May 13th ride MOTHER's DAY

[Kalidurga]

Actually, I count the ride described above as my first "real" time on singletrack at all! About 12 years ago, a totally inexperienced ex-boyfriend dragged me out to a local trail that we attempted to ride. After running into a tree while admiring the scenery, I pretty much decided that mtb wasn't for me. I have to thank divingbiker and Regina for changing my mind all these years later!

Today was a great ride. We had gorgeous weather (as you can see from divingbiker's photos) after the previous night's rain, the trail was non-technical, and I was very surprised at how easy the whole thing was. Regina was a great ride leader, stopping just often enough to let the rest of us catch our breath. My 'cross bike handled like a champ over tree roots and the one stream crossing I did. The trail was just damp enough to make me leery of downhills and curves, so I rode the brakes way more than I probably should have, but after a few more rides I should be much more comfortable. I'm definitely looking forward to getting out there again

[7rider]

Great ride with KaliDurga, DivingBiker, and her co-worker Kitty.
Happy to be ride "leader" - at least this time I didn't leave my DNA on the trail after a wipeout!
Nice pix, DB.
I'm quite liking this off-road thing.
But DH was telling me a bunch of folks were asking about me on the shop ride this a.m. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.. Awww, they missed me!

[kelownagirl]

Hubby and I sorta joined the local Sunday Ride today. Our house isalong the route so we decided to do the route and leave directly from our place and figured we see the riders at some point along the way. Sure enough, they caught us about 30 minutes into our ride. Turns out they were stopping and regrouping every once in a while so we just kept on going past the stopping point, and then they'd fly pass us later on, and we'd pass them again at the next stop. We managed to stay with them throughout the whole route so I imagine we would have been able to ride with them if we'd wanted to. It was certainly a challenge for me to do the climbing and those guys just glide up the hills so easily. I only saw two women in that front group (we never did see the slower ones at the end of the pack) and both of them were young and strong so I felt good about being able to stay with them on the flats at least. All in all a good ride - 70km, under 3 hours, 25kmh avg speed, 2500' of climbing. I am bagged, in a good way.

[RolliePollie]

40 miles, nice relatively flat bike trail, average 15.9. I'm wiped out...my hilly ride yesterday kind of did me in! I feel a nap coming on.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all you mothers! I am not a mother, although a friend of mine who is also not a mother thinks that maybe we're another kind of mother. But if I typed what kind of mothers we think we might be, I'm sure my post would get removed!

[DebW]

I rode the 23.4 mile loop into Framingham, Marlboro, and Sudbury. Temp about 65 with a breeze and clear skies. Averaged 15.6 mph. My eyes are irritated from dust in the air.

[Crankin]

I finally did a longer ride with climbing. As Deb said, it was gorgeous here today, but one of those days when it's hard to tell what to wear. Set out with the cycling friends from their house in Acton and rode to Littleton, up Oak Hill (3 miles of climbing), into Harvard Center. Then we rode into Bolton and did the most difficult part of the ride (Vaughn Hill Rd. and Old Bay Rd.). We stopped for lunch at the top of the most difficult climb and ate our sandwiches sitting by an old barn. This road is so beautiful, you actually feel high up; there's only one or two houses and farms on it and you really feel like you are in Vermont. Then it's down and down for about 5-6 miles until we do another more minor climb. I started feeling a little toasted here. My left hamstring was aching at the start, but I kept it under control by really conserving my energy on the Oak Hill climb, not going more than 8-9 and really spinning easy. I felt good on the big climbs, but after 25 miles or so, the last one got me. Steve and I went ahead of our friends, back into Stow, Boxborough, and Acton. We cheated on the route a little to avoid one last small hill by going out on Rt. 111, which is flat.

38.7 miles, 3500 feet of climbing, a couple of spots at 15%
average 14.01. I was going to commute tomorrow, but it's supposed to be near freezing in the morning, so it will be a leisurely afternoon ride after work.

[Alex]

This morning, DH and one of my LRRH training partners and I rode 62 miles. There was a stiff, gusty breeze at various points during the ride. My friend turned this into quite the hammerfest. I just sat on her back wheel and flew! Here are some pics of the ride, which was along the Great Salt Lake.

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We're hoping that we'll be ready for the century in 3 weeks!

Alex

[Gidiup]

What a great Mother's Day ride today. 27 miles with my oldest son and his friend. It was warm, in the 60's, sunny but windy again. I washed the bikes after, cleaned and greased the chains. Looking forward to the next ride.

[Popoki_Nui]

I don't get it sometimes. I try to get my sleep and nutrition just right before each ride; sometimes the ride is great, others it's a fight all the way. Today and yesterday -for whatever reason- were absolutely wonderful. Rode from downtown Victoria up the Saanich Penninsula to the beautiful town of Sidney, around CYYJ (Victoria International), back down the Penninsula, along the Victoria waterfront, and back to the truck. It was quite windy, but strangely the wind didn't seem to be a factor. The bike was flawless all day. The weather was neither too warm nor too cool. Everyone was actually obeying trail rules. Vehicles on the highway kept a respectful distance (yet I could still catch a great draft).
Seventy-three enjoyable kilometers on "Geri".