May Rides

[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.

[azfiddle]

I feel like I've been cursed with flats this week! Last Saturday, I had a flat en route to Mt. Lemmon. Monday I picked up a nasty thorn and discovered right before I planned to ride to work. Yesterday, another thorn.

But today just half a mile or so from home, I heard a tremendous bang and the clink of metal as I was starting down a hill and felt like I was wrestling with the bike to keep it stable. When I was able to stop, I pulled out this nail:

My husband picked me up and I changed the tire. Hopefully, that's the end of it!

[rebeccaC]

I feel like I've been cursed with flats this week!

yeah thanks for passing that curse on I read your post last night and had one of those on my commute this morning....and I was blaming YOU for writing about that word

fixing it did give me a few minutes of zen mindfulness while sitting on grass and having the ocean in front of me though so I guess i should THANK YOU

“Be happy in the moment, that's enough. Each moment is all we need, not more.”
― Mother Teresa

eta isn't that an area with a lot of thorn's...

[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!

[Helene2013]

Isn't it a great feeling Marni when you realize all the hard work done on trainer is a real payoff when we get our bikes out?

This weekend we were in the Burlington (VT) area for camping and picking up my Crux frame. So of course we brought our road bikes along.

It was the 2nd but 1st real ride since my husband crashed in his club. He's improving but still in physio. He says only the 1st 30 minutes are rougher on the saddle but after he's good.

So we left Colchester and headed to Burlington using the bike path. It was soooo much fun that we asked for a late checkout yesterday to redo a bit of spinning the wheels. BUT!!! yesterday was so windy and so hot and so humid. HATED that. We left the campground and did about .5km, on a hill to start. Not even warmed up. I was already sweating just dressing up...imagine cycling. haha Did I tell you I hate heat. I'm such a lost case with the sun and the heat. lol Anyway, after cycling about 5km I was warmed-up enough and did no longer feel the burning/stinging in my thighs (from the ride the day before). I'm not used to a lot of hills so this weekend was all that. And to top it off, yesterday winds were gusting at about 45km/h. That is a lot for me. But I was never scared (like it I would have been with my ex-Kuota). We ended doing 30km and it was just enough for a 2nd day in a row in harder conditions than I'm used to.

So very happy that I've worked hard at intervalls and simulate hills during my winter training. Although it was hard, I never felt like quitting or getting off my bike to finish that climb. Maybe it is also a combination of having lost 8 pounds that helped too. Oh...and my knees never once cried for mercy while pushing to get to the top of the hills. They were tired, but that's about it. So my synvisc is working for sure. I would not have done that last year without icing them and taking Aleve once in the car. Life is good!

My speed Sunday was excellent. Yesterday I was a bit slower due to "pain", winds pushing me back.

But it was one of my best cycling weekends ever.

[marni]

I got out again for a second ride today. Not as long or as fast, definitely had some better tail winds than I thought yesterday as I can't believe that I am actually showing some improvement. I always sya I could go fast like Lance on a steep downhill with a good tailwind.

25 miles at 14.8 which is more like my average speed.

As hot as and if possible more humid than yesterday. I obviously need to move a basket of beach towels out to the garage to mop up with and the sweat circles on the floor are now turning into major large wet areas. sigh......