october 15/16,2011 rides!

[Roadtrip]

Had a nice dinner with Catrin and WindingRoad here in Indiana while in mini-vacation... Did a hike before dinner with Catrin and got nearly got lost in the woods... Thankful she knows those woods well and led the way

Catrin also showed me her favorite roads and have to say I'm envious!!!

Today rode thirteen miles on the Monon Trail--after a long walk to work some of the breakfast off-- felt much better after the ride then at the beginning!!

Only the third ride since my crash about six weeks ago and apparent torn Labrum in my shoulder--MRI Wednesday to confirm. I've been feeling a pop coming from the shoulder and wonder now if this is a subluxation of the shoulder happening when I hear this. Wednesday is the day-- then treatment options.

Shannon

[owlice]

27 miles for me in the late afternoon; I got on the bike and didn't stop until both the daylight and I were done. It was a perfect day for riding, even with the headwind.

[Catrin]

I am enjoying reading everyone's rides today - and glad you enjoyed our hike yesterday Roadtrip! Those aren't my favorite roads, but I do ride there frequently.

Today I had fun mountain biking. It was a great ride, but did fall and wrenched my back/snapped my neck. I think I am fine, just have a bruised back I think. I am avoiding the beer and turning to ibuprophen and ice...

[Owlie]

OUCH! Feel better, Catrin! (And here I was thinking I wanted to try MTBing... )

I made a date with my trainer today. I haven't been feeling up to riding of late.

[yellow]

FW, I just wanted to say that it's nice to see you posting again. I missed your photo essays!

[goldfinch]

OK, a few tweaks are in order, but it went well. I spent 3 hours at the LBS late yesterday afternoon/early evening. Saddle-- too high and the saddle they convinced me would be great=instrument of torture. Put another saddle on and lowered the saddle. Bars: the 40 cm felt huge and the drop was not shallow enough. Knowing I was getting pissed, they whipped out a 38 cm with the same drop length as my Specialized Bar on my other bike. OK, done, my numbers on the computer looked "perfect" in terms of pedal stroke, etc. Drank some wine at the LBS and collapsed.
Took the bike out very gingerly before we left to meet our friends for a ride. I hate change and as soon as I stood over the bike, I felt really high up, although I could reach the pedals. It just felt wrong. I rode down the street to a flatter street and walked back up my driveway, quite upset. How could a custom bike feel this weird? DH compared the seat height to my Kuota and, of course, it was 3mm higher. Fixed that and off we went.
I was mostly concerned with getting used to the compact double; I have a mountain bike cassette, so I have more lower gears than my triple, but just the whole finding the "sweet spot" was amy concern. Shifting was smooth, and I felt "normal" on the descents and climbs, but I did not feel right on the flats. I always felt I was in a too easy or too hard gear. It was very windy, too which didn't help. I couldn't maintain a speed over 15-16 on the flats without feeling like my effort was too high. And, the second saddle, that's a no go, too. Now I know how some of you guys have felt trying new saddles. My azz was killing me, as well as some inner thigh chafing.
And, we did a hard ride. My maiden voyage went up Oak Hill into Harvard center, up a 20% grade over to the Fruitlands, where one of the pictures was taken, and back to the center for lunch. We rode back through Bolton , Boxborough, and finally to our friends' in Acton, total of 34 miles. I was really hurting, but overall, once the saddle gets changed (just ordered another Terry Falcon X) and I learn to utilize the gears better. DH just explain about the "half shifts" with a double, so perhaps that will be the key. Hey, I didn't drop my chain and he did!
The bikes feels smooth as butter and my confidence descending was definitely improved.

Keep the reports coming! I've been very interested in your buying experience as a small woman.

It has taken me a while to get used to the compact double. I've got the "trimming" down pretty good. But I do not always shift the front derailleur in the right spot. I do a lot more shifting of the front derailleur than I did with the triple, when I spend most of my time on the middle chain ring.

[MillieNZ]

we piled our bikes into my honda fit

and joined 19 other cyclists to do a quick 29 mile loop along side the sound in northern washington.
We were treated to an absolutely blue sky!! the sun felt WONDERFUL.
On the other hand, poor little me couldn't keep up with the others, including my DH who just had chemo and 25 days of radiation. He's superman and I'm a wimp. It was still a good ride.
Fredwina, your photos are WONDERFUL.

Nice !! We've just brought a Fit Loved how the back seats fold both ways... looking forward to it arriving at the garage this week...and getting the bikes in the back

After intermittent cycling during our 18 months in Hawaii, i cycled from Torreys Pines to Encinitas and back along the coast.... loving the bike lanes and the weather in SD.... feels really good to be back out biking again.... thinking of doing the Bike the Bays ride in 3 weeks!

[tangentgirl]

I did the Orange County Ride for AIDS yesterday. Metric century and then some; my longest ride of the year.

This was a great ride! The people were friendly and it was very well-supported, especially given that this is only its second year running.

