March 1st rides

[Blueberry]

Either way is awesome! I owe you guys pictures too - we have a new tandem (have to go pick it up from the shop). It's pre-loved, but we've had a little work done to it

CA

[motochick]

I've been a lurker here for quite sometime and now I have something to say. I have been struggling with my seat/short combo, wondering if I will ever ride pain free. Today was that day! My hubby ordered a Selle An-atomica to try and I stole it, mounted it, and rode for 53 pain free miles. Just over 4 hours (everything is uphill) in the saddle and I cannot believe how my bottom feels. It was a great ride with a headwind the last 20 miles, temps around 78 degrees. Thanks for all your posts as I have "searched" a great deal on here.

Brenda

[tulip]

New bike pics under Bikes...

[Triskeliongirl]

A beautiful day in the texas hill country.........

Our club ride started in the 60s and misty, so I donned my new red shebeest short sleeve retro jersey, shorts, and PI vagabound jacket. It wasn't long before the sleeves came off the jacket, and while it was hot by the end (70s) it was nice to have the vest for visiblility since it remained foggy for the entire ride.

I was the only women that showed up, actually 2 others did, but the very light rain scared them so they decided to run around the track at the parking lot to be near their cars if it got worse. We figured we could just turn around if it got worse, so off we went. I managed to stay with the fastest male peleton for 5 miles, which is actually quite good for me (longest I've ever managed on this ride, usually I get dropped on the first hill and this time I hung on for several). After getting dropped I waited for the paceline of second string men to pass and hopped on. I stayed with them until the ride split into 34 and 50 mile groups. The problem was the men were going 34 and I was going 50, so then my goal was to ride alone and get to the rest stop before the 66 mile men (they were doing two extra loops, one before and one after the rest stop). I got there with plenty of time to spare. It was funny as I arrived a motorist that had passed them looked at me in awe saying, wow, you are about 2 miles ahead of the rest of them, not knowing that I had taken a 'shortcut.'

I greeted the men and had an enjoyable rest stop. They noticed my progress since there was a time that I would arrive just as they were leaving, or worse after they had gone (although that was 35 pounds ago........). I asked them where their wives were, why they didn't ride, and they said they liked to 'shop'. Then I let them in on a secret. I told them to tell their wives that if they take up riding, they get to be a bunch of new specialized riding clothes..........

I did have an unpleaseant encounter on the road out of the rest stop with a motorist that did truncate my ride and gave me some unpleasant road rash. This is a road which does not have much motor traffic, but there was a double yellow line and an SUV was approaching that couldn't get past me without crossing the double yellow line, but seemed intent on not doing that. This has happened to me before. I *thought* I could veer more into the shoulder, but at that point my blood sugar was low from pushing so hard (I was trying to finish the ride before the fast men) which effects my visual perception. So, I thought the shoulder was continuous and smooth, but there was a sharp drop off into gravel, so as I veered over, down I went. Some nasty roadrash on my knee and elbow, and I'll need to replace my bar tape, but mostly I was shook up about the blood sugar problem (and it felt like my blood sugar dropped further from the fall). The women did stop and apologize, offered assistance, waited with me until I made contact with DH, etc. I asked her why she didn't just give me some room, and she said she didn't understand why I couldn't move into the shoulder, as she thought bikes could ride on gravel. I told her that while mountain bikes can do that road bikes can't.......

I reached DH before the turn off between the 50 and 66 mile loop, so he rode in and drove back for me. At first I was afraid to ride cuz of my blood sugar, and my leg hurt, but then I ate a bit, and after my blood sugar got back up I got on the bike with the idea of riding up to a better shadier spot to wait for him, but then realized my leg felt better moving than sitting (less throbbing), so I rode along and he picked me up after I had gotten 34 miles in. It was a perfect point, as I was just about to have to turn on a road with a lot of vehicular traffic and wasn't in the mood to do that today.

