Oct 12 rides

It's magpie season here, so I haven't been out on the bike for a few weeks because I just hate swooping birds. But I ventured out today, for a very leisurely loop around the lake. Now, Canberra has its share of lovely buildings and great galleries, but I thought I would share with you why I love going for a relaxing ride on a Sunday.

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No, not snow - it was a balmy 70 ish here today. Some of the trees, maybe willows or poplars, are seeding and it was just lovely.

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Families are out enjoying the wonderful sunny days.

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Away from the crowds.

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I love this woody area with just occasional glimpses of the lake - so cool and peaceful.

Hey Jaydee!

Isn't the thought of summer being just around that street corner over there, wonderful!!! YAYY!!!!

I had a magpie moment yesterday morning & am glad i was on a quiet road!!! :eek: It was rather hilarious actually..

Nice to see photos of Canberra!! Hopefully we might pass through on our drive back to Perth from Sydney in the New Year! No bikes with us though :(

C

I don't think we have Magpies here. I think I am glad we don't have Magpies here!!! Jaydee - beautiful pictures!!!

My ride can be summed up in two words:

Brrrrr!!!

and

Owie!!!

Brrrr because it's a beautiful sunny day, but it's cold! Only 42 degrees. That's cold for October, plus it seems weird because the most of the trees still have green leaves yet it feels like February!

Owie because I think I have a broken toe :mad:. It's swollen to twice its size and it's sporting lovely shades of purple, black, and magenta. This is just great as I have my first Century coming up next Saturday. Once I get my foot in my shoe, my toe is snug as a bug in a rug and only hurts for about 10 minutes til it goes numb. I'm determined to do this Century and I'm not letting a toe stop me!

Today we rode from Littleton, MA to Hollis, NH to Kimball Fruit farm. This is one of my favorite local rides. It was about 59 when we left, but it got up to about 70. I actually got the clothing right, too; knee warmers, arm warmers and a vest. The arm warmers came off after 7 miles and the vest came off after 20. The foliage is perfect; the best colors I've seen in years. I felt pretty good while we were riding, too.
The last time we did this ride, it was about 95 degrees out and there was an air quality alert. It was so much better today. The fruit farm was so busy that there were no spots at the picnic tables, so we sat on the grass to eat lunch. Tons of people apple picking. I resisted buying an apple dumpling at the farm, when i saw the nutritional information :eek:.
These aren't the best pictures, but at least I remembered to take some.
43 miles, about 3800 feet of climbing.

Beautiful weather for riding! I went out for a 42 mile ride that turned into an unhappy slog. The last 10 miles were just brutal. My legs were feeling it and my sitbones were screaming. Today, it wasn't fun.

I did the NBW ride in my town today. This was only my second organized ride ever, and it was a beauty!

I wasn't sure which group to leave with, so I left with the second group (the fastest went out first). I kind of shocked myself when I passed a whole lot of people, and caught up to some of the first group. I ended up tagging onto the back of a paceline of 4 guys, and got dragged much of the way! It was so much fun!

Then, there was some confusing marking, and my group split up. I ended up with just one guy, and he managed to catch the riders we'd been riding with. I watched them go further and further into the distance, ending up in no man's land. I rode alone for about 10 miles, and didn't see another rider, except one guy from the paceline who flatted. I thought he'd catch up to me, so I didn't wait for him, but he never did. I stayed alone for so long that I finally stopped to look at my map, and eat a fig Newman. Then, 2 riders came, and I rode with them for the last bit. I felt amazing at the end!

47 miles.

