October rides...

[emily_in_nc]

My 15 year old Boston Terrier is a long legged guy who has always been very fit and strong. (30 pounds). He is such an inquisitive, clueless dog, I've never allowed him off-leash. He does not have any sense of caution. His method of discovery is to dash up to something and stick his nose into it. What a goober.

Oh god, you have just described Paisley (our 9.5 year old Boston Terrier) to a "t". They don't know caution, do they? Even on leash she has gotten herself in trouble. In Belize she got bit or stung by something on our after dinner walk (in the dark, so I couldn't see what it was), and her faced swelled up huge. Terrifying. Fortunate a Benedryl brought it down quickly, as this was at night on a weekend on a third-world island with only one vet, and us without a car. If it had been a true emergency, we might not have her today.

On the October rides subject, did our same 33 mile loop today and have found the best way to get back to our new RV park. Each route we try gets a little better. We have one more tweak we might try to this one tomorrow to avoid a busy four-way stop.

[Muirenn]

Oh god, you have just described Paisley (our 9.5 year old Boston Terrier) to a "t". They don't know caution, do they? Even on leash she has gotten herself in trouble. In Belize she got bit or stung by something on our after dinner walk (in the dark, so I couldn't see what it was), and her faced swelled up huge. Terrifying. Fortunate a Benedryl brought it down quickly, as this was at night on a weekend on a third-world island with only one vet, and us without a car. If it had been a true emergency, we might not have her today.

On the October rides subject, did our same 33 mile loop today and have found the best way to get back to our new RV park. Each route we try gets a little better. We have one more tweak we might try to this one tomorrow to avoid a busy four-way stop.

Scary, Emily. That is one thing that worries me about the idea of travel outside the US with my dog. Glad Paisley is okay.

I've been riding, some easy mountainbiking on weekends, and road rides during the week. I took my CAADX home for lunch today, then used it to do some work errands around base this afternoon. That is a great way to work!

[emily_in_nc]

Scary, Emily. That is one thing that worries me about the idea of travel outside the US with my dog. Glad Paisley is okay.

Yes, and that is why, if we take her out of the country again, it will be back to Mexico, and only to a city with plenty of good vets. We had good luck in Playa del Carmen, where not only are there a ton of good vets, house calls are common and don't even cost extra!

Ended the week with a nice 32.3 mile ride on a windy day. The tweak to our going home route did not work out, as it involved a longer stretch on a road that ended up being brick surfaced (through downtown) for several blocks. We'll go back to the route we did yesterday, which has a busy-four-way stop followed by a quick left turn, but at least avoids the brick street. Plus it's 3/4 mile longer, extra miles!

[Crankin]

We did cancel the ride we were going to lead on the south coast of MA and RI. Going to try again in November.
So the forecast here was for occasional showers/rain, starting at 1. We left at 10:30, hoping to do 20-30 miles or so, and do a long ride tomorrow. At mile 5 it started raining. mostly a heavy mist, but it was getting uncomfortable, plus we both were dressed too warmly. It would have been OK for the temperature, but it was like 80% humidity. So, we turned in a direction to head home and then it stopped. We had more options, so we did not go straight home. Ended up at 12 measly miles. Fast, though, and I feel like I got a good work out. Just so sweaty.
After lunch, we went to an Oktoberfest in the next town. We went to the brew pub across the street from the little fair and had cider., brewed right in Boxborough, where I used to live. Of course, by then, it was sunny, drier, and 74. No rain in sight.
Hoping to do that ride we set out to do a few weeks ago and ended up doing something else. I found the correct route, by searching DH's rides by date.

[ny biker]

Okay I've been away for a few days. Or a week maybe? Not sure. I rode after work last Tuesday night, a week ago. Another uneventful ride, and I think it was warm-ish and humid but can't really remember.

On Thursday I danced for over two hours at the Foo Fighters concert in DC. Thought it was the best concert ever. Then on Saturday I danced for 3 and a quarter hours at the Foo Fighters concert in Richmond. It was beyond awesome. They were adding songs to the set list on the fly. And they did some old songs that were totally unexpected. So much fun.

