October Rides

[azfiddle]

No need for tights and thermal jerseys here! It was 65 to start this morning and over 90 (yes, the heat came back) by noon. My husband and one friend from my women's cycling group went to meet some folks planning to ride the first 2/3 of El Tour de Tucson route- and no one else showed up! So the three of us went anyway and even altering the route somewhat to follow the El Tour route more closely, we ended up with 74 miles. If we had followed the directions for the ride it would have been over 85. This was my longest ride since the spring... I'll miss at least one of the pre-El Tour century rides here.

I enjoyed it but was definitely feeling the heat by the last 10-12 miles.

[rebeccaC]

No need for tights and thermal jerseys here! .

no need here either…..we’ve had a couple of days in the 90’s lately which is highly unusual for this time of year, actually anytime of the year. Other than commutes I rode today for the first time in a few weeks. A friend wanted to go into the santa monica mountains so I kept her company. I shouldn’t have. It was 102 at the fire station we stopped to get water at and stayed that way until we came back down to the ocean which was still in the 90’s, 98 when i got home. Lots of salted nuts/dried apricots, water both drinking and poured over us and sweat. Got home and took a shower, had an almond milk, blueberry, frozen banana, homemade protein powder and flax seed drink and haven’t moved much since. i want my normal 70 degree weather back!!!!

[emily_in_nc]

Did our usual 21-mile urban and bike path ride this morning. Sunny, hot, not much wind. My lower back was barking at me a bit, but overall, it was a good ride.

[Crankin]

Forecast was much warmer today, although it's still windy. I am having a bad issue with watering eyes when riding in temperatures less than 60. First this was only when I skied. Then it has crept in to riding at increasingly higher temperatures. A couple of weeks ago, I had a really bad allergy attack and my left eye started tearing spontaneously, not while outside. I've been wearing my glasses more, but it doesn't seem to help. I cannot wear my glasses while doing sports. A friend had this issue and was told to stop wearing contacts or wear those old lady goggle things while she rides. Ah, no thank you. My eyes were fine in June, when I mentioned this, but I think I might have to see an ophthalmologist. It's annoying. Anyway, I went out with no particular agenda. Thought I might do the hilly ride I've been wanting to do for weeks, but my legs told me no right away. Not that any ride around here is flat. I ended up doing 27 miles into Boxborough and Stow. I knew I should avoid areas around apple farms, but I was not prepared for the the cars parked along side of the road near Shelburne Farm. It turns out the orchard is down the road from the farm, so when I thought I was avoiding the crowds, I was not. There were cars about a mile on either side of the orchard, and tons of clueless people walking along the narrow country road . Who goes apple picking in a dress and heels? OY. I was being very careful when a Stow cop who was there for crowd control started pulling out in front of me! He saw me (geez, with a flashing front light) and stopped, I said "thanks," in kind of a sarcastic way, and he started going again. This was intentional. I feel like reporting him, but it's not worth it. I knew he wouldn't hit me, but I sped up and he turned in the other direction.
I stopped at the café 3.5 miles from home and had lunch outside. Listening to some of the conversations amused me. This place is a mecca for cyclists, but today, it was only dressed up families and people on dates. As I was leaving 2 other women pulled up on bikes, and I knew one of them, so I gave them my table. A nice ride, the leaves are getting more colorful, but I am glad DH is coming home from Japan in a couple of hours.

[ny biker]

Forecast was much warmer today, although it's still windy. I am having a bad issue with watering eyes when riding in temperatures less than 60. First this was only when I skied. Then it has crept in to riding at increasingly higher temperatures. A couple of weeks ago, I had a really bad allergy attack and my left eye started tearing spontaneously, not while outside. I've been wearing my glasses more, but it doesn't seem to help. I cannot wear my glasses while doing sports. A friend had this issue and was told to stop wearing contacts or wear those old lady goggle things while she rides. Ah, no thank you. My eyes were fine in June, when I mentioned this, but I think I might have to see an ophthalmologist. It's annoying. Anyway, I went out with no particular agenda. Thought I might do the hilly ride I've been wanting to do for weeks, but my legs told me no right away. Not that any ride around here is flat. I ended up doing 27 miles into Boxborough and Stow. I knew I should avoid areas around apple farms, but I was not prepared for the the cars parked along side of the road near Shelburne Farm. It turns out the orchard is down the road from the farm, so when I thought I was avoiding the crowds, I was not. There were cars about a mile on either side of the orchard, and tons of clueless people walking along the narrow country road . Who goes apple picking in a dress and heels? OY. I was being very careful when a Stow cop who was there for crowd control started pulling out in front of me! He saw me (geez, with a flashing front light) and stopped, I said "thanks," in kind of a sarcastic way, and he started going again. This was intentional. I feel like reporting him, but it's not worth it. I knew he wouldn't hit me, but I sped up and he turned in the other direction.
I stopped at the café 3.5 miles from home and had lunch outside. Listening to some of the conversations amused me. This place is a mecca for cyclists, but today, it was only dressed up families and people on dates. As I was leaving 2 other women pulled up on bikes, and I knew one of them, so I gave them my table. A nice ride, the leaves are getting more colorful, but I am glad DH is coming home from Japan in a couple of hours.

