September Rides

[ny biker]

I've been off my bike way too much over the past couple of months, for good reasons and bad -- vacation with family, sick with a bad cold, ongoing allergy/autoimmune problems, weekend family visit, etc. I have managed to get in enough rides here and there to get back to a decent level of fitness after being sick during the first half of August. I did a few weekend rides that were about 45 miles long with just enough mid-week hill rides to get my legs back. But nothing consistent. Last week my usual post-work hill ride was "rained out" -- they forecast rain between 8 and 10 pm, continuing into the next day and ending in the afternoon, so I decided to push the ride back to the next night, so of course it didn't rain the first night and did rain the next night.

I really don't like riding in the rain. Light rain is okay, I have gear for that, though I rarely have time for the extra clean up that's necessary afterwards. Heavy rain just sucks, and it's not safe.

Yesterday was one of my favorite rides of the year, the Civil War Century. It starts in Frederick County, MD and goes up to the Gettysburg battlefield. That's the metric route, which I prefer. There are longer routes that go to South Mountain battlefield and the full century also goes to Antietam. Those routes have more climbing. I love riding in that part of Maryland and Pennsylvania. There are lots of quiet farm roads and I love the views of the mountains. The CWC is very popular, for good reason. In addition to the great routes, it's very well run and the food is fantastic, with lots of fresh, locally grown produce. Plus ice cream from a local dairy at the end.

The weather forecast for yesterday was a bit mixed. Some of my trusted weather sources were saying that there would be rain on and off, but it wouldn't start until afternoon. One website said rain all day. Guess which was correct.

If it had been any other ride, I would have just stayed home. I checked "epic ride in heavy rain because I paid the registration fee in advance" off my to-do list years ago. And over the past few years I've done enough club rides in the same part of Maryland and Pennsylvania to learn the roads well. I've even led some rides up there. I can go back any time. In fact I was just there last month. But yesterday I had plans to meet up with a friend who I haven't seen in a while. So I packed up the car and headed north. I figured I had options -- they have a 50 and 25 mile route that you can choose in addition to the longer routes, and over breakfast I mapped out a shortcut back from the rest stop near the mid-point of the metric just in case. My friend was doing one of the longer routes and we were going to meet at that rest stop, where all the routes comes together.

It wasn't raining when I got to the start, but the radar map did not look good. I decided to do the metric route. It differs from the 50-miler near the start -- the 50-mile route heads north right away while the metric goes south first and then circles back up north. I had my Gore rain jacket and helmet cover and a rear fender on my bike. Light rain started after only a few miles, but it was manageable. I stopped after a while to put on toe covers, since I have such problems with cold feet and temps were in the 60s. When I reached the first rest stop I checked the radar map again -- there was heavy rain heading our way. I started riding again. Heavier rain started to come down.

After riding just a few more miles, my feet were soaked and my jacket looked like it was going to soak through. Conditions had gone from manageable to this-is-not-fun. And I was worried that I would get cold if/when my jacket soaked through. So I decided to bail. I reached an intersection with a road that I knew would take me back toward the start, and I made the turn. I actually passed a couple of cyclists going the other way -- by coincidence I was going back on the roads that the 50-milers used at the start of the ride. I ended up riding 25 miles in all. I got back to my car, put the bike inside, got in and closed the door. Changed into dry clothes, texted my friend to let her know where I was and offer to come get her if she decided not to finish. Then I made the long walk up to the picnic area through the field where all the cars were parked. It was not muddy (yet) but I wished I had thought to bring my rain boots. At least I had the umbrella that I keep in the car.

Although my ride was over, the day was not. I had a sandwich and more fresh fruit. Drove up to the last rest stop, waited for my friend there and drove her back to the start. There was very heavy rain while I was waiting there. People were soaked through, some wearing trash bags, some shivering with teeth chattering. Fortunately the rest stop is at a fire station so they were able to move things indoors. Once back at the picnic we had ice cream, waited for her husband and some other friends to finish, saw a couple of those friends and chatted with them while they ate. I ate way too many peaches, but they were too good to pass up. I also ate too much ice cream considering I only rode 25 miles.

I thought about going out for a ride today since I didn't go far yesterday, but I was too tired last night to do anything other than hang stuff up to dry and do laundry. I need to finish cleaning my bike today.

