Weekend Rides?

[Owlie]

Various factors have conspired to make this weekend a no-riding weekend. Yesterday was absurdly windy. Today, I'm doing the studying (finals in two weeks! Eek!) that I didn't do yesterday. Just as well, because while the forecast said mid-to-high 40s, it feels colder than that, and my hamstrings are whining about the yoga I did last night.

Otherwise, it looks like a nice day for a ride. Cloudless blue skies, not much wind...Grump.

[Crankin]

I didn't ride this weekend, either. Yesterday, we had wind gusts up to 50 mph, and I didn't feel that well. I took a rare rest day on the weekend and it was wonderful. Today would have been fine for riding, but I am trying to keep everything moderate, in preparation for my 5 day trip to Vermont, which will include some pretty intense x country skiing and snow shoeing. Just came back from a 4 mile hike in Estabrook Woods, where we found a new climb on the back side of the old ski slope. It's really nice out and we have snow coming, especially more up north .

[Bike Chick]

I got a 27 mile ride in today. It was a glorious 60 degrees--in February--what a bonus! But with it came the southerly winds at 15-20 mph with 30 mph gusts. The first half was great with the wind to our backs but the return trip home was brutal. It still beats being in the trainer

[deanywalker21]

My hubby and I biked to breakfast with our road bikes. I have been riding the Vita so much that I forgot how to shift the Ruby <g>. Our small town has a great place for a simple breakfast. A nice easy friendly ride with a not so easy headwind....hey but it was a tailwind on the way back. Logged a whole 13 miles.

[Kubla]

Got off to a late start due to finding a deceased raccoon in my corral that needed to be removed before letting my horse out for the day. I'm a little concerned as to how it got there but since it's Saturday, the PD said no one would have been able to pick it up until Monday. I buried it in the woods for lack of a better plan.

Anyway, once aboard the bike I hit three local yard sales-finding something useful at each one. I logged 10 miles and hope to get out again tomorrow or Monday.

[redrhodie]

We rode a pretty route up to Ninigret today and did some laps around the track. Well, I only did a lap, because I was hot by the time we got there, and stopped to remove a layer. It was one of those days where the temp rose 30° in a few hours.

My bike had maintenance on a squeaky pedal this week, and in the process of fixing the squeak, my wrench discovered my bottom bracket was shot. So, maybe that was part of my climbing issue, because I was up front on every hill today, and not once did I think (in Mark Cavendish's voice) "I'm not a climber." That guy's the little devil on my shoulder sometimes.

[sookiesue]

30 beautiful miles in the Oregon countryside. Fields of crimson clover, lots of cows, horses, llamas, sheep, goats, and even passed a house with a bunch of donkeys in the yard! At one point I rode past some type of hawk (wish I'd had the presence of mind to stop and take a photo so I could find out what kind) sitting on a fence post about 8 feet away from me. What an amazing way to start the morning.

I did the same route I did Thursday evening and I shaved 4 minutes off my time! I've been stuck at the same average MPH (14ish) forever. It seemed like no matter how hard or how easy I've been riding, I still end up with a 14mph average. So I'm trying to really push myself on flats and downhills, and also to stay in the middle ring on as many climbs as I can to try to regain strength for the summer.

Ahhhh...I love Oregon!

[indysteel]

I love Oregon, too, Sookiesue! Alas, my own home state isn't quite as pretty. DH and I did 44 miles today. Nice route in that there was little traffic and we didn't get chased by any dogs. This was our longest road ride of the year. I felt pretty good minus some neck and shoulder discomfort near the end.

[Owlie]

I just got home from a 48-mile ride. I got start, because I was listening to the voice in my head that wanted to crawl back under the covers. In hindsight, I probably should have listened, because I rode both Thursday and Friday. But I wanted a long ride, something around 30. So I rode up to Xenia, then south on the Little Miami trail. When I left my house I was hungry, despite eating breakfast. I was still doing okay to ride 30 by the time I got to Xenia (it would only have been another 6 miles south of Xenia to do 30). When I got to the 6.5-mile marker, my brain said "Let's do 40!." Okay...

I passed by a big snapping turtle just past the 10.5 mile marker, and stopped to take some pictures. I realized then that I was really really hungry...and was down to 1 tube of shot blocks. Hm. I could ride the 10 back to Xenia, or I could keep going and hope there was something nearby. I had to guess that there was, because of the relatively large numbers of cyclists and the occasional pedestrian--so that means that there's a trailhead nearby, which generally means at least some sort of food. 4 miles down the trail, I found Corwin, which has a nice little restaurant near the trail. One chicken sandwich, chips, a pickle, half a can of Pepsi and a cone of cookies and cream later, I headed back. I think my legs were jelly by the time I got back to the car. I called DBF to tell him I was done with the ride. He asked "Why don't you go out and do another two miles?" I think he heard the look I gave him...

I am tired. I think it's time to go take a shower and eat some ridiculously large quantity of mac and cheese. Not at the same time.

[ZenBiker]

It's Velopaloza here in Vancouver, so there are lots of rides going on! Me & my bike buddy Dave did the Fancy Ride yesterday (I know, it's not a weekend ride, hush). I'm really looking forward to the Wine Tour bike ride on Saturday!

I went with a more costume-ish dress up, I didn't want to ride with my ~really~ nice clothes. We road all along the sea wall, through Stanley park, and ended up on a beach. There was a tall bike with us, and a dude on a BigDummy (I think) with a wicked loud sound system. It was such a nice ride, and we met some really cool people!

that looks like fun!

[ZenBiker]

Another hot, windy weekend here. Seems like we have a red flag warning in the weather forecast every day. At least it still cools down overnight, and riding conditions are good up til about 10 am. Got a quick 21 miles in this morning, running errands in town then tacking on a 12 mile recreational loop before heading home.

[Crankin]

We did a 15.4 mile flat-ish ride before we left Great Barrington this morning. We convinced the B and B owner to let us keep one of our rooms (we went with friends) about an hour after check out, so we could shower. It was a great ride and we saw lots of cyclists.
We were out of there at noon, drove to Amherst, and had a great lunch at a place we used to go to when my son was at U Mass. It was only about an hour and 20 minutes to home from there, which went very quickly.
I have taken the whole day off on Wednesday, so I can do a group ride on the southern Maine coast. There is now a "spirited" group that often does the same or longer ride as the group I ride with. I am torn; I am not sure I can do a 16 mph average for 47 miles. Most of the ride is flat, with the exception of one "mountain," which is really just a small mountain, elevation about 500 feet. The other riders, who usually average around 13.5 are great and experienced, but some of them ride very, ah, squirrelly. I guess I will decide when I get there.
Pic from yesterday.

[AppleTree]

40 miles today after taking a few rest days following a 65 mile day Wednesday. Up north to the park, where on the bluff I could look down and see the farmers market at the marina and hear music playing. Then wishing I had brought my Jamis bike with panniers so I could go down to it! I wanted to so bad, it was a beautiful morning for the market.

Wow, Crankin, Amherst and Concord, what a lovely, historical area you ride in, I am so jealous. Maine coast!! I would love to see photos of that ride, sounds like heaven.

I did have to chuckle though, at the "500 feet" and "mountain"...over in this direction we would call those "hills". Although, to me it wouldn't make much of a difference, I'd still be walking up 'em.