Northeast - Where are the MD people's

[Pooh Bear]Tut, tut! Looks like rain.[/Pooh Bear]

Man, you're right- the whole weekend's got a 50% chance of rain or snow. :(
But hey, ya gotta do what ya gotta do.
That's what they make fenders for. :thumb:

...

I just read an article on Rivendell bikes about pedals. I figure most of you guys are locking in w/ clipless. I go both ways. Mnt biking I always use clipless, commuting I use flats(toe clips) and rec riding use either(depends how lazy I am with swapping them out). For really, really long rides I use flats w/ rat traps. Here's the article, what do you think. I am seriously looking at the Tioga spyder pedals for touring.
http://www.rivbike.com/article/clothing/the_shoes_ruse


Charlie, I -did- read this, but I'm one of the guys that's happy with my set-up and not worried about clopping around on cleat covered road shoes.

But, for what it's worth, I put regular platforms on my K2 Arcadia. I planned on using it for bouncing around Essex on errands, but it felt... so... weird..., sitting so upright, that I haven't tried it since.

If any of you would have been a fly on the wall, you would have been ROFLyourAO :lol: , when you saw me put my foot on the right pedal and hesitate for a long time, because I couldn't figure out how to get started. :o Then it occurred to me to kick the darned pedal up so I could push it down while climbing on to the saddle.

And, to think, I used to ride that bike with platform pedals all of the time--for distances as far as ~60 miles.

Man, you're right- the whole weekend's got a 50% chance of rain or snow. :(
But hey, ya gotta do what ya gotta do.
That's what they make fenders for. :thumb:

I saw your posts on BBC Talk. I'd be very surprised if anyone from the club comes out if rain is imminent.

If I don't find a longer ride, it may be you and me and our raincoats.

"woman-specific" thing is largely a gimmick. The justification that women have (significantly) shorter torsos and longer legs than equivalently-sized men is a weird urban (cycling?) myth -- it's simply untrue.

What the average woman *does* usually have, compared to the average man, is a shorter arm reach and smaller hands.

Thanks Max. Excellent info. I though the same thing about the wheels. Great point about the hands. My daughter has tiny hands. I had to adjust her mnt bike to accommodate. I wonder if Terry bikes have smaller brakes. That might be worth it for that alone. The Terry for sale is the touring model, Desperate. Only $200 and she's willing to dicker. That might be a deal maker.


Charlie, Shimano STIs are not user serviceable according to Shimano--both 9 and 10 speed versions. You can do PM on them, but if you break them down to their piece parts, you do so at your own peril.

For keeping your hands on the handlebars and shifting/braking while there, STI is the way to go, but it could be more difficult for someone with smaller hands to get everything coordinated.

Thanks. Not user serviceable dosen't make sense...unless your selling them:) Small hands might be the biggest issue especially when riding on the hoods. Sorry to hear about the woodie.


Charlie, I ride SRAM rival, if you wanted to I could meet up and you could try mine out if you want. My bike is a 58 w/90 stem. Like NR said the parts are replacable if something fails plus you only use one lever for everything, which for me is great, with big gloves on its easier to shift than shimano, I think.

Speaking of ninja riding ......
Thanks Josh. I wouldn't mind playing with them someday. See what all the fuss is about. Ninja night riding.... we should all consider(as weather gets better) a full moon ride. Early March and early April are the next FM.


Charlie, I -did- read this, but I'm one of the guys that's happy with my set-up and not worried about clopping around on cleat covered road shoes.

But, for what it's worth, I put regular platforms on my K2 Arcadia. I planned on using it for bouncing around Essex on errands, but it felt... so... weird..., sitting so upright, that I haven't tried it since.

And, to think, I used to ride that bike with platform pedals all of the time--for distances as far as ~60 miles.
Sitting upright is strange. Everyday I ride a touring bike w/ barends and a mnt bike w/ rapid fire. I often get confused shifting. Do any of your Rando folks ride flats? toeclips? or do they all ride clipless. This is the area(long distance) that concerns me most. It would be nice to have 1 pair of shoes for multi-day tours.



If I don't find a longer ride, it may be you and me and our raincoats.

Rain and snow and you're looking for a longer ride.:eek: Still dealing with my dad so rec riding is probably out. Trying to set them up in a stair-less home.

