding down the steps to land on the hard pavement at the bottom. Ouch! Fortunately, just a scratch on my arm, but I know people who have been seriously injured taking a tumble down steps. Pretty spooky, but mostly just a bad scare. Bike survived just fine, too. We both headed off to the woods and forgot about it. :)

emily_in_nc

09-21-2017, 12:47 PM

NWG, I remember slipping on damp fall leaves on a wooden bridge at one of our local MTB trails in NC. Went right down on such an easy little stretch. I was just starting to MTB and honestly didn't expect it. Lesson learned!

NY, the year we did Bike Virginia, much of the ride was actually done in WVa, and we went through Shepherdstown. In fact, that may be where I spent several days in a gorgeous inn suffering mightily from the waterborne illness that took so many of us out that year (2003, I think?), Campylobacter. If you had to be deathly ill, that beautiful suite was the place to do it. (We did the inn option rather than camping and booked late so had to take a very fine suite. It even had a bidet in the gorgeous marble bathroom, and that was a godsend for my very poor intestinal condition!!!)

It is definitely a hilly but gorgeous area. Glad you got to do a nice ride there!

Today's ride took us east on the West Orange Trail, where we saw lots and lots of evidence of Irma damage. The entire length of the trail is pretty much lined with piles of branches and logs. All the debris has been moved off the trail, but it's definitely a lot less shady now. :( So many beautiful trees down, but so many survived, which is a great thing. These are mostly Live Oaks with Spanish moss and add so much to the ambiance and charm of this area. Glad we still have many left to enjoy but so sorry that so many were lost.

30.25 miles.

north woods gal

09-21-2017, 04:56 PM

Emily, that's the trail I rode on our Florida visit. Glad to hear it's open. May take some time, but the trees will come back.

Crazy weather up here, too. Highs in the upper 80s today and the next few days. That's as hot as it gets at the peak of our summers. About 20 degrees above normal. Oh, well, may as well get some tan in while I ride before winter sets in. Weird, though.

Crankin

09-22-2017, 09:33 AM

No one signed up for our last Friday group ride, which was good and bad. When it's just me and Jack, I have to go fast...
Left the house with a darkish sky and occasional wind gusts. Not big ones, but cool ones, at 61 degrees. I saw no rain forecasted, but it was raining just north of here. Yup, as soon as I had driven a couple of miles, it started spitting, then stopped. Then, as soon as we left the lot on the bikes, it started misting, light rain again. It wasn't bad, but I didn't want to do the big steep climb, as I had already been to boot camp and my legs/back are toast, so we skipped that, took a nice alternate, and then skipped the last part of the ride, to go back straight on a main road. We stopped and had a cup of coffee at the Bedford Council on Aging. Jack plays pool there and also leads a Monday ride from there, for younger seniors, which means people more in their 50s, 60s. The place creeped me out. I was the youngest one there, but the coffee was good. I then rode back to my car, about half a mile. So, 24 miles, at a good pace, considering the suffering I did at the gym at 5:30 AM!
Tomorrow we are doing a ride called the Tour of Mt Pigsah. No, not the one n NC.... the one in Northorough, MA. It's jointly led by the Sudbury Valley Trustees, which is an environmental organization, and AMC. We will be riding west of here a bit, stopping to look at some of their conservation sites and efforts. It's co-led by a friend, who is the director of development there and also an AMC leader. It's only 21 miles, but it's hilly, and will be an enjoyable change of pace for a ride.

ny biker

09-22-2017, 12:12 PM

I rode last night after work, per my revised plan. Earlier in the day I had an idea that I would lengthen the route from 16 to 20 miles, which would add a couple of bigger hills. But it seems my new normal is not getting started until 9 pm, and though I didn't feel tired I also found myself riding slower than I had the other day. And my knee hurt in the beginning, a pain above my knee on the inside which started during the hilly ride last Saturday. So I decided to skip those bigger hills. Total miles was just under 18. Another generally quiet ride, not cold or hot, slightly humid. I just replaced the batteries in several blinky lights that are not rechargeable ( my helmet lights and night-ride tail light), so they are all super bright again. These batteries will get me through the winter unless I do something dumb like accidentally hit the power button while they're sitting in my bike bag.

Since I'm still trying to rest the torn ankle tendon, cycling is the only cardio exercise I can do right now. I'm thinking of starting to do two night rides per week, possibly slightly shorter routes. I'd end up having to change my weight training schedule too, but that's not a big deal.

