Weekend Rides 5/11-5/12

[Crankin]

OK, someone else must be riding here, in addition to me.
On Saturday, we led our club's annual new member ride, which is not really for new members. I think this ride traditionally used to be the "start" of the season, before high tech winter riding clothing, although for some of the riders it still is the first, or one of their first rides of the year. We've been leading this ride for 5-6 years and have modified the route once and split it into a faster and slower paced group. When it's a sunny day, we can get 40-60 people.
This year, the weather forecast made it difficult. It's a show and go ride, no signing up or screening. The listing says "rain cancels," but not "threat of rain cancels." It rained Friday night, and was wet early Saturday morning. Although it was cloudy, we studiously studied 3 weather sites, NOAA radar,a nd the local TV weather people who seem to get it right. I had received several ridiculous emails ("Are you going to email everyone if you cancel?" Huh? There's no sign up) and a few calls in the AM. At 7:30 we decided to we were on. It was a good call. 23 people showed up. I'm the sweep for the faster group, and while everyone chose their group appropriately, one woman wanted to challenge herself and I encouraged her. She was a slow climber, but a good rider, and also lives here in town, so no fear of getting lost. Another woman apparently had no idea how to shift her bike, despite the fact it was her 2nd year on it. The upshot was woman #1 went back on her own, after the snack stop, and woman #2 fell further and further behind, as she was in her hardest gear going up small rises. She looked like she was spinning on the flats and just struggling on the climbs.I tried coaching her from behind, until, when we were actually in my neighborhood and the others were out of sight and gone, we stopped. I wasn't sure if her derailleur was messed up or she didn't know what to do. Then, oh no, she had SRAM. I remebered something about double tapping and taught her to shift the front. We made it back to the start, where DH checked her bike, and then I taught her how to shift. The LBS had given her no instruction, she had no idea if her bike was a compact or a triple, or how many gears in the back. This was a smart person, who was clueless. It's not her fault, though.
So, while I had a slow ride, I got 2 nice thank you emails from both of the women. And that's why I'm a leader.

[thekarens]

Saturday morning I rode with the new rider group, which can also be classified as "the slow people" group. I had volunteered to be turtle. My partner was ride start for the club, which means she brings all the refreshments and sends the riders out in groups based on speed, fast ones first, new riders last, so she ended up riding with us. New riders get the option of 20, 25 and 35 miles. We chose 25 since my partner had "medicine head."

Sunday we took a new MTBer out for her very first trail ride. We took her out on the same trail we did our first ride on. She's 22 and has an old Giant. She was a natural. I say natural, my partner says she's young and has no fear My partner led and basically whatever she did the girl just followed. She did great. That was 9 miles. Had a really nice time.

[BikeDutchess]

Had the best Mother's Day ride ever. We rode up Chalk Creek, which is a gorgeous 50 mile out-and-back ride, with the turn-around spot at the Utah-Wyoming border. It starts with climbing rollers and then a gradual steady climb to the top, total elevation gain about 2200 ft. Other than 1 water spigot about 10 miles in, there are no services at all along this route. So my kids rode with me, and as a special treat, DH and my dad drove sag. My son was great holding back to pace me. DH had packed a gourmet picnic lunch for the top, and even brought chairs to sit in! It was the ultimate luxury. On the way down, dad rode about 15 miles with us and had a blast. The weather was beautiful, and it was a fabulous day of riding.

[Catrin]

Crankin - I wish I lived closer so I could join that ride, it sounds like fun! No riding for me this weekend, I am almost embarrassed to say, hoping to get a small ride in tonight.

[Skippyak]

I rode with a friend to a nice spot called camp floyd here (it is a little park with lovely trees in the middle of nowhere)), DH and the kids met us with a gourmet picnic, my son bought me Blender from Sufferfest (for winter, but he knows I love me some suffering LOL) and the family bought me a dinnote rear red flasher light. It was a lovely day, 58 miles, 2500 ft climbing (a flat ride for here) but so few cyclists on the road. Sunday is quieter in UT but no like that. This is a Goldilocks ride route and I was really surprised not to see more women out doing the route because it is next weekend. I would have thought that would have been the perfect mothers day gift, a ride for mom?

