July rides
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How is it July already? I am refusing to turn over the calendar to a new page. It seems like it was just early April.
Although the weather is definitely not April. I led a ride yesterday, 40 miles. If it had been just slightly longer it would have been miserable. There were four of us, two people who have been off the bike until last week due to medical issues, one person who just finished Bike Virginia so is in peak form, and me who is doing better than expected given how many weekends I have not been riding. We rode an easy, comfortable pace, which was important for the weather. Too often on hot days I end up "leading" riders who are faster than me and they finish strong while I am miserable from too much exertion in the hot sun. We also had a fair amount of shade, and at both rest stops we were able to go into an air conditioned building for a break. Overall it worked out well. Before the ride I had made cue sheets for various short cut options; the two people who just started riding again did opt to cut 10 miles off the ride, but it was due to their gradually easing back into cycling as much as the weather conditions.
The ride start was a park with a covered picnic pavilion but no running water, so I also prepared for the heat by having a cooler in my car with cold drinks, ice packs and a spray bottle full of cold water. I also had a microfiber towel, Wet Ones and a hairbrush in addition to snacks and clean clothes. After finishing the ride I opened up the car doors and then went and sat in the pavilion, sprayed cold water all over my head, arms and back, cleaned the sunscreen and dirt off my legs, and had a drink and snack while cooling down and drying off. Cold water on the back of your head and rinsing the sweat out of your hair does really help when it's that hot. Eventually I changed into clean clothes, fired up the A/C in the car and headed for home.
- 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