Chasing Leaves

I LOVE riding in the fall, there is something about being able to chase crunchy leaves on the bike that just brings out the kid in me. The park where I rode today had NO traffic, so I did just that. I did wait a couple of hours after my group training session this morning. It was also cool and quite humid, after almost 6 miles I was still a bit cold and my shoulder was complaining so I called it to an end. It is always dicey to mix riding and group training on the same day but I am glad I did! My first bike ride since I went to Tennessee for the first time a couple of weeks back.

Attachment 16729

Look what I found - the mystical "Gunnar Bush" that was obviously in full bloom! I just happened to be passing by and even had bike clothing on. Sweet :cool:

Fall is my absolute favorite season.

I love fall, too. The only problem is that winter arrives so quickly after.

I don't mind winter. In New England (at least where I live), it's different every year.
One of the things that helped me love winter is to be outside in it. While I did some mild x country skiing for a few years when i first moved back here, it was nothing that adventurous and I certainly knew nothing about wicking clothes or merino wool. Cycling brought me to endurance activities in the winter.
In fact, I had my first x country ski "thought" a couple of days ago. The season here is very short, and we usually have to travel a bit for great conditions.
But, don't rush the fall away (tomorrow is going to be 80-85 degrees. Not fall-like at all).

Jealous. I get cyclocross race or just plain old ride photos from old work friends back in Ohio and it make me sad. (Today's high: 91F.). I know I'll be talking out of the other side of my face in winter, but I want crunchy leaves!

It was SUPPOSED to reach 80 here today, which is why I didn't know how to dress for my ride today and wound up under-dressed. The sun was supposed to come out this afternoon and warm up quickly - it never really did. Now I won't have a chance to ride until the weekend, and it is supposed to rain but we will see.

It was probably best I kept the ride to 30 minutes anyway, given how my legs feel after all of my recent moving efforts and this morning's workout :)

I've started to think about this winter, and it will be interesting to see how long I can sustain my feeble attempts at trail running. I DO have my Sugoui Mid Zero tights, though am unsure about footwear. Given my asthma I probably can't run outside in very cold temps so hopefully my existing trail shoes will be fine with the right socks. I do want to try this out!

+1 Fall is my favorite season as well YIPEE!

Oddly enough, taking my bike down the stairs and actually having to drive it somewhere was fun! For the last 3 years I've felt guilty every time I've driven my bike anywhere for road riding, which meant that I very rarely ever rode anywhere that I couldn't get to from my front door. Granted, with my current limitations I am still pretty much limited to riding in that park - but this still opens other possibilities! Now that I MUST drive my bike somewhere it does open things back up again. Now I just have to reach the point where I don't feel like I am being targeted by every driver out there - but first I need to recover enough so I am not so limited to the amount of time my neck/shoulder can tolerate on the bike.

That bike isn't heavy, but it was awkward negotiating the stairs - but I am figuring out the best way to carry it. I was thinking of those who must do that same thing with much heavier bikes :eek:

It was 80 here today. I went on a 30 mile ride in sleeveless. Plenty of leaves flying around, as it was kind of breezy. It seems like there's a lot more color in the trees than normal for this early. Peak foliage season isn't until around the 15th-20th here.
I'll be riding Friday, Saturday, and Sunday; nothing long, though, except maybe Friday. It's going to be warm and humid. Yuck.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Crankin

It was 80 here today. I went on a 30 mile ride in sleeveless. Plenty of leaves flying around, as it was kind of breezy. It seems like there's a lot more color in the trees than normal for this early. Peak foliage season isn't until around the 15th-20th here.
I'll be riding Friday, Saturday, and Sunday; nothing long, though, except maybe Friday. It's going to be warm and humid. Yuck.

---

Humidity/warmth doesn't seem to go well with fall colors... though that is better than rain. I don't get home from work until 6ish so my riding time is now limited to the weekends as it is almost dark at 7:30 now. THIS is the disadvantage of no longer being able to ride out of my front door but that was the choice I had to make. Well, there really wasn't a choice when they wanted to increase my rent 30%!

They are calling for rain this weekend, crossing my fingers I will be able to do some riding.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Catrin

Oddly enough, taking my bike down the stairs and actually having to drive it somewhere was fun! For the last 3 years I've felt guilty every time I've driven my bike anywhere for road riding, which meant that I very rarely ever rode anywhere that I couldn't get to from my front door. Granted, with my current limitations I am still pretty much limited to riding in that park - but this still opens other possibilities! Now that I MUST drive my bike somewhere it does open things back up again. Now I just have to reach the point where I don't feel like I am being targeted by every driver out there - but first I need to recover enough so I am not so limited to the amount of time my neck/shoulder can tolerate on the bike.

