Magnificent or Mundane May Rides!

[Boudicca]

Got very wet, even on a short ride. It wasn't raining when we started, and then it drizzled, and then it really rained. Practice for tomorrow's group ride, perhaps. I am taking the Friday, because it's the only bike I've got with fenders. I figure the extra workout won't do me any harm, and it has more gears than the other bikes anyway.

I'll actually be riding the same route as a few weeks back, so I'm curious whether there is a difference in the speed between the two bikes.

[Crankin]

My ride today was crazy. This was for leaders, and there were supposed to be 2 rides, a 20 and 30 mile ride. There were only 10 people, so we set out to do 26. It was lightly raining when we left, had my Showers Pass jacket on. We stopped, so we could take jackets off, etc. and when I unzipped my jacket, the zipper pull disappeared. I mean it's gone. Since the zipper on one of the pit zips is stuck in open, this jacket is going in the trash. It will cost more to fix it than to get a new one on a discount site. Boo. There was a mix of abilities, but it was really nice out and pleasant, until halfway, when right when we went up the only bigger hill of the ride, one guy said he was struggling, recovering from bronchitis. The leader is a super experienced guy, but he has a bad sense of direction, even with a gps... he missed 2 turns before this. Anyway, I told him a slightly shorter, flatter way to get back to his own house, and I started leading. I turned off of a main road to take a short cut to another main road, and somehow he missed us. Anyway, we all got back, in a couple of different groups, but I ended up a little more sweaty than I planned.
The food was good at the party afterwards. DH joined me for the dinner, as he had to stay home to await our new washer and dryer. I think it was about 25 miles... I took the gps off the course and I pressed so many things on that screen, I don't even know what I did.

[azfiddle]

Today's ride started with a discussion about training and nutrition by a pro rider for Team Cloud who is also a coach for several of our team members. Then we had drills with cones and water bottles to practice bike handling skills and a some pace line practice. Our group seemed woefully undisciplined today on the paceline, which seemed quite surprising as there are so many of us who are experienced at riding in pacelines. Some of the ladies went on up Mt. Lemmon but I had to turn back early to get home for the Tucson Folk Festival this afternoon. So it was only about 19 miles. Maybe tomorrow will be ride on the mountain.

The coach had good suggestions and offered to preview some of the future rides and point out some areas where we might want to practice group skills for the future.

[ny biker]

I had a great ride today. It was a big multi-class club ride with three distances to choose from, and I lead the B group on the metric route. Except I rode sweep at the low end of the B pace while most everyone else was a high-B rider. And I was delayed leaving two of the rest stops (trying to get my wool Kneekers off over my bike shoes at one and needing eye drops for my pollen-irritated contact lenses at another). So most of my group were too far up the road for me to see for most of the ride, and I rode alone for some of it. But the weather was near perfect and we had fun. There were 23 of us in all -- too many for one person to manage, but there were enough experienced ride leaders in the group to help make sure everyone rode without any major incidents.

I took a couple of short-cuts so I ended up riding 58 miles rather than 62. It was still my longest ride of the year so far. My legs were a bit tired mid-way through the ride but at the end they actually felt pretty good. And I averaged 14.2 mph, which is faster than most of the rides I've done lately.

With our club, you earn a ride leader's jersey if you lead at least six rides in a year. Today was my first day wearing the jersey that I earned last year. It's a nice Louis Garneau jersey.

[rebeccaC]

Rode over the Santa Monica Mountains to Simi Valley. The hardest part of the ride was Black Canyon Rd leaving Chatsworth and Box Canyon Rd back into Chatsworth. Black Canyon was just a brutal climb for me. Even the descent was difficult. It was so hard that Box Canyon seemed like a recovery ride. I stopped for stretching, fluids and calling to make a massage appointment at the top of Black Canyon. It got into the 90’s by early afternoon and that made me happy we weren’t on either of those canyon roads then and on the descent off the SM mountains to Pacific Coast Highway.

82 miles.

[Crankin]

Meh, just went to meet friends for a nice hilly ride and it's raining. It wasn't supposed to start until much later. It's also windy and not so warm out. We turned around. There might be a window to do a short ride in a bit, but right now, I am drinking more coffee.

