April Rides

[Aromig]

I managed to do my first long ride of the season yesterday - country roads in a big loop. I had a terrible headwind for the first 20 miles so I felt awful and I think I started out dehydrated to boot. By the time I got to the first convenience store to refill my bottles I'd already emptied them. On the way back, I got lost and ended up doing 5 miles on a busier road than I'd wanted to be on, but it worked out OK. It was a bit chilly with the wind (I never know how to dress appropriately for 50s-60s, sun and wind make such a difference in this range!), but I survived.

[ny biker]

Seems like we're all dealing with wind lately.

For temps in the 50s-60s, I find that the key is multiple lightweight layers, so you can easily add or subtract as needed and won't have anything too bulky to try to fit in a pocket or bag if you decide you don't want to wear it.

[Crankin]

I rode my very short loop today, on a day when I didn't plan to ride. I had plans to meet my cousin for lunch, so I was just going to work out in my home gym. Then she canceled, and I was kind of pissed since i could have gone on a group ride. But, I had a lot of paperwork to do at home, plus dealing with various client crisis stuff, I figured I needed a short break before the rain. It was cold, even though the temperature said 45, so I was dressed for it being 35. I'm just slow and I don't like this. I know eventually, things will fall into place.
Glad I went, and now it is sleeting out. Lovely weather for April. Weekend looks good, though.

[ny biker]

We have a "back-door cold front" here, meaning weather coming from the northeast rather than the west or south. Which means cloudy, damp, cold, periods of rain, generally unpleasant. So I cancelled my post-work ride tonight. Tomorrow will be more of the same, weather-wise, so no rescheduling to tomorrow.

I just bought the Sonic Highways dvd that was released yesterday -- don't have HBO so I haven't seen any of it yet, though I've listened to the CD many times since it was released last year. So maybe I will put the bike on the indoor trainer tonight and pedal through an episode or two. (Or maybe not -- I'm going to run some errands first, and don't know what time I'll get home).

The weekend here looks good, too. Saturday morning is our club's annual Cherry Blossom ride. I won't be taking part, because I have things I need to do that morning, so I'm thinking about a solo afternoon ride instead.

[Helene2013]

finally should be nice next weekend for Montreal as well. We'll probably get our old hybrids out to test road conditions. Does not look that good (leftovers from snow, holes, sides are dirty), etc. So test-driving it before taking our good bikes out will be a good workout as they are much heavier too.

Right now it is very cold, waiting for some rain to fall any moment, which will transfort into snow during evening. Hard to believe we're almost mid-April with this kind of yacky weather. It was expected though with all the great lakes solidly frozen due to record freezeing temperatures of this past winter. So it will be a verrrrry slow spring to arrive in many areas as the lakes will take to time to get rid of their ice and cold water = pushing cold air east. bummer.

[Blueberry]

Tried to go for a group ride today - it didn't go well

We have a local Luna Chix ride, and they are awesome. This came out on their list serve, and it thought it was that. It wasn't - but it was billed as a no drop, no expectations womens' ride. One of the local Luna Chix was there, but the ride leader was an undergrad student (not that there's anything wrong with that - other than lack of experience). It was hot (86F) - and it hasn't been until now. A PT (not my usual one) lowered my seat by 1.5 cm (not a good idea - there went all my power and there came back all of my knee pain). I started out doing OK - I was sticking to the back of the group and (sort of) keeping my heart rate under control. Then a "helpful" person (couldn't tell is she was supposed to be assisting with the ride or not) started asking me questions - I was spinning up a hill (still having knee and hamstring issues and I cannot mash) - and she thought I was spinning too fast (about 80 rpm). I explained I was doing what I needed to do for me, thank you. Then she asked if I knew how to change gears - I told her that yes, in fact, I have many thousands of miles under my belt and know how to operate my shifters. When I explained I had been injured and had a different saddle position that was causing me to be a little slower than usual, she said I shouldn't be riding at all (ummm...my PT knows I ride and has said it's OK). Basically, she never would believe I had been on a bike before and actually knew what I was doing. I'm sure she thought she was trying to be helpful - but it really came across as condescending. I let the Luna Chix rider know I was splitting off and not to look for me, fixed the seat height, and did my own ride - but GRRRRR....There is such a things as too helpful!

I felt bad for another rider who showed up - it was her first group ride. She was with the front group, so I bet she did OK. But no one told her about hand signals, group etiquette, anything. I told her a few things (after asking what she already knew) - but I would think they should have covered that at the first ride of the season with someone who said it was her first ride.

After I left them, I had a nice ride. Hoping to get back out soon - but there's a lot of rain in our forecast.

[Owlie]

Rode to work and back today. I'm enjoying the fact that I can leave at my usual time (before 7am) and it's light outside. I won't be enjoying it in another month.

Stopped to help someone out with a mechanical problem. Some guy who knew very little about bikes, with a 10-15 year old road bike with some major brake rub issues. Well, it wasn't the brake. Somehow he'd popped a spoke nipple off (probably very loose to begin with) or broke it, which caused a major wheel wobble. The wheels on this thing were the kind where the spoke nipple sits inside the rim itself. You could hear it rattling around inside if you turned the wheel. I made sure that he had a ride home before heading off. (This city just seems incredibly rude. I was the only one to stop and ask if he needed anything. No one announces that they're passing. It's weird.)