I've signed up for a metric next Saturday and another on Oct 4. Both are in northwest Virginia, both raise money for charity. I'm also planning to do two more metrics in southern Maryland in October. I usually prefer shorter rides in the fall, especially since I hate starting early when it's chilly in the morning but will warm up nicely in the afternoon. But I haven't done nearly as much riding as usual this summer, so I'm hoping to get in some good long rides before winter sets in.

[azfiddle]

I rode 20 miles on the Surly, including a stop at the bank, bakery and getting most of the groceries, on Saturday. Today my husband and I opted for a hike, as I had accumulated more than 112 miles this week (50 miles Monday on Mt. Lemmon, an evening ride Thursday and one 22 mile work commute on Friday). It was a pretty casual hike into Sabino Canyon, which has enough water to support willows, cottonwoods and ash trees in the bottom. The walk was just 3 miles or so, with a lot of birding (migration was in full swing) and looking at flowers, lizards and tiny baby Red-spotted Toads.

[Crankin]

That hike sounds nice. I didn't ride yesterday, as it was drizzly/rainy on and off all day. I could have ridden, but every time I looked outside, it was raining. I went to a yoga class, and it was awful. Way too easy, and I don't want to spend time doing foot reflexology. Four weeks left at this gym and I cannot wait to go back to my old gym.
NY, I have not ridden that much this season, either, just about 1,850 miles. I thought I might make 3K this year, but I don't think so. I am getting worried I won't make 2,500, which is about my usual, give or take an extra 200. I love fall, so I am going to have to kick it up. This week looks good.

[Crankin]

Did my little 5:15 AM ride, 13 miles. It was 59 out and very dry, so I was wearing knickers, LS light thermal jersey, and a vest. I also went back in to put on full fingered gloves. I've ridden at this temperature on other mornings and I've been sweating to death; I figured out it's from the humidity. So nice and fall like today. Too bad it's going up to the upper 80s this week.
So many more people up and about at this time than when I first started doing these rides. I definitely notice it.

[ny biker]

Did my little 5:15 AM ride, 13 miles. It was 59 out and very dry, so I was wearing knickers, LS light thermal jersey, and a vest. I also went back in to put on full fingered gloves. I've ridden at this temperature on other mornings and I've been sweating to death; I figured out it's from the humidity. So nice and fall like today. Too bad it's going up to the upper 80s this week.
So many more people up and about at this time than when I first started doing these rides. I definitely notice it.

Whereas I'm thinking YAY it's going to the upper 80s this week.

I'm planning to do a supported metric on Saturday a bit west of where I live, closer to the mountains and away from the heat island of the city. The forecast for here is for a cool morning, low humidity, warming up to near 90. I was at an event at the LBS the other day where they had 25% off clothing, so I picked up a black PI shrug. I figured I'd wear it over a sleeveless jersey to start the ride, then would take it off as the temperature went up. But last night I looked at the label and it's a cooling shrug -- Icefil fabric, supposed to cool you down as you sweat. This is not what I want when it's below 70 -- I'd be better off just wearing the sleeveless jersey by itself. So I'm deciding if I should return the shrug or not. I already have 3 DeSoto Coolwings and two pairs of arm cooler sleeves, don't need another cooling shrug, and I doubt I'll want to wear a black one on a hot sunny day.

Anyway. I already have a Shebeest shrug that's intended to be more like lightweight arm warmers. I got the PI one because I'm not thrilled with the fit of the Shebeest shrug. But I will wear that on Saturday. And rejoice as the day warms up. Yay summer, hang around as long as you'd like.

[azfiddle]

Monday night- quick 10 miles on the bike path. Wednesday afternoon sunset ride with my son - his first trip around the loop at Saguaro NP and he cruised right by me! He did his first 10 mile ride a month ago, and yesterday he did a 30 mile flat ride in the morning and the 8 mile loop (with a big hill). Admittedly he's 25 so that helps...

[Crankin]

This relates to the comment I made to you on FB.
When my older son had been riding a month, he went out with DH and I to do the same little ride I did yesterday, about 11 miles. Aside from the fact a spoke broke on his bike about 3 miles in, I realized quickly that he would be riding with DH, and I would be the sweep. I pictured a skinny little 28 year old, who told me he was out of shape! I know age is the difference, but still. When I started doing aerobics at his age, I had to pull over on the side of the road, because I thought I was going to pass out after the class. It took me at least 5 months to feel in shape. I was really shocked he was so fast.

