Winter Riding Thread (December-February) Outside and Inside

[khg]

I haven't been on a *ride* ride since September... Commuting, errand running, etc yes--but yesterday I finally got out on a bike ride for the sake of a bike ride!

It was one I've been planning on doing--a familiar loop of the south end of Lake Washington, and around Mercer Island--except I wanted to try it on my single speed bike to see if I could do it. Not only was it the longest ride I've done since September, it was also the longest ride I've done on that bike. I'm glad I finally did--I like how that bike rides a lot, and I find the single speed fun and relaxing. I'm never worrying about whether I should be changing gear, for one... Clears an amazing amount of mental space! There were a couple parts I almost had to walk, but I managed to stay on the bike the whole time (I was also very strategic with my route planning!)

It was a nice morning--a little chilly, but refreshing once I got going. Sunday traffic was pretty light, leafless trees make for better water and mountain views, and the snow on the mountains is really beautiful right now--I was having a great time. I knew that some rain would be moving in around midday, and I was hoping to either beat it, or that it wouldn't be that bad. Well, I almost beat it, but boy did I get caught in a downpour! The wind picked up and drove stinging needles of rain into my face riding across the Lake Washington bridge, but since I was just a few miles from home, it wasn't too bad, and I felt pretty badass for being out in it. And after a while in a piping hot shower, I regained feeling in my fingers and toes.

Of course, shortly after I got home, the rain stopped, the sun came out, and it ended up being a gloriously beautiful afternoon and evening. But it was a fun ride, felt like an adventure, and it was really nice to get out riding again.

[ny biker]

Catching up... I rode outside last Saturday. It was a club ride with 8 people. Temps were in the low 60s and it was cloudy, with a chilly breeze at the deli near the Chesapeake Bay where we had our rest stop. The original forecast called for sunshine all day so I had hoped for a nice lunch at an outdoor table at that deli. However on Friday afternoon one local meteorologist said he had a feeling that clouds would linger through the morning and early afternoon, and he has a good track record so I suspected he would be right, and it turned out that he was. Oh well, the clouds were not too gray or thick and we could at least see a vague outline of the sun through them. More importantly, even with the chilly breeze it was not really cold, and there was no sign of the snow and ice from a few days earlier. We rode 35 miles. Since I haven't been riding lately my goal was to keep my average speed above 12 mph, but as it turned out I was able to keep it above 13 without feeling too tired. I did slow down a bit in the second half to stay with someone who had trouble with a particularly steep hill. At the end I felt hopeful. We may still get hit with more snow, but I can see the light of spring at the end of the tunnel.

Last night I rode for 50 minutes on the indoor trainer while watching behind-the-scenes footage of the Foo Fighters recording songs on the Sonic Highways dvd. It was really interesting hearing them work on different tracks without hearing the vocals or drums along with it.

We should have another warm day on Sunday, so I'm tentatively planning to ride then, and then will take my bike to the shop for its annual clean-and-tune service. The LBS is offering a discount on their routine service packages through the end of the month, so this is a good time to get it done.

[rebeccaC]

khg....single speed fun ftw!!!!...not so much on the stinging needles part though

Rode my fixie on the beach bike path to breakfast with some friends in Manhattan Beach this morning. Now some office work for the rest of today.

Yesterday I rode to the Unitarian church in downtown Los Angeles for a meeting of L.A. churches, community members and organizers to bring together a larger base of support for some new initiatives on sex trafficking and violence. It’s emotionally satisfying to see the amount of caring work being done by so many and bringing them together to enable that work even more.
Beautiful day for riding with temps in the 70’s and just a little wind coming off the ocean going towards home on the bike path. 46 miles. Blessed interactions and riding weather made for a great day

[Crankin]

I rode just under 27 miles with my friend today. It was about 59 degrees by the time we got back, and about 46 at the start, with a breeze out of the southwest (the warm air direction). We rode from her house in Acton on a favorite hilly route through Stow, a bit of Harvard and Bolton, and Boxborough, and back. I actually did not do this ride more than once or twice last summer, so it was nice, but the first climbs felt exceeding hard. I stayed with my friend most of the ride, except for the climbs and a part of the ride where she needed me to lead, as she always gets lost there. So, it was a very relaxed pace for me, but I got a good workout because of the hills. On the way back, I stopped to talk to a woman I know from years ago, when she used to take my aerobics class. She was outside, sitting in her garden, that's how warm it was. My friend enjoyed hearing about me back in the day, with big hair and leg warmers...

[ny biker]

I ended up doing an impromptu 50 minute ride on the indoor trainer on Friday after work. I had gotten to the gym too late the previous night to do a full workout, so I was going to do some leg exercises at home Friday night using the suspension trainer. But then I decided a bike workout would be better. I spent a fair amount of time in a hard gear and it ended up being a good workout.

Yesterday (Sunday) I led a 36-mile club ride. The weather was beautiful -- sunny and in the 60s. There were only three of us on the ride, as there are not many in the club who ride at my pace and the faster riders had a different ride scheduled for the same afternoon. But no matter, we three had a very nice time. We passed lots of cows and horses out in the fields who also were enjoying the warm sun.

Afterwards I took my bike to the LBS to drop it off for its annual clean-and-tune service. I had thought they would tell me the cassette was worn and needed to be replaced, but they said it looked good. I should have the bike back in a few days.

[azfiddle]

Tucson has a four day holiday weekend at the end of February - Rodeo Days. So I took advantage of the very unseasonably warm weather and rode 40 miles Thursday, 50 miles each on Friday and Saturday and a short ride Sunday of about 12 miles. The rides were all on Tucson's east side around Pistol Hill and Saguaro National Park.

[Crankin]

Reminds me of Parada del Sol. Not that I remember too much, as I was too busy partying...