Holiday weekend rides

[Owlie]

but i think i got him beat. 35 miles, No climbing, No wind, but 118 degrees. you have no idea.

I don't think I could move if it were that hot.

[luv2climb]

The heat down here in the valley chased me up to the mountains today for my first high altitude ride of the summer. Since the road I planned on riding was littered with goat-head thorns when I climbed it last summer, I played it safe and rode my 32 lb Rockhopper with 26 x 1.95 Specialized Hemispheres. The thick tires do a much better job of resisting flats from those pesky thorns.

I climbed Ice House Road from US 50 in El Dorado County, then up Granite Springs Road to the top at 5,709' elevation. Since this was my first ride on this road, I kept going a little while after reaching the top just to make sure I really completed the climb.

I turned around and descended to Ice House Road, then completed that climb and rode a little further down the road, again to make sure I really did reach the top and not a false summit.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/96655663

Here's video of the ride up Ice House Road, plus the steeper sufferfest part of Granite Springs Road. Since Ice House Road didn't cause much suffering, there's not a lot of "suffer sounds" until Granite Springs Road. I'm glad, actually. It means I'm getting stronger.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYrkt57xJ2w

On the way back down Ice House Road, I decided to see if my non-suspended mtb with 65 psi in the tires would make it up a steep, rocky trail by the side of the road. It did. Here's video proof:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uk527z78-0I

Bottom of Ice House Road climb:



View from the top of Granite Springs Road:



Top of Ice House Road climb:



A closer look at the mountains from the above pic:



Dirt trail near Ice House Road:



View from top of trail:



About to descend Ice House Road:

[wackyjacky1]

Great pics, l2c!

I was going to do a nice ride to the Missions and back, but discovered I had a flat on my bike just as I was getting ready to leave the house. Turned on the TV while I was fixing it and got hooked on the Wimbledon final. By the time that was done, it was too hot, so no ride for me. Bummer!

(BTW that's the first flat I've had on that bike, and I've had it for something like three years now. Yay for kevlar-reinforced tires!)

[Crankin]

My 50 miles turned into 22.5, as my son called and said he was coming over while we were riding.
It's really humid, about 83 degrees, so i was not particularly sad to cut the ride short. DH decided to document the ride with lots of pictures, which I will post later.

[Catrin]

Great pics Luv2climb, and you really DO love to climb

I broke my 40 mile barrier this morning with a 42 mile ride While Saturday was hot and humid, a cool front came in this morning with drizzle, so the first 14 miles or so of my ride was in a cool drizzling rain. I do not intentionally ride in the rain normally, but it didn't look like it would get any worse so I headed out into the rain It remained overcast, and the high today is only supposed to reach 84 - I will take it!

I rode from my apartment to the SAG of a ride in the next county, then turned around and came home. It was just under 42 miles, though my computer and MapMyRide are disputing about the actual mileage. I believe my Sigma over MapMyRide.

Obviously I don't count the mountain bike drills in my mileage, so that gives me 75 miles between Saturday and today's rides. I am FINALLY starting to feel like my old self! Quads and hamstrings are quite happy, though my hip is complaining just a little bit, I will add more hip stretches to my after-ride routine. I will go for a slow walk shortly.

[redrhodie]

New rule, if I want to watch the tour, I have to be on the bike by 7 (unless I'm working or taking a rest day). This will not be like other Julys, my lowest mile month of the year. I know they show it over and over, but once I start watching it, I can't stop. I am nipping this in the bud right now. Besides, there's way less traffic, and it's cooler at 7 than at 10.

Rode 20 miles in record time this morning. I know it's the wheels, but I don't care. Yay me.

[luv2climb]

Great pics, l2c!

I was going to do a nice ride to the Missions and back, but discovered I had a flat on my bike just as I was getting ready to leave the house.
(BTW that's the first flat I've had on that bike, and I've had it for something like three years now. Yay for kevlar-reinforced tires!)

