Weekend Rides?

[Owlie]

None today, since day 2 is generally bad in terms of cramps, and I really need to get some studying done, since my finals start Tuesday. Tomorrow, if I can get my butt moving early enough, I'll go for a ride, probably no more than 25 miles, because I need the stress relief!

[azfiddle]

I started about 7:45 and rode to meet up with my regular group. Sunny but cool with a pretty stiff headwind riding out to Tucson's far eastern edge, including the steep hill at the end of the paved road. Tailwinds for a while, then we headed south. I opted to go to Saguaro NP and ran into a friend there. She and her buddies are faster and dropped me- but that was fine. I took a very roundabout route home, via Starbucks and 2 bike shops, looking for a new pair of gloves to replace the ones that are tearing, Sunflower market and the French bakery. In a pinch , those reusable bags can function as a backpack if you slip your arms through the straps (no rack or panniers on the Ruby).

The DH is more than halfway through his 400k randonneuring adventure as of now.

[Reesha]

Challenging team ride with my kids today-- we chased hills and the headwinds seemed to follow us wherever we turned.

There's this one climb called "hog's hollow" any road cyclist in St. Louis has probably heard of it. Ugh, I had to stop twice and nearly fell over at the top. I'm not sure what the grade is exactly, 12-13%? I was chugging along at like 4-5 mph though. Weee!! Hills!

[tzvia]

I got the Ruby down and got her ready to go. Pump the tires- the rear needed about 20psi. The front was at 20psi. Strange, looks like a slow leak maybe, so I take off the wheel and start inspecting for anything stuck in the tire. Got about 1/2 way round and WTF?? Big slice at an angle- maybe .6" long from the start of the edge of the tread almost to the bead. Cut right through some sidewall cords and the tire was bulging there. I had only put these tires on a few months ago- Hutchinson Fusion 2s. And I don't have a spare tire. I wasn't too fond of them anyway but heck they weren't that old.

Well I've been saying that my next tires are going to be Continental 4000 25c tires but I wasn't planning on getting them soon. And the closest place with them in stock is a 20 minute drive down the freeway. So my bike ride turned into a truck drive down the freeway .

Nice tires; I have the Gatorskins on my Fuji beater bike and really like them so I hope these ride as well or better.

Guess I'll ride tomorrow and find out.

[Savra]

I'm getting ready for my first club ride of the season tomorrow. Pumping up the tires, finding the water bottles, checking on the bike rack, washing my bike clothes. I'm excited. This is a new club for me. They are starting a month early from my old club. I've been out for a couple of rides already but they were pretty short.

[Bethany1]

Went with DH out for a ride down the highway. He had his Trek Navigator and I had my Fargo. We only did about 5 miles but he made it up the hill just past the airport for the first time. I'm really proud of him as it took me at least two weeks to get up it.

The Trek Navigator probably isn't the best choice bike for doing a lot of miles, but for once he's comfortable and doesn't hurt while riding it. He had a great time. The right bike really makes a difference in how you see cycling. Hopefully he'll continue to come with me.

I also discovered whole grain bread with peanut butter and honey works for energy while cycling. Forget the cardboard bars. This works so much better and doesn't make me feel sick.

I didn't even panic when a farm tractor went around us. I wish I could say thank you to all the cars and semi trucks that went around us instead of blowing us over. It's nice to know people care about safety. There should be a universal sign for "thank you".

[Reesha]

I got the Ruby down and got her ready to go. Pump the tires- the rear needed about 20psi. The front was at 20psi. Strange, looks like a slow leak maybe, so I take off the wheel and start inspecting for anything stuck in the tire. Got about 1/2 way round and WTF?? Big slice at an angle- maybe .6" long from the start of the edge of the tread almost to the bead. Cut right through some sidewall cords and the tire was bulging there. I had only put these tires on a few months ago- Hutchinson Fusion 2s. And I don't have a spare tire. I wasn't too fond of them anyway but heck they weren't that old.

Well I've been saying that my next tires are going to be Continental 4000 25c tires but I wasn't planning on getting them soon. And the closest place with them in stock is a 20 minute drive down the freeway. So my bike ride turned into a truck drive down the freeway .

Nice tires; I have the Gatorskins on my Fuji beater bike and really like them so I hope these ride as well or better.

Guess I'll ride tomorrow and find out.

I have Conti Grand Prix 4000s and they are very nearly as tough as my old gator skins. They are great!

[Blueberry]

I have Conti Grand Prix 4000s and they are very nearly as tough as my old gator skins. They are great!

Really? My DH had those on for less than half a year when he had a huge sidewall issue requiring tire replacement. Wonder if we had a bad batch?

[Reesha]

I have heard of the sidewall issue, but I am under the impression that it's a small minority. They came highly recommended to me for my purposes.

I have had these tires for well over 1000 miles on nasty city streets. I'm crossing railroad tracks, broken pavement and even broken glass fairly regularly on them. No flats yet (fingers crossed)!

[Catrin]

Another 16.5 miles today, and still no neck pain! It was windier today so I am pretty pleased. It is obvious that my hands and butt have to get accustomed to riding for longer than 45 minutes again (that's been my limit since my injury). I will see if my grips need tweaking a bit, but nothing has changed in my fit so I think the discomfort is likely just from not being able ride normally for so long.

Awesome riding this weekend, and I think that as I get a chance to ride more frequently that I can start pushing my mileage up to my normal range - slowly but surely.