May rides, may they all be wonderful

[Crankin]

Yeah, I am lucky the wetlands are in back, and our bedroom is in the front!
I make Mexican food all of the time. It was so hard to find Mexican restaurants when we moved here from AZ, it was serious withdrawal. Now, though, we have some great places. Decided to skip the Cinco de Mayo stuff at a restaurant, though, as my granddaughter is sleeping over, so I am making a pasta dish that she will eat. I might not be adverse to making some guacamole, though!
We did a just under 30 mile ride (29.6), which was very hilly. First time up Oak Hill this season. We really went slowly, not that I can do a 4 mile climb fast, but I just wanted to enjoy the gorgeous weather. I started out with arm warmers, but before the climb, at mile 10, I took them off. We stopped at the Harvard General Store, which is a huge meeting place for cyclists. It is quite nice now, with really good gourmet sandwiches and other goodies that I would not have on a ride, like wine and beer! We split a vegetarian sandwich with sweet potato and avocado, along with half a Lara Bar. We sat on an old stone wall outside and did some good people watching; a group of cyclists, obviously from a university were there. There were a few older people (professors?), and some unusually kitted out younger people. One guy rode up on a single speed Schwinn, with post cards in the spokes. I guessed they were from MIT...
After lunch, we took the shortest way home, though we had almost 15 miles left. We rode through our old neighborhood in Boxborough. The bushes my DH planted with my younger son, when we moved there are huge! The house was sold a couple of years ago, and it looks like a family is living there now. The guy who we sold it to was a Jerry Garcia look alike; one day when I came home from work on my bike, he was sitting on my front steps! He was deciding whether to buy or not, but I was like WTF? Turns out he was a very rich guy from Microsoft, whose kids lived in the area with his ex, so he wanted a house they could stay at with him and get to school. We kind of regret our impulsive move to Concord, but... wonderful memories.
Not sure if I will ride tomorrow, on and off rain is predicted.

[emily_in_nc]

Sounds like a good ride, Crankin, and the sandwich sounds delicious! It's always weird to go by places we have lived before. I tend to get very nostalgic and remember only the good when I look back. We have discussed many times that we may have made a huge mistake selling our lovely home on 11 acres in NC. It was such lovely setting, so quiet (except for the peepers! ) We have had so many interesting experiences and travels since then (2010) though, I think it was the right thing to do at the time. We needed a change, as we'd lived there for ten years, the longest we'd lived anywhere. But if we could buy it back now, we would. Unfortunately, prices and taxes have risen so much that we couldn't afford it even if it were on the market. That makes me sad; to think that we had it once and could not have it now. Ah well...we have good memories, and they will have to do.

We had buckets of (needed) rain pretty much all day yesterday, so I am hoping the roads and bike path won't be too wet today. The morning sun is shining brightly, and it looks like a dry, sunny, hot week here in central Florida!

[north woods gal]

Interesting thoughts on the traveling and home, Emily. My husband and I sometimes talk about getting a second place in a warmer climate to escape our winters, as somefolks up here, do, but then we just chuckle and shake our heads. As rough as our winters can be, we actually enjoy them and understand that they shape our north country. Heck, they shape us, too, in their own way. Would like to do more traveling, though.

Speaking of rain, we've now had over three weeks of continually dry weather with no significant rain. That's been a blessing for the sake of all that snow melting and no floods, but our woods are now getting so dry that I'm getting a little concerned. Talk about bouncing from one extreme to the other.

The dry weather has been good for my trails, though. They're ready for a summer of hard use. This summer, I hope to build some jump platforms for some of my downhill runs that will allow me to get both wheels in the air. Have to question my sanity to do such a thing at my age, but, then again, I only have so many years left to do such daring things, so we'll see.

[Crankin]

Emily, the one good thing from selling that house was that it's the only one where we made a lot of profit! The guy who bought it from us sold it for less than he paid for. Our decision was all about the aftermath of when my son enlisted. We had toyed with moving to a victorian, but when we looked, we thought nah, too much work to remodel! As it was, the house we bought needed way more remodeling than that victorian, which is now beautiful and right in Concord center... selling a contemporary home on a steep hill was not a fun thing.
I didn't ride yesterday, it rained lightly all day, and my granddaughter was here until 2. I did go out and walk for about 2.5 miles when she left, but I got wet for part of it.

