Fifty Plus (50+) - 25 @ 17

Had a good ride today, despite still trying to tweak the darn thing in. I rode around a reservoir on a great MUP that is literally the width of a two lane street, and with good markings on it as well (Stay Right Pass Left is painted on every so often).

For some reason I can't begin to fathom, I decided to shift into the Big Ring at the beginning of the ride. I adjusted the rear cassette and think I was riding 52-17.

Anyway, in any event, I suddenly got faster! I was able to do the whole ride at about 17 mph, and it was fun. Still working out the seat post, the saddle fore and aft, etc. which is getting old, but I liked the Big Ring!

Yesterday I had a chance to ride a flat, paved, lightly used bike trail. Really my first ride of more than about 2 miles on asphalt in about 10-15 years. I was able to average 15 over a 12 mile ride. By far my fastest ride in many years. I jacked it up a couple of times and was cruising along at 17.5-18.5. Dropped a couple of older teenagers on mountain bikes who tried to hold me off but they weren't able to maintain that speed and I eventually left them in the dust.

Very interesting ride for me, it being my first ride since my 43-miler earlier in the week where I couldn't hold a speed over 12.

I might have been able to hold 15 for a few more miles but only had about 50 minutes of time before I had to be somewhere else.

Must admit that it felt good to be able to do that. And I was still sitting upright and enjoying a view of the river as I rode. And it was entirely in the middle ring, no big ring yet for me.

Had a good ride today, despite still trying to tweak the darn thing in. I rode around a reservoir on a great MUP that is literally the width of a two lane street, and with good markings on it as well (Stay Right Pass Left is painted on every so often).

For some reason I can't begin to fathom, I decided to shift into the Big Ring at the beginning of the ride. I adjusted the rear cassette and think I was riding 52-17.

Anyway, in any event, I suddenly got faster! I was able to do the whole ride at about 17 mph, and it was fun. Still working out the seat post, the saddle fore and aft, etc. which is getting old, but I liked the Big Ring!

DG - you've got to get the aerobars installed so you can be ready for white bike challenge. I have the parts in house now and am ready to convert the black stallion :D

I was feeling surprisingly good on the 95F+ ride home a couple days ago and fell in with a couple bikers heading my way at 21+ mph. (nice level stretch of MUP). The carbon fiber riding youngster (anyone under 40 is a youngster) pulled up slightly and I took the lead at 23+ mph. A minute later I looked back and they had fallen back! The bottom line is a 19.3 mph commute. It is fun to stretch the legs occasionally and finding unexpected speed is a real treat. :beer:

I find that "above average speed" can't be predicted. No matter how carefully I prepare for a ride or get psyched up, "speed" comes to me at the oddest times. I was holding 20 to 22 MPH yesterday morning for minutes on end with no tail wind and a flat route. Most days 16 mph in those conditions is an effort. Other days, 14 is my absolute max. Can't figure it out!

DG and TB, hammerheads. :eek:

Whodathunkit?

DG - you've got to get the aerobars installed so you can be ready for white bike challenge. I have the parts in house now and am ready to convert the black stallion :D

I was feeling surprisingly good on the 95F+ ride home a couple days ago and fell in with a couple bikers heading my way at 21+ mph. (nice level stretch of MUP). The carbon fiber riding youngster (anyone under 40 is a youngster) pulled up slightly and I took the lead at 23+ mph. A minute later I looked back and they had fallen back! The bottom line is a 19.3 mph commute. It is fun to stretch the legs occasionally and finding unexpected speed is a real treat. :beer:

Yeah, a guy flew by me with aerobars and full kit and it was like i was standing still. :(

"You want to ride like silk gliding on soft air. Think slow and smooth, and one day you'll discover you're riding so easy, you'll laugh out loud at the joy of it all. You'll also discover you're moving fast, probably faster than you ever imagined riding. Don't panic. The speed flowed out of the silk."
--Hank Barlow

You're buidling your base, grasshopper. Well done.

Perhaps you just gave Ruby her head and she merely unlimbered herself. She'll want more of course. You must fight harder to keep her under control. Give her free rein, and she might just carry you over the hills and far away.

Yeah, a guy flew by me with aerobars and full kit and it was like i was standing still. :(
I never wear full kit but I do wear full cycling gear. The combined carbon stem/TT handlebar/aerobar was a great find and it goes well on my old-school carbon (1990 Miyata). I haven't coverted to 9 speed yet so I rode it as single speed. It was very nice.
It'll be nice when the weather moderates here and there are cool bright mornings to go along with those rides. On the other hand I've seen some posts of your "scenery" on beach bikes and riding slow has it's moments :p

Perhaps you just gave Ruby her head and she merely unlimbered herself. She'll want more of course. You must fight harder to keep her under control. Give her free rein, and she might just carry you over the hills and far away.