Crankin

09-24-2017, 03:41 AM

The ride yesterday was weird. It was quite cool when we arrived at the farm for the start, and cloudy. I had arm warmers on, but DH did not. He pulled an emergency light weight hoodie out of his car, though. One of the workers made us move our cars, saying there would be 5,000 people there later in the day. Then, she told us we couldn't use the bathroom! We did, anyway. Not an auspicious start. So the ride was advertised at a 11-13 mph average and very hilly for 21 miles. Laura started out way faster, though. I couldn't keep up with her, but at least I was not in the back, with the slowest. We went down a steep descent for awhile, on a road the was horribly pot holed. A bunch of people passed me, which I was nervous about, as we had no GPS route, although I took a cue sheet, which was in my jersey. The plan was to stay together. We did, that, but I felt horribly agitated for the whole ride. I was tired from boot camp and riding on Friday, not from lack of sleep, but my quads were tired. The environmental part the tour was interesting, and we were on a few roads I have never been on. Part of the ride was on the same roads DH and I were on 2 weeks ago, when we were on that ride that was not the ride we thought it was... however, the detour we encountered was finished. The 2 biggest, steep climbs yesterday were on roads I have done, so not a big deal, but there were a couple of longer, less steep climbs at the end, that got to me. And the other riders were a strange combination of, what I am not sure. A lot of them tried to pass me while climbing, I would go ahead, and then they would play cat and mouse on the flats. I tend to keep a very consistent pace, which allows me to do the climbing I do. Anyway, let's just say there was a high level of geekdom here, and not bike geekdom. One guy harassed DH about his rear blinkie being too strong; it was on daylight mode. After trying to be nice, DH told him not to ride behind him, then! He wanted to tell him to get ****, but since we are leaders of the sponsoring group, we have to restrain ourselves.
There were about 5,000 people at the farm when we got back. What a zoo. Again, I guess this provides a Disneyland type experience for people, but ruins the quieter suburban and country roads we ride on. The lunch options there were horrible and I don't eat cider donuts, or any donuts. We went home, where I ate, showered, and then did some errands.
I know I felt weird beause I did too much on Friday, but also, a combination of some crappy roads and the other riders didn't help! Still glad I went, though.

emily_in_nc

09-24-2017, 09:16 AM

Sounds like a bit of an odd ride, Crankin. Also sounds like you need a day or two of rest. Better to come back fresh next time than to be so fatigued. Also helps mentally, I think.

I'll take the cider donut you didn't want! Although I eat donuts only very rarely (like when traveling to Portland or Seattle, where there are some awesome donut shops) they are a true guilty pleasure due to that rarity! :D

Crankin

09-24-2017, 10:16 AM

For some reason, donuts have never appealed to me.
I did ride today, a ride I enjoyed with my Wednesday group about a month ago. DH changed the route, to start from our house, instead of Concord center, which made it 32 miles. No big climbs and not near any orchards! It is extremely warm and humid out. We left at 10, should have left at 9. My quads were a little sore when I started riding, but I felt great when I got up. Traffic was light, as I think most people were inside, getting ready to watch the Patriots' game, which to me is an excuse to go places that are usually crowded!
The last 4 miles of the ride, basically getting back to our house is pretty unshaded. That kind of stunk, but despite the weather, we made it back with no issues. I did drink a whole bottle of Scratch, though.
I hope my body gets used to cycling with my boot camp classes. I did this before, so I imagine it might take a couple more weeks. I actually looked at my paltry mileage total for the year, and this might be my lowest since 2004. I think my back issues in the spring were a lot of it, as I started off strong in the winter. I'll be lucky to make 2,000 miles.

north woods gal

09-25-2017, 06:55 AM

Abnormally warm weather, this last week, with highs into the upper 80s and very humid. That's what we get for a maximum at the peak of our summer, but here it is heading into the last of September. Have to say, though, that I've enjoyed it. Gotten a lot of work done on our trails, followed up each day with a heavy dose of trail riding. Yup, get back to the house soaking wet with sweat, but I'm not complaining. We're heading back down, now, to our more normal highs in the 50s and low 60s, but nice to have had a last taste of summer while it lasted. Winter will be here soon enough.

Every year, at this time, as winter approaches, I do think about spending the winter in a southern state where I can ride without snow, but just don't know if I can handle all the crowds that have the same thing in mind. Kind of spoiled being able to ride in my woods, every day, with just me and the woods for company.

emily_in_nc

09-25-2017, 11:29 AM

Every year, at this time, as winter approaches, I do think about spending the winter in a southern state where I can ride without snow, but just don't know if I can handle all the crowds that have the same thing in mind. Kind of spoiled being able to ride in my woods, every day, with just me and the woods for company.

