September 3 rides

[Kano]

27 miles today -- very interesting ride! Into the wind the first ten miles, tail wind the next eight, then back into the wind, since it decided to shift.

We still have lots of smoke here in the valley and went riding hills. (pic in another thread about riding hills in the new riders area of our invisible mountain range) First there was the pretend flat stretch, which stopped me today for a bit so I could argue with my body about how we WERE going to do this ride -- how frustrating is that? Then there was the rolling stretch on the way to the brutal hill. The rolling part was actually easier: at least you know they're there! The real hill was a bugger today. I couldn't figure out which part of my body was rebelling most, but I struggled more than usual on this one today. Got to the top and celebrated by heading right down the back side of it instead of stopping at DH's rest spot -- but the wind was enough that I didn't hear him hollering "slow down" behind me, because I couldn't go fast enough to scare him today!

We turned off this road, and had a tail wind on a lovely flat that let us cruise easily at 18-20mph for about five miles: something I've never done before!

We stopped at a lovely new little coffee shop at about eighteen miles, and when we took off again, the winds had shifted -- it was pretty hard to deal with it pushing back and slowing us down again! That free feeling of running that comfort-beast bike of mine at what has to be top speed had really gotten into my system! (and I was thinking, disloyal owner that I am, "how much faster would I be going on a bike that's made for speed???")

As we wrapped up our ride, we cruised slowly together for a ways, and he said, "you did pretty well for wanting to quit 4 miles into the ride." I might get frustrated and annoyed with my body's response to what I tell it I'm going to do, but that invisible hill did NOT win! My response to him? "So, I wore you out today, then?" "Yup!" he admitted.

Earl thinks that tomorrow is a day for riding on some dirt hills. He's got the mistaken notion that I'll learn to like riding on that stuff. No offense to mountain bikers, but I don't like that dirt stuff, not at all! I think an easy, flat, fast cruise on the greenbelt, down by the river, with a light picnic in the middle sounds like just the thing!

Karen in Boise

[7rider]

Did the shop ride with DH today. The B-ride was again populated by A-ride hammerheads "taking the day off." So, of course, the pace was UP! Did 28 miles in 17.7 mph. Ugh. That's a season high for me.
DH was telling me that he got "independent, third party confirmation that you (meaning me) are fast" as one of the guys in the group was lamenting the trio of women who smoked him on the unofficial sprint. Yay, girls!
DH hit 41 on that, I barely poked my head above 35, but Vicky and the other woman who's name I never got were quite pleased.
But I seem to be having major software issues with my Garmin 305 GPS bike computer. I tried to download some Garmin "updates" - HA! Big mistake. It seems to have erased my GPS software, so now it has no clue what the date is (it entered todays ride as 1/25/16!) and doesn't know how to search for satellites. I have an email in to Garmin, but they're "closed" for the holiday weekend. Looks like I'm back to the Polar for tomorrow's ride...if that's still working. Sigh. Are computers really worth it???

[HillSlugger]

I took the new Specialized Sequoia Elite out for her first road ride. It was awesome! It is so responsive; you push and it leaps forward.

I started out really tentative, very nervous on those very narrow tires (down to 25c from the 32c I've been riding on the hybrid) and slightly damp roads left over from Ernesto. I soon fell into a pretty nice rhythm. The fitter at the LBS did a nice job and everything felt pretty good. The mechanics, on the other hand, didn't have the brakes set quite right and I needed to back off the rear brakes.

I did my longest ride ever, 30.4 miles at 14.3mph average. That, in spite of my poor shifting and mis-shifting (big lever -> larger ring, small lever -> smaller ring. Sounds so simple until you're in the middle of it all ) I do miss the low gears of my hybrid and had to walk part of a hill.

I've got a lot to get used to with the new position required by the road bike. I've got too much pressure on my hands, but they still didn't get numb like they did on the hybrid. My shoulders and neck are sore, but not too bad. I even used the drops several times.

All in all, it was a great ride. I can't wait for next Saturday and the Covered Bridge ride.

[uk elephant]

Saturday I did not quite a century, but the longest I had ever done before. I figured Sunday I would need a recovery ride. So I cycled from the hotel up to Cambridge for a little wander around the colleges and the city center. As soon as I started pedalling I regretted the choice of plan. I should have planned to cycle home again instead. My legs felt great and I was whizzing along. Not stiff and tired at all. But I had already sent the maps and spare clothes with BF to take home in the car so I stuck with my plan and went up to Cambridge. The winds were terrible again, but not so much headwinds this time, more crosswinds that nearly knocked me over a few times. The ride ended up being 13 miles and rewarded with a muffin lunch by the river watching the punters punting. Then a looong train ride home. All in all a great week-end and definitely worth repeating.

[Kano]

Here in the states, at least my experience, punters punting means that a guy catches a football (the pointy kind) and kicks it away for the other team to catch.

What does a punter do when he's punting there???