Um yeah, apple picking. I was supposed to do that near Charlottesville VA this past Sunday (same day you rode). I was meeting up with cousins who go every year with their relatives who live in that area. I was running late so I was supposed to meet them there. But the line of traffic leading up to the orchard was so long -- estimated 1 hour wait -- that they called me and said we were switching to plan B, lunch on the mall downtown. I don't know that area at all so we stayed on the phone and they gave me directions as I drove, until I reached a certain intersection and they said "what car are you driving" followed by "we're passing you now in the black truck -- pull out behind us!" We had a lovely outdoor lunch, walked around and hung out, had dinner, a very nice day overall. I wore jeans, a t-shirt and sneakers, figuring that apple picking would involved walking on non-paved surfaces and possibly sweating a bit in the sun. Anyway.

I had been planning to do a metric century outside of Fredericksburg that day but changed my plans when I was invited to join the apple-picking excursion. Instead I went for a ride on Saturday. A friend said she would be doing a B/CC ride with a local club that I am currently not a member of. We typically ride a CC pace. The route was in an area that I'd heard about because it's very popular with cyclists, but I'd never ridden there before. It included a climb up a small mountain/big hill -- about a mile long, steep at first, then leveling off, then it kicks up again and is even steeper. The total ride was 53 miles with the big climb more than halfway into the route. It was pretty chilly before we started; temps on Friday had hit 80 but then a cold front came through overnight and dropped temps to the mid-50s. I was wearing my mid-weight tights, long sleeved wool base layer, short sleeved wool jersey, a wind vest and my wool Moxie shrug. Plus a wool cap and toe covers.

So we start the ride and immediately everyone leaves my friend and I in the dust. I don't know if my friend told the ride leader not to worry about us, I just know that we never saw anyone else from the group again until we came back to the parking lot and found a few of them sitting around chatting about how they'd all averaged a BB pace -- faster than what was advertised. Which is typical for that club.

Part of the route was nice but a fair amount of it was on roads with no shoulder, a 50 mph speed limit and lots of traffic, including big trucks. I was pretty freaked out by the traffic. On roads like that, drivers do not slow down and wait until it's safe to pass -- they figure you're taking a ridiculous risk so you must be okay with the possibility that they'll hit you. If I had been alone I would have turned around and cut the ride short.

When we stopped at the rest stop I took off the shrug, and when we reached the base of the big climb soon after I stopped to take off the wool cap, unzip my vest and roll up my sleeves. It was warm in the sun by that point, temps in the 60s. As I started on the first part of the climb, my legs felt like noodles. I just have not been riding enough lately and am not on good form. And though the paralyzed vocal cord from last spring is mostly recovered, I could feel some wheezing in my throat. When things leveled off I felt better, but when the road kicked up again I could just tell that I would have an asthma attack if I kept riding. So I got off my bike and walked to the top -- my first time walking up a hill in 15 years. But as Tony Curtis once said in a movie I saw many years ago -- he who fights and runs away lives to fight another day. I would rather walk than stop breathing.

I will say that the view on the way down the hill was very nice. And the roads around it were nice too. But as we got closer to the park where we started we were back on the high-speed high-traffic roads again. I do not expect to do any rides in that area again.

BTW as I walked up the hill I watched my friend spin away ahead of me. So after we regrouped at the top we had a nice conversation about gearing. I expect to have to replace my cassette soon, and will look into getting something that will make the hills easier.

