Welcome guest, is this your first visit? Click the "Create Account" button now to join.

To disable ads, please log-in.

Shop at TeamEstrogen.com for women's cycling apparel.

Results 1 to 15 of 70

Thread: June Riding

Threaded View

  1. #37
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    northern Virginia
    Posts
    5,897
    I am not able to acclimate to the heat because I spend 5 days/week wearing a sweater and wool wrap in an over-air-conditioned office. It's even worse this year since I can't go outside for a walk at lunch or after work. Soon I'll be heading out to a sedentary vacation that includes a week in Massachusetts. When I get back in early July I will definitely struggle with the heat.

    But for now... we had a great bike ride on Saturday. It was one of the two big rides that my club organizes every year, with routes ranging from 22 to 63 miles. Last year it was very hot but this year it was pleasant, though just after finishing when I was out in the sun putting the bike in the car it did seem very hot. So I guess I finished just in time. I had planned to ride 45 miles but got a late start (too much pre-ride chit chat) and after about 8 miles stopped to help the SAG driver. Yes you read that right, the SAG driver needed assistance. When I rode up and found him parked on the side of the road, he had just finished helping a rider with a flat tire (and a brand new bike with no supplies or know-how to fix a flat), and had cut his forearm in the process. He had a first-aid kit (because SAG driver) but needed another set of hands to put adhesive bandages on the cuts (because forearm). So I assisted. When I reached the first rest stop I saw some friends who had helped with registration and then started late, so were doing the 35-mile route. I decided to finish the ride with them, and ended up with 39 miles in all. Then I hung out at the picnic (more chit-chat -- the best thing about these rides is the chance to see people who normally ride in other categories). All in all, a good day.

    One of the people I rode with after the rest stop had just come back from the Wisconsin bike trip that I asked about a week or so ago. She said they had fun. It was a great area for cycling, with very small towns and almost no car traffic, plenty of steep hills and an occasional unpaved section.

    The saddle problem I had earlier -- a lump on the right side -- has come back. It had come back after the previous weekend's ride and receded over the course of the week, but it hurt as soon as I started riding on Saturday and bothered me for the first 20 miles. After that it didn't hurt but the lump is definitely back. I've been icing it and it's going away again, for now. I've spent a fair amount of time reading old saddle threads -- thanks to Muirenn, Knotted Yet and everyone else for such a treasure trove of excellent information. My conclusion is that the saddle I've been using for years has always been a tad too pear-shaped, as I've always had minor issues with chafing, and for some reason now the problem is worse and is causing something under the skin (probably a tendon) to become bruised and inflamed. I am very close to trying a leather saddle, probably a Rivet Independence. In the meantime I will ride the recumbent stationary bike instead of my weekly post-work hill ride (the ankle can't handle the hills, anyway) and will sit on an ice pack as needed to get through the ride I have planned this coming weekend.
    Last edited by ny biker; 06-13-2017 at 11:13 AM.

    - Gray 2010 carbon WSD road bike, Rivet Independence saddle
    - Red hardtail 26" aluminum mountain bike, Bontrager Evoke WSD saddle
    - Royal blue 2018 aluminum gravel bike, Rivet Pearl saddle

    Gone but not forgotten:
    - Silver 2003 aluminum road bike
    - Two awesome worn out Juliana saddles

 

 

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •