June 11th rides...

[Running Mommy]

Had a GREAT ride this morning, tho I could have gotten out about an hour earlier! Sheesh, the sun was beating on my noggin this morning.
Anyway, I was riding down the new stretch of pavement and I saw a group of guys on the other side of the road, threw a wave and kept going. I ran into them again when I was making a U-turn and chatted with them about how the new stretch we had been on will eventually take us straight to cyclists nirvana. We have this nice 10 mile stretch of farm road that people like to ride, but to get to it is kind of a pain. You have to go down a 5 mile stretch that might as well be cobbles and there is no bike lane- but lots of traffic. Well the new stretch will bipass all of that. So as I'm talking to this gentleman I notice his RAAM jersey. So I ask "oh, I see your RAAM jersey. Are you one of the Palo Verde members?" and he says "yep. Sure was!" I told him I was in awe of them, and that I followed them last year. So then we chatted about the training, and a bit about the race itself and what it takes. He was really cool, and it was quite interesting to hear. I could have chatted with him forever, but they were going one way, and I was going the other, so I let them go.
But then my wheels started turning (pardon the pun)... A TE team would be SOO COOL!! So then I'm thinking about who I would have on my team... Of course Nanci the brevet queen! And then corsair mac because she's used to riding in the wind, and of course a couple of the nor cal girls that ride diablo all the time. We need some good climbers. Tracy would have to come along because I hear she's a sandbagger.. :D And Lise for any portions that go through heavily populated areas since she's a city rider. Plus she delivers babies, so she's prolly really good at talking women through rough patches... :p
Hmmmm... who else??
But seriously, could you imagine how COOL that would be?! And of course the cross country cheering squad? We are spread out around the country, and I KNOW that if there was a TE team we would all come out to cheer on our fellow forum friends when they came through town... It would be SOOO cool!!!!
So anyway, my ride went well, but it was hot so I only rode 26 miles. I really wanted to do at least 30, but oh well.
Anyway, hope y'all had a wonderful weekend.
Happy trails!
denise

[hirakukibou]

Went on a club ride for 48 miles and after days and days of rain the sun finally came out. Still had a pretty good week since I snuck in a few shorter rides between the drops. I did 172.98 miles for the week. This was my second best week this year. Next week looks sunny and warmer, so I am hoping for a good cycling week.

[Duck on Wheels]

Back on the bike again after a couple of bad gut days. Felt pretty good. :) I did about 25 miles. (Funny how inaccurate the GPS is. Same route showed 27 miles last week and 22 this week. I may have had it switched off for a couple of miles there. but not for 5. Sheesh! Oh, waitaminute ... there was a detour that may have cut off a couple miles. OK 22 then.) Anyways ... nice enough weather. Bit of a breeze, not too hot, not too muggy. Stopped and strolled through the botanical gardens with all the roses in bloom. Also saw a bit of Indian dancing at a multi-ethnic rally on Capitol Square. Spun up all the hills on my route. They're not big ones, but they've been challenging enough for me even on the comfort bike, so I'm pretty proud of spinning every one even on a bike with higher gears. Now I need a hot shower and a good round of stretching. My quads are complaining a bit. If I don't treat them right now, they'll really be nagging at me tomorrow.

[im4smiley]

I did a group ride today....the sun was beautiful....we didn't get wet (well maybe sweaty but no rain!) We did about 38.5 miles but we really worked during this ride. The wind was brutal. We kept saying well maybe on the way back it will be easier...nope...harder, wind was worse. But it was soo nice to be out there and the SUN was out. The plan is to try the route again without the wind. One poor guy, he's 65, he ended up calling for a ride after about 30 miles, the wind was too much for him, but he's a trooper says he'll be back for the easy ride tomorrow! :)

[Tiffanie]

x-post:

I just got back from my ride. It was perfectly gorgeous weather and such a nice ride. I ended up parking on Eastbluff, looped around Back Bay (I ended up on surface streets for a bit (PCH/Dover/Irvine/back to the trail) - did I miss a turn or is that the right way?). I then hopped on the SD Creek Trail and rode until it seemed to end at the 133. ?? I assume there's a detour to get back on it somewhere but I was stumped and didn't want to venture too far and get lost.

I rode 31.1 miles in 2.2 hours. A lot of riders but not terribly crowded. There were a few times I had to literally stop for people chatting in the middle of the lane, letting each other's dogs sniff each other. Um, hellooooooo... make use of the shoulder, please! sheesh. A couple potty/snack breaks, otherwise it was smooth sailing!

