Love the view. As I mentioned, before, we lived in Boise for a short time own the late 70s. Loved that dry air and the way the temp would drop in the evening, even on the hottest days. Ah, those wide open spaces. Do miss them.
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Love the view. As I mentioned, before, we lived in Boise for a short time own the late 70s. Loved that dry air and the way the temp would drop in the evening, even on the hottest days. Ah, those wide open spaces. Do miss them.
That sounds like a blast, Sky King -- everything except the 3000' elevation gain, at least! But what a view.
When we did our self-supported tour in upstate NY way back in 2004, we carried more weight in our front panniers, as recommended on various websites. This was a very hilly tour, and I thought the bikes handled much better this way than with more weight on the rear, especially downhill. Heavier in the rear (as we'd tried before) resulted in squirrelier handling in the front end and more shimmy on descents. These were our Bike Fridays with light front ends and 20" tires, so that might have made some difference.
Sky....thinking low trail front loading randonneuring has been around for awhile….my older than me 650 rene herse at home in france handles well with front loading.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sky King
For me when touring on my Waterford, when climbing or when descending on a dirt road I actually like more front loading. I mostly rear load on it though for overall quicker steering adjustments when needed on pavement and because of the geometry of the bike....thinking there is a certain amount of just adjusting our riding technique to loads too though.
…..and hammocks ftw :)….have you seen Tentsile?
Emily…yeah certain geometries and tire size can make front loading much better.
Did my favorite oxnard climb on my way home today. The wild geraniums have faded and now wild flowers are filling the other side of the road (lots of cosmos and california poppies) and lemons are ripening on the trees. I talked to the owner of the land when I first found the road to get permission to occasionally ride it. She is a very kind older woman who has also told me wonderful stories about her life growing up in the area. She also gave me permission to take some lemons when they were ready to pick.
Lemon bars tonight ftw!!!!!....:)
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We don't have lemon trees, up here, but I've been carefully watching some wild blueberry and strawberry patches along a couple my bike routes, waiting for them to ripen. Will trade you some berries for some lemons. :)
Glorious photos, rebecca! And one of my very fave desserts ever. Lucky, lucky you!
Did a 42 mile loop, today. Saw a Ruffed Grouse sitting by the road, right on the side of the road, so circled back for a better look. Got very close and saw it was a hen with chicks, so I carefully backed away and just enjoyed the view.
Half mile down the road from that very spot, saw something big and black moving though the brush making its way out onto the road. Sure enough, big black bear. It crossed the road about 50 yards in front of me and went on its way. Don't think it even saw me. Nevertheless, I waited a bit than pedaled VERY quickly past the spot.
No camera, of course. Still, made a great ride all that much better. Life is good in my north woods.
Sweet! I love seeing bears when I ride!
Cool wildlife sightings, NWG! I have never seen a bear in the flesh before. I would have pedaled fast too!
Today we rode from the state park campground where we're staying into the charming little town of Weston, MO. We then did some riding on a rolling county road before heading back into town for a tasting at the local distillery. They give two tastes (max per day) for a quarter each! Of course, it's good business as they know most people will buy something, and we did, of course. :D Nothing like a shot of liquor before heading three miles in strong headwinds and high heat up big hills requiring tacking -- oy!
16 miles at a very slow pace but a lovely, hilly ride.
NWG thankfully it wasn’t like (this) encounter last week in the Sierra Nevada’s captured on a go pro. It came out in a shady spot.
Come out for a insect free ride and we'll load you up with lemons to take back :)
I’ve seen black bears on the road in the San Gabriel mountains here on a couple of rides. A ranger told me all the bears in the S.G.’s are descendants of some bears sent to the region decades ago (eta 1933) after getting kicked out of Yosemite for being trouble makers. :) I also see it as a good excuse for a threshold sprint interval !!....i did come across a cougar going across the road in the santa monica mountains once. THAT made me nervous enough that i immediately turned around and did my fastest descent ever on that section of road.
:eek::eek::eek:!!!!!.....there's some inspiration in there some where :)Quote:
Originally Posted by emily_in_nc
I have not seen a bear, but the last time I went mountain biking, up in the north woods of Maine, a moose jumped across the gravel road I was on....
We do have moose and also wolves in the area, but have yet to see those while biking. Also some reports of cougars in the state, now, too. A lot of folks, up here, carry guns in the woods for protection against animals, but even though we do have guns (we are target shooters, only, not hunters.), I just wont can't carry a gun while biking or hiking. Just seems to ruin the whole spirit of the thing and, besides, the odds of having any issues are less than getting hit by lightning. Doubt I could kill anything, anyway. Do have some bear spray, though. That might be an option. No offense to anyone who does choose to carry a gun, though. Very much a personal choice. Hope I don't upset anyone with this comment. What does everyone else do on this issue?
