Weekend Rides - 9/17-18

[redrhodie]

I did the lbs ride, as usual, but we did it backward. It's funny, about half of us found it a lot easier that way, and the other half found it a lot harder. One of the hills I was expecting to kill me was totally easy. Weird. I was in the "it's way easier" camp. Could also be my saddle issue is finally fixed, so maybe everything feels easier because of that.

There's nothing better than a comfy saddle.

[Biciclista]

I sure agree with you about a comfy saddle. So you have 3 selle An Atomica's ??

[redrhodie]

Yes. I actually got one of them before I even knew I was getting a 3rd bike (a spare, bought in case the company ever folded).

I can't believe I have 3 bikes. I am a very different person than I was when I gave my bf grief for buying his bike, which I thought was a huge waste of money. Look at me now, eating crow.

[Biciclista]

Yes. I actually got one of them before I even knew I was getting a 3rd bike (a spare, bought in case the company ever folded).

I can't believe I have 3 bikes. I am a very different person than I was when I gave my bf grief for buying his bike, which I thought was a huge waste of money. Look at me now, eating crow.

yeah but this crow tastes GOOD!

[PamNY]

I did the lbs ride, as usual, but we did it backward.

When I saw this I thought -- you rode your bike backward?

[Biciclista]

When I saw this I thought -- you rode your bike backward?

they're very talented riders.

[Catrin]

I wanted to ride today, but had promised to volunteer at a local event (Hoosier Outdoor Experience). There was a station hosted by the state MTB association that led small group rides on the brand new beginners mtb trail...I helped to make certain everyone had hair-nets and helmets.

Tomorrow will pack a lunch & drive to southern Indiana on a day trip to ride my current favorite trail, hopefully for a couple of round trips - will hike another trail depending on how tired I am...

I actually felt a bit guilty for not riding on a day off - can't think of the last time I haven't ridden on a day off when the weather was nice. It was a nice day and I am glad that I helped out for a few hours. Getting a good night sleep tonight and no alarm clock so I will be ready for the trails tomorrow

[indysteel]

I wanted to ride today, but had promised to volunteer at a local event (Hoosier Outdoor Experience). There was a station hosted by the state MTB association that led small group rides on the brand new beginners mtb trail...I helped to make certain everyone had hair-nets and helmets.

Tomorrow will pack a lunch & drive to southern Indiana on a day trip to ride my current favorite trail, hopefully for a couple of round trips - will hike another trail depending on how tired I am...

I actually felt a bit guilty for not riding on a day off - can't think of the last time I haven't ridden on a day off when the weather was nice. It was a nice day and I am glad that I helped out for a few hours. Getting a good night sleep tonight and no alarm clock so I will be ready for the trails tomorrow

I thought you were doing the Hope Ride yesterday. We traveled yesterday to the western end of the Katy Trail and start riding today....in the rain.

[Catrin]

I thought you were doing the Hope Ride yesterday. We traveled yesterday to the western end of the Katy Trail and start riding today....in the rain.

Nooooo, I had to work a few hours yesterday morning Gotta pay bike support somehow! Thankfully I hadn't yet registered though I will likely still make a donation. Am hoping to do a 50 mile ride with Winding Road and her mom next Saturday in western Indiana if I can work it out.

I hope the rain goes away soon and you enjoy the rest of your ride! Am heading down to BCSP in an hour to play on Limekiln for a couple of hours, then MIGHT hike Walnut depending on how I am feeling by then.

[PamNY]

they're very talented riders.

Well, I've always said the women of TE inspire me to do things I wouldn't have thought possible...

[redrhodie]

When I saw this I thought -- you rode your bike backward?

Ha! I was going to suggest we wear our clothes backward, but I figured my chamois would bunch.

[OakLeaf]

A few of us from the club drove about an hour and a half to the nearby Pawpaw Festival which presents a 55-mile ride every year. I hadn't done this one before, and from the location I was expecting killer hills. For some bizarre reason I still felt it necessary to run intervals on Friday and then drink two glasses of red wine with dinner Friday night.

As it turned out, the ride was scenic, there were a handful of real hills, but most of it stuck to flatter roads and shallower grades. Which was good, because if it'd been brutal, the way my legs felt I'd have been crying. I've been riding close to home all summer long, so a change of scenery was nice.

DH, who doesn't ride, drove down to take in the festival for the afternoon. In the discombobulation transferring my stuff from my friends' car to ours, I lost my heart rate strap, and even though we retraced our steps several times, I couldn't find it. I gave up and started drinking the pawpaw beer and eating pawpaw pastries. Before too long I had a call that someone had turned my strap in to lost and found, so it's all good.

[nscrbug]

Yesterday I did 65 miles. Had intended to ride longer, but midway through the ride....I got a call from my sister (who was in the hospital for past 3 days) saying that they are discharging her, so I needed to go pick her up. I was a good 25 miles from home when I got the phone call, so we tried to pick up the pace a bit to make it home quicker.

Today, I had good intentions of getting in a longer ride due to cutting my ride short yesterday...but a steady cold drizzle which hit us about a mile into the ride, changed our plans. We managed to get 30 wet miles in, before hanging it up for the day. I was wet and cold and wanted nothing more but to get into a hot shower and some dry comfy clothes. I'm still shivering now, and I've been home for almost 2 hours...brrrrrrr!

Linda

[Crankin]

I had a nice 27 mile ride with the daughter and son in law of my neighbors. They are living with my neighbors now, along with their 3 kids... until they sell their house in NH, I think. Anyway, they are very athletic, but not super cyclists; she's a spin instructor and he does tris and runs. They have hybrids and were all worried I would drop them, but it turned out to be a perfect match. I did a go a bit slower than normal in parts, but I wasn't sure of how much to push the pace. We rode over to Boxborough and back, stopped at the farmer's market in west Acton, where they bought peaches. It's nice and cool, about 55 when we started and about 61 out now; I was dressed perfectly or once.
There was an ALS ride today and it came up my street! I was all freaked out I would run into people going up/down into my driveway, but they were through here by the time we got back. We did see a couple of the riders on the way back, but not anywhere near my house. My new road shoes are breaking in nicely. I have an appointment Wednesday to get them "molded" to my feet.

[pll]

I rode some 48 miles yesterday and a fast 33 today, in the drizzle and rain. I might be the exception, but I enjoy riding in the rain somehow. It seems more peaceful, I like the light. Some of the foliage is changing colors already, fall is in the air!

While I enjoy a rainy ride, I hate dealing with the aftermath of a dirty bike, soggy shoes, muddy clothes... The wind was picking up during the last few miles -- I can see for the riders of the Northshore Century, it will be a long day. The post-ride shower felt great.