October rides...

[Crankin]

You did a really good deed! I cannot imagine riding on an interstate highway in any of the 4 states I've lived in. Perhaps I am a wimp.
Like, you Sheila, I have not been doing a lot of miles, but I have been riding. I've accepted that this will be my lowest mileage year in about 13 years. That said, we are starting a string of gorgeous weather, and since today is a day I don't work and the group ride started way far from where I live, I rode with my friend Jack. I thought we were going to do a ride we did last time, but, no, we did our usual Friday ride we lead. As soon as I started, I knew my back would be acting up; not the thing that had me flat 10 days ago, just my usual SI/disc issues. It is gorgeous out and I was dressed correctly. I was fine on the climb up Strawberry Hill, perhaps because I could do it sleeping, but after that, I knew more climbing would just make me feel worse. After a longer not so steep climb, we stopped, Jack took off some gear and I rested. Then, we proceeded to the street with the 15-18% grade in one spot. It's not too long, but after an initial steep uphill, it flattens before a longer steep uphill. I told Jack I'd see him at the turn/top. I never lost sight of him, but I did see 5.0 mph on my GPS. Anyway, after another half mile climb, where he sprinted and I spun, we had a long downhill and then through a residential country road in terrrible condition. At the end of this I told him I was heading back to the start, and he didn't need to come. But, he did. The end of this ride has never thrilled me, through a business park, a community college, and the VA hospital and services campus. So, we got back on the flat road and ended up doing 24.5 miles instead of 31. I felt badly, since I asked him and then I wimp out, but I needed to stop. He slows for me, even when I am at my best, but not so much I feel badly!
Anyway, if I wake up feeling good tomorrow, I will go for a flat, dark ride at 5 AM. Going down the Cape to stay with friends this weekend, may or may not ride there. So another nice weekend, without long rides.

[north woods gal]

That was a very nice thing to do for those folks, Sheila. The way we bicyclists look out for each other is one of the things I love about our community. That tricky route where things fluctuate between good and bad sections sounds very much like what I experienced in the Chicago suburbs. All of the 'burbs are connected, of course, but they all varied a lot in how bike friendly their streets were. Just commuting to work required a mile plus of a road that I would never ride by choice, but it was the only way to get there.

As for grades, come for a visit. Have a surplus of ups and downs on my homemade trail system. Some of the steep ones require me to stand up and pedal to crest them, even with the lowest gear on the MTBs. They're what I call my leg burners. Going down is a real kamikaze thrill, for sure.

I ride a minimum of one hour a day, usually closer to two, seven days a week. Not a lot of miles, but they're trail miles, so no way for me to convert them to road miles. Enough to keep me in shape and fun, too, so that's what counts. For sure, no worries about getting hit by a car. A deer or bear, maybe, but not a car.

Our weather has been unusually warm all fall and continues to be so. Beautiful to be out riding in the woods in nice weather with all the leaves falling. Really spoiling me, because I know how drastically things will change any week, now. Will be getting the fat bikes ready, now. One thing I did on one of the Norco fat bikes that made a tremendous difference in performance was having my bike shop set up the wheels tubeless. Those fat bike inner tubes weigh about a pound, each. Not only does the bike handle, better with no tubes, but I'll be able to drop the pressure as low as I want, this winter, without having to worry about a pinch flat. Going to see about going tubeless on some of the other bikes, now.

[Crankin]

I did do my dark ride this morning.
I should have rested.
But, at 41 degrees, I was dressed correctly, with winter shoes and fleece beanie/gloves, but not too hot for once. Too bad my back was not happy. I have deduced it's from the hike I did Sunday. Well, it will be gone eventually.

[ny biker]

I rode 17 miles last night. Got a very late start, around 9:40 pm. I was talking to someone at work for a while and then had to sign and fax a bunch of documents to refinance my mortgage before leaving the office. But the more I ride late in the evening the more convinced I am that it's safer because there are so few cars on the road. Of course it helps that the neighborhoods I ride through have low crime rates and the ride start/finish is next to a court house and police station so I expect there are security cameras there. I always look around when I get back to my car just to make sure there's no one around other than the occasional police officer in a patrol car.

It seemed cold when I started even though the temperature was in the 60s. I think the real issue was that it's been so warm and humid lately that there hasn't been a chance to gradually adjust to dropping temps. So I overdressed a bit. Long-sleeved lightweight wool under a short-sleeved jersey and arm warmers, with a Gore windstopper jacket on top. Plus full-fingered unlined gloves, midweight fleece tights, neoprene booties and my wool cap. After a few miles I stopped to take the cap off, unzip the jersey and lower the zipper on the jacket a couple of inches. I could have taken off the arm warmers too but it didn't seem worth the effort. I was on the line between overdressed and comfortable for the rest of the ride, but didn't really work up a sweat.

I think this might have been my first time wearing the midweight tights. I bought them at REI last spring, on sale. They are the REI brand. Good reflective stripes down the sides of both legs and around the left calf. Comfy yoga waistband, perhaps a bit too comfy as I noticed when I got home that tights were drooping and the waistband had slipped down a couple of inches. But so many other tights seem to have a too-tight elastic waistband, I'm willing to put up with one that needs to be hiked up from time to time.

Several of my friends will be down in Staunton, VA this weekend for a fall foliage ride. However I steadfastly refuse to accept that summer is over, and have planned a ride on Saturday with views of the Chesapeake Bay.