On a more positive note, my husband accompanied me for a few miles on my ride, today. He is very much a newbie and has some disabilities - back and foot problems - but it was great having company. I do get lonely sometimes, riding for hours on these remote roads.
By the way, I always carry a cell phone and we do have cell phone service in our remote areas.
i always carry a satellite gps messenger when I do rides alone in the desert or mountains. It’s worth it for my peace of mind in sending location info and a message if I should need help or to emergency responders if needed for me or others. I also always have pepper spray gel hanging on the side or in my handlebar bag. what i use is even more potent for animals but like with people it subsides with no damaging harm done.
I ditched the group ride yesterday; just was feeling off when I got up. Actually had my cycling shorts on, when I decided. Instead, I walked to the gym, did a power class, and then walked home.
This morning, I got up at 4:50 and got out for a glorious 10 mile ride, starting at 5:15. It's funny, before I moved to the condo, I would see tons of riders on my early morning rides, including large groups in Concord center, at 5:30 or 6 AM. Today, was the first time I saw other riders, 2 to be specific. It was 52 out :eek:, but I was dressed correctly, except maybe I should have had a light head cover on. Ad perhaps, long fingered gloves.
Brrrrrr! I can't imagine. We are riding in the 80s now, which I enjoy until I stop and the sweat rains down my face. I am such a wimp about chilly-weather rides, but good for you! I can imagine that riding so early when very few are out and about would be very peaceful, but I'll never find out. We're lucky to get going by 9 am. :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by Crankin
Thanks, Rebecca. I like the idea of the pepper spray and the GPS, too. I do get a little spooked being myself, out in the middle of nowhere, sometimes. Been meaning to add the GPS, anyway, since I have a terrible sense of direction. :)
Good for you Crankin. Riding in cold weather is very doable. Just a matter of having the right clothing and knowing how to dress. If I limited myself to riding in warm, summer-like weather, I'd be lucky to get two months a year of riding. Even in the middle of the summer, we get days where it only gets into the 50s or 60s. Fortunately, I have all the bike specific winter clothing that I've accumulated from years of riding in cold weather. Very expensive, but it really helps. I also use the same clothing for my cross country skiing, so well worth the cost.
Well 50-60 is my favorite riding temperature! What I call fall type riding, definitely not winter clothing. I had on knee warmers, thermal arm warmers and a vest. I do have heavy duty winter riding clothing, though. Today was more like, wow, I haven't ridden in these temperatures in about 5-6 weeks. It's about 75 now.
Emily, early morning riding is extremely peaceful. I get up early anyway, and it's much preferred than trying to ride after work.
Heheh, that's my winter riding get-up. :-) I don't mind those temps too much if it's sunny and not windy, but if it's overcast and windy, I won't ride in temps below about 60. I just hate having my nose run and then starting to overheat and having to peel off layers. It's so much simpler to leave in shorts and a short- or no-sleeve jersey. I just feel a lot freer than when I am wearing more clothing for rides. I guess I learned that from DH, who has always much preferred summer riding. He likes it a bit hotter than me, though!Quote:
Originally Posted by Crankin
Yes, it does take awhile to get ready for a cooler ride. But I don't mind stopping to peel off things. I can push down my arm warmers while riding, and sometimes I leave them that way! In early spring/late winter, I tend to leave my vest on, just because I like it for the safety part; drivers may not be used to seeing riders in March or April. And yes, at cooler temperatures, wind and/or couds make a huge difference in how you need to dress. I agree with you, though, I don't like riding in hot weather, either. I have built up to it, but mostly I can plan shady rides on those days. But, sometimes you have no control. Last year, we led our 50 mile, hilly ride up to Hollis, NH on a 95 degree and slightly humid day. Though it is mostly shady, the heat, plus 3K feet of climbing just about killed everyone. Praying that this year, when we lead this on 7/16, it's 75 degrees and sunny!
Wish I had a pic of me riding in sub zero weather in the snow with not an inch of exposed skin, goggles, face mask, the works. Pretty frightening pic for some of you folks that ride in the tropics. :) Up here, when the weather gets really rough, I do usually ride indoors on the trainer, but I HATE doing trainer miles, so the weather has to get really bad to keep me cooped up inside.
June is really a lovely riding month, up here. The typical high is in the 70s. Have had a few days in the 80s and a few in the 60s, but mostly 70s. Our summers are just so short, though, so I ride as much as I can. I know very well how soon winter comes knocking on our door.