You know, it might be that white bike thing and living in all that sun. Maybe he needs to coat Ruby down with a good coat of sunscreen--really grease her up good. She might be more responsive and quit hurting his foot.

ps: toothpick goes behind right ear. Carry extra toothpicks, and turn you cap on backwards.

Next time the left coast smart alek poseur in the full kit and TT tries to pass,pull in front of him.Tell him your training for a Geezer Criterium in Rio Linda next week and need someone to draft me and you,ll recomend him for the team.

Glue some old Italian wine labels(no one really reads bike jerseys) on your shirt and you,ll look faster like a sponsered pro.
Sounds like your ready to run one of those frisby discs on your rear wheel there speedo.

DG - 25 mi at a 17 mph avg is gettin serious. And you did this with platform pedals or toe straps? With year round cycling in Sandy Eggo you'll be ready for a cross country tour next Spring. Whodathunkit.

Hey, Gee -- if Ruby wants to cruise in the big ring, don't hold back! Feels kinda good, don't it?

On the Giant- I have a triple, 52/42/30 and most of the riding is done in the middle ring. On the new bike I have a compact double of 50/36. Now the 36 is too low for most riding so the 50 does get used a lot and I find myself more often than not about the middle of the cassette around 15-16 or 17. I think that to a certain extent it is the new bike but the Legs are more attuned to the gearing and the speed is definitely up. Doesn't help on the hills though as there is only one gear I seem to be using on them.

Just to see if you have got used to the bike I have a suggestion that you try a few hills. Seeing as how you don't have any over in San Diego- I have had a word with jppe and he has entered you on his next 100 miler up a mountain so get in touch with him to arrange accomodation.

On the Giant- I have a triple, 52/42/30 and most of the riding is done in the middle ring. On the new bike I have a compact double of 50/36. Now the 36 is too low for most riding so the 50 does get used a lot and I find myself more often than not about the middle of the cassette around 15-16 or 17. I think that to a certain extent it is the new bike but the Legs are more attuned to the gearing and the speed is definitely up. Doesn't help on the hills though as there is only one gear I seem to be using on them.

Just to see if you have got used to the bike I have a suggestion that you try a few hills. Seeing as how you don't have any over in San Diego- I have had a word with jppe and he has entered you on his next 100 miler up a mountain so get in touch with him to arrange accomodation.

We have hills, but I have to search for 'em. A couple of days ago, however, I did do some hills over on Pershing Drive behind Balboa Park, and I noticed that they weren't as difficult as they were the last time. I'm not ready for Texas Street yet (nor interested!), but one of these days I'll have to take Ruby out to the country and see wazzup.

Had a good ride today, despite still trying to tweak the darn thing in. I rode around a reservoir on a great MUP that is literally the width of a two lane street, and with good markings on it as well (Stay Right Pass Left is painted on every so often).

For some reason I can't begin to fathom, I decided to shift into the Big Ring at the beginning of the ride. I adjusted the rear cassette and think I was riding 52-17.

Anyway, in any event, I suddenly got faster! I was able to do the whole ride at about 17 mph, and it was fun. Still working out the seat post, the saddle fore and aft, etc. which is getting old, but I liked the Big Ring!


Yesterday I had a chance to ride a flat, paved, lightly used bike trail. Really my first ride of more than about 2 miles on asphalt in about 10-15 years. I was able to average 15 over a 12 mile ride. By far my fastest ride in many years. I jacked it up a couple of times and was cruising along at 17.5-18.5. Dropped a couple of older teenagers on mountain bikes who tried to hold me off but they weren't able to maintain that speed and I eventually left them in the dust.

Very interesting ride for me, it being my first ride since my 43-miler earlier in the week where I couldn't hold a speed over 12.

I might have been able to hold 15 for a few more miles but only had about 50 minutes of time before I had to be somewhere else.

Must admit that it felt good to be able to do that. And I was still sitting upright and enjoying a view of the river as I rode. And it was entirely in the middle ring, no big ring yet for me.

Looks to me like it is time for the Fred Coast to Midwest Time Trial Challenge. Way to go both of you! That is some great riding. Before long you'll be drafting jppe on one of his centuries!!!

On the Giant- I have a triple, 52/42/30 and most of the riding is done in the middle ring. On the new bike I have a compact double of 50/36. Now the 36 is too low for most riding so the 50 does get used a lot and I find myself more often than not about the middle of the cassette around 15-16 or 17. I think that to a certain extent it is the new bike but the Legs are more attuned to the gearing and the speed is definitely up. Doesn't help on the hills though as there is only one gear I seem to be using on them.