[QUOTE=


Sitting upright is strange. Everyday I ride a touring bike w/ barends and a mnt bike w/ rapid fire. I often get confused shifting. Do any of your Rando folks ride flats? toeclips? or do they all ride clipless. This is the area(long distance) that concerns me most. It would be nice to have 1 pair of shoes for multi-day tours. [/QUOTE]

Charlie- My Trek 520 touring bike is set up with a Shimano pedal that is both flat and clipless, so you can ride with or without clips. The flat part is just a plastic snap on, mine are off right now but I'm going to put them back on.

Not sure what riding I'll be doing this weekend, may ride to my Saturday morning indoor class, try and ride my fixie up Lake Ave.:eek:

On Sunday I of course have to be back by 10:30 or 11:00 so that precludes me from doing the Montebello Furnace ride. Maybe I'll show up and do a lap.:D

Did my swim again this morning and boy is that different than cycling, good though.

Hey y’all, speaking of Lake M- GB’s got a BBC ride this sunday.
‘The Lake to Furnace' a 100K
After a loop around the lake we'll head out of the city and quickly fall into the beauty of NE Balt Co. Through Glen Arm, up to Furnace and back around through the Loch Raven valley. a 44mi shortcut and a rest stop/regroup. All pace. Meet at the parking lot near the southwest corner.
I'll be riding rain or shine.

cue sheet: http://cuesheetcentral.com/uploads/The%20Lake%20to%20Furnace.pdf


Bob, I looked at the cuesheet and had an idea that could be refined for a 200k.

Anyway, a couple comments regarding your cue for Sunday--BBC demerits, I'm sure. There will be some riders who will not be able to cope with some of these areas:

- mile 6.33 Kenwood Ave - no shoulder; narrow road; possible construction; may have traffic;
- mile 6.67 Radecke/Lillian Holt; definite construction--SHA has been screwing around with this section of road for over a year;
- mile 9.39 cross Belair Rd to Putty Hill; short 11% hill right after you cross Belair;
- mile 12.27 Harford Rd - traffic, fast drivers, not much of a shoulder, guard rails in some places; not comfortable to bike on;

------------
For my experimental route, I don't quite have the mileage for 200k yet, but there's no problem adding mileage. Anyway, it's here and is called "L. Montebello [York] Furnace":

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/L-Montebello-York-Furnace

It starts the same way as your "Lake to Furnace" ride, but it keeps heading north towards Rock State Park after the Jarrettsville area.

It's pretty hilly, by the way and where I'd like to add more mileage is going to make it even hillier since the roads I'd use would play off the Susquehanna River:

So, I did my first commute to work from the new place today -- 9.5 miles. The Trek feels like a tank compared to the Airborne (but looooove those cushy 32c tires on the crappy roads on the Fort! :love:) and my loaded-up garment pannier bag weighs 13 pounds :eek: by itself, so it was a bit of a workout. The ride home looks even windier (maybe it will be at my back -- HA!!!!!!! yeah, right) and maybe a little wet, too. But work has been such a stress-fest today, I'm sooo glad I can ride home, I don't really care what the weather does!

So, I did my first commute to work from the new place today -- 9.5 miles. The Trek feels like a tank compared to the Airborne (but looooove those cushy 32c tires on the crappy roads on the Fort! :love:) and my loaded-up garment pannier bag weighs 13 pounds :eek: by itself, so it was a bit of a workout. The ride home looks even windier (maybe it will be at my back -- HA!!!!!!! yeah, right) and maybe a little wet, too. But work has been such a stress-fest today, I'm sooo glad I can ride home, I don't really care what the weather does!

Winds are out of the south to southeast.

Hope you brought a raincoat. Mine is sitting out... now.

Anyway, a couple comments regarding your cue for Sunday--BBC demerits, I'm sure. There will be some riders who will not be able to cope with some of these areas:

- mile 6.33 Kenwood Ave - no shoulder; narrow road; possible construction; may have traffic;
- mile 6.67 Radecke/Lillian Holt; definite construction--SHA has been screwing around with this section of road for over a year;
- mile 9.39 cross Belair Rd to Putty Hill; short 11% hill right after you cross Belair;
- mile 12.27 Harford Rd - traffic, fast drivers, not much of a shoulder, guard rails in some places; not comfortable to bike on;

-Kenwood is a compromise for getting out to the county. We've got about 3/4 mile there and it's not too bad. IMHO
-Lillian Holt is decent until you get to that stupid bridge construction. It seems like they're finishing up the work, but it is a pain. Harry and I did manage to cross it without much problem.
-an 11% hill is a problem?
-this is a longish stretch of Harford rd. Many would feel intimidated by the fast traffic, but I take a comfortable chunk of the lane and the riding is mostly downhill- therefore fast. Drivers generally respect my position on the road. Plus, it's all worth it when you finally pull off onto beautiful Factory rd. One of the nicest uphills in town.