Sub-zero weather riding....shiver! You are a beast, NWG! :eek:
Crankin, I agree that a ride like that in 95 degrees would be miserable. 75 degrees = cycling nirvana for me. My DH likes 80+. I prefer 65-80. But, we make do. Most days, one of us is a little happier than the other on our rides. Often they start out oat my ideal temp but rise to his by the end. Today was like that: somewhere in the 70s starting out and mid-80s by the end, but overcast, so it didn't feel too bad.
Today's rides: 16.53 miles total of utility rides on two different bikes (MTB and Bike Friday). One ride to a produce stand mostly on an unpaved trail, and the second ride into a grocery store in town. Two short rides but both hilly and fun. The reason for two rides is that we could only carry so much stuff at once. We're essentially living a car-free life since we refuse to take our motorhome out of a campground once it's parked, until we leave for the next place. As long as we have three bikes each, we're set! :D
Good for you, Emily. Why drive when you can ride? :)
We are in Portland, Maine and I must say there are as many craft breweries, coffee shops, and restaurants as in the better known Portland. I haven't been here in 12 years. Yesterday, we got here at noon and basically ate, walked and shopped, had coffee, wine, and beer. Today we went on a guided bike tour of the islands in Casco Bay. It was just us and the owner of the company, as most people wanting day tours don't want to 25 miles. We met the guy at the ferry, which was a 4 minute ride from our hotel. We were on the ferry for about an hour and 15 minutes, very pleasant and historical. There are tons of islands. We arrived at our first destination and rode about 10 miles. Just beautiful, with almost no cars. But some of the roads he took is on were dirt; the first was fine, but the next 2 were progressively rutted, sandy, and rocky, and I said no more. Fine for a hybrid, but not for my 25s. Then we rode to the one inn where we had lunch, overlooking the bay. On to a short 20 minute ferry ride, to an island connected to the mainland by a causeway. This was really cool. Then we rode back to Portland, on a combo of rural, urban, and bike path roads. The rural was fine, as was the urban, but the path sucked. Tight turns, clueless walkers, and all the things I hate about paths. From there, we rode back to our hotel, a different way, avoiding some cobbles and then promptly rewarded ourselves with gelato.
PERZACTLY. :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by north woods gal
Not sure where my post disappeared to, but I will try again (thankfully it was a short one):
Crankin, that sounds like my kind of fun! My mother and step-dad talked for years about retiring to Portland (ME), but he had aging parents in NC in poor health, and after they both died, inertia had just set in, I think. Plus they had friends and lots to do in their community. So, the move to Maine never happened. I kinda wish they had done it as I would have loved to have visited them there!
Sounds lovely, Crankin. I do love my rural life and it really is me, but I do miss some of my urban cycling, now and then.
Interesting ride, today. Decided to do some exploring on roads I've never biked, so grabbed the map and made a route. When exploring new areas, I automatically opt for my Salsa Fargo. It's actually a drop bar mountain bike with MTB like gearing, but best of all, it runs on big 29er 2.2" tires. Believe it or not, it's only slightly slower than my standard road bikes in terms of average speed on pavement, but it's when we go off pavement that this bike just shines. Turns out, I needed it, today.
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The maps I have don't distinguish between paved and unpaved roads, so I never know for sure what I will encounter. Got half way through my 30 mile loop and, sure enough, when I made it to the intersection, the road I needed to complete the loop was gravel, but how far? What kind of shape? Off I went.
Turns out it was 8 miles, sometimes gravel, but sometimes more sand and rather treacherous in spots. Even with the Fargo's big tires, I hit a lot of sand traps, causing me to fishtail like crazy. In some spots it was so bad, I walked the bike. The road was marked with ATB route signs and they meant it. Whew! To make things even more exciting, not a single home along the road for 8 miles. Just me and deep north woods on both sides. A fat bike would have been a better choice, but not too crazy about riding a fat bike 15 miles on pavement to get there.
Would I do it, again? Yup. Would feel safer having some company, though. :)
Yes, being alone in a desolate area like that would be intimidating to me. Glad you had fun (basically!) and were safe. I do know what you mean about the fishtailing and gravel...been having some issues with that ourselves lately. Just published a blog about a rail-trail we rode (or attempted to ride) a couple of weeks ago that ended up being a mess with deep gravel in spots and practically non-existent in spots. The website makes it look like this is such a premiere trail, but I beg to differ:Quote:
Originally Posted by north woods gal
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Today's ride was a hilly monster. We started out by riding about 10 miles on a nice valley road, flat, to warm up. Then we headed north and east into the hills, and it was just one roller after another. I have never shifted in the front so much on a ride, from the big chain, to the granny, to the middle, back to the big, and on and on. I spent more time in the granny ring than I think I've ever done, and I bottomed out my 30x25 gear (riding my Trek Pilot) many, many times. "Sit and spin" is what they say, but this was more like "sit and grind". I stood as often as I could, but I tired frequently so had to do most of the longer climbs seated.
