October rides...

[ny biker]

I kicked off the new month with a 39 mile ride yesterday (Sunday). There is a state park in Charles County, MD which is home to a community art center. We visit the park often during rides and use the area near the art center as a rest stop on our annual club century. They had a reception yesterday for a new show of works highlighting scenes within the county, and a few bike club members had contributed paintings. Two club members planned a short ride to the art center reception where they planned to present a donation (part of the proceeds of our most recent century) as well as a painting of the center done by one of our charter members. So, I planned a longer ride that started earlier but ended up at the art center at the time of the presentation. A couple of club members joined me, including the treasurer who was bringing the donation check. The three of us had a nice, leisurely ride with much pleasant conversation...until we realized we had lost track of time and were still 10 miles from the art center with only a half hour to get there. Fortunately the roads left to travel were flat. We turned up the pace and arrived just in time.

The art on display was mostly paintings and photographs, plus some amazing wood carvings of birds. It depicted places I'd been to as well as some I'd never heard of but looked worthy of a visit. One of the people on my ride bought two paintings.

It was a beautiful day, a bit cool in the shade but very warm in the sun. The sky and the river near the state park were beautiful shades of blue. (I really need to delete some old photos from my account on this site so I can share some of my ride photos.)

[north woods gal]

Sounds like great way to kick off the October rides thread, NY. Much as I love my rural lifestyle, I do miss what living in the big cities has to offer. My recent visit to San Diego reminded me that there is another world out there beyond our woods and that's a good thing. Thanks to you and the others, here, I do get a taste of that and I am grateful. Sure would be nice to have a coffee shop back in my trails, somewhere.

Speaking of trails, did my usual hard labor cleaning up some trail sections before the snow falls, then finishing with 10 miles worth of laps. Rain moving in, tonight, so not sure what I'll do, tomorrow. Will probably just ride, anyway, as usual.

[Crankin]

I did a "dark ride" at 5:15 this morning. It was 41 degrees and clear and beautiful, and I was a little bit overdressed! Wore full winter gear, with the exception of my jacket, which was just my regular wind jacket. I did wear my lightest weight tights. Thinking I should have either gone with a short sleeved base layer instead of the long sleeved one, or else, a non-thermal jersey over a LS base. I felt clammy/sweaty, as my little 9 mile route was about 50% moderate climbing.
It seems like even at 5 AM, it is no longer so peaceful out there. I do live off of a main road (albeit, a 2 lane country type/suburban one), but even a year and a half a go, when I moved to my current home, it seemed quieter. Traffic is worse, so people are leaving earlier, and Main St. is how you get to the highway to Boston. Obviously, it's not like 9 AM, but it is noticeable. The one road I went on where no one passed me in a car is a climb, so I was busy suffering... that and a short stretch through a neighborhood were quiet. If I go in another direction, it is quieter, once I get past the train station in the next town. That usually involves a bit of longer ride, but it will be worth it.
Tomorrow is going to be 80 degrees... sigh. The group ride is starting in a place that involves horrible traffic for me to get to, so I will just ride around here, on my day off.

[Geonz]

I did a "dark ride" at 5:15 this morning. It was 41 degrees and clear and beautiful, and I was a little bit overdressed! Wore full winter gear, with the exception of my jacket, which was just my regular wind jacket. I did wear my lightest weight tights. Thinking I should have either gone with a short sleeved base layer instead of the long sleeved one, or else, a non-thermal jersey over a LS base. I felt clammy/sweaty, as my little 9 mile route was about 50% moderate climbing.
It seems like even at 5 AM, it is no longer so peaceful out there. I do live off of a main road (albeit, a 2 lane country type/suburban one), but even a year and a half a go, when I moved to my current home, it seemed quieter. Traffic is worse, so people are leaving earlier, and Main St. is how you get to the highway to Boston. Obviously, it's not like 9 AM, but it is noticeable. The one road I went on where no one passed me in a car is a climb, so I was busy suffering... that and a short stretch through a neighborhood were quiet. If I go in another direction, it is quieter, once I get past the train station in the next town. That usually involves a bit of longer ride, but it will be worth it.
Tomorrow is going to be 80 degrees... sigh. The group ride is starting in a place that involves horrible traffic for me to get to, so I will just ride around here, on my day off.

We're having ups and downs w/ temps, too. Saturday was NIPPY (about 49 in the barely-dawn a.m. when I started) ... today was back in the sixties.

Today's commute was slow and complicated -- constructoin everywhere and I didn't make any lights. Still beat the rain

[emily_in_nc]

Ooops, I had said I would start this thread, but I totally spaced on that!

I did 30 miles yesterday, and it was hard-fought, as we've been having significant wind. Yesterday's forecast went from 10-20 mph ENE to 15-25 mph during the time I was riding. We had head- and crosswinds heading out, and at times it was like riding through quicksand! The way back was screaming fast fun, though, as it was mostly tailwinds and nearly effortless heading south and west! Fun fun!

The only difficulty there was the last 3/4 of a mile, where we have to head back east on a highway bike lane. As the wind had built during the course of the ride, it was a tough ending to the ride!

This morning I got up with full intentions of riding until I checked Weather Underground and saw that they'd upped today's wind forecast to 20-30 mph! It was already gusting hard at 8 am, and I drew the line at riding in that. GOOD decision. DH headed out, and in addition to the wind (which bothers him less than me), he got rained on twice as brief but heavy bands came through from the Atlantic. I was so thankful I had stayed home!

Tomorrow is supposed to be the same as for winds, and it's our usual day off anyway to do laundry and run errands, so that will work out fine. I hope, hope, hope the wind will have died down some by Thursday, as I really want to ride!

[ny biker]

I would have skipped riding too, Emily -- I hate wind, and it can be dangerous at times.

I was going to ride tonight after work, to take advantage of the relatively warm weather. But yesterday I noticed that my eye was very red, like I'd burst a blood vessel somehow, maybe sneezing? Anyway it seemed to be clearing up this morning but then looked worse again this afternoon (possibly from more sneezing -- it's still ragweed season). It doesn't hurt so I don't think it's anything to worry about, but I figured it would be better to take things easy tonight.