[Crankin]

Rode with my friend yesterday. She was at the Cape for the whole summer, so we haven't ridden together much this year. She is a good, but slow rider, but I decided that since lots of hard rides in a row seem to set off my auto-immune symptoms, I'd rather ride with her than not ride (I have 2 other rides planned this weekend). Actually, I was relieved that I didn't have to help lead the Friday morning ride. We just did 21 miles, but, on my most favorite roads in Acton and Boxborough. Very quiet, so much more than around Concord, and I mean with cyclists, too, not just cars. Enough hills to keep me satisfied, despite the very slow speed. I went ahead on the hills, though, and then waited.
Riding with my other friend this morning. Supposed to be there in an hour and right now it's 62 degrees and foggy.

[ny biker]

I did my usual post-work hill ride on Wednesday. The weather was nice. I thought about leaving work early so I could get in some miles before sunset, but then there would be more traffic to contend with so I decided not to rush. We're at the point where I'm starting at dusk but soon it will be totally dark before I start. Before my office moved I could do most of my summer night rides without any lights. Since my office moved to an area that's 25 miles from home and not good for evening cycling, I never manage to get to my ride start early enough to make it all the way through without needing them.

Yesterday I did the ride I planned to do near the Shenandoah mountains. Well actually it wasn't quite what I planned. It was a ride to raise money for a free health clinic, with the start/finish at a volunteer fire department so there was a chance for them to raise some donations too. It took place just east of the mountains but not too far west of a flat rural area where I ride a few times per year. Before the ride I looked at the route maps that were posted on map my ride. That website said that the 60-mile route had 1100 feet of climbing and the 33-miler had only 675 feet of climbing. I know that MMR typically underestimates the elevation gain on its routes, and I know the mountains were nearby, but I was too busy to try to find out what the terrain was really like so I just figured maybe the routes were in a valley.

Boy was I wrong. It was all rolling hills, some quite steep. Since I haven't been riding much lately I was feeling it almost from the beginning in my legs and my lower back. The ride was a mass start to allow for the police to control traffic in the beginning, which meant that all the faster riders -- just about everyone -- left me behind. I planned to do the 60-mile route, but shortly after the first rest stop I realized that I had a decision to make -- struggle through a long painful ride by myself and be one of the last to finish, possibly finding that they had run out of food by the time I got back, or switch to the 33-mile route and enjoy the scenery (and the food). I chose door number 2. I do confess that my decision was heavily influenced by the fact that the post-ride lunch included freshly-baked pie.

The scenery really was beautiful. Plenty of leafy green trees, mountain views, long stone fences lining the roads. It was a sunny day, possibly our last hot day of the year but there was plenty of shade. Once I decided to switch to the shorter route I no longer cared about being far behind most of the other riders, so I stopped to take some photos which I'll post later. I spent a lot of time thinking about a friend who moved out to this part of Virginia about 10 or so years ago. She led the first group ride I ever did and encouraged me to sign up for my first organized ride, the Tour du Port in Baltimore. After she moved we lost touch but then reconnected on Facebook. She spent a few years in Afghanistan (she was a military contractor) and adopted a rescue dog. She didn't do much bicycling after she moved but she did buy a motorcycle, and she must have really enjoyed riding it out there. She died unexpectedly just about a year ago, and her dog died just last week. I think about her often and wish I could have told her about my ride yesterday. Maybe we could have met up there and spent some time together.

Just as I finished the ride I met up with a friend who had done a different route which included some gravel roads. We had lunch together, then she left and I went to get some of that pie. There were a several varieties to choose from. I took a slice of blueberry-peach pie, then spotted the strawberry rhubard. My father loves strawberry rhubarb pie and last week was his 80th birthday, so I had to have some in his honor. So yes, despite only riding 33 miles I indulged in two desserts. But hey, those were some hilly miles and I did get a workout.

As I tucked into the pie a woman sat down across from me and we had a nice chat. She actually looked a little like the friend I'd been thinking about and it turned out that they were both from the same state.

