May 31st report!!!

[FreshNewbie]

Ok so i will be the first on to tell about my ride today. Maybe some of you already heard my whininng about not being able to ride during week days, and that's the reason i never post my daily ride report - because there are no rides! But last week i spoke to my manager about getting to work at 9 instead of 8 am every day. So, today I got up nice and early at 5 am and went to a bike path ( 2.5 miles) next to my house. Remind you it's NY, Queens, there is no place to ride in Queens, on weekend i drive to Long Island to ride with a club. Anyway, it was about 75 degrees and a little hazy but nice. I rode 12miles with half of it in a headwind about 17/20 mph, but it was a blast. Also managed to not have a panic attack going by myself in traffic ( there wasn't that much of it ) and managed not to have another spectacular fall! Planning on doing 2-3 rides during the week now/

FN

[Geonz]

I got up early but not quite enough early to do the 12 instead of 7 mile commute, so I just cruised the 7. I had a sensory flashback to those teenage summer mornings when it's not really hot YET but you can feel it in the air, and you're on your bike but not quite awake and going to the pool for morning swim team practice.
Going to try to actually take lunch (no reason not to, I just forget to leave my desk and do it) and go out and ride a little bit.

[DirtDiva]

No riding yet today. I'm entering my first race tonight though. I was excited earlier in the day, but now I'm just pants-wettingly nervous. I'm sure it'll be a blast, but we'll all have to wait until later to find out.

[margo49]

best of proverbial, Tee-Ell
How's the noggin btw; all better I hope

[susiej]

The fell right off the back of the bike! I knew they weren't bungee'd tighly enough, but I shrugged off my misgivings.

Noticed they were gone at the station. Left a message on my husband's cell for him to look for them as he drove to the train. Half an hour after I get to work, he calls, "did you lose your sandals?" (Did he get the message I'd left? no! Hate his phone.)

He walked to the train because he didn't want to bike in his nice pants. He'd seen a shoe, wanted to photograph it, then thought, that really looks like Sue's new sandals that we ordered special from REI. So he called to ask because I'm obviously the kind of person who would lose her shoes off the back of the bike.

Now I'm sitting in my nice warm office, but at least with air circulating my toesies.

[Fredwina]

I got up early got in about 13 miles. I always think it's nice to see the Sun coming up over the mountains. I can do that, and get showered, dressed, and be ready to catch the train at 7:20

[mimitabby]

last night my hubby and i got on the tandem and did an astonishing fast 22 miles with his friends, all veterans of tens of thousands of miles of riding.
we went up and down hills and on streets filled with parked cars and commuters. we ended up with an average of over 14 mph.. I can't tell you how many times I looked down and we were cruising at 18mph.
I was scared to death half the time but kept pedalling..

and then today i got my cholesterol checked and the total has GONE DOWN and my "good cholesterol" has gone up.

I will keep riding!

[fatbottomedgurl]

Rode five miles up a mountain and five miles down. Trespassed for a mile to avoid a nasty climb (this land was made for you and me). Wild flowers are peaking. Discovered thistles grow at exactly the height of my bars. Sucked blood off my fingers and made a mental note to buy full fingered gloves. Ran into a hiker and gave him some directions. Saw some longhorns. And a peacock! Warm, but not hot at 85º. Heaven.

[KnottedYet]

35 miles today. No rain!

Did my usual commute to and from work, but didn't go home after work. Instead I braved a new route, one I hadn't even driven in the car. Folks at work told me about it.

For you Seattleites: I was trying to find a way from Shoreline to LFP to get on the Burke. I took 185th over I-5.

The route was GREAT! (Perkins street through LFP) It went through a little canyon with a creek running along the road, big gorgeous trees and flowers everywhere. I could hardly believe I was in the middle of the city.

Found the Burke-Gilman and rode down to the U-District. Had a picnic in a park along the BG. (next to Metropolitan Market at 40th) I was gonna ride to LBS and ask them to adjust my rear deraileur, but decided I should learn how to do it myself.

The veiw along the lake was amazing. I could see all up and down the lake, with sunbreaks and shade from the clouds. Both the Olympics and the Cascades were out, and had bright white snow patches that were just brilliant where the sun was hitting them.

Unlike this weekend (in the rain), today I couldn't smell the Nootka roses. I did smell some dead critter... ick.

Tried to get an iced Latte at Starbucks after my BG section, but the chickie at the drive up window said they can't serve bikes. (we might hurt ourselves carrying our drink in one hand and steering with the other) So I rode half a block to an espresso stand that DOES serve bikes and sat on a bench next to the Perkins/Brookside creek and had another picnic.

Rode UP the big hill I was sure I'd have to walk, so I felt studly. Now I'm home all stinky and sweaty and salty. Time for a Clif Recovery and a shower!

[mimitabby]

what's LFP? maybe i need to know?

[DirtDiva]

Cheers margo. The noggin's all good now. I was a bit extra tired for a week or so, but that was it. Had a way kewl bruise on my leg too that is all but gone now - shame really, I enjoyed showing it off.

The race was pretty cool. Did three laps, which was my goal. Really glad I didn't have to do another because I sooooo didn't have another in me, but I hope I can manage four by the end of the series. I'll put something in the proper section tomorrow. Right now it's bedtime (please, please, please may the bike cleaning fairies stop by my garage overnight ).

[kimct]

Bad ride today. Well...short, and...just BAD. Decided to try a new route, hubby tried to warn me....like climbing Mt.Everest, 5 times in a row! I made it up the first 2, huffing but feeling decent. Could have reached out and touched the top of the 3rd, shifted to a higher gear so I could stand, thought the gear caught, stood up and the gear HADN'T caught.,...so pedals jerk, with my weight on them, knee hit the top tube of the bike, stars going through my head cause it's a bad knee in the first place. I walked the rest of the hill and the knee was hurting too bad to go up the next hill. So I came back home. Sweaty and mad!

6 lil miles, and a sore knee!

Kim

[tulip]

14 miles to work this morning, worked all day, 14 miles back this evening. Such is life.

[salsabike]

Didn't get to ride today because of work. Work sure gets in the way of the important stuff.

Mimitabby, LFP is Lake Forest Park, where 3rd Place Books is, and a big entry to the BG trail--a couple of miles south of Logboom. KnottedYet, am consulting husband on best route from Shoreline to LFP, and will PM you, although it sounds like you did great. Did you have to go back UP that hill to go home?

Kimct, Mama said there'd be days like that, right? But there will be better ones too. Know you won't give up. At least today's bad ride is behind you! Everybody's ride sounded great--even the tough ones. Ride on, guys.

[betagirl]

Commuted today, 25 miles round trip. It was the first day back at school after a month off, so that was joyous. Ran over a dirty diaper in the bike lane, and had a kid chase a ball into the street in front of me. Thankfully I saw it bouncing toward the street before it went in front of the rather large van he ran out in front of. Considering I was cruising along around 20mph, that could have been bad. Scared him a bit though