[Crankin]

Blueberry, that sounds awful. I am on the Luna Chix email list, too, but I have never gone to a ride because I suspected stuff like you described would happen. I am probably too slow for them now, anyway!
I hate that "helpful/condescending" attitude. Like when people yell, "good job," to someone who is struggling up a hill or just near the back of a ride. To me, it has always meant "Good job for a slow/fat/old person." There's a variety of reasons an experienced rider may be at the back, so now, if I am checking in on someone, I do it with a humorous comment. Of course, I have been on the receiving end of this many times and I want to scream F-U.

[Blueberry]

Blueberry, that sounds awful. I am on the Luna Chix email list, too, but I have never gone to a ride because I suspected stuff like you described would happen.

I'm SO glad someone understands this! I sort of felt like I was being super cranky yesterday. The "official" Luna Chix ride here struck the right balance the one time I attended. It is all inclusive (there were people doing 20+ and people doing under 10, and a lot in between). I'll probably try one of those again just to see - but if this happens again, I'm back to happily riding on my own. Unlike most of the local cyclists here (and some of the ride leaders yesterday), I don't feel the need to ride in a group "for safety."

[lauraelmore1033]

Boy, there is nothing I find more irritating on a group ride than a leader who takes it upon himself/herself to "instruct" me on how to shift/pedal/climb! Someone saying "good job!" when I'm climbing comfortably comes a close second. People make such insulting assumptions.

[maillotpois]

(stepping out from the lurking shadow...)

The unnecessary instructing thing reminds me of a great story. There's a woman who sometimes shows up at certain club rides who is a super know it all. She drives me bat sh!t crazy. Anyway, during a 200k brevet last year, she took it upon herself to lecture a friend of mine about group riding, shifting, etc. She commented she thought my friend had great potential for distance riding and maybe she should consider doing a double century sometime. She didn't know that my friend is a multiple 1200 and 1000k finisher and was the first woman EVER to start RAAM (she DNF'ed because her support van was totaled.) My friend is also of course in the triple crown hall of fame (having finished at least 50 double centuries). My friend is an elementary school teacher so she sort of indulgently let the know it all go on...

Sorry about the knee issues Blueberry.

[rebeccaC]

Great day of riding….took a young girl (Gabriela), who’s been riding a neighbors hand me down bike which is too small with a non working rear derailleur, just a rear brake and mismatched rims/tires to REI and she picked out a novara children’s bike, a pink and purple helmet and a purple jellibell!! I also ended up buying her mother a mixte with a front basket and added a rear rack, a topeak rear basket for more groceries etc. and a good lock and cable. She commutes and does errands on a very old and beat up mountain bike so this will help make that commute and her errands easier. We all went for an fourteen mile ride on the beach path and had lunch. Gabriela knows how to keep a line and rode really well. When we got back to REI we loaded the bikes on top and in my car and I drove them home. Hugs and smiles all around when I left and they made me promise I’d stop to ride with them every now and then. They live just off a bike path I take to get downtown LA so I’m sure I will.

One of the best rides I’ve been on for awhile

[salsabike]

Great day of riding….took a young girl (Gabriela), who’s been riding a neighbors hand me down bike which is too small with a non working rear derailleur, just a rear brake and mismatched rims/tires to REI and she picked out a novara children’s bike, a pink and purple helmet and a purple jellibell!! I also ended up buying her mother a mixte with a front basket and added a rear rack, a topeak rear basket for more groceries etc. and a good lock and cable. She commutes and does errands on a very old and beat up mountain bike so this will help make that commute and her errands easier. We all went for an fourteen mile ride on the beach path and had lunch. Gabriela knows how to keep a line and rode really well. When we got back to REI we loaded the bikes on top and in my car and I drove them home. Hugs and smiles all around when I left and they made me promise I’d stop to ride with them every now and then. They live just off a bike path I take to get downtown LA so I’m sure I will.

One of the best rides I’ve been on for awhile

Great to hear this follow-up to your first meeting with Gabriela.

[MarieV]

Rebecca, that's wonderful! You're like the bike fairy godmother!

I finally did my April 100K (SIR Seattle Lakes and Trails around Lake Washington) last weekend. We've been really lucky with unusually warm and sunny weekends here in Seattle, and last Saturday was no exception. It's not quite the 75-85° weather we had when I was visiting family in San Diego over Spring Break, but we definitely hit 70° at the end of March when I rode around Lake Sammamish with a friend and fellow teacher to celebrate the end of Winter quarter and the maiden voyage of her new Pinarello Marvel. Afterwards, we had drinks at Malt and Vine's outdoor patio in Redmond, and it definitely felt like summer. Unfortunately, this weekend feels more like our usual PNW spring with intermittent rain and sun bursts and even hail.

[Owlie]

Great day of riding….took a young girl (Gabriela), who’s been riding a neighbors hand me down bike which is too small with a non working rear derailleur, just a rear brake and mismatched rims/tires to REI and she picked out a novara children’s bike, a pink and purple helmet and a purple jellibell!! I also ended up buying her mother a mixte with a front basket and added a rear rack, a topeak rear basket for more groceries etc. and a good lock and cable. She commutes and does errands on a very old and beat up mountain bike so this will help make that commute and her errands easier. We all went for an fourteen mile ride on the beach path and had lunch. Gabriela knows how to keep a line and rode really well. When we got back to REI we loaded the bikes on top and in my car and I drove them home. Hugs and smiles all around when I left and they made me promise I’d stop to ride with them every now and then. They live just off a bike path I take to get downtown LA so I’m sure I will.

One of the best rides I’ve been on for awhile

This warmed my frozen heart.