On the road - my bikes are happy!

[DeniseGoldberg]

Finally! I almost hate to say it because I don't want to jinx the weekend - but I finally got out on the road today (with one of my bikes).

It's been days and days of gray skies and rain, lots of rain. The town next to mine reported 3 and a half inches of rain in this week's storm. That a lot of water!

When I woke up this morning I looked outside to see blue sky. Unfortunately by the time I took my shower and headed outside to retrieve the newspaper from my walk, gray had taken over again. OK, OK, it's a work day, off to work with a dream of biking later. The sun made an occasional appearance but the sky stayed mainly gray. It was a lot lighter than it has been though, and instead of the 40 degree temperatures we've had all week it was in the mid sixties. At 3 o'clock I decided I just had to escape. The roads were still dry, and my bikes were sending me "I want to ride" messages. Time to head home so I could wander out again on a bike.

My bike & I managed a nice 22-mile late afternoon ride. It definitely felt good to be back out on the road, my first ride since last Saturday's jaunt with Robyn & Jean. (Weather wizard, please listen - you're not supposed to keep us off of our bikes at this time of year!) It was amazing how messy some of the roads were - lots of leaves and small twigs on the road. And it was scary that I saw several trees down not too far from my house. The roads were mainly dry, although there were enough spots where the road was totally covered with water that my bike requested (and received) a nice wash when we returned home. Clean, and ready to hit the road again!

It's a 3-day weekend, and I'm planning 3 days of riding. Here's hoping...

--- Denise

[CorsairMac]

crossing my fingers for you my friend! Here's hoping I can send some of our New Mexican sun your way!!

[newfsmith]

To ____ with yard work, today I got to ride in sunshine, shorts & a jersey. Could this finally be the end of the winter season? Unfortunately, my planned route was interrupted by road work, so I only got 48 miles. I'd been hoping to do a 70 mile loop, but I guess that was a sign that I needed to get back and tend to the yard. I'm hoping for more of the same this weekend.

[DeniseGoldberg]

...today I got to ride in sunshine, shorts & a jersey. Could this finally be the end of the winter season?

Me too! Warmth, finally. The weather forecast for the next 2 days isn't as good, but I'm still hoping for a repeat performance. More riding weather, please...

--- Denise

[massbikebabe]

Denise:

I hear ya!!! Hubby and I got out this afternoon and felt so good. When I went downstairs to get my bike it just about jumped into my arms. We did about 30 miles, (forgot to turn my 'puter on I was so happy to be out), and then came home and the sky opened up and poured again...but we got to catch the end of the Giro so that was good. My hubby got a kick out of your bike Friday and wants to give it a go...we'll have to talk...he even said he would let you ride his beloved Colnago which I have never been able to ride!!

Spazz...I put an FSA crank set on my Trek 5200 and I also like it very much, maybe it's just me but do you find it slow to shift??

karen

[DeniseGoldberg]

... My hubby got a kick out of your bike Friday and wants to give it a go...we'll have to talk...he even said he would let you ride his beloved Colnago which I have never been able to ride!!

Karen -
Fun! How tall is your husband? I'm about 5'6", and my Bike Fridays are made to fit me... They are very cool bikes. And Robyn's husband has one too - he apparently got his so he can take a bike with him on business trips.

--- Denise

[spazzdog]

Karen, on the FSA... nope, I find it to be a bit quicker actually.

I kept the Ultegra STI shifters and 9 spd cluster when the conversion was done. It might just be a "mind" thing babe... er, massbikebabe. Or you might need a little adjustment to the derailler.

Opinions anyone...

spazz

[Crankin]

Hey Everyone,

Going for my third day of riding in a row... great ride on Sat., Denise. Just don't tell anyone I forgot to signal going down that hill. Yesterday was my first "co-lead" with the AMC. The ride started in Swanzy, NH and was perfect until the skies opened up. It was supposed to be about 30 miles of flats, going through 6 covered bridges. Very nice people and the ride leader, who I had not met was very mellow. So we got to the lunch stop after about 15 miles and decided to eat and wait out the rain under the porch of an apt. building. The rain didn't stop, so after about 45 minutes, we made the decision that the strongest riders would go back to the cars and start shuttling people back there. A few of the people were new riders, wearing non-technical clothing. Most of the people had water resistant, not water proof jackets. So my husband and the leader headed back and I was in charge of keeping the group happy while waiting (it was about an 11 mile ride back on the highway). Unfortunately, another guy went with them, even though we told him no. He couldn't keep up, fell in a ditch unclipping twice and it really slowed them down. Some of the people were griping that wanted to ride... the sun started coming out, but by this time they were back with the cars. My husband lost our portable GPS when he was helping the guy who fell, but we rode back and found it.... what a day. I still think we made the right decision, hypothermia seemed to be a real threat.
Well, today we are going out with friends and doing a 50 mile loop through Groton, up into NH and back. Hopefully, it will stay sunny.

[DeniseGoldberg]

I was hoping to have a really good riding weekend - one that would convince myself that I'm ready to head out touring on my bike again. I can't seem to come up with touring plans that are less than about 45 to 50 miles a day on the bike, and I think I'm back! My total ride mileage for this weekend - although riding an unloaded bike - definitely supports my touring dreams. Now I just need to figure out where my bike and I are traveling, and when!

