March Rides: In Like a Lion or a Lamb?

[emily_in_nc]

That's really sad about the cyclist who did the endo, Crankin. Wind is nothing to mess around with when it gets high enough to cause safety issues. Yesterday there was a lot of debris blowing around on the path, and I did pick up a couple small sticks, but just noisemakers. Still, it does give you pause. My DH doesn't mind riding in wind and thinks I'm wimpy when I complain about it, but after reading your story, I am not going to worry about what he says!

Thanks for the details of the MTBer killed when he collided with a grizzly, NWG. I read about it when it happened, but not to that level of detail. I heard he came upon a grizzly on the trail but not that he was going that fast or collided with the bear. That must have been so terrifying -- for him and probably the bear as well! I remember being freaked out about it because we were traveling towards Montana at the time. It is something that gives you pause when you're riding or hiking in bear country. One of my biggest fears, really. Of course, I am scared of cougars and other wildlife as well. Spending time in North Dakota and Wyoming last summer/fall kind of cured me of much fear of bison, though. They were so tranquil, at least the ones we encountered, but we never approached them. Just had to ride through them on either side of the road occasionally, or watch them walk across our campsite! Was glad to have a motorhome and not a tent.

Rode 36 miles yesterday and 40 today -- my first 40-miler since we've been here in Florida. Windy yesterday, breezy today, but nice -- low humidity. My nose has been running like crazy on rides, though, so I know there is pollen in the air.

[north woods gal]

Emily, fortunately, the odds of an animal attacking you, either when hiking or biking, are very, very remote. I know that, of course, but I still get nervous. Just my nature, I guess. This year, I do plan to take more precautions, such as using a bell to make noise back in the heavy brush. Also have educated myself on recent studies about black bear attacks, specifically, which, believe it or not, are quite different than grizzly attacks.

Enough of the scary stuff. Nice going on the 40 miler. If the wind would die down a bit and we don't get any snow, this week, I might be able to get out and do some road miles on my Warbird 700x40 bike. Roads are dry and clean, right now, but this is March and still a winter month for us, so we typically go back and forth on road conditions. Our resident pair of Canadas are back, though, getting ready to make a nest. Spring is coming.

[azfiddle]

My rides have all been commutes. Saturday was taken up with a professional development meeting and Sunday I flew to California and back in one day to attend a funeral for my 94 year old aunt- mainly to connect with family members I had never met before. Crazy and exhausting.

Commuting again today...

[Crankin]

Discouraged. It is 8:45 am and already 54 degrees, but raining, on my day off. It is supposed to clear by 10. I hate riding on wet roads. Later, I have a haircut/color, scheduled at 2. Usually do this later in the day, so I can ride, but I couldn't get in later. Of course, it will be 60 degrees and sunny when I am there. I could ride there, which might end up being 10 miles at the most, and not worth the trouble.
If I go to yoga now, I know I won't ride, so I am going to try a wait and see attitude and get at least a short ride in around 11.

[Geonz]

This morning I was up earlyl... so I went to Mass... then to pick up bagels... and was wondering how I was going to work in riding the extra 20 minutes or so I had. Then I saw hi-viz jackets and .... a drone! (circled in pink) I was greeted because I'm on the Bike/Ped Advisory Commission and the one guy had presented to us about this huge major big deal construction project that will take this stretch of road and make it so it can actually handle buses. This pic is of very recently re-done concrete; this whole stretch gets patched up and then broken apart by the buses so parts of it have oh, inch-deep gaps where concrete breaks apart at the cracks... The drone is getting data for the construction planning (so it'll include me ) ...

As I decided to turn around because ... I couldn't take a picture because I didn't have my phone and ... it would take about 20 minutes to go back and get it... I saw the drone come crashing to the ground. I wondered whether their day was pretty much ruined.

On the return trip I got this picture -- they say they're pretty good at fixing the thing

[north woods gal]

If anyone saw one of those things floating above our woods, the switchboards would be flooded with UFO sightings.