WOW, that sounds really exotic for someone from Colorado. Then again, I guess our rides in Colorado might sound exotic to you!!

Nice ride report. Thanks for posting.

Today's report is less exciting than my last one, even though I did have a car load of guys blow me kisses. I think that was their way of thanking me for riding my bike instead of driving my car.

My ride was awesome, I have no idea how far I went or my average speed. Since I sold Sweetness I yesterday I was left with my mtb. I had the most fun just pedaling around my hometown. I rode through local neighborhoods, cruised down hills, said hello to people doing yardwork, and saw a Lamborghini. There was no pressure, no personal record to beat, just me and my bike puttering along.

I noticed I am much stronger on hills, and my average speed has increased, and I am much more comfortable handling my bike. I feel in love with biking all over again, not that I was out of love with it, but that I remembered why I got back on the bike in the first place. I saw lots of beautiful birds, a Cardinal landed right next to me at a light, which was so cool.

I have been so unhappy and frustarted these last few weeks, that this is the first time that I have felt happy. I came home trying to think of errands I could run this week on my bike or which of my friends I could brow beat into going for a ride. All I know is that I can't wait til tomorrow evening to do it all again.

I have been so unhappy and frustarted these last few weeks, that this is the first time that I have felt happy. I came home trying to think of errands I could run this week on my bike or which of my friends I could brow beat into going for a ride. All I know is that I can't wait til tomorrow evening to do it all again.

Isn't biking great to get rid of tensions?

I have been riding 20-25 miles per day consistently, plus I also love weight lifting to get rid of tensions. Rode 20 miles this morning and then this evening just got finished with 1.5 hours of weight lifting. Wow, am I tension-free.:D

This weekend I just rode around Portland a lot. Here's the city from the eastside waterfront path...

Yesterday's ride was good. Started to ride out to Fall City from here which by map said about 34 miles but it turned out to be farther than that. The route I planned on taking out there was hwy 503 which I have rode bits an pieces before but not in one stretch. I thought it pretty much had shoulder the whole length of it but as soon as I crossed into King County the shoulder disappeared!!!!! And the speed limit was 55 and they were going faster than that! I white knuckeld it and peddled like a mad man until I got to Duval (about 2 or 3 miles I don't really know my concentration was on my riding and the traffic.) But it seemed like for ever until I made it to a stretch with a shoulder. Phew boy am I glad I got out of that one, so I altered course and headed toward Woodenville then cut up the west Snoqualime Valley rd up then cut east through the Nestle Farm back to 203 then I did an about face rode back and took the back roads back int Everett. It was a great ride and exciting to boot. I got my 70 miles in which is good three more weekends and it is the STP(Seattle to Portland) ride and my brother and a freind are comming up from San Diego to do it with me :)

Originally posted by ngateguy
I got my 70 miles in which is good three more weekends and it is the STP(Seattle to Portland) ride and my brother and a freind are comming up from San Diego to do it with me :)

Anyone else here planning on doing the STP? Maybe we could all ride together... or at least attempt to. I'm planning on doing a ride from Marysville to Anacortes this weekend.

Nice Picture in Portland.

Great ride today.

21.87 miles
Top speed 30 mph
Bottom speed 0 mph
Temperature 56F degrees entire ride
Cloudy and overcast - perfect biking weather.
Shorts and light windbreaker
Mtn Bike

Had to go to dentist at 7:30 am, took bike in van.
Left dentist, went to Cook Park in Denver.
Rode along Cherry Creek to Cherry Creek Reservoir and did the 10 mile loop and some side trails and returned.

Features.
Very few folks out. Too cold for many.
Cherry Creek State Park is a 5,000 acre preserve with a 1200 acre lake right in the middle of the southeastern metro area.
Many beautiful birds, one deer, lots of squirrels.
Flowers just gorgeous.
Significant hills to climb both up and down (that is where I got the 30 mph).
Great way to start the day.

Leave for San Diego tomorrow am. Taking bikes and plan on biking along the way.

Have a great day, everyone!!

Today's ride was excellent. I knocked out a little over 17 miles, and go back to the gym to shower and change for work. For whatever reason I like riding first thing in the morning, its not too noisy and the bugs aren't up yet. Seems like the coolest way to start my day.

