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Went over to MA and did this short trail yesterday:
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Cheshire Reservoir
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End in Adams:
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Today, I spent most of my ride time fixing a flat :(
Ahhh the Berkshires! One of my many homes. So lovely. Thank you for sharing!
Beautiful pics! This was the second weekend in a row of rain rain rain. I got on my trainer for a bit, but blech.... :(
I finally dragged myself out of the house and did a 19.2-mile ride, if only to get my total for the month over 100 miles. And I'm really glad I did. The lindens (I think that's what they are) were blooming, the bugs were out in force (I had to take off my helmet to shake them out of my hair!), and I'm sore for no good reason.
Luv2climb, I had a similar issue back in March with equestrians. I'm quite wary around horses, so I never quite know what to do if I need to pass one. Luckily, most of the ones I've come across are pretty chill. I guess it helps that I sing to myself while riding, so they figure "Oh, it's a human. That's nice" and ignore me. Anyway, I wound up behind a pair of equestrians after coming around a corner (singing to myself). They moved right, into the grassy verge next to the trail, so I figured they'd heard me. Apparently, though, the horses took some initiative in this, because one of the riders went "What the?! Oh, there was a bike behind us" as I passed. Either they're rather polite animals, or they found something interesting beside the trail.
I would suggest that you announce your presence from about 50 to 75 feet away as you approach equestrians. Don't yell; just let them know you're there with a friendly "hey there." From there, ask them how they want you to proceed. Do they want you to dismount before you pass? Hang back? Unless you want to get bucked in the head or feel responsible when the horse throws its rider, never ride up behind or pass a horse unannounced.
We did 37 unexpectedly intense miles yesterday, after doing an hour of Trampoline Dodgeball earlier in the day. Then did 55 more today. I put in 10 miles on the trainer Friday night too. I am sore as HELL tonight!! I usually take Monday off, but I think if I want to be able to move tomorrow, I better at least spin easy on the trainer tomorrow morning too.
We rode all over the west side of Los Angeles. Went up some of the really steep hills in Palos Verdes for the first time today. Got my first real bike jerseys earlier this week from Primal Wear so I couldn't wait to get out there and look cute! :)
Some pics from our ride on the Cape Cod Rail Trail and other assorted places
Haha here's a shot of me grinning and bearing it during the Belleville Crit.
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I did another organized ride, a poker run for the Lion's club. This weekend it was 37 miles, but with hills, well hills for this flatlander. Kicked my butt, but in a good way. Much more humbling a ride than the flat 50 miler I did the weekend prior.
We did a moonlight ride in Saguaro National Park last night. It was the night before the actual full moon. We arrived at 7 and rode out to the picnic area to have a snack. Even before it got dark it was unbelievably beautiful- a reddish cast was on the Rincon Mountains as we approached and the moon was already up.
We rode back from the picnic area and then on to the 8 mile loop drive through the park. If I had not been a little concerned about rattlesnakes coming out, I would not have used a light at all, because it was so bright out.
We didn't see any snakes after all.
We stopped frequently to just enjoy the night. The temperature was perfect, the moon was breathtaking and it was a memorable ride.
Longest ride since my neck injury (26 miles) and I got to test my commuting route at the same time. It was still pretty dark when I left home so I got to test my Light and Sound Vis360 helmet lights, they worked well with my cheap Planet Bike light on the bar (flashing) and on the seat post.
I burned far more calories than expected - I always seem to do that when I am on unfamiliar routes. It isn't like it was hilly, outside of a couple of steepish bumps - I think that when it is a route I am unaccustomed to that I tend to work harder. I was also trying to use the big chain more frequently to become more efficient - faster on the flats at a lower cadence.There was also the unplanned sprint to get away from 2 pit bull mixes :eek: my first dog chase since one took a bite out of my calf last spring (and still isn't quite healed).
I had fun, the route is doable, and I felt far safer on the busy street in the 1-lane section than I thought I would. The lanes are quite wide so they can give me plenty of room without having to cross the line.
I made it too late to catch the opening of the Indpls 500 Mini-marathon but that's ok. I had a very nice morning. 65ish degrees, winds <7mph. I will take it ;)
Just got back from leading our club's annual new member ride, which is really just the first official ride of the season. We had lots of things going against us: it's electronic recycling day in Concord and the street we start off on as well as the parking was blocked off. It rained through last night and the roads were wet this morning. It was cloudy, though not too cold.
We figured how to lead the people out. Only about 20 people came, which was great, split into 2 groups of 10. DH and I led the "faster" group. There was a lot of traffic, an altercation with a Prius :eek:, who decided to go on the other side of the yellow line while our group was turning left, and a few other azzhole driver things. But, the ride was uneventful and pretty. We were all together, which as the sweep I appreciate, but in the second half, the one other woman fell behind and I had to stay with her. She was very nice, but I was getting antsy. The slower group had fun, too.
