Sept 16th rides

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

DH and I did a modest 19 miler this morning. It felt so GOOD after 3 days of not biking because of constant rain!
We are going on a longer ride tomorrow, morning after Sunday breakfast.

[mimitabby]

I have to go to the store but I must enclose these two photos from our first TE Seattle ride. We did 28 miles together and had a nice lunch.
The first one is everyone except me at the start of the ride..




The second is those of us that made it all the way to Red Hook Brewery where we ate.
Knotted Yet, her friend from work (a great rider), Quillfred, Me and Salsabike.
I'll let one of the others fill you in...
be back later.

[Popoki_Nui]

Sunny today after a few miserable days; did a short 26km ride with the Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition around Shawnigan Lake and up the Trans-Canada Trail to the Kinsol Trestle. The TCT is a rail-to-trail multiuse trail, and the Kinsol is an amazing old rail trestle built around 1921 to service the King Solomon copper mines nearby. www.kinsoltrestle.ca
It's one of the tallest and longest wooden trestles left in the world, and our present provincial government wants to tear it down. Despite appearances, engineers say it can be rebuilt to carry cycle, equestrian, and pedestrian traffic with more than adequate safety, so today's ride was to show the colours and sign a petition to save the regal old trestle.
I have very fond memories of the Kinsol. The church camp I went to for several summers when I was little is just a few km from the trestle; we hiked there often. Wish us luck that we can save it, for future generations to enjoy.
~Sherry.

[mimitabby]

wow, what a cool trestle! I hope you succeed in saving it.

Okay, the ride.
Seven of us met up at 9am, it was quite blustery and cold. We were all wearing full body gear (see photos two posts back) because at any moment it might have started raining sideways. Once we started riding, Salsabike led the pace at a brisk 14-15 mph.. We sighted 2 blue herons, lots of canadian geese, chickens, ducks,seagulls and crows. The bike trail (Burke Gilman Trail) was not as busy as usual due to the cool weather and threat of rain. We made stops every 5 miles or so, for Bathroom and just gathering. At one point a guy churned by us (Salsabike
and I were in the lead) As he passed her she decided it just wasn't right; so she passed HIM. I tried but could not keep up.. It was great to see her pass him like that.
We stopped at RedHook, an actual brewery with a restaurant attached where we ate a great lunch. Salsabike had enough food to take some of it home for dinner.

After we ate, we went out into the back lot and tried out each other's bikes.
Quillfred had a gorgeous green finesse brooks. Knotted thinks she wants one too. Salsa isn't sold on the brooks saddles, but i sure enjoyed riding her bianchi donna.

Then we all went home; well, Salsa and Quillfred and Knotted continued riding; and i got to my car whose headlights had been on all day; so it wasn't going to start. Some nice people came and jumpstarted it for me. hehehe.

And now I await a nice warm bath and an easy evening before my big ride tomorrow.
It was great to meet everyone and get to know them a little.
Forgive me, I don't have the names of the other two ladies who rode with us and left before we got to Marymoor.. more will be revealed..

[emily_in_nc]

Like Carrie Anne (hi CA!), DH and I rode to/from the farmer's market and food co-op on our Bike Fridays. We each had all four panniers and a rack pack with a full load of groceries to take home. It was a gorgeous day here in central NC! Breezy (we caught some great tailwinds), lower humidity, and only in the 70s! Lots of other cyclists out, no rude drivers, no loose dogs. Doesn't get much better than that!

30.6 miles, 13.5 avg speed

Emily

[DebW]

62 miles at avg speed of 16.7 mph. Trying to train for century next weekend, but not sure how the 3 hour stop in the middle factors in. Spent most of the 3 hours playing Brio trains with nephew. The riding was very nice, except hot the first hour. One hour nap after dinner. Maybe a short (1-2 hour) ride tomorrow morning.

[MomOnBike]

Exciting weather ride.

After work I went to the store to pick up a few commuting essentials. It was hot and I was working my way into a gusty headwind.

Coming home there were a few rain sprinkles and I was treated to a lively lightning display (all cloud to cloud) and a very nice tailwind. Still hot, though, the bank clock said 88.

Oh, did I mention the severe weather watch we were under? I rather like riding in nasty weather. I have the bike paths all to myself.

[KnottedYet]

Seattle TE ride!

Oh, suuuuuuch fun! Fabulous riding weather, excellent company, gorgeous scenery!

52 miles. Lunch and beer at Red Hook. Dinner and Margaritas at Agua Verde.

There was a football game at UW, and ravening hordes on the BG through there. Pretty fun slaloming through the revellers! Hung out at Recycled Cycles for a bit, too.

Sunset over the lake and St. Edwards park was so beautiful.

I'm tired, and I stink. Off to bed in a few minutes, but I had to bounce through TE first.

[DDH]

Lisa, you are soooo right. It will take some getting use to. It does have the 700c wheels and the gearing is higher than the mountain bike.

I am not quite as sure on this bike either so I think I am a little stiffer for now.
I went around the corners yesterday really wide and almost wiped out twice because I went off the road. I don't feel comfortable yet turning the corners very quickly, feels like I need to slow way down.
I guess the skinner tires make me feel like they are going to come out from under me. LOL
I will get use to her. DH was making remarks about how I was slower and I told him that I was probably going to be until I get use to the gears and the bike itself. I'm not worried about it for now. I know I will have to build up strenght more on this bike to get the speeds up because the gearing is different.

[Susarific]

On September 16, 2006 I rode in my first organized ride the Oxford Odyssey and while I only did 35 miles I am still very proud of myself! Even though none of my friends or relatives remember my ride or said that 35 miles was nothing and that I am a pansy, I still think it is cool! So here it is I went 35.0 miles in 2:33 and avg. 13.6 mph! I loved the ride, it rocked the house!!!