July 1st Ride Reports

[hirakukibou]

Rode 50 miles with the club. One of the very strong women complimented me being surpised that I have only been riding for a year (actually serious riding for only 6 months or so) and telling me I have good handling skills. Nice to be encouraged! It was a glorious sunny day for a change and I had a good ride.

[winddance]

I'm in southern California visiting my parents for a few days, so this morning my father and I rode the bike path to the beach. It's hot down here! I think I have been very spoiled by Bay Area weather!

I managed to keep up with him. This is progress...

[Geonz]

23 miles is still 23 miles! If it's hot and humid, goals go out the window. (Or in the window, to curl up on a couch and come back another day.) Imagine how yummy you would have felt after a heat exhaustion induced wreck (and they happen every summer).

[bikerz]

Just back from 24 miles, 2400 feet of climbing! I'm getting a little bit better on this route, although that last bit of Pinehurst threatens to stop me dead every time. And today, as a bit of a reality check, 2 guys just BLEW past me on the steepest part, as if I were only going 3.3 mph or something....

I still can't believe I think this sort of thing is fun (I blame you, SadieKate, and the rest of the NorCal TE Girls Hill Climbing Program!)

[Fredwina]

Led the club ride, despite 90 plus heat at 7 am, we still had 14 folks. we rode down to the airport at Chino and at at the airport cafe. We made a side stop by the aircraft museum to see the DC-3 and B-17 parked outside. Had a nice brunch and then saw a biplane take off. we had three flats on the way, and my group got co-mingled with a bunch of "racers" from a local shop, we wound up being chased bu a chihuahua. We (the two groups)split up, a my group by the airport in Ontario, we then went a winery before stopping, I did some extra miles, was going to make metric of the day, but decided not to.

[LL_Super_D]

Decided to ride the 3 Bears Loop today (about 20 miles)... ignorantly and foolishly in the heat of the day - so not the brightest idea! I first tried this ride when I started cycling this past winter and back then, Papa Bear hill had me turn around cause I couldn't make it up that 7% grade hill. Today... I finished the loop! To my surprise, Papa Bear hill wasn't as awful as I remembered.

[EvilTwin]

Rode a sweet, scenic 40 mile loop into the hills around here. Absolutely a gorgeous day, although a bit warm by the time we finished. Stopped at the top of the ride to look out over the valley, then screamed down the hills into a little town where we stopped for milkshakes. Nothing better than a strawberry shake loaded with fresh picked Oregon berries. Awesome!

[SouthernBelle]

23 miles is still 23 miles! If it's hot and humid, goals go out the window. (Or in the window, to curl up on a couch and come back another day.) Imagine how yummy you would have felt after a heat exhaustion induced wreck (and they happen every summer).

It was cooler at home. It smelled much better too.

[Crankin]

Today, I rode our annual "Chicken Ride," so named because it goes by a chicken farm with a very large plastic chicken outside on a post. We cluck as we go by.
This has to be the most challenging ride I do that's close to home. 45.8 miles in central Massachusetts, starting in Westminister, going through Sterling, Rutland, Barre, Hubbardston and back. There are 2 long climbs, not too steep, maybe 5 percent in the first half. There's good downhills, but the roads are in terrible shape. I have never seen so many potholes. It was getting hot and I didn't feel really zippy until I ate a Cliff bar after 19 miles and ate a Cliff Shot block. Lunch is at 28 miles and then the fun begins... you go downhill for about half a mile and then there is a nice 10-13% percent climb. I remembered that and felt prepared. I even dropped my husband, who had a momentary lapse of power. What I didn't remember was the next climb. My husband said, "Oh yea, that's where you were crying last year!." Well, I didn't cry, but I think it's the only time I have felt like stopping. I thought I was going to fall over. I could barely push the pedals at 4.5 mph! I haven't looked at my Topo program yet, but I am pretty sure this climb was 15-17%, based on what i did in Europe last summer. Then, another downhill, and another climb. Not as steep, maybe 12% but longer. We stopped to eat again (another Cliff bar) at 36 miles and then headed back to where we had parked the car. It's a slight uphill almost the whole way back, for 9 miles. Not terrible under normal circumstances, but my legs were shot. Total average for the day, a whopping 13.01 mph.

[Quillfred]

Finally the arm-twisting paid off and I convinced DPITA to ride a 30 mile jaunt, capped mid-way to patio dinning at Ray's Boat House (on the waterfront overlooking the Puget Sound and Olympic Mountains).

It was her first ride of the year. Well, I did clean her chain so she "owed me". Got to have one of my favorite beers, Hale Cream Ale. I referred to it as my "handicap".

We went slow, especially coming home but had to stop several times on the way home as she clearly was overspent. I rode in higher gears to comensate. I even shared my Shot Blocks. It was a lovely 82F.

Quillfred

Floyd, oh yooo hooo........

[Kitsune06]

Left the house at 9:30 in an attempt to miss the heat of the day. Got to the trailhead at 10:00 and started to explore. I guess there's much more singletrack to 'my' little park than I thought... I biked 3 hours and didn't even see it all before I had to head home to get showered and ready for work.

Despite an 'incident' involving a half-endo and the top tube, all went well.