Magnificent or Mundane May Rides!

[Crankin]

I am taking a rest day today. It's showery, anyway. Tomorrow am supposed to lead our annual new members' ride, but it's going to have to be called very close to start time. I think the rain will clear out right around start time. It's going to be 75. Sunday, we are doing a pre-ride of our bike rally route with the other leaders; it's going to be 80. Sleeveless is in my future.

[Helene2013]

Same for us Crankin here. Very cloudy now, rain in forecast. I have my 1st ever 90km ride tomorrow - starting at 8:30am and not sure we'll get there. But rain is supposed to stop at around noon. It will be too late. And it is rain or shine. But the next day is full sun. There is another 65 or 100km ride. I may try to hop on that one if I feel like it. But it is another $40 each. For something I already paid (tomorrow). We'll see.

[emily_in_nc]

Yesterday the forecast was for morning and afternoon thunderstorms, with a high % chance of both. We had already decided ahead of time to take the day off from riding as we'd ridden many days in a row. We had an appointment at 1pm for a final walkthrough (we're leaving the house we've been renting in Kansas next week) and spent the morning cleaning house and getting ready for the property manager to come. He had to delay twice due to an eviction proceeding running over, so did not get here until 3:30. It was beautiful out and hadn't rained at all, so by 2:30 pm, DH finally couldn't take it any more and went out for a short ride while I waited for the property manager to arrive. He finally did and DH rolled up right as he was leaving. We then made cookies and pizza and ate outside -- it was sunny, breezy, and pleasant. Seems they got t-storms all around us (so no more 85F+ days for us) but not right where we were.

Still, I'm glad I took the day off as I'm sure my body needed the rest. We'll be riding today for sure. Costco run!

[ny biker]

Same for us Crankin here. Very cloudy now, rain in forecast. I have my 1st ever 90km ride tomorrow - starting at 8:30am and not sure we'll get there. But rain is supposed to stop at around noon. It will be too late. And it is rain or shine. But the next day is full sun. There is another 65 or 100km ride. I may try to hop on that one if I feel like it. But it is another $40 each. For something I already paid (tomorrow). We'll see.

Helene, I once did a century ride in nor'easter because I had already paid the registration fee and I thought the worst of the storm would pass early in the day. It turned out to be miserable all day long, and in the end I decided that sometimes you're better off staying home, even if it means you lose the fee that you pre-paid.

Be especially alert for dangerous weather, like lightning and winds. It's most important to be safe.

[rebeccaC]

i wanna ride in a storm.....no lightning and just tailwinds though

taking the weekend off from riding and going skydiving with friends instead.

[Dragonfly5]

Wednesday I decided to go for my first ever ride with the local club. I was expecting a 13-15 mile ride (that was Monday apparently!) We wound up doing 20 miles, my longest ever. I was super nervous at the beginning but after a few miles I got into a groove and had a really good time. The leader was really nice and made me feel very comfortable. I was soooo tired afterwards but I definitely felt more like "I can't wait to do it again" than "boy, I'll never do that again." lol

[Crankin]

Today's ride was mundane.
We had to cancel the ride we were leading because it was raining right up until start time. This is a show and go ride, no way to inform anyone who was planning to attend. The AMC rule is "steady rain cancels," and we have to change this, or find a way to post a cancellation. It was pouring at 9:45, which was good (the ride was suppsoed to start at 10), and we conferred with the other 2 leaders at 8:30. I responded to the few people who had emailed me and they thanked me, but I am sure someone was waiting at the Keyes Rd parking lot . If it was anyone here, I am sorry. We did not want to take a bunch of new people/beginners out on wet roads, either. I am going to the bike committee meeting Monday to discuss this.
After putting away my wool sweaters and pants (well, just moving to a different room), going to the nursery and buying some flowers and a tree, lunch,, etc, we went for a 12 mile hilly ride. It's humid and quite warm. No gradual warm up here.
Doing 40 miles or so tomorrow. My back is a little tweaked, from something I did in boot camp Thursday, so hope it's OK. Back to the stretching.