Most of the ride, I was able to get in to a "zone", just me and my bike, listening to the birds and the hum of my tires on the road seemed so relaxing. This is definitely something that's helping me to decompress and relax my mind.

Can't wait to go again! Thanks so much, Pam, for the parking tips...

[Allison]

I know all about those days and days of rain too - was SO excited to finally be able to get outside that I ended up doing my longest ride yet - 43 miles of perfect weather. Finally! :D

Hirakukibou - I think we must be virtually neighbors!

[KnottedYet]

I dunno if it counts as a ride, but I did 4 1/2 miles in 4 hours today! That's MORE than 1 mph!:D

It was a bike skills class where we did fun stuff like ride in the grass and bump elbows and play "monkey in the middle" and ride linked hand-to-shoulder with a buddy and I got to fall off my bike. The wrong way. Landed on one outstretched and locked arm and both knees. No rolling! Gotta go take an okey dokey akaido class...

While we were out playing in the street we saw a slew of Team Group Health riders go by, and both our coaches shouted "that's our team!". Sorry, GH, we stole two of your teammates for the day...

We also got to see a motorboat catch fire on Lake Washington. One of our riders called the police who came whipping up in one of their VERY fast rescue boats and took care of the situation. Before the police arrived the passengers were all crowded up in the bow while the stern was making like a BBQ. I was waiting for them to get off the boat and swim to shore (100 yds or so). I'd be afraid the gas tank would rupture and make things much worse.

Might go for a ride tonight.

[Fredwina]

well, after yesterday (and having to go back to San Bernardino to pick up my stuff). I'm taking it easy. Will probably go for a hike with the Sierra club tonight

[makbike]

Got up at 4:30 to get ready for the club century. I met my BF at his place and off we went. We arrived in plenty of time but shortly after our arrival it began to rain, albeit lightly. We decided to head home for neither of us was in mood to get wet or to be cold (it was gray, gloomy and in the mid-60s). The rest of group took off and I understand the got wet a couple of times today. I'm glad we opted to reverse our decision. So no miles today just a relaxing day. A long nap and lots of play time with my cats, kittens and dogs. Tomorrow the sunshine is suppose to return as well as warmer temps so I plan on getting in 40 or so miles.

[salsabike]

NICE day in Puget Sound today. We got back from Wales Friday night (will try to post a few pics of our tandem ride on the Isle of Anglesey there, when they are developed, and tell you a bit about it--Wales is gorgeous); tried to recover from jet lag yesterday, and did the standard 60 mile round-Lake-Washington ride today (because the Seattle to Portland ride is only a month off...). The ride started out grey and cool and ended up high 60s, sunny, breezy, and delightful. We are now officially comatose for the evening, but pretty happy.

[yellow]

My ride today. As you can see, I was working on my short-sleeve-jersey-tan-line issue:

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c1/tasdan/Rides/PCity007.jpg

(OK, so I'm not riding at this point, but you get the idea.)

I see a lot more mountain biking in my future now that I've had the chance to sample the goods in Park City. :D

[SadieKate]

La-la-la! Can't hear you!

Sk whose always wanted to try out the dirt in Park City

And, what's with the helment? It's straight.

[yellow]

La-la-la! Can't hear you!

Sk whose always wanted to try out the dirt in Park City

And, what's with the helment? It's straight.
I thought to myself many times, "Bubba would call this 'World Class'. SadieKate would really like this too. A lot."

Re: the helmet, I think that maybe the angle of the shot makes it look straight. It also kind of looks like I'm riding no-handed through the aspen maze. ;)

[withm]

What a beautiful day to ride! Started out sunny, 65-70ish though a little breezy - 15-20 west winds but we were traveling north/south so the breeze felt good. We rode up the coast to Gordon's Pond, and back. Nice to see the ocean from lots of vantage points. Stopped at a chi-chi restaruant for some lunch. The waitress watched us down our glasses of water and said "You must be exercising or something." DUH - the bike clothes didn't offer a hint? We came out of the cafe and it had clouded over. Walked our bikes a couple blocks on the boardwalk so we could sight-see. Then we hopped back on the bikes for the last 10 miles. Looked like rain but never got any.

