June 21st Ride Reports

[hibiscus09]

Woo-hoo! I always do better with partners to push me. We (hottie husband and I) went 10.72 miles today at a 15.3mph pace. I've just been doing a 14.1 pace previously. It's getting awfully toasty here -- even early in the a.m. I love the South, but it sure is muggy.

One more thing -- I don't know what's more frustrating -- people who won't pass me at all (even though I'm way over on the side of the road) or people who think they should get so close that I could reach out and touch the vehicle they're driving .

Next, a golf lesson at 10:00.

[Geonz]

Whoowee... today here it was so toasty, with dew point just a few degrees below temp (our "whining weatherman" has this thing against telling us the relative humidity, just that it is high) so I sort of wandered in even though I was running late. Riding the 7500FX 'cause it might go into a van later, tho' it means no blender for the solstice party tonight.

The ones who pass close: if you move out a foot, then you have that foot to move in. (Or Two feet.) It can make a big difference in your sanity.

Where in Columbia are you? I spent almost a school year in W Cola, and most of the roads were pretty horrible for riding, so they might be so busy that taking more of the lane would mean serious road rage... but it's worth trying. IT's a little counterintuitive but it is MUCH safer. You get treated like a vehicle instead of a pedestrian (tho' the culture factors might mean that then they just want to run you down.)

[hibiscus09]

Hi Geonz! Thanks for the tips! I'm riding at Kiawah Island right now. We'll be back to Columbia after July 4th holiday. When we ride there, we head to Ft. Jackson to do the loop -- a lot less traffic.

[DrBee]

Hi Geonz! Thanks for the tips! I'm riding at Kiawah Island right now. We'll be back to Columbia after July 4th holiday. When we ride there, we head to Ft. Jackson to do the loop -- a lot less traffic.

I also spent some time in Columbia (about 8 months) in 2000/2001. I did my post-doc in the Biology (Marine Sciences) dept at USC.

[Nanci]

I ride like Seabiscuit runs, too! Great analogy!

Nanci

[betagirl]

Rode 8 miles and got my 2nd flat in as many bike rides. In the same spot to boot. So I got to the train and took that to class. Bah. Stupid tire.

[Bad JuJu]

I was at USC (go gamecocks!) in the early 80s. I shared a house with two other women, out towards Fort Jackson (maybe halfway between there and the campus) and rode my bike to campus for about a year. Going wasn't too bad--early in the morning--but getting back home could be one harrowing adventure. And that was more than 20 years ago--can't imagine what it's like now. Be careful, Hibiscus!

[hirakukibou]

I rode an easy slow roll of 34.21 miles. It was warm but not as sweltering as it has been here. I wanted to go further but had an appointment. It's so frustrating when life interferes with cycling.

[dachshund]

I went a whole 12 miles today, my first real ride. I got up to 14mph off & on... I'm sticking to the multi-use trails for now while I get used to the clipless pedals. I can't "stop on a dime" yet, so I need to get my foot out 10-20 feet before I have to stop.

Amy

[tulip]

What a difference leaving home early makes! This morning I had a dentist appointment near my office, so I left my house at 6:30 am to be sure I had enough time to get to work and shower before walking over to the dentist. The traffic was light and I was able to take a direct route, which normally has too much fast traffic on it. I made it to work in 1 hour and 5 minutes! Normally I'm at 1:15 or so because of having to go a roundabout way.

What a great way to start the day! It will be hot on the way home, however.

[Fredwina]

I went a whole 12 miles today, my first real ride. I got up to 14mph off & on... I'm sticking to the multi-use trails for now while I get used to the clipless pedals. I can't "stop on a dime" yet, so I need to get my foot out 10-20 feet before I have to stop.

Amy

I always try to clip out before I know I have to stop, so don't feel bad if you cant stop on a dime.

[makbike]

I got up early and joined in the morning club ride in Louisville. It was a hilly 40mile loop. I felt great on my bike and I have to admit I was pretty darn happy when I out climbed the group going up our first long hill. Off I went on my own and I soon realized that when I'm chasing someone I ride a lot stronger than I do if I'm by myself. I'm in the midst of reading Seabiscuit and I quickly realized I ride must like the horse ran. If I have someone to chase or someone is closing in on me I pick up the pace, if I'm by myself I'll relax and go at a much slower clip. Eventually, today I was joined by two men who also dropped the pack and the three of us pushed each other in to our final destination, the ride captain's house. His wife and daughter had a wonderful meal prepared for the club. It was very tasty and I tried very hard not to pig out for I did not want to blow my attempt at dropping some added pounds.