That bike isn't heavy, but it was awkward negotiating the stairs - but I am figuring out the best way to carry it. I was thinking of those who must do that same thing with much heavier bikes :eek:

---

I know you've got shoulder stuff going on and a fairly small frame, but what I used to do was pick it up and carry it cyclocross style. It's still a little awkward, especially if your stairwell is narrow. (But I hate doing this with my cross bike. It's fairly heavy and the tubing is rounded rather than flattened at the bottom, so it's a little hard on the wrist and shoulder...)

I love fall and fall leaves! It's still green here in KC and has been quite warm and humid this week, but there is quite a bit of breeze, and leaves are starting to swirl around. The angle of the sun, too, lets us know autumn is here.

Yesterday we did a 30-miler, 10 on road and 20 on the paved trail. Today was a 12-mile errand ride to the library and Natural Grocer. It's supposed to get much cooler this weekend, so we are enjoying this last bit of summer (temps in the 70s-80s) while it lasts. We won't be able to get away with shorts and short-sleeves for too much longer!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Owlie

I know you've got shoulder stuff going on and a fairly small frame, but what I used to do was pick it up and carry it cyclocross style. It's still a little awkward, especially if your stairwell is narrow. (But I hate doing this with my cross bike. It's fairly heavy and the tubing is rounded rather than flattened at the bottom, so it's a little hard on the wrist and shoulder...)

---

Between my shoulder and the frame size this isn't possible. If I removed my water cages it might work - but I am not going to do that. They may not see traditional use but they do get used. The stairwell isn't too narrow, and I do remove my trunk bag to go up/down the stairs. The rack does change the weight distribution a bit but I need to keep that installed. Good idea though, and thanks for the suggestion! If I get the angle right there isn't a problem getting it upstairs. It only weighs 24-25 pounds with rack so the weight isn't the issue - it is the size. Practice makes perfect ;)

Sounds like fun Emily! Speaking of bike clothes, I suspect my bibs and short sleeves Tuesday was likely the last time for the season, but I hope not!

You ought to be able to wheel it up and down stairs on the rear wheel just as you would take it through a narrow hall. It will bounce a little going down is all. Definitely easier on the shoulders.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by OakLeaf

You ought to be able to wheel it up and down stairs on the rear wheel just as you would take it through a narrow hall. It will bounce a little going down is all. Definitely easier on the shoulders.

---

Getting it downstairs was certainly easy, I think I was trying to carry more of it upstairs than I really needed to. Hopefully there will be a chance for more practice this weekend!

We're just starting to see a bit of color in the leaves. It won't be long but it's still in the 80's here in the afternoons.

Speaking of leaves -- on a ride recently, I had several amusing encounters of the leaf variety -- first, I got to the bottom of a descent and was waiting on my riding buddy when I noticed there was a leaf stuck to one brake hood -- it had been pinned there mid-fall and was damp enough to stick. I peeled it off and went on my way -- and a few minutes later on a descent, a leaf plastered itself to my knee, and as I slowed down slowly crept down my leg. I hadn't intended to go chasing leaves, but I'd caught two.

We're really not getting any color this year. I guess it was the super wet July in the middle of an otherwise very dry summer. We still have walnuts though. Dangerous.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by OakLeaf

We're really not getting any color this year. I guess it was the super wet July in the middle of an otherwise very dry summer. We still have walnuts though. Dangerous.

---

Hickory nuts and surprise Osage oranges are also fun.

I remember a couple of years ago I was climbing a grade, not one of the very steepest but probably >15%, and a walnut fell right in front of me, barely missed me, then proceeded to roll allllllllll the way down the hill ... :eek:

I had a leaf stuck to the top of my shoe yesterday. It was extremely odd. 80 again today. There seems to be a lot more color than I would expect at this time.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by OakLeaf

I remember a couple of years ago I was climbing a grade, not one of the very steepest but probably >15%, and a walnut fell right in front of me, barely missed me, then proceeded to roll allllllllll the way down the hill ... :eek:

---

I got hit by a falling acorn while riding once. That was...odd.

A walnut would have hurt a lot more!

If I had to sell cycling to someone on the joys of returning to cycling, it would be to take them cycling on a warm lovely fall day. For snowy, icy winter days, autumn fall rides are what I dream about. :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by OakLeaf

We're really not getting any color this year. I guess it was the super wet July in the middle of an otherwise very dry summer. We still have walnuts though. Dangerous.

---

Oh yeah, tons of walnuts here in KC! We were avoiding them as best as possible on the trail the other day. What a mess.

Catrin, we lived on the third floor for 1.5 years in NC before moving to Belize. Carrying my light Bike Friday up was not a problem, but carrying my MTB up got to be annoying, so I do feel your pain. I had a shoulder injury as well that made it a bit more difficult. I don't miss those days!

Colours in our area tend to be brilliant yellow.
One of our favourite viewing areas. But there are other beautiful areas which I was happily shooting photos. It certainly isn't always a fast ride during this time. :)

Too bad I can't upload a pic since I can't see to find the button to delete some of my older photos posted in TE forums.