May 24th Rides

[deeaimond]

Did the usual Sunday morning ride, almost overslept. Most of the gang turned up (first time in a long while) slow ride to the usual breakfast place in town, about... 25kms? Rode back, rode better and faster today because I moved my saddle back up. Hooray. Lesson is, even if someone's leg length is the same as yours, you might still need a different saddle height.. listen to yr your own body.

[maryellen]

Another oversleeper but I did get out to the bike path. A bit frustrated by detours, etc. but I did ride for 8.5 miles. I've signed up for a bike trip in the end of June so I've got to get my butt accustomed to the saddle.

[Crankin]

Was supposed to go down to the south coast and do a 40 mile ride in Westport, MA and Tiverton, RI, but the weather didn't cooperate; rainy this morning and now more big thunderstorms expected later this PM.
So, we just went out and rode... you know the kind of thing that takes no planning or thought. It's pretty humid and about 80, but it was a nice ride, with a few climbs that I don't do much anymore, even though they are close by. Rode slowly up Nagog Hill, since it was in the beginning of the ride and it's a 4 part hill that is really pretty, through apple farms. Then we headed toward our old neighborhood and rode up Pine Hill, which is very short, but very steep, sort of like my driveway. By this time it was clouding up, and with nasty storms predicted, I wanted to get back; we headed back through West Concord and Concord centers, very busy with traffic and other cyclists. We got behind someone wearing a Lake Placid Ironman jersey for a few miles near the end.
I can hear the thunder in the distance, so I am glad we went out when we did!
28 miles, about 2 thousand feet of climbing.

[txred9876]

Today was actually a good ride but I am very very TIRED!!!!!!!

I went with a group that has a no drop ride. We went around the first corner and hit a very big hill. I was not in the right gear but made it up it. I was the only one with a hybrid instead of a road bike. I saw one of my fellow cancer survivors (we both belong to Team Survivor) and that made me feel a little better.

Right off the bat I got left in the dust from the first hill. Not being warmed up and climbing it was brutal. I was ready to turn around, go home and ride somewhere else.... never to return to that sunday ride again (or at least a long time)........well

About that time one of the guys came back and said come on you can make it and stayed with me for a ways. Then when I would fall behind someone else would come back for me......They would not allow me to quit.....they said it was NOT an option!!!

At the half way point we were within 5 miles of my house and I was going to go home and have my husband take me back to town to get my car....

WRONG ANSWER (this is at about mile 19...my farthest ride ever in a day was 22)

They told me that was not an option and no matter how slow I got they would make sure I made it!!

All in all I MADE it 38+ miles!!! When I got home I took an epson salt bath and after I write this I will sit on my machine for my Lymphadema (gotta love CANCER). I am sure I will fall asleep....LOL

Tina

[Tri Girl]

Did 35 yesterday, did another 30 today. I'm trying to get in shape for my week long tour. My butt is not cooperating.
Great day for a ride.

[txred9876]

Did 35 yesterday, did another 30 today. I'm trying to get in shape for my week long tour. My butt is not cooperating.
Great day for a ride.

My butt is not cooperating either!!!!!!

tina

[pinkbikes]

Well it has been raining on and off all weekend so both my Saturday morning and Sunday morning rides ended up being cancelled. The forests are too muddy for riding (and my bike is so clean I just couldn't do it anyway) so we were going to hit the road instead, but even that was too yuck!

I mean, I'm good with being out on the roadie and it raining and just grinning and sticking out my tongue! As long as it is not too cold! But there is something pretty yucky about looking out at the rain and deliberately throwing your leg over the bike. So I didn't.

Saturday became a ride on the magtrainer. By Sunday afternoon it was lightening up a little, so DH and DD and I took our first ride on the tandem for the year. We are preparing for a 9 day tour in September. DH flatted and DD did a good job as my stoker and managed 33km and one rain shower! A nice ride despite the conditons.

[DebW]

I rode 28 miles on one of the Swiss National Cycling Routes. It was mostly off the roads, following creeks and farm paths, sometimes paved, sometimes not. Went from Affoltern to Wettingen and back. Nice break from the city riding I've been doing. The only real hill was getting back to my apartment, but that was short.

