Octobr 4 rides

[Kano]

Dang!

Tater's bugs are really starting to bother me! They were out in force again this morning, and it's just not pleasant to have a bug-covered shirt on when going in to pay the water bill! Pesky when walking into the bike shop too, but still, that was a fun thing to include in my ride this morning: gotta pay the water bill, and what the heck, I'll be about a third of the way to the nearest LBS if I do that, so how about checking into a jacket now that it's getting cooler out?

SO, got a PI Whisper jacket in that nasty screaming yellow color that I modeled for my daughter when I got home: see, Alicia? NO ONE can possibly have the excuse that they didn't see THIS in front of them! I also had a peek at the Specialized Dolce's too. They're on end of season close out, and have SERIOUS bike lust at the moment. Good thing I didn't get on one and ride. I might have spent a whole lot more money, and then I'd have a cranky DH tonight....

Took "the long way" home, since there's a canal I had to find a bridge to cross, and I missed a turn. The long way also stretched out the climb from "town" to my house -- it's much easier in teensy bits than doing it all at once! Good morning for a 12 mile ride! Oh yeah: tried out my new Shebeast tech tights for the first time too this morning and BOY are they toasty! I was MUCH more comfortable moving than being indoors in them, never mind how they show off my many curves! They're very comfy, once I got the extra leg length gathered properly around my ankles instead of bunched in my "knee-pits." Too warm to wear the new jacket home, so I put it in my handlebar bag, and it fit!!!

Fun morning. Gonna do it again tomorrow!

Karen in Boise

[Tater]

Dang!
Tater's bugs are really starting to bother me! They were out in force again this morning, and it's just not pleasant to have a bug-covered shirt on when going in to pay the water bill!
Karen in Boise

Ya know, Kano, I don't have exclusive ownership rights to the bugs, you are more than welcome to have your share! Just remember that they really don't taste good!

Today's ride in was humid. It had rained an hour or so before I left the house and that meant puddle hopping and a bit of a sticky ride. Hopefully the forecasted thunderstorms will hold off until I get home.

[Crankin]

It was 75 here in Massachusetts today. I have been resting since the weekend, no riding at all. But, I had 19 miles left to make my goal for the year, so I got out about 4:15 PM. My legs felt better than they have in a long time, but still not perfect. My usual after school loop is about 15.3 miles; darkness is starting to affect how long I ride, also. So, I debated whether to do a 21 mile ride I do sometimes, but voted against that, because of traffic issues at rush hour ( a scary left turn). I headed out on my regular loop and then on the way back, I took a detour up and down a street and then back to the main road. It was about 3.5 extra miles. I knew that I would be short by about 3/4 of a mile, so I took a different street back to my street, went down to the end of my street and back again, up the hill to my house... exactly 19.03 miles. My computer says exactly 2500 miles. The pressure is off and I can enjoy my last few weeks of riding. I know that weekday rides will be getting slimmer in October; maybe once or twice a week. Hopefully, I will be riding on the weekends through most of November, but I guess it's time to start thinking about spin class and cross country skiing (if there's any snow this year).
Next year, when I am no longer teaching, I will up my goal a bit...

[Kano]

Ya know, Kano, I don't have exclusive ownership rights to the bugs, you are more than welcome to have your share! Just remember that they really don't taste good!

Today's ride in was humid. It had rained an hour or so before I left the house and that meant puddle hopping and a bit of a sticky ride. Hopefully the forecasted thunderstorms will hold off until I get home.

YOU CAN KEEP THEM!!! I don't want the bugs!

I missed the humidity -- Much nicer out closer to noon! AND, I noticed there weren't storms this afternoon (poor DH, since I was still in my bike-stuff when he got home this afternoon, I dragged him out for another several miles this afternoon. First he pouted cuz I have new tights and he doesn't, then he pouted about my new jacket, and after riding, he's been whining ever since!)

Karen in Boise

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

...Oh yeah: tried out my new Shebeast tech tights for the first time too this morning and BOY are they toasty! I was MUCH more comfortable moving than being indoors in them, never mind how they show off my many curves! They're very comfy, once I got the extra leg length gathered properly around my ankles instead of bunched in my "knee-pits."
Karen in Boise

Karen, I love my Shebeest Tech tights too! It's hard to believe how nice and WARM they are for not being thick and heavy. And yet they stretch and breathe. The chamois is wonderful- no weird space age bumps or big pillow foam stuff- it's smooth and stretchy and softly padded, conforms nicely to your body....just right. I got a second pair of them after wearing mine a few times- I like them that much. Yes, they do show off your curves too! They feel so good when I wear them, sort of like a massage.

[Kalidurga]

I braved the tourists to do 15 miles at Gettysburg National Battlefield in PA for hill and road-riding practice (Gettysburg Routeslip). Fortunately, the drivers of the big tour buses are more alert and considerate than the dorkus oblivii driving their own cars. Had a few folks pull out right next to me from where they had stopped to check out monuments, and another one or two slowed to a crawl in front of me at curves in the road because they were apparently busy reading the park map (Note to self: Learn to trackstand for when folks at Gettysburg can't decide which direction to turn...). Good way to break through that road riding paranoia

The first time I rode the battlefield, back in July, I had to stop halfway up the hill to Big Round Top and then didn't bother attempting the next hill up to Little Round Top (See the jagged section between miles 5 & 6 on the Routeslip. For some reason, Little Round Top is taller than Big Round Top. Go figure ). This time I still had to take a short break halfway up each of them, but I did both hills and didn't fall over from cardiac arrest at the top of either! For someone who does at least 90% of her riding on flat trails, I don't think that's too shabby.

Since it was less hot today than the last time I rode Gettysburg, my cardiovascular system recovered from the hills more easily than I expected it to, which was a pleasant surprise. I going to have to figure out how to extend this route for spring and fall rides, because I did not want to go home so soon. I ended up practicing turns around the parking lot just to make it an even 15 miles, then stopped at the LBS on the way home to pick up some new shorts and tires. Good day!

[xeney]

Today's ride was half an hour in a parking lot. Not much of a ride, huh? But it made me happy, because I was testing out the new 5 cm stem on my road bike and my husband wanted me to play with the steering. I turned figure eights for a while, and then he made me a slalom course out of random pieces of garbage. So romantic!

[salsabike]

Xeney, that IS romantic! I love it.

It was beautiful here today--a little foggy in the morning, but it burned off and turned clear, gorgeous, breezy. I had a quite wonderful 42-mile ride on the river trail. Got to see salmon swimming upstream! The neat thing about that is that this river was once straightened, and in recent years they put the curves back in because salmon need them. Apparently it's working! It was really delightful.

[Kano]

Karen, I love my Shebeest Tech tights too! It's hard to believe how nice and WARM they are for not being thick and heavy. And yet they stretch and breathe. The chamois is wonderful- no weird space age bumps or big pillow foam stuff- it's smooth and stretchy and softly padded, conforms nicely to your body....just right. I got a second pair of them after wearing mine a few times- I like them that much. Yes, they do show off your curves too! They feel so good when I wear them, sort of like a massage.

I didn't notice the massage effect, but the warm, that was REALLY a good thing! I don't always notice being cold while I ride, but I think I rode more happily being a little extra warm today! Gotta find DH some pants. Maybe then he'll be happier when he rides again!

Karen in Boise