November Rides

[Jolt]

Today was the annual Cranksgiving* ride in Portland...it was cold! This year, since I am not a fast rider by any stretch, I decided to compete for the most weight of frozen turkeys hauled, and borrowed a trailer from the bike co-op where I volunteer. In that division, one only has to go to one store, load up with turkeys and ride back so it ended up being a really short ride (probably half a mile each way) to the nearest large grocery store. Somewhat surprisingly, I ended up winning with 135 pounds of turkey between panniers and trailer. There were a couple of people with cargo bikes so I thought one of them would end up hauling more. Next year I may decide to go back to the regular division where you have to get specific items at a bunch of different stores, since that makes for a longer ride. Either way it is a lot of fun and for a good cause!

*an event put on in many cities in the weeks before Thanksgiving, that is a sort of race/scavenger hunt to collect food for local charities. There is no entry fee, but riders buy items along the way to donate.

[Crankin]

That sounds like fun!

[AppleTree]

What a cool idea Jolt!

[ny biker]

I led a 34-mile club ride today. It was cold and gray, thermometer said mid-40s but without the sun it felt colder. I would have been warm enough except the group's pace was a bit too slow, and I was coasting for too much of it. I was riding sweep but there were a few times when I just had to speed up and pass people in order to warm up.

Afterwards we stopped at a nearby Dunkin' Donuts for coffee and hot chocolate.

Despite the January-in-November weather, we had a nice ride with a good group of people. I posted the ride on the club's schedule in order to force myself to get out and ride, and I'm glad I did.

[marni]

did my normal Wednesday ride yesterday and it was much better than last week. Yes the winds were really blowing last week as the same 42 miles only took 2:30 instead of 4:30 and the average mph was up from 13.2 to 14.8. Only problem was that it started out cold 40's and ended in the low 70's so by the time I was finished I was feeling like boiled lobster. There are only so many layers one can take off.

the ride stats were 450.2 miles in 2:30 at an average 14,8 mph.

[AppleTree]

Wow, great stats Marni! 450 miles in just 2 1/2 hours!! 😋

[antimony]

That sounds like fun!

FYI, Boston's is tomorrow (Saturday).

https://www.facebook.com/events/302207596652765/

I might go, but I have a bazillion errands to run before family arrives for Thanksgiving.

[Crankin]

It's one thing to do this in Portland, ME, but Boston, no.

[Crankin]

Did my 15 mile loop, which I haven't actually done in a long time! Though it was 41 out, it was windy, and we were heading straight into it all the way on the last half of the loop.
My legs felt good, despite my groin giving me fits. Need to start back to my exercises for that. But, despite wind, the groin, and eating lunch right before the ride, my average was good.
Then I went to the LBS to get the saddle/stem fitted for my new bike!!! Going back to pick it up in 10 minutes. It's going to be 55 degrees tomorrow and I will have it to do a longer ride! Pictures to follow...

[azfiddle]

Yesterday- El Tour de Tucson! 104 miles in beautiful weather

[Crankin]

Took my Silque out for its inaugural ride. It was a pleasant 53-58 degrees. We started in sun, which necessitated some gear changing, but thankfully, the sun went in near the end of the ride. We ended up riding on some of my most favorite roads, near my old neighborhood, where I first started riding. Did a couple of hills I haven't seen in years. Not big hills, but hills.
It was a really good ride, but slow, due to constant stopping to tweak a few things on the bike. We stopped at Nashoba Brook Bakery for lunch and had some tuna salad and watched the people. Felt a bit chilly when we left lunch, but the climb back up to my house took care of that. When we got to our street, the high school x country ski team was roller skiing on the loop, necessitating me to not go up past my driveway and turn around, using the downhill as momentum to get up the 15% grade. The kids were everywhere, so I bore down and went really slowly up the driveway.
You can read my review of the bike in the Bikes thread. 27.5 miles.