+1. DG, almost the same thing happened to us the other night. Me and Ms HH went for a 12 miler on a MUP that was not rowded, stayed in the big ring and averaged 16.5mph for the trip, what fun, eh.

Had a good ride today, despite still trying to tweak the darn thing in. I rode around a reservoir on a great MUP that is literally the width of a two lane street, and with good markings on it as well (Stay Right Pass Left is painted on every so often).

For some reason I can't begin to fathom, I decided to shift into the Big Ring at the beginning of the ride. I adjusted the rear cassette and think I was riding 52-17.

Anyway, in any event, I suddenly got faster! I was able to do the whole ride at about 17 mph, and it was fun. Still working out the seat post, the saddle fore and aft, etc. which is getting old, but I liked the Big Ring!"In the big ring" is a fun place. What's really fun, is when you find yourself climbing the smaller hills in it. Then you're set to really fly down the back sides. :D

Forgot to tell DG that he is really doing great. Doing a 25 miler in close to 90 minutes is definitely moving up in class. If you ever join a club ride, you should be able to stay much more forward in the pack than a year ago. And you might find yourself riding even a bit faster than you do solo.

I wouldn't mind staying in WV a bit longer to ride the paved trail a couple more times. I think it would be fun to ride it again trying to hold 15 again. Then take off a day, come back and attack it to see what I could do.

In the old days the boys would have been getting ready for the"Cannonball Baker Sea to Shining Sea Memorial Trophy Dash"

We're going to need an equivalent here for the 50+ crowd.

By the way, does anyone know who holds the record for the Dash?

Perhaps you just gave Ruby her head and she merely unlimbered herself. She'll want more of course..

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

I have only one word to say ...

Gumball

I didn't know that Wisconsin was big on gumballs.

The movies aside, the record was (is) held by Dan Gurney and Brock Yates (former editor/writer for car magazines) who traveled from the Red Ball Garage in New York to the Portifino Inn on the shores of the sunny Pacific (somewhere in California) while driving a Ferrari Superamerica in a time of 38 hours and change.

The 60's were a much less restictive time.

I'm not sure how the tradition goes but now that Tom has uttered the magic word gumball I believe that someone has to set the time and place for the showdown. Would the owner of a white bike step forward to take some risk?

The big ring is king.

"In the big ring" is a fun place. What's really fun, is when you find yourself climbing the smaller hills in it. Then you're set to really fly down the back sides. :D

But where I live, flying down the hill means you just have to climb another hill that much sooner.:eek:

Heh heh! I think we have a couple of new speed monsters!

I didn't know that Wisconsin was big on gumballs.

The movies aside, the record was (is) held by Dan Gurney and Brock Yates (former editor/writer for car magazines) who traveled from the Red Ball Garage in New York to the Portifino Inn on the shores of the sunny Pacific (somewhere in California) while driving a Ferrari Superamerica in a time of 38 hours and change.

The 60's were a much less restictive time.

I'm not sure how the tradition goes but now that Tom has uttered the magic word gumball I believe that someone has to set the time and place for the showdown. Would the owner of a white bike step forward to take some risk?

Well, actually, Wikipedia says, "The standing record time of 32 hours and 51 minutes (about 87 mph) was set in the final run by Dave Heinz and Dave Yarborough in a Jaguar XJS in April 1979." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannonball_Baker_Sea-To-Shining-Sea_Memorial_Trophy_Dash

I have lost track of what this thread is about. I don't know what the reference to gumball is. I do know that my legs were killing me all day today. I couldn't get a ride in anyway, I had tickets to the Padres Giants game. Would have been the first chance for Bonds to break the HR record, but he decided the 42,000 people who came to the game weren't important enough to him, so he sat out the game, claiming he needed his rest.

Anyway, that's another rant for another time. I do know I enjoyed the Big Ring yesterday, and my muscles are complaining today. :)

Well, actually, Wikipedia says, "The standing record time of 32 hours and 51 minutes (about 87 mph) was set in the final run by Dave Heinz and Dave Yarborough in a Jaguar XJS in April 1979." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannonball_Baker_Sea-To-Shining-Sea_Memorial_Trophy_Dash

Thanks for the update. I followed the first few and somehow missed that one completely.

I even thought they were held in the 60's. My memories of that time seem to be slightly fogged over.

I have lost track of what this thread is about. I don't know what the reference to gumball is.

:eek::eek::eek:

And that, my friend, is your loss!

Great American Culture........