July 19th Rides

[dobielover1]

The heat kills me...and even though I've been a cycling fan for years, I'm a new rider...so I just did 40 minutes on the trainer.

[Geonz]

40... I'd LOVE 40... that ain't Celsius, is it?
Got into the 90's but by the time I left there were hailstorms all over the radar. I counted on them breaking up and rode my slightly longer way home anyway. It worked, tho' for about a mile I was chastising myself, as the wind started blasting and there was a streak of lightning. Then it abated.
Not one, but *two* cars waited patiently while I went over overpasses, not going by 'til there was ample room. (Red SUV wasn't as nice on the regular road.)
Crossed the 4000 yearly mile threshold :-) :-)

[Trek420]

I ride to work once or twice a week but dislike when I "have" to do it ie: car's in the shop and likely to be there for a day.

Set out early, weather was overcast, a little muggy but beats the heat later on. I was looking forward to it because they just repaved the first part of my commute.

Got going as fast as I go, leaning into the first right enjoying the fresh pavement and there's this gal on her Box Store bike no helmet going the wrong way in the bike lane.

I emergency brake, she has "deer in the headlights look" goes right, then left, then straight, then left then then wobbles right then stops just short of my front wheel.

As calmly as I can (which is not much) I say "you need to be on that side of the road, on the right hand side, you ride with traffic."

Rest of the ride went well, left work early put bike on car, dropped car off at mechanic, rode home and on the way back who do I see but that same gal, again on the wrong side.

But this time I'm heading home, no rush so I stopped, big smile and waved....as she rode up the crosswalk on the "wrong" side I waved and said I was sorry to have yelled but she scared the heck outa me, full speed head on in the wrong lane.

I tried as best I could to briefly explain she'd be safer and we'll all be safer if she rides with the flow of traffic. I think she has a little learning dissability, get that because I've lived here for over 3 years and I see her often when I walk Mae in the morning.

Every single time I have to explain that Mae likes bikes and will not chase her.

[eclectic]

40... I'd LOVE 40... that ain't Celsius, is it?
Got into the 90's but by the time I left there were hailstorms all over the radar. I counted on them breaking up and rode my slightly longer way home anyway. It worked, tho' for about a mile I was chastising myself, as the wind started blasting and there was a streak of lightning. Then it abated.
Not one, but *two* cars waited patiently while I went over overpasses, not going by 'til there was ample room. (Red SUV wasn't as nice on the regular road.)
Crossed the 4000 yearly mile threshold :-) :-)

wow 4000 miles Congratulations! When do you have time to sleep? ?
AND glad you didn't become a lightning magnet


Did the club ride tonight, once again a variety of riders from the speedy speedsters, to the speedsters, to the wanna be speedsters, to the tourists

I fell into the wanna be speedster bracket, hung with the speedsters for about a whole 5 miles, hit a few hills and they were gone.

Head wind of about 24 mph for the first 10 miles, Makes you strong

Made it up my measuring stick hill faster than I have ever done ( a little adreneline surging through, I didn't want a couple of friends to catch me - they eventually did about 5 miles down the road

Rest of the ride was great and of course the wind died down to 9 mph by the time the visiting was done

That is what I love about this club. No matter what level a rider is everyone has a great time in the parking lot before and after and the experienced riders help the newbies. Very accepting group

[Kitsune06]

Thought I'd try to adjust my seat and pump my tires up to road-strength (60# though the max is 80... I'm kind of a sissy that way...) to ride to work this evening. I started out 2 and a half hours early, just to 'make sure' because I'd never biked there before and I'd hate to be late. I'm 3ish miles down the street and the seat loosens up. The allen bolt holding it on has two settings, I've learned. "I'm-never-gonna-get-this-beast-off-again!!!" and "what, I'm supposed to be doing something?".
After nearly losing my anal virginity I get off and push the nose as far down as I possibly can and decide to just 'deal with it' because a) I don't want to be late, b) I don't want to schlep all the way back, because it's all unshaded country roads, and to get home, I've gotta go past a house where the dog is ALWAYS out and LOVES to chase me down the road. I berate myself for a good twenty minutes, remembering picking up my multi-tool, looking at it, and then deciding I didn't want to carry all that weight (this is before I throw the extra soda can into my hydrapak) .

I get there in about an hour 15 minutes, and I'm told that I can go home if I want, because the call queue is low. (Call center work, don't you love it?) but it's alright with me, because the temp went from 'comfortable' to 'now that you're in AC, you realize you have a huge, dark sweat stain going all the way down your back and start getting goosebumps' so I turn around... and go home. Loose seats, FTW. I was really proud of myself, though, handling the streets the way I did. I always drive that route, and whenever I see a cyclist on the road (no bike lanes for at least half of it, and busy two lane traffic) I always find myself rooting for them hard-core... today I realized it wasn't so bad, and I'll schlep it next Wednesday, too.

The way home was somehow twice as hot as the way there (facing the sun, nasty headwind) and the seat decided to point so far 'forward' and 'down' that my legs were practically holding me up.

It was a nasty, hot, icky 17 miles.

p.s. I got the seat fixed AS SOON AS I GOT HOME.

[Kano]

40... I'd LOVE 40... that ain't Celsius, is it?
Got into the 90's but by the time I left there were hailstorms all over the radar. I counted on them breaking up and rode my slightly longer way home anyway. It worked, tho' for about a mile I was chastising myself, as the wind started blasting and there was a streak of lightning. Then it abated.
Not one, but *two* cars waited patiently while I went over overpasses, not going by 'til there was ample room. (Red SUV wasn't as nice on the regular road.)
Crossed the 4000 yearly mile threshold :-) :-)

Geonz -- Tater meant that the temperature, which she said was 58 when she left, would increase by 40 degrees while she was at work. High desert does that -- wide temperature range most days!

I'm impressed: 4000 miles in half a year. Wow! (or is that since last July?)