On Sunday afternoon I rode 35 miles. It was supposed to be a 39-mile ride that I was leading for the bike club, but no one else showed up. And it turns out that dancing for 3:15 the night before kinda wore my legs out. So I took a few short cuts to cut out some hills, added a few miles in a flat area but still ended up with fewer miles than planned. Which was fine. It was another humid day, cloudy at first then the sun came out. It was actually comfortable as long as I was moving. It was 80 degrees when I finished.

And just like that, the Augtober weather is gone. We're under a frost warning tonight. It's expected to warm up again in a few days but I think the humidity it gone until next year.

p.s. Rebecca, they ended both shows with Everlong.

[Muirenn]

I've been riding for 20-30 miles after work a day or two per week, and I ride home for lunch a couple times per week, and usually take the mountain bike for a ride on the weekend. So not high miles, but frequent.

This next probably belongs under touring, but I don't think it needs its own post. How about touring by proxy?

I drove to Charleston yesterday for a dental appointment. It's about 70 miles. The drive includes Hwy 17, which is notable for the number of fatal wrecks it has. The road has undergone a lot of construction in the last years, so it's much better than it used to be, and has intermittent shoulders/cycling lanes, depending how you look at it. There are a lot of areas with no shoulder at all. Every time I go to Charleston, I see at least a couple of solo riders loaded for long-range touring. Scary. Not Many other ways to go though. (Actually, Alt 17 to the north would be better).

Once a rider leaves Hwy 17 for Hwy 21 south to Beaufort, it gets tricky. There are absolutely no other complete routes to take, as there are a lot of water and marsh crossings. Some of that road has shoulders, but the first 5 miles does not. After the first 6 miles, there is a nice paved rail trail. But a rider would have to leave it and drive through a lot of confusing road construction after arriving in Beaufort. Or go a route that only locals would think of. Plus, the rail trail has no lighting. It's pitch black after dark.

So, back up, there is a cool place called Carolina Cider Company on Hwy 17 just before the turn-off to Beaufort (Hwy 21), and it's a natural place for touring cyclists to stop. (Peach cider, enough said). Yesterday, a man and woman were there, and I spoke to them. They were headed to Beaufort, and I was a little concerned. It was 5 pm, and not only was the road dangerous, but the neighborhood the road goes through is as well. (Drugs and people who do not like visitors). I brought up the paved trail, but admitted I didn't know exactly where it started, as it is continually under construction. They seemed fine and happy with what I told them. But I was uneasy. I said goodbye and left, deciding to look for the trailhead. It turned out to be about 6 miles away during rush hour traffic with no bike lane or even a shoulder, and the road is filled with rocks (16 miles from Beaufort). I decided to go back and find them.

They had made it about half a mile along Hwy 21, and were on a side road. I thought they were probably hoping to locate the trail. So I pulled up and asked if they wanted a ride to the trailhead, or just all the way to Beaufort. Turns out, the man had a flat from all the rocks and debris. I have a tiny Honda Civic sedan with two doors, but I installed a very good roof rack and new tray to hold a bike last month. And with the back seat down, there is room for a bike in the trunk, minus the front wheel, but it's easy to fit the loose wheel on top. We had fun squishing in all their gear. I carry zip ties, so we put the other front wheel on the roof rack with the bike. And we all drove to their hotel.

Naturally, they offered to take me to dinner, so after taking care of things at home, I picked them up again and we went to the waterfront, and ate outside at Plums. The food was homemade and delicious. (I had blackened fish tacos, and the woman had Frogmore Stew (local dish, shrimp, corn on the cob, new potatoes). Not sure what the man had, it was dark outside by then. They were very interesting to talk to. Whew! long day. We were there a couple of hours. Really enjoyed my tour-by-proxy!

They are headed to Daytona. I kind of wish they would stay a couple of days, they won't have time to go to Hunting Island as it's out of the way. I hope they have a nice trip.