[Crankin]

I love my 11-32 and 11-34 cassettes. Ah, technology.
Did a very short 11 mile ride today. Considering how awful I felt when I got up, it was OK. Still warm, about 63 when I went out, but very windy. I was fighting a strong cross wind the whole way. But, at least my average wasn't frighteningly low, like yesterday morning. Came home, ate lunch, and then went on a 3.2 mile hike with my friend. She was tired from Cross Fit and I didn't mind at all. This hike has lots of climbing, an overlook, and a chasm, in the middle of a nearby town. It's fairly hard and I didn't care today, when my friend was slow.
Rest tomorrow.

[azfiddle]

Well, my vacation riding has pretty come come to the end. Tomorrow we leave for a non-cycling music weekend in Texas. But since the break started (last week of September) I've ridden about 450 miles. Following Saturday's 74 and Sunday's 24 miles, I rode 67 yesterday on Tucson's "loop" path, plus getting to and from the ride. Three miles from home, I ran into my son on his bike, heading back to his apartment after a study session at Starbucks. So I followed him home for some ice (it was well over 90 degrees!) and then went back to my house.

Today, I did a home visit with one of my 7th grade students and we went an easy 7 miles together. She did great, considering she was riding her mom's heavy cruiser bike.

[shootingstar]

Last weekend we went out into the Rockies but on tame bike routes. Except I had not cycled that distance since last yr. Anyway in rain drizzle, here is what we saw:

And other activities that inspire me from scenes like these. https://cyclewriteblog.wordpress.com...light-dancing/

[rebeccaC]

Beautiful autumn scene shootingstar…
I should have been working the last hour but I kept needing to read more of your wordpress site….

[emily_in_nc]

Beautiful photo, shooting star!

No riding here today...we are having torrential rain and lots of wind. Here is a photo from my walk earlier, prior to the rain beginning again.

Attachment 17831

[rebeccaC]

Yes, we used to ride our beach cruisers through huge puddles in Belize all the time, some quite deep, but I hate to do that with my Bike Friday. I am not fond of cleaning my bike after riding in the rain, especially when in a dirty city. I am also leery of strong tailwinds as that means at some point during the ride, I'll be battling an equally strong headwind! There will be plenty of other days to ride. :-)

But I like the zen state I can get to while meticulously cleaning my bike
The few times I've wanted to ride with just a very very strong tailwind I/we would get someone to drive us to a start point that gave us the tailwind all the way back home. Did that once while visiting a friend in Springfield Illinois. On a nice reasonably straight rural road we were doing high 30's low 40's without much effort almost the entire ride back to her place. ....anyway my post was about my inner child not my pragmatic womanhood.

[Crankin]

Emily, there was not very good drainage in Miami, either. Of course, this was in the early 70s, but I suspect, it's not much different now.
Jolt, congrats on that ride! I have always wanted to do it, but I know how hilly it is and I would never attempt the century. I don't like rides with time cut offs! But, yes, the conditions yesterday must have been brutal, as it was windy and cold enough down here.

[Jolt]

Emily, there was not very good drainage in Miami, either. Of course, this was in the early 70s, but I suspect, it's not much different now.
Jolt, congrats on that ride! I have always wanted to do it, but I know how hilly it is and I would never attempt the century. I don't like rides with time cut offs! But, yes, the conditions yesterday must have been brutal, as it was windy and cold enough down here.

Yes, "brutal" pretty much covers it! I've decided I am not a fan of rides with time cutoffs either (after this ride and D2R2 this past summer)…maybe if I were faster I would feel differently, but since I'm not they kind of stress me out. You could always do the 50…I think that is what I will do next time. I would still like to try and do a century, but not sure if it is even realistic given how slow I am. Maybe I need to find one that isn't so hilly!

[rebeccaC]

Here's my DH taking Paisley in her travel kennel to the excellent boarding facility here.

what was paisley's reaction the first time traveling in that carrier? is there light that gets into it? nice photo of an urban landscape, your dh and a hidden paisley!!!!

paisley is loved so all's right in dog world

[emily_in_nc]

what was paisley's reaction the first time traveling in that carrier? is there light that gets into it? nice photo of an urban landscape, your dh and a hidden paisley!!!!

paisley is loved so all's right in dog world

Thanks Rebecca! This is her airline travel kennel, so she is pretty used to it since we've flown with her quite a few times now. It has mesh on each end and on top that can be covered up all or partially by velcro'd flaps, so she has plenty of ventilation. She made it home just fine and looks great. She is zonked out now, though, after all the doggie play time!