I'd guess that most of my rides would get BBC demerits, and while they can certainly be improved upon, long rides exiting from urban areas are always going to involve difficult sections.

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/L-Montebello-York-Furnace

This is a great addendum to route. I would love to do some exploring in that NE corner of PA.

-an 11% hill is a problem?
-this is a longish stretch of Harford rd. Many would feel intimidated by the fast traffic, but I take a comfortable chunk of the lane and the riding is mostly downhill- therefore fast. Drivers generally respect my position on the road. Plus, it's all worth it when you finally pull off onto beautiful Factory rd. One of the nicest uphills in town.

I'd guess that most of my rides would get BBC demerits, and while they can certainly be improved upon, long rides exiting from urban areas are always going to involve difficult sections.
.

11%-I don't recall that

traffic on a Sunday morning should be somewhat tamer so lessening the traffic factor, though minimal.

Being a veteran of but a few of your urban classics I have to say I was reluctant at first but can appreciate the mix, and cyclists should bike everywhere. Also, just as easy to get squashed by a pickup truck from hell on Cuba Rd.

I may or may not enjoy part of your upcoming Sunday ride. See if I can map a route to get me home in time for dad duty.

-an 11% hill is a problem?

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/L-Montebello-York-Furnace

This is a great addendum to route. I would love to do some exploring in that NE corner of PA.

You made this ride an 'all pace' which means that you should expect relative novices to come on the ride--someone who may have never seen 11%. It's a short little hill just after you cross Belair--I know cuz it's on my commute route.

York Furnace is a neat place. There's a park right at the edge of a lake with some huge boulders to climb on that overlook the lake. I thought I had some pictures of me and the [last] GF there, but I guess I didn't scan them in.

Winds are out of the south to southeast.

Hope you brought a raincoat. Mine is sitting out... now.

I ended up having to work so late :notamused: that the rain passed me by. The wind wasn't too bad, either, and was even occasionally at my back! I just got home about 30 minutes ago -- it's been a while since I've ridden in the full dark, I'd kind of forgotten how nervewracking and yet sheer fun that can be.

Thanks Josh. I wouldn't mind playing with them someday. See what all the fuss is about. Ninja night riding.... we should all consider(as weather gets better) a full moon ride. Early March and early April are the next FM.




Full moon or no moon, any night riding or late start good for me.
Weds March 11th, just tell me when and where.

During the BBC's social last sunday, I spoke for a bit with Judy Broadwater about how best to describe and categorize my "Rando Ramble" rides. She suggested leaving them at the 15-17 category and also to post to bbctalk describing the pace as 13-17 but, requiring a rider who can handle some traffic, rough surfaces, bad weather and mechanical failures during the ride. Seems like a good approach, but a bit complicated.

So, on my ride into work this morning I began thinking about NR giving my sunday ride BBC demerits. Perhaps this is a simpler solution. Rather than describing what hazards a rider should be prepared for, I merely give the ride demerits for each violation to the BBC norm. A potential rider could then assess how much they would NOT want to ride the route, rather than how much they WOULD want to ride it.

Here's what I was thinking:
BBC faux pas = Demerit value
RR x-ing = 1/x-ing
dirt road = 5/mile
trafficy road no shoulder = 2/mile
rough potholed/cobblestone road = 2/mile
crime-ridden area = 5/mile
constructon area = 3
entering a No Trespassing area = 10
riding in darkness = 5
getting lost = 10
getting drunk = 50
missing cue = 100

So, for the Monument to Monument ride I'd compute- 2 RR xings(2), dirt road(5), construction area(3), rough potholed roads(4), crime-ridden area(5), riding in darkness(10), getting lost(10)= 39 demerits

The Beer Run ride: RR x-ing (2), trafficy rd. (4), rough rd (2), crime ridden areas (10), darkness (5), missing cue (100), getting drunk (50)= 173!