Highlights:
* Great roads with wonderfully large bike lanes.
* Aforementioned nice peeps on the ride.
* Pit stops every 10-15 miles.
* Rolling hills with good fast flats in between.
* A perfect day in the 60s and 70s after a miserable heat wave earlier this week.
* The Oakley headquarters pit stop - that place looks like a futuristic battlestar port. All I can say is, wow.
* An Occupy Orange County rally in front of Irvine City Hall, with at least a couple hundred people. Very unexpected.
* Ice cream!
* SAG wagons riding up and down all day.
* A route through the canyons and along the beach.
* The chance to finally ride Laguna Canyon Road. I've had my eye on that strip of asphalt for years, just haven't wanted to drive all the way out there (it's about an a hour away without traffic).
*$100k+ raised for a great cause (total, not me, of course)
* Free massages at the end

I signed up last week after a friend cajoled me into it with the you could always SAG if you needed to routine. Since my longest ride this year has only been around 40 miles, I was a little worried, especially when I saw that the route was 68 miles, instead of 62.

I made it just fine, though, no SAG, no nuthin. I *was* the last person into the second pit stop, which encouraged me to ZIP through the next couple of stops, but it all worked out. I was very excited when I realized I was only 10 miles out and, damnitt, I had that ride in the bag.

All in all, I highly recommend this ride and I'll be there next year.

[CyborgQueen]

Yesterday I did my first century ride! 102 miles of going around Las Vegas, including going on The Strip for RTC Viva Bike Vegas with 4000' of climbing.

I had a lot of fun doing this ride. There were only couple glitches. My friend had a flat so I had to wait nearly half hour or so for him. I didn't see him so I don't know why it took so long to change a flat. Lol! SPF 15 is crap. Got my cheeks and lips a little burned. Forgot my gloves, but I was actually more comfortable without them. Other than that I didn't have any mechanical issues, nutritional issues, etc.

Other than that I was faster than I expected, I have very little to no pain at all in my legs. Slightly stiff neck, that's it. I am really surprised because I thought for sure my legs would be painful.

I look forward doing more centuries.

[Antaresia]

Ah, today I biked more than I ever have before! From the middle of Vancouver, through Burnaby, to the middle of New Westminster. IDK how far that was, I'm resisting temptation to get a bike computer. About 2 and half hours total, with a break in between because the purpose of the trip was to visit my friend.

It was beautiful, straight through urban Vancouver, then I got lost in Central park. Followed the Skytrain bike path until I hit Edmunds station, where I always get a little lost. After some awkward searching, I pick up the bike trail again, leave it when I hit New West. Ooooh the hills there are epic. I kept the front gear on the middle the whole time, hauling my mixte around has made me strong, I think.

My friend let me keep my bike inside her apartment, so I took the nice bike. It was such a good day! Then I came home and went on a grocery run with my beater, lol. Salmon as soft as butter, yams, and swiss chard steamed with balsamic and walnuts.

Crankin, I've had the same problems with my fitted bike. I think the LBS guys are too wrapped up in "by the book" fittings rather than listening to how you feel. I came from riding a mixte that is too small for me; and as wrong as that is it's what I was used too. I'm adjusting to riding my "properly" fitted bike though. I'm also debating what to do about my saddle, I want a brooks...I think.

[Catrin]

OUCH! Feel better, Catrin! (And here I was thinking I wanted to try MTBing... )

I made a date with my trainer today. I haven't been feeling up to riding of late.

No reason not to try it, things happen no matter what we do. It is a lot of fun and the ride was worth it - and I feel fine this morning

[redrhodie]

I didn't ride this weekend, but I got out early for 18 miles today in the wind and rain. I had no idea it was raining. It cleared about halfway in, and I pretty much air dried by the time I got home. Now it's bright and sunny, but that rain wasn't bad.

[Titania]

Did a 20.1 mile trip on Saturday morning. It was super windy out and felt like riding through molasses. Tough to get any kind of speed up. All in all, a great ride, though.

[Susan126]

I rode 65 miles yesterday in the fog, mist, and gloom. It was the Southern Exposure route which started and ended in Kent. Mostly back country roads. It was eerie seeing low fog in the meadows. I got wet for the first 2 1/2 hours from the fine mist collection on my jacket and helmet but around mile 31 the fog layer lifted a bit (the sun did not come out . . . still remained very overcast and gray) but at least it was dry for the last half of my metric.

Biciclista . . . did you do the Lake Washington loop? I thought the BGT was closed on the north end around Kenmore/Log Boom and going toward U District? I'm car shopping right now and trying to decided between three. Test driving coming up when Joe returns home from his Montana hunting trip the end of October.

[DebW]

I did about 30 miles on my Brookstone MB-3 yesterday after putting bar ends on it (the mtb grips, not the shifters). Rode about 15 miles to a wildlife refuge and did some of the dirt roads there. The refuge was very nice, the trails were pretty good, and the ponds were lovely.