December rides...

[ny biker]

A "shrike" sounds like a bird you'd read about in The Hunger Games.

We have a fair number of bald eagles around here. I don't know what other parts of they country they can be found in. We were talking about them on the last ride I did, how the population has rebounded from near extinction.

And in fact that ride will be my last one for the year. I thought about doing a club ride yesterday but it was only 32F when it started, and feel free to call me a wuss but that's colder than I like for cycling. And besides, I developed a couple of saddle sores when I was trying out a new saddle a few weeks ago and one of them is healing very slowly, so it really makes sense to stay off the bike for a while until it's gone. And soon I will hit the road for my holiday vacation, where exercise will consist of walking up and down the various roads on the one hill in my hometown. The incline on some of those roads is quite steep, so it's a decent workout.

Now I just need to upload all my rides since early May from the Garmin to ridewithgps.com so I can see my totals for the year.

[north woods gal]

Shrikes are in a family of their own. They're essentially a songbird that evolved into a predator. They may look cute to us, but not to the insects, small mammals, reptiles and birds which they eat. In fact, they're known for impaling their victims on thorns or barb wire. Anything but your usual songbird.

Yeah, it is time for us to all to tally up our riding for the year, isn't it? Maybe we should do a separate thread on it.

[azfiddle]

Shrikes have the nickname of butcher birds. They don't really have the tools of the trade for a predator (sharp beak and claws) so one reason they impale their prey to soften them up .... (or store for later).

[salsabike]

Shrikes are oddly beautiful little birds. I took this picture in a local park in October. I think Northern shrikes winter here but aren't seen much in summer.

Nybiker, we have tons of bald eagles in the Pacific Northwest.

I had a bike crash in early October, smushed part of one vertebra and did some other back damage that isn't clearly diagnosed yet (either SI joint or disk), so I've been doing LOTS of bird-watching walks. And birds are kind of my major source of sanity these days post-election, as well. Planning to go on my first ride back tomorrow, all of ten miles as recommended by my bike PT.

[shootingstar]

Hope you get better, salsabike.

I've been doing baby rides simply because we just got out of a snowy, very cold few weeks. The temperature cold fell down to -26 degrees C for several days. Then with meltdown we get chinook high winds at 50-70 km/hr. which is typical of our area. (Only 3 places on Earth experience these winds that blow off from the mountains).

[Blueberry]

]I had a bike crash in early October, smushed part of one vertebra and did some other back damage that isn't clearly diagnosed yet (either SI joint or disk), so I've been doing LOTS of bird-watching walks. And birds are kind of my major source of sanity these days post-election, as well. Planning to go on my first ride back tomorrow, all of ten miles as recommended by my bike PT.

Oh man! I hope you continue to recover well! Ride safely!

[azfiddle]

Salsa bike- i hope things are improving. Glad you are getting the okay for a short ride.

I've been doing a lot of "birding by bike" and it's kind of a compromise for both, but still a fun game to see how many species I can find that way.

[north woods gal]

Ditto on the birding. Heaven knows, we all need something to maintain our sanity, these days.

Bald Eagles are a fairly common resident bird in our area. In fact, we have a pair that nests on the next lake, over. See them almost, daily. Winter is our bird feeding season (a no no other times of the year because of bears) and activity at the feeders has been very good. Not a lot of variety, yet, but it is early in the season.

Still riding the fat bikes, daily, for at least a few miles, but it's now out on the snow packed pavement. Had a fresh 2" of snow, yesterday, and it was a delight to ride on with the fat bike. Snow is too deep back in the woods on the trails for the fatties, though, unless I figure out a way to do some grooming. Not that ambitious, though. Besides, the skiing on my trails has been terrific. Have some fun downhill sections and may add some more.

[salsabike]

Thanks, all.

North woods gal, I'm a bit fascinated with where you ride and all the different conditions under which you ride.

I did go out today for about 12 miles. It hurt my back some, but no more than not going. And I saw otters along the river trail. Some bald eagles, a Cooper's hawk, common goldeneyes, buffleheads, pied billed grebes, mallards. It made my day.

[azfiddle]

Yay Salsa Bike- sounds like a nice little ride.

I'm planning to go out later today after I meet with a friend to plan who is going to help us retile a room. Today is going to be nice but tomorrow a cold storm is headed our way with a good chance of rain, winds gusting into the 30's and colder temperatures. Sunday we'll be driving to Phoenix for my husband's family get together....

[north woods gal]

Thanks, Salsa. (Love the name, by the way. Have three Salsas). This country weeds folks out that don't like winter, pretty quick. What's left are people like us that enjoy winter. Winter sports are a big part of our economy, so cold and snow are considered a blessing. When we don't get cold and snow the way we should, people get grumpy the way people in other places get grumpy when they do get snow and cold.

Muir, so glad you got to do the fat bike thing. Way to go, girl! Looks like the perfect snow for fat bike fun.

Another inch snow coming, so that should make the ski trails nice and fast. Also good for the fatties out on the snowpack. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

[azfiddle]

I rode on the multi-use path along the Rillito River (it's generally dry- about 360 days of the year - and today was no exception). By the time I got rolling, well after noon, it in the low 60's and I was ready to ditch the windbreaker pretty quickly.

I stopped in a cemetery and a park along the way to do some birding- not much going on and I saw only about 25 species altogether on the whole ride. I made it across town. The mall with REI is adjacent to the path so I went in got a gift card for my sister-in-law's significant other. I wasn't too keen on riding in the mall parking lot today but it wasn't quite as bad as I thought it might be.

Tomorrow will be chilly in the morning and then windy/rainy in the afternoon, so probably no ride tomorrow.

[north woods gal]

Sheila, anytime you're in the area, we can find plenty of those off road miles for you. Just let me know.

Had an icy rain/snow mix right at the freezing point, all day, and my skis didn't have the right wax for it. They iced up, immediately. Too lazy to re-wax, so just did some indoor miles on the trainer. Figured it was safer than taking the fat bike out on the roads. Cars were slipping all over the place. Not good.

[Crankin]

We have the choice of riding or x country skiing on Christmas Day. It will be 37 here and about 29 at our favorite ski place, about an hour north.
We chose the skiing.

[emily_in_nc]

Seems I'm the only one getting regular road rides in this time of year. Hurrah for Florida!

Taking today and tomorrow off for Christmas and to rest my back/hip, which has been bothering me of late on rides. Yesterday we did 35 miles on the West Orange Trail, and the day before 28.5 miles on the West Orange/South Lake Co. Trail and hilly roads to shop at Walmart. There are bike lanes on the roads near Walmart, but it's a ride I really hate because of the traffic and hills. But, I had to have pillow forms for the RV, and that is the most convenient place to get those here. Definitely should have waited until after the holiday madness, though!