April Rides

[Crankin]

I didn't ride yesterday, but we did do our annual presentation at the AMC Bike Workshop. I felt as wiped out as if I had gone on a 50 mile ride, after 4 one hour presentations, as well as schmoozing during lunch and the beginning of the day. It was a beautiful day, albeit windy, so it helped that we were in a room in a church basement, so I couldn't see outside. The crowd was polite and somewhat more inexperienced than years past, but they asked good questions. There were 2 people in the last session (one male, one female), who burst out in amazement when I told them you don't wear underwear with cycling shorts. It was funny; all of the other participants laughed and supported my statements.

[khg]

Great day of riding….took a young girl (Gabriela), who’s been riding a neighbors hand me down bike which is too small with a non working rear derailleur, just a rear brake and mismatched rims/tires to REI and she picked out a novara children’s bike, a pink and purple helmet and a purple jellibell!! I also ended up buying her mother a mixte with a front basket and added a rear rack, a topeak rear basket for more groceries etc. and a good lock and cable. She commutes and does errands on a very old and beat up mountain bike so this will help make that commute and her errands easier. We all went for an fourteen mile ride on the beach path and had lunch. Gabriela knows how to keep a line and rode really well. When we got back to REI we loaded the bikes on top and in my car and I drove them home. Hugs and smiles all around when I left and they made me promise I’d stop to ride with them every now and then. They live just off a bike path I take to get downtown LA so I’m sure I will.

One of the best rides I’ve been on for awhile

Hooray! That sounds like a wonderful and fun day for all concerned--and hopefully just the beginning of many more such days!

It's kind of nice out here right now, though windy, but I think I may have a completely lazy day rather than another weekend of big bike adventures. I'll admit, as great as it is to get on the bike, sometimes it can feel just as nice to not get on the bike... After an intense week at work, resting my tired legs on the couch is pretty delicious!

[salsabike]

We did our April 100k yesterday--starts in Fremont, goes to Maple Valley and back. It was a crazy-wind sort of day, 15-20 knots and direction changing all the time, but for some reason, I thought that was just a hoot! Maybe it was because I was so grateful that I wasn't on one of the many overnight flêche teams that got utterly rained on, at 40 degree temperatures, the entire preceding night. Our ride was fun even if head-windy and we dodged almost all the roaming squalls. Boy! This city is gorgeous in the spring. Flowering trees everywhere, and rhodies and azaleas are starting to bloom.

[Crankin]

Today was the first real warm day of the year. Rode in short sleeves with knickers and a vest. It was 69 when we finished, but there is a slight breeze. We rode into Sudbury, Lincoln, Wayland, to the border of Weston, and back, 37 miles. We went slowly on purpose, but kicked it up at the end. My average is still about 1-2 mph slower than it should be, but I am trying to be patient with myself. It was really nice out! Saw like hundreds of cyclists.
Going to commute tomorrow and maybe Tuesday if it's not rainy in the morning, and a 27 mile group ride on Wednesday, with lots of climbing. I want to do the 35 mile ride, but the hills are killers and I am not sure I can keep up with that group.

[Crankin]

I commuted yesterday, first this year with the pannier, as I had pre-planned a couple of weeks ago and brought my clothes in early. I really hate this. It changes the whole balance of everything when I am starting off from a stop. Especially not fun in traffic. I think I might try putting the Arkel trunk bag on, but the issue with that is that taking it on/off to bring into the office with me is a bit complicated, for me, someone who can't remember anything that has steps involving eye hand coordination/spatial stuff. DH has shown me before, I guess I should practice. But, the up side is, climbing my hill with a packed pannier certainly does make me stronger! Not particularly fun at 6:30 PM, but intense.
Raining this morning, I am going to rest today.

[rebeccaC]

I travel to Oxnard often for work. Sometimes I take a bike to ride the agriculture and/or the older small industry areas for photography. Flat paved rural roads with an interesting mix of the occasional farm worker riding to/from the fields and the shorts/jersey wearing people doing exercise rides on rural roads. Lots of dirt field roads leading to old, rusted and discarded farm machinery, old worn buildings and views of season/crop changing fields. Yesterdays ride was just 12 miles but a nice way to end my day there before heading home.

[Crankin]

Rode 30 miles with my friend, Jack ,this morning. Not the club ride, but more miles and almost as much climbing without having to drive to the ride. I told him I am slow, so he was kind in the beginning, but then we went up 2 hills in Carlisle. One I rarely go up and the other, well, I am usually going down this one! I was exhausted after that, but we took a short stop and then did a few flat miles, where we picked up the pace. When we parted ways (he was going to the Council on Aging to play pool), I headed home, about 8 miles. I had to stop and take my vest off, and eat my bar.
Faster than my last ride, but not fast enough!
My legs hurt.

[khg]

Thanks for the amazing photos, rebeccaC!