Afterwards, we went out to lunch with our cycling friends (she led the other group) and one other leader we know well. All in all, a good ride of 23 miles.
The Kitty Toll Booth. Some other riders paid for me, or I'd be in big trouble:
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Construction from Irene:
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Fultonville:
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Beauty is where you find it:
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Holy smokes.
Did my first N2 group ride with my club since - oh, maybe October.
Got dropped about a half dozen times. Thankfully we had some re-group spots.
I've been doing a fair bit of riding - but slow commutes or slow rides with one or two friends. This was my first hard effort in a group in a long time, and wow. My legs felt it. Ice bath when I got home felt great.
57 rolling miles at 17.1 mph. Totally spent.
21 miles for me this morning through the country lanes. I'm chuffed to bits as that's my longest ride so far. It was the first sunny (and dry!) day this week. I saw a hare racing me through a field, and a garden den flying a Skull and Crossbones. Navigation was off for the last few miles - one wrong turn, one long walk up half of a long steep hill, then my lovely Vita gamely managed an off-road path saving me a bit of time.
My hubby and I biked to breakfast with our road bikes. I have been riding the Vita so much that I forgot how to shift the Ruby <g>. Our small town has a great place for a simple breakfast. A nice easy friendly ride with a not so easy headwind....hey but it was a tailwind on the way back. Logged a whole 13 miles.
Got off to a late start due to finding a deceased raccoon in my corral that needed to be removed before letting my horse out for the day. I'm a little concerned as to how it got there but since it's Saturday, the PD said no one would have been able to pick it up until Monday. I buried it in the woods for lack of a better plan.
Anyway, once aboard the bike I hit three local yard sales-finding something useful at each one. I logged 10 miles and hope to get out again tomorrow or Monday.
We rode a pretty route up to Ninigret today and did some laps around the track. Well, I only did a lap, because I was hot by the time we got there, and stopped to remove a layer. It was one of those days where the temp rose 30° in a few hours.
My bike had maintenance on a squeaky pedal this week, and in the process of fixing the squeak, my wrench discovered my bottom bracket was shot. So, maybe that was part of my climbing issue, because I was up front on every hill today, and not once did I think (in Mark Cavendish's voice) "I'm not a climber." That guy's the little devil on my shoulder sometimes.
30 beautiful miles in the Oregon countryside. Fields of crimson clover, lots of cows, horses, llamas, sheep, goats, and even passed a house with a bunch of donkeys in the yard! At one point I rode past some type of hawk (wish I'd had the presence of mind to stop and take a photo so I could find out what kind) sitting on a fence post about 8 feet away from me. What an amazing way to start the morning.
I did the same route I did Thursday evening and I shaved 4 minutes off my time! I've been stuck at the same average MPH (14ish) forever. It seemed like no matter how hard or how easy I've been riding, I still end up with a 14mph average. So I'm trying to really push myself on flats and downhills, and also to stay in the middle ring on as many climbs as I can to try to regain strength for the summer.
Ahhhh...I love Oregon!
I love Oregon, too, Sookiesue! Alas, my own home state isn't quite as pretty. DH and I did 44 miles today. Nice route in that there was little traffic and we didn't get chased by any dogs. This was our longest road ride of the year. I felt pretty good minus some neck and shoulder discomfort near the end.
So glad to hear that you and your DH had such a good ride :) No dogs is even better! I just got in from a walk at Eagle Creek - now off to find the foam roller and stretch. Hopefully I can ride again Monday if I behave now.Quote:
Originally Posted by indysteel
I am not familiar with the Indianapolis area, but my brother and his family live in Bloomington, IN. I've had the pleasure of visiting them a few times and it is lovely. Maybe next time I visit I'll borrow a bike and check it out on two wheels!
I just got home from a 48-mile ride. I got start, because I was listening to the voice in my head that wanted to crawl back under the covers. In hindsight, I probably should have listened, because I rode both Thursday and Friday. But I wanted a long ride, something around 30. So I rode up to Xenia, then south on the Little Miami trail. When I left my house I was hungry, despite eating breakfast. I was still doing okay to ride 30 by the time I got to Xenia (it would only have been another 6 miles south of Xenia to do 30). When I got to the 6.5-mile marker, my brain said "Let's do 40!." Okay...
