Holiday weekend rides

**Realgone** · 07-04-2011, 10:18 PM

My sister-in-law is visiting from Michigan and we took her took Mt Rainier. I saw many cyclists. Pretty hardcore too. The area we saw them was at the NE entrance to Sunrise which is all uphill and the end is at 6600 ft. Not sure of the starting elevation there, but itnis a minimum of ten miles all steep uphill. We saw a black bear on the side of the road on the way up until a motorcycle scared it which was annoying, yet cool at the same time because he jumped into a nearby tree. Great trip!

**Catrin** · 07-05-2011, 02:09 AM

Originally Posted by Crankin

DH decided he would document our ride today. There's a lot pictures with very stupid captions.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/6409720...57627118232240

Great pictures - and I must admit that I chuckled at some of the captions. It looks like the two of you had a great ride!

**Sky King** · 07-05-2011, 06:15 AM

Taking the bike riding to a new level, the Bike Hermit declared he is "training" for the Java Man Triple Brew Pub Extreme Moderation Tour. After I wiped the beer off of my face from laughing, We had an awesome weekend, riding where ever the moment took us. When all was said and done we covered about 90 miles, paying no attention to speed, with the main focus on having fun. Can't wait to continue. Glad everyone had a great weekend too!

**roadie gal** · 07-05-2011, 06:21 AM

No rides this past weekend. It is just too damn dangerous around here on the July 4th holiday. We have a TON of tourists who are all looking at the scenery and don't see cyclists. But my SO and I are going out for a ride tomorrow.

**Sky King** · 07-05-2011, 06:29 AM

Originally Posted by Crankin

DH decided he would document our ride today. There's a lot pictures with very stupid captions.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/6409720...57627118232240

Love it!!
Looks like a really fun ride, like your Terry Jersey, I have that one and the long sleeve one as well

**Norse** · 07-05-2011, 08:56 AM

This was supposed to be the weekend to really push some final training for the upcoming Red Ribbon Ride (local AIDs/HIV 4-day, 300 mile fundraiser), but, it was rather a tale of misadventures.

Saturday: I planned about a 50 mile solo ride through rolling countryside, however, I made the BIG mistake of donating blood the day before. Note to self: never again. So, even though it was still early, it was hot, I felt sluggish, crappy and nauseated. Decided to keep going and just try to take it easy. The powers that be decided that if I would not stop myself, they would stop me. 6 miles in, rear flat with a bent piece of metal stuck in my rear tire that I could not pull out. Call DP for ride to LBS, ride over. Rode bike home after tire fix, hopped on trainer in cool basement for a 1 hour work out followed by yoga.

Sunday: Could not get out until afternoon and again, it was hot. So, I did a fairly easy 24 miles on local paved trails and wide-shouldered rolling roads.

The 4th: 5 of us doing the upcoming RRR had planned on meeting in WI to do a mighty hilly 60 mile ride - we have a day of horrid hills in southern MN bluff country on the RRR so hill training is crucial. Two bailed because of the heat and ever climbing dewpoint. Of the 3 of us left, my friend S kept falling behind and we were afraid he was not feeling well - turned out, his brake was rubbing. So, while J and I were up the road ahead of S, and a mere 8 miles into our ride, J's seat suddenly flies off his bike while riding up a hill. The seat bolt snapped clean in two and now we had a dilemma. J trotted over to some local friendly looking farmers and they helped him jerry-rig his seat on with another bolt, but it looked rickety so we decided to turn around and get him back to his car. Meanwhile, S fixed his brake. On the way back, J's seat comes off again. We got his car and went back to get him. His day was done. S and I figure, we came all this way, we've only gone 16 miles and we need more hill work! We found hills, BIG hills on a 9 mile out and back route. Did it twice, drained our gatorade, low on water, called it good and went home where DP and I grilled salmon and asparagus and watched the day's TDF. Yay Tyler!

**Trek-chick** · 07-05-2011, 09:17 AM

I only got out for a 20 mile ride on Sat morning. The rest of the weekend was spent with friends and family AND getting our stuff/packing for our trip to Mt. Rainier (93 mile hike on Wonderland Trail) at the end of this month.

