Weekend Rides?

[Catrin]

Crankin - I am so sorry to read this but so glad that your DH didn't get hit! Pity he didn't get the license plate.

I've taken a full week off the bike and planned to have a good 26 mile ride today to test my commuting route to work...temps are fantastic, sun is shining - winds are 20-30 mph all day today. No road riding for me Tomorrow I am off work and it is STILL supposed to be windy.... So I will go for a walk today (not in the woods), and if I have to hook the trainer back up tomorrow I will - but if it is just a little less windy I can ride in my favorite local park. I HAD wanted to mountain bike tomorrow but with torrential rains all day yesterday the trails will likely be still closed - beginner trails take longer to drain.

I know some of you ride in much higher winds, but frankly, I've problems staying in my lane when they are that high. I don't know how you women do it!

I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike...I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike! (channeling Queen for a few seconds).

[Owlie]

Crankin - I am so sorry to read this but so glad that your DH didn't get hit! Pity he didn't get the license plate.

I've taken a full week off the bike and planned to have a good 26 mile ride today to test my commuting route to work...temps are fantastic, sun is shining - winds are 20-30 mph all day today. No road riding for me Tomorrow I am off work and it is STILL supposed to be windy.... So I will go for a walk today (not in the woods), and if I have to hook the trainer back up tomorrow I will - but if it is just a little less windy I can ride in my favorite local park. I HAD wanted to mountain bike tomorrow but with torrential rains all day yesterday the trails will likely be still closed - beginner trails take longer to drain.

I know some of you ride in much higher winds, but frankly, I've problems staying in my lane when they are that high. I don't know how you women do it!

I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike...I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike! (channeling Queen for a few seconds).

Yeah, really. I took the week off simply because I was wiped out. Now that I actually want to ride, it's too windy--I don't want to risk damaging that abdominal muscle even more than last Saturday's ride did. I think it's going to be the trainer and yoga today...

[Catrin]

Yeah, really. I took the week off simply because I was wiped out. Now that I actually want to ride, it's too windy--I don't want to risk damaging that abdominal muscle even more than last Saturday's ride did. I think it's going to be the trainer and yoga today...

Smart woman - we are both learning

It does look, however, like the winds will be low enough for me to ride in Eagle Creek Park at 7 this evening - as long as the sustained winds are <21mph then I can ride in the park - most of it is pretty protected from the winds but there are portions that aren't. So I CAN ride tonight and tomorrow night it looks like, just later than I ordinarily would. I will take it!

[goldfinch]

I am in a town where I spend spring and fall. I learned about a Sunday group ride that has people of all sorts of riding levels. It leaves in 5 minutes. The sky looks too much like rain, forecast is 60% chance of thunderstorms with winds 20-30mph, gusts to 40mph. Chickening out.

I think that I will try a run.

[redrhodie]

I did my lbs ride yesterday. It is really growing in popularity. There were probably around 30 of us.

We headed in a different direction than we've gone before, but I knew the roads well. It used to be my old commute years ago, back when I had my Dolce. It made me feel good to remember how hard this route used to feel to me, and how strong I felt yesterday. We were averaging 18 uphill at one point. Not too shabby.

We rode into Ninigret Park and did a few laps around the crit track for "fun" . Oh, the memories. I think I found my suitcase of courage lying there, battered and empty, from last September. Ha.

At one point, the road was covered in rocks the must have spilled from a truck. Golf ball sized. They came up fast and the we didn't see them until it was too late. Luckily, no one fell, but I got hit in the head by one that was kicked up by a passing car. Thank God for helmets.

Other than that, it was an awesome ride, with some of my favorite people to ride with. But, the continuing growth of the group makes me nervous. It feels more dangerous.

[luv2climb]

Rode Rattlesnake Bar Road between Pilot Hill and Folsom Lake. It's another nice route with over 3,000' of climbing in only 22 miles. I've only ridden this road one other time (October 2010), and back then it was part of a longer ride so it wasn't nearly as pleasant due to almost bonking.