It's the truth about the crowds! Of course, we find Florida to be way too crowded even now, and it will only get worse as the snowbirds descend. (Since we got here in August this year, I get to say that... :D) Arizona is similar, and when we spent January in North Padre Island, TX a few years ago, I got to learn all about "Winter Texans". But I get it...I don't want to be anywhere cold during the winter, having spent the last seven or so in places like Belize, Mexico, and Florida!

We're still having hot (upper 80s to low 90s) and humid weather here in central Florida, of course, but I'm used to it by now, and it's nice to know that the trend is in the right direction, even though the change in season is infinitesimally gradual. It definitely doesn't feel like fall yet!

30 miles on the bike path today. They've done a great job of clearing up hurricane debris, although there's still a long way to go along the sides of the trail, but at least the path itself is clear!

Crankin

09-27-2017, 10:34 AM

Just got back from a group ride that was so horribly hot and humid, it was making me feel weird. I get a certain feeling when it's really hot and I had it almost the whole ride. My mistake was volunteering to be a human arrow, at about mile 2. When my turn was done, I never made it back to the front. I did end up riding with a small group, but I also was alone a lot of the time. There was one point, where we were within 1/4 of a mile of my house and I almost went home. But, I knew I would have to ride the 10+ miles back to the start for my car, so I dug in. We went up a very steep hill just about then, and I was really getting overheated when we turned on a flattish road and I was able to tuck in behind a guy and draft him up to the point where we were getting close to the rest stop in Concord center. By then, a lot of others were fading. When we stopped, I finished my bottle of Scratch, ate a Shot Block, and dumped some cold water down my jersey. It was 7-8 miles back to Great Brook Farm, with one climb right at the outset. I actually dropped a few here, but I was done!
As we turned on to the road the park is on, I realized the front group was right in front of me, so I finished with them. I checked my average when we got back, and sure enough, it was faster than this group usually does. Not faster than I ride, when I am with DH, but I felt pressure to move it. A group had also done a mountain bike ride at the park, and they were done when we got back. I had brought my lunch to eat there, as did a few others. On my drive home, the temperature on my car said it was 90 degrees for most of the way home, dropping to 88. It's clouding up now, thankfully, fall will resume tomorrow night.
32 miles. I am done with summer!

emily_in_nc

09-27-2017, 12:59 PM

Amazing about those temps there, Crankin! We have been 93-94 the past few days for highs, which is horrible, but this is Florida, not New England!

Yesterday I had my fastest average for our usual West Orange Trail ride all year, so I know the change in tires (from Schwalbe Marathon Plus, super heavy-duty) to Conti Gatorskins, plus lighter tubes, is helping. 14.1 mph, which is still "slow" by my old standards, but given the urban nature of this ride, many road crossings, slow campground roads at the beginning and end, I will take it! It's hard to imagine averaging 15-17 mph, as I used to in my peak cycling years of 2003-2005, but I was a lot younger then too! I felt pretty good despite the heat and humidity, so I guess I'm pretty acclimated to this climate now. 31.6 miles.

Crankin

09-28-2017, 02:34 AM

emily_in_nc

09-28-2017, 12:13 PM

Emily, I wish we could ride together.... I still have a few rides a year with a 15-16 average, but since I live in a hilly area, it's not too often. For me, it's a little bit age and chronic health stuff, but mostly this year, my back. I finally looked at my total mileage the other day, and I just haven't been riding enough. I've been on a roll for the past month, but with cooler weather coming, I know I won't be riding as much during the week. I usually ride into December, on a regular basis, but I love to hike in the fall, and that always takes over.

Sounds like you're doing very well, despite any health issues! I can't even remember the last time I averaged over 15 mph, even in ideal conditions. I think if I had a lighter bike I could be a little faster, of course, but I've finally gotten my Trek Pilot dialed in with lower gearing, saddle that works for me, stem extension (I need my bars higher than my saddle for my back issues), so even though it's not as light as the newer models, it fits me well, and a new bike just isn't in the budget right now.

It's definitely a lot easier to rack up the miles being in Florida most of the year than in New England, though I am way behind where I would have been had I not broken my jaw -- that cost me 3.5 months of riding. I went over 2300 miles on the year this week.

