Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - 100 to 300 Mile Club: November Edition: Get your leg warmers on & arm warmers..brrr!

Lets face it folks, for most, winter is setting in. Might be harder to get the miles in.... days are getting darker earlier, temperatures are getting colder.... but guess what? WE KEEP RIDING!

Lets do this! You are all soooo tough..... lets ride, have fun, stay warm..... and be careful. Those fall leaves and white and yellow lines might LOOK interesting.... but stay way!

WHOS IN and what is your taget mile goal going to be?

Iron Chef: 200 (at least)

Invoking rule #5 (http://www.velominati.com/blog/the-rules/) for this month! Im in for 100!

I am wussing out. Last month I did about 210. I will say 100 for the month, but it might be tough. I am in northern Minnesota right now and will be for most of the month. Nice to be home, but weather here is not riding weather for me.

Thats great guys! You all can do it for sure!

I can't say if I will or not. This time of year, yardwork gets priority when rationing weekend time. One of the pitfalls of home ownership, I guess. If we get any weekends with two good days of clear, not-too-cold weather, I can probably swing a ride. One.

I'm in. 9.25 miles, so far, and counting.

Edit: Goal is 200 miles

I can do this this month. Goal is 250.

I finished out October with a shade over 150.

Chef,
I'm in for 250 in November.
Thanks for the continuing support and inspiration.:)

No arm or leg warmers (on the bike) for me; it's getting to the point where the need for insulation really won't go away. Maybe we'll get a few more sunny weekend days, but they'll be cold ones. Venting some heat is starting to mean taking the hat off.

Still, I'm in for 400 or 500 miles this month.

I am going to push for 100 miles this month but it is solely dependent upon the weather holding up - any rain, I am out.
During the week, there are so few opportunities now with it being dark by the time I get home from work that any of my riding will have to be squeezed in at lunch time on the days I work from home (and today being the first of two this week, I am not off to a good start)

Rounding up to 12 miles today. So I am 12 in for November so far.

Given that my commuting mileage will be dropping to direct route morning and night to 6.5miles daily I'm going to say 250. If snow falls that may change. Hoping to pick up a trainer at REI the day after Thanksgiving since I'll be near one anyway. If it snows before then I'll have to pay shipping, yuck!

In for 150.

300+ for me

I will do what I do; which was 200.34 miles last month

110111 12.24 miles cool miles but not bad it is 73-75 in Kansas today; is to rain tomorrow hope not!!

110211 Got in a 4.57 mile walk; the wind was less than yesterday but I had enough yesterday!!

100311 - 110811 NO bike have walked some. I have been having to pump up tires before each ride so I have been lazy; need to go get some slime and a value stem thingy!

111211 Still not been back on the bike!! still walking!!

I'm at 2653 miles for the year now, having broken my 2500 goal last week. Really everything I'm doing at this point is just a bonus. So, that being said...

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=New+York,+NY&daddr=Los+Angeles,+CA&hl=en&geocode=FXFAbQIdK8KW-yk7CD_TpU_CiTFi_nfhBo8LyA%3BFYqYBwIdm77z-CkT2ifcXcfCgDH0CEYlb98v4g&sll=37.926868,-96.152344&sspn=48.473355,79.013672&vpsrc=0&mra