Labor Day Rides

[Jiffer]

Today I rode 65 miles down Santa Ana Canyon to the beach, including 10 miles along PCH and back. I went with DH, my friend who is training for Amtrak with me and her husband, who is also doing Amtrak. My husband is the strongest, so he pretty much pulled us the entire way. But, even so ... I KICKED MY BUTT!!! We averaged 18 miles per hour, which is just completely insane for me. Even with the drafting, I was working my butt off and can't believe I sustained it for that long. I was really hurting the last 10 miles or so, but I did it.

Funny thing is, I saw Zulu! Fujichants new beautiful Trek with pink handlebars and white seat. I saw it at the beach during a bathroom break. I stared at hit wondering if it was that bike, but decided that Zulu had pink bottle cages. When I got home I found a post from Fujichant asking if I had ridden the Santa Ana River Trail today cause she thought she saw my bike at that rest stop. So, it turns out it WAS her and I'm cracking up that I saw her bike and she saw my bike. It's all about the bikes. We recognize them but not each other. How funny is that! I didn't even know she was in California.

[Crankin]

My ride was exactly 10.75 miles, squeezed in between gardening, shopping, going for coffee, and taking my bike to the LBS to start the process of installing the components on the new frame. While we were there, we talked with a racer guy we know who used to take our son to races before he could drive; he also taught spin classes at my gym. As we were waiting for the owner, one of the employees, who I know fairly well, told me the new shallow drop, short reach bar I was holding in my hand for them to use on my new frame, was not good and they had better ones ! She saw I was pissed, so her next comment was "Well, you should talk to the owner." I can't wait for this process to be over. While I'm thrilled he is doing this for no cost, I am sick of the attitude toward anything like components for small women. He also is anti American bikes, in general. Now I am worried the new bike won't be done for the ride I have next Sunday.
I will be putting around on my Jamis this week, I guess, but I got my 2,000 miles.

[kie_fujo]

hubby and i did 28mi yesterday. but it was split into two 14mi stretches. rode to my mil's for a cookout then rode home. good way to work off some of that food!!

[MrsB]

DH and I set out to do the 30 mile loop but when we went to take the bikes out of the garage my bikes back tire was locking up. Quickly figured out the noise I heard the other night. I have a broken spoke. So anyways no biggie I rode my neglected Giant rainier. Well as soon as we got out on the road the wind picked up and it never left our faces. UGhhh.. Especially with my big 4 wheel drive tires. Big nobby tires! We ended up doing 22 miles so all in all it wasnt that bad. I can say that now but let me tell ya at about 10 miles into it and the wind just holding me back I came close to calling the kids to come get me and the bike but DH promised me an ice cream at mile 15. LOL. So anyways hope its not going to be to expensive to get the rear wheel fixed. I think Im going to start looking at some new bikes so this will be a good way to get me into the LBS.

[Aggie_Ama]

I did about 6 miles in a tube! We went to float the river yesterday and take some time off the bikes. Good thing for me since my little debacle on the mountain bike Saturday has me with a slightly bum ankle. I am hoping to run tonight and bike commute home later this week. Maybe I should wrap it.

[mayanorange]

I'm so jealous you got to tube! DH and I went out for a long ride- probably too long for me! 24.8 miles with way too much wind and the usual rolling hills of Dover and Sherborn. Now I have a bruised bum- still working on finding the right shorts apparently- and a couple twitchy muscles in my hand that are repairing themselves. Tubing would have been better although it was probably too cool up here for it.

[chicagogal]

My labor day ride was with my parents who were in town for the weekend riding horrible rented "comfort" bikes. We did a VERY SLOW (I'm not exaggerating, we averaged less then 7mi/hr) 20mi ride (10mi out, 10 back). After the fist 10mi we stopped for a swim and lunch and sightseeing, and when we got back on the bikes, they both claimed to be unable to move! I traded my bike for my mom's b/c mine is easier to ride and we are about the same size. This helped her a bit, but she still had to walk up a "hill". I had to hear for the next 24hrs about how I tortured them! Other than the complaining on the return trip, however, I think they enjoyed the ride. The weather was great and so was the sightseeing for out-of-town guests.

[chicago]

I did the Wright Stuff Century out of Mt. Horeb, WI. It was amazing and so fun. Very hilly and very hard... but I loved every minute of it. I so love my bike