Weekend Rides?

[Fredwina]

A litlle cold saturday, but sunny:
16 miles To Schenectady:

The Mohawk:

Nope, I haven't gotten lost:

16 miles later:

A little late for Women's history month (should have zoomed in )

coimg down the hill at Knolls Atomic lab:

Past Niskayuna depot:

and Almost home:

[murielalex]

Beautiful pics, Fredwina! I miss the countryside up north.

[limewave]

I rode my bike home from my Aunt's house after our Easter dinner yesterday. She lives about 30 miles north of us and, conveniently, there's a bike path that starts just a few miles from my home that goes all the way to her house! It was a nice way to end the evening. I added a few extra miles for a 36 mile ride.

[Melalvai]

I should have worn sunscreen.

A couple weeks ago we did this ride (scroll down to "Hwy K Ride Report"--for some reason it's not giving me the url for that specific post). Someone emailed me after she read that post and said "The house in that picture is mine. Knock on our door if you ever need water, or if no one is home there's a pump in the yard."

One problem I've had with riding around here is that it is SO rural, there's no stores or any place to get water. I drink a bottle per hour, so a 5-hr ride means I need 5 bottles of water! That's a lot of water to carry.

If I could just get in the mindset though, because it is so rural, people are super friendly like her, and I know they'd love to refill my water bottle if I'd just knock on their door.

[Owlie]

Congrats everyone on your weekend rides. I only did 6 miles around the neighborhood yesterday.

But you rode!

[goldfinch]

I should have worn sunscreen.

A couple weeks ago we did this ride (scroll down to "Hwy K Ride Report"--for some reason it's not giving me the url for that specific post). Someone emailed me after she read that post and said "The house in that picture is mine. Knock on our door if you ever need water, or if no one is home there's a pump in the yard."

One problem I've had with riding around here is that it is SO rural, there's no stores or any place to get water. I drink a bottle per hour, so a 5-hr ride means I need 5 bottles of water! That's a lot of water to carry.

If I could just get in the mindset though, because it is so rural, people are super friendly like her, and I know they'd love to refill my water bottle if I'd just knock on their door.

When I ride in the rural area of Minnesota where I grew up I only carry one bottle of water because I can stop at just about any isolated home or cabin and refill and have a chat. Maybe even a cookie.

[limewave]

We live in kind of a "free-way" for local cyclists. It is not unusual for friends and acquaintances to stop by our house for a bathroom break, water-bottle fill, emergency snack, directions, quick bike-repair . . . .

And beginning next year the bike path to the north of us will be extended and go right by our house! I'm really excited about this. I imagine we'll have even more cyclists stopping by when that happens. I'm thinking about getting a bench to put in our front yard where weary cyclists can stop and sit a spell.

[Melalvai]

And beginning next year the bike path to the north of us will be extended and go right by our house! I'm really excited about this. I imagine we'll have even more cyclists stopping by when that happens. I'm thinking about getting a bench to put in our front yard where weary cyclists can stop and sit a spell.

That's awesome. If I lived on a bike path or bike route I would absolutely do that. Maybe a bench and rig up a pump or water spigot somehow.

[Fredwina]

I'm Visiting my Mother this weekend, Mainly to check up on her. I decided to rent a bike:

KHS urban Xcape
Beale St.

Sun Studios

Where my mother now lives:

Across the street in Overton Park. Site of Elvis First Concert:

North Parkway:

The Pyramid:

The Mississippi:

Back Downtown:

Not the Peabody:

Lunch:

What the LBS Owner showed up on:

[rubysoho]

Left at 6am yesterday morning to travel down to Raleigh, NC (4 hour drive) for a meetup with my Tour de Cure team. We met with the ride's organizer and then went on a fun 20 mile ride. The first hill right at the beginning of the ride wasn't great and I think not being warmed up was the issue but after that it was a great ride. We mostly ranged between 16 and 20 mph. On a downhill I was able to get up to 31mph! I didn't switch off the middle gear so I think I could have gone faster if I had used my full range of gears. It was really windy though and that made my bike be a smidge squirrely so I didn't want to push the envelope too much.

At the end I definitely felt I could have either pushed to go faster for the entire ride or could have ridden a longer route. There was the option to go on a longer ride but a few of us opted to go the a Beer Fest.

