October rides...

[north woods gal]

Well, I knew it couldn't last. We've had unusually warm fall weather with an unusual number of sunny days (not typical for us). All gone, for now. Cold and rainy, today, and the rest of the week and, yup, some snow mixed with the rain in the forecast, later in the week. Oh, it won't stop me from riding and I've been getting the fat bikes setup for snow riding and breaking out the winter riding gear, but I'm spoiled, all the same. Since our weather seems to work it's way to you folks in the east, take advantage of any warm weather you have, now.

On a more positive note, have added some nice boulders and rocks to climb on my trails. Funny how the things I avoided when I was just starting to put in my trails are now things I'm adding.

Tried a dropper seat post for the first time on one of the fat bikes. Can't say it's essential for my downhills, but I can see how it helps. Allows me to get way low when doing my fast downhill runs. At this point, haven't decided whether to keep it or go with a lighter, standard seat post, because these are heavy setups. We'll see.

[Crankin]

I was down the Cape from Friday afternoon to around noon today. We stayed with friends who have moved there full time. The weekend included a strenuous hike, walking in sand and lots of other walking.
When we got home it was 74 degrees out, so despite having shopping to do, we went out for a little 13.5 mile ride, to loosen our legs from the hike. It was much faster than it needed to be, but good. Obviously, with such warm weather, tons of riders out.
We have the rain moving in Tuesday night, through Thursday, so probably not any riding until next Friday.

[ny biker]

We're only forecasted for rain tomorrow (Tuesday) here, actually might be mostly overnight tonight and early in the morning. Colder weather expected by Wednesday, and windy. Actually the temps will be closer to normal and technically not cold, but it will definitely be time for more layers, especially in the dark.

I wasn't able to do any hiking or anything strenuous on my trips to Cape Cod, mostly because I was with my parents who don't do that sort of thing anymore. The closest I got to a bicycle was a visit to the historic train station in Chatham which is next to the rail trail there. Which was fine, but someday I will have to go back to experience the things I missed.

[Crankin]

My friends live in Orleans; I am not quite as familiar with the lower Cape and am still amazed that after 64 summers (first one at age 9 months), there are still places on the Cape I have not been to. Of course, we don't go regularly anymore, and my family was most certainly not hiking in the 50s and 60s! But, I did a fair share of riding there, as a kid, mostly in our cottage compound. In fact, it's where I learned to ride, at age 9.5. Yes, that's how uncoordinated I was.
The hike we did was in Wellfleet, on Great Island. It started on a trail, and then we were on the beach for at least 2.5 miles. The trail reappeared and we had respite for awhile, with hard pack and a climb, but then we were back on a sandy trail. This killed my hips and back. We were at the height of high tide, so near the end, the path was narrow, with a water crossing at one point.
Glad I went, but also this reinforced my feeling that I would never, ever want to live there. All older people, not normal.

[ny biker]

My friends live in Orleans; I am not quite as familiar with the lower Cape and am still amazed that after 64 summers (first one at age 9 months), there are still places on the Cape I have not been to. Of course, we don't go regularly anymore, and my family was most certainly not hiking in the 50s and 60s! But, I did a fair share of riding there, as a kid, mostly in our cottage compound. In fact, it's where I learned to ride, at age 9.5. Yes, that's how uncoordinated I was.
The hike we did was in Wellfleet, on Great Island. It started on a trail, and then we were on the beach for at least 2.5 miles. The trail reappeared and we had respite for awhile, with hard pack and a climb, but then we were back on a sandy trail. This killed my hips and back. We were at the height of high tide, so near the end, the path was narrow, with a water crossing at one point.
Glad I went, but also this reinforced my feeling that I would never, ever want to live there. All older people, not normal.

I went to a baseball game in Orleans -- it's a nice park for a ballgame, but there seemed to be a cold wind from every direction thanks to its location near the elbow. It was actually the farthest out (down Cape?) that I've been. The main thing I noticed about the people was that many had faces that looked like they'd spent a lot of time in the wind, from sailing I assumed. Last summer (2016) we took a boat ride on the Canal and saw cyclists fighting headwinds on the trail there. I wondered if it was always windy or if things settled down as the summer warmed up.

I think I am heading out to ride tonight after work. Today was our last warm day, possibly for months. They're saying it will be in the 30s and 40s by tomorrow morning. I think we'll still get some comfortable daytime weather in the next few weeks but with the sun getting lower in the sky and fewer hours of daylight we are rapidly heading toward needing Amfib tights and thick fleece booties.

[Crankin]

The wind has commenced, branches everywhere when I got home. Torrential rain and wind tomorrow. Maybe OK by Thursday afternoon.
NY, you were at the Cape in late spring/early summer? It's always windier and colder there than where I live. Once, I went on a field trip where it was 50 degrees and windy in Sandwich, in May. When we got back to school, it was 85 degrees, all within 90 miles. However, it is always windy there, more so in the spring. I rode on that path by the canal in September about 7-8 years ago and it was fine.

[ny biker]

Yes we were there in June. Needed blankets at a couple of the baseball games, especially Hyannis. In DC a south wind usually means warmth, but up there it just means cold ocean air.

It was breezy here yesterday but by sunset it was calm. I did go out to ride after work. It was cool enough to fool me at the start, though, and I headed out wearing tights, booties, full-finger gloves and a windstopper jacket. I quickly warmed up and took off the gloves. Later I took off the jacket. I had originally thought that a vest and arm warmers would be enough, changed my mind at the last minute, and ended up regretting that I hadn't gone with my original plan. Anyway I was reasonably comfortable without the jacket, though a bit chilled going downhill.

The real problem was my right leg. Several times in the past month or so I've had pain just above the knee on the inside during bike rides. The first few times it happened I was able to control it by trying to focus on proper knee position over my foot. But last night it seemed like everything I did made it worse. The question is, what is the cause? It seems to happen when my legs are tired (which they were last night, due to strength training the night before). But this year I think my saddle position is slightly different, after putting a new saddle on my bike. And recently my right shoe has felt weird, like the cleat is too close to my toes, even though when I look at both shoes the cleats are even and in the right place. Of course the right foot is the one connected to the torn ankle tendon, and I've developed a habit of holding my toe up to keep from straining that tendon. And just for kicks, the cleats are old and looking worn around the edges; they clip in and out okay as long as I keep them clean, but maybe they need to be replaced. So who knows what is really causing this problem.