[kat_h]

I had a couple of different ideas for rides today but then the weather was cloudy, windy, and chilly so I decided to just stay home. Around 2 pm I was too restless so put my shorts on and headed out. There was a strong wind coming straight from the west so I got onto the river path and went straight into the wind. 20km later I stopped at Safeway for a banana and some chocolate milk. Coming home was much easier with the wind behind me all the way.

I got my first donation for the MS ride today, so I had to get out and ride a bit.

[mimitabby]

wow, Trisk, I hope you are feeling okay now! I'm glad it was just you and the gravel. And you educated that SUV driver, one down, 3 million to go!

I did have an unpleasant encounter on the road out of the rest stop with a motorist that did truncate my ride and gave me some unpleasant road rash. This is a road which does not have much motor traffic, but there was a double yellow line and an SUV was approaching that couldn't get past me without crossing the double yellow line, but seemed intent on not doing that. This has happened to me before. I *thought* I could veer more into the shoulder, but at that point my blood sugar was low from pushing so hard (I was trying to finish the ride before the fast men) which effects my visual perception. So, I thought the shoulder was continuous and smooth, but there was a sharp drop off into gravel, so as I veered over, down I went. Some nasty road rash on my knee and elbow, and I'll need to replace my bar tape, but mostly I was shook up about the blood sugar problem (and it felt like my blood sugar dropped further from the fall). The women did stop and apologize, offered assistance, waited with me until I made contact with DH, etc. I asked her why she didn't just give me some room, and she said she didn't understand why I couldn't move into the shoulder, as she thought bikes could ride on gravel. I told her that while mountain bikes can do that road bikes can't.......

[Tuckervill]

I've been skipping the daily ride threads all winter, but not today!!!!

We had baseball try-outs this morning (I'm president of the league), so I didn't even consider riding today. But, we got home about 5:00 pm and by then it was about 10 degrees warmer than it was forecast to be today. Exhausted, I sat down on the couch--then I thought about the pizza I'd eaten at the ballpark, and the temperature outside, and I just couldn't resist. So I got on and whizzed around the MUP, back to the ball park. Only 6 miles--but 320 calories, with the headwind!

I was a little nervous with the clipless pedals again, but it became a non-issue very quickly.

Whenever it's a beautiful day for baseball, it's a beautiful day for a ride!

Karen

[Geonz]

I got my first metric of the year in It was in the forties without a lot of wind so it was NICE!!!

[Aggie_Ama]

Trisk- I am so sorry!! I know exactly the type of shoulder you are talking about, Burnet County loves to use them. Glad you were relatively unharmed, nothing a few days of misery won't heal.

I am never quite sure what to think of motorists. On one hand they anger me and on the other I feel for them being a bit stressed and wondering what to do. I come on cyclists myself and sometimes wonder what the safest way for all of us to pass is. At least you gave her the knowledge to not do it again (we hope).

[Aggie_Ama]

DH and I woke up at the obscene time of 3:30 to drive three hours to ride the Sam Houston Pedal Fest in Huntsville, TX. We knew nothing about the ride, only it was a new place and we really enjoy new places! The ride was a good one, through the Sam Houston National Forest. Mother nature was extremely kind, started at 60 and warmed up to a sunny mid-70's with little wind.

The ride was a lot of a rollers, nothing steep just up and down. At the 40 mile point we stopped to refill at a rest stop. The only negative thing I can say about the whole ride is the rest stop hadn't received water yet!! We rode 8 miles to the next rest stop with about 4oz of water between us. After that stop I hit "the wall" just in time for longer hills. Sadly, I had been averaging a blazing 17 mph. We pushed on and finished with a great time, just in time for pizza being delivered to the finish.

64.67 miles, 3 hours 57 minutes ride time (I really wanted under 4 hours)

[SouthernBelle]

Trisk, sorry to hear about the owie and hope you don't wake up all stiff in the morning.

I had a nice ride this morning, lotsa hills, lotsa sun. Managed a decent speed despite the hills. I did wimp out and walk up some of the 23% grade one. But I climbed the 15% quite handily.

28.85 miles.