[Crankin]

You did a really good deed! I cannot imagine riding on an interstate highway in any of the 4 states I've lived in. Perhaps I am a wimp.
Like, you Sheila, I have not been doing a lot of miles, but I have been riding. I've accepted that this will be my lowest mileage year in about 13 years. That said, we are starting a string of gorgeous weather, and since today is a day I don't work and the group ride started way far from where I live, I rode with my friend Jack. I thought we were going to do a ride we did last time, but, no, we did our usual Friday ride we lead. As soon as I started, I knew my back would be acting up; not the thing that had me flat 10 days ago, just my usual SI/disc issues. It is gorgeous out and I was dressed correctly. I was fine on the climb up Strawberry Hill, perhaps because I could do it sleeping, but after that, I knew more climbing would just make me feel worse. After a longer not so steep climb, we stopped, Jack took off some gear and I rested. Then, we proceeded to the street with the 15-18% grade in one spot. It's not too long, but after an initial steep uphill, it flattens before a longer steep uphill. I told Jack I'd see him at the turn/top. I never lost sight of him, but I did see 5.0 mph on my GPS. Anyway, after another half mile climb, where he sprinted and I spun, we had a long downhill and then through a residential country road in terrrible condition. At the end of this I told him I was heading back to the start, and he didn't need to come. But, he did. The end of this ride has never thrilled me, through a business park, a community college, and the VA hospital and services campus. So, we got back on the flat road and ended up doing 24.5 miles instead of 31. I felt badly, since I asked him and then I wimp out, but I needed to stop. He slows for me, even when I am at my best, but not so much I feel badly!
Anyway, if I wake up feeling good tomorrow, I will go for a flat, dark ride at 5 AM. Going down the Cape to stay with friends this weekend, may or may not ride there. So another nice weekend, without long rides.

[Muirenn]

Sounds like a nice ride and riding partner, Crankin. I'm lucky if I find any grade at all. I'll probably go for a ride after work today. Not sure how far. Maybe around 15 miles. I don't have a lot of time in the evenings, but I like frequent short rides, so no problem.

[north woods gal]

That was a very nice thing to do for those folks, Sheila. The way we bicyclists look out for each other is one of the things I love about our community. That tricky route where things fluctuate between good and bad sections sounds very much like what I experienced in the Chicago suburbs. All of the 'burbs are connected, of course, but they all varied a lot in how bike friendly their streets were. Just commuting to work required a mile plus of a road that I would never ride by choice, but it was the only way to get there.

As for grades, come for a visit. Have a surplus of ups and downs on my homemade trail system. Some of the steep ones require me to stand up and pedal to crest them, even with the lowest gear on the MTBs. They're what I call my leg burners. Going down is a real kamikaze thrill, for sure.

I ride a minimum of one hour a day, usually closer to two, seven days a week. Not a lot of miles, but they're trail miles, so no way for me to convert them to road miles. Enough to keep me in shape and fun, too, so that's what counts. For sure, no worries about getting hit by a car. A deer or bear, maybe, but not a car.

Our weather has been unusually warm all fall and continues to be so. Beautiful to be out riding in the woods in nice weather with all the leaves falling. Really spoiling me, because I know how drastically things will change any week, now. Will be getting the fat bikes ready, now. One thing I did on one of the Norco fat bikes that made a tremendous difference in performance was having my bike shop set up the wheels tubeless. Those fat bike inner tubes weigh about a pound, each. Not only does the bike handle, better with no tubes, but I'll be able to drop the pressure as low as I want, this winter, without having to worry about a pinch flat. Going to see about going tubeless on some of the other bikes, now.

[Muirenn]

I'd love to visit. Trail miles are hard. I'm a lot more relaxed about outside forces (cars) on a mountainbike. But my own mistakes could be fraught. So I'm careful. The best place to ride was Hunting Island. They just reopened the beach after this year's hurricane storm surge from Irma, but the trails are gone for now. So if I want a real ride, I have to drive about 35 miles to Pinckney Island. Sigh.