[north woods gal]

Rain and cooler weather moving in, later in the week, so have been riding a lot.

Been thinking of trying a single speed bike. Have never had one, so for the sake of experimenting, I've been riding my Krampus on our trails in specific gear combos via the 30 tooth chain ring in front and selected gears in the back on the cassette and then calculating gear inches. It's been a fun experiment to see what would and would not work for me on my trails or out on the street. Pleased to report that if I stand to pedal in my climbs I can manage with the current single speed gear options available, though on most factory single speeds, the gear ratios are still too high, so I would need to change out to a slightly larger rear gear. Not off by a lot, but even two or four teeth on the rear gear can make a big difference on a single speed.

Anyone else riding single speed? Would appreciate input.

[north woods gal]

Thanks, Sheila. Good info. For my trails, I'm going to need a 30x20 or 30x22 if I want to climb the steepest sections, though, I certainly don't have to ride those sections. Still have a lot of easier rolling sections, so could get by with a bit higher gearing.

Been looking on the net for ss bikes in steel. So far, have found the Surly Karate Monkey ss (a 29er) and the All-City Log Lady in 27.5. Can you believe that name? Log Lady? Yup, that's me, the Log Lady. Fortunately, one of my guys at the bike shop is a single speed addict, so I can get plenty of help.

Looking like an all day rain, tomorrow. May use the time to catch up some housecleaning. We don't get many visitors, so we tend to let the clutter accumulate. Oh, well.

[rebeccaC]

nwg… I’m a simple woman when it comes to bikes, my gear acquisition syndrome is photo oriented. My fixie is a used older Bill Davidson built lugged steel road bike converted to 39/16 for my urban path/road rides and moderate climbs……. Bike path, 3 am, moving with a relaxed, loose fluidity into the quietness of a moonlit night, city streets with precise and quick speed adjustments/movements…….both making me feel connected to the bike in a flowing way. At first it was about discovering something new…..now it’s just about feeling efficient, focused, balanced and having fun.

Rode Caryl rd, on my way home tonight, a wild geranium show and the Poplars beginning to leaf made it even more pleasant.

[north woods gal]

Rebecca you are as talented with your prose as your photography. As always, your posts are such a treat. Thank-you.

Yeah, I have the single speed bug, now. Been coming a long time, though, given my love of keeping things simple and steel bikes. I may have to sell off one of the other bikes to finance it all, but one thing for sure, if I do sell a bike, it won't be one of my steel babies. That, and if I do buy another bike, it will be steel and only steel.

I remember back in my Chicago days when I was trying to find a good used Kona Kilauea (classic steel MTB from the 90s) and how I had to fight off all the single speed fans who were avidly buying up this bike model to convert to a single speed or fixie. Felt it was my duty to rescue one of these from that crowd. Looks like I'm one of them, now. Not that I'm going to touch or change a thing on my Kona. No way. Me and that bike have way too much water under the bridge, together. Can't even begin to describe the sentimental value. My old steel Kona my be outdated and oh so retro, but it still rides like a dream and drowns me in memories every time I climb aboard.

[Crankin]

I am getting very lazy about driving more than a few miles for a group ride. Although the group ride is one I love, I am not going to drive 25 miles in rush hour traffic for it. But, I had a great, albeit shorter ride, after I forced myself to move my winter clothes down the basement and brought up my summer stuff. Wasn't sure where I would ride, but I ended up doing a loop around Hanscom AFB/Airport, and then, on the way back I just went about half a mile out of my way to stop and take a picture of the Concord River, over the bridge just outside of the town center. I used to ride this road many times a week before I moved to my condo.
It was 64 when I started, and the temperature must have gone up quickly, because I was on the edge of feeling too hot and thinking I should have worn a sleeveless jersey. It's 78 now. Just gorgeous and sunny, but I think there must be some humidity coming in. So my ride was only 17.25 miles, but it was my fastest solo ride this year, which is good. There's one hill and then another annoying shallow sort of grade, somewhere between a false flat and a climb on the way back. It's on a main road through Minuteman National Park, it's always busy and the shoulder is always full of debris, but it is not that long.
The dreaded yellow dust (pine pollen) has arrived. I am not allergic to it, but it gets in your mouth when you ride. My car is totally covered and it's useless to clean it, as this lasts a couple of weeks.
The picture is going the wrong way!!! Oh well. Turn your computer around.