today I tried out a "long" route for mountain biking. Well, long for me.
I started out at the trailhead to al foster trail. This is a wide mostly flat crushed limestone trail. At the trailhead is a miniature railway, that gives rides on the weekends during the summer, so it's very crowded on a sunday with people waiting to ride the little train. But once you're on the trail usually I have it to myself. Today though, lots of riders and hikers. About 2.5 miles of al foster, and I come to the lower part of stinging nettle. It's not maintained very well, and there have been lots of trees down and one corner that looks like it's going to collapse down to the river. I decided to avoid that part and looped through one of the connectors and back to stinging nettle. There's this once ditch- narrow and steep, it comes down to a V at the bottom. So far I've always made it, although I always feel like it was pure luch, and I worry about destroying my front wheel or my front shocks in the bottom of this thing. Today, though, I did my first endo. Not a bad place to endo, since it's so narrow the opposite bank is very close, so you don't fall far. I got up, made sure nobody had seen it, checked my bike over, and went on. at the far loop of stinging nettle is the trail between the railroad tracks and the river, a narrow part that's hike a bike for me. Giant roots that you have to lift your bike over, and no room for error between the trail and the slope down to the river. At the end of this is castlewood park, river scene trail. I rode this nice wide dirt trail- again lots of cyclists and tons of hikers. Then I rode up the road to love trail. I took this one to ries road where I doubled back and got on grotpeter to go to rollercoaster. I actually passed someone!!! there was a guy ahead of me, and he kept stopping to rest. I'd pass him, then hear him coming up behind me and get over and let him by. Soon I'd go by as he stopped to rest again.
I did rollercoaster but wasn't very confident today- I almost didn't make it over the telephone pole someone had put across the trail because I just didn't have much momentum. I walked around the sharp right turn to steep downhill. I almost went off the edge of the last bit of rollercoaster where it's pretty rocky and downhill. Back on grotpeter trail down the rocky rooty part, walk the railroad ties. But I rode around the sharp right turn with the tree in the middle of it. I finished, then rode back down the road to river scene, hike a bike back to stinging nettle. Rode the upper part of stinging nettle back to al foster, and back to my car. I'd forgotten my water bottle, as usual, and was really thirsty by the time I got back. Total 15.5 miles. I got muddy and had some grease under my chin- not sure how that got there. My 5 year old said, what's that mommy, that black stuff. Did you fall? I said yes. He said how come you always fall on that bike?
vickie

jaydee, very nice. redrhodie and fastdogs, sounds like you both had fun, although each was certainly different.

The other day I said, wow, heading towards the middle of October. I need to stop biking all weekend and spend some time buttoning up the house for winter. So I did some buttoning yesterday. Heck, today was just too nice, so off I went and I took the Old Red, the revamped steel utility bike.

Today I did a cute little brick, a leisurely one, and ended up doing a little of everything - about 24 miles. I rode 9 miles over to Lake Dennison-Otter River State Forest, which combined has about 6000 acres of undeveloped state forest. Once I got into the Forest, I rode about 6 miles on the dirt roads and trails - my new 28c Randonneurs worked great. I know this area well, and tapped into the more unused quiet portions. When I emerged from the Forest trail network on the other side, I rode a bit over to the Birch Hill Dam area where I went for a trail run for about 2 miles. I brought my running shoes with me, locked my bike to a signpost, and hid my bike bag, bike shoes and helmet in some bushes. At that point I'm only 2 miles from the house but on the ride home I took a route that was about 7.5 miles.

It was a total blast do all 3 activities, and to have that option to go on dirt.

Here are some pictures. A lot of the color in the lower wetland areas have passed and many leaves are off. Some of the upland areas have peaked, and there are still some that need to turn.

Otter River, of said Dennison-Otter River State Forest. These pictures are along one of the smoother dirt roads.

http://inlinethumb11.webshots.com/44...500x500Q85.jpg

Gotta get the bike in. Need to wrap the tools tight so they don't rattle so much over the off-road portion of the ride.

http://inlinethumb16.webshots.com/20...500x500Q85.jpg http://inlinethumb04.webshots.com/44...425x425Q85.jpg

Rarely do I get a picture of me, as I ride solo a lot. But I got one today - found a post to put the camera on. Lake Dennison is in the background. My running shoes for the trail run are tucked in the bike bag.

http://inlinethumb59.webshots.com/44...425x425Q85.jpg

Millers River, near Birch Hill Dam

http://inlinethumb05.webshots.com/41...500x500Q85.jpg

Farm art.

