february rides

[rebeccaC]

Did one of my favorite rides to start February…Figueroa Mountain Rd in the Los Padres National Forest. I started in and looped back on Happy Canyon Rd to Los Olivos. 53 miles total, 4500 elevation gain, some good climbs and descents and perfect low 70’s weather. Beautiful views of the Santa Ynez Valley, the San Rafael Wilderness and then the peaceful pastoral views of Happy Valley coming off the mountain and back into Los Olivos. Panoramic views and a good physical challenge is my lure to mountain routes like this one. It’s like a searching for something transcendent…..and finding it.

I haven't ridden this route during spring blooming time (was told by a park ranger i really should) so i'm planning for it this year.

[azfiddle]

So far, just two short rides- 16 miles on Sunday to Saguaro NP and about 15 miles after work today south and east, partly along the Pantano "river" bike path.

Friday and Saturday it rained here - 2 inches in the valley and 4-7 inches in the mountains- that's a huge amount for Tucson! The Pantano was in full flood and running back to bank earlier in the day, but even by the time I got out (3 pm) on Sunday, it was still carrying a pretty good amount of water. Today- there was nothing but damp sand in the wash- almost no little puddles anywhere.

[ny biker]

I am envious. For weeks now I've been thinking: I really want to go for a long bike ride on a warm sunny day. I have been so cranky and stressed out lately and I know the lack of weekend bike rides is part of the problem. Spending quality time with Coach Troy is just not the same thing.

We might get a sunny day with a high above 40 this Saturday. If that happens and it's not too windy I think I will go for a ride near the Chesapeake Bay. I need a water-view fix.

[Aromig]

Yesterday was just warm enough that I managed to get out for a short afternoon ride on our Monon trail. Only 13 miles, and not the best ride (there are lots of stops for cross streets) but happy to be out in the sunshine! January/February outdoor rides are far and few between for me so I enjoyed this one.

[ny biker]

Well we got a break from the cold yesterday, with sunshine and a high temp above 50. So instead of setting up the bike on the indoor trainer I went out for a ride after work. I didn't start until 7 pm, so it was dark but was still 50 degrees. I rode a somewhat hilly 16-mile route.

I tried out a Sugoi Firewall jacket that I had bought late last winter and had worn for other activities (snow shoveling!) but had not yet worn for a bike ride. I had been worried that it really wasn't windproof, but it was actually quite comfortable. I also tested out the new Bontrager headlight that I bought last month. It's very bright and only cost $100.

Toward the end of the ride I did start to feel a bit cold, possibly because the wind picked up or changed direction. By this morning it was cold and windy again.

I'm looking forward to Saturday -- sunshine and less cold weather is on the way.

[Jolt]

I was in Stowe, VT for a few days this week for a conference and decided to try out a fatbike since there is a shop there that rents them (I ended up renting a Pugsley). It was pretty good on the well-packed snowmobile trails, but on another trail with soft snow that was not as well packed all I did was spin the rear wheel and get stuck! There were quite a few places where I had to push it. Even on the hard packed snow, I don't think I was moving much if any faster than I would have been on XC skis...think I will stick to that and snowshoeing for winter sports. It would be interesting to try riding a fatbike on the beach or dirt trails though. For those who do a lot of snow riding on fatbikes, is it normal to be that slow, or was that just me being bad at it?

[BlessedB]

32 miles today in sunny flat Fla (don't hate - just come on down!), and another 32 planned for tomorrow. But it's time to wander back over and re-read the posts on different saddles - ow-ow-ow!

[ny biker]

I led a 39-mile club ride today. It was colder than I had hoped it would be, apparently due to some clouds that wedged between the Chesapeake Bay and the Blue Ridge. It was especially chilly by the bay, which was our destination. The views were nice anyway, though, and temps were above 40 for the entire ride. Overall it was a nice winter ride.

My legs were tired by the end and I have tons of stuff I should do around the house tomorrow. But one of the friends on today's ride asked me to join her tomorrow up in Frederick County. I've been told that when I'm an old lady I will not look back fondly on memories of cleaning the house -- so I'm going for another ride. I just hope my legs are up to the task.

[SheFly]

Jolt - this is normal. The snow right now is not the right consistency to make it easy going on the fat bikes. It needs to be harder packed than what is possible given the cold temps and fluffy consistency. That said, you CAN ride right now - early in the morning before the temps rise and a lot of traffic has hit the trails is best. The other trick is to keep a STEADY, EVEN pedal stroke with low power to help avoid spinning the rear tire. The sides of the trails are also typically harder pack than the middle - the groomers hit there while sleds tend to run the middle of the trails, leaving the sides harder pack. Skiing is faster, but there is NOTHING like being out on the fat bikes in the snow for 3-4 hours! I would suggest not totally giving up on it, and giving it another go.

Up in Bethel, ME, and here in Bedford, MA, we have been riding outside a lot. I did 3.5 hours (ride time - overall duration was closer to 4.5 hours) on Friday, and 2.5 on Saturday. Add to that close to 2 hours Thursday and another 2 on a coffee ride on the Minuteman and through Arlington's Great Meadow yesterday, and that puts me at 10 hours this week, not counting the ride I did last Monday. Yup - it's snowing, but I still haven't ridden indoors in over a year and a half! Yay fat bikes!

SheFly

[maillotpois]

. . . Yay fat bikes!

SheFly

Indeed! We regularly see fat bikes while snowshoeing in Tahoe and when the kid (in Boston) and I visited Mom (in Maine) last week, we saw demos of fat bikes at LL Bean, which was really cool!!