I would have taken my Bike Friday with lower gears except that DH was doing maintenance on it, and the chain was not on it. I surely could have used those mountain gears because these hills sure felt like mountains to me!
Ended up with 34 miles and just felt beat up. DH said it was as hard as the Crater Lake circle ride, which he had trained extensively for. Neither of us were prepared for this many hills, but at least he is an excellent climber. Not me -- I had to stop and rest several times partway up climbs just so I could get my breath and continue on. Temp was in the 80s, sunny, and fairly humid, which didn't help matters any.
BUT, we did it. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger, right?!?!? :eek:
Tomorrow we move on to Iowa, where I am happily anticipating some flatter terrain, though I expect the issue there will be the wind!
Sounds like a workout, but also a good day's work. Fortunately, I have several choices as to loops on local roads. One is mostly flat, but the others are rolling hills with a few flat stretches. I ride compact double chainrings on all my bikes, but I usually don't have to drop to the small ring except on the steepest hills, but those hills do bottom me out.
Iowa is a lovely state with nice folks. The northeast is actually quite hilly as is the country adjacent to some of he rivers. Having lived in neighboring Nebraska much of my life, oh yeah, wind is a big factor. I'm sure you'll love it, though.
Spent sat. night in los olivos and rode yesterday and today. figueroa mountain road yesterday and today just wandering (the joy of randomness) for 6 hours on the side roads in the santa ynez valley. It was HOT with both rides ending in the high 90’s but mornings were in the low 70’s. I planned this trip a while ago so hot yoga the last couple of weeks helped prepare me for the heat predicted.
For quiet roads the s.y. valley is an excellent place to ride in…one of my favorites, especially figueroa mt.
I saw just a few cars and probably 15+ bicyclists….. and the windblown oak trees are a beautiful feature in the valley floor landscape. Lots of places for water, my favorite being a small isolated chapel on foxen canyon rd. for shade to stretch, relax and eat in and a bottle filling refrigerated cooling water fountain for bicyclists. A good weekend of riding……
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Read your blog on this trail. My mom lives in Springfield, Mo at the southern end of the Frisco Highline. I've always wanted to try it when we are visiting. Based on your info, I think I'll take a pass.
P2
What wonderful country! I do miss those wide open vistas. Only get those, up here, when I bicycle past a potato farm. :)
Did a very tiny 30 minute ride this morning, not early enough, as the humidity is finally arriving and it's hot, too. Glad I went, but glad I didn't plan a day long ride. I am off from work since my office moved over the weekend. Spent a couple of hours setting up/unpacking my stuff over there, and now going to head to the farm, get my produce, and generally recover from a 3 day vacation where there was plenty of eating and drinking, along with a day on the bike and tons of walking.
Only 63 at midday, here, with light rain and, worst of all, a 25 mph + north wind, so grabbed the bike jacket, put on the leggings and headed out. Called it quits after 5 miles and headed back home. The cool temps and even the showers I could take, but after fighting that kind of wind, yesterday, just wasn't in me to fight it, again, today. Put in 20 more miles on the bike trainer, indoors, where it was nice and warm, NO wind and called it good. Wimpy old me. :)
From other reviews I've read, the southern end near Springfield is in much better shape. I believe it's paved, at least for awhile. So I wouldn't rule out riding it, since you have family there. I just wouldn't make a special trip!Quote:
Originally Posted by pinsonp2
We are here, and it is HILLY. I was shocked! I guess I do recall reading reports of RAGBRAI that Iowa isn't flat, but I had temporary amnesia. We are going for our first ride today, so we'll see how it goes. The state park we're staying in, Prairie Rose, is quite hilly, as were the roads to get here. So, it's probably a good thing that I did that tough ride in Missouri a couple days ago.Quote:
Originally Posted by north woods gal
It sounds like you are a lot stronger than me on hills -- but then again, I suppose most cyclists are. I've been riding since 2003 and have never been good on climbs, though the more I ride 'em, the better I get, of course.
I think I'll ride my Bike Friday today today for the gears!
Emily, yes, it is reassuring to tackle hills knowing you have a lot of bottom gears available. I don't consider myself to be the strongest rider, but I don't avoid hills, either. It's all in the gearing and matching it up with what you can handle as far as strength. I can get by with doubles in this country, rather than having to go with triple road bikes. Even on my double road bikes, though, there are differences as to their gearing.