Additions? Adjustments? -GB :D

Based on that scale the 26 miles ride to the inlaws and back

BBC faux pas = Demerit value
RR x-ing = 6
dirt road = 0
trafficy road no shoulder = 40
rough potholed/cobblestone road = 20
crime-ridden area = 5
constructon area = 6
entering a No Trespassing area = 10 (camden yards parking lot)
riding in darkness = 5
Total 92

You should add one for riding on shoulder of road with speeds over 50mph
say 10 points per mile?
or better yet on for me only, riding on major highway with traffic over 70 mph, Remeber my Rt 70 ride???!! say 100 points per mile.
Or as the BBC goes
add 5000 points for a 10% chance of rain or temps under 40 degrees.

Also I'm heading out to ride about 4pm, not sure how long or where to. Just waiting for the wife to get home from school. If anyone wants to join shoot me a pm.

riding on major highway with traffic over 70 mph, Remember my Rt 70 ride???!! say 100 points per mile.

:roflmao2:

Missing Cue=100?

My advice would be this. Don't even list a speed, just call the speed "rando". Kind of like how climbs in bike racing are beyond category HC (hors categorie). In randonneuring people set their own pace and it really isn't a group ride if it's rando, so why worry about pace?

Post a definition of this on the BBC list serve saying that rando means, any bike, any where, any surface, any weather, be prepared for mechanicals, beer stops, potential bike jacking, etc etc. I say your rides are a welcome addition and you should make them even more extreme, more gravel, etc.
Somewhere between regular BBC rides and the crazy DC Rand rides. With that said I will probably still be under the covers while you and NR are saddling up at Montebello.

Does any one here want to be in our Bike to Work Guide? I got the following request:

· If you have a good quote from a local bike commuter please include that and if possible a photo of the person.
· Any photos of cyclists, bike infrastructure, or facilities in your jurisdiction

Does any one here want to be in our Bike to Work Guide? I got the following request:

I consulted my crystal ball and it said that Robocommuter (NR) will respond to this post after he returns from his 3rd century ride in the last 12 hours. J/K

Got in 23 miles this evening, from good ole dundalk to Ft. Mchenry then through old dundalk and then home. Probally do the same ride tommorow after the wife gets home from work.

Only 2 morons parked on the harbor bike lane on the way out (city vehicles) completely blocking the lane, then on the way back 2 cabs were blocking it. If there is intelligent life out there other than fellow bfer's, they must not drive in b-more.

I don't know about you guys but riding through the city seems funner than I though it would be.
I did see one more cyclist that also went to the fort, I passed him on the way out.

I don't know, NR is real modest so I don't know if we can get him to volunteer for major celebrity status or not (it will be fun to try though.) Besides a before and after shot of him plus what he is currently doing would probably cause a few heads to explode in disbelief.

This is what I submitted:
Not exactly a quote but my favorite (true) story while commuting:
Motorist: Do you realize we have been passing each other for the last 5 miles?
Cyclist: I'm sorry I hope I did not inconvenience you.
Motorist: No its not that, I did not realize bikes are as fast as cars.
Cyclist: In the city it's real close.

Does any one here want to be in our Bike to Work Guide? I got the following request:


· If you have a good quote from a local bike commuter please include that and if possible a photo of the person.
· Any photos of cyclists, bike infrastructure, or facilities in your jurisdiction

My commuter quotes can not be published, nor a picture of the ensuing corresponding action which deals with birds, but has nothing to do with fowl.

The Pigeon Hills Hundred
28 February, 2009

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2009

"THE PIGEON HILLS HUNDRED," starting from Silo Hill Parkway in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

MEETING TIME 7:30 a.m.

Attended by: Chuck & Crista (Tandem 1), Nick & Jan (Tandem 2), Don, Michael, and me.

This very interesting ride BULGES in the middle, i.e., it begins gently, heading in a northeasterly direction through Adams County, Pa., then becomes VERY HILLY mid-ride through the gnarly PIGEON HILLS of York County.

Additionally, we suffered a cold headwind from the north nearly the entire way to lunch, but enjoyed a push home for the return trip.

After a wonderful lunch stop at Rocco's in East Berlin (home away from home for DC Randonneurs), there is one major climb back over the Pigeon Hills, followed by a mellow return to Emmitsburg.

102 miles with several short ptions--in addition to 52, 63 and 78-mile options, which don't make it all the way to Rocco's (so why even consider them?), there are some smaller shortcuts on the century route that you can take both before and after lunch and STILL make it to Rocco's (perhaps ahead of everyone else!).

About 6000-6500 feet of climbing for the century.