[redrhodie]

I rode Friday and today, and I walked the cliffwalk on Sun.

[Giulianna23]

Did a solo 24 miles yesterday. Completed in 1 1/2 hrs. It was very nice outside.... a bit windy but not too bad or maybe I am getting use to it. It felt so good to have the roads all to myself.

[Irulan]

I did the STOKR ride in Montana. Saturday there are two loop options, a 45 mile or a 90 mile, and Sunday is another 45 miler. I did both the short loops with a friend of mine who I'd never ridden with before. It turns out we were perfectly matched riding partners. Lots of people were , "Stokr? The weather will suck, I'll never ride it again" etc.... we had stunning spring weather: 80 degrees, sunny, no wind. There have been prior years involving snow and rain, but not this year. Each morning we started early enough to be the heat. The ride was very well organzied and I can't say enough about the baking talents of the Libby Community.

They had great support, gent showed up with a floor pump just when my friend needed it


Did I mention the pie?


Day 2, we got to ride over the Dam. By registering for the ride, they got the riders cleared through Homeland Security.



We came around a bend in the road to this.....

[Crankin]

Beautiful, Irulan.
I will add that I walked 3 miles yesterday, owing to my own laziness and my DH's growing relaxed attitude toward cycling.
At least it involved walking up 2 hills.

[lor]

I went for a nice mini ride with my preteen daughter for Mother's day. We only wound up doing 4 miles because she got a flat (slow leak) and my pump valve adapter disappeared!! Boo for not being properly prepared. We did have a nice breakfast on the river with some great views of egrets and ducks.

It was my first time back on my Crossroads after being on the Ruby all week. It was so different. Different bikes for different moods and rides, that's for sure. I enjoy them both for what they are.

[redrhodie]

Beautiful, Irulan.
I will add that I walked 3 miles yesterday, owing to my own laziness and my DH's growing relaxed attitude toward cycling.
At least it involved walking up 2 hills.

I have the same issue as your dh. I'm more successful getting in the saddle on perfect days, and more likely to walk on the crummy days. But I think the walks are good for me. I feel more aligned.

[GLC1968]

Irulan - your ride sounds awesome! I think I'd want to do it just for the pie.

We rode this weekend. My husband has been riding socially with this group he met online somewhere, so this Saturday, I went with them all. He warned me that it would be a slower group, but I figured that since I was so out of shape, it would be fine. Oy. The first 10 or so miles were twisting and turning through neighborhoods that we did not know, so we had to stay with the group. It took us 1:15 to go 10 miles!! Eventually, we got to some hills that allowed a few of us to break off the front. Then we hit the country and we could stretch our legs a bit. The second 2/3'rds of the ride was MUCH more fun. I guess I'm not in as bad of shape as I thought!

Anyway, it was a really nice group of people and a spectacularly perfect day, so there was no need to complain!! 33 miles - no idea on how long it all took us though...

[ZenBiker]

I'm signed up for the Little Red ride in June (see Marni's thread about that) and have been riding often but not long rides, mostly 15 mile commutes and 20-25 mile weekend rides. Since I hope to ride the 70 mile course at Little Red, I decided on Sunday I needed to get in some longer rides before it was too late. I rode the long way to and from church for 15 miles, then changed clothes and did a 35 mile ride in midday heat for a total of 50. Beautiful day, and a good reality check on my fitness level. I have some work to do before June 1!

[BikeDutchess]

ZenBiker - I can relate because I haven't been getting the miles in either! Before yesterday my longest ride had been 30 miles and I signed up for the Little Red century - yikes! I'll see how the middle distance (72 miles) goes on this weekend's Salt Lake Century Ride. At least Little Red is flat

[ZenBiker]

Yes, the LR course is very forgiving as well as pretty - lucky for me. Good luck this weekend! Let us know how it goes.

Oh, and I looked up Chalk Creek on Map My Ride. I'll have to try it sometime! Bit of a drive for me but I'm out that way fairly often for work so I think I can find a way to fit it in.