June 9 Rides - Great Weather Everywhere!

[RolliePollie]

Only 17 miles today, but tomorrow I'm going to try a new route which should be about 35 miles. I've really noticed that my stamina is improving, so I planned to complete today's ride with no rest stops. That plan was put on the back burner when I was getting ready to run a stop sign and a Sheriff's car pulled up. Needless to say, I unclipped really fast and stopped. Since I was stopped anyway, it was a good excuse for a 5 minute break. And I happened to be in the shade so that made the rest break even more attractive.

I know running stop signs is a really bad habit (not to mention illegal), but when you're riding rural roads with no traffic, it's much easier to just keep going. Especially when the stop sign is on a steep hill!

[Jiffer]

Beautiful weather here in So. Cal. As usual lately. I drug DH out on a recovery ride this afternoon. He did a century and SMOKED IT! Ride Around the Bear. (Big Bear mountain with 10,400 ft of climbing.) He doesn't know how his time compares to the other riders yet, but he's pretty sure he's in the top 5 or 10 of 350. He even did a cool stunt at the very end where he was trying to beat a yellow light at 30 mph turning left, saw water and slime and, short story, both tires slid into the curb right at the exact same time and he found himself lying upside down on the grass wheels spinning above him. The guy riding with him yelled out, "Nice! Let's GO!" And then he practically pulled the easy up down as he came skidding in at the finish to get scanned and hit the front brake too hard, lifting his back tire, continuing to skid, grabbing the easy up post, dragging it a few feet! Some guys from his riding club were sitting near by and yelled, "That was great!"

So, I drug him out for a recovery ride, since he's always preaching to me how good they are for you. We just did a little 13-ish mile ride and stopped to visit his sister and fam and show them my great new bike!

[Starfish]

It seems that there is a high pressure system that is keeping most all of North America sunny today! How many miles will be logged on this continent?!?!?!?!?!?!

Except, of course, on the Olympic Peninsula of WA state. I knew the weather report for both today and tomorrow was for steady rain, and a high of 55 degrees.

I had to get some miles in today, so I got up, got dressed, and headed out at 7am in, yes, a cold rain and 55 degree temps. I needed/wanted to get in 100 miles today, so I was going to train my attitude and get out there in the cold rain.

Well, I thought I was dressed well enough, but I was wrong. Twelve miles in I was soaked and chilled, with a lovely case of nausea (which tends to happen to me when I have to ride in too many clothes in cold weather...I need to work on that...need some bibs!). I bagged it. I was worried that on an unsupported century, it wasn't wise to risk being out there with the possiblity of using up both my tubes with 20 miles to go before any services...and being really cold and chilled and nauseous. OK, OK, I weenied out.

Came home, took a bath, washed my clothes, washed my bike. Really disgusted with cold rain in June, as usual. OK, now for a piece of cheese to go with my whine.

[Kalidurga]

Today I had a rollercoaster ride through fear, demoralization, and a small bit of exhilaration. I wanted to preview a route that I'll be riding with Regina & MdHillSlug next weekend. Started out late afternoon, about 4:00pm, with temps in the 80's. The beginning of the ride heads up a steep hill, then a lesser grade, a long downhill stretch, then up another curvy steep hill. 2.5 miles into the ride, coming up the second steep hill, I found myself actually sobbing for breath. Stopped at the top for a break and ended up with Elvis legs, a weak feeling and cold sweats through my upper body, and a very strange feeling around my heart. I didn't know if it was the heat, the hills, or both. I seriously wondered if I had pushed myself hard enough to have a heart attack, and considered walking the bike the 2.5 miles back to the car. After a break of at least 20 minutes, I finally got back on the bike and very slowly pedaled off with the intent of shortening the route. Within a mile or so I felt much better, but a breeze had kicked up and I continued to struggle on every uphill and a lot of the flats. In spite of flying down hills, my avg speed was around 12mph for the first half of the ride.

I took a lot of breaks. Around the middle of the ride, though, I must have gotten a tailwind because suddenly in between the hills was a flat stretch where I got the bike up to 28mph, which is the fastest I've done on a flat surface (that was the exhilarating part). But there were still other stretches of small hills and flats where I was in the small chainring and cussing up a storm at only 12mph or so.

Total miles= just shy of 25. Avg speed= embarassing, considering 30mph down hills and that super-fast flat stretch. On the positive side, the weather and scenery were gorgeous, no cars tried to drive me off the road, and my hootie-hoo had absolutely no discomfort. And, it was my very first road ride all by myself.

Nicole: Good luck on the diabetes ride tomorrow!

[Starfish]

And, it was my very first road ride all by myself.

Hey, that makes it a victory!

[Veronica]

I rode with friends and had a very nice time.

I also got to climb Welch Creek, a ride I've been wanting to do for a couple of months. It climbs 1800 feet in 3.8 miles. The average grade for the whole thing is 9%, but there are some quarter mile long sections of 16% I told the guy riding with me that I thought there was something wrong with me, because I thought it was fun.

The descent was all right. It's a very narrow, twisty road, with decent pavement. You had to keep the speed down because there were a lot of blind corners and loose cows.

After that we rode along Calaveras Reservoir and looked at the eagle's nest. I think the blob I saw may have been a baby eagle's head.

Lunch at Boscos was tasty - especially the chocolate mousse!

[five one]

I sat on the fence for several days trying to decide whether to join jobob and the gang on Calaveras. It's been four years since I've ridden it and though I am a better rider than I was in 2003, I haven't ridden many road miles lately, nor any hills, so I decided to wait until next time and do my own ride close to home.

