I did a lovely 25 mile loop through Wayland, Sudbury, and Marlboro. Passed the Wayside Inn of Longfellow fame, old Grist Mill, and the schoolhouse made famous by Mary's little lamb.
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I did a lovely 25 mile loop through Wayland, Sudbury, and Marlboro. Passed the Wayside Inn of Longfellow fame, old Grist Mill, and the schoolhouse made famous by Mary's little lamb.
I did three laps of an 11.6 mile loop, for a total of 35 miles; lap 1, 16.5 mph ave; lap 2, 15.5 mph ave; lap 3, 15.1 mph ave. My previous longest ride was 28 miles.
After spending the first 8 hours of the day moving all by myself - I counted some 29 trips up and down the 3 flights of stairs - I finished and of course, could think of nothing but riding.
Up the 4000 foot climb on the sandia crest, 14 miles. It was 60 when I started with a strong headwind. Wearing just a s/s jersey and shorts, it soon became rather epic. Dimming light as the evening drew cloer, gustier winds and a serious case of the chills epitomized the climb. After the first 1700 feet up or so I couldn't even feel my fingers, toes, or even my arms. Surprisingly my heart rate was rather low, averaging about a buck forty-five.
Somehow, a little after 2 hours of riding, I got to the top. The thermometer read 40. It was a rather odd scene....picture biker girl, gabbed up in pink from head to toe...shorts, and short sleeves - shivering!....being stared at by a half dozen or so of the parka wearing folks who had driven to the top. The one guy says, wow I admire you. I laughed....I thought, no I have a problem, and it has to do with sanity, nothing admirable!
I didn't stay up there for long at all, a few looks down at the view and I was chilled to the bone. Tried in vain to find newspaper, heh, to stuff down my jersey, but none was to be found!
The 14 mile ride down was more akin to bobsledding than riding. I was clenching the bars sooooo tight as I was virtually stiff going 40 down the mountain where the temp was also 40 degrees. I didn't even want to think about what that all equated with wind chill! When I got to the base and entered my car, I must have been shivering and clattering my teeth for a good 30 minutes~
ugggh, like the whimsical grasshopper, I have waited a good week or so too late to get armwarmers....TE should be shipping them any minute!
Yikes! Glad my Saturday ride was warmer than yours! And yes, I will no go forthwith to the TE armwarmer page and order mine BEFORE it gets too cold. Thanks for reminding me!
But, chilled to the bone or not, I suspect the ride was more fun than moving!
After being a total slug yesterday, I decided I needed to move my butt this morning and did a 48.5 mile ride. I took the trail along the stream valley over to a small lake in College Park, MD, then rode on roads up through Greenbelt and into the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, took a short rest at the National Wildlife Refuge visitor center, went through Bowie, then back to Lake Artemesia and home again. Flat along the stream, a bit hilly on the road part. I passed three men on a hill and they couldn't stand it so they took a shortcut to catch up to me, then passed me for good. Nice weather, nice ride. First road ride with my Camelbak Dream. I like it.
Lee and I have started training (training ?? what is this word "training??") for the SF Randonneurs 200K brevet in January. I'm not so much concerned about the distance as I am about the climbing. Oh, and the fact that it'll probably be wretchedly cold and raining that day. :rolleyes:
We're lucky to have a very scenic paved trail out by the SF bay near our home that circles the Coyote Hills Regional park. It includes a short yet moderately steep hill that I call my Nemesis Hill. It's roughly 1/2 mile with an average gradient of about 8% that kicks briefly up to over 15% in a couple of places, and with a couple of flat bits in between. So, for starters, we're going to do lots of repeats up that hill.
Today we rode out to the bay to warm up, turned back, headed up the Coyote Hills path, did 2 full circuits of that path including the nemesis hill (about 5 miles each circuit), then, after our 3rd time up nemesis, instead of doing the loop around the hills again we turned around at the bottom, and went up and down 2 more times for a total of 5 times up nemesis. Booyah ! It seemed to be getting easier for me, so the last time up I did as much of it as I could standing. Double booyah! It worked out to 28 miles and about 1350 feet of climbing altogether. We'll increase the number & intensity (speed, standing vs. sitting) of these repeats over time.
I'm really glad I did this today because early on in the ride I felt awful, I might be coming down with a cold and I thought that had a bit to do with it. Turns out I probably didn't eat enough beforehand because after I woofed down a Clif Shot I felt fine.
I hope to get in a few repeats of nemesis during the week, and next weekend we'll go for a hillier ride, maybe head out to Calaveras from out home. Who knows, maybe at this rate we'll even make it up that uber-stinker Sierra Road in a few weeks.
Cassandra, you are in New Mexico, what's this about dimming light? this is Sunday the 17th and it's 2pm here.
