June 18 ride reports...

[KnottedYet]

Rode 30 miles on the Burke Gilman trail. Half the time with a teammate from Team Survivor. Stopped for a couple picnics and to remove my dang front fender and adjust my dang rear derailleur and yank at my dang dragging brake pad. Once while kicking back on my favorite bench (BG and 97th/Densmore) I saw this blue tandem go by with a couple wearing soccer jerseys: one yellow, one red. I was on the phone with the S.O. or I would've hollered.

I think it was a TE. Salsa, was that you?

Someone on here said they have a blue tandem and ride in soccer jerseys.

Took a little side trip into Ti Cycles and had a yearning moment for a Jamis Aurora. Would've tried one, but they didn't have one in my size.

http://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/bikes/06_aurora.html

[Crankin]

It was HOT and humid today. I couldn't ride until around 12:30. It was about 90 and very humid. The air was really thick. Took my inhaler with me, but didn't have to use it... we went out with our riding friends. I started really really slowly because I thought I might might really lose it in the heat. I drank my whole Camelbak and 3/4 of a bottle of Accelerade for a 21 mile ride! We didn't go anyplace special, but the fun part was when we got back, we went swimming in the community pond in my neighborhood. Well, I didn't actually "swim," but I went in the water and took a couple of strokes and then lay on my beach chair and chilled out. Then we had a BBQ. I am exhausted from the heat and sun. Hope to ride at 5 AM tomorrow before work, but who knows...

[salsabike]

"I saw this blue tandem go by with a couple wearing soccer jerseys: one yellow, one red. I was on the phone with the S.O. or I would've hollered.

I think it was a TE. Salsa, was that you?"

Hey, KnottedYet! You saw us! How cool. Wish I'd known. I even said to Chris this morning, "Hey, keep an eye out for a woman on a pale blue Kona, okay?"

I think by the time you saw us we were on about mile 73 of an 80 mile ride. We did the 60 mile round-Lake-WA ride, and added on 20 miles worth of the Cedar River Trail down in Renton. Boring, boring trail---aside from a few miles in the woods and really on the river, a lot of the trail goes alongside Rte. 169, busy highway, straight line, blah. But it let us go up to 80, which is all part of revving up for STP on July 15: 80 again next Sunday, 100 the next two Sundays, with several 30 mile rides during the week, and we hope we will be ready to go to Portland in one day this year. Urg. Nice cool day today, nice day for a ride. Still seeing that osprey by Lake Sammamish in his/her favorite dead snag. Lots of herons, some bald eagles. Love this place!

[LL_Super_D]

Rode 24 miles today. It felt like the longest uphill 3-5% grade ever... I felt like a little kid wondering if I was there yet... . The winds coming off the ocean to the mountain top almost knocked me off my bike at times, but the awesome long steep descent down Kings Mountain Road was sooo worth it!

[Patti37]

I rode 46 miles in blazing 90 degree weather after riding 45 on Saturday. It actually felt great.

After complaining about the rain and not being able to ride, how can I complain about the heat.

[mimitabby]

After that long ride saturday, hubby thought we ought to do a good ride sunday too.
So we rode from home to ballard and back, going through downtown on the way home.
2nd avenue was almost deserted, we figured it wouldn't be the tense affair that it usually is during the week.
2nd avenue has a bike lane on the left, and 3 other lanes for cars.
We were almost "done" with 2nd avenue when a car came down the center lane, not very fast, but faster than us (we're on the tandem)
at the last minute, when we were almost to the intersection they decided to turn left in front of us. My husband who is blessed by a huge voice started screaming obscenities. The car slowed down and decided NOT to turn in front of us and shot down the street so they could turn left 2 blocks further up.
If they had turned just there (FROM THE CENTER LANE!) we probably would have crashed!
I gave my guy lots of hugs and thanked him for using his big voice and saving our lives. We had 23 miles on the bike when we got home.

[Nokomis]

We did a 3 golf course loop 51 miles, one climb early and two near the end. New seat was great, even felt good to get back on after we took a short break. Climbing is getting better- it's still tough, but I haven't had to suck wind like last year, and am finding myself recovered by the time I descend, or very shortly there after. We did run out of water with 10 miles to go, and the muscles were getting fatigued. I thought I'd be hurting today, but I'm feeling great. Huzzah!