[Crankin]

I did do my dark ride this morning.
I should have rested.
But, at 41 degrees, I was dressed correctly, with winter shoes and fleece beanie/gloves, but not too hot for once. Too bad my back was not happy. I have deduced it's from the hike I did Sunday. Well, it will be gone eventually.

[ny biker]

I rode 17 miles last night. Got a very late start, around 9:40 pm. I was talking to someone at work for a while and then had to sign and fax a bunch of documents to refinance my mortgage before leaving the office. But the more I ride late in the evening the more convinced I am that it's safer because there are so few cars on the road. Of course it helps that the neighborhoods I ride through have low crime rates and the ride start/finish is next to a court house and police station so I expect there are security cameras there. I always look around when I get back to my car just to make sure there's no one around other than the occasional police officer in a patrol car.

It seemed cold when I started even though the temperature was in the 60s. I think the real issue was that it's been so warm and humid lately that there hasn't been a chance to gradually adjust to dropping temps. So I overdressed a bit. Long-sleeved lightweight wool under a short-sleeved jersey and arm warmers, with a Gore windstopper jacket on top. Plus full-fingered unlined gloves, midweight fleece tights, neoprene booties and my wool cap. After a few miles I stopped to take the cap off, unzip the jersey and lower the zipper on the jacket a couple of inches. I could have taken off the arm warmers too but it didn't seem worth the effort. I was on the line between overdressed and comfortable for the rest of the ride, but didn't really work up a sweat.

I think this might have been my first time wearing the midweight tights. I bought them at REI last spring, on sale. They are the REI brand. Good reflective stripes down the sides of both legs and around the left calf. Comfy yoga waistband, perhaps a bit too comfy as I noticed when I got home that tights were drooping and the waistband had slipped down a couple of inches. But so many other tights seem to have a too-tight elastic waistband, I'm willing to put up with one that needs to be hiked up from time to time.

Several of my friends will be down in Staunton, VA this weekend for a fall foliage ride. However I steadfastly refuse to accept that summer is over, and have planned a ride on Saturday with views of the Chesapeake Bay.

[rebeccaC]

I hope they have a nice trip.

….and you were a wonderful contributing element in helping them having a good trip with your caring thoughtfulness and friendliness. I wish more people would understand that being nice to others is not only a good way to live but also helps the mood of the giver too!

We are a week away from the 3 day tour de pink and we are tapering our training this next week to this weekends long easy rides in the Santa Ynez valley on some of our favorite roads and staying at one of our favorite hotel/spa’s. There is a lot of emotional content in doing this ride for me and I am really thankful to have the strength of body and mind to do however much of it as I can. I also feel blessed that two of the women who I became good friends with in the support community here are doing the ride with Alex and I too. I'm a true believer that being a cyclist can be a positive force in our lives and in this family we are part of.........

[ny biker]

I led a 47-mile club ride today on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay. The weather was perfect, sunshine, no wind, 70s. We rode a leisurely pace, 12-13 mph, and had a very nice ride.

Good luck at the tour de pink, Rebecca. I'm so glad you're able to take part in it.

[north woods gal]

Well, I knew it couldn't last. We've had unusually warm fall weather with an unusual number of sunny days (not typical for us). All gone, for now. Cold and rainy, today, and the rest of the week and, yup, some snow mixed with the rain in the forecast, later in the week. Oh, it won't stop me from riding and I've been getting the fat bikes setup for snow riding and breaking out the winter riding gear, but I'm spoiled, all the same. Since our weather seems to work it's way to you folks in the east, take advantage of any warm weather you have, now.

On a more positive note, have added some nice boulders and rocks to climb on my trails. Funny how the things I avoided when I was just starting to put in my trails are now things I'm adding.

Tried a dropper seat post for the first time on one of the fat bikes. Can't say it's essential for my downhills, but I can see how it helps. Allows me to get way low when doing my fast downhill runs. At this point, haven't decided whether to keep it or go with a lighter, standard seat post, because these are heavy setups. We'll see.