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  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    northern Virginia
    Posts
    5,897

    Say do you remember...cycling in September

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    I can't believe it's September already. I want more summer

    And I say that despite the brutal heat we endured on Saturday during the Civil War Century. My account of that ride is in this "hilly century" thread:

    http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=54125

    And a discussion of my unhappiness with my new wheels, which debuted at that ride, is here:

    http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=54252

    One thing I did not already mention was a mechanical problem that I had. There was a terrible rattling sound, which I thought was caused by the new wheels, and I also had a lot of trouble shifting. I thought that the derailleur needed an adjustment. There was a mechanic at one of the rest stops, so I brought the bike to him. He took the wheel off and determined that a spacer was missing from the cassette. He didn't have the right spacer to fix it, but was able to use a bracket spacer instead for a very good repair. I will need to have my LBS fix things with the correct spacer, but I was able to finish the ride without further shifting problems, and the rattling noise was gone.

    The mechanic at the rest stop was Joe, from Joe's Bike Shop in Baltimore. He did a great job, and saved my ride.

    As for the cause of the missing spacer, I think that was due to some miscommunication at my LBS that caused a delay in getting my bike back to me with the new wheels. It was definitely not the type of thing they typically do, and I'm confident they will take care of it.

    Onward.

    - Gray 2010 carbon WSD road bike, Rivet Independence saddle
    - Red hardtail 26" aluminum mountain bike, Bontrager Evoke WSD saddle
    - Royal blue 2018 aluminum gravel bike, Rivet Pearl saddle

    Gone but not forgotten:
    - Silver 2003 aluminum road bike
    - Two awesome worn out Juliana saddles

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Concord, MA
    Posts
    13,394
    I guess I posted all of my rides last week in the August thread. I had two good, but short rides this weekend, before my DH left for 2 weeks in China and Japan.
    2015 Trek Silque SSL
    Specialized Oura

    2011 Guru Praemio
    Specialized Oura
    2017 Specialized Ariel Sport

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Maine
    Posts
    45
    Saturday I rode 42 miles in the Maine Lighthouse Ride. It was my longest ride yet. The weather was quite humid but the ocean breeze helped. My friend was supposed to ride with me but we got all the way down there (we live about 45 min. away) and discovered she only had one shoe, Of course she rides with cleats and was wearing a flimsy shoe that wouldn't be comfortable for 40 miles so she had to go home. Fortunately, another friend was riding and I was able to ride with her. All in all it was a great day and I'm already toying with the idea of doing the metric century next year.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Pac. NW
    Posts
    350

    September

    Great ride Sat. With DH. Temps in the Upper 80's. Rode 54 miles, a nice loop from home. Mostly quite country roads and a stretch on our wonderful, local paths. Lunch at our fav. Bike path dive!
    One jerk honked and didn't move over, but the next driver stayed back all the way up the hill and wouldn't pass until he had a clear site line. He totally made up for the jerk (plus unknowingly put a little pressure on me to go faster!)
    Embarrassed to say this was our second longest ride of the season! Gonna miss summer!
    Last edited by smittykitty; 09-08-2014 at 08:45 PM. Reason: Not complete
    2011 Specialized Ruby Comp
    2015 Giant Liv Tempt 3

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Concord, MA
    Posts
    13,394
    DragonFly, I really want to do that Maine Lighthouse ride. One of my friends did it last year.
    Next year, it will be on my list to do the metric.
    2015 Trek Silque SSL
    Specialized Oura

    2011 Guru Praemio
    Specialized Oura
    2017 Specialized Ariel Sport

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Katy, Texas
    Posts
    1,811
    I envy you all in your cooler temperatures. Did a 40 mile ride 9/2 and then the same ride again yesterday. Both days were 85-92 during the ride with very high humidity. Makes one very grateful indeed for the 15 mph winds and an occasional puff of fair weather cloud for their minimal amounts of cooling. i'm waiting for the salty sweat rigns on the garage flour to start groeing alien moulds or something they are gettin that deep and that prolific.
    marni
    Katy, Texas
    Trek Madone 6.5- "Red"
    Trek Pilot 5.2- " Bebe"


    "easily outrun by a chihuahua."

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Concord, MA
    Posts
    13,394
    I had all intentions of going on a club ride up in Gloucester, MA. I was looking forward to riding by the ocean... I was so exhausted after yesterday at work, I slept until 7:30! That did not give me enough time to get ready and drive up there, unless I rushed, and it was cloudy/foggy. So, I enjoyed a lazy morning and went out at 10:30 for a little ride. I started with knee warmers and I had a long sleeved jersey on. At first, I was cold, then the sun started coming out. Then, I noticed big, black ugly looking clouds. I altered my route so I could escape home, and ended up going through some neighborhoods where I used to ride with my client. After climbing a nice hill, I was hotter than hell, and it was apparent it was not going to rain, so I took the knee warmers off and got back on my intended route. I ended up doing 17.5 miles, which was more than the loop I had planned. Legs still felt dead and I wondered if my brakes were rubbing, but they weren't! I need to get used to boot camp again...
    2015 Trek Silque SSL
    Specialized Oura

    2011 Guru Praemio
    Specialized Oura
    2017 Specialized Ariel Sport

  8. #8
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    northern Virginia
    Posts
    5,897
    I rode almost 20 miles tonight after work. Probably my last night ride of the year in a sleeveless jersey, definitely my last one without the reflective vest. It was uneventful and pleasant.

