Saturday, June 12 rides

[malkin]

We rode in a drizzle to the opening day of the downtown farmers market. It is newly expanded, so way more spread out than last year, because the fire department didn't like the crowd.

Not crowded at all; maybe all the babies and dogs were at real estate open houses.

[7rider]

DH and I did the Oxon Hill Bike Club's annual Patuxent River Rural Legacy Ride.
The name is quite a mouthful, but it's a nice ride....a metric century (shorter routes are available) that starts at a wildlife sanctuary and hits several nice areas in a sort of Figure-8 route along the Patuxent River. A nice rolling course...this year they changed it up some due to road construction and it was - we think - a big improvement over previous years.
This ride also serves as the sole remaining "date ride" for DH and me...a ride we can do together, alone, without the crew from the bike shop (who I love dearly, but I don't want to do EVERY ride EVERY weekend with them!). DH has to go slow for me - but he does sprint up hills and wait for me at the top - it's the one cross he still bears for me!
We did run into TE's NYBiker at the 3rd rest stop, and again at the end. Was nice to chat, NY (but...see paragraph above for why we didn't linger!).

[azfiddle]

I am traveling in Ireland and borrowed a Dahon folding bike for the afternoon for a ride through green, rolling hills of County Clare. Not sure how far- maybe 15 miles? I misread directions and it's hard to figure out the roads here... anyway, it was beautiful. I also rented a bike in Dingle earlier in the week and rode 27 miles around the tip of the Dingle Peninsula- gorgeous, breathtaking scenery.

[Catrin]

I am traveling in Ireland and borrowed a Dahon folding bike for the afternoon for a ride through green, rolling hills of County Clare. Not sure how far- maybe 15 miles? I misread directions and it's hard to figure out the roads here... anyway, it was beautiful. I also rented a bike in Dingle earlier in the week and rode 27 miles around the tip of the Dingle Peninsula- gorgeous, breathtaking scenery.

How lucky, it sounds beautiful!

[XMcShiftersonX]

Did my first century today... I'm extremely proud of myself. There was almost 4,000 feet of climbing. The weather was perfect sunny and mid-70's!!

[redrhodie]

I commuted to work. In the morning, a little girl on a bike rode right into me on the bike path. Neither of us fell since I stopped before she hit, but I was really annoyed. I was afraid my frame or fork had been scratched, but it turns out it was only the brake/shifters. I glared at her and said nothing when she said she was sorry. She was just little, and so for the rest of the day, I felt guilty for not telling her it was okay. I think her mother laughing made me angry, but in hindsight I can even understand that. It was nervous laughter.

I guess it's time to avoid the bike path again. I get spoiled by riding all winter.

[tzvia]

Road ride, been on the MTB too much so grabbed the Ruby and went to Camarillo to ride as it's cooler than the San Fernando Valley. Went with my brother- who is also a cycling nut. It was cool-I had to wear my light lycra leggings. And it was also very windy. Not too gusty, but a constant blow right in from the Pacific, right in our faces. When it did gust, it was from the front right, and sometimes at a right angle, blowing sand and dirt from the fields of strawberries and grapes onto us. We trudged along at like 14 to 13 mph, it was a workout all the way from the freeway down to the ocean. As we rode, cyclists on the other side of the road (this is a popular local ride) waved at us; they had already been on the 'suffer side' and were very happy to be going the other way for sure!

Once on PCH, riding was great, it was cool and breezy but it was more a side wind, and did not feel as strong as the headwind on Los Poses. The ride back was great; we road like superman with that wind behind us. I kept thinking, we earned this push and it's our time to wave on the on-coming cyclists on the 'suffer side'.