Great pics Luv2climb, and you really DO love to climb

I broke my 40 mile barrier this morning with a 42 mile ride While Saturday was hot and humid, a cool front came in this morning with drizzle, so the first 14 miles or so of my ride was in a cool drizzling rain. I do not intentionally ride in the rain normally, but it didn't look like it would get any worse so I headed out into the rain It remained overcast, and the high today is only supposed to reach 84 - I will take it!

I rode from my apartment to the SAG of a ride in the next county, then turned around and came home. It was just under 42 miles, though my computer and MapMyRide are disputing about the actual mileage. I believe my Sigma over MapMyRide.

Thanks!

I seem to get flats in groups of two or three. A few weeks ago I got a rear flat on my hybrid from an inch-long nail that looked like a miniature railroad spike, complete with rust. Then a few days later I got a rear flat on my road bike from a tiny thorn that somehow worked its way through the Stop Flats (AKA Mr. Tuffy) tire liner.

I make it a habit to glance at the tires on all my bikes and my truck when I walk by them. So far that has prevented any nasty pre-ride surprises.

Rain rides suck for me unless it's warm out, then they feel good.

I don't trust mapmyride either. The rides I've seen posted by other people, on roads I've measured with my Garmin, show wildly inaccurate percent grade readings.

[Roadtrip]

Got out this morning for what turned out an abbreviated eight miles. Was on the way out and checked the radar again and saw storms moving in. Got nearly back to the car before getting rained on, which wasn't too bad, but once we got back home the sky opened up and poured buckets. Glad I wasn't out in that!!!

Shannon

[Orange utopia]

Did 12 miles this morning with my husband who was pulling our 3 year old son in the trailer.

[indysteel]

Great pics Luv2climb, and you really DO love to climb

I broke my 40 mile barrier this morning with a 42 mile ride While Saturday was hot and humid, a cool front came in this morning with drizzle, so the first 14 miles or so of my ride was in a cool drizzling rain. I do not intentionally ride in the rain normally, but it didn't look like it would get any worse so I headed out into the rain It remained overcast, and the high today is only supposed to reach 84 - I will take it!

I rode from my apartment to the SAG of a ride in the next county, then turned around and came home. It was just under 42 miles, though my computer and MapMyRide are disputing about the actual mileage. I believe my Sigma over MapMyRide.

Obviously I don't count the mountain bike drills in my mileage, so that gives me 75 miles between Saturday and today's rides. I am FINALLY starting to feel like my old self! Quads and hamstrings are quite happy, though my hip is complaining just a little bit, I will add more hip stretches to my after-ride routine. I will go for a slow walk shortly.

Good job! Hope the aches and pains work themselves out over the next 24 hours. Did you end up getting some Tiger Balm? It smells pretty funky, but you might massage some of on your legs and hips.

[DebW]

Did a 50 mile ride on Sunday out to Berlin with hirakukibou and her partner. Did some nice roads, and we got home at noon well before the rains.

[Catrin]

Good job! Hope the aches and pains work themselves out over the next 24 hours...

They are fine, just a little tenderness in my quads today so am letting them rest. Went to the gym and tossed weights around, but went easy on the legs


Colorisnt - youch! I hope you are feeling a little better?

Crankin - he takes those pics while riding? His handling skills are awesome!

[colorisnt]

Yeah, I've been sitting with a heating pad on my neck and a bag of ice on my face. It seems to be helping.

[Realgone]

My sister-in-law is visiting from Michigan and we took her took Mt Rainier. I saw many cyclists. Pretty hardcore too. The area we saw them was at the NE entrance to Sunrise which is all uphill and the end is at 6600 ft. Not sure of the starting elevation there, but itnis a minimum of ten miles all steep uphill. We saw a black bear on the side of the road on the way up until a motorcycle scared it which was annoying, yet cool at the same time because he jumped into a nearby tree. Great trip!