[north woods gal]

You're ahead of us on the trees leafing out. Ours are still in the bud stage, but, of course were at a higher latitude. Lovely scene, though.

Been riding a variety of my bikes on the trail, same as always. I find the differences between the bikes as to how they ride and handle to be interesting. Adds a bit of interest to riding the same trails all the time. Yesterday, I was on one of the Norco fat bikes after riding my 29 plus bikes with their 3" tires all week. Those big 4.8" tires on the fat bike make a huge difference in riding comfort on the trail. They soak up so much of that trail chatter and they really smooth out the big bumps. I especially appreciate that when riding over the big rocks. Those big fat tires aren't quite a substitute for suspension, but they're close enough for my riding and make riding a rigid bike (my preference) all the more doable.

[Crankin]

I rode to the gym this morning, and I think the may be it for me. Woke up feeling kind of weird, but went anyway. It is beautiful out, about 60 and breezy. It's just about fully light at 5:15, now. I thought I was OK, until about halfway through the class, she took us outside. I kind of lost all of my energy and muddled through, usually I love this break in the routine. My speed on the way home was less, to say the least. Got home, showered, and had a series of unfortunate events, ripped shirts, things falling on my foot, as well as the point of the cabinet door slamming into my forehead. Thankfully, my 9 am client cancelled and I have an extra 45 minutes at home.
I have a busy weekend and was hoping to do a ride this afternoon, after work and grocery shopping, but I probably will not. Tomorrow is our AMC Leaders' ride and party, but the forecast is for a cold rain, starting in the AM and lasting all day. So, I might get a rest day instead of a ride, but we will still have a party. Mother's Day looks good, and since we are not celebrating until dinner, Sunday should be a great riding day.

[north woods gal]

Hope you're feeling better for the weekend, Crankin. A pleasant ride would make for a nice Mother's Day. That's my plan, anyway.

Cool and windy for us, these last couple days with highs in the 50s. Don't mind the temp, but that wind always kicks in my allergies, this time of year. Huge improvement living, here, though, compared to living in farm country as I have most of my life. My allergies really knocked me for a loop in that environment.

Well, I think I'm ready to give a single speed a try for my trail riding. My local guy recommended a 30 up front and a 20 in the rear for riding our constantly up and down trails, in our area, especially considering that our trails are all laced with a few really steep climbs along the way, not to mention soft spots with sand. He's right. My Krampus has a 30 in the front, so I've been setting the rear cog at 19 teeth or 21 teeth and giving it a try. Whoa! Talk about workout, but it's a doable workout. I can just crest my steepest climbs, standing in the pedals all the way in the 19, but the 21 is just a touch more manageable. Not much, but it's noticeable.

Overall, sticking with one speed for trail work has been a real adjustment in my technique. It's not just the need to stand in the pedals to climb, it's adjusting to making the tight twists and turns along the trail without being able to drop a gear or two to make the turns. With that gear combo, there's very little spinning I can do with my pedaling on my trails. Even on the flatter sections. I never get a chance to get up to spinning speed before hitting a twist or something to dodge or climb. It's all power pedaling, now. Also, one speed makes my approach to each section a bit different than with the geared bikes. Lots more planning ahead and getting up to speed before I hit the steeps. All in all, going with one gear has been a fun experiment and I do think it's made my more aware and a better rider. For sure, it's made me a STRONGER rider. I can feel it in the legs in the morning.

The same gear combo still works on our neighborhood paved roads, by the way, given that our roads are also all hills. Will try more road riding in that gear combo a bit farther out to see how it does, though. The experiment continues.