Yesterday being Canada Day and a holiday, I went riding with my husband. He likes to push me and not let me get away with flat roads, easy rides, etc. I get crabby when he does this but must admit that I'm glad he does 'cause I'd never improve otherwise. Did 74 km through the countryside here in southern Ontario. Beautiful weather and a beautiful ride and lots of hills.

Well, ngateguy and I met up last sunday and did a ride along with another person. We posted our accounts in the General Discussion forum but it probably belongs in this one too so I'll just post a link to it (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=30897) for those interested.

ngateguy led our little group of three on a Saturday afternoon ride from Mulkiteo, WA to Monroe, WA and back for a roundtrip distance of 50 miles.

We started out at the Mulkiteo State Park (now misnamed because it's no longer owned by the state of WA) which is located along the shore near the ferry docks. After exitting the park, we were greeted by an immediate climb up to a major arterial street that took us north through the outskirts of south Everett by running parallel to the coastline. All along the way, we were treated to nice views of the sound.

We then swung east and crossed over I-5 while heading towards Ebey Island. After turning southeast and skirting Hwy 2 we were dumped onto a nice flat and straight road (more importantly it was relatively free of traffic). This gave us the opportunity to hammer for about 2 miles. I was able to hit 30MPH but didn't hold it for very long.

Slowing down to a more managable pace, we headed towards the town of Snohomish passing through scenic countryside. The sun was starting to come out by now.

After passing under Hwy 9, we entered the quaint town of Snohomish and rode through its historic (and quite touristry) downtown. We didn't spend much time sight-seeing though and left Snohomish behind us and entered rolling hills on our way towards Monroe.

Cresting the final hill above Monroe rewarded us with a nice descent into town. We then continued through the business district and pulled off at a small park overlooking the Snohomish River for our break. While munching on energy bars, ngateguy posed with his bike for a picture and I mentioned to him that it looks like we'll be flat-free this trip.

Before setting about on our return, we all decided to make a quick restroom stop. When I returned from the facilities, the third person in our group mentioned that ngateguy's rear tyre was losing air and he went over to the covered benches to change tubes. I guess my comment earlier jinxed us. After repairs were completed, we then decided to stop by a LBS on the way out of town so that ngateguy could fully pump up his tyre.

It was then my turn to take the lead. ngateguy explained to me the route back. I told them I thought I understood it but to yell at me if I started to take a wrong turn. The nice descent that lead into Monroe of course turned into a long climb. It wasn't bad but there was no shoulder. The ride back to Snohomish was even more scenic since the Sun was now out in full.

Just as I feared, right after entering Snohomish, I heard a yell from behind informing me I had missed the important turn to take us back through the business district. Sheepishly, I backtracked down the hill I had started climbing and we once again made our way through the downtown section. As we started exitting town, another yell from behind prompted us to pull off again. Apparently ngateguy's tyre was losing air again. He certainly was getting good at tube changes. I offered him my spare tube this time which he happily accepted.

We continued on shortly afterwards with ngateguy in the lead. Instead of taking us back to Everett exactly the way we came, ngateguy led us towards Lowell and up a nice steep hill before heading into Everett. We then wove our way through south Everett and hit some more rollers that also afforded us more great views of Puget Sound before getting us back into Mulkiteo.

After loading our bikes back onto our vehicles, we decided to wander over to a local pub for a pint before we parted ways. I have posted pictures of the ride in my gallery (http://www.neebu.net/~khuon/gallery/mukilteo-monroe). Not only was I shooting on the move, but I also even expirimented with shooting backwards over-the-shoulder. There's one shot where you can even see my left ear. :D I also at one point handed the camera to a fellow rider so he could snap a shot of me thereby giving me one of the very few pictures of me riding. However, for some reason, my face turned out looking pudgy. :( I think I was trying too hard to smile or something. Maybe it's for the best that pictures of me are rare? :confused: All-in-all, it was a wonderful ride that incorporated all elements of the kind of terrain we'll be encountering next week on the STP.

Nice pics and ride report. Thanks.