Perhaps my lazy time on the couch Sunday paid off--on my commute yesterday I felt like a superhero, and had close to a personal best on a couple sections. And this was on my bike that is all tricked out with fenders, a rack, a pannier, etc--not my bike that I ride for speed by any means.

The weather is looking really nice for the next few days, so I'm trying to figure out which of my responsibilities I can get away with procrastinating or giving short shrift to, and ride my bike instead...

[ny biker]

So I had reached a point where I really didn't want to ride my bike. Just due to overload -- lots of driving around the area on weekends to help out a relative who recently moved here while trying to plan and manage home renovations -- as well as being sick of cold weather. This past Sunday we had fantastic spring weather, so I decided to do a relatively short ride (30 miles) on an old familiar route that I hadn't ridden in a long time, and to go by myself so I wouldn't have to worry about keeping to a set schedule. In fact I didn't even decide on the route until a couple of hours after I woke up on Sunday. It ended up being a very nice ride, uneventful, seeing lots of flowers on trees and people doing gardening and yard work, but pollen counts not high enough to be bothersome. The route is mostly on residential suburban streets with lots of stop signs, so I typically have a low average speed, but I think I was faster than usual on Sunday. Afterwards I visited with my friend who broke her leg last month.

That seems to have done the trick, since today I've actually been looking forward to going for a ride after work. And in fact I am leaving for that right now...

[Crankin]

Today it reached 71 degrees a couple of hours ago... clouding up now. Normally, it would have been a 50 mile ride day, but poor DH has been so sick all week, and today is the first day he's been semi-human, so I wanted to keep him company. I went out this morning and rode 19 miles. Decent speed for me, I felt good, more like I am once the season gets going. I actually dropped 3 people, who weren't super slugs, either. I think my ride with my friend Wednesday put the hurt on and I kind of broke through my beginning of the season funk. This happens every year, so why does it surprise me? Plus, I've lost a couple of pounds in the past 2 weeks, so I just feel lighter.

[Jolt]

Just about 20 miles for me today...tried a new route that turned out to have an absolutely heinous climb followed shortly thereafter by the road turning into what was essentially a logging road--sketchy, loose, rutted dirt in places. I almost wiped out in one spot where it was slightly uphill with a loose surface, I lost momentum and the rear wheel slid to the left...fortunately I managed to get out of the Powergrips and land on my feet as the bike fell over. Oops. At least nobody was around to see my klutzy moment, and aside from that it was a good ride. Apparently I need some work on bike handling skills...earlier this week I was at a training class for presenting bike/pedestrian safety to schools etc. and it included some bike handling drills that can be set up in a parking lot for students to practice. I did not do so hot in the slalom course or the emergency right turn...just am not good at those quick maneuvers. Maybe once all the sand is cleaned up from the winter I can find a quiet place to practice some of those things.

[Crankin]

Jolt, I would have failed that test, too!
Today, I did a repeat of last Sunday's ride, but without the monster hills. The route is perfect now and it sure went faster than last weekend. It's only 20 miles, anyway. DH is still sick, so I went with one of the other leaders and his girlfriend. She's the one who bought my Kuota. It was weird to see someone else riding my bike. The ride was great, just have to remind myself not to eat an orange before a ride ...
On the way home, I stopped at the LBS and had them adjust the brake levers, so I can reach the brakes better in the drops. I didn't realize they were adjustable, thought I would need shims. I was told that's "old technology." Anyway, seem perfect now. I have tomorrow off, for Patriots day, so I may try to get a little ride in before the rain sets in. It will have to go west of here, cause let's just say things get a little busy with guys marching down the road with Brown Bess rifles and tri-corner hats here in Concord.

[Jolt]

Another approximately 20 mile ride today, this time without unexpected dirt sections! Lots of hills though, so I wasn't exactly burning up the road (not that I ever do). There is certainly no shortage of opportunities around here to practice climbing.

[rebeccaC]

Hooray! That sounds like a wonderful and fun day for all concerned--and hopefully just the beginning of many more such days!

It's kind of nice out here right now, though windy, but I think I may have a completely lazy day rather than another weekend of big bike adventures. I'll admit, as great as it is to get on the bike, sometimes it can feel just as nice to not get on the bike... After an intense week at work, resting my tired legs on the couch is pretty delicious!

It was a good day with lots of good feelings!!

Now…a couch, a good book and a bowl of chocolate gooey brownie ice cream and I’m happy


Rode into the Santa Rosa Mountains Saturday morning for just 36 miles while in the Palm Springs area for the Coachella music festival this past weekend. It felt good to get some hard climbing in, with a great descent coming back, before again starting the craziness of lots of people, so much good music and being with some of my best friends.

......and some great dancing with Pax's spirit

[rebeccaC]

rode to one of my favorite gardens today...between my commute, the gardens and some shopping just 18 miles