Southeast - Did You Ride Today?

A couple miles into the ride last night I realize my rear tire has a leak, so I terminated the ride.

Last year I had zero tire problems, and this is already the third issue I've had this year. Argh.

24 miles this morning. I had to work at 9am so I got up at my usual time and stopped by the 'trace on my way to work... having watched the radar all morning I had concluded I had about an hour and a half before the next front came through. I parked at the loveless cafe which gave me a 3 mile climb onto the trace to warm up with. About 30min in it started to pour, so I turned around at the 8 mile mark. Funny thing was as I passed the parking lot I noticed about 6 cars and folks were unloading to go ride. Passed a couple of riders who seemed to be enjoying themselves. As I got back to the loveless cafe I noticed a large group of cyclists heading out in the opposite direction I decided I was already wet, the rain had actually tapered off quite a bit, and I and still had 45min to kill so I caught up with the rearmost guy to find out where they were going. Turns out it was the saturday morning ride group for the bike shop that's next to the cafe (Trace bikes) and the group I had caught up with was going to do a 32 mile deal. I followed them until I had to turn around to go to work... caught a bit more rain on the way back.

37 miles in Knox and Loudon Counties. I felt good, except for a curious foot cramp that surfaced a couple times.

Summer evening riding rocks!

I prefer summer butt-crack of dawn myself... left at 6am, did a 46.6 mile loop from my house, down hwy 70 to the natchez trace and back via 100 and 96. avg was 16.2 which = 2.52.12 - it was an awesome ride... only complaint was that the first half was in very dense fog and I had issues seeing due to the condensation on my glasses.

here's a map of the ride: http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/tn/white-bluff/481433522043

happy fathers day! I got an allowance to finally get some shoes for my look pedals. (done 330 miles so far in tennis shoes & clips)

22 miles in the central part of the county. I even rode some roads I've never gone down before. On the way back, I lead out a touring group of four.

Couldn't get a ride in today, but did yesterday. I got in a nice 44.7 mile ride yesterday to the lake and the nuke plant at 17.3. I started early so it was still cool and I avoided the dreaded leg cramps. :thumb: Today I had to do the trainer since it was too wet in the morning and I had family stuff to do later today.

30 miles on a group ride that cranked along at 20 mph. Maintained the 20 for the first 13 miles but I had to dial it back to my normal range of 17 and the heat was starting to get to me.

funny thing I did ride but I do not know the approximate mileage, but most of it was uphill on dirt paths over interesting terrain.

I try and ride every day, because consistency can be a good thing. :)

i have ridden the last 2 days on my mtb. no computer either. :)

approximately 12mi of trails each day at Umstead.

yeah, no computer on my mtb.. only reason I know the mileage is b/c I did the race loop, which is part of the reason I do it.

after work, 6pm... 8.5 miles of mtb trails. took 30min longer than last time... first off, I forgot my cell phone so I had no time device (or communication device, for the matter) - at about 10% into the ride my bottle cage / pump went flying off.. apparently the bolts got loose... had to track everything down and re-secure it. At about 20% of the way in I come upon pair of boys waiting for their parents to catch up, whom I met shortly down the trail pushing their bikes (all dept store type, but hey.. good for them for riding, w/ helmets even) - the husband was pushing the wife's bike and I asked if I could help out with anything.. he said it works but something was wrong with the gears... he was content with pushing it but I parked my bike and got it down to the smallest chain ring and put it in 3rd so he could ride it back out. The wife said something along the lines of "I just want to get out of here, feels like I've been riding around in circles" - Then, about 40% in I was going around a corner I ran over a golf ball sized rock with my front tire which caused me to wash out and go down pretty hard... going to have a nice piece of bacon on my left arm.. (almost a whole strip...the wide kind) and a silver dollar sized piece by my left knee. Had to straighten out my bar end and adjust my left front brake pad which got moved into the tire... Then, about 50% into the ride I noticed the ride getting rougher in the rear and looked back to find a 1/2 flat tire... went to just pump it up but I found the leak right near where my hand... patched the tube. At about 60% I passed a section that runs right next to the highway and actually went to go bail out and ride back to my car on the pavement but decided to stick to it. Good thing I had an hour and 40 of sunlight to do my "quick, 1 hour ride"

Got out of shape during the cold months, and so far this year I cannot make the bike go. So decided some hill routes were called for:

Yesterday, Jun-17, 34.1 miles, ~ 1780 ft climbing (according to veloroutes), 2:08, 15.9 avg in-motion mph.

