Fifty Plus (50+) - Where is Stapfam's New Years Day Ride

Where is the thread for Stapfam's virtual New Years Day ride? Did a search and found nothing. I am finally some where that I don't have to wear four layers of clothes and buck a 20 mile wind! Pulled the plug and retired. I am in a small town in south Georgia (Thomasville) waiting to go into Florida. Weather is in the 70's ... would be great place to ride. Now, I just need the ride!

Where is the thread for Stapfam's virtual New Years Day ride? Did a search and found nothing. I am finally some where that I don't have to wear four layers of clothes and buck a 20 mile wind! Pulled the plug and retired. I am in a small town in south Georgia (Thomasville) waiting to go into Florida. Weather is in the 70's ... would be great place to ride. Now, I just need the ride!


Seeing the weather that most of us are experiencing- I did not think it was worth attempting. Snow up to your armpits in parts of the US, Very high winds forecast for the UK and most of Europe, and 85 degrees forecast for San diego.


BUT if you wish to join in- We'll stick to the same format as last year. Get out on a bike as near 3PM UK or London time as you can manage. Ride does not have to be anything special- except for those of you on Trainers-Then I think a Minimum of 10 miles at a leisurely pace to accomodate the Hot pie that should be coming your way. And if you are on a trainer- then Full cycling gear to be worn-except for the Helmet. Instead you can wear a funny hat of some description.

I will be out tomorrow at 3PM UK time but for some of you it will put it a bit early after tonights revelry- Or extra cup of cocoa in DG's case, I suggest you just take a ride once the headache has gone.

Sorry to spring it on you but I did think about mentioning it but Thought that Not many would want it. It looks as though some might so we are all lumbered now. Have a happy new years Ride And pics are a requirement

Just on 2 am in the morning on 1st january 2007 and I have just walked over from my neighbour in the Close. I am completely out of my head so happy new year to all of you, and just hope I wake up in time for the 3 pm start to my new years ride. I am going to feel a bit under the weather tomorrow morning so any cures for a hangover? If you have- please let me know quietly. Happy new year to all and good riding today- if you can manage it

Gatorade and rest is the only cure that is sure. Heavy on the rest.

9.20am on the 1st and I don't feel too bad. Just glad that I am not getting in a morning ride. My head is still on my shoulders instead of between my knees, but I feel a bit washed out. Wind is not as high as forecast and brilliant sun out in the garden. Bit cool at around 40degrees and I do not think it is going to get much warmer.

Just walked down the garden to look at the bike and it is still there so nothing to stop me riding. I have about 5 hours to recover and sort a few things to be ready for the ride, but first of all I have to get some water down me. For someone that does not drink a great deal- I put a fair amount away last night so the 20 mile trip I have planned is going seem long.

I was still feeling under the weather but I started to ride at 2.30pm. Weather was cool but bright sun and not too much wind. One of my riding partners wanted an Airing aswell so it was out with the Bianchi for a 10 mile ride up our local MUP. This is a closed down railway line-Closed in 64 along with many other loss making lines- and when the railway was called the Cuckoo Line. It is still called that and the name derives from the number of Cuckoos than are in this area in the spring. Only problem with this MUP is the number of people using it. Can get quite crowded with Familys walking- Kids trying out their New Christmas bikes and dogs running loose everywhere. Today was no exception. No day for speed and thanks to the covered in aspect of the trail- It was cold. I do mean cold. Hands froze- body got cold and thanks to the Deep puddles, the wet feet were like blocks of ice.

Still it was done and the remains of the hangover that I still had at the start- went within a couple of miles.

Left at noon CST, 32F, 20 mph head wind on the way out, twenty mph tailwind on the loop back-hoot hoot. 27 miles total.

I sat up a bit too late last night, but only had one drink, so I was ready to go this morning. I had decided to ride the Fort Worth Bicycling Association club ride which started at Joe Pool Lake, just 5.4 miles from my house, at 9:00 am. They had all kinds of food laid out for riders to eat at 8:30, so I climbed on my bike and left my driveway at 8:10 am. It was sunny, 32 degrees, with a NNW wind, blowing 12 mph. I can safely say this is the coldest temperature in which I have ever turned pedals on a bicycle.

