Weekend Rides?

[sookiesue]

First - Chatnoire, I hope you heal quickly! I love seeing kids on bikes but they do make me wary - I know how unpredictable my own kid is when we're riding together, he has almost taken me out once or twice!

This weekend was my longest ride of the year so far - 55 miles! There was an unexpected detour (a road on the map turned out to be un-bike-able gravel so I had to go 10 miles around!) that took me through some beautiful country. I was a little nervous, though, because my husband and kids were meeting me at a campground that has no cell service, so I couldn't tell him I had the detour. We had set an estimated-time-of-arrival for me, and also an estimated-time-that-you-should-start-worrying-and-come-look-for-me, and I didn't know if I could make it around the detour and back to my planned route by the time he might come looking for me. So, I was trying to ride pretty fast.

Not too many cars passed me on the country road, but one of them had some punk in it who yelled at me and really startled me. It got into my head and I got a bit weirded-out about being off on a little country road, with no one knowing EXACTLY where I was, and then there are lots of loud barking dogs, and aggressive anti-bike people all around (yep, in my head, I know...).

I was telling myself how ridiculous I was being and starting to calm down when I could see up ahead a truck that had pulled off the road, and next to it was a really BIG dog. I figured the dog would be under the control of the people with the truck, so I didn't get too worried about that, but I was a little nervous about the people - were they going to yell at me like that other meanie had? As I pass them, it's a group of youngish (teenage? early 20's?) men. One of them yells, "Hey, you're making good time!" and another one yells "Right on!" Turns out this truck had passed me a while back. They smiled and waved and I smiled back, feeling like all was right with the world again, cycling in the country is awesome, and yes, people are generally decent and kind.

And the dog didn't even look at me.

[chatnoire]

Sookiesue - don't you love it when you get put back into that good head space on your ride? I find I'm really susceptible to that inner dialogue (especially the negative.)

Thanks for the wishes everyone. I find out tomorrow what the plan is for surgery, and other than that, I'm looking into a trainer we can get so I can keep everything else in shape.

[Catrin]

Chatnoire, I hope you are feeling a bit better, sending you gentle hugs and prayers.

They keep teasing us with the possibility of rain and thunderstorms...but keep pushing it back. Sigh. We are under emergency water restrictions and the grass is pure tinder, we so badly need rain.

Headed out for a 12 mile ride to test my recovery. The short ride was nice, overall my average speed was higher than it ever has been and my heart rate lower than expected. Time to start ramping things up again - will head out early tomorrow morning for a longer road ride It was also delightful to ride in cooler temperatures!

[Crankin]

Send those cool temperatures this way, Catrin.
So we were supposed to do the ride we had planned for last Sunday, when my friend spent the night before in the ER due to stomach issues. I woke up today to an email from her DH saying he now had a slightly milder version of what she had . We were up, so we went out at 7:40 AM and did about 22 miles of a slightly different way of one of our local rides. It ended up being flatter than usual in the beginning, as DH was tired from a lot of commuting and we were on main roads. When we turned onto the regular part of this ride, I had lots of energy and ended up going 12 mph up a steep hill. I guess I don't realize how hilly most of the "normal" riding I do is. On the way home, there was a para-cyclist in front of us, who was flying. DH decided he didn't want to draft him, so I had to book it to pass the guy and keep up with DH.
Thankfully, it stayed cloudy and was only about 80 while we rode. It is supposed to be brutally hot and humid tomorrow, when we are going to do the planned ride, which is about 35 miles. We're leaving at 8:30, I am hoping to convince the friends to make it earlier. Right now, it's about 90, sunny, and 45% humidity.
There was an MS ride starting out of Concord today, and the shorter route went right by my street and some of the route I did. That was another reason we went out early.
The heat isn't supposed to break until Wednesday afternoon.

[Catrin]

Cool temps for this summer is all relative, we had the low temperature of 89 yesterday, but it felt refreshing! mid-90's continue in the forecasts... The skies taunt us with what looks like rain clouds, we can smell rain and the wind picks up...but then the front passes through with no precipitation. We saw about 3 raindrops yesterday and that was the most in quite some time.

22.5 miles this morning, wanted to go 35 but I also want to go to an advanced Bosu class later this morning to test the recovery of my side/chest muscles so figured I shouldn't over-do it as my knee just recovered from the previous injury. I rode out of my front door at 6:30 this morning and it was a sweet ride

It was a more urban route than my usual, there was little traffic though I seemed to hit every red light possible... I felt very good, and while I don't care that much about my average speed, it was higher than ever @ 13.55. For me and my riding position/bike geometry I think that is pretty good!

[velo]

I had one of those rides with shifting winds where it seems you have a headwind the entire time. Ugh! My route was mostly from the south to the north with a loop at the end to head me back south toward home and I swear, the wind was coming from the NNW on the way out and the SSW on the way back. Still it wasn't too bad. I wanted to do a little more, but got a late start after sleeping in. 36 really beautiful, quiet country miles for today, and rode 37 yesterday.

[Crankin]

We finally did the "Sight Ride," named so because it's about 3/4 of the route of a charity ride we used to do called Cycle for Sight, for the Lions club. Rode 8 miles to meet our friends at 8:30, where we learned she had dropped his wallet in the toilet a Dunkin Donuts. Not sure how that happened. It was hotter than hell already and humid, but most of this ride is very shady, until we are back fairly close to home. We rode through Sudbury, Weston, Waltham, Lincoln, and Bedford, and then back to Concord. While I used to do a lot of group rides on these roads, I don't ride them that much anymore, so it was a nice change. Saw lots of wildlife in the Great Meadows Refuge, as well as many, many cyclists out early today, to beat the heat.
Usually, we stop to eat lunch in Concord center, but it was only 10:50, so we headed home and split from our friends. On the way up my street, just about at the 8% grade spot, I shifted down to the lowest cog in the rear. I was already in my granny on the front, and was exhausted and hot. My chain fell off and I was on too steep of a hill to use the put it in the big ring trick to get the chain back on without stopping. I was able to get unclipped and not crash, which just a couple of years ago would have definitely happened. I pushed my bike across the street to a driveway, which got the chain back on, and headed up the hill.
It was shifting funny for a few days, so DH is going to check it now.
The ride was just under 40 miles, with 1500 feet of climbing.

[Fredwina]

Not much
Up the hudson:

Patina:

Under the B&A:

For Mimi and Don:

The Uss Slater:

I was going to ride some more to work off that Coolatta, but it started to rain, so I headed back