I passed by a big snapping turtle just past the 10.5 mile marker, and stopped to take some pictures. I realized then that I was really really hungry...and was down to 1 tube of shot blocks. Hm. I could ride the 10 back to Xenia, or I could keep going and hope there was something nearby. I had to guess that there was, because of the relatively large numbers of cyclists and the occasional pedestrian--so that means that there's a trailhead nearby, which generally means at least some sort of food. 4 miles down the trail, I found Corwin, which has a nice little restaurant near the trail. One chicken sandwich, chips, a pickle, half a can of Pepsi and a cone of cookies and cream later, I headed back. I think my legs were jelly by the time I got back to the car. I called DBF to tell him I was done with the ride. He asked "Why don't you go out and do another two miles?" I think he heard the look I gave him...
I am tired. I think it's time to go take a shower and eat some ridiculously large quantity of mac and cheese. Not at the same time.
I did about 38 yesterday on my bent along the mohawk. Wonderful, except for not sill camera:( but:
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Today, I had my still camerahttps://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1...0/100_0921.JPG
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The Erie Canal in Waterford
Old Champlain Canal:
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Old house:
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Back in Waterford:
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Looks like a beautiful day Fredwina! This weekend I am living through the lovely photos and stories of rides this weekend, but hope to be back on the bike tomorrow ;)
How often do you ride through this area? It is just gorgeous and I love the historical ties!
We had our long team ride yesterday... 50 miles of St. Louis rollers! The best part about the ride was that we rode out from the home of one of our students and rode back straight into a fully prepared banquet. Guacamole with pomegranate seeds, ham and cheese sliders, pizza... HEAVEN!!!!
I had a great day. Beautiful weather!
It's only abou 10 miles away, so I'm by there quite often. Glad you liked the pictures.
This weekend I had my best ride and my worst ride.
Yesterday I rode with an experienced rider and got some tips, especially for how to tackle the rolling hills in the area I am visiting. Over the 30 mile ride I had my best time ever, averaging 14mph, which is way above my usual 12.6 that I have been doing in this area. It was through Amish country, with nice rolling hills and little traffic. It was so much fun to have a riding partner!
Today I joined his group of about 16 for their usual Sunday ride. He said that the groups usually splits into three different clusters, from very speedy to a "leisure ride" group. I could not keep up with the leisure riders. After about 7 miles I was behind everyone by about a mile. Some were only going to the first stop, about 20 miles in. They were passing me on the return trip. Some of the riders were still at the first stop when I got there. My mentor kindly fixed me up with a couple who were going to do only a few miles more and then turn around. I protested that I could not keep up with them on the way in and probably would be slower still on the way out. They said no problem and so I had company for the next 28 miles to home. The guy in our small group of three even ran interference with a scary dog that came snarling after us.
Even though everyone was nice it was demoralizing. I had to stop and rest several times during the return trip. I would see myself lag behind as my riding partners would coast and take it easy. I had to work the entire ride. My average speed ended up only 12.5mph over 48 miles, which is even slower than my usual slow speed. If I had been alone I would have called the spouse for a rescue. Or I would have cried the last ten miles. :)
I think I had two problems. One is doing this long ride the day after a fairly long and rigorous ride, even though I felt great after yesterday's ride. The other problem is that I am not fit enough to keep up with even the slow riders in this group.
Maybe someday.
I'm also too slow to ride with most groups. Hopefully, I'll get better over the next few months.
A friend and I had a short 15-mile ride along the ocean with a nasty wind the whole time. Neither one of us wanted to go much further, but it was still fun. It took me 40 mins to clean my bike. Sand gets in every nook and cranny!
My problem is that I'm too fast for the slow groups and too slow for the fast groups. Anything involving hills? Forget it. I am a terrible climber.
Rain today, so no riding.
My list of goals for the season has expanded to include "develop sufficient lung capacity to bellow "ON. YOUR. LEFT!!" at a troop of Boy Scouts while attempting to pass them at about 20 mph...
I hear you guys- I am also too slow for the faster folks but too fast for a slow group. The group I ride with has some really fast people and some folks that aren't much faster than I am, but I am usually last...
My weekend rides were pretty good! Friday night, my DH and I "rode out to dinner" for the first time, went out for gelato after, and then it was so beautiful we turned on the lights and rode on a new section of a bike path that was recently completed.
Saturday, did a nice ride, but didn't eat enough and nearly bonked. I knew we were going to do a short cafe stop so I didn't listen to my body telling me to eat and rode another 7 miles (mostly downhill) but it was a good wake-up call.
I did the local clubs fundraiser ride this weekend and now I know why they call the one part the ICU, intensive climbing unit. Ouch. I knew it was a hilly ride but apparently is was 4400 ft of elevation gain hilly. Now it all makes sense why I fell asleep in the grass waiting on my group to get done after the ride. My legs were toast at the end of that.
25 miles this morning, and I finally did the ride I've wanted to since moving to my current apartment. I rode to my LBS and home again - well - via downtown Zionsville :) The route I took has been intimidating to me but after two successful work commutes I put on my big girl panties and went for it. I didn't think there would be much traffic at 9am on a Saturday morning and I was right :) The route through Zionsville grew longer than planned as they pretty much shut down the main route that I needed for a huge farmers market - I wil remember that.