I was decked out in plenty of clothes, chemical hand warmer packs laying on top of my toes, and riding my Rans Nimbus bike, which now has the fairing which used to be on my tandem, and other than my fingers, I was warm as toast riding to the ride start.

There were about 25 riders. This is a small turnout for this ride, probably due to the weather, and the number of other rides being done today. This would be my first club ride on my 35 lb beater bike, so I knew that I would be working pretty hard to keep up, and I was right. But, I was able to stay with the hammerheads most of the way to the town of Alvarado, which is the main stop in the ride. It was a faster than usual pace, and about 5 miles before Alvarado, a friend got dropped, and I fell back to stay with her. More dropped riders joined us.

Leaving Alvarado, a larger group formed which let the fastest few riders go ahead. Even on my fast bike, I have days when I struggle to stay with these riders faster pace coming back, so I was content to stay with this medium speed group. We stopped and regrouped a couple of times to let riders catch up. Most of the return loop was against a quartering wind, which was blowing harder than at the start of the ride, and made it a tough trip back.

Still, it was a really good ride, right up to the point where I split off the group, about 8 miles from home, and headed straight home instead of back to the ride start. This stretch has some rolling hills, and was straight into the now straight north wind, and I really hit the wall, and struggled the rest of the way. My beater bike is a much better road bike than I ever thought it would be, but if I'm going to ride it on club rides, I really need to trim 2 or 3 pounds of weight off it. It was 48 degrees when I arrived home. My ride distance ended up being 61.1 miles.

As soon as I arrived home, I showered and then sat down to our traditional family New Years Day meal, which was smoked turkey, ham, dressing, mash potatoes and gravy, green beans, and black eyed peas. I just finished my meal, and I'm eating my piece of pumpkin pie as I type this. Happy New Years Day, everyone!

I rode through downtown Kansas City Missouri today. Got in 26 miles, now if I could do that every day this year I would have over 9400. :D

http://thumb0.webshots.net/t/57/557/2/43/65/2903243650100102440CgGiLg_th.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2903243650100102440CgGiLg)

http://thumb0.webshots.net/t/59/459/1/13/89/2538113890100102440GICrmx_th.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2538113890100102440GICrmx)

Here is my report for the New Year's Day ride.

On Sunday, December 31, I read an advert on CL which advised that a Fuji Thrill mountain bike was for sale. I had lost my beloved Diamondback a few months ago. It now rests, permanently, in a very deep ravine. I looked, loved, purchased.

On 1 January, 2007, I took the new bike out for a romp:

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k317/East_Hill/IMG_0423.jpg
The start of the trail.

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k317/East_Hill/IMG_0426.jpg
One of the steep bits. One can often find blacktail deer along this section.

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k317/East_Hill/IMG_0429.jpg
A graphic representation of the Lake Youngs Trail. The large round object on the right is an old water pipe!

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k317/East_Hill/IMG_0430.jpg
A really steep bit. Yes, that is snow down there. The fence was damaged in our big windstorm. I would estimate that over one mile of fence was replaced due to storm damage.

The new trusty steed:

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k317/East_Hill/IMG_0434.jpg

The Lake Youngs trail makes a loop around the Lake Youngs Reservoir. It's about nine and one half miles, plus four miles round trip to the house.

I finished by having a toasted cheese sandwich:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancashire_cheese

But, that was not the end of the day for riding...the other half of the day is to be found in

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=3620039&posted=1#post3620039

starting at Post #247...

East Hill

I have been reading this thread at work during the week and waiting for an opportunity to be at my home computer to add my own post and photo.
Jan 1 was to be a special ride day with my son. We had planned to ride in the local Polar Bear ride. It's a fun ride and the funds go to support Cancer support groups.
Anyway, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day morning were a soggy mess here. At mid-morning the rain gauge in my yard recorded 4.25 inches of rain. We opted out of the morning Polar Bear event and hoped that a forecast clearing would come through at mid day.
Right on schedule at about 12:00 the skies began to clear and by 2:00 pm my son and I were getting ready for a nice ride.
I have attached a photo taken as we were getting the bikes out to load onto my car. Normally I always begin riding right at my home, but I wanted my son to see some of the great country to the west of our home and so we drove out to a better starting point for him.
All told it was a wonderful afternoon temps in the low 60's and a beautiful fresh sky after all of that rain.
Total ride 22.7 miles. A great way to begin the new year.