[north woods gal]

We were all set to walk into my local bike shop and plunk down $1500 on the new All-City Log Lady single speed. Thought it was a done deal after all my hard work keeping notes and collecting data and riding single speed all week. The shop was a little busy, so while waiting my turn I wandered into the used section. You guessed it.

Against all odds, there was a very lightly used steel custom built single speed 29er. It's a Gunnar Ruffian (hand-built steel custom frame made by Waterford, here in Wisconsin). All highest end parts on the build, too. Basically a $5000 build, but we got it for less than half. Owner had other bikes he wanted to finance. Bike has barely 100 miles on it. Quality-wise, it'll be the best bike I've ever owned. Could have paid $1500 for a new Log Lady or $2150 for this one. The Gunnar frame, by itself, costs $1500. No brainer.

Having it outfitted with new Racing Ralph tubeless tires and checked over. Will pick it up in a few days. Gearing wise, it's identical to the Krampus, which I've been riding successfully in one gear all week, now, so I was ready to take the plunge. Never figured to get something like this, however. More details to follow after I get the bike home and start riding.

[Crankin]

That sounds nice, Northwoods! You are a stronger person than me... I am much too lazy for a single speed. Although, I came to a realization about how relative strength is last week, when I saw my neighbor struggling to get her bike in the back of her Subaru. I generally don't talk to anyone in my condo, but she clearly needed help. So, I noticed she was trying to do this without her rear seats down, because she has her grandkids' car seats permanently in there. Her bike was not that big, so I showed her the correct way to lay the bike and I knew we could get it up, over the top of the seats and then bungee the hatch, for her to get it to the LBS. She could not even lift half the bike, so I did it myself and she was amazed. Now, the bike is not a lightweight like my Silque, but it's not super heavy, either, being a nicer Trek hybrid. Anyway, it was an eye opener, as this woman is around my age and does not look totally out of shape.
I did get out for a super short ride at around 7:30 AM. The rain hasn't started yet, but I was back to wearing tights and a head cover at 49 degrees. I feel better than yesterday, as I broke down and took a Claritin, but not as good as I felt when I rode Wednesday. I discovered that a whole section of road is being repaved and is all grooved pavement on a road that I frequently use for these short rides. It's also on the beginning part of our bike rally route on June 2nd, so I hope it's paved by then. It was fine to be out in the middle of the road at 7:45 on a Saturday morning, but it won't be fine for a group, going up a hill!
Our leaders' ride was already cancelled, but we still have the party at 4 PM.

[north woods gal]

Neat article, Sheila. Thanks. Jives with everything I've been told, locally. Also matches up, nicely, with all my ss experimenting, this week. Managed just short of 50 miles of combined trail and road work, this week, all in one gear! Oh, yeah, I am ready to take a break and do a little shifting, for now, but what a great learning experience it's been. My legs know it, too, but am so pleased to discover that I can manage it and, more importantly, I can do the single speed thing with a reasonable amount of comfort/challenge. That was my biggest concern. Worried that I was biting off more than I could chew.

Be sure to double check those specs on the Ruffian. You have to goo to the 29er version at the bottom of the list and check in the 19" (medium size). The frame stack on the 19" Gunnar is actually slightly higher than on my medium Krampus. The frame reach is similar, too, but the actual handlebar reach on the Gunnar with the way the owner had it setup is, as usual, too long for me. He had a 90mm stem on the bike. I'll be going with a shorter stem, right away, when I pick up the bike from the shop, first of the week. Same old, same old for my short reach.

Crankin, enjoyed the story. You're so right about how we riders sometimes overlook just how fit we are compared to all those people out there that don't exercise, regularly. As for me being stronger, well, thanks, but I doubt that. About the only thing I'll say is that I'm a strong rider for my age, but I really have to work at it. I'll be 68 in a month. Most 68 year old women stopped riding bicycles, long, ago. I'm determined to never stop riding, no matter how old I get.

Hope the allergy thing doesn't get you and our other riders, down, too much. Been a tough allergy week for me, too. Any wind at all and my eyes start to puff up and itch. That time of year.