April Rides

[colorisnt]

It's hard with the pace. I'm okay with it in days when I am not working on pacing but it's really hard for me when I am really, really trying to work on good speed! I, thankfully, am pacing closer to the BF now. He's still slower but not by much anymore. I've been spinning all winter and he's been doing nothing haha. So, he's been out of the game. He will lap me soon. It's good encouragement to try to stay with him.

Today, we did 20 miles of hills. I think I am finally getting the gearing right on the MTB. Despite the heavier bikes, we did great. BF hadn't ever ridden that much in the country before but he did great with the cars. We kicked butt! I also used my road bike saddle today and it improved my ride 110%!

[Crankin]

NY, I was just with friends today. I just got the route for Wed. and I am leaning to bagging it, going with my friend, and using the ride to my house and home as a time to ride faster. The group is going up into the town I lived in when I first moved here; the issue is the shorter ride 26 miles is stopping at a butterfly museum, which I have no interest in, and the longer ride is 37 miles, in a very hilly area past the museum. Plus, those riders are fast (for me) and I am not sure I can keep up, or I will be that person behind the sweep . Seriously, when DH and I lead, I do the sweeping and on the 2 rides we do early season, it is show and go... there is always someone who shouldn't be there. Other rides, they have to call me and I screen them.

[Jolt]

Rode just under 8 miles each way to a friend's house in the next town, to see her and her new baby. Lots of hills on the route! I rode the bike with fatter tires today and was glad I did given the amount of broken pavement and frost heaves--that's spring in New England. Definitely a ways to go as far as getting broken in to the saddle again...was feeling that soreness in the derriere on today's ride.

[azfiddle]

Emily- just saw your comment. Mt. Lemmon is not so much hard, as just a long, constant climb. The grade is mainly 5% and so it's just a steady uphill slog. I average 6-7 mph when I'm moving but I stop every few miles and take a little rest.

Last trip I stopped around mile 7 (mainly due to time constraints). This trip, about mile 9. Next trip I'll go to either 11.5 (Middle Bear Canyon) or Windy Point (mile 14).

[ny biker]

Emily- just saw your comment. Mt. Lemmon is not so much hard, as just a long, constant climb. The grade is mainly 5% and so it's just a steady uphill slog. I average 6-7 mph when I'm moving but I stop every few miles and take a little rest.

Last trip I stopped around mile 7 (mainly due to time constraints). This trip, about mile 9. Next trip I'll go to either 11.5 (Middle Bear Canyon) or Windy Point (mile 14).

I still have not tried the Mt Lemmon climb on my Spinervals Tuscon DVD. I assume there is a long period of riding in a high gear. The scenery looks nice, though, so I will try it out -- but not until next winter, since I'm really over the whole indoor cycling thing at this point.

I've ridden part of Skyline Drive once. It's a series of climbs like what you describe -- long but not steep. It was definitely challenging, but also lots of fun.

[azfiddle]

NY Biker-

I am so thankful that the weather here allows us to ride year round. Mt. Lemmon is the only long ride I can do in the mid-summer.

[emily_in_nc]

Yesterday was my 53rd birthday, and because I didn't have the time or inclination to ride 53 miles, we did another urban ride on the mountain bikes and rode 35 miles on the bike path and roads there and back (which, for those geeks like me, is actually 53 in hexidecimal!) Had to go to the bank and a grocery store, so riding the MTBs with racks and Tailriders made sense. It was a good, long-enough ride.

After showers, we then celebrated with BBQ and ice cream out last night!