[emily_in_nc]

Congratulations, dragonfly5! Your 20 miles is more than probably 99.9% of adults in the US will ever ride at one time!

Yesterday, we did our Costco + extra ride -- clocked in 38.4 miles.

Today, we rode to the farmer's market in the morning (just under 5 miles) before breakfast. After eating, we did our long ride. 60.3 miles for me, my longest of the year. DH also got in his longest of the year, over 101 miles -- he continued on after I finished. Windy, warm, and hilly, it was a challenging but (I must admit) fun ride.

I'm trying to get in a bunch of miles this week as we travel to visit our parents (NC and Ohio) over the next two weeks, and riding miles will be curtailed signficantly. Gotta work on their yards and be social, you know!

For all of you getting rain, please send it here. We're getting parched here in KC...in the places that the thunderstorms missed (like where we're living at the moment)!

[Grits]

I rode 32 miles yesterday with a few friends. We had an unusually cold and icy winter for NC, and I feel like I am starting over fitness wise. It was a great day for a ride, though! We call this ride the Mini Critter Crawl because it takes us by an alpaca farm and another one with emu's and donkeys. I love alpacas!

[Jolt]

Got out for a nice ride today...didn't keep track of mileage but was out for about an hour and a half enjoying the gorgeous day. The black flies are out--need to start bringing bug spray on rides! They're not a problem when one is going at a decent speed, but stop or slow way down and, well, yuck! Aside from that and having to stop a couple of times to adjust my saddle when it somehow got tilted up (must not have tightened the clamp enough when I adjusted it before the ride) it was a great ride. We really have some nice road riding here in Maine, including unexpected dirt-road sections at times (hooray for non-skinny tires!!).

[Crankin]

Had a great Mother's Day ride, 45 miles, in perfect weather. We rode to the start, about 7 miles, and then did our "test" ride for the AMC bike rally in June, with the other 2 leaders. So many people out riding today, including moms and kids, who all had their helmets on incorrectly. But, I was good, I didn't say anything, as I usually do.
There was a Mother's Day brunch going on at Verrill farm, the start, and it was mobbed when we got back. DH and I made ourselves ride back there with the others, instead of directly home, and I am glad. Best of all, when I got home, I opened my email and I had a gift card to Open Table from my son in California.
I've been having a little trouble with mild cramping in my calves/hamstrings. Not sure what is going on. My hydration was spot on today (Skratch Labs). I felt it a little on my group ride Wednesday, but not when I commute.

[emily_in_nc]

Grits, love the alpaca photo!

I just did a little 25-mile recovery ride today after yesterday's long effort. This is the first time in a long time I've had any hip (I say hip, but it's really more lower back on the right side) pain. I guess I did a little too much yesterday. It was very minor, but there. It's back to being incredibly windy here...not fun -- except when it's behind you!

[marni]

Tusdays ride out around Sealy, Tx ( town of mattress fame) was 50 miles of country roads and rollers. It was basically pleasant for the first 30 miles as we had a tail and side wind. The return 20 miles were a misery 15 mph headwinds with gusts up to 40. Fortunately there were five of us and the paceline helped and the wind and low humidity (drought conditions already) kept the temperatures doable.

Yesterdays 50 miles on the local roads was much more doable, a good thing since I was riding on my own. Breezes were mostly side and quartering and only at about 10 mph. Glad I got off the road early though because they were back to 20-25 miles with heavier gusts.

I have a gut feeling this summer is going to be a repeat of the summer two years ago, drought, high humidity, lots of wind. Sigh....

[Dragonfly5]

Managed to get in a 13.5 mile ride today before we took my mother in-law out to lunch today. The weather was perfect! Wind was a little gusty but I kept telling myself that it was "resistance training" lol. Emily, I have a four day weekend coming up and right now the extended forecast is calling for rain on every single one of them. I will GLADLY send that out to you!

[TrekDianna]

I took the Salsa out yesterday to see how it would feel on a longer ride than just the commute. I did 34 miles and it felt great.