How was your 5/7 ride?

[redrhodie]

I did my favorite 18 mile loop. I think I'm over my 100 mile per week goal for the first time this year. It was a good week for cycling.

I felt awesome today! I don't know what happened, as I had to drive to Boston last night, and my neck totally hurt from that. It's less than an hour and a half away, but it's the longest I've been in a car in months, and it was painful. But I woke up feeling great. My ride was great, and I felt a little high from it all day. Can't say feeling good was related to the driving, though. That was pretty awful.

[Catrin]

Preparing to leave town very early tomorrow so only had time for an 11 mile ride this morning, but I will take it! SO tired of tights and wool but that is better than not riding...

I will miss my bikes for the next 5 days! Hope to come home to drier weather and a chance to finally get to my 100 mile/week goal!

[OakLeaf]

Half of TOSRV down and hoping for dry roads tomorrow! 50th anniversary of the ride, so I wasn't going to miss it.

[Catrin]

Half of TOSRV down and hoping for dry roads tomorrow! 50th anniversary of the ride, so I wasn't going to miss it.

Ooooh, looking forward to reading the ride report! I would love to do this ride but it is so early in the year...

[OakLeaf]

Ooooh, looking forward to reading the ride report! I would love to do this ride but it is so early in the year...

Not much to report - the only really unusual thing was the near-perfect weather which NEVER happens on TOSRV - but I'll post some piccies in a day or two.

The thing about it is, it's early in the year for everyone, southerners and snowbirds like me excepted. I had lunch on Sunday with a kid who claimed his entire training for the year was "I rode 30 miles on Wednesday." Trainer miles? Nope, just that. 160 miles down and he was looking fresh as a daisy. I'm thinking to myself, Kid, I've got chainring holes in my tights older than you.

I'm not sure his strategy would've worked if the wind had been bad, though.

[TrekTheKaty]

I skipped the scheduled ride Sat with hubby--http://stooges.rogerkramercycling.org/ because the radar looked bad. He braved it and got lucky--all the weather moved to the south.

SO I drug him out Sunday morning for my first hilly route of the season. I intended to take it easy and "make it a positive experience." Secondly, I'm hoping to graduate to a new bike this year and the real challenge was: could I ride the bigger hills without using my granny gear at the beginning of the season? (have a triple and hoping to switch to compact double).

There are three "bigger" hills--the first I made in my big chain ring (woo hoo), the second, I got cocky and tried to do it in the big chain ring and had to suddenly shift to the middle (almost a crash) but the THIRD--I got up in my big chain ring (granted there is a large downhill to give me momentum, but I've not made it up this one before). As I was yelling "woo hoo", my husband reminded me I could go down one more in the back and still be in my middle chain ring. I KNOW

There is a Denny's at the top of the hill and it was Mother's Day with a line out the door. They were curious what all the hollering was about and I had an audience and a big smile on my face!

I caught my husband looking at the WSD Trek and Specialized websites later that day

[redrhodie]

Secondly, I'm hoping to graduate to a new bike this year and the real challenge was: could I ride the bigger hills without using my granny gear at the beginning of the season? (have a triple and hoping to switch to compact double).

There are three "bigger" hills--the first I made in my big chain ring (woo hoo), the second, I got cocky and tried to do it in the big chain ring and had to suddenly shift to the middle (almost a crash) but the THIRD--I got up in my big chain ring (granted there is a large downhill to give me momentum, but I've not made it up this one before). As I was yelling "woo hoo", my husband reminded me I could go down one more in the back and still be in my middle chain ring. I KNOW

A compact double will give you plenty of low gears, so it's not really like riding in the middle ring on a triple. You can even get a MTB cassette, and gear it really low. Keep using your granny for now! Spin, spin, spin!

[callmej]

Rode 52 miles today with 2 good riding buddies. It was awesome! Out in the country with little traffic and temps in the mid to upper 70's and beautiful carolina blue skies. My second 50+ mile ride ( I'm getting ready for the horsey 100 in Georgetown Ky Memorial day weekend - not that I'm doing 100 in one day, but hopefully over two days). We got a late start waiting for fog to burn off, so didn't get on the road until almost 9 a.m. After the ride, went for lunch, including a frosty cold mug and pitcher of Yuengling..... Then walked across the street to the local bike shop. They had a bin of socks and gloves for $5. each. I got a pair of sugoi winter gloves (regular retail $80) pus a pair of sugoi Betty gloves for $5.00 each -woo hoo ! Came home relaxed and watched the Kentucky Derby. Life is good!

[emily_in_nc]

Had a great -- well, 2 great rides today! Did a 16-mile errand ride in the morning with DH. Farmer's market, food co-op, and Trader Joe's. Fairly urban riding and a bit of traffic. Brought everything home in panniers, unloaded, had a snack, refilled the water bottle, and headed back out for another 16-mile ride (solo). This one was my usual suburban "neighborhood" loop, where I get to look at all the beautiful lush lawns and rose gardens in the lovely area near where I live. So, 32 miles total on a gorgeous day. Started in the low 60s, ended in the mid 70s. Light breeze, sunshine, blue skies, low humidity. Perfecto!

[hirakukibou]

Rode 47 miles with DH today. We made it home just before the rain started.

[Savra]

Showed up for a group ride this morning. The rain was supposed to have blown over and it was supposed to be sunny. However, still raining where we were supposed to meet. Only one other person showed up for the ride. We decided to drive to the sun and start from there. My partner rider ended up having a slower pace than the group usually does so we meandered for about 25 miles. It was great. Mostly sunny. Nice scenery. I'm glad I went out - even if it might have rained.

[owlice]

21 miles on my usual trails and just a little road this evening, with the ducks, the mutts, the gnats, the small children, the big children, the grandmothers, the clueless youth, the clued-in youths, the geese, the beavers, a few kamikaze robins (I swear one of these is going to end up snagged in my open, panting mouth one day), the bikers with no helmets/lights/reflective gear after dark, the stop signs, and a few, but only a few, raindrops.

A fabulous time!