Magnificent or Mundane May Rides!

[ny biker]

Normally I would be getting ready for a bike ride right now. And I would really like to go for a ride this evening, but I'm sick. I started coming down with a cold on Monday night. The thing is that right now I'm alternating between feeling fine for a while and then feeling not so good for a while, and during the feeling-fine parts it's driving me crazy to think I should just stay home and rest.

I'm not sneezing much, I can breathe fine, and the sore throat phase didn't last long. My legs feel like they're up to the challenge. It's just that my brain feels a bit fuzzy at times. For example I just typed "store throat" instead of "sore throat" and almost didn't notice it.

I guess I really need to stay home and rest. Grrrr.

p.s. to Crankin -- one good thing that the second (bad) bike club does is post in the original ride listing if there are weather conditions that will cause the ride to be cancelled, such as temps colder than 40 or hotter than 95, or if the chance of rain is greater than a certain % or the roads are wet at the start time. Something like that might help for your show and go rides.

[Crankin]

NY, we will just post in the original listing something like "look at trip listing for cancellation by 8:30 AM." Our stock statement is "steady rain cancels." It just would have been nice if someone had told me this! I've been a leader for 9 years. My own personal limit is above 30% chance of rain, or if the radar really shows something moving in.
I rode with my friend this afternoon, only 15 miles. It was beautiful, but she is exceedingly slow. I sprinted ahead on 2 roads, so I did get a workout. I had to see a client this morning, so no group ride. And, the ride was listed as 47 miles at a spirited pace, or 23 miles at a relaxed pace. I wanted neither, though 47 miles at a moderate pace would have done well. My issue is, I can do the faster pace, but not for that long. They would encourage me to come, and then I'd hold them back.

[Jolt]

Very mundane, short ride today--just a quick run to the LBS to pick up a bottle of degreaser and get my new Lambda pedals put on (which I am quite happy with...they work nicely with the flexible/thin soled shoes I tend to wear). Then came home and cleaned the drivetrain...it appeared that the person from whom I bought the bike hadn't done that in a while. It looks much better now! I need to do the same to the Trek but didn't get to it today.

[Crankin]

It turned out to be a gorgeous day, after torrential rain that ended around 8:30 AM. I didn't think I'd get any riding in this weekend, because the forecast was so sketchy. Just got back from 23 miles, nothing special, but we did do most of the route sort of backwards from the usual way, so that's always different. The biggest event of the ride was we were sitting at Great Brook Farm, eating a snack when I looked up and saw the crazy father of my very first client when I became a therapist. Thank God I had my helmet on. I jumped up, told DH "I gotta go," and got on my bike, really fast. That man was so threatening my boss had to call the police to have him stop harrassing our receptionist!
I should not have had gazpacho before riding....

[Crankin]

Did about 20 Sunday afternoon. We set out with no idea where we were going, except to ride slowly. Ha, that's often a recipe for disaster. After climbing up Strawberry Hill first, we headed out to do our "flat ride," which is really pretty flat until we get back to the house. Of course, being flat, the speed ratcheted up, until by the time we got back to the neighborhood, I had my fastest ride of the year. I sometimes wonder what it would be like to ride in a flat place all of the time, which is why I don't pay much attention to my speed, given the terrain around here. Yes, not mountains, but lots of very short, steep hills and rollers. Anyway, the weather was cooler that Saturday, which I appreciated. I have discovered I really feel it once it goes over 70 degrees. If there was a gradual increase, it would be OK, but this being New England, of course not!
So many riders out today, and it was already about 2 when we left. There was a Brain Tumor Society ride that went through my neighborhood earlier, so that was why we waited.

[Dragonfly5]

Got together yesterday with some ladies that I met through a facebook cycling group (see? FB is good for something!) Went for a 22 mile ride - my longest so far. (i'm looking forward to the days when I can be like some of you and say "Oh just went for a short spin - about 20 miles." lol One pedal stroke at a time ) The weather was nice, not too hot or too cool. The sun peeked out here and there. I'm really loving meeting new people that enjoy cycling as much as I do.

[Jolt]

Longest ride so far for me too (at least recently)...about 25 rolling miles or so with a total of 972 feet of climbing (need to get a bike computer, MapMyRide is a PITA to try to get the route entered right). It got interesting when one road first turned into a dirt road (no problem there), then into what appeared to be an ATV trail--this was NOT shown on my map, it just appeared that the road continued. So, I started down the trail thinking it would hook back up with the road. I must say, the LHT did pretty well off-road except for coming to a dead stop in the middle of a puddle with squishy mud at the bottom (which really had more to do with my having slowed down too much before hitting it) resulting in me having to dismount in the middle of said muck and finish the ride with soaked shoes. Shortly after crossing that mess, the trail became a pretty steep uphill at which point I said "screw this, I'm turning around" and went back the way I came, then found another road that led to the rest of the loop I had planned. The rest of the ride was pretty uneventful, and BTW I did find the other end of the road that seemed to turn into a trail, maybe next time I will follow it and see where it actually goes. I won't even say how long the ride took me, because it's embarrassing. Suffice it to say, it was enough saddle time for me to realize there are a couple more adjustments I need to make to the bike before my 50-mile ride that's coming up.