March outdoor rides - let's drop the Lion!

We had a fantastic Wandering Wheels Idaho Desert Ride on Sunday. Per usual we started with a loose plan in mind and ventured off course :) One of my riding buddies titled the ride "page 64" in honor of a new book about roads and trails in and around the Owyhee Wilderness area. We really did start out following the directions but ended up in a great spot she also named "little lost indians" here are a few shots, one is a rock we decided looked like the Indian Head Nickel.Attachment 16981Attachment 16982Attachment 16983Attachment 16984 The only downside for me was I really need to learn how to fall better, Two dumb crashes, one I was trying to do a favor and pick up a multi tool someone dropped and the other was due to coming off a dirt road onto a gravel road to fast, both time I feel on my left side which is my bad knee side so am paying for it with swollen and stiff knee, ugh.

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Originally Posted by azfiddle

Emily- I started a ride yesterday and turned around much earlier than planned. I couldn't fathom riding into the headwind for another two hours, and then playing at the St. Patrick's Day festival (also outside and in the wind). Took the tailwind home.

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Don't blame you a bit. It was nearly blowing me off the road a couple of days ago and easier going uphill (with a tailwind) than downhill with a headwind. Yesterday not quite as bad.

This would be a perfect time to mountain bike in the woods, shielded from the wind. However, DH is training hard for a possible cross-country tour this summer, so road bikes it is. I'm not riding nearly as many miles as he is, but I'm putting in five rides a week, which is a lot more than usual for me.

Second ride of the season. G-d, I am slow. But, nothing hurt today and I was dressed correctly! By the time I got out, a bit after 1:00, it was cloudy, but the sun peeked out near the end of the ride. It was about 44, no wind, and I didn't have as much water in the road as on Saturday. The town has nicely filled in the horrendous potholes, but, unfortunately, they are covered up in kind of a "lumpy" way,that I don't want to ride over. I think they may settle in once the temperatures even out. Saw a few riders, all going the other way, which means no one passed me. At this point, I feel like I can barely make it up my driveway, but, I am forcing myself. Did my regular loop, not the short one, about 15.5 miles. All the climbing is in the first half, until I get back to my street.
Onward. It's supposed to be near 60 tomorrow, DH is working from home, so we'll go out when I get home, around noon.

The VP I work directly for wanted to take two days to get away from the office, do some riding and photography and when not that think about and work through strategies for a couple of new bids and a new project. When she interviewed me cycling was a much longer subject than it should have been for an interview and I kinda knew my chances had gone up.
We went around 40 miles north of Joshua Tree NP and rode part of the Ca. portion of the old Route 66. Good desert riding with very little traffic, temps in the 60 to 70 range, little wind and a good sense of isolation. Yesterday we worked in the morning rode 52 miles and worked again later. Today we rode some side roads for 42 miles in the morning, worked and then had dinner and came back to LA.

Part of the road between Essex and Amboy on Route 66

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7309/...fdb5a40c_b.jpg

RebeccaC sounds like a perfect way to get some work done. Looks awesome!

I like that VP!

Rebecca- neat picture. How were the wildflowers?

I've ridden every day this week: wore our Irish jerseys for a quick 16 miles on St. Patrick's day before gigs, quick trips to Saguaro NP Tuesday and Wednesday, and today rode the very long way via Pistol Hill (southeast of Tucson) to my classroom with a friend. Took her to lunch at the Thai restaurant and she generously helped spend about 2 hours organizing and sorting papers to be filed and recycled. That's a really good friend!!

43 miles, perfect 70's with almost no wind and very thin cloud cover. We saw lots of wildflowers everywhere. These are ones I noted from the ride: brittlebush, desert marigold, Parry penstemon, desert chicory, paper flower, desert zinnia, lupines, phacelias, creosote, fiddleneck, popcorn flower, Streptanthus (common name??), fairy duster, some little yellow mustards, desert globe mallow and prickly poppy. Plus I got a look at a circling hawk that seems to have been an out of place Gray Hawk- usually found in riparian areas where there are some cottonwoods, but this was over dry and not too vegetated Pantano Wash. Other birds noted- Pyrrhuloxia, Phainopepla, Mockingbird, Curve-billed thrasher, Gila Woodpecker, Red-tailed Hawk, Mourning Dove, Black-throated Sparrow.

I've ridden four days in a row -- 25, 33, 36, and 35 miles. Today was down to Nogales, AZ (with a view of Nogales, Mexico) from Patagonia. VERY hilly but beautiful ride, and some of the best highway shoulder (wide, smooth) ever. Tomorrow I take a well-earned day off the bike, but I am feeling really good, and DH says I'm riding the strongest he's seen me since my accident in 2005. I've certainly put in the most miles in an early season in 10 years. Not bad for an almost 53-year old!
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hopped on the bike finally on this lovely spring day and got in about 8 miles. I have been very distracted by life and haven't ridden much so far this year. It got to the point that I was afraid of getting back on the bike. Of course, once I actually got on the bike, it was like riding a bike.

Nice to see you back Mimi!

Veronica

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Originally Posted by Biciclista

hopped on the bike finally on this lovely spring day and got in about 8 miles. I have been very distracted by life and haven't ridden much so far this year. It got to the point that I was afraid of getting back on the bike. Of course, once I actually got on the bike, it was like riding a bike.

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Nice!!!

Lee & I took a midweek trip down to Pacific Grove. Our hotel was near Asilomar, great riding around there. On Thursday we rode thru Pacific Grove, past Cannery Row in Monterey and headed north up the coastal trail towards Seaside, and back, ~25 miles. It was great being there midweek in the off season, riding by Cannery Row there were hardly any tourists or pedicabs to dodge.

We stopped a lot to admire the scenery.

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Third outdoor ride of the year. Thought it might have to be a trainer day, but the impending rain has been pushed back a bit. DH and I did what we call our flat loop. Well, it's the flattest out the door loop we can do. Several false flats and little rises, though. The temperature went up, the sun came out, and I felt good I was wearing my rain jacket, to ward away the rain. I just inherited DH's Garmin, as he bought a new one, so I had my first ride with that.
DH wanted to go slowly, and guess I am kind of glad he made me go slowly, too. I did not want to pull him for 20 miles, into a stiff wind. Hence, I actually feel good, after the ride! But, I am getting antsy to ramp it up, which always comes back to bite me in the zzz.
It started sprinkling as soon as we turned onto our street, which actually felt good, as I was definitely overdressed a bit. Sun is out again, after a short shower. Supposed to get cold tomorrow afternoon, but maybe there will be another outdoor ride in the cards. I am ready to venture further afield.

I got out for whole half-mile before I decided it was too cold for what I had on. Still lots of ice from snowmelt. Now have head cold :(

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Originally Posted by Biciclista

hopped on the bike finally on this lovely spring day and got in about 8 miles. I have been very distracted by life and haven't ridden much so far this year. It got to the point that I was afraid of getting back on the bike. Of course, once I actually got on the bike, it was like riding a bike.

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So happy to see you back, Mimi! I have been getting in a few errand rides here and there - but nothing major. Yet.