June Riding

[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]

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.

Make cold brew and have it iced?! I could not give up my coffee, even in the heat of Florida, Belize, or Mexico. It's funny, in both those latter two countries, soup is a very popular meal, which was surprising to me. It's hot and humid already, we're eating in open-air restaurants for the most part, so hot soup is tough to handle. Though I do admit that when I had a bad cold, it went down pretty well.

Good luck on your move back to Florida, Pax. We are hoping to get back down there soon for my orthodontia. Wherever I start that, we'll be for quite awhile, and I really don't want to end up here in NC all winter. It's not that winters are so terrible (except occasional snow/ice storms, not my fave), but living in a motorhome anywhere cold is not that great since you have to winterize, and there's not much for us to do here. The cycling is particularly bad and dangerous in this area. We are here through July at least for my final check-up at the oral surgeon's on the 31st, and in the meantime helping my mother out with a lot of different things, but we hope to make our escape after that.

[Crankin]

I agree, iced coffee is the way to go. Although, I drank hot coffee like crazy when I lived in AZ. Iced coffee was not popular there when I lived there, but of course, that was in the dark ages. I used to make sun tea; put the big jar out in the yard and the tea is brewed in a couple of hours. New Englanders are iced coffee crazy, but truthfully, I don't like it that much. Last summer my DH was making cold brew, when he was at home, unemployed, and he was just saying he needs to get back to that.
Yes, Emily, I agree, we are seen as the odd people because we walk places. We live just far enough away that a walk to town is enough to count as exercise, though, at least for me.
I am not going to co-lead the ride tomorrow. Spoke to my friend who I lead with, no big deal. So no cycling until Monday, the first day of the cycling tour. I hope the bruising on my knee goes away. It just feels stiff. The road rash is 95% gone. Probably should not have gone to the gym this morning, but I modified a few things in the class. Funny, the only thing that hurts my knee is when I quickly bend down. Stairs don't bother it and neither did other things this morning, that I thought would.

[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.