I rode yesterday, starting in a thunderstorm, for 38 miles on my new bike. Previously the farthest I'd ridden had been 27 miles. The ride was so much fun. Ten folks met up at a local fitness place, headed south as soon as the latest thunder storm rolled north (off of the Gulf toward Houston). The rain kept the air cool and let up within an hour. We got back just as it was starting to get steamy.

In the process of this ride I fell in love with my new bike. I'd tried to ride with a cyclist in the past on my comfort bike. Ha! My speed increased at least 3 mph and my effort dropped 10- 20 beats per minute (heart rate). Not to mention it is far more comfortable than the so-called comfort bike.

On the ride saw Emu, Llama, miniature ponies, Guinea fowl, numerous chickens, cows and horses. Networked with some folks in the same business I'm in. What a fabulous Saturday. I wanna go again! I wanna go again! Well, as soon as the soreness in the shoulders and backside abates a bit. Tomorrow? I'll let ya'll know.

In the process of this ride I fell in love with my new bike.

And your new bike is ???

Great 25 miles today. And, since I love hills, I have finally managed to map out a route that gives me 12 miles of consistent uphill with only some short downhills. Some of the uphill is not very steep at all, but some is steep enough that I coast down at 35 mph with no pedaling.

Generally, the Denver area is quite flat. But, just east of us we have an uplift called the Black Forest which goes up about 1,000 feet or so. SO, I have mapped my way through this for a great training route.

Anyway, I think hills are great as they are the best thing for training that I know about - at least that I enjoy.

My rec ride has been put on hold until my d@mn knee stops hurting. BooHoo :(

I saw bunnies and chipmunks today, so it is all good.

I have had a deer cross my path three mornings in a row.

Is there an omen there somewhere?

Are they better than black cats?

10.5 miles yesterday.

30.5 miles today. For the first time I was able to ride directly to Cherry Creek State Park - 5.5 miles from home - new road construction made this possible. Then I took the loop around 5,000 acres of wildflowers, trees, deer, birds, hills and valleys, hiking and biking trails and a 1200 acre lake right in the middle of the Denver Metro SE area.

Great time.

Thanks for asking DnvrFox.
My new bike is a Specialized Allez Vita. Road 42 miles yesterday. Similar route, but less exotic game. Although did have to dodge goats and guinea fowl on the road. Wednesdays must be open gate day. My speed is increasing, averaged 15 mph this time. But had more problems - pinky on my left hand is still numb. So I decided against a short ride today. Will re-eval tomorrow. And it is a good thing that I'm not too bothered by rain. Rained/thunderstormed again yesterday and will most certainly do so tomorrow. Oh well, it cools things off. More later after I ride. TBeri

Cherry Creek Trail - 07/11/2003

Great ride this morning. I was feeling a little tired because of a 5 1/2 hour drive yesterday, but thought I should get my lazy carcass out of bed and take a ride. It was cooler here this morning - about 75 degrees and overcast with some wind out of the south. I was surprised to see only about 5 riders out on my route this morning - I think the wind kept them home, but I usually see up to 20 on a Sunday morning ride. Anyway, I went 16 miles and worked on my "cheat the wind" techniques. It woke me up and I'm ready for the rest of the day.

Went to the mtns this past weekend, planned on doing some riding and hiking. Got some hiking in, but wife's allergies kicked in so bad that we did not do any riding and came home early.

SO, anyway, today did nice 23 mile short ride. Stopped for bkfst at McD's - had the $1.00 sausage muffin (I take the greasy sausage out and throw it away) and a small OJ. Sort of fun along the way to stop, eat, and read the paper.

I plan on doing a 40 miler this Wednesday, everything else being equal. That will be my longest ride this season, if I pull it off. I don't think it has ever taken me so long to get back in shape. Age, maybe? Or perhaps still not fully recovered from surgery this past winter?? Who knows - at least I am riding without any pain or meds. That part is great. Also, today, I was able to keep up with some younger (like 30-45 years younger) riders for a short period. Also felt good.

Have a great day, everyone!!

