May Rides

[rebeccaC]

A weekend without any hard physical challenges is what I need. Today just a pleasant morning ride down the beach bike path to Redondo Beach and a late breakfast with some friends. No climbing, just a relaxing 26 mile ride with a great conversation and good food in the middle

[lauraelmore1033]

Did the Skagit County Spring Classic metric century on the recumbent. Started out fine, but as soon as I hit the climby bits of Chuckanut drive, I started having problems shifting. The chain wouldn't drop down from the middle ring to the small ring, so I had to dismount and move the chain myself--all old-school like. After a couple similar instances, I just decided to keep it in the small ring until the lunch stop, 20 miles off, since there were a lot climbs and rolling hillyness, and I couldn't continue to hop off the bike and move the chain to the small chainring manually every time I encountered a hill, or it would have taken forever! The mechanic at the rest stop really knew his stuff and adjusted the FD, and then hopped on and put the bike through some loops, making hard shifts, making sure it was shifting correctly, but wasn't set too far to the inside. It shifted like buttah after that, and I didn't tip that guy enough! The rest of the ride was pure pleasure, and I enjoyed the long descent after Bow hill, the scenic farm lands, and on to the beautiful views of Fidalgo bay. I was happy as a clam until I was almost killed by an on coming truck, swinging wide to pass a slow moving farming implement on Farm to Market Road. Screamed like I was in an 80s slasher movie, I did, then dropped a lot of f-bombs at the driver, who did luckily, see me at the last second, and narrowly avoid hitting me head on.
This remains one of my favorite rides, in spite of the fact that it seems to get more dangerous every year.

[azfiddle]

LOVE all the photos!

I have been getting in a few rides- Last Saturday was Mt. Lemmon. I had a long, long week at work and was pretty unmotivated so climbing to milepost 11.5 (from about 2400 feet at the base to about 5900 feet at Bear Canyon) was further than I expected. With the ride to the base and back, it was 42 miles. Sunday, quick ride to Saguaro NP and just out on the short road to the picnic ground. A "half-commute" on Monday and then the rest of the week was really windy so I opted out of riding in the afternoons.

Yesterday I rode with a friend out east of Tucson. It was pleasantly and unseasonably cool all morning- about 15 degrees below the normal 90 degree high for this time of year. We had a great ride and conversation and covered about 42 miles.

Monday I noticed shifting (rear) was a bit weird, and yesterday it quickly got worse. I had my suspicions that the cable was fraying and sure enough, that suspicion was confirmed when I took it in to the bike shop on the way home. They were able to replace the cable that afternoon but this is the third time I've had the problem. Their advice was just get the cables changed more often so I don't end up with a more expensive repair to replace the shifter.

[khg]

Nothing epic to report on for a while now. But for the last few weeks, I've been on the bike quite consistently commuting and doing errands. The miles pile up pretty quickly for not having done any "real" rides. At some point I need to put some training rides back on the calendar so that I don't suffer unduly on some upcoming events. But I feel like the consistent riding is helping too--or at least I like to tell myself that I've put up a few personal best times recently while weighted down with panniers or my messenger bag, which has been gratifying. I also think I've added some muscle, as my weight is right now at the higher end of its usual range, but my muscle visibility/definition is the same as when I'm at the lowest of my usual weight range, and my tight jeans are going on without the elaborate squeezing and shimmying that they sometimes require...

Meanwhile, Bike Month and good weather have a ton of cyclists out, and I've been running into full bike racks quite frequently... If I wanted to hunt for far away parking, I'd be in my car--half the time I ride my bike somewhere, it's because I'm feeling too lazy to deal with driving!

[Crankin]

It's almost 90 degrees here; humid, too. Stayed up a little late to go out early, so we did a quick 20 miles around to great Brook Farm and back. Hot, dry, windy. When I got back, I was so red in the face, I thought I had forgot to put on sun block, but it was just the heat. The ride was uneventful, glad I did it, but also glad it's over. Definitely need to do some more 40-60 mile rides over the next month, before I go on my tour, but this week, at least I did one 40 and one 50 miler. KHG, it's my little 10 mile commutes and short rides that generally keep me in shape and I don't worry about it!
Off to Harvard Square to meet DS and DIL for dinner.

[Catrin]

Looks like everyone is having fun, and Rebecca, I LOVE your photos!

Sounds like a fun, hot ride Crankin! I loved/hated riding in that combination of heat and humidity - but there is just something about riding in those conditions that is very satisfying, though I can't say why. At least for me.

[Crankin]

I think it's the fact that riding in the heat makes me feel like I worked really hard and it also makes me lose weight... don't really like it, and I swear it's from all of those years being in a climate controlled environment in AZ and FL, where I never went outside for 4-5 months out of the year, becaue it was just too hot.

[Helene2013]

OMGoodness....look at all those beautiful pics. Nothing to ride like this here. Nah...very standard! hihi

Today was our first ever ride (well the 2nd for husband - the 1st he had a bad crash with his club ride 3 weeks ago) of the season. We only did 31.6km but it was hot, sticky, muggy. I am so happy with all the training I did this past winter. I was really fast, stable and had so much fun today. My husband said he hurt the first 30 minutes into the ride but his thigh muscle (where he fell at 34km/h) was ok past that. He's still in physio twice a week (plus daily things to do at home). So overall, it was an excellent ride considering everything.

We also had pretty strong wind and I had no issues with it. Our bikes are such a dream to ride. Stable, fun, fast. Pure joy.

[Owlie]

Took the road bike out for the first time in months. Even though I bike to work only occasionally (I don't know how long I'll be at work until I get there), I think it's done me some good in terms of keeping my fitness up. Despite the difference in gearing, the hill on the way home is so much easier on a bike that weighs less than 30 pounds (never mind the weight of the stuff in the pannier). 31 miles today. Still not acclimated to the heat, though...

[marni]

I actually got out on my bike for the second time this month. It has been a battle between constant wind, thunder, lightning and wind and riding. I opt for safety and trainer workouts. Our yard has become a swamplett of 3-5 inches of standing water. The frogs and toad are happy and the heron checks it out now and then, but the dogs (corgie, and mixed shitzu) have requested either stilts of a raft.

Today was hot and humid with a brisk little breeze but at least there was no rain. The humidity made up for that. Now starts the season of sweat rings on the floor of the garage. I took off my sweat band, held it out and watches the sweat run off it. Still I managed 34 miles at 15.2 which is very fast for me. Gues the trainer intervals or the adreniline surge from finally being outside helped. With any luck, tomorrow will stay dry long enough for me to ride again so I can do a back to back. Fingers crossed!