June Riding

[Crankin]

Ended up not riding yesterday, we both felt kind of sleepy after our brunch with my son. Instead, around 4, we walked into town and had a glass of wine. Got sprinkled on, on the way there, but it never really rained. After we walked home (sometimes I wonder if I am the only one who would walk 4 miles rt for a glass of wine!), we chilled and then went out for Korean food in the next town. There was some kind of open house thing going on in all of the galleries and businesses and we had to ride around to find parking, kind of unusual in Maynard, MA.
I slept for 9 hours and finally felt awake, but it is getting brutally humid and kind of hot, too. Went out to ride around 12:30, though, and it was mostly cloudy and breezy, but seriously humid. If the sun broke through, it felt horrible, but we mostly were in the shade. Rode by the Old Grist Mill and Little Red Schoolhouse of Mary Had a Little Lamb fame, and then back through some back roads near where I used to teach, and finally up the climb we did on our bike rally route last week. From there, we took the straight way back, which is not pretty, but fast and flat. About 3 miles from home I had to stop and dump water over my head, and I realized I was hungry, but on we went. A total of 28 miles, at an OK pace for this weather.
I am being a little cautious with riding this week, after my crash Wednesday and the fact we are leaving for our cycling trip on Friday. I don't know if I will do the group ride on Wednesday, but I will ride. Not going to commute, it's going to be humid, with threat of thunderstorms. I am going to help lead a ride Friday morning, but it's the same route every time I do this ride, so that's OK. We don't leave until night, and I plan to pack Thursday night.

[Pax]

Still no riding, but regular swimming, makes me feel so good! We're leaving for the conference in Chicago on Thursday and then a week and a half later to our place in Florida for a couple of weeks. We'll take the bikes to FL and leave them there, really looking forward to riding once we get the place cleaned up and habitable again.

[CAS]

I want to do a Trek Bike Tour next year, so, I have been concentrating on getting my mileage up. I am trying to get in three to four rides a week, and I also joined a bike club. The bike club I joined has most of the members in my age group, which is wonderful. If I want to go at a social pace, I ride with the club, if I want the speed I ride solo. Tomorrow will be the beginning of a warm week (fortunately, not anywhere near what Phoenix will get) in SoCal, so I will ride in the morning.

[emily_in_nc]

E(sometimes I wonder if I am the only one who would walk 4 miles rt for a glass of wine!),

Ha! Nope, you're not. That's the kind of thing we would do, even if we did have a car (other than our motorhome)!

[Crankin]

Good to know I am not the only weirdo around.

[north woods gal]

I've been known to walk that far for a good cup of coffee at a favorite coffee shop. That's my addiction.

Have had three days of peekaboo rain. Rains for half hour, then stops for half an hour before starting, again. Getting a little old, but have been able to work around it with my trail riding around the house by watching the radar for those in between rain period times.

I use my Salsa Blackboro when things get soft because it has the widest rim and tire combo and leaves the shallowest print. Still amazes me how different it rides than some of my other fat bikes, though. Definitely slower to respond with those huge 100mm rims and 4.8 tires. Requires me to apply more body english with the steering than my other fatties. Can still do all the tech stuff with it by adapting my riding technique, mostly the timing, but it takes a little time to adjust. You would think that all fat bikes ride and handle the same, but just ain't so. Keep it in mind if you plan to ride a fattie.

[Pax]

I'm weaning off coffee right now in preparation for our return to FL, good thing I'm not riding these days, I'd crash and then just lay there in a daze... pretty much like now, just staring into space. coffeeeeeeeeeee

[Crankin]

I could never give up coffee. I often say I am so healthy, please let me have my one or two vices (coffee and wine), neither of which I abuse!
So, I went on my group ride today, despite a pretty high level of anxiety after my little crash last Wednesday. I almost went home after I, walked out of the house without my cycling shoes (I realized that before I got in my car), hit the curb while parking, and then realized I forgot my gloves. Oh, and after seeing who was there, I knew it would be tough. Usually there are 2 groups and there were not, but, it was a medium sized group. My friend Jack was sweeping, and thankfully, I never was riding with him! But, it was hotter and more humid than I thought it would be, and the healthy black bean nachos I made last night were not the right meal the night before a ride. I was seriously thinking of turning back after 7 miles, but I kept talking to myself. Once we got to the halfway point, I ate at our stop, and shortly after that, we were back on the last part of the loop. However, (I later found out) someone told the leader he would pull her for a bit, so the fast people got faster and I could only see 2 or 3 riders ahead of me for a long time. There were a couple of others who sometimes ride with me, at my speed, but they seem to not know how to pace themselves and flame out, or they cannot climb as fast as me. So, I was alone, as those people fell back and I couldn't see them, either. By then, we were back in Concord, and the leader had stopped about 5 miles before the end of the ride, which started in Bedford. A whole group just went ahead to the end, so there were only about 10-15 people for the last 5 miles. My average was way fast for a group ride, with this group, so I guess maybe I need to ride with those people more often, and not go with the "regular" group, but the fast one.
I did not go to the lunch and was glad I had a banana in my car. Took some Pepto, ate, showered, and took myself for a manicure, Thinking maybe I should not help lead on Friday, but it may be a moot point, as it might rain. I will be packing for my trip tomorrow night, and we don't leave for the airport until 6:30 PM Friday.

[Catrin]

What is this....weaning off coffee? I don't know what those words mean. I HAVE cut down over the years, these days I have no more than 2 cups in the morning or I don't sleep.

Pax, are you moving back to Florida? You can't go yet, we've not had a chance to meet for a hike yet

[Pax]

Catrin, yup, we're moving back, my wife wants to retire and we can't afford two places, so it's back to the condo down there. Come down and we'll go kayaking (I'll pass on hiking, to many snakes and spiders for me).

Coffee ended up being like medicine in that heat, don't have it and get a headache, have it and feel your core temp rise... when you step outside it's like being on fire, for me anyway.

[emily_in_nc]

Good to know I am not the only weirdo around.

Interesting that this is probably only weird in certain cultures, like the car-based society of the US. When we lived in Belize and then in Mexico, people walked or biked many more places, and I am sure many spots in Europe are the same. I think that's one reason we enjoy those cultures more as we are are more in the mainstream there and not "weirdos", as I am sure many here in the US consider us! Kinda sad...and a reason so many Americans are obese.