Activity


Route: -- Elev. Avg: 586 ft
Location: Emmitsburg, MD Elev. Gain: +0 ft
Date: 02/28/09 Up/Downhill: [+7053/-7053]
Time: 03:44 PM Difficulty: 4.4 / 5.0


Performance


Distance: 101.29 miles
Time: 7:09:22
Speed: 14.2 mph
Pace: 4' 14 /mi Heart Rate: 135 bpm (Avg)
Calories: 4639 166 bpm (Peak)

Notes
POWERMETER
------------------
Entire workout (134 watts):

Duration: 7:10:45
Work: 3458 kJ
TSS: 325.7 (intensity factor 0.674)
Norm Power: 175
VI: 1.31
Pw:HR: 17.63%
Pa:HR: -8.76%
Distance: 102.326 mi
Elevation Gain: 7320 ft
Elevation Loss: 7294 ft
Grade: 0.0 % (26 ft)

........Min Max Avg
Power: 0 664 134 watts
Heart Rate: 45 166 135 bpm
Cadence: 1 94 58 rpm
Speed: 1.5 39.4 14.3 mph
Pace 1:31 40:14 4:13 min/mi
Altitude: 288 1120 522 ft
Crank Torque: 0 660 187 lb-in
Wind Speed: 0 45.9 14.6 mph
Hill Slope: -13.8 15.6 1.1 %


MAP
http://bimactive.com/ba/ui/map_get.php?hasPlotPath=1&mapH=420&mapV=420&datasetID=415547&mapType=street

Elevation (ft)
http://bimactive.com/ba/ui/chart_get.php?actID=288031&chartH=420&chartV=135&datasetID=415547&chartType=default_chart_route&units=1

Speed (mph)
http://bimactive.com/ba/ui/chart_get.php?actID=288031&chartH=420&chartV=135&datasetID=415547&chartType=default_chart_activity&units=1

GB--what's the status for tomorrow?

Btw, I like that demerit system. I wonder how the BBC's own rides would hold up to it.

And, the tallies are in for this week, this month, and YTD:

GB--what's the status for tomorrow?

Btw, I like that demerit system. I wonder how the BBC's own rides would hold up to it.

Yikes. Sorry, I just got in. Your ride leader was out partying :beer:
Weather looks not too good, but then again not too bad either.
I'll be at the start at 9:15. If the riding is crappier than expected I'll do the short version.

My commuter quotes can not be published, nor a picture of the ensuing corresponding action which deals with birds, but has nothing to do with fowl.

:roflmao2: Seriously though, you are and inspiration, can't I get something out of you like calories burned, money saved on gas, something?

:roflmao2: Seriously though, you are and inspiration, can't I get something out of you like calories burned, money saved on gas, something?

How about how much money I saved not even needing Geico! [untrue--still got a cage]

I'll think of something. Deadline? [So, I can procrastinate until then.]

Yikes. Sorry, I just got in. Your ride leader was out partying :beer:
Weather looks not too good, but then again not too bad either.
I'll be at the start at 9:15. If the riding is crappier than expected I'll do the short version.

I'm up... have been since 5am. I'm not feeling especially recovered from yesterday, so I'm going to hold you to your word about that 15 mph speed. I'm dumping some coffee au lait, oatmeal au lait, water, and Mike & Ikes down my gullet at the moment. I may have to chase that with some ibuprofen just before I leave.

See ya at about 9:15.

Sheesh...:twitchy:... just looked outside and it snowed! :D

Bob? What ya gonna do? The temps are right at freezing and I'm not sure how much salt is left on the roads, but I'm packed--just need to get lubed [embrocated] & dressed.

Sheesh...:twitchy:... just looked outside and it snowed! :D

Bob? What ya gonna do? The temps are right at freezing and I'm not sure how much salt is left on the roads, but I'm packed--just need to get lubed [embrocated] & dressed.

Hmm... I don't want to be reckless, but it still seems like a ride day to me. I trust that the roads are warm enough from the recent temps that freezing is unlikely. I'll still be there at 9:15, but you should make your own call on it.

Hmm... I don't want to be reckless, but it still seems like a ride day to me. I trust that the roads are warm enough from the recent temps that freezing is unlikely. I'll still be there at 9:15, but you should make your own call on it.

Dude, I'm already dressed! :innocent:

I may start meandering my way there.

BTW, the bulk of the precip is just south in Virginia heading north. I'm kinda excited in a way. :eek: More Mike & Ikes!

EDIT! There calling for 8 inches overnight!