[Helene2013]

two nice rides on Friday afternoon and yesterday afternoon. Both we ended up being wet from rain. Friday was bad! Lots of rain and cold, and super windy. Took the afternoon off from work to ride and we had to cut it short. Yesterday just a few drizzles and we closed the garage door just on time before the big storm. Whouhou! But again had to cut it short! Blah!

Today, no way to go for a ride. Still raining strong. blah. Where is the nice weather? But at least yesterday I met a friend who was walking her 2 dogs in the grass while we were on the path. Nice chat and different than in work environment. People (cars and those on paths) were very nice and giving us the space we needed. Trees are starting to get the leaves (well the buds) out. We're behind in the season. Can't wait to ride a beautiful Saturday morning with just the sun, some cool weather and come back relaxed and smiley instead of stressed and upset about weather..again... lol

[salsabike]

Wow, RebeccaC! Those are some two climbs you did! Brutal.

We did our monthly 100k tandem ride yesterday on my favorite route AND saw the yearling filly we'd seen as a new foal a year ago! I thought you all might like to see her--

[SheFly]

Meh, just went to meet friends for a nice hilly ride and it's raining. It wasn't supposed to start until much later. It's also windy and not so warm out. We turned around. There might be a window to do a short ride in a bit, but right now, I am drinking more coffee.

Windy is an understatement! Just back from 47 miles. It rained, and felt like it might turn to sleet at one point! The wind was brutal in every direction, too. Still good to get out, and the sun did shine for a little bit. Guess I didn't need that sunscreen on my arms though - never took the arm warmers off.

SheFly

[colorisnt]

Salsabike,

As a former equestrienne, I think that's so cool!

I took my "horse" out today on about a 14 mile ride. Brings me up to about 94-95 miles for the week. Not too shabby despite AWFUL weather. I led our group once on the way there and back and then hung back for some riders pacing slower and worked on resistance. This is the women's group in town I look forward to riding with all week so it was awesome. Now, I'm back at my office about to dissertate some more while the SO works a Sunday shift. Beautiful weekend for riding and feeling great. This is how I know I am getting back into good shape. I can ride three straight days with some high mileage and do great.

[Crankin]

After another aborted attempt (I was putting my shoes on, looked up, and it was pouring), I got out and did the shortest loop possible from my house, 8 miles. I did wear my old rain jacket, since the demise of the newer, expensive one on yesterday's ride. As soon as I started climbing Strawberry Hill, I knew I should have taken a rest day. Anyway, I had it all, rain, gusts of wind so bad I was blown into the middle of the road, and sun. While I did get my average up to a decent speed for me, I was lagging way behind DH. I am glad I went out, as DH said, where else can you get an 8 mile ride and climb 500+ feet?
I should rest tomorrow, but it's boot camp day. Probably no rest until next Friday. Weather not looking good for our club ride we are leading next weekend.

[marni]

Tusdays ride out around Sealy, Tx ( town of mattress fame) was 50 miles of country roads and rollers. It was basically pleasant for the first 30 miles as we had a tail and side wind. The return 20 miles were a misery 15 mph headwinds with gusts up to 40. Fortunately there were five of us and the paceline helped and the wind and low humidity (drought conditions already) kept the temperatures doable.

Yesterdays 50 miles on the local roads was much more doable, a good thing since I was riding on my own. Breezes were mostly side and quartering and only at about 10 mph. Glad I got off the road early though because they were back to 20-25 miles with heavier gusts.

I have a gut feeling this summer is going to be a repeat of the summer two years ago, drought, high humidity, lots of wind. Sigh....

[Dragonfly5]

Managed to get in a 13.5 mile ride today before we took my mother in-law out to lunch today. The weather was perfect! Wind was a little gusty but I kept telling myself that it was "resistance training" lol. Emily, I have a four day weekend coming up and right now the extended forecast is calling for rain on every single one of them. I will GLADLY send that out to you!

[TrekDianna]

I took the Salsa out yesterday to see how it would feel on a longer ride than just the commute. I did 34 miles and it felt great.

[Fredwina]

I did 40 miles on Saturday, but none yesterday.