[Crankin]

Got my first 50+ mile ride of the season over with! I say that, because, despite being in good shape, it's still painful when it involves 2500 ft. of climbing.
But, it was great. We rode out to Bolton Orchards, about 24 miles, and a couple of miles of getting lost right before lunch. Most of the tough climbing is before lunch, thankfully. The farm market was quiet, it's only April, but it was about 72 degrees out. After lunch, we slowly rode up the 4 mile moderate climb into Harvard center and then took a different way home, which involved less climbing. I was feeling a little bonky as we were heading into west Concord, so I stopped and finished my Luna Bar and drank a ton of Nuun. So, as we headed from there into Concord center, we were stopped at the light to cross the highway. A cyclist pulled up behind me. We said hi and when we crossed the highway, he took off, really fast. Then, there were some cars stopped for someone taking a left. As I was slowing, a car full of teens drove by us; I heard them yelling, but I couldn't really tell if they were just talking or yelling at us. All of a sudden, I see DH take off. I thought he was getting a burst of testosterone and chasing the fast cyclist. When I caught him, he said that as he was slowly passing the teens, one of them purposely opened his door to hit DH . He pounded on their car and said he wanted to smash the window, but of course, he didn't. I asked if got the license plate, but he didn't.
It's pretty rare that stuff like this happens around here. It's very busy, with lots of tourists here for Patriot's Day celebration tomorrow and people not knowing where they are going, so I was super alert yesterday. But, I don't think they were tourists. They looked like super entitled little Concord boys.

[Catrin]

Crankin - I am so sorry to read this but so glad that your DH didn't get hit! Pity he didn't get the license plate.

I've taken a full week off the bike and planned to have a good 26 mile ride today to test my commuting route to work...temps are fantastic, sun is shining - winds are 20-30 mph all day today. No road riding for me Tomorrow I am off work and it is STILL supposed to be windy.... So I will go for a walk today (not in the woods), and if I have to hook the trainer back up tomorrow I will - but if it is just a little less windy I can ride in my favorite local park. I HAD wanted to mountain bike tomorrow but with torrential rains all day yesterday the trails will likely be still closed - beginner trails take longer to drain.

I know some of you ride in much higher winds, but frankly, I've problems staying in my lane when they are that high. I don't know how you women do it!

I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike...I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike! (channeling Queen for a few seconds).

[Owlie]

Crankin - I am so sorry to read this but so glad that your DH didn't get hit! Pity he didn't get the license plate.

I've taken a full week off the bike and planned to have a good 26 mile ride today to test my commuting route to work...temps are fantastic, sun is shining - winds are 20-30 mph all day today. No road riding for me Tomorrow I am off work and it is STILL supposed to be windy.... So I will go for a walk today (not in the woods), and if I have to hook the trainer back up tomorrow I will - but if it is just a little less windy I can ride in my favorite local park. I HAD wanted to mountain bike tomorrow but with torrential rains all day yesterday the trails will likely be still closed - beginner trails take longer to drain.

I know some of you ride in much higher winds, but frankly, I've problems staying in my lane when they are that high. I don't know how you women do it!

I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike...I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike! (channeling Queen for a few seconds).

Yeah, really. I took the week off simply because I was wiped out. Now that I actually want to ride, it's too windy--I don't want to risk damaging that abdominal muscle even more than last Saturday's ride did. I think it's going to be the trainer and yoga today...

[Catrin]

Yeah, really. I took the week off simply because I was wiped out. Now that I actually want to ride, it's too windy--I don't want to risk damaging that abdominal muscle even more than last Saturday's ride did. I think it's going to be the trainer and yoga today...

Smart woman - we are both learning

It does look, however, like the winds will be low enough for me to ride in Eagle Creek Park at 7 this evening - as long as the sustained winds are <21mph then I can ride in the park - most of it is pretty protected from the winds but there are portions that aren't. So I CAN ride tonight and tomorrow night it looks like, just later than I ordinarily would. I will take it!

[goldfinch]

I am in a town where I spend spring and fall. I learned about a Sunday group ride that has people of all sorts of riding levels. It leaves in 5 minutes. The sky looks too much like rain, forecast is 60% chance of thunderstorms with winds 20-30mph, gusts to 40mph. Chickening out.

I think that I will try a run.