September 8th Rides

[Fredwina]

I was going to do a moonlight double metric , but my ride partners backed out, and I didn't think I should tray and pedal through downtown Rubidoux at 10PM. I was getting a little bore with the club, and decided that I hadn't done Glendora Mountain Road in long time, so I headed out that way.
I pedal by the Mc Donalds at Foothill and lone hill in Glendora. I was hearing that still, small voice that was telling me that I should and refill my Camelback, Did I/ Nooo!
I made up to the shed in a record for me! and I passed a couple of folks on bikes (usually I'm the passee) woohoo! I stopped at the shed and had some Sharkies, and then continued on to Glendora Ridge Road.
I was doing until Got past the halfway point. I ran out of water and I had forgotten my endurlytes(salt tablets) . I started cramping real bad. I could walk, and the heat I think had something to do with it, and I was just before you start to descend to Cow Canyon saddle, so I walked . Took it easy until I got into the baldy village, and then got a refill of my Camelback, some powerade, and some "prune juice"(aka regular Dr Pepper). Refreshed I bombed down mt baldy road.
When I got ready to turn to go home, I had a dilemma: I had promised to ride for Mary9761's on Team E and BikeJournal's birthday,, and I only had 55 miles. So i went over to Hermosa and down to 8th before heading
Miles 63
Time don't ask

[Fredwina]

Starting out:

going up:



looking down at San Gabriel/ Azusa canyon:


above the clouds and on Glendora ridge:






the end at last!

[mudmucker]

Very nice photos Fredwina. Love'em. Didn't bring my camera today but I will when the foliage gets color. Did 47 miles into southern NH, from Phillipston, MA up towards Troy, NH. One of my more favorite rides. Hot and humid today with strong breezes throughout. The last 7 miles had lots of thunder rumbling - got home just in time - 10 minutes later a heavy thunderstorm hit and it was torrential for a while. We need the rain.

Ya know, I just have to marvel and curse at the darn power to weight ratio men have. I'm goin' along during the earlier part of the ride and start going up a hill I do often. Often I sit this hill but sometimes I like to stand and sprint a bit to air out the legs and have a butt break. So I'm standing while I'm climbing and whoosh, there's this fellow that just blows right by me on a sitting climb like I was one of the Comcast turtles (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QuuOwQB4MQ Based on this commercial they must be snapping turtles). So although it was a nice view from behind, albeit as brief as it was, when I recover from the wake of his current I begin to curse my greater body fat percentage and my wider sitbones. And maybe I even start to grumble about the fact that I'm probably old enough to be his mother. I get to the top of the hill and he's a half a mile ahead of me on the down and I'm laughing at that. I reach a small flat and get around the corner and he's 0.75 miles ahead of me already at the top of the next hill. He gets out of sight pretty quick. As soon as I can't see him anymore my grumbling stops and everything is great with my world again, la la happy to be riding and feeling good that I am out and capable of doing what I do.

[7rider]

Today was the Baltimore Bike Club's Civil War Century - a collection of rides - from 25 to 100+ miles. Well, here's what their site says about the event:
"Join us in Thurmont, Maryland again this year for the cycling event that has everything -- famous historical sites, breathtaking scenery, low-traffic roads, and well-marked routes designed for every ability level. As in the past, you can visit the South Mountain and Antietam or Gettysburg battlefield sites -- or all three of them if you elect to ride the full century -- while cycling through some of the most beautiful countryside east of the Mississippi."

I had intended to do the metric century - after having spent the past week home and sick, I didn't think I'd be up for a route that advertises 7,400' of climbing. But, DH and I got there (on time! Shocking) and hooked up with the N2 crew from the Bicycle Place, and they talked me into joining them on the full century. Ha! Join them??? Yeah. I saw them at the beginning of the ride and hung with them for 3 miles (of climbing). After that, they were GONE.

DH rode with the front group. I brought up the rear. It was God-awful, stinkin' hot today. I went through 10 waterbottles of Gatorade, more bananas and PB&J's than I care to think about, and sucked the salt off loads of peanuts. It was HOT! People were cramping left and right (fortunately, I had just a minor cramp 1 mile from the end, and that was it). And the hotter it got, the slower I got. Did I mention it was hot??

But I finished! 103.3 miles, 7100 feet of climbing according to my Garmin, a ride time of just shy of 7 hours (gasp!), for an average speed of 14.8 mph. And now I'm very tired and I think I'll go to bed!

Oh, here are some pix. I brought the camera, but it sat getting sweaty in my jersey pocket most of the time. A very pretty ride, and Antietam gave me goosebumps, but I just wanted to FINISH!

Here's the group (that's me in front on the left and DH to my left - the first, last, and only time I saw many of these folks), and me at the mile 84 rest stop...looking fresh as a daisy. NOT!

[SouthernBelle]

Today Meg and I rode the HOW100 south of Nashville. Ride was uneventful until toward the end. As I pulled into the rest stop before you get onto Natchez Trace, I noticed rain off in the distance. This stop is called "Margaritaville" so one tends to loiter. But with the rain spotted, I headed out a little quicker. After I was out on the Trace a bit I realized that I was riding through ground water and that the temps had dropped. I thought great, missed the rain. I was so wrong. Shortly the heavens opened. First rain I had seen in over a month and where does it hit. I had to ride with my head down as I couldn't see. Lo and behold there was another rest stop at about the 5 mile to go mark (weird). I rode in and pulled under the little tent thinking the rain would pass. It didn't. There was me, my bike, another rider whose bike had already gone back to the start, and the 3 workers and a big table crammed under this tent. Finally the mechanic, in a big van, pulled up so I sagged in the last 5 miles. As we passed a few, who refused rides, I felt a little guilty. But after being so hot, I was freezing now. It was still pouring rain when we left. When I got home, it hadn't rained a drop here.

[DirtDiva]

Sucked, in a more p*nctures than spare tubes kind of way. Today, with the aid of much patience and a pair of needle-nosed tweezers I pulled out... The. Tiniest. Piece. Of. Glass. EVER! No wonder I neither saw nor felt it roadside.

[Brandi]

I had my first real ride yesterday in two months. All I can say is my butt hurts today. I am debating on getting back on today or do yoga.
I will say this, it was soooo nice going out and riding by all the familiar sites. All the cows seem good, but the grass lands are so brown right now it is a bit scary. Wild fires are so bad in California and it doesn't help we haven't got much rain this year.
Well off to read another chapter in my Harry Potter book!

[cyclingmom01]

30.1 miles at a relaxing 14.5mph. It was nice just to cruise and enjoy the countryside.

[Tri Girl]

Great rides, ladies!

Fredwina, loved your ride tale, and the pictures. It's always nice to see where other people ride- and that looks like one TOUGH day in the saddle.

Regina, loved your pictures, too! And you DO TOO look good at mile 84!

[teawoman]

Well, this doesn't compare to centuries, but: My longest ride yet...~45 miles....I think I increased distance a *bit* fast --I feel pretty drained, but the only discomfort I had was a lot of aching across the shoulders during the last 1/2 hour. There was a lunch break in between the out & back.

It was a club ride, technically a "B" ride, but there was a small group of slower riders I fit in with. A lot of rollling hills on the return trip...oy...they really slow me down.

Beautiful pics, Fredwina!