So it was not the day I had planned, but it was a good ride and a good day. I think next year I might bring my mountain bike and do the paved/gravel route.

p.s. My Garmin estimated the total elevation gain was about 2300 feet, and after I got home I mapped out both the 33 and 60 mile routes on Ride with GPS, which indicated 2600 feet of climbing on the shorter route and nearly 4000 for the longer route. So RWGPS was greater by a factor of 4, and I think it was closer to being accurate.

[Crankin]

Today I was the sweep for the same ride I did over Labor Day Weekend, in Tiverton, RI/Westport, MA. Again, beautiful, cooler weather. We had about 10 people, and of course, there was one who was much slower than everyone else. So slow, that on the last hill, I had to get in front of her, or I was going to fall over, and the leader, my friend, Lamar, rode back to see if we were OK, just when I had stopped to text him. We did the older route, which has a scary left turn right at the top of said hill, and I had to almost yell at the woman to get in the lane, as I had already blocked the traffic for us, with aggressive signaling. Once we turned onto the last road, which is a bit of a slog, maybe a steady 3% grade, Lamar told me he would sweep and I sprinted so far ahead, I got back about 30 seconds after the guy who had been far in front. I was kind of angry that Lamar had not screened her well enough, and this is why we do this; we are required by liability rules to keep everyone together. Then, my GPS was not working right, because he had not done the waypoints right. He doesn't have a GPS, just uses Ride with GPS to do cue sheets. I know this route well, but we have changed it so many times, I wanted to keep some of the others in sight!
Anyway, it was 42 miles and I am not even tired, because I was going slowly for at least 25 of those miles. After the ride, we went out to eat at a traditional New England seafood place overlooking a bay. The glass of wine I had calmed me down! On the way home Lamar, his girlfriend, and I stopped at my favorite soft serve ice cream place near home, so that was a nice end to the day.
Yesterday I rode 30 miles in Harvard, MA with a friend, so I actually rode 116 miles this week, a lot more than I have been doing.

[Helene2013]

I had not planned doing any ride before the upcoming weekend. Too busy since we came back from vacation Friday evening. We had to be at my friend at 1pm pm to chat about our trip and pick up my cat she was catsitting for us. Well hubby saw a few bikes go by our house and was itching to go. So I dressed and we went for a quick 30km. Not long but satisfying and I pushed myself hard on this one. It was pretty windy too. But oh so nice cool. Amen to fall decent weather. Came back to shower and off we were at 2pm. She was glad we pushed our arrival time as she was behind in her schedule. She works on Sunday morning. So it worked out well.

[azfiddle]

Yesterday was the group ride- about 40 miles. A frequent destination (Saguaro NP) but from a more distant starting point and with an extra bit out to the easternmost section of Tucson, ending that part with a half mile climb that gets up to 11% for a bit. Ouch! Today we took the new-riding son on his first ride up Mt. Lemmon- just about 4.5 miles from the base (plus the 5 miles from where we park the car) - 1500 feet of climbing and he did great. He took a few stops but as soon as he got back on the bike he was always able to ride faster than me (but not my husband). He's loving it! Wait 'til we unveil the touring bike we found him on Craigslist.... not sure it will wait until the holidays to be unwrapped.....

[Crankin]

I had a really nice 5 AM 12 mile ride this morning. Did not see the same amount of cars as last Tuesday, and no deer ran across the road in front of me, scaring me to death! It was 53 when I left, a bit warmer than I thought it would be. Yesterday was 48 at the same time, so when I put out my clothes last night, I based it on that. Still, not really over-heated, although I did stop about 3 miles from home, and take off my head cover.
First time wearing tights since the spring, and I was glad I had those on.

[cosc]

Helene, glad you got to ride in cooler temps. Very refreshing after the heat of Tennessee.
NY Biker, I'm jealous of the beautiful but challenging rides you accomplish.
Azfiddle, terrific to add a son to your cycling family.
Crankin, you bike reports inspire me to get on my bike no matter the circumstance and "Just do It". You always have a colorful ride, some on the blues side and others sunshine, but all end up beautiful.

[Helene2013]

Another 30km tonight. It was soooo cool, no wind. To me this is perfect riding weather. Could have done easily 2 more hours but was getting dark and needed to come home to my dogs. And to say hubby was whining it was too chilly for him. Lol mismatched couple on temperature. Lol it was one of my fastest outings to date.