You already know that I started the weekend with a 22 mile ride Friday after work. Saturday? It was an absolutely beautiful day. I headed out to Robyn's in the morning, and we did a really nice 27-mile ride. Both of us had afternoon (non-biking) plans, so that was the length ride that we'd planned. I thought that was fine, but apparently my bike decided she wasn't done! I drove home, did a few weekend errands, and then my bike jumped out of the car and we were on the road again - 15 more miles.

Sunday started as a wet day, so I started my ride later than expected. OK, OK, I'm a baby and I waited for the roads to dry out! It was cloudy, but it was still a pretty good riding day. I was rewarded for riding by coming around a corner to see a blue heron standing in the middle of a pond. Luckily I had my camera with me, so I can share my view of this marvelous creature. Later in the afternoon, I saw the sun reflected in a pond. Still a nice day. Not too much later I started to see very gray clouds. Another rider passed heading in the opposite direction. He looked up and said "you know we are both going to get very wet, don't you?" He was absolutely right, and when I was about 4 miles from home a steady rain started. Too bad I didn't have my rain gear with me! Oh well, it was still a good ride - 45 miles worth of good.



Monday dawned with clear blue skies. The weather forecast called for a high probability of rain and afternoon thunderstorms. Do you think I listened? Nope. Out we headed (my bike and I)... It probably would have been smart to combine some shorter loops near home, just in case - but I didn't do that! I headed to Beverly (on the coast) and then up to Ipswich before turning towards home again. My goal was a 50 mile ride, and when I got home I'd done 54. I was caught in rain twice - not too bad considering the downpour with loud cracks of thunder and visible cloud to ground lightening strikes that greeted me as I pulled up to my house at the end of the ride. Talk about dumb luck and good timing!

Luckily I had my camera with me again, so I could get a shot of this very funny donkey taking a look at me through his fence. I guess he didn't quite know what to make of my bicycle - or maybe he wanted to go for a ride!



Oh, wait, this was supposed to be about biking, wasn't it? Here's a shot of a very happy Denise standing on the shore in Beverly, MA:


Sleeveless? Yup, my summer cycling garb has jumped out of the closet - It was 63 degrees when I started riding this morning, and I figured that was warm enough for bare arms and bare knees!

[spazzdog]

Good going Denise! And nice photos... thank you for sharing.

I have yet to get out to pedal. My roomie had surgery on Monday (last) and had some problems, so I've been playing nurse and now hostess to all of her friends that have come-a-callin'.

Maybe tomorrow when everyone is off to work.

spazz

[Surlygirl]

Yeah, sounds like we all got to ride. DH took Friday off and he and I did the Nashua River rail trail together (22 miles). Saturday we went Mountain Biking with the kids at Oxford State Park but the thunder and lightning had us cutting that ride a little short. Yesterday we rode all around Grafton with our ten year old and did 25 miles. Man this town is a killer with hills. Today DH and I did about 15 and then my legs had had it for the weekend.
Now its raining and I don't even care. WAHOOOOOOOOOO

[DeniseGoldberg]

My roomie had surgery on Monday (last) and had some problems, so I've been playing nurse and now hostess to all of her friends that have come-a-callin'.

spazz

Oh ouch! Please pass my good wishes for fast healing on to your roomie. And I hope you can get out on the road tomorrow.

--- Denise

[Crankin]

Just got back from another aborted ride... but this time we got in much more. The route was just gorgeous. It started in Littleton, up through Groton, Pepperall, Hollis, NH. We had just finished our lunch stop at Kimball's fruit farm and were heading back when the skies really opened up. We had just got back into MA, in Dunstable. First someone let us hang out in their garage, then we tried a couple of more miles. It was miserable, thundering and lightening really badly. We hid under the eaves at the Public Library. My friends had no jackets and one was wearing sleeveless. So finally, the guys called a cab and took it the 19 miles back to our cars and came back to get us. At least i got in a good 31 mile ride. I'm disappointed I didn't get in as much as I wanted, but today was a good ride, with one good hill.

Next weekend looks good; who is in for Sunday AM? That will determine the route!

[DeniseGoldberg]

Next weekend looks good; who is in for Sunday AM? That will determine the route!

Robyn -
I'm definitely in for Sunday morning (June 5th).

Your tale of your rides yesterday and today made me realize just how lucky I was. I was pretty soaked yesterday when I got home, but the rain was all in the last 4 miles of my ride. And today? Well, I guess that I was really, really lucky. The total downpour that started as I opened my garage door sounds like what you were riding in.

--- Denise

[spazzdog]

What is the departure place/time and distance for the 5th? Maybe I can get there...

spazz - ever hopeful

p.s. roomie is much improved. she had her gall bladder removed (had a stone the size of a large marble) plus her gyn was in the OR to inspect the premises from her surgery last yr (crushed overy and fallopian tube removal due to endometriosis).

she had a real hard time with the anethesia... woke up hurling. Every time they tried to get pain meds onboard she'd get sicker. It was ugly. But she's up and around now, slow but moving... and laughing again.