[NbyNW]

Then when I would fall behind someone else would come back for me......They would not allow me to quit.....they said it was NOT an option!!!

TxRed, so glad you found a supportive no-drop ride! Someday soon, you're going to be the one telling someone else they can't quit!

[Irulan]

mmmm got my mojo back.

The bike park, of which I have helped "make happen" from the advocacy angle. started getting built last summer. I blew up my shoulder and had to watch from the sidelines.

After six months of rehab and rest, I'm happy to say I was able to hit everything that was on my goal list.

[BabyBlueNTulsa]

TXRED - way to go, gf! You are an inspiration! Keep fightin, girl!


I fought every urge to stay in bed this morning,but did manage to get up for part 2 of my two day training ride for Tulsa Tough next weekend.

We had the same route, but one of our riders (the one with long-distance issues) didn't make it out.. so it was basically me and 3 guys in our little group. Proud to say we did today's ride much faster than yesterday - a feat in itself.. Ended up with a little over 68 miles..about the same elevation , but at 16.5 avg mph.

I gotta say.. I'm truly amazed/thrilled to see my conditioning/performance finally getting up there. I can hang with people I wasn't sure the past couple/three yrs I'd ever be able to hang with. I've been getting compliments and kudos from these people in the past week or so after group rides... it feels fantastic! Besides time in the saddle, I can only think the difference this year is my new bike AND the Hammer products I've started using the past couple of mos. Awesome.. just awesome.

Rides like these are the ones where you look upward/around and thank Him...Life is good.

[ridenread]

I held off all morning because of light rains and wind. Around 2:00 the sun started to peek out so I changed my clothes and headed out planning just a 10 mile quick loop since thunderstorms were in the forecast for the afternoon.

Once I got out there I felt great so decided on a longer route. I rode out to Horseneck beach and then did a reverse route of one of my usual routes. It is very cool doing a route in reverse. All kinds of things I never noticed going the opposite direction. I was doing great, feeling great, until about mile 20 when I started heading into the wind. The last 9 miles back home were all into the wind. I think this is my first time riding that long into strong headwinds. It is no fun going down hill and having to work hard.

By the time I got home the sky turned very dark and the air was quite thick. It is not raining yet but I think the storm will be here shortly.

[7rider]

Did the shop ride.
Met an interesting couple from the Netherlands who also did the ride. Their son had just moved to the D.C. area by way of El Paso, TX, and they have been touring the southwest U.S. on their bikes, and were now spending a few days visiting D.C. Their "touring" had a decidedly athletic bent - no "Museum and Monument Tour" on their agenda (most tourists here visit all of the museums and monuments on the Mall - local friends will often roll their eyes when family and friends visit..."Yeah...we'll be doing the Museum and Monument Tour!") - these folks rode today, and had a 4-mile run planned for tomorrow. They were tickled at all of the outdoorsy club activities they could get involved in as visitors. And judging from the appearance of these two - I don't think they shared an ounce of body fat between the 2 of them - this stuff was right up their alley. And they did great, too. Although the infamous D.C. humidity was taking its toll on them.

[solobiker]

Another weekend of rain. I think this makes it the 9th one in a row. I was able to sneak in a little ride yesterday. I had to work this morning, and once noon hit we have had 2 big T-storms roll through. Here in CO we usually don't get this much rain. Everything looks so green. DH and I hope to get out for a ride tomorrow. We have been wanting to go mtn biking but the trails will be too muddy.

[PamNY]

I had such a fun conversation with a woman who had just learned to ride a bike. She didn't have a bike as a child, and she is so excited. I hope I found the right words to encourage her. We met at a very narrow part of the bike path; you can barely get one bike through. She wasn't yet ready to ride through and I told her that I didn't either at first.

On a less happy note, a guy in a wheelchair was waiting for his turn on the narrow part of the path and two bikers went ahead of him. Grrrr. It's possible that he told them to go ahead -- I wasn't close enough to see/hear. But still...it seemed rude.

Pam