My Domane is a 700x25 wheeled bike with standard 50/34 compact on the front and 12/30 on the back. On a good day, it is just low enough for me on our worst hills, but if I'm tired or have to deal with a strong headwind, it's a bit iffy.
My Salsa Warbird is a 700x35 bike with more of a cyclocross double. It has a 46/34 front and in the back, I changed the cassette to a 12-32. I still bottom out on our worst hills, but it's a little better. The 700x35 tires, though, make it a much more versatile bike. It's a very good gravel bike when the gravel isn't too deep or soft.
My Salsa Fargo is my go to bike for exploring. It's still a drop bar bike that runs well on pavement, but it's actually a 29er in wheel size with its big 2.2" tires. It has the lowest gearing of the three with a 42/28 up front and an 11-36 on the back. I suspect it will handle any road in our state, though if I was headed to the rockies I might try something even lower geared.
I just read through about 3 pages of ride posts. Sounds like some fun and interesting rides have been happening while I was away.
My husband and I just got back from our three week driving vacation, which took us from SE Arizona through New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana and Utah. We took the bikes, but didn't ride everyday. During the three weeks we had rides in Silver City NM, Albuquerque NM, outside of Colorado Springs on the road to Cripple Creek, above Boulder Colorado (near Jamestown / Ward / Raymond), Billings Montana, Grand Teton NP and Bryce NP. A little over 200 miles on the bikes, plus about 40 miles of walking and hiking. I will post a few pictures after I upload them to Flickr.
We're glad to be back but today all I could manage after returning to the heat and higher humidity (now that the summer monsoon season is here) was about 13 miles, mostly on the bike path. Of course, if I was a little less lazy and got out the door at 6 am instead of 7:30, I might have gotten more miles in.
azfiddle, that sounds like a great trip. We have ridden in Albuquerque (twice) and Billings and hiked in Bryce NP, of the places you visited. The other places you went are still on our bucket lists!
Had a good ride today. We took the Bike Fridays and rode from the campground to the closest town. It was rolling hills but not as steep as those we suffered through in our last spot (Weston, MO). I love my Bike Friday because of the smaller tires, all the gears are easier than they would be on a larger-wheeled bike. So I was able to stay in my middle chainring for the entire ride. On this bike with 20" wheels, my 42-tooth middle chainring, coupled with 11-32 (or 34, I can never remember) in the back, gives me a tons of range. I did shift into the large front ring (52t) on occasion but mostly I was in the middle and did not have to utilize the super low 30t granny. The worst hills were actually in the campground!
Wow, though, there aren't a lot of paved roads in this part of Iowa! DH had drawn a great map of all the backroads we might try to get to the closest town, Harlan. Every single one of them ended up being gravel, and since we'd just cleaned and detailed the Fridays, we were NOT gonna take them! So, we ended up on the highway (not an interstate, of course), and the rumble strips were just awful. There was a wide unpaved shoulder, then a skinny paved one with just enough room for the rumble strips and about 6" for us to ride in. I guess the good thing was it does help your handling skills to try to stick to a 6" width of pavement!
I will say, drivers are so incredibly courteous here, same in Missouri. Whenever they could, they would give us the entire lane, or as much of it as they could. If someone was coming the other way, they'd often hold up until after the other driver passed to let us through. Very unexpected and nice! You don't get that down south much.
Ended up with 25 miles and a few nice groceries to bring home from town. We got sprinkled on a few times, but the temp in the 70s was most unexpected and appreciated!
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Emily, I should have mentioned the gravel roads. Yes, the farm states from Iowa on west - Nebraska, the Dakotas, Kansas and so on tend to have mostly gravel rural roads. You typically have to go to roads labeled as highways to find paved.
Our state of Wisconsin has mostly paved rural roads, though. Did 63 miles of gorgeous north woods lake country on those paved rural roads, today. Not unusual to go half an hour or more without seeing a car. Just you, your bike, forests and lakes and wildlife. Super day for biking, too. High of 73, all sunshine and no wind. Doesn't get any better for road biking. Come on up for a visit.
We actually lived in Wisconsin for a time, NWG! But not nearly as far north, down near Richland Center. Lovely roads indeed. We also lived in Kansas but in the KC metro, so plenty of roads (and bike paths) there. :)
We've visited most of the states you mention but did more paved and unpaved bike paths there, not so much on the roads. This includes our trip to Iowa, Nebraska, and the Dakotas in 2014. We're heading that way again so good thing we have our mountain bikes with us. :)
Wisconsin is not on the agenda this year but definitely in the future. My DH has cousins there, and we love the state.