How about how much money I saved not even needing Geico! [untrue--still got a cage]

I'll think of something. Deadline? [So, I can procrastinate until then.]

March 6, 2009 at 4:00 PM to "Amber K. Blake" <ablake@baltometro.org>

And the same encouragement goes to all you other peps out there, every one has cool story, Charlie and his folder, GB looking for extra hills on his commute.

Also we are in need of photos of cyclists, bike infrastructure, or facilities in your jurisdiction (Balto Metro area.)

Snow ride. Take it easy. :D

Snow ride. Take it easy. :D

LOL! :lol:

Out in 15 [mikes]. <-- military speak for 15 minutes, in case ya didn't know.

March 6, 2009 at 4:00 PM to "Amber K. Blake" <ablake@baltometro.org>

And the same encouragement goes to all you other peps out there, every one has cool story, Charlie and his folder, GB looking for extra hills on his commute.

Also we are in need of photos of cyclists, bike infrastructure, or facilities in your jurisdiction (Balto Metro area.)

Even though I don't commute now, I still lost over 30lbs commuting alone in addition to not driving saving money on gas.

If you want I'm sure I can come up with a quote along the lines of

"Commuting by bike has made me more aware of my surrounding and happenings in my own neighborhood by slowing down and taking it all in. In addition to that I have lost over 30lbs, I am also more fit than I have even been, Commuting only take 10 minutes longer by bike but the benifits make it well worth it"

Feel free to change,edit or not use it, if you do want to use it I can change into bike/work clothes and get the wife to take a pic

(though I spent all the money saved and then some on bike stuff instead)

Nice :thumb:

Congrats on losing 30 lbs, cool. It's not my decision to include or exclude a quote so all are welcomed. Email me or Amber your full name and a pic and we'll see what happens. (my email address can be found here: http://baltobikeclub.org/index.pl/information )

I always liked the half hour workout in 10 minutes extra of my time so I saved time angle. I hear ya in not saving money but we won't tell the newbes that. ;)

NR, again, good riding with you. Gracias.

We handily finished the Lake to Furnace 100K without any weather incidents. A few moments of snow, but luckily no slippery rds. Lotsa climbing on this route. NR was so tired from his ride yesterday that I barely kept up. :lol:

The Lake to Furnace
01 March, 2009

Baltimore Bike Club (BBC) member, Bob (BikeForums.net nickname - Greater Brown) and I met at Baltmore's Lake Montebello at just about 9am. We both rode from our respective homes to the lake, nearly 8 miles for me.

While riding around the lake for a few loops, I noticed that the wind was out of the north. Also, it was snowing with perhaps a little sleet mixed in--a wintry mix.

Bob and I waited for others to show up, but no one else came even though the ride was listed on the BBC listserv and confirmed to be still on.

The ride was pretty uneventful--a good thing on a day like today. Motor vehicle operators seemed very tolerant throughout the ride.

Outside of the city, the winter precipitation was off and on. At one point it was coming down rather steadily.

At the midway point, we stopped for something to eat--hot subs at Three Brothers Pizza. Bob had a pizza sub and I had a cheeseburger sub with everything splattered with extra hot sauce.

On the way back, we enjoyed a tailwind most of the way and the precipitation stopped completely. It had warmed up, as well.

All in all, it was a great ride. It's always a pleasure riding with Bob. My only gripe [not really--just rattling his cage] is that it seemed like he picked every road that had a hill. Apparently, we rode on one with about a 16 percent pitch. Total climbing was ~5,000 feet, but it felt like more to me, especially after the 7,000+ feet of climbing from yesterday. [It was 6,200 ft if I include my ride to and from the lake from home.]

Activity


Route: -- Elev. Avg: 317 ft
Location: Essex, MD, Elev. Gain: +3 ft
Date: 03/01/09 Up/Downhill: [+6207/-6204]
Time: 03:22 PM Difficulty: 4.8 / 5.0
Weather:


WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL SUN MAR 01 2009 11:45 PM EST

39 F temp; 65% humidity
39 F heat index; winds N 3 mph
Performance


Distance: 84.95 miles
Time: 5:54:20
Speed: 14.4 mph
Pace: 4' 10 /mi
Calories: 3932
Notes


Entire workout (139 watts):

Duration: 4:15:05
Work: 2122 kJ
TSS: 221.1 (intensity factor 0.721)
Norm Power: 187
VI: 1.35
Pw:HR: 3.7%
Pa:HR: -7.15%
Distance: 62.554 mi
Elevation Gain: 4951 ft
Elevation Loss: 4897 ft
Grade: 0.0 % (54 ft)