This morning I finally got in 20 miles before work. I have been capable of it for some time, but generally I have not had the time. Well today I made the time and had a ball. I had a small mishap with a bee. It flew down my jersey and I spent the next half a mile whining like and idiot and trying to get it off of me (can you tell I am scared of bees?). I finally knocked it off my leg, and rode on adrenaline for 1.5 miles.

I figured since I had reached another goal I deserved a nice breakfast. So I got a bagel with cream cheese and lox and a good cup of coffee. Now I feel human.

Oh I almost forgot the best part, I made a new friend. There is an older gentleman, a double leg amputee, that rides a hand powered bike. I see him on the trail in the mornings when I ride. Well today we rode together for the first ten miles of my ride. I would pass him up the hills and he would pass me going down. When I stopped to stretch he told me that wasn't allowed. It was nice to have someone to keep pace with, and we weren't moving slowly.

Oh I almost forgot the best part, I made a new friend. There is an older gentleman, a double leg amputee, that rides a hand powered bike. I see him on the trail in the mornings when I ride. Well today we rode together for the first ten miles of my ride. I would pass him up the hills and he would pass me going down. When I stopped to stretch he told me that wasn't allowed. It was nice to have someone to keep pace with, and we weren't moving slowly.

Neat, and congrats on the ride.

I know when I take Andy out on his 3 wheeler, we get a lot of nice interaction with people, who invariably comment to Andy - "nice bike."

We have a lot of folks on hand-powered bikes around here.

50 miles on Wed

8 miles Thursday - sort of a recovery ride

28 miles today, saw three snakes, 6 cows and 5 horses

Did some sand/gravel roads on the road bike (700x23's) for about 3 miles today. Had to be careful, but didn't fall. Did slide just a bit coming down a hill a bit fast. Thise 700x23's are NOT forgiving.

Am I the only one posting and/or viewing this thread. If so, I will forget it. Let me know if it is worthwhile for me (or anyone) to post our rec rides.

I posted this at the 885 view count. Let's see if anyone else views it.

OK it wasn't today(yesterday) but I can tell you it just REALLY sucked!! I felt like I had lead legs. It was SO hot(8pm)!! I could barely get up the smallest of hills. Rode only eight miles and felt totally sick when I got home. Ever have those days??? I'd been doing real good until I layed off for a couple of weeks with a bum knee. This was my first ride since it's gotten up close to 95* also. Man I tell you I felt like CRAP!! :( The seven pieces of pizza I had 90 minutes before my ride probably didn't help. :eek: OK I'll stop whining now. :p

Nice ride this morning. The wife is at some friend's house helping with their garage sale. I was able to get out of there after an hour and came home for my ride. Did 19 miles around the South Hill - Manito Park and High Drive being the highlights. Stopped in at the LBS to window shop and saw a year old Bianchi Vigorelli for $1499. Bright yellow, full Ultegra...very nice. I was afraid to ride it and then have to explain my purchase to the goddess of finances.....I don't think I could have turned it down....Maybe I'll go back later :D

Yesterday and last week, I went to Point Beach State Forest to ride my favorite little trail--the gravel paved Ridges trail which runs up and down scads of little roller-coaster hills through the forest. :)

The really great news is that they've made it longer--it's 5 long miles now, and work is underway to extend it a few more miles to the town of Two Rivers. I rode on the partial trail there (and hit the dirt when I hit some rutted mud on the unfinished section, which had dried just enough to be stiff.) Once in Two Rivers, it was only about a 10-block ride to their paved Mariner trail, which runs from Two Rivers to Manitowoc right along the beach of Lake Michigan. Busy trail, but beautiful! :)

Mr. FOG's Wild Ride....

really wasn't wild. I met up with FOG for a ride on the Washington, DC area's most beautiful trail (ok that is only in my opinion), the Mount Vernon Trail. FOG is incredibly nice and was patient enough to set a pace I could keep up with since I spent the end of last week feeling very ill. The air was a bit humid, but the trail was beautiful, and the view of the monuments was fantastic. We even got in a nice detour through Old Town Alexandria. We did a little over 20 miles and had a great time. Now I am excited to ride again tomorrow.

