August 12th rides

[solveig]

Rode about 33 miles of rolling hills from our farm to another farm where our coop was hosting a sweet corn boil. Beautiful day to ride - low 80's and a breeze - and what a treat to end the ride at a feast! Sweet corn, fresh veggie salads, 7 different kinds of homemade bread, potato salad, apple crisp and chocolate peanut butter cheesecake. Whoa.

I think we need to invent a smiley face who's licking his lips.

[sarahannecycle]

gorgeous coolish day here, I rode 23 miles on my plain old loop I always do (though it's not that plain, it has nice views all around). It's got hills and lots of promise for a longer route, but I'm stuck doing a route I know so that my time out and back is predictable. Next ride I'm adding on mileage. I'm tired of 23 miles. I'd like a few more, and I'd really love a group ride. *sigh* I'm in a lot better shape now than I used to be, and esp the hills don't really bother me so much anymore. dh stayed home with the baby and I returned to a marathon nap that let me shower alone *and* dry off and get dressed alone!! it;s such a treat to get out and ride. Thank goodness for my beauty bike. (I'm also going to take pictures on my next ride!

[tulip]

I did my longest ride in 20 years yesterday--70 miles! I was really nervous, but I did it and I was actually fine. We had a few rest stops, and that certainly helped, but I was amazed at how comfortable I was. It's the longest time I've ridden my Luna, and it is such a wonderful, comfortable bike. I had a great time and I'm no longer intimidated by distances like that. My speed was fine for me over 70 miles--14.3. We had some decent hills that really slowed me down (I need to expand my cassette), so on the flatter sections I held 17-18 mph.

What fun!

[Cassandra_Cain]

I did my longest ride in 20 years yesterday--70 miles! I was really nervous, but I did it and I was actually fine. We had a few rest stops, and that certainly helped, but I was amazed at how comfortable I was. It's the longest time I've ridden my Luna, and it is such a wonderful, comfortable bike. I had a great time and I'm no longer intimidated by distances like that. My speed was fine for me over 70 miles--14.3. We had some decent hills that really slowed me down (I need to expand my cassette), so on the flatter sections I held 17-18 mph.

What fun!

Definitely, get that expanded cassette. I had a 12-27 installed the day before yesterday and then did the biggest climb in the area. Without that 27, I don't think I could have made it

[tulip]

Definitely, get that expanded cassette. I had a 12-27 installed the day before yesterday and then did the biggest climb in the area. Without that 27, I don't think I could have made it

I was even thinking of a Sheldon Brown solution to give me the equivalent of a triple without having to get a triple...39-30 with a 13-30 cassette. I would have to get a long-arm derailleur, though.

Of course, my other alternative is to get a long-haul randnoneur bike (like a Rambouillet, perhaps?) with everything just so, and keep my Luna for shorter, faster, flater rides. Any excuse for another sweet bike!

[Cassandra_Cain]

Of course, my other alternative is to get a long-haul randnoneur bike (like a Rambouillet, perhaps?) with everything just so, and keep my Luna for shorter, faster, flater rides. Any excuse for another sweet bike!

You know, I think you've just perfectly rationalized your next bike purchase

But by all means, give the gearing change, "serious" , consideration .

[mary9761]