Today's ride was tougher; we went west into hillier Lake County, and I had a terrible night of sleep last night. Plus we had head winds on the way back and the temps hit 93 on that return leg. Ugh. I was having visions of cold, icy drinks instead of the very warm water I had to drink and slogged out the miles with a 13.9 mph average for 35 miles. Ready for cooler weather!

Crankin

09-28-2017, 12:38 PM

Wind can be as bad as hills.

north woods gal

09-28-2017, 04:47 PM

Have to commend all of you doing so many miles out on the road and anyone who can manage 15 mph for an average speed has me beat for sure. Ever since I built MTB trials on our property and now ride them every day, though, just haven't managed to get out on the road all that much. Only ride the trails one to two hours day, but that's everyday and I'm now up to 7 to 10 miles of trail riding, per day, so that's still a decent weekly and monthly total. By my count, have actually only missed about four days all summer. Wish there was a way to accurately convert MTB miles to road miles, but at least in terms of hours, I am riding probably more this summer than summers where it was mostly road biking.

Anyway, I LOVE reading everyone's road adventures. Just don't want to give anyone the impression that I'm not riding, much. Just wish I had more to share in the type of riding everyone else is doing, though. All the same, my heart is with you. :)

emily_in_nc

09-29-2017, 12:16 PM

NWG, I love reading about your trail (and other rides)! And I know from experience that MTB miles are much, much harder than road miles, under most circumstances. I have only rarely averaged over 10 mph on my mountain bike, usually less than that.

Today's ride was our usual route east, and although it wasn't quite as hot and there was less sun and wind, it was sooooo humid as we are getting a tropical front in from the south and east. I was absolutely drenched in no time, very unpleasant. To top off the unpleasantness, we got behind a leaf blower vehicle for a short while and got absolutely covered in a fine leaf dust that was just nasty (not to mention bad for eyes and lungs!) At my rest stop, I wiped off as much of it as I could with my bandanna, because it stuck to my damp, sweaty, and sunscreen-coated skin. The bandanna was absolutely brown when I finished. UGH!

32 miles to finish up the week. We leave the bike paths to the families and weekend warriers on the weekends and do other things (walking, at-home workouts), and I am ready for my two-day break after riding four days this week. First time I've done that since spring!

Hope everyone has a good weekend! :D

rebeccaC

09-29-2017, 12:17 PM

I spent two days at a desert art collective refuge for eclectic artists….East Jesus, which is just outside of Niland Ca. by the Salton Sea. It’s an interesting self sufficient, communitarian creative collective in the middle of nowhere. An artist friend is doing some work there and invited me out.

I used the trip to ride the east side of the Salton Sea…78 miles of basically flat road, with a good shoulder, not much traffic (the west side has a busy state highway which is used by most of the north/south traffic). The east side road is broken up by sections of fun rollers, which I assume makes up the 700 ft of gain on the ride. A good headwind going north but I knew that so I just saw it as a good challenge and then a blessing coming back…..and with temps in the high 90’s it was a challenge. The success of the ride was probably as much about my preparation for it, some hot yoga, hydration/nutrition (before/during/after) and having balanced electrolytes for the entire ride. Hard riding in dry desert heat means salty sweat stains and deposits’ for me so I also washed off my head a few times during the ride. Just three places to get water on the ride, mostly just abandoned buildings/business’s on the route, so I planned water carefully. It was a good ride for me…..still slower than before but with the same positive determination I always try to put into a hard ride.

No hipster reward food to be had out in that area of the desert….sitting in the shade with a quart of chocolate milk from the only grocery store in Niland, helped when I got back. The woman I stayed with also fixed a wonderfully nutritious roasted sweet potato salad for a recovery meal when I got back too.

Just three weekends left before the Tour de Pink. With the rides I’ve done in my training plan I feel good about where I’m at. Doing a long ride this weekend with Alex on the first day's route of the tour and then cut back until we do the 3 day tour.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4454/37138957620_fe425fc9e7_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YzQScw)

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4414/37138964860_8dcdebdea4_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YzQUmm)

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4474/37138961970_c947ebb8c7_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YzQTuw)

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4455/23543897058_e89f6f44de_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/BSuCkC)

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4375/36687142474_3c5033c679_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XTVcid)

+1 on emily's wish for a good weekend for all........

north woods gal

09-29-2017, 02:16 PM

Emily, I continue to be impressed with the way you've bounced back from your injuries! That would be a good week for me, anytime. Not sure how long it would take me to acclimate to that heat and humidity, though, should we ever venture down to Florida, again. Will never forget the way I bonked in it on our Florida trip, last year. That was close. Too close.