Cyclochica is too modest- she had to wait for me, especially on the way back whenI thought I had merely become tired, but had a seriously binding front brake. After pushing three miles getting more and more tired, I stopped for a water break. Before I started up again I checked my bike and found the stuck brake, but by that time I had very little energy left for the rest of the ride, and cyclochica, just hung back and let me cruise in on autolpilot.

One thing cyclochica does not say about herself, is that she has a smile that is wide, always present, and very charming. she should change her nick to the smiling biker, but unfortunately that kind of title has been hijacked for other purposes. To anyone who has a chance, I certainly would recommend a ride with her. She's very intelligent to talk to, and a ball of fun.

It was time to break out the Bianchi Grizzly and take it where I have been un able to do since I got it, off road. I am planning a ride from my home in Everett, Wa 190 miles to Selah, WA in Central Washington, near the city of Yakima. I had planned spending my rec hours this summer ridding it getting used to off road ridding. But my brother decided he wanted to come up and do the STP so it got side tracked for a month or so. Anyway I drove over to Duvall this morning, had a latte and a fresh blackberry scone then hit the Snoqualime Valley trail, part of the route I plan on taking in September. It is part of the rail to trail system and is 34 miles one way to Rattlesnake Lake which is the trail head for another rail to trail route, the John Wayne trail (mistakingly called the Iron Horse trail but thats another story) On the internet it shows it going straight through but I ended up having to take a small detour which was good anyway because I got to check out Snoqualime falls Which is 25 miles east of Seattle at the base of the Cascade Mountains. The local Indians consider it the equivalent of the Garden of Eden, They say that is where life originally started. O then rode into the town of Snoqualime and lucky for me the bike store was opened and the woman manning the counter (she and her husband own the place) was able to direct me to the trail and once again I headed into the mountains. Today would of been the day for a camera, which I left on my sofa with my cliff bars and GU (quick stop in Carnation for some energy stuff) I crossed a bunch of Trestles (no tunnels thats for next week) every time I crossed one I got an even more breathtaking view of the Valley below me. I arrived at Rattlesnake lake (don't know why its called that there are no rattlers on the west side of the Cascades) stopped and watched a family of bikers cool off in the lake I need to pack a suit so I can cool off on hot days. Then I turned back around and headed down the hill, that was the most fun when I got back down to the bike store I stopped and thank the gal for getting me back to the trail and asked for a good spot to eat, she sent me to the Candy Factory where I had a cheeseburger and a chocolate malt. Then back up the highway to reconnect with the trail by the falls and screamed back down the hill in record time. This trail is now one of my favorites when you get north of Carnation it takes you right through the fields. I went through a few acres of corn fields today. When I got back into the park at Duvall they were having some sort of musical event but all I could think of was the hot tub and a cold beer so I came home. Next week I am going to attempt Rattlesnake Lake to Cle ELum around 100 R/t oh yeah todays was 70 miles ,I was at 69.9 when I pulled in so I did a couple of laps around the parking lot to make it an even 70.

ngateguy, drats! I would have run into you had I gotten things wrapped up sooner. I was planning on riding my MTB to Rattlesnake Lake today but one thing came up after another and I ran out of time so I just took a few loops around my local trails (Beaver Lake Trails aka The Beav) which are right behind my house. I was only out there for an hour though but I did bring my HRM with me and was anaerobic for most of it. Nevermind that the singletrack was very twisting so I wasn't going all that fast.

I have been doing about 25-30 miles each day now, and it is getting easier and easier. Yesterday I purposely did a lot og hill climbing.

Here are some pics from today's ride at Cherry Creek State Park - I also took the trail down to Glendale and back.

The park in Colorado looks beautiful. Wish that was down the road from me!

Nice ride this morning. The wife is at some friend's house helping with their garage sale. I was able to get out of there after an hour and came home for my ride. Did 19 miles around the South Hill

Just started riding about a month ago & I rode 57 minutes and only made it 14 miles today. :D Hopefully, that will improve. It was done at Kiawah Island which is flat but boy was it windy today -- a thunderstorm was brewing. I felt like I was pedaling in place at times.

I'm training for an MS150, so this week's schedule is 14 milesX4 and then a 30 mile ride on Sunday. I'm on week 3 of my training schedule. :D At home (Columbia, S.C.) my rides are hilly & when I visit our place at Kiawah it's flat, so I get a good mixture.