My Saturday started like any other Saturday morning with my alarm going off at 4am. I normally get up at 4 to be sure I'm on the road by no later than 5:30am so I can get to the club breakfast ride by 8am. I have to do that as I don't drive and there are no buses early enough to get from my home 25 miles north to the start point. I normally ride all the way to the ride, then do the 42 mile breakfast ride and then stretch out my ride home to get a century lately. This Saturday was not going to end up that way.
The weekend previous; 5 August, 2006; I had ridden to the ride and had my best/fastest average going by the time we reached breakfast. I had gone from 11.9 when I first got to the park where we begin to 12.9 by the time we got to the restaurant. I leave a bit early from the rest of the group since I don't ride a road bike and if I'm going to have any chance of getting to breakfast in time to sit with anyone, I have to get on the road before the rest. I had left about 10 minutes earlier than the rest of the group and kept watching for them in my mirror and surprisingly I had made it to within a couple miles of the stop point before any of the hammers caught me. I was less than half a mile from the restaurant when I thought I saw a friend who I have a friendly competition with on mileage and when I thought I saw him coming in my rear view, I cranked her into high gear said, "Not if I can help it" and pedalled for all I was worth. Well, it ended up not being him but he wasn't far behind so I kept pedaling and nearly beat him to the restaurant, I had to stop for traffic at a very busy intersection and he didn't, so he cruised across the highway and beat me by a minute. (He rides a Seven and of course, I'm on the Navigator 50).
When it was time to head back onto the road, I started to pedal and ch-chunk, ch-chunk.. UGH, I thought I'd busted another bottom bracket. Turns out when the ride leader finally stopped to help me check the bike, it was a broken chain (4000+ miles on it, was riding on borrowed time). We limped back the 10 miles to my closest LBS and replaced the chain. I had 52 miles in at that point and thought I'd at least try to salvage a metric out of the day. Ch-chunk, ch-chunk... it's still acting up so back to the shop. The verdict - I need a new freewheel as well... UGH! They don't carry the 7 ring with mega drive in stock. I can ride the bike but have to stay out of the gears that are affected (the ones I use all the time) and ride the big ring.. I limp back to town and check with Jimmy at The Bike Line downtown and he's going to have to order one as well. He'd hoped it would be in by last Friday at least but it didn't make it. The order it was on was coming from several different places and it's now looking like it will be mid week this week.
So I get up at my normal 4am this Saturday and debate, am I going to attempt to get the 25 miles to the ride and then tempt fate and risk damaging the bike further to try some of the hills on our breakfast ride? It's pitch black outside and I'm feeling crappy so I decide NOT to take the chance. I crawl back into bed.
When I get up later that morning, I realize, this is going to be probably the NICEST weekend possible in August with low humidities and temps only in the lower 80's, I HAVE TO GET ON THE BIKE!!!! I've been taking short trips on the bike while staying in the big ring, but, I'm going to at least get out and ride downtown to see Jimmy at the LBS. While I'm there, we talk about the fact that I'm still really wanting to eventually get one of the Trek Pilots. I've been looking at the Pilot 1.2 WSD She's shiney, lava red and she's already told me her name - Pele, the Goddess of Volcanoes - She's ready to burn up the road. Well, he didn't have the size I need in stock to try, but he did have the Pilot 1.2 flat bar and I asked if I could test ride it. He told me to take as long as I'd like. So I hopped on the MONON and away I went. We didn't have a computer on her, but she FLEW!!! I rode all the way to 96th St and back in just over an hour and a half and that was with several stops along the way to check in at the Pedal and Park at the State Fair grounds, a couple water stops and long enough to have to put the chain back on as it jumped off while I was experimenting with gear changes. That trip would normally take me MUCH longer on the Navigator. What a SWEEEEEEEET ride! I got a nice 22 mile round trip test ride in and now I want the bike even more. I'm going to check to see if he will be getting in any more of the WSD so I can compare. I'd tried the flat bar because I thought it might be better on me to ride a flat bar with bar ends like I'm used to with me extra girth at both the middle and up top (don't want to smother myself trying to ride in the drops) and I thought also it might be easier on my back for right now sitting a bit more upright. The bike handled so well that even when I had some sort of stinging bee fly into my jersey (AND BRA ) that I was able to control her while trying to release the bee which had gotten stuck in my bra and keep riding. I was amazed that I was able to manage that without wrecking.
Sorry for such a long round about way of talking about my ride on Saturday, but I'd forgotten to post on the 5th so needed to explain why I didn't ride my Navigator.
When I got back to the LBS, I told my Little Navigator That Could, that momma still loved her and even if I end up getting Pele some day that she will always be important to me. She'll get to do things that Pele won't. Now, if the Trek fairy could just come and visit me... LOL... Actually, I've written to the President of Trek bikes at the suggestion of Jimmy and many others and told him about the feats that my Little Navigator That Could has accomplished in the past year and how she has helped me change my life. Maybe, just maybe, I'll get to be some sort of spokes person for Trek bikes (as if) keep you fingers crossed that fairy tales come true.