Weekend rides 8/2-8/4

[indysteel]

Morgan Monroe today (the loop is both in and outside the actual forest); BCSP on Friday.

[Catrin]

Morgan Monroe today (the loop is both in and outside the actual forest); BCSP on Friday.

I had wondered about Morgan Monroe when you mentioned it was a state forest, somehow I didn't know they have mtb trails there, sweet!

[indysteel]

I had wondered about Morgan Monroe when you mentioned it was a state forest, somehow I didn't know they have mtb trails there, sweet!

Sorry, I wasn't clear. Today's ride was a road ride. Morgan Monroe doesn't have mtb trails.

[Crankin]

Yesterday we did a 20 mile "mystery" ride around town. Hit a few streets I've never been on. Despite the locality of the ride, it had 1,000 feet of climbing. There was a sidewalk sale in Concord center, so we stopped at the cheese shop on the way home, and walked through the booths. Had to leave pretty quickly, so the cheese wouldn't melt in DH's jersey pocket.
Today we finally did our "Fruit Loop" ride to Kimball's Fruit Farm in Pepperell, MA, on the border of Hollis, NH.Our friend changed the end of the ride, so we don't do some brutal hills at the end, but the ride is now longer... 51 miles instead of 47. Both DH and I had lower back issues (not from cycling), but we enjoyed the day. The climb up to the farm has 6 hills on one street. The weather was gorgeous, though I was scared it would rain, and we did have a couple of sprinkles on the way home. We ate our lunches on top of a hill by the farm, with a beautiful view of Mt. Wachusett.
I did not really like the new ending to the ride and would have rather done the hills. There were a couple of funky intersections that I would not take a group on and the landscape was not that gorgeous. I'm just spoiled!
Got home, took an ice bath, and had some good home made Mexican food for dinner.

[indysteel]

Minus the back pain and funky intersections, that sounds like an awesome weekend of riding!

[rebeccaC]

I have friends from New York and Quebec visiting for a few days. Maggie is a climber that I can only aspire to match strength and endurance with some day. So we borrowed a bike from a friend and I took her for a ride in the Santa Monica Mountains. We rode out to and up Los Flores Canyon road, coming back down to PCH on Malibu Canyon road and then home. 58 miles with some really good climbing.

When we got back we heard of a crazy persons rampage with a car on the Venice Beach boardwalk. One woman died and many people were struck with some in critical condition. I’ve said prayers for the people involved and their families and friends. How precious life is and how quickly it can be gone.

[Crankin]

Ha, Indy, I'm not comlaining, really. I decided not to go to boot camp this morning, to let my back rest until tomorrow. It's my fault; I have slacked off on my exercises.
As far as the intersections go, they are just country-suburban, weird New England type things. The first is a left while you are at the bottom of a hill and cars are coming down the other side, on sort of at a curve. That is actually the more dangerous one. The second one is right after that. It's just a stop sign at the top of a hill, which I dislike intensely. There were no cars yesterday, but when I am riding my Guru, I have to push up a lot to get myself onto the saddle and go. I'm not good at hill starts in any situation, but on my other bike, it's easier.