Today I did a Cascade bike club ride, called the Spawning cycle. There were 3 sized rides, and we did the littlest one because my sons' friend Susy has decided to get fit and get on a bike! so we all rode with her. It was not a long ride (I think it was about 14 miles) but there were some nasty hills, since it was around the Magnolia hill that we were riding. Susy walked up all the hills, but I puff puffed up all of them. Both of my sons rode fixy bikes and displayed their incredible strength by leaving me with all my 27 gears behind on every hill. My younger son (the stronger one) also passed me going downhill at 28 miles an hour (i was going 28mph, who knows what he was doing?!?!)
Susy had a good time on her old Schwinn. She was convinced it was too heavy but then i let her lift my steel Bianchi Veloce... see, your bike isn't THAT bad! (not much heavier than my modern cool bike)
Older son and I finished the ride up a hill to where I parked my car. He muscled his way to the top; i had to walk the last block... okay, i didn't HAVE to, i wanted to! and now it's starting to rain!
Went out on a 33 miler this afternoon. Took Hwy 44 through Star on over to Middleton and back. Nice ride, rather flat with just a few risers. Luckily the wind was pretty much non-existant. Smelled mint most of the way from Star to Middleton. I did find that I can make it a loop, but I think it may take me into more vehicles than I want to deal with for a Sunday spin.
Hey Tater! I got married at Liberty grange in Star.. isn't that on Highway 44?
I had planned to head up to Gettysburg today to ride the rollers around the battlefield, but got a late start. So... headed over to my old standby, the C&O towpath.
As soon as I got on the path I realized that I had forgotten to check on the creak in my pedals after my last ride, so I decided to keep the ride short. Ended up doing 16.5 miles from Riley's Lock to Edwards Ferry, with beautiful weather and gorgeous views of the river.
We did a beautiful 19 mile ride this morning after breakfast. Had a riding date with some other friends at 2pm....
We just got home from our morning ride and only had an hour to rest before going out AGAIN with our friends for a ride. This time we rode about 22 very hilly miles. I had to walk a couple of hills towards the end, my legs started feeling rubbery. The weather was gorgeous. I was pretty worn out at the end of ride #2!
Was in Heaven in the hot shower when we got home, going to bed early for sure and I know I'll be sore tomorrow, but- it was a great Bike Day.... ;)
Did an easy 20mile ride this morning, even though I was dead tired being post-call. I have been sick for a week and was bound and determined to get a ride in on my off day, and it was definately worth it, the weather was perfect in the mid 70s with little traffic on the roads. What else could you ask for?
I packed my recumbent up in my car and headed across the river to participate in the Louisville Bicycle Club's ice cream ride. This ride is traditionally held the weekend after the Old Kentucky Home Tour as part of a club meeting. The route is about as flat as one can get in this area. It is an out and back route from Jeffersonville to near Utica, Indiana. The ride out was great for I had a nice tailwind assisting us and the headwind back really gave me quite the workout. I logged 20 miles today and averaged 17.0 mph - my best so far on this bike. I felt great and did not hesitate to ask for two scoops of ice cream after the ride (the club picks up the tab).
Participated in a nice Metric Century today. Started off with a rain shower but ended up in sunshine.
I picked this ride to do not only because it was for a good cause, had a nice route, but most importantly I was sure that that they'd have a good t-shirt for my September Secret Sister. No disappoint there...it was my favorite of the season...I hope she likes it as well.
DH and I headed up to a county north of us (with little traffic) and took a route we were saving for after all the longer rides of the season were over. It was AWESOME!!! It had a lot of steep, curvy climbs (and descents) and some really nice views. We did a total of 36 miles and had a complete blast! The weather was a perfect 85 degrees, the wildlife was out in force (two deer, a wild turkey and a couple of groudhogs) and we took it easy and enjoyed every single minute of it.
This ride not only served to reinforce our love for biking, but it inspired us to shoot for something a little harder next weekend. We have plans to do a 50 mile loop that will include a climb to the top of hanging rock (2 mile climb of 8 - 12%). Can't wait!!
Oh, and I got a second speed sensor so that I can use my cycle computer on my commuter bike. I'm excited to try it out this week!
Man, I love cycling! :D
Sunday = shop ride.
B-group was large today, but rather disorganized. Pacelines have not been very successful as folks sprint ahead, cut inside the line, waver dangerously on their line, and generally muff it up. Rumor has it, the A-group splits in two on Clara Barton, into the fast group and the sick-fast group. Some of us may bolt next week and try to hang with the merely fast group and get some fun pacelining in. I've been asked to join the rebellion, and I'm excited and nervous at the same time. Excited, because...hey! I've been asked to join the fast folks. How cool is that? Nervous because this summer is really my first time riding with a group - that I do only once a week. I'm nervous that my inexperience will really show.