I ended up with 55 miles in my neck of the woods. Rode to our local MUT about four miles from the house. After six miles on the trail as a warm up (not too many people at that time of the day), I got off and rode an out-and-back that I often do that includes one healthy climb (Willow Springs Rd.) and plenty of rollers (Uvas Rd.). I got more tired than I normally do on this ride, but at the only bail out point on the return, I decided to finish the longer ride figuring I could stop when I needed to and go at a slower pace. I was heading into the usual afternoon wind, so that in itself slowed me, but only had to make one quick stop to massage an aching hot foot. It was a beautiful day and it felt good to be out there, but I was really glad to get home.

In retrospect, the Calaveras ride might have been the easier of the two rides and certainly would have been more fun. Next time I won't be so wishy-washy

[Kalidurga]

Veronica, yer killin' me. Between the climbing you did and the chocolate mousse, I don't know which I'm more envioius of.

[Veronica]

Veronica, yer killin' me. Between the climbing you did and the chocolate mousse, I don't know which I'm more envious of.

Oh, I also had fried zucchini and a crab and shrimp sandwich.

five one join us next time. Jo always picks a good place to eat after a ride.

V.

[jobob]

Yes, five-one, definitely join us sometime ! Calaveras isn't a difficult climb, and since we do it as an out & back from Sunol, you can go at your own place. Some of the more adventurous sickos amongst us like to tack on side-trips like Welch Creek, but that was an up and back as well, and we all rode as far up it as as we felt up to doing.

I posted a short report mit foto on the end of the Calaveras thread ...

Oh yeah, and Lee and I do take great pride in our ability to find good places to eat. We had that reputation back in our kite-flying days as well.

[Alex]

A lovely 28 mile ride this afternoon with DH. We had some nice hills. Very sunny. Temps in the low 80s. I tried out my new wheels and I was fretting over an annoying rattle that seemed to emanate from the front wheel. Stopped a couple of times and couldn't identify the source. Upon arriving home, DH figured out it was the little round thingie that goes around the valve on the tube. So, he took it off. You don't need those, right? I'm hoping that fixes the rattle cuz these wheels are FAST!

Alex

[Dr. Liz]

Today was the Sugarhouse Criterium - my second criterium ever. Keep in mind that I'm still healing from a broken arm from ski racing (bad landing off a BIG jump (70+ feet in the air for me, and I was going slow) - occured in early March) - 9 screws and a really cool plate in my arm. My PT says I can do everything but play golf and crash on my bike. So I'm racing Crits.... Yet again, proof that a Ph.D. is no indication of practical intelligence....

Actually, I did quite well. (Much to my surprise!) I was riding in the Women's Cat 4s, and I was in the lead group up until about 10 yards before the final lap, when I made a bad decision to switch to my smaller front chain ring for the uphill to the start/finish line (there was a big downhill, and then an uphill). Of course, my chain popped off, and despite my frantic shifting, I couldn't get it back on, and coasted to a stop halfway up the hill to the line for the final lap, watching the pack pull away from me. DH was Right There and helped me get my chain back on (I was a little rattled - I. Was. So. Close.!!!!), and gave me a little encouragement to get me moving back up the hill.

I finished in the same minute as the winner, and was NOT DFL (again, much to my surprise!), but was 11th out of 15. I think I could have been in the top 5, if it weren't for my rookie mistake of shifting (I was tired, but probably could have grunted out the hill on my big chain ring, and even if I had been dropped, could have caught up again on the next downhill). But that's all 'woulda, coulda, shoulda'. I've got to show up with the goods.

BUT.... For my second crit EVER, I'm thrilled that I stayed with the lead group. When I ride in our local series, the guys and the gals ride together, and the pace is just too tough for me - the only time I did it, I only made it 2 laps before I got dropped.... And it IS my first year racing. So I'm actually quite pleased (even if I did make a stupid mistake!!! Which I'm not so pleased about!!! )

So, not counting warm-up/cool-down, 13.5-ish miles, 21.5 mph average, top speed of 37.5 mph. Not bad. Could be better, but that will come in time!

[Nokomis]

42 miles in the lovely Pacific NW chill & rain. I don't have rain gear, our group didn't have fenders, and we all were soggy by the time we finished the ride. Time to shop for wool & actual waterproof gear - DH's loaner jacket was not!

[BikerJen]

Rode 25 today (Sunday). Questionned my sanity at one point, but kept going. I'd like to be able to ride 50 by the end of the year. I know that doesn't sound like a huge goal, but I have a series of mountain bike races coming up soon, so I'm not sure how the two goals will co-exist.

[Kano]

[QUOTE=Kalidurga;211210] I took a lot of breaks. Around the middle of the ride, though, I must have gotten a tailwind because suddenly in between the hills was a flat stretch where I got the bike up to 28mph, which is the fastest I've done on a flat surface (that was the exhilarating part). But there were still other stretches of small hills and flats where I was in the small chainring and cussing up a storm at only 12mph or so. [QUOTE]

Don't you just LOVE tailwinds?

But, Kali -- do NOT cuss for 12mph if you're in the granny gears! You're allowed to cuss when you're under 5mph in those gears! If I could be doing 12mph when I'm geared down that low, I'd be cheering, I tell you!

[QUOTE=Kalidurga;211210] Total miles= just shy of 25. Avg speed= embarassing, considering 30mph down hills and that super-fast flat stretch.
[QUOTE]

Hill climbs will do that to our averages, and it sux! I had that same sort of speed situation yesterday (except for the 12mph in the granny gear thing) and my average was a little under 12. SUCH a bummer when you know you've been traveling at warp speeds!


Karen in Boise