Today, Jun-18, 35.5 miles, ~ 2160 ft climbing (according to veloroutes), 2:17, 15.5 avg in-motion mph.

Two great, early morning, shaded, and cool temp rides.

Got in a moderate 18 miles tonight after work on one of my regular routes. Will be doing some gap riding this weekend!

6:27 am start: 35.2 miles, ~ 1990+ ft climbing, 2:12 in-motion. Excellent ride.

nice. not very far ride for me today...4.5mi on blue ridge parkway, up to waterrock knob. then back down.

got in my 6am ride... came out to 47.24 - not sure where I picked up the extra half a mile. 2.51.36 - skiffrun, thanks for mentioning veloroutes... had not seen that one yet. The tools aren't as nice as mapmyride but the elevation difference is cool... it says this loop has 2856 ft. ( http://veloroutes.org/bikemaps/?route=14512 ) - last sunday when I rode it I pushed a little harder the first half and suffered a bit the second. This time I tried to take it easier on the first half (ie, 19 on the flats rather than 22) but when I got to the 3/4 markI was running behind and pushed hard the last 40min, especially on white bluff road (quite a few small climbs) and managed to shave 30 seconds off last time. I did -not- want it to take longer than last time... especially considering last time I had 24 mile ride the day before, and today I haven't ridden since monday!

Did 42 today. Fricking humid would be the adjective to describe todays ride. I left at 8 am and it was already 80 but felt like 89. I was doing fine until I hit about 33 miles and then the heat started coming on and then it got Hot an Fricking Humid. Some nasty storms are moments away, so glad I got my ride in.

... - skiffrun, thanks for mentioning veloroutes... had not seen that one yet. The tools aren't as nice as mapmyride but the elevation difference is cool... it says this loop has 2856 ft. ( http://veloroutes.org/bikemaps/?route=14512 ) - ... on white bluff road ...Aah, that "White Bluff" route I saw on the "recent routes list" (when I went to check on the route I did this am) must be yours, then.

"Veloroutes" prob doesn't have some of the bells and whistles of some of the other sites, but it is free, the hobby of the guy who created it, and it does not mess up my computer or mess itself up by turning the "navigate south" button into a useless <bleep> thing, which that <bleep> "mapmyride" always does.

Oh, yeah, the elevation(s) and gain on "veloroutes" are based on the local / state DOT data. I find that, compared to GPS feedback, the veloroutes elevation "climbed" will likely be 5 to 10 % understated. The DOT does not get EVERY local minimum and EVERY local maximum elevation. I am familiar with one spot on a route I ride occasionally where one cannot see the next road / turn only 150+ yards from where one turns onto the state highway because there is a 10-15 foot "bump" in that 150+ yards; yet NCDOT data (the source for veloroutes) indicates FLAT.

But I figure the elevation profiles from all sources are really best thought of as indicative of the geography one will encounter on the route. If one wants great detail, get your own GPS.

I had willingly done three hill workouts this week as I expected to be out of town this weekend, but got a reprieve. But, given the slight fatigue I felt in the legs, decided to avoid my usual riding partners and go solo for a less hilly ride than I would usually do on Saturday morning.

Made my 2nd-to-last turn of the ride at the 26.5 mile mark, and was surprised that a south breeze / wind had popped up since the start of my ride. So I had 19.2 miles straight into the surprise breeze/wind. I found that some of the downslopes and flats were tougher riding than the three uphills and even some of the upslopes; the flats and downslopes tended to be completely unprotected from the wind, whereas the geography and some well-placed woods seemed to be protecting the uphill sections

But good result: 48.2 miles, 2:56 in-motion, 16.3 mph avg. First time this year I have managed to hang onto 16 mph for a ride over 30 miles. ('Course, I should note that I also didn't finish with the three usual hill suspects that I usually finish on.) I prefer to chalk it up to perhaps the cadence practice on the hill rides during the week are already having a positive impact.