<---------------- Dumb Bike Rider!

Hot, humid, and windy here this morning. What the heck, it's my day off and I'm going to take my morning ride come hell or high water! Got out about a third of my normal route, reached down for my water bottle and grabbed a handful of air. I left my bottle of ice cold refreshing water on the kitchen counter......DUMB, DUMB, DUMB! Went a little further and tuned around and went home. Still, I got in a 40 minute ride, so I got some exercise. :rolleyes: :mad:

hey slotibartfast we have someone who lives on the eastside over here that looks an awful lot like you do in your Avitar except I think he has horns all the time :D

I'll have to do my ride tomorrow morning. It looks like monsoon/tornado weather outside. Not going out there. :D

(James Earl Jones voice with heavy breathing).....

ngateguy......Embrace the Darkside. I am your Father. I would not lead you astray with a new operating system or a program......Bwhaaaaaaaa.........:p Trust me....that application will not crash.

Am now riding consistently about 25-50 miles per day. Here is a pic of today's ride - also posted in the "Best state for Riding" thread:

Beautiful! :)

Originally posted by hibiscus09
Beautiful! :)

Yes, beautiful scenery makes riding most enjoyable.

I know, I know. I much prefer riding when I'm at our house at Kiawah Island, S.C. than in Columbia. :) It is a little interesting at Ft. Jackson, though, where I get to ride by the rifle ranges & blasting zones. LOL

I parked the car at Haymen Falls county park today and rode to Gresham, to a secluded swimming hole near an abandoned monastery. :) There was some beautiful scenery out there, especially around Leopolis, and I saw two deer. The water was so inviting I had to go in, and rode back to the car wet. :p Nice ride!

Originally posted by hibiscus09
I know, I know. I much prefer riding when I'm at our house at Kiawah Island, S.C. than in Columbia. :) It is a little interesting at Ft. Jackson, though, where I get to ride by the rifle ranges & blasting zones. LOL

It's funny you should mention that. I went out for a 50 mile mountain bike ride today. I had to turn around when the trail dead-ended and I came across this...

http://www.neebu.net/~khuon/albums/visual_tao_of_cycling/PICT0008.jpg
http://www.neebu.net/~khuon/albums/visual_tao_of_cycling/PICT0009.jpg

LOL -- I ride at Ft. Jackson and see that sign a lot, along with rifle ranges & those little people they practice stabbing with bayonets. :D

Khuon thats the Snoqualimie Valley Trail isn't it I saw similar signs on it when I road there a few weeks ago. You can get around the dead end at the tunnel and also stop at the falls for a break the trail doesnt go through because they haven't finished work on the trestle accross the river. But it starts up again just north of Snoqualimie nice trail I am doing it again!

Originally posted by hibiscus09
LOL -- I ride at Ft. Jackson and see that sign a lot, along with rifle ranges & those little people they practice stabbing with bayonets. :D

Yeah, although I didn't take pictures of it, there were also signs that said, "No whooting within 300 yds of trail." Hmmm... let's just hope no one's using bullets that travel further than 300 yds. :D I did hear a couple of shotgun blasts go off as I was riding. And no, I was nowhere near a military installation. This is just a part of being out in the country and mountains.

Originally posted by ngateguy
Khuon thats the Snoqualimie Valley Trail isn't it I saw similar signs on it when I road there a few weeks ago. You can get around the dead end at the tunnel and also stop at the falls for a break the trail doesnt go through because they haven't finished work on the trestle accross the river. But it starts up again just north of Snoqualimie nice trail I am doing it again!

Yep... Snoqualmie Valley Trail. It's a pretty nice trail. Not technical but gives you quite a workout with its deep gravel doudle-track (lotsa constant rolling resistance). I didn't realise you could portage over the tunnel until I got home and looked at the trailmaps. I started in Carnation but when I hit the dead-end, I turned around and went back. I rode back through Carnation and went up to Duvall and then back. That made it 50 miles round-trip. Let me know when you intend to hit that trail again. I'd gladly join you. I understand that after a brief cut-through (in North Bend?) one can hook up with the Iron Horse Trail.