Min Max Avg
Power: 0 658 139 watts
Heart Rate: 78 166 135 bpm
Cadence: 1 99 66 rpm
Speed: 1.1 34.8 14.7 mph
Pace 1:43 53:39 4:05 min/mi
Altitude: 85 710 380 ft
Crank Torque: 0 868 168 lb-in
Wind Speed: 0 39 13.2 mph
Hill Slope: -13.2 16.2 1.0 %
MAP
http://bimactive.com/ba/ui/map_get.php?hasPlotPath=1&mapH=420&mapV=420&datasetID=415819&mapType=street

ELEVATION (FT)
http://bimactive.com/ba/ui/chart_get.php?actID=288269&chartH=420&chartV=135&datasetID=415819&chartType=default_chart_route&units=1

SPEED (MPH)
http://bimactive.com/ba/ui/chart_get.php?actID=288269&chartH=420&chartV=135&datasetID=415819&chartType=default_chart_activity&units=1

Bob, thanks again, for a nicely crafted ride. :beer:

Hey folks; Truly an awesome ride this AM. Drove to the train in C-ville but had quite a bike ride from the train to work. No studs on the bike as I took them off a few weeks back. I was kickin' it old skool. Slip sliding everywhere but enough traction to ride if I took the lane. Shoulders were almost impassable. I had to be very light on the front wheel or I would have gone down for sure. Few cars and they gave me tons of room. When I got to my single track wooded section I was wishing I had a camera to share the beauty of the woods. Needless to say I will be putting the studs back on tonight.
Side note: I bought a new PI balaclava last week to replace my lost 7 year old REI one. The PI was way overkill. It was like wearing a plastic bag over my head. I have find the old one.
NR and GB: Impressive that you rode yesterday. I woke up looked outside and figured you guys were done for the day. Wrong. I am willing to bet you 2 were the only recreational riders in MD yesterday.
Josh: 30lbs, way to go. That will motivate folks to bike to work. Crazy life with my parents(found an nice apt. for them) so the full moon ride may have to wait until April.
Barry: I always say, "My commute is often the best part of my day AND I even like my job and wife." Not many cagers can say that. Except those that hate their job and wife:)

Some nice quotes! :thumb:

Lurkers can chime in too, you know.

Hey folks; Truly an awesome ride this AM.

:cry: I forgot to turn my alarm on and woke up 1/2 an hour late. Looked outside--not enough snow on the roads, which means to me that the salt trucks and plows were out. But, I still had to dig out the truck, so instead I called work to say I would be in at about 11am. Went back to sleep.

Woke up at 7:30. Looked at the streets. Now, they are covered. Ahhh-ha! Snow removal is becoming overwhelmed and likely concentrating on the main thoroughfares. Called into work to say I won't be coming in after all.

I'm thinking of going out and testing the roads on the bike. I may take my hybrid instead of the road bike since I spent a little more time than usual cleaning the road bike up after yesterday. (And it was filllllllthy--ask GB--my chainrings were so black on the inside that they were starting to look like they were anodized! :eek: )

My hardest decision for the bike today will be whether I should use platforms or go MTB.

Snow Ride 200903-01 http://bimactive.com/ba/journal/post/10783/21048
02 March, 2009


Shhhhhhhhhhsh! I played hookie from work today!

I did this short ride around the neighborhood, but not after playing around with pedal options.

I started with platform pedals, but I quickly discovered that I had a problem countersteering out of the front wheel that was washing out--well I really didn't know whether using clipless MTB pedals would help--it did.

After I swapped pedals and shoes, I did a couple lines up and down the street and cutting through deeper snow in my front yard. YES! this is feeling better!

I lock the front door to my house and started down the less steep hill on my street. Mace Avenue was pretty clear. Just melted snow and slush along the edges.

So, I rode around finally ending up out at Cox's Point where I took these:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v285/NoRacer/Blog%20Support/0302091136.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v285/NoRacer/Blog%20Support/0302091137.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v285/NoRacer/Blog%20Support/0302091137a.jpg

From Cox's Point I rode back toward the house, but decided to ride around the Birkshire Road area for a little bit (but, also to escape the unrelenting wind from the north which was right in my face.)

Returning from there via Riverside Drive, I headed home. It was the right time to do so, because my drive train--she no more workie!