Saw a flock of Canada Geese (they are everywhere really) but there was one interloper in the flock. This one was mostly white, but with a mottled appearance. Sort of like a cow. No black tips on the wings so not a snow goose but what was it? I found some pix online but that (very unscientific) site suggested a snow goose so who knows. They say geese mate for life - wonder what it mated with? Anothe site talked about "hybrids."

We did 38 miles and it really felt good. :)

[tomgrrrl]

Did my favorite ride up Old Railroad Grade to the top of Tam today....the weather has been overcast and cold this weekend, but I shed my long-sleeved jersey and tights a few hundred yards up the trail. The sun peaked out and basically stayed out the entire ride, but a nice fog-induced breeze kept things very pleasant. The trail was pretty quiet today, I guess people were fooled and thought it would be cloudy on the mountain....

When I reached the top I sat and watched birds for a while and carpet of fog that covered the Golden Gate and the bay....SF was buried in white... :-) I put my long-sleeve jersey and jacket on for the ride downhill and back to Mill Valley....I don't like the down hill all that much....but what goes up, must come down....

The ride was about 17 miles round-trip.....

[Shimpie]

Running Mommy, I've already started the RAAM cheering squad! :D

The 2006 Race Across America began this morning in Oceanside at 9am. My mom-in-law (too be) and I rode down to the pier to join the send off ride. When we got to the pier, we discovered hundreds of cyclists lined up to cheer. The MC was annoucing all the riders' names. Many were from all over the world including Hungary and Sweden. What a way to tour a foreign country! A trumpet player played a lovely version of the National Anthem and then they were off! The riders all rode down the pier ramp while onlookers clapped and whistled. After the last rider got on their way, the parade of supporters followed. WHAT A SCENE!:eek: It was a huge train of bikers that stretched well over a mile long. Cars and people on the street just stopped and stared.

Apparently today's start was the "solo" rider start. On Tuesday, they do the "team" send off at 2pm. I figured that out after I got home and read up on the whole race. I really only found out about RAAM on Saturday night. Many of the team riders were already in town and participated in the "solo" send off. There was whole team in pink and a recumbent team in bright orange. I didn't catch any of the team names since they weren't announced.

The RAAM send off was a very touching sight. I was very glad to have had the opportunity to participate, as far as I could and as fast as I could. When they say race, they mean race. Woooh, those riders are fast.

[Shimpie]

I guess I can't count. The RAAM news says there were 1,500 people present at the send off parade.

http://www.raceacrossamerica.org/files/raam2006/newsarchive/20061106.htm

Here are some pics that I grabbed off the RAAM forum. I didn't think to bring a camera, but it's exactly what I saw this morning.

[uk elephant]

I completed my very first charity ride! 40 miles in aid of The Orchid Cancer Appeal. Got up what is for me ridiculously early on a Sunday morning. Had to catch the train at 7am to get to the start well in time to register before 9. As I was sitting there waiting for the ride to start, I was getting more and more nervous. What if it's too far? What if I get lost? I had no need to worry. The route was well marked the whole way, and the 40 miles were no problem at all despite the terrible weather. It was bright sunshine, 30C and not a breath of wind anywhere. I tend to boil when it gets above 20. But I had sunscreen on and kept drinking water the whole way and managed just fine. Not in any record time, but I'm happy with it anyway. Took me 3h15min of actual riding time, pluss a total of 30min break time (a few minutes in the shade now and then and a 15min break half way to eat a brownie). Turned out to be a great day! Now I'm ready for the next one, which I guess will be AidsRide next year. I had better keep up with the training!

[Crankin]

I lead my first ride of the season with my husband, on my new bike! We were supposed to get the bikes on Thursday, but we didn't get them until Saturday. Since it was raining on Saturday, we didn't get to ride them at all before our ride. We got to the meeting place early, and rode about 3 miles, just so I could get used to the feel of the bike. It was a great ride. We had 10 people, and all were evenly matched in riding ability. There were 2 women who were a bit slower, but my friend, who helped us and rode sweep was with them all of the way. The weather was gorgeous! After all of the rain, it seemed weird to have a sunny day. The ride went through beautiful areas, mostly wooded, lots of ponds, etc. We stopped and ate lunch at the grist mill pond, near the Wayside Inn (Longfellow's Wayside Inn, for you history buffs). There were tons of cyclists stopped there, like everyone had been let out of their cage. When we got back to our cars, a bunch of us went into the restaurant where we had parked (at a local airfield) and had a very weird combination of dessert, appetizers, soup, and champagne cocktails! It was a very nice group of sociable people.
27.4 miles, with a couple of good climbs.