The route home was quite different, I wasn't about to take the same route home again. I found my leg was complaining a bit on the climbs so I just relaxed and shifted to easier gears. 25 miles in 2 hours riding time, I will take it!
Yesterday afternoon I rode 30 miles with a friend. We set out to do "whatever" and when we had to make a decision point, I asked if she could handle mor than we usually do. It's just a perfect weekend, weather-wise. The ride yesterday was on all familiar roads in Acton, Stow, Boxboro, and a little in Littleton and Harvard. Near the end, we had a 2 mile climb that sort of sucks, but my friend soldiered on.
Today, we did a 40 mile ride in Tiverton and Little Compton, RI, Westport, MA. It's about a 90 minute drive to the start, but we missed doing this ride last year, due to weather. Drove down with our close friends and met another woman who is a leader for AMC. This ride always fools me. It is beautiful, by the ocean, salt marshes, farms, but most of it is slightly uphill. I think of it as flat, but the false flats, 2-5% grades and the wind (which was light today) always does me in. Afterwards, we changed clothes in the car and drove to the Sakonnet Winery, where it was so crowded, we tasted 3/6 we had paid for, and bought our wine and left. I guess that is what people do on a sunny day, instead of a 40 mile ride! We've been there before, so no big deal. I rode the Guru today and yesterday and I am pretty much at the same speeds as on my Kuota.
Got to shower and get ready for dinner out. I am not cooking; too tired.
Rode just abit over 40+ km. today. First to a large bike shop where I've never been where it was humming with customers and people interested in bikes. It's a shop with 3 levels of merchandise.
Then off to our favourite creme puff place. Hurry on home to cook up dinner. Then off to movie to see "The Best Marigold Hotel" (Julie Dench, Maggie Smith are some of the actresses in it...)
Not sure where the cyclists were since the roads and paths were quiet. Maybe people stick close to home or off to the Rocky Mtns. 100 km. north ..by car.
I was going to do a 50-miler today, but woke up and really did not feel like riding. So I'm doing it tomorrow and used today to do errands and clean. I also should have been using it to study, but...
I did a race this morning. I didn't come in last place! I'm going to wait until pics surface to post my race report though :)
Had a great ride up a pretty canyon nearby. Moderate climbs, nothing all that steep, just 8 miles or so of going up then a fun run back down. Ran errands in town on the bike afterwards, for a total of about 32 miles. Nice way to spend a Saturday morning!
I did a 'quick' 50 miles. I left close to six am to get out and back before it got really hot.
It was lovely to be out when the Riverfront Trail along the Mississippi was so quiet. I did have some issues on the ride though-- my handlebar tape is coming off on the right after about 1500 miles. That was annoying! My right foot has also been a little hot spotty. Not blistery, just hot and uncomfortable right where the pedal is. This tends to start by Mile 20. I thought it might be me tightening my shoes too much but that doesn't seem to do much. It's not unbearable... I'll have to test the same on a longer ride. Hopefully I'll have it sorted by the time I arrive in Seattle for the start of the Big Ride.
Some pics from this morning!
Empty, early Chain of Rocks Bridge (Old Route 66 bridge)
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My new Sprintech Bar End Mirror! We are required to have a mirror on the big ride, I figured I'd get used to this one. It was $30 bucks at LBS and other than the biggest bumps this fully adjustable mirror stays put. I had to readjust it a few times when I accidentally knocked it out of wack with my hand and after some rail road tracks, but it's great!
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Native MO plants at the Columbia Bottoms Conservation area
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I rode to get my hair cut today. My stylist had to leave the country for a family emergency, so they got me in with someone else today. I've ridden there before, but I had a kind of strange reaction from a couple of the other clients and the woman who cut my hair...
It's only about 8 miles, but I have to climb a good hill about 4 miles into the ride and it is hot and a bit humid, as well. I was quite sweaty when I arrived and I sat down next to some other woman who looked horrified that a sweaty woman was sitting next to her. Then the stylist asked me about my riding and launched into a diatribe about how dangerous it was, how she rides opposite the traffic, so she can see what to do, and how she almost got killed on the Minuteman Rail Trail, by people going too fast. I tried to be nice, but it really got to me. Thankfully, she cut my hair quickly and I was on my way home. I decided to take the shortest route possible, as when I was riding there, I saw there was a charity ride going in the opposite direction and usually, when I take the longer way home, it takes me through Concord center, where they were heading. I didn't want to mess with that. I did see my cycling friend (in her car), who stopped to talk to me, as I was starting a little climb over the highway that's generally annoying!
I rode about 90 miles in 3 days, which is a lot for me.