Once in the front yard I took these pics of the bike:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v285/NoRacer/Blog%20Support/0302091209-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v285/NoRacer/Blog%20Support/0302091209a.jpg <--There's an air pump in there somewhere
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v285/NoRacer/Blog%20Support/0302091209b.jpg <--There a rear derailleur in there somewhere, too

I need fenders!!!!

Activity


Route: -- Elev. Avg: 32 ft
Location: Essex, MD, Elev. Gain: +0 ft
Date: 03/02/09 Up/Downhill: [+370/-370]
Time: 12:09 PM Difficulty: 3.8 / 5.0
Weather: WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL MON MAR 02 2009 02:00 PM EST


25 F temp; 63% humidity
25 F heat index; winds NW 15 mph
Performance


Distance: 8.26 miles
Time: 0:58:07
Speed: 8.5 mph
Pace: 7' 04 /mi
Calories: 394
MAP
http://bimactive.com/ba/ui/map_get.php?hasPlotPath=1&mapH=420&mapV=420&datasetID=416060&mapType=street

Funny, I woke up this morning and one of my first thoughts was "I wonder if those dudes in Baltimore are riding today" ! I shouldn't be suprised really.

Days like this made me wish I was still commuting, I would have put the knobbies on the mountain bike (still haven't done it) tranfered the taillight and been the only person on the road, then at work everyone would be in disbelief. **sigh**

On the upside I was one of the many idiots on the road @ 530am, going less than 25mph with their hazards on, I did make it all the way there in one piece, although 1.5 hours.

Anyone else going to do Glenelg March 10th? I'm hoping to make it "my thing" since weekend rides are out til may.

95 was great,695 was ok, 97 was ok, Rt 3/301 was worse than my side street couldn't tell if I was in a lane or not.

Today was really cold, roads clear though. The last mile through the woods kicked my butt. I have to cross a 300 yard meadow(agriculture fields) and there were drifts up to and above my axle. I should have just walked but no I pushed on. It's really hard to re-start peddling after momentum is lost. I was spent by the time I got to work. I'm swapping back to slicks and riding the road.
Josh: 1.5 hrs:twitchy:
NR: You got to play in the snow, excellent. I can't see your pixs but fenders actually suck with a lot of heavy snow. Sometimes the snow gets wedged between the wheel and fenders. They are great for slush and water.
kr32: The main reason for riding is my hatred of car commuting and yesterday would have been a nightmare(ie Josh's commute)

Today was really cold, roads clear though. The last mile through the woods kicked my butt. I have to cross a 300 yard meadow(agriculture fields) and there were drifts up to and above my axle. I should have just walked but no I pushed on. It's really hard to re-start peddling after momentum is lost. I was spent by the time I got to work. I'm swapping back to slicks and riding the road.
Josh: 1.5 hrs:twitchy:
NR: You got to play in the snow, excellent. I can't see your pixs but fenders actually suck with a lot of heavy snow. Sometimes the snow gets wedged between the wheel and fenders. They are great for slush and water.
kr32: The main reason for riding is my hatred of car commuting and yesterday would have been a nightmare(ie Josh's commute)

It was mostly the slush being thrown up on to the RD that was a problem. It was stuck in the middle chain ring--better the middle than being stuck on either end, I suppose.

I rode this morning ( http://bimactive.com/ba/journal/post/10783/21054 ). I was toasty in my woolies!

The wool balaclava worked out well. I was able to breath through it, but it started to frost over by my mouth and nose. This became sort of a feature, because I was able to mold that section as if it had a wire in it. I made it follow the contour of the bottom of my ski goggles. It only got stiff around the edge, so I was still able to breath through it with no problem as long as the effort level was not very high.

I've had problems with the Ultegra STI shifters sucking the heat out of my fingers making a finger or thumb go numb over time. This morning, I cut a hole in each toe of a pair of socks and slid the socks over the shift levers and then over top of the brake hoods. This worked really well at insulating my hands from the shifter. None of my fingers got cold or numb this morning. I got the idea, yesterday, riding the K2, where the shifters on the K2 are rubber and have a leather pad over top of the handle as well. I noticed that my fingers stayed toasty during yesterday's ride. I think that I'll add more "insulation" on the bar tops as well.

An idle brain is the devil's workshop.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v285/NoRacer/Blog%20Support/0303092059a.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v285/NoRacer/Blog%20Support/0303092059.jpg

:roflmao2:

Your handlebars look like my hot water pipes... you may be on to something. ;)