I got stung by a honeybee in Pilot Hill. It flew in my truck and had hitched a ride in my lap for God knows how long. I didn't notice it until I put my left hand in my lap and got stung in the pinky. Luckily the healing effects of exercise eliminated the pain within a couple minutes of climbing on my bike and riding away.

The bee was on the bottom of my shirt, so I walked over to a nearby bush and used one of the branches to nudge the bee off of me without having to touch it. The stinger stayed in the bee, so I had to be extra careful.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/168639182

Here's my usual sufferfest video full of suffer sounds on the climbs, so be forwarned!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQfZW8mod0E

Here's the pics I took on the way back to Pilot Hill from Folsom Lake.

Top of first big climb heading towards Folsom Lake


Top of second (and most difficult) big climb heading towards Folsom Lake


Private road sign

[Crankin]

I'm counting today as part of my weekend riding, since it's a holiday here in Massachusetts.
DH and I did a quick 15.2 mile ride, for my fastest average this year. It's *hot* and humid, too. We had to fight tourists, bad drivers, and parade marchers leaving the Patriot's Day parade near the end of the ride. I rode 103 miles in the past 3 days, plus I ran/walked 3 miles earlier this morning, before riding.
Now to rest.

[Fredwina]

enjoy!
http://youtu.be/yAp1I9N7Ao0

[carolync]

I did my first organized ride of the season. Ocean to Bay ride in Delaware. 50 gorgeous sunny flat miles will only a little headwind.

[withm]

I did my first organized ride of the season. Ocean to Bay ride in Delaware. 50 gorgeous sunny flat miles will only a little headwind.

Hey! I did that ride. I did the "30" but got 36 miles out of it. I rode with a friend who was doing her first long ride after double hip replacement; it was slow but she did it all. Wasn't it a beautiful day?!?!?

[Gypsy]

I had a great ride today. Super windy, but the temperature was great, the sun was shining and I felt so alive. This is why I ride my bike!

[Slowspoke]

I am feeling rather smug about beating mother nature. I was whining about needing to go grocery shopping and how ugly it was to shop on a Sunday. Crowds of rude people are not my thing! I checked the weather channel and it said rain at 12:30 through 2. I thought great, when I get home in the rain, I won't be able to ride. DUH I jumped off the couch, grabbed my dog (he runs on the walkie dog when I do short rides) and off we went. We got in a quick 4 miles. It still has not rained but the radar looks really ugly. Now I am going to wait a few hours so I don't have to unload groceries in the rain. Lesson learned? Ride first, chores don't go away!!!

Hoping to get in a longer ride tonight. While I wait this out, I think I will try to make pop bottle fenders for my commuter.

[Kubla]

Although my first 2012 ride was unusually early for me (late March), I wasn't able to ride again until today due to scheduling/weather issues.

Beautiful weather-sunny, a little breezy and warm enough to ride without a jacket. My goal was 10-12 miles; I managed 13+ and could have easily stayed out longer. (I say easily now, but I would have paid for it dearly tomorrow if I hadn't stopped when I did.) The route was a perfect combination of gentle hills, scenic stretches and straightaways that invited some short sprints.

I had to cross two busy roads (at a crosswalk) and am still amazed at the motorists that will not slow down for a "pedal-destrian" around here. Or, one side will stop to allow a crossing-while the other side speeds on through. <Sigh>

[Crankin]

Did another 32 miles today. It's about 78-80 and partly cloudy. Good thing, for the cloudy. We did one of the rides we lead, but made it a little shorter so we could eat lunch at a convenient spot. Only one big hill, lots of rolling hills. This ride goes through Concord, Sudbury, Stow, Acton, and back to Concord. I won't even say how slow my average was, but it was sort of intentional after yesterday's sufferfest. My back is a little wacky, but not as bad as it was when I woke up today.
It's supposed to be 90 here tomorrow. They are very worried about the runners in the marathon. I think I will be riding in the early AM.
There seems to be about 2-3X the amount of traffic this weekend. What is going on?