But....that's next week.
Today, we added some extra hills and the loop into Rock Creek Park. We really need to get the miles in before the Seagull on the 7th. I've been trying to focus on cadence on the hills, and it helped me hang with some good climbers: Kathy and Trevor. I think Kathy was just being kind or had a hard day yesterday - she normally dusts me on hills, and today she let me take Old Anglers!! I was so happy. It was her birthday present to me! Yay.
38.5 miles at 17.3 mph. A little slower than the last few weeks, but I think that's because of the extra loop into the park. At the hour we hit it on the return, it's much more crowded than early in the a.m., which forces you to go slower.
Had a great ride, given that it was windy and rained the whole time. Did 52km along the multiuse Lochside Trail, and then onto the highway. Felt pretty happy with it, loaded the bike into my van, and drove an hour home. Stopped at the general store to get something for dinner, and realized I had lost the little purse I carry with my ID, DL, medical insurance card, debit card, and a little spending cash. :eek: :o
Totally freaked, I drove back into Victoria, hoping it was where I had parked the van for my ride. I remember putting my purse on the van hood after my ride (a very sloping hood). It must have slid off and I drove away without realizing it.
Halfway back to town, my cellphone rang; it was the bike shop where I started my ride, saying a neighbour of theirs found my purse while walking is dog! They went in the bike shop, asked it anyone there knew me (based on my less-than-flattering driver licence photo!). Of course they know me, and called with the good news. I almost fainted with relief! I was mentally going thru all the rigamarole associated with replacing my ID etc, so huge thanks to Anne at Selkirk Bike Shop, and the honest man who turned my purse in!!:D
Came back home, had a cold beer and a hot bath. Still feel a little shaky, completely stupid, but ever so grateful.
~Sherry.
So after nearly 2 solid weeks of cold, I think I rode it out of me today! At least I hope so. My husband of 1 year ago tomorrow (:)) and I did a ride together, with our honorary best man joining us. It was an organized century and there was much debate about the distance, between 62 and 50. I wasn't sure how my ride would go, after the cold and bad experience the prior week. Husband hasn't ridden much in the last few weeks now that he's back in school. Our friend could probably ride to Katmandu since he's gone bike crazy in the last month (yeah, he even converted his single speed into a fixie), let his car reg lapse and so on. But he said he was looking for an enjoyable shorter ride.
I said we should play it by ear, and the guys, who went up ahead, should wait for me at the split or water stop. We had signed up for the 50 though.
In the meanwhile, I met a woman who said this would be her longest ride yet, and we got to talking. I encouraged her to try for the metric and she said if you will, I will.... so we agreed to do it. Well, we came to the split, and my husband and our friend were nowhere to be seen. I called, left a message, but neither of them it turns out had their cell phones. I decided with the weather being nice that they'd opt for the 62, so, off we set.
Well, a long time later, we pull into a rest stop that is on the 62 and 50 mile ride, and there they are. I rolled up, and he says, how was the 62? I asked if he'd been there this whole time, and he told me he'd stayed since he heard of a woman in an accident and no one knew who it was (we had passed it and it appeared to be a woman who fell/collided and may have had a broken collarbone or arm (hard to tell). So he was worried about me, and stayed at the rest stop for over an hour! Aww! We realized that not having the other cell phones hadn't helped the situation. They jetted off, eager to resume riding after their long hiatus.
The two of us kept encouraging each other, as we slogged through lots of hills (the cold really kept my heart rate going, but on flats I would recover just fine), and then we waited for her coworker friend who was doing the 100 to catch up, and the three of us rode into the finish together.
It was a beautiful day and a beautiful ride, winding along many roads near my home and surrounding towns, including some of our regular routes. Farms, river, meadows, shady residential streets, and several parks and conservation lands were along the route.
Best part, I helped (I think) someone achieve her longest ride yet AND a metric century. All in all very cool. I'm going to try to get her to come to the site too!
Mimi - I'm a dork, no further evidence is needed. It was in fact dimming, but then it was the ride I did on saturday the 16th. I even posted a thread for sunday - september 18th rides before i was politely corrected :D
[QUOTE=Best part, I helped (I think) someone achieve her longest ride yet AND a metric century. All in all very cool. I'm going to try to get her to come to the site too![/QUOTE]
Very cool post! That is how I rode my first century.