[Patti37]

I did my longest ride ever...I still cannot believe I did it.

I rode 65 miles...some of it painful. It felt so good when I was done. What a sense of accomplishment.

I am paying for it right now...I do not think I will be out on the bike today.

[mimitabby]

I graduated from Antioch University yesterday. I got out my favorite orange Jersey and my new danskin shorts and got on the tandem with my hubby wearing his ancient purple with white polkadots jersey and rode from our house to the downtown Westin where the ceremony was. As we arrived I donned my big black gown and put on the funny little hat and tassle and sat in that
hot auditorium for 3 hours in bike duds chuckling to myself about it.

[jobob]

Wow, congratulations mimi !

[maillotpois]

Fun rides!!

I did a 115 miler with 11,110 feet of climbing in Marin to prepare for the Death Ride. I had a few folks in my group do the ride and I rode with this one woman I have been coaching and I swear if I have to pull her up Carson she is doing all five passes!

Our ride started in Kentfield, climbed to the top of Mt. Tamalpais via Alpine Dam (and like tomgrrl - everything below Tam was covered in fog - very cool.) We then descended to Stinson Beach and saw waves of Dipsea runners running alongside us, which was super cool. (The Dipsea was yesterday also).

Then we rode south along the coast and turned in to climb most of the way up Mt. Tam again. Then some descents and costal roolers and we climbed the Marshall Wall (the harder side IMHO) and did an out and back over Wilson Hill (so two times Wilson) and them some moderate climbs (Cheese Factory, Whites Hill) to home.

Great ride - it was COLD all day, though.

[alpinerabbit]

So....

I completed 100 km two days in a row.

I was already sort of drained when we left sunday morning, this was going to be the climbing day when saturday was "flat". I can appreciate how hard it must be for the pros to do this 2-3 weeks in a row, and how tempting a little "help" (read doping) must be if you do this for a living.

NEway, we climbed up that killer hill/pass again, which starts with a 17% switchback and continues at 10% for another 3-4 km. I needed 3 stops, the second one I was completely exhausted, nearly dropped off the bike and cried my heart out, just shaking - then gritted my teeth for legs 3 and, after another stop, 4.
It was HOT. 33°C - my first ride in heat. Nearly fainted before the road went into the forest.

Up there we saw another guy who just arrived, and continued up another small ramp next to the farmhouse, but - couldn't believe our eyes - he stoppeth not - and smack! dropped off the ramp, 1m high, and his front wheel was gone - and I don't want to know what happened to his carbon frame.
He couldn't unclip in time. The bike was BRAND NEW! He was humorous and unhurt, so we left him waiting for his friends coming up behind him.

We agreed not to cross the second pass we had planned, but instead to go directly downhill - and proceeded into paradise,

http://cmp.felk.cvut.cz/~doub/CH/Hory04/Waeglitalersee/tn/041024_18.jpg

as we'd never been on the back side of that mountain, and on to the finish of today's tour de suisse stage. hehe. We rode through the finish line (in the wrong direction) about 30 minutes before they arrived - with all the spectators already there, felt pretty cool :rolleyes: . Then we watched the gladiators (see above re: suffering day after day) arrive before plodding home for another 30 km.

I hurt in the nether regions, a bit of chafing and just too much pressure on soft tissue (outside the pelvic bone area, luckily not the labia et al.) and I had a hard time with my hands. I lean too far forward putting too much weight on my hands - numbed my little finger so much on day 1 that was still weak in the evening of the second day, although I managed to not allow them to go numb.

I think I have the option to raise the stem a little more and perhaps buy a shorter stem - they come in as short as 70 mm. Any recommendations?

[SadieKate]

Mimi, big congratulations! What a way to celebrate. Reminded me of my wedding day when Bubba and I, still in our wedding finery, walked over to one of the LBS before we went home.

[mimitabby]

Mimi, big congratulations! What a way to celebrate. Reminded me of my wedding day when Bubba and I, still in our wedding finery, walked over to one of the LBS before we went home.
That would have been fun to see. Too bad you didn't ride off into the sunset on a bicycle built for two :)
:D

[SadieKate]

Well, our friends gave us money instead of "stuff" so we could buy a tandem. A couple of weeks later we did ride off on that bicycle built for two.