Lookout "wolkpack" and usual riding partners: I am almost b-a-c-k.

"Veloroutes" prob doesn't have some of the bells and whistles of some of the other sites, but it is free, the hobby of the guy who created it, and it does not mess up my computer or mess itself up by turning the "navigate south" button into a useless <bleep> thing, which that <bleep> "mapmyride" always does.

The one thing I really wish it did was zoom in or out with the mouse scroll.

The one thing I really wish it did was zoom in or out with the mouse scroll.How quickly we become dependent upon new tech.

I wish the "more" "link" at the bottom of the page actually worked. But I'm confident Matt will fix ... one day.

Matt has advised that there is a "nasty glitch" in the elevation profile generation for long rides (e.g., > 100 miles). Can be gotten around by getting the Excel download and creating one's own profile graph.

Not at 98 degrees. I leave todays' ride, The Terrible Two, to people who enjoy 208 miles with 16,000 feet of climbing.

25miles, 2500' climbing on mtb.

46.93 - 6am loop except I did it backwards... I thought it would lessen the hill climbs, which it did but there are several very long gradual uphill sections you don't notice in the other way but it knocks a couple of mph off in the opposite direction... add in my somewhat tired legs from yesterday and it took 2.55.12 Also, I got about 8 miles out and went to take a drink and found I had forgotten my water bottles on the kitchen counter. Rather than sacrifice the ride (didn't have time to go back and start over) I stopped at a store at the halfway point and picked up some sports drink to make do.

Its not as hot here as the South East, but it was near 90. I wuss out much over 87. And still we did a 1200 foot climb. For me over 87, I deserve a self inflicted pat on the back. This time I took my hydropak, so I did not again suffer heat exhaustion. Our mileage goal was a metric century.

Did a 34-mile group ride today and a 45-mile solo ride yesterday. Temperatures both days were comfortable and winds light so the pace ended up edging up a bit. One strange thing was that we saw a fox sniffing around at the Volvo dealer (in town) beside the bike shop today. That's a first.

Oh, forgot to mention both rides this weekend started out at 65 with a slightly lower dew-point and ended about 10 degrees warmer... yesterday was overcast the whole time, today it was pretty clear out. Simply awesome weather for riding. And... today, I saw a box turtle the size of a dinner plate just as it was done crossing the road.

24 miles, ~1600' climbing in franklin.

This is the braggin board, right? 6 hill repeats on a 1/4 mile hill that probably averages 14%. A nice 18% section in the middle. I had to stand up most of the time on my 23T. Barely made it on the last climb without zig-zgging, but made it and beat my previous best at just 4 climbs. Still working on my flat riding, but definately nothing to bragg about there yet. Oh... by the way, it was 5:30 PM and still 91 degrees.

Wolfie, wassup!

[/back to northeast]

J!! hiya!!! :) ((hugs))

dang. made me forget why i was here! :D

yes, i left work early today and rode to Pine Level, Kenly and back - 50.2miles, 3:08hr

here's some pre-emptive hugs I found laying around.

[[[[[[[[[[[[[wolfie!]]]]]]]]]]]]]

awwww, you're so sweet! :)

i'm really in need of those now. :o things not working out too good here. splitsville...:(

awwww, you're so sweet! :)

i'm really in need of those now. :o things not working out too good here. splitsville...:(
Well that may or may not suck. It'll suck in the short term, but may not suck in the long term. Feel free to PM me if you don't want to air your dirty lycra in public.

8 miles over to a friends house and back in the wildfire smoke. His friend is going to Fiji and is taking a Care package of cycling cloths to racers over there. I donated two jerseys that shrank on me.

yup - 20.01 miles on the natchez trace, hammered out a 18.1 avg.. velorotes says 3139ft gained but that's a bit odd considering half of the route is on my 47 mile mile ride, which I think it said was 2800 something. Anywho... it was hilly - with a 2 mile climb to start with.

the Mrs decided to go out after I got home from work so I got in a quick 12.89 miles up and down the hwy near the house here. (46 min) I wanted to ride for an hour but the sun wouldn't cooperate. And... take note, no new scabs. (Unlike my last pre-dusk ride on my mtb)

yup - 20.01 miles on the natchez trace, hammered out a 18.1 avg.. velorotes says 3139ft gained but that's a bit odd considering half of the route is on my 47 mile mile ride, which I think it said was 2800 something. Anywho... it was hilly - with a 2 mile climb to start with.