Yesterday, I lead a ride with 3 other people. We had about 20 people for a 40 mile very hilly ride through Acton, Boxborough, Harvard, Bolton, Stow, and then back for a BBQ at my friend's house. Well, we decided to split the group in 2, with my husband leading the "faster" group and me sweeping. The other 2 leaders wereleading the slower group. After 6 miles we stopped to regroup and I was panting. They were going 20 (up a hill) and I could barely stay on the back. But since I was the sweep, it didn't matter. Still, this was a very un-AMC group. My husband kept trying to get them to stop and view the scenery (beautiful) but they didn't want to. At about 32 miles two guys were struggling, so I had a real excuse to stay back with them. They were very nice and we talked for the rest of the way back. Delicious food and beautiful weather followed.
But, I was exhausted. Myaverage was just under 15, and for a ride with SERIOUS climbing, this is good for me.
You know, Mimi, now I will have to go back and see! That was my first spin through that area, so I wasn't paying much attention to anymore than what was up ahead of me.Quote:
Originally Posted by mimitabby
Mimi, you understand that someone on a fixie has NO CHOICE but to climb fast, since they can't gear down and they can't let their pedal speed drop too much.Quote:
Originally Posted by mimitabby
Deb, I think older son was trying to explain that to me, but i was still very impressed. he also told me that his bike had a lower gear than my other son (the one who went over 28mph) BECAUSE he is not strong enough! (when he gets stronger, he says he will get a bigger gear? or a harder gear?)Quote:
Originally Posted by DebW
and neither of them have a freewheel, which boggles MY mind.
ps both of these guys have roadbikes and mtbikes too
We did two 20 mile rides yesterday, with barely an hour rest between them. About 40 miles total, and lots of hills on the second ride. My thighs are pretty sore today.
So, I did a 3 mile walk this morning in the cool fog- very refreshing and good to stretch out and sort of shake out all my sore muscles in a different way today.
I did another group ride on Sunday. For those of you "playing along at home," that's my third group ride since September 10th. I mention that only because I spent the whole summer feeling really, really nervous about riding with a group. The few cyclists I know are incredibly strong, and I kept comparing myself to them. As a result, I think I developed a complex along the way that I would make a fool of myself at a club/group ride. Thankfully, I've since put all that to bed! Obviously, there are lots of different skill levels at these rides. While I may not be ready for an aggressive training ride, I certainly fit in just fine at the club rides. In fact, I can keep up pretty well! Too bad it took me this long to realize that!
Anyway, Sunday's ride started off at a bike shop on the southside of the city. I've never ridden on that side of town and was looking forward to a peaceful ride in the country on what looked to be another beautiful day.
The crowd wasn't that big. Maybe people opted to just do Saturday's ride. In any event, there were lots of ride options--100, 70, 48, 36 and 20. I opted for the 48. I thought about trying for 70, but I had some place I needed to be that afternoon. In the end, that was probably a good decision.
I ran into a couple of people I knew, including the woman I'd met and ridden with at the previous day's club ride. We rode together for a bit, complaining of the wind and our stiff legs! She was only doing 36 miles though and our routes diverged less than 10 miles into the ride. I was sad to see her go, but I was determined to ride the 48-mile route. If I have any hope of doing both days of the Hilly Hundred, I need to push myself a bit.
From there, I rode most of the way by myself. I encountered a few pockets of people, but for whatever reason, I decided to pass them and ultimately rode by myself the first 29 miles to the SAG. I was kind of surprised at how few people I encountered. It was a little spooky.
It was pretty windy and, at times, I found myself more than a little exhausted. My legs were sore from Saturday's ride, and I don't think I had enough breakfast. I was so, so happy to get to the SAG, where I quickly wolfed down a banana and some cookies! I chatted with some guys I'd met at Saturday's ride. One guy greeted me with a "Hey, Bianchi!" which made me laugh. Again, everyone was extremely nice.
After refueling, I got back on the rode. Thankfully, I had the wind (mostly) at my back. I found myself easily cruising about 21 mph. Thankfully, I didn't encounter any dogs (there were a couple early in the ride) or get lost. I made it back to the car in one piece, with an average speed of 16.69 mph. Considering the wind, that wasn't too bad (for me).
All in all, it was a good ride, if a tad lonely. I really hope that, over time, I meet some people that I can ride with regularly. I enjoy going solo--when that's my intent. Otherwise, it would be fun to have some riding buddies of comparable skill and personality.
A couple of my guy riding buddies and I rode a 32 mile jaunt yesterday morning. The weather was splendid, although this time of year the roadkill is pretty aromatic. We took a country road out northwest of town and I was having a great day-- the bike (new, we're still on our honeymoon) felt more comfortable than ever before, my rhythm was there, everything was humming. I went into the hospital with pneumonia at the beginning of July, and I've had to take baby steps to get back on the bike. Yesterday was the first time I rode up every single hill without having to stop and catch my breath. My speed was great, my climbing was strong, and I had fun! When we got back to town, I felt like a food incinerator, so I treated myself to a hearty, guilt-free brunch.