**m.eliza** · 07-05-2011, 12:43 PM

Managed 46 miles on Saturday and a total of 60 on Monday (though in 3 separate rides). Got slammed with a migraine 10 miles from home on Monday. Fortunately I carry Ibuprofen on my bike! That plus a few minutes sitting in the shade dulled it enough so I could get home. Great weekend overall!

Crankin, I love your pics. I felt like I was looking at pictures of my own rides

How does DH manage to take such nice pictures while riding? I'd be too nervous to operate a camera and ride straight at the same time.

**Crankin** · 07-05-2011, 04:01 PM

He has outstanding handling skills, though it still gets me nervous. He took 800 pictures on our tour in Spain last year, most of them, while on the bike. He did stop for a couple of them, yesterday.
I can barely do the water bottle, so I try not to pay attention to it! Though he did find out you can't take a picture mountain biking down even a little hill. Last summer, before we sold our mountain bikes, we took a practice ride before we went to Maine to actually use the mountain bikes. We were on the Annursnac Trail, right near the town line/Stonymeade, when I went ahead and was waiting, waiting. Finally, he appeared, all bruised, the result of trying to take pictures while riding in the woods. I laughed my head off.

**tulip** · 07-05-2011, 04:09 PM

21 derful miles on Saturday along the Chesapeake Bay, and 40 on Monday. It was extremely muggy on Monday. Liquid air. Ick. But a beautiful ride through fields of sunflowers.

**colorisnt** · 07-05-2011, 04:15 PM

Did about 27 miles and then returned to the park from whence I came with the cycling group.

I was going back to my car when I slipped on a wet algae surface. Worst crash to date. I have bruises everywhere including on my right cheek. Also terrible road rash on my legs/face. It hurts like crazy this morning - just really body sore. But my head was fine thanks to my hemet. About 9 months since I fell into a ditch and replaced the last one, but I am happy to do so.

I need helmet insurance. Had I not had it, though, I may not have lived. I hit my head HARD on concrete.

**Catrin** · 07-05-2011, 04:24 PM

Originally Posted by indysteel

Good job! Hope the aches and pains work themselves out over the next 24 hours...

They are fine, just a little tenderness in my quads today so am letting them rest. Went to the gym and tossed weights around, but went easy on the legs

Colorisnt - youch! I hope you are feeling a little better?

Crankin - he takes those pics while riding?

His handling skills are awesome!

**colorisnt** · 07-05-2011, 05:19 PM

Yeah, I've been sitting with a heating pad on my neck and a bag of ice on my face. It seems to be helping.

**MojoGrrl** · 07-05-2011, 06:16 PM

X-posted in Newbie Achievement thread...

Went on my longest ride to date, going around all ~75 miles of Lake Tahoe in about 7 hours (including several breaks!) and how I climbed those hills, at a 6200+ feet altitude, I don't know...must be the new Ti bike! And managed to do this on what turned out to be NOT the right saddle for me.

Then yesterday I bought a new saddle and went for a test ride on it, and I'm not sure what I was thinking because it was 95+ degrees out. I still managed to do 11 1/2 miles with an average speed of 17 mph - much better than my average on the Dolce Sport!

**luv2climb** · 07-06-2011, 10:47 PM

Originally Posted by MojoGrrl

Went on my longest ride to date, going around all ~75 miles of Lake Tahoe in about 7 hours (including several breaks!) and how I climbed those hills, at a 6200+ feet altitude, I don't know...must be the new Ti bike! And managed to do this on what turned out to be NOT the right saddle for me.

Then yesterday I bought a new saddle and went for a test ride on it, and I'm not sure what I was thinking because it was 95+ degrees out. I still managed to do 11 1/2 miles with an average speed of 17 mph - much better than my average on the Dolce Sport!

Was that the ride around the lake? I watched and recorded a bike race that went around the lake last September. I recorded the riders climbing Spooner Summit, which has to be the easiest high altitude climb I've ever done (I climbed it after the race was over).

I'm climbing the Tahoe side of Kingsbury Grade Saturday on my new Dahon Speed D7, since I'll be renting a car and it's a PITA to put a full-size bike in a typical sedan.

I have a Dolce also and sometimes I wonder if it's the slowest road bike around. I think the Sirrus I bought used last summer for $250 is faster than my Dolce.

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