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The last stop of the day, as the shadows are getting long.
My Monadnock.

http://inlinethumb35.webshots.com/42...500x500Q85.jpg http://inlinethumb03.webshots.com/21...500x500Q85.jpg

I envy your fall photos. It seems here that the types of trees we have don't change color, the leaves just turn brown then fall off. :( I love to see your pictures, tho. :)

I've been sick this week, so today was the first day I felt really good.
My only ride was to the grocery store and back. Not very exciting, but a fun ride nonetheless. Before I left the store I took a picture of my bike loaded down (don't know why- I just felt the need to take a picture). When I got home I noticed the beautiful flowers in my flower bed so I stopped to take a picture. Not as pretty as your fall foliage, but it will have to do. Then as I was lying there in the grass, I noticed the clouds above were moving quickly, so I grabbed a quick pic.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fastdogs

Today, though, I did my first endo. Not a bad place to endo, since it's so narrow the opposite bank is very close, so you don't fall far. I got up, made sure nobody had seen it, checked my bike over, and went on.
vickie

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Next time I ride with you, I'm going to try to fit a First Aid Kit on my rack and I'll go ahead and look for stretchers I can attach to my bike. :eek:

Also, you will have to go real slow. I've been on the road bike for several weeks. You seem to have Castlewood down! Just don't get me in the middle of a race.

Mudmucker: What a beautiful ride! And the dirt option is great, isn't it? The reason I have a Cross Check. That baby goes anywhere!

Beautiful riding weather in Georgia these days, albeit a little windy! I drove to Canton, GA, yesterday to meet my son and daughter-in-law for a beginner ride. :-) My son used to bike for hours at a time and is just getting back in to it.

We did about 12 miles....slllooooowwwllly.....lol! And they were pooped at the end. I guess we shoulda started with about 6 or 7, but you know, I'm 43, they are 22 & 23.... lol!!

Anyway, it was beautiful country, beautiful weather, and fun to be with my family!

Jaydee & Mudmucker, your photos are stunning!

Gorgeous fall weather - I went MTBing along a hill ridge by my parents house. After about 2K came the hardest climb - my mom's car stalled there once, it must be about 25%. Front wheel nearly lifted off and I had to walk about half of it (It's probably about 1K long).

I was rewarded with this kind of view (without the guy)
http://www.ruesges.de/Damian/Appenze...nd-Saentis.jpg

and one of these oxen. http://www.waldegg-teufen.ch/typo3te...c047df4bfb.jpgyep, real oxen. They are quite tame. Shoulder height over 6 ft.
I also saw a couple walking their 3 Llamas. Maybe Alpacas, dunno, they were real cute.

Beautiful photos, everybody. I haven't downloaded yesterday's yet and they aren't as nice as yours, anyway, although mine do feature an adorable baby. She's not fall foliage but she'll do.

I did 18 miles pulling the trailer yesterday, which is as far as I've pulled the trailer so far. It was very windy, and on the return trip I used my little ring for the first time ever on the flats -- without the trailer I rarely use it even on hills, but pulling the trailer into the wind is sort of brutal on the knees so I went for the granny gear. It was a slog but we made it home and I felt like a rock star.

We are signed up to do a 50K ride on Saturday and I think we'll be fine. I'll probably have to take a break in the middle to let her get out and play, but I wasn't wiped out after yesterday's ride so I think we can do. I am going to try for 22-25 miles on our own Tuesday, and if we manage that we should be fine next weekend.

It feels like going backwards to be adding such meager miles, but pulling the trailer really is very different, especially with wind, and even when we have good conditions my daughter cries if I go faster than 17 miles an hour. So everything takes longer.

Great photos looks like everyone is enjoying pretty rides.

I watched DH race mountain bike in shorts, t-shirt and 90 degrees. I missed some spots with the sunscreen and have strange burns. It is fall in Texas!

I need to get myself a digital camera. All your pictures are so beautiful and inspiring!

I had a really great riding weekend. For one thing, thanks to our uncommonly warm weather, it felt like summer. Better yet, on saturday I met up with BikerJo from the forum for the 1st time! We did a beautiful 30mi together and I got in a good 50mi in total. It's so fun finding new people to ride with!

Sunday was crazy, I got a good 60 or so miles in - a usual 40mi ride in the morning, followed by trying to track down a friend on the Chicago marathon route followed by riding with 3 friends (on 2 bikes) on michigan ave (don't ask). Let's just say, thank goodness that the police were too busy with the marathon crowds to worry about our (somewhat juvenile) shenanigans and that the drivers were uncharacteristically patient.

Lunch with the girls, and then straight to a football game (watching not playing) after my ride which lead to riding home with headlights at 10pm - felt like my ride started at 7am and lasted for 15hours! Super fun! What I wouldn't give for more weekends like that! Talk about feeling like a kid, playing hard, ignoring all "real" responsibilities, and getting 110 total miles in!