[Crankin]

Took advantage of a slow work day and came home for lunch and took a short 8.5 mile ride, mostly uphill. It was 59 out, but cloudy and didn't feel that warm. But, I had on knee warmers, a ss jersey with a base layer and arm warmers/vest, instead of winter gear.
I love the way my new bike feels. However, I do think there is something going on with the saddle and/or the height of the saddle. My knees hurt mildly. I never have this. I raised the saddle on Sunday, by a teeny, teeny bit. Jury still out on the Oura. Soft tissue is perfect, but not sure if my sit bones will get used to it. My left sit bone as well as the bony part where my left leg attaches to my butt is sore. This is kind of like how the Brooks saddle felt, except that had other torture, too. More concerned about the knees.
It's going to snow tomorrow, and I may be tied up with nordic skiing right after Thanksgiving. Perhaps will go to the LBS on Sunday to discuss.

[ny biker]

Where do your knees hurt?

I had knee issues when I got my Madone, I think due to a different pedaling angle by switching from a triple to a compact double. I ended up going to Speedplay X cleats, from SPDs, eventually switched to the (expensive) Speedplay cleats with a longer-than-standard shaft to solve the problem completely.

I rode on Saturday with my bike club. It was cold, I was tired, didn't get home from work the night before until after 10 pm, really did not want to ride. But it was a friend's last ride before knee surgery, so I went anyway. We had a very nice time, with a good group of people. In all we rode 40 miles. It started on the road where I was ticketed a few years ago for impeding traffic even though there was no actual traffic at the time, and just thinking about riding there again brought back the anxiety of having to go to court to fight the ticket. So I let the group start ahead of me and then rode as fast as I could to get off that road as soon as possible.

I also went for a ride yesterday. Due to crap at work yada yada yada I was forced to take the day off. So I did the weekly Tuesday morning club ride. Again, nice ride with a good group of people, and four of us went out for a sandwich afterwards. Total was 31 miles. The rest stop was at a historic church on a hill above a river, very scenic and worth the effort to climb the hill.

Then I took a nap, packed up the car and drove north for Thanksgiving. I left a day earlier than originally planned to avoid the big storm. I left at 10:20 pm, arrived at my parents house just after 4 pm, got to bed at 5 am. I managed to avoid all the traffic except for one spot in Delaware, but was able to take an alternate route to get around that spot. Was planning to drive home on Saturday, go for a ride on Sunday (weather-permitting). But yada yada yada crap at work I will also not be able to work on Monday, so I'll probably stay with my family through the weekend and drive back on Monday. I think I will probably be raking leaves for exercise while I am here.

[marni]

Wow, great stats Marni! 450 miles in just 2 1/2 hours!! ��

woops pardon my dislexic fingers. Obvously it was 45 not 450! Even 45 in 2 1/2 hours is pretty stypendous for me, I must have had a lot of tail wind or a total lack of wind 'cause I know I wasn't going up hill or down.

[Crankin]

NY, I suspect the knees are from 2 things: The amount of lunges, squats, jumping I do 2X weekly at the gym comboned with using the compact. My Guru has the same compact gearing +1 lower cog as my new bike. I also noticed the knee issue when I first started riding the Guru, and it still happened when I switched back and forth from the bike with the triple. But, not as much, over time. I just have to keep telling myself using the small ring on the compact is not the same as the granny on a triple (which I have no issue using!). You have to use the small ring on the compact a lot more, there's a lot more switching back and forth. My sweet spot with the compact gearing is a combo that is just a teeny bit cross chained; hence I try to use the next one up, which is harder than I am used to. Hopefully, I'll get used to it, since now this is all I have.
I've been using Speedplay Xs for 10 years. I had SPDs on my first road bike and switched over when I got the Trek 5200 in 2004. I have Speedplay Frogs on my Guru, so lots of float on both bikes. My sense is if I stopped the stuff at the gym, the knees would not hurt, but really, I am not doing that much there and just with baby type weights of 6-16 pounds. I just have to get my body used to it. It's not pain, just achiness around the outside of the kneecap from the medial point, around almost the whole way, but not on the top.