March cycling: In like the Lion of Flanders, out like...?

[ny biker]

Meteorological spring began yesterday and on occasion I can feel the itch of pollen in my eyes, but we're mostly still in the grip of winter here. I am hoping to get outside for a bike ride this weekend, when (if the forecast holds) it will be colder than average but sunny.

What about everyone else?

[khg]

A persistent ridge of high pressure has had sunny skies overhead since Friday, and staying that way for the foreseeable future--astonishing considering that this time of year usually has constant damp and moss growth behind the ears...

On Sunday, my dad, husband, and I rode around on Vashon Island. It's beautiful riding, mostly quiet roads (some so little trafficked that they are green with moss. I was kinda only sorta kidding about the moss growth behind the ears...) where you're watching for deer as much as for cars. It's also challenging riding, as the island is approximately a 450 foot high plateau, and as the road goes toward and away from the water, you can lose or gain those 450 feet pretty quickly. Though my dad had never ridden on Vashon before, last summer he plotted a challenging route around the island and sent it to me as a "check this out!"--I then went and actually rode his route, and thought many dark thoughts towards him along the way. So on Sunday I made sure to detour to a couple of the *really* special hills that I had encountered on his route. And I made sure to point out that they were his idea.

We had a really fun time!

It also makes me really happy to be able to get out and ride with my dad (and my husband) like this. About three years ago, the arthritis in his knee was getting bad enough that he was having to walk with a cane--which really put a crimp in his lifestyle, since he loves hiking, snowshoeing, skiing, etc. His doctor said that exercise would actually help his kind of arthritis, so he got a little bike machine that he could pedal while sitting in his easy chair. Then he started feeling a little better, so started doing short rides on his bike. And felt better, and started doing longer rides on his bike. Fast forward to last year, and he did a hilly century with us, which was the longest he had ridden his bike since I was a kid. He also rode up some mountain passes with us, and has spent the winter emailing with me about what mountains and other challenging rides are the ones he has to be sure to get done this year. And so I ignore him when we're out riding together and he complains about an upcoming hill "I'm 66 years old, you know!"

And I'm not sure he knows where his cane is. He's also talked about training his hiking up to summit Mt. Rainier (another thing he did when I was a kid). He's said before that when he did that, he was in the best shape of his life--and watching him on the bike the last couple years, I can well believe he's getting there again.

Anyway, it was a beautiful and fun day of cycling, made more special by being out with my dad. And my husband--he's pretty awesome too.

[rebeccaC]

khg....that post made a huge smile spread across my face

Hoping your father feels the happiness in your spirit when you’re riding with him!!!

[lauraelmore1033]

KHG, What a lovely ride report. Thanks for sharing that. I've been struggling with extreme allergies to alder pollen and the wonderful little virus Dh brought home from work,so I've actually been cursing our fine weather. Did manage a short ride on the Centennial trail yesterday, and was gasping like a fish out of water, even after using the array of inhalers at my disposal.

[Crankin]

Temperatures are finally getting out of the Arctic zone here, but there is so much snow/melting, that for the first time since I started riding, I am wondering if I will be able to start in March.

[khg]

Thanks rebeccaC!

Lauraelmore, though I don't have allergies, even I have had a few days where I'm thinking "stupid #*^%ing flowers and growing things!"--especially when I'm wearing my contacts and an entire tree's worth of pollen flies into my eyes... Matthew Inman, who does The Oatmeal comic (and lives in the PNW), put it best with his comic captioned "Winter is when an ocean of miserable water gushes out of the sky. Spring is when an ocean of miserable water gushes out of my face."

[Lelani Carver]

I rode about 8 miles Saturday and 14 miles yesterday on the new bike (Specialized Vita Elite). Already much more comfortable on a properly fitted frame - still getting used to a different knee angle but starting/stopping feel much more sane.

Going out again with a local Meetup group tonight on a closed loop path... Is this a sign of addiction?

[lauraelmore1033]

Did the McClinchy mile ride yesterday, hosted by B.I.K.E.S. Club of Snohomish County. This year it was a 34 mile out and back memorial ride to Oso, the small community devastated by a mudslide around this time last year. As I set out on my recumbent, one of the volunteers pointed out that my kickstand was still down. Then she asked if I happened to be Laura. Now, I'm always conspicuously different than the other cyclists at any organized event ,and I tend to mention it a lot here, so it was a sure bet she was a TE member. And that was how I met our own MMQFC!!
The ride turned out to be a soaker! I was tempted just to stay at home, but I had already paid for it and it was a special event, so I just decided to suck it up. The route stayed mostly on highway 530, which I didn't care much for, since Sunday seems to be a good day to hitch something to a truck and roar down the highway going 20 over. When I got to the mile wide debris field, I found I was overwhelmed by my emotions. It really made me feel small and powerless. And grateful and sad. A lot of things, actually. There was a food stop at the restaurant that still remains, but I was so miserable and wet I decided to skip it and head back asap. That might have been a mistake since I hadn't been drinking or eating at all up til then. I started feeling horrible cramps about 3 miles from the end. I arrived back at the start feeling very crabby, but a cookie made it all better.

[salsabike]

Did the McClinchy mile ride yesterday, hosted by B.I.K.E.S. Club of Snohomish County. This year it was a 34 mile out and back memorial ride to Oso, the small community devastated by a mudslide around this time last year. As I set out on my recumbent, one of the volunteers pointed out that my kickstand was still down. Then she asked if I happened to be Laura. Now, I'm always conspicuously different than the other cyclists at any organized event ,and I tend to mention it a lot here, so it was a sure bet she was a TE member. And that was how I met our own MMQFC!!
The ride turned out to be a soaker! I was tempted just to stay at home, but I had already paid for it and it was a special event, so I just decided to suck it up. The route stayed mostly on highway 530, which I didn't care much for, since Sunday seems to be a good day to hitch something to a truck and roar down the highway going 20 over. When I got to the mile wide debris field, I found I was overwhelmed by my emotions. It really made me feel small and powerless. And grateful and sad. A lot of things, actually. There was a food stop at the restaurant that still remains, but I was so miserable and wet I decided to skip it and head back asap. That might have been a mistake since I hadn't been drinking or eating at all up til then. I started feeling horrible cramps about 3 miles from the end. I arrived back at the start feeling very crabby, but a cookie made it all better.

You rode yesterday during our 2.2 inches' worth of rain! You get big NW courage points for that. No kidding.

[lauraelmore1033]

You rode yesterday during our 2.2 inches' worth of rain! You get big NW courage points for that. No kidding.

And the sun is shining today, taunting me...

[salsabike]

And the sun is shining today, taunting me...

I know. Also, I very much appreciate your comments about your feelings re Oso. Heavy on our hearts always, I think.

[Lelani Carver]

And the sun is shining today, taunting me...

Good job! It was for a good cause.

[MM_QFC!]

Yes, she surely earned every soaking "big NW courage point", f'sure! Yep, I volunteered to direct traffic to parking spots and, it was only after I waved to the recumbent cyclist starting out, then called to her about her kickstand that I put the beautiful Bacchetta together with our own TE rider and added another greeting and hug to send her off anew

I was a sodden mess after being out there for 3 hours, so I chose to leave my bike to stay dry in my car, and head home. Kudos to all of the riders and even those who pulled up, told me that they decided not to ride but wanted to drop off a donation to support our Oso Strong Memorial ride - very cool.

Great to meet you lauraelmore1033!