Saturday July 14 rides

[Duck on Wheels]

Put on my bike gear this morning, so at breakfast DH asks what route I'm thinking of doing ... and decides to join me. We did the 20-mile route around the smaller resevoir. He was really sweet and patient, waited for me on hilltops when I gave up and walked, stayed behind me the rest of the ride. I rode two more hills than last time. Instead of walking the rest when my HR passed 170, I stood for a bit, sipped some water, then got back on when my HR had dropped. It worked. I made it up! Yay! Next time I'll have to try that on the four hills I did wind up walking.

At one such break, DH recalled when it was we'd ridden that route together last. Had to be between 1980 and 82. Summer 83 I was enormously pregnant. 1980 was when this guy A.T. took over as boss at the lab where DH was working, and DH remembered us stopping at that same spot (last hilltop before the long downhill) and seeing AT ride by. So ... 25 years ago. Back then the bike I had weighed at least twice what RubySlipperz does and had half her gears, but hey, I was 25 years younger.

Now it's shower time, then lunch, then out to buy some plants together with the upstairs neighbor. Maybe also some reading and quilting tonight. Gotta have a students' thesis draft read when she gets back from vacation, another student's paper draft read by Monday. Also gotta have UK Elephant's messenger bag done for her birthday next month.

[SouthernBelle]

Hey! I thought I was going first! No fair being on the other side of the world.

Rode to beautiful Watertown, TN this morning. Straight down the highway to get there, back roads coming back. Very rolling with some short but steep climbs and a couple of really good descents.

On one part, on a road I wasn't real familiar with, went down a big curving descent lined with trees. As I come around the curve, whoa, there's a stop sign and I'm gonna have to turn. I did manage to stop without locking up. I'm going to check my heart rate for that spot when motion based starts to behave itself.

Had another descent which I consider a little scary, but I did pretty good on it.

35.27 miles. Legs feel good.

[RolliePollie]

I had a very pleasant 34.4 mile solo ride today. The weather isn't too hot, so I was able to sleep in and didn't get out the door until about 10:00. I did one of my typical loops down towards Placerville. Lots of fast downhills and lots of climbing. Around mile 20, I was passing by my house so I stopped for a 10 minute potty/snack break. Then I took off again and rode up Pollock Pines. The last 3 miles or so was down hill, which I always consider a treat at the end of a ride. My total climbing today was approx. 3,400'. I've recently graduated from my Camelbak to water bottles, and it feels soooooo good to get that hot thing off my back.

I had kind of a funny encounter with a squirrel. He was sitting right on the center line watching me coming. Then he literally started running in a circle trying to figure out which way to go. He looked like the Looney Tunes Tasmanian Devil...just a blur of grey fur. If I hadn't been so concerned about hitting him, I would've been cracking up. He finally decided which way to run, and luckily it was the correct choice. He didn't end up under my tires.

[Fredwina]

62.4 miles
Did a little bit before the club ride (I went up to Duncan canyon), during which I re-enacted the dog scene from "American Flyers" Did the usual slog up Mt Baldy Road, My Friends thought I would catch them on the descent . I need to re-gain those 10 pounds . So I rode back by myself and gave them a hard time After a smoothie, I rode home and watched Phil and Paul without Bob and Al

[HillSlugger]

Just a short ride, 10.35 miles, 39:30, but it was the second event of my practice sprint triathlon. I was in data deprivation because my cyclocomputer wasn't working. I never knew my speed or cadence. Overall, my legs felt tired and I felt like I needed to use smaller gears than I should have been able to push. I was surprised how hard this was, but I've been slacking off on the riding to get my swimming and running ready to go.

[sbctwin]

I had a pleasant early morning 50 mile ride. It felt good to be able to leave from my house and I now have a very nice loop I can do without having to drive somewhere first. The last 10 miles however, I got kind of lost and kept hitting dead end streets. That helped to make it 50 mile ride versus a 45 mile ride. It was 74 when I started at 6am, and about 85 when I got home. It was getting too warm by that time, at least for me...

[HoosierGiant]

160 miles across the state of Indiana (RAIN Ride).

Whoo-doggies!! Thank goodness having that much fun is legal!

It was awesome, and I felt great! Think I'll solve world hunger and illiteracy next!

[oldbikah]

I did a nice solo 25 mile ride on the coast of Maine after deciding that I had a hankering for a lobster roll. I drove from the western mountains to the coast, Moose Point State Park, parked and discovered it was free parks day for those who have conservation license plates. I rode up to Searsport and Stockton Springs, then out to Fort Point State Park, around Cape Jellison and back to my start. Lots of traffic on the famous route 1 but a wide shoulder.

I was driving home after getting groceries, etc. and as it was getting dark, about 8:30 pm, the light wasn't too good. A deer popped out of the woods, and I was going about 60-65 miles an hour (which I admit was too fast) I hit it broadside. Killed the poor deer, but didn't actually do too much damage too my vehicle. Unfortunately it is a common accident up here in the mountains.

My DH's comment: expensive lobster roll!

[7rider]

Ouch, OldBikah...I hope you are okay yourself! Poor deer...the one time I hit a deer, it fortunately kept running and was fine (we went back and looked for it).
Yesterday, I did a solo ride out to Bantam Lake in the town of Morris, CT. It was one of those rides that seems to be up hill in both directions! Saw a few other cyclists - but it was hard to be chatty, when you're gasping for air like a fish out of water!
26 miles - a bit over 14 mph average.

[Duck on Wheels]

Hey there, Makbike Congrats on doing that century.
Sounds like you had a great ride! Glad to hear it!

[maillotpois]

Did the Death Ride (yes, all 5 passes -duh ). Best thing was all of the folks we coached (for TNT) had good rides. This is a really tough ride. I got to have a come back on the ride, since my illness last year prevented me from doing it.

My "ride report" is in my Bike Journal journal.

[maillotpois]

Congrats makbike and hoosier on great ride results!

Duck - that was a very sweet tale. Good for DH!!

Yikes, OldBikah! (Reminds me of the moose dinner I had in Newry, Maine many years ago. The moose was roadkill. Quite good!

[salsabike]

Did the Death Ride (yes, all 5 passes -duh ). Best thing was all of the folks we coached (for TNT) had good rides. This is a really tough ride. I got to have a come back on the ride, since my illness last year prevented me from doing it.

My "ride report" is in my Bike Journal journal.

HA! Congratulations.