June 6 ride reports

[DrBee]

Today is my telecommuting day, so I got up bright and early (5:15am), ate a smores Luna bar and a glass of OJ and went out for an early morning ride. My legs usually take until about 3 miles to wake up. Today they took until 5 miles. Then - I was flying! I hit 22 with not too much of a problem and something like a 3 mph tailwind. Seriously. I rode only 15 miles...wanted to ride longer...could've gone longer, but had to get to work.

Happy day to all!

[FreshNewbie]

Woke up at 5am, got ready and was out at 5:25am for 12 miles ride before work. I know i have to have something before a ride, but i just can't get myself to eat anything. Hmmm, maybe i should try to eat some gel before a ride.

[Fredwina]

I did my usual 13 mile route, To top things off ,when I got home and looked at my heart rate monitor, it said I had burned 666 calories! I didn't see a gut with red skin and a tail....

[FreshNewbie]

I also have HRM that shows how many calories I burned. NOW only if they showed how many calories you consumed after a ride :-)

[tulip]

Had a great commute to work this morning. I have a 3.5 mile stretch that I occassionaly time myself on. Today was over 17 mph for the stretch, and I wasn't even pushing myself. Some days are like that.

[makbike]

I got in a quick 22 miles (averaged 16.4 mph today It was a beautiful ride through some nice rolling terrain. I saw lots of farmers working in their hay fields, saw some buffalo, horses and cows. Lots of blue skies, sunshine and mild temperatures a great day to ride!

[Geonz]

Just my usual 7; couldn't stretch it out even though it's a 9:00 start of the day 'cause I had to pick up the car (yay! shoulnd't have to get out the bike pump and fill the tires every few weeks when I drive somewhere!)

Might be able to go long on the route home; might be able to do the Tues. night club ride, depending on Momma Nature, who's sending some stuff this way but of the sort that so often dries up or goes around this fair city.

BYOOTIFUL weather.

[Crankin]

I did my "half commute" today. I drive to a lot about 7.7 miles from work and ride in at around 6 AM. I am all clean and changed before most of my colleagues and the students arrive. On the way home, I take a longer route (slightly different each time) for variety. Today I clocked in at 19.6 miles, average around 15.
I have a smaller trunk bag and I wear a Camelback without the bladder in it to haul a few things (wallet, glasses, keys, make up, papers). It's not really heavy, but on the way home it does slow me down a little. I have my clean up supplies at school, along with clothes, so I don't have to haul them. My bike is too small for panniers.
Tomorrow will be my last ride on my bike. I am getting a new custom bike, with a Kuota (spelling?) frame on Thursday. Of course it is supposed to rain on Thursday and Friday, so I may be waiting to ride it.

[betagirl]

Commuted. It looked like it was going to rain all morning per weather.com radar, but it sure took its sweet time getting here. When I left it was sort of spitting, but no biggie. I took my rain jacket with me in case, but didn't need it. On my way back home I had a wicked headwind that I had to plow through.

Wind: SW 14 mph gusting to 22 mph

My route is mostly west with a few south turns. So that was fun I managed to keep it over 17 mph, so I was happy. And dripping with sweat when I got home. Oh I'm sorry, GLOWING. We glow. Had some guy yell "go Lance!" at me on my way out. I'm pretty sure he was giving me sh*t.

Total miles 22.4.

[tulip]

and my commute home was nice, too. With detours to visit some sites for work, I got in 35 miles all told for the day.

[Running Mommy]

I knew the weather was going to get yucky so I went out early this am. Of course going out early means fighting the construction workers! They are worse than cell phone wielding mom's in SUV's!! Let's just say they don't pay ATTENTION and I had some close calls! argh!
It was a nice morning, but very humid.. well thats relative I suppose. It was 35% humidity, but when your used to single digit humidity- it's humid. It actually felt monsoon-ey. I even got rained on a bit which is quite odd. I had just been passed by a fellow cyclist and when he came by me again after the turn around said "well looky here, either god is spitting on us or it's raining!".. Rain is a novel thing here in the desert so please excuse our giddiness.
Other than that it was an ordinary ride. I only had an hour before I had to get back as I had a Dr.s appt.
Oh- I did have a squirrel family almost commit suicide under my wheel! They ran right in front of me as I was going downhill at 20 mph! I thought for sure I was going to at least catch a tail, but they made it just barely!

[yellow]

I am getting a new custom bike, with a Kuota (spelling?) frame on Thursday. Of course it is supposed to rain on Thursday and Friday, so I may be waiting to ride it.

New bike!!!!! Better yet, new CUSTOM bike!!!! Congratulations. I am insanely jealous. I am currently battling bike envy disease, so I must live vicariously through others. Make sure you post pictures when it's all done!

[melissam]

I just got back from my ride. Unfortunately, I got a late start (7:30pm-ish, but don't you love all the daylight we get in the Northern Hemisphere this time of year?!) I think I rode for about 45 minutes, and I have no idea how much distance I covered.

I brought my mountain bike to work today, and I work in Alviso, CA, which is right on the southern tip of the San Francisco Bay. I rode out to the marina and onto the dirt path, which goes parallel to the bay. There's a headwind as you ride out, but it sure makes for a nice tailwind when you're coming home! (This from the girl who used to think that headwinds were God's way of telling you to turn around!)

Anyway, it's a pretty picturesque ride -- the water on the left, and train tracks on the right. Across the water you can see Hangar One from the old Moffet Field Naval Base, and the Shoreline Ampitheater. There are some salt flats in this part of the Bay -- if you didn't know better, you might think it's snow that's lingered far too long. Lots of birds. I'm certainly no expert, but I always love to watch the different flying styles of the birds.

After turning around and leaving the Marina, it was a quick jaunt thru Alviso, past a house that had a huge lightbulb at the driveway entrance. I'm not kidding -- this thing was 30x the actual size of your standard 60 watt lightbulb. What was that all about?!? Past the wonderful smells from Maria Elena's Mexican restaurant (serves the most excellent neon green margaritas!), and back to work.

It was so much fun, I think I'll do it tomorrow but will try to start earlier!

-- Melissa

[Lise]

Commuted to a clinic I seldom get sent to. Nice ride west, mostly on Logan Blvd, one of the broad, curving, tree-lined streets in Chicago. I did figure out I'd be happier and safer on the side street that runs parallel to it, though. It was pretty darned windy both directions. HOW IS THAT? No, don't explain it, I won't feel any better! I pulled out my Terry skort thing--bike shorts with a wrap around skirt. Made me feel very girly, in a good way. I may get one of their wrappers in a tall so I can wear it with any bike shorts. I felt a lot less self-conscious walking into the clinic in a bike skirt than I do in shorts. I always change right away, but still...

After that case of the pukes I had this weekend, I wondered when I'd ever get back on the bike. Ummm...today! And tomorrow morning I run, then ride my bike to the other clinic. A less scenic route. They're both a bit over 3 miles away.

[aka_kim]

First time out on the mountain bike all year. Cleared off the cobwebs and pumped the tires, wore my new LRRH jersey and Lake sandals (both very comfortable). Bike computer died after about, um, 50 feet, oh well.

Did a 12 mile loop, only 4 miles actually on dirt. Saw some quail, a coyote with fresh kill in its mouth, and rode through hundreds of ladybugs. Had a PB&J and Red Bull while sitting alongside a cold mountain stream at the mid-point before heading back.