Karen in Boise

[Duck on Wheels]

Uses a long pole to propel a boat along a river, lake, or canal.

[Kano]

I suppose they enjoy this? I think I'd prefer a trolling motor!

Karen in Boise

[Shiraz]

Karen (Kano),
I must say I always enjoy reading your postings. They always make me laugh! I can relate to the winds changing direction by which way you are riding! Is it only Idaho that this strange thing happens. When I ride in the great outdoors here in SE Idaho I get the head wind going both directions. The wind gods are out to get us roadies!

By the way, it sounds like you have really picked up the miles and are riding strong! Congratulations I don't believe you can call yourself a newbie anymore !

[Kano]

Thank you, Shiraz!

I don't think it's only in Idaho, but yesterday, the wind really did shift a lot here -- in the morning, it started out from the southeast, by noon it was in the northeast, and later in the evening it had swung around to the southwest. And of course, the heat is back...

Miles -- I'm working on them! Didn't give Earl back the bike until I turned that 799 over to 800 this morning when we went to the greenbelt. I really oughta go out for a short ride yet this evening: I set a goal of 75 for the weekend, and I'm 2.1 short of that. I don't think he'll join me, since he's doing the "old guy" thing, stretched out in his recliner with his blankie! He claims I've really beat him up this weekend. Good!

Karen in Boise

[Shiraz]

Karen,
You are doing great!! Hey will you be participating in the Women's Celebration Run walk September 23rd? I will be coming up with several nurses and plan to ride that afternoon and sunday.

[Trek420]

Kano "I suppose they enjoy this? I think I'd prefer a trolling motor!"

what? you've never heard of the phrase "punting on the Thames" ?

Dita in Hayward

[Kalidurga]

...but that invisible hill did NOT win!

Karen, congrats on beating the hill! One day you're going to think back affectionately on that "bugger"

All in all, it was a great ride. I can't wait for next Saturday and the Covered Bridge ride.

Nicole, I'm glad the new bike is living up to your expectations. Enjoy next weekend-- I'll think of you out there in the pretty farmland of Frederick County while I'm staring at the computer at work!

I hit the C&O Canal towpath today out in Washington County, MD, up between Williamsport and Fort Frederick. Total ride = 26-something miles. Like Karen, for some reason I was ready to bag it and turn around after the first half dozen miles or so, but I pushed on anyway. I spent the first part of the ride pushing hard against the gravelly surface of the towpath, thinking "Keep up the pace, it'll make you stronger!". On the way back, I cut myself some slack and made a conscious effort to keep my rpm/mph down. It really did feel better, but if I lost focus my body would pick up the pace again of its own accord.

Observations:
1) I gotta get more bike shorts. I've been riding mostly with baggy shorts over a chamois liner because I hate being encased in black lycra, but having the baggies bunch up around the saddle is just too much of a pain in the hootie-hoo on long distances.
2) Instead of calling out "On your left!" today, I tried calling "Bike behind you!". Almost every single person automatically moved or stayed right, so I started thinking I had found the magic phrase. Then I came up behind a woman cruising along on a hybrid behind her DH (I assume). When I called "Bicyle behind you!", instead of continuing on just as she was with the awareness that I was going to pass, she sped up! When I caught up and actually passed, she was almost on DH's rear wheel. Sheesh!
3) The weather today was freakin' gorgeous. If it keeps up like this, we're gonna have one beauuutiful autumn in the mid-Atlantic region

[Kano]

Kano "I suppose they enjoy this? I think I'd prefer a trolling motor!"

what? you've never heard of the phrase "punting on the Thames" ?
Dita in Hayward

Well, yeah, I've heard of that -- but why kick footballs into the river? And, knowing about sticks to push the boats along, well, heck, trolling on the Thames sounds better too!

Karen in Boise

[Kano]

Karen,
You are doing great!! Hey will you be participating in the Women's Celebration Run walk September 23rd? I will be coming up with several nurses and plan to ride that afternoon and sunday.

Heck, I haven't planned that far ahead yet! DH has us scheduled to ride with the SPIN folk next Saturday, and probably figures we're doing the SPIN ride that's the 23rd. It looks like a fun, easy ride, but will coincide with the run/walk. Since he's hard to get moving, I'll probably have to join him!

(I was just looking up a few more of their rides -- he's in for a doozy on the first weekend in October! He hasn't done a 50+ ride yet! Just told him it's a good thing I'm planning to kick his butt all this month, so he'll be ready for that!)

The Sunday, though -- we should get together for a ride! Tater, you too? I warn you, my comfort-beast isn't as speedy as a nice, light weight road bike would be....

Karen in Boise

[Trek420]

Kano "Well, yeah, I've heard of that -- but why kick footballs into the river?"

LOL especially hard to kick a football while pushing a boat upstream with a pole. And then there's football itself....it's a different game in England and almost anywhere else in the world for that matter.