Saturday Rides- September 27

[ttaylor508]

DH, myself and our friend did the Tour de Whidbey century ride Saturday benefitting the local hospital. What a great day, weather was cloudy in the morning, but by the time we got to the southern part of the island it was blue sky and almost 70 degrees. The ride ends at Greenbank Farm which sells nice wine so we bought a nice merlot and headed back to the beach cabin and spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing on the beach. Our friends wife loaded up all the kids and dogs, jumped on the ferry and met up with us at the cabin for some great family time on Sunday. What a wonderful weekend!!!!

[Tuckervill]

Husband, son and I did the Big Dam Bridge 100 in Little Rock on Saturday. (But we did the 50 miles.) Last year my average was 12, this year 14.5. I shaved about 30 minutes off my time--there is some discrepancy because they have a finish clock but of course it doesn't match up with my computer. It was under 4 hours, which was really great for me.

Husband did the 25 last year, so we were real proud of him for doing the 50. In two weeks at the Tour De Cure, he's planning on upping to the 75 if he still feels good at the turn. Son did the 50 with me last year, but bonked about 35 miles in, because he refused to eat at my urging. This year I was able to convince him to eat. He did the last 20 miles by himself and beat us back by about 10 minutes!

I had a great speed there for a while. There wasn't much wind, and the terrain was rolling or flat, and I was able to hold around 18 all by myself, for at least a couple of miles (there was no one around, but someone did draft off me for a while and then when I slowed up a hill, passed me up and wouldn't pull, but congratulated me on my speed). I was forced to go fast because I was having trouble with the FD--couldn't get from the big to the middle ring unless I went all the way down to granny first. That, of course, cost me momentum which ticked me off, which made me mad enough to stay on the big ring up hill, even though I had to cross chain sometimes to do it.

Riding my heavier steel touring bike in Vermont for a week did make me stronger. I shift less because the barcons are less convenient. The gearing is lower to begin with so I don't go fast which means I ride longer. Getting on the lighter road bike with quicker shifting felt like taking off the ankle weights.

It was a really good ride. Can't wait until next year.

Karen