Christmas Eve Rides

[DebW]

I also managed an xmas eve ride. Had about 1 hour of spare time between packing and heading to the airport, so I got in a 15 mile ride. Overcast and breezy weather in the high 40s. It will sustain me until Friday or Saturday when I am back home.

[Veronica]

Woohoo MP! I'm so glad you're back on the bike! Keep it fun!

Christmas Eve I rode Kona to Hilo. Started at about 5:15 AM. I'm glad it was dark. Every time we drive up the hill to the main highway and I look at far down our hotel is, I think, "Oh my GOD! I rode up that!"

The ride was going pretty well. The weather was good. It's beautiful and warm here. Thom lost my second water bottle somehwere so he was shadowing me more than we had planned. My wicked expensive shorts are toast. Twenty miles into the ride, major issues. Maybe there is a limit to how many miles they'll last.

I changed into my Assos knickers at fifty miles. They were better and not too warm. I was about 45 minutes faster than we projected to the base of the climb to Volcano. The climb to Volcano was tedious - 27 miles, 4,000 feet of climb through scrub. It took about 4 hours. It was raining at the summit so Thom gave me back my tail lights, vest and my bolero for the descent. It's not all downhill to Hilo.

About halfway down my right knee started to hurt like it did on the Mount Tam double. I decided that ten more hours of pain was not a good idea and I bagged the ride in Hilo. The inside of my knee still feels a little bruised.

Assos shorts are not as good in the rain as the Louis Garneaus. They soak up so much water!

120.6 miles for the day.

V.

[Aint Doody]

I, too, got in a 22 mile ride on Christmas Eve. I was solo because none of my cycling friends could cut themselves loose. It was drizzling rain and about 40, but I was totally comfortable. I'm 10 miles from my 3000 mile goal for the year. I will make it!

[maillotpois]

Great ride, V! I have driven up that hill to Keaheaou or however the heck you spell it. It is a steep one!

Better to have an actual vacation for your vacation than to kill yourself to do a super long ride. And your ride sounds long enough! Hawaii is for mai tais and watersports. Have one for me!!

[bcipam]

After having done a 40 miler Saturday my friend Richard and I decided to do a ride down to San Juan Capistrano for lunch. I told him I needed to get back home around 3 cause I was going to Church that evening.

Long story short, we got a late start. I ran into a friend I haven't seen for a year and we talked for an hour. We finally got down to Capistrano about 1 - I was hungry and we found a Carl's Jr. I had a chichen sandwich and yes I admit, fried zuchini (iI was hungry!). We sat about 40 minutes and then got back on thebikes. My legs no longer worked. I was done. Had I thought anyone was around to come get me I would have called. I kept checking to see if the trains were running cause I would have bought a ticket. Anyway, my friend patiently followed me back. We stopped a few times. Ended up taking a longer route then planned which was also hillier but had less traffic. Got back home around 4:15. We did 55 miles. Needless to say I didn't make it to Church. All I could do was shower and love up my couch. Christmas and today no riding. I may regret that.

BTW the weather was absolutely fabulous. A typical California Christmas, sunny and cool about 65 degrees. Loving it.

[Brandi]

It was a great peaceful ride!