Did you save the route? Or just use the "point-to-point" clicking on the road and noting the elevation as you built the route, and not save?

(fyi, A lot of times, I will use veloroutes just to get the distances for a cue sheet, and not save the route.)

Anywho, if you used the "point-to-point" "standard" option, maybe you strayed off the road up the side of a cliff without noticing.

I save it, it's here: http://veloroutes.org/bikemaps/?route=15006 maybe it counted the valley the bridge spans as well as a few others. looks like I went off the road a few times, there is also a notch near the mile 16 mark that might have a lot to do with it.

Went out and put in only 8 miles, breaking in a newish pair of Shimano MTB shoes I scored at Goodwill for $3.50!

shoes I scored at Goodwill for $3.50!

Sweet! you lucky dog.



Just got back from my ride... left at 5:50am, mostly clear skies... 47.22 miles, 2.50.40 avging 16.6 - moderate headwinds on the way out, and on the way back. Bit of a bummer because I think I could have bettered my time some. Now it's overcast, looks like it might rain. Had to squirt a dog bout 2 miles from the end... glad I still had 1/8th a bottle left.

just back from a 42 mile ride around Lake Weir... nice average speed 16.5 mph

yes - 100.6 mi

my best day was 110.71 and am working on one to break that. I did ride, for a few fun errands.

late start this morning, left at 6:10. I tried a new route I made up looking at google maps and plotted it on veloroutes.. I tried a couple of combinations to get the mileage I wanted. It had been raining about an hour previously and the roads were wet for most of the ride. Distance was 32.78 miles, in 1.52.00 for an average of 17.5 One of the highways was very recent pavement, nice and smooth... except for the rumble strip which I suddenly came upon going downhill doing about 35. :mad: oh - here's the route on veloroutes, http://veloroutes.org/bikemaps/?route=15233 - says it's 2813.5 ft gained.

Thew exact mileage escapes me but was about an hour and a half ride which was a good thing.

I did a 49 mile solo ride at 17.5 Sat morning and was getting a touch bonky at the end. (I did see a male wild turkey on the side of the road by the nuke plant; I've seen more wildlife biking then I ever did doing anything else.) Then the next day I did a group ride for 34 miles at 19.0 hanging on for dear life. I'll probably do a short ride tomorrow and take it easy for my upcoming metric on the 4th. I just hope no cramps this year.

21mi that included 4x8min zone4 intervals.

good to work it into the ride, an interval, proving I still have much to learn is what like a quick time trial at maximum rpm then cool down?

good to work it into the ride, an interval, proving I still have much to learn is what like a quick time trial at maximum rpm then cool down?

my ride last night was specifically for intervals.

warm up for 10min (shoulda been 15-20, but rain was coming), then i went out did 4 intervals of 8min in length with the average power somewhere on the high end of my zone 4 power, which is 168-195w. i took 8min rest between each interval, coasting and light spinning. on these intervals, i tried to keep the cadence >95, but didn't succeed. also, for me, i think during those 8min intervals, my avg speed was something over 20mph but i don't remember right off hand.

My numbers for the interval set, where np=normalized power, ap=avg power, which will mean nothing to you if you don't train by power....
#1: 194/182/90 180/169 (np/ap/rpm maxhr/avghr)
#2: 181/175/90 178/170
#3: 190/182/96 177/172
#4: 186/175/91 179/165

I may just have to start :) I just always ride :) never real specific but it makes sense to work at your best for the interval, then cool down and do it again. I usually travel at 18-20 mph on my regular ride, don't know wattage in the like but speaking on cadence I remember my BC1600 that had a measure for that. I may just have to get that again. The computer I use now is pretty basic in comparison. Time Rode, Miles Per Hour, Odo and time. Nothing to amazing. Sounds like that would be a good policy to start though. Considering on the other side I am on a Mountain Bike my guess is you are on a road?

Thanks for the response.