    - Gray 2010 carbon WSD road bike, Rivet Independence saddle
    - Red hardtail 26" aluminum mountain bike, Bontrager Evoke WSD saddle
    - Royal blue 2018 aluminum gravel bike, Rivet Pearl saddle

    Gone but not forgotten:
    - Silver 2003 aluminum road bike
    - Two awesome worn out Juliana saddles

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    Seattle, WA
    Posts
    129
    I just got back from cycling the Italian Alps and Dolomites with Cinghiale Tours www.cinghiale.com

    When I'm feeling a little less flattened from jet lag and re-entry into real life, I intend to do a write-up and post some photos. But the TLDR version of what will surely be a way too long write-up is it was amazing, and I'd turn around and go back there to do it again right this minute if I could!

    Edit: I posted a quick trip summary, with a couple photos. I will probably get really verbose in the next few days... http://mebikedolomitesoneday.wordpre...-tldr-version/
    Last edited by khg; 09-11-2014 at 08:42 AM.
    1980-something Colnago
    2010 Jamis Quest
    2013 Wabi Classic

    mebikedolomitesoneday.wordpress.com

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Seattle, WA
    Posts
    66
    khg, that sounds amazing! I can't wait for your longer trip/ride report and more photos.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Pacific Northwest
    Posts
    534
    khg, amazing ride report! Italy! Dolomites! Andy Hampsten!!

    I have to say I'm exhausted just reading about all the climbing though, whew wee. Congrats on a terrific adventure.
    "Don't go too fast, but I go pretty far"

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Traveling Nomad
    Posts
    6,763
    Been riding a lot but not posting much. On Wednesday we went up to Clarkston, WA and did the Clarkston and Lewiston (ID) trails. Very pretty and scenic ride on a very windy day. Just put up a blog post on it if anyone is interested:

    http://travelingtwosome.weebly.com/t...s-clark-valley
    Emily

    2011 Jamis Dakar XC "Toto" - Selle Italia Ldy Gel Flow
    2007 Trek Pilot 5.0 WSD "Gloria" - Selle Italia Diva Gel Flow
    2004 Bike Friday Petite Pocket Crusoe - Selle Italia Diva Gel Flow

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    Seattle, WA
    Posts
    129
    I gotta hand it to Emily--I'll take hills over wind any day. The only hill that I walked part of in Italy was going up Passo Fedaia on a super windy day. After a couple gusts that blew me crosswise across the road, I was more than a little freaked out, and walked much of the rest of the climb.

    I've had my eye on this Italy trip for a while, but a couple years ago it was with the thought "that's amazing, but I'd never be able to do that..." So it was really special to do the trip, above and beyond how great the trip was in itself.
    1980-something Colnago
    2010 Jamis Quest
    2013 Wabi Classic

    mebikedolomitesoneday.wordpress.com

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Concord, MA
    Posts
    13,394
    I went on a small group ride today, with a leader who is known in our leader circles as rather strange. He promotes his rides incessantly, by Google groups, not just the regular place where we post our rides on the AMC site. I've heard that he's kinda angry and that once, on an after work ride my friend was leading, he was punched by a rider in another club, because this guy was in the middle of the road and no one could get by.
    Not to digress, but the ride was weird. It was advertised at a moderate pace, and it was going into a hilly area, so I said, sure. Found the group at the meeting place, which was not clearly described (lots of parking lots on this road), interspersed with the high school x country skiers getting ready to do dry land training on Oak Hill. Without going into boring details, the guy had sent links for 40, 50, 60 miles, so I downloaded the 60. At one point he told us to go ahead, he was staying with a slower woman... of course, he had no sweep, and no safety talk, either, totally against our rules. My GPS went off to turn, but the 4 guys I was riding with went straight, since he told us to wait at the stop sign. We did, and then he arrived, he says, "We're lost." How can you be lost with a GPS/cue sheet that you did? I was familiar with the area, not the road we were on. They wanted to ride to the NH border, it was getting dark and windy out and rain was predicted. We got back to a main road and I led them to a good restaurant. Oy. The other riders were very nice, but I felt like I was at the MIT Nerd bike club. Sorry, and no offense to any MIT grads here, but... they complained about riding on a busy road, but hell, I did not want to get rained on. We did about 5 miles after lunch on a bike trail, which I hate. Other than that, there were some cool roads, a fairy tale house in Shirley, MA, where there's book characters on the roof, and only moderate climbing for this area. I ended up doing 41 miles, so I am happy, but I am going to talk to the bike committee about the lack of following our rules.
    2015 Trek Silque SSL
    Specialized Oura

    2011 Guru Praemio
    Specialized Oura
    2017 Specialized Ariel Sport

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Traveling Nomad
    Posts
    6,763
    Quote Originally Posted by khg View Post
    I gotta hand it to Emily--I'll take hills over wind any day. The only hill that I walked part of in Italy was going up Passo Fedaia on a super windy day. After a couple gusts that blew me crosswise across the road, I was more than a little freaked out, and walked much of the rest of the climb.

    I've had my eye on this Italy trip for a while, but a couple years ago it was with the thought "that's amazing, but I'd never be able to do that..." So it was really special to do the trip, above and beyond how great the trip was in itself.
    Thanks, but the hills you climbed were massive, khg! I can't imagine doing rides with the amount of elevation gain you posted on your blog above. Wow! I'm duly impressed. But yeah, I do hate wind (when riding) a LOT.

    What gearing did you have to do those climbs? I just can't climb super steep hills on my Trek. I have a 30t granny in front, and my lowest in back is 25t. Pretty standard for a road bike but not low enough for me! My Bike Friday has mountain gearing, so I can do a lot bigger hills on that one, but it's heavier, so a bit of a trade-off.
    Emily

    2011 Jamis Dakar XC "Toto" - Selle Italia Ldy Gel Flow
    2007 Trek Pilot 5.0 WSD "Gloria" - Selle Italia Diva Gel Flow
    2004 Bike Friday Petite Pocket Crusoe - Selle Italia Diva Gel Flow

 

 

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