Wednesday 8/26 rides

[Crankin]

I went on a 36 mile club ride on the Cape. Left at 8 AM to drive down and barely got there in time for the 10 AM start. Usually this is a 90 minute drive, but there was rush hour traffic. I didn't want to stop to pee, and consequently, I had to wait until a stop at the 8 mile point of the ride . We left from Osterville and rode around there for about 12 miles; then we headed toward Hyannisport, along Craigville beach. The roads were blocked because of Ted Kennedy's death, but we went through the barricades and the police were nice and waved us on. There were at least 50 mobile TV trucks parked along the road, with rubber plates, wires, and other stuff across the road. I jumped over them and we then went up a small hill to a view at the Hyannisport Golf Club. Very nice, but the place gave me the creeps, since it's a restricted club that I wasn't allowed into at a dance when I was a kid. Then we went on to Kalmus Beach and when we turned around in the lot, wow. The wind hit us right in the face, along with blowing sand. I struggled to keep my bike upright! We went about a mile to a park, refilled our bottles and had a snack and headed back. The wind was brutal, so the leader took us a little ways back from the shore; right through the conference center retreat place I went to last year for grad school orientation. There were tons of speed bumps in there. We got back to the parking lot and then drove over to leader's house for a great lunch spread that he and his wife put on every year.
There were quite a few people I didn't know on the ride. I was able to stay up front with the big boys, too. This was a flat ride, but with this group, any little rise, everyone falls back. It was hot, but the wind cooled us a lot, despite the fact that there were a few strong gusts.
My drive home sucked, but I recovered with a beer and a shower.

[mudmucker]

Well, I am on another week's vacation starting today. Yay! Many house projects lined up that will be finished. Having the day off allowed me to go on the Wed night Gardner ride which I can't usually go on regularly because they start too early in the evening. Now, these rides out in this area, to me, are a little more challenging. Those pesky inclines occur a little more frequently and there are more legitimate hills than where I ride on Mondays. It is really just typical of the area but I probably still wouldn't classify it as hilly but maybe terrain with large rollers and a few hills. It is also challenging because the ride is mostly comprised of men so I end up riding harder on this terrain. Which is good - I like riding with men particularly for that challenge. Tonight there was only one other woman who did well but she dropped and paced about a half mile in the back for most of the way. Sometimes they go fast so it's hard to tell what the pace will be on a given night but tonight they seemed to want to take it easy. But these guys are sweet and not jerks at all. They just wanna be out riding and they're very helpful and encouraging. It's a no drop ride and everyone is taken care of. Nice group.

We rode through Westminster, Hubbardston, and Templeton on quiet roads that I've never been on before so it was nice to see new turf. It was overcast which means it was going to get darker earlier and a storm was imminent so we cut the ride a little shorter. We got back dry with just enough light left too.

[owlice]

DDH, sounds like you're BACK!!! That's great!!

I've been thinking of commuting partway to work. Drive down most of the way, bike in the rest of the way, so wanted to figure out how the bikepaths link up before thinking more about this.

So I took my bike to work with me, as I've done before, and rode after work. I work in downtown DC, which is great for biking. I went first to the Lincoln Memorial, then down to the river and rode along it for a few miles. I usually ride on flat flat flat trails, and this one is not flat. I went up a short hill that *I'd* certainly call steep (others may disagree!), and was sucking wind so stopped to catch my breath. I'd ridden only 4.5 miles at that point!! ACK!!

After I stopped panting, I turned around and went back to the Lincoln Memorial, and then rode up to the Capitol along Independence, and back down toward the Lincoln on Constititution. I stopped in Constitution Gardens to enjoy the pond for a few minutes; a squirrel -- young, I think likely of this year's crop -- crept up to me looking for a handout. I happened to have some peanut pieces with me, so put those down for him (some on my shoe). He was very cute!

After he finished, I rode around Constitution Gardens, and then headed back to work, where I'd left my car. Not a long ride, just 13 miles, but a good length for an after-work ride.

[lauraelmore1033]

Yay DDH!

I finally worked up the courage to take the "old" Tricross (newly designated as the family commuter/errand bike after the purchase of a new Tricross from Sundial's DH) on her maiden voyage to the store. Turns out I was much more comfortable taking the $75 Craigslist beater and locking it out front of the store than I am with my my baaaaaaaby. She was fine. Didn't even balk at carrying 30 pounds of groceries. Made me realize what a huge difference the 30 pound weight loss has made on my riding.....
A whopping 6 miles

[jesvetmed]

I got out with the club tonight. A very hilly, repeat VERY HILLY 30 miler around Anacortes. My gosh they have a lot of hills over there! I'd done this ride before but in the opposite direction. It is, I will say, uphill both ways! But tonight's direction is much steeper in a few areas.

I've only been able to ride once or twice a week, and have not got any other cardio workouts in because I'm training for the 60 mile breast cancer walk, and boy did I notice that tonight!

It's a gorgeous ride, and worth doing (now that it's over! )

[bmccasland]

Joined a group of riders from my office that got tired of riding the Mississippi River levee for a ride on Lakefront Drive along Lake Pontchartrain. They've figured out a 12.5 mile loop that they do twice around. For the most part, the drive is a 4 lane road, with light car use, goes part way through a park - and very few traffic signals. It's a flat ride, except for the canal overpasses or passes over and back across the lake front levee. With a light breeze coming off the lake, it's rather pleasant. I got to see parts of the city I've never seen before, like the yacht club. Hard to believe much of the area was soaked under water 4 years ago, although some parts of the park have not been rebuilt.

The ride was much more fun than the levee, and not as windy. The route had some gentle curves to make it interesting, sail boats on the lake, a few overpasses (hills) to add a challenge, but otherwise flat and fast. There were lots of cyclists doing the circuit. I managed to hang with the fast group (20mph) before I dropped off. I did 23 miles, average speed 17 mph.

[Miranda]

11mi easy recovery ride on the road to my favorite farm house w/beautiful flowers... taught Spin class inside--strength ride profile--nice hard climbs for my indoor buddies.