Rebecca, that is some very interesting country and, as always, beautiful pics. Looks like it could be fun for mountain biking or, better yet, fat biking. :)

50s for highs, here, the last couple days and frost, tonight. Still have a lot of tomatoes in the garden that have yet to ripen. Oh, well. Par for the course, up here. Gardening is a challenge with our very short growing season.

Been working hard on my trails, doing some improvements on those flatter sections which will double as cross country ski trails. (The steep sections are just too steep for my cross country ski skill level. Tricky enough with the fat bikes.) Hard labor, for sure, but it keeps me out in the woods all day and that's a good thing. Kind of allergic, now, to being cooped up indoors after spending so much time out in the woods, this summer.

Catrin

09-30-2017, 12:20 PM

Emily, it's SO good to see how you've recovered and are back to doing what you love!

Rebecca, those are just incredible pics and the ride itself just sounds wonderful. Hard, challenging, with the temps requiring planning, but an incredible landscape for a long bike ride!

NW Gal, I love your plan to keep youself in the woods all day, sounds like fun!

Crankin

10-01-2017, 06:30 AM

So, we got to the Amherst area Friday, went out to dinner with our friends, and woke up yesterday to cold rain. Although the rain stopped, it remained cold, windy, and misty. So our exercise ended up being the Smith College museum and eating lunch. Going on a hike now, as we will leva after lunch to go home.

Geonz

10-01-2017, 12:17 PM

I got out yesterday for 79 miles!! It was a fundraiser ride for the Kickapoo Rail Trail... that started 12 miles from home so I rode there... did the 44 miles... and a lady who rides with us had wanted to try to get 100 but at least wanted to beat her high mileage of 65. SO, we took a scenic way home -- we parted ways when she had 77 to my 76 miles and she had 9 more miles to get home. I had the feeling she was tired as all get out but ... was still talking about a scenic route...
I paused on the way in to make sure a fellow lying on a picnic table was okay -- yes, he'd also ridden out and back ... and got home ready to ... go ride a bike, much to my surprise. Yes, I'd been careful to get off the seat periodically from the start, but I expected a little weariness! It goes to show how much weather matters, 'cause previous 85 degree days... I was done after 30 miles. (Granted, they were on my cargo bike.)
Let's see what October brings ;)

emily_in_nc

10-01-2017, 12:27 PM

Congrats, Sue! That's a long ride!

And thanks everyone for your support re. my recovery. Although dealing with the aftermath of my accident means braces on my teeth and having to be mostly in one place for longer than we'd like, I do still feel very fortunate that I am able to ride again! My thumb, which I also fractured in the accident, is a little stiff and probably always will be, but it doesn't bother me riding anymore. It was a little noticeable when we first started back in August, but now I never even notice it. I am glad it was my non-dominant hand, though!

Happy October, everyone! I am not riding today but will try to remember to start the October thread tomorrow if no one else does.

Catrin

10-01-2017, 02:12 PM

Good to see all of you getting out and riding! Still hard that it's already October! I did get out yesterday with a friend and her dog for an easy 2.5 mile stroll in the woods and it was just lovely.

Emily - my chiro has done pretty good things with active release techniques have helped my more arthritic fingers - obviously he can't change the actual bone changes but he does release the soft tissues that are affected.. Perhaps someone qualified in the various active release techniques can help your thumb loosen? Very glad to hear it isn't on your dominant hand.

emily_in_nc

10-02-2017, 04:42 AM

Emily - my chiro has done pretty good things with active release techniques have helped my more arthritic fingers - obviously he can't change the actual bone changes but he does release the soft tissues that are affected.. Perhaps someone qualified in the various active release techniques can help your thumb loosen? Very glad to hear it isn't on your dominant hand.

Thanks, Catrin. May investigate this at some point! It is not bothering me at all, though, and I continue to work on ROM exercises at home. At the time it happened, I suspect if I'd gone to an orthopod, I would have ended up having surgery on it, and given all I was going through with my jaw at that time, I just couldn't deal with another body part needing surgery simultaneously, so I did a lot of reading online and started doing gentle exercises for it as soon as the "rest" period recommended ended. Also have a therapy ball for hands I purchased to work on strength. Although it is still a bit stiffer than my right thumb, and the joint where it attaches to my hand looks larger/swollen, it's not a big deal to me. Both my parents and all my grandparents had osteoarthritis in their hands, so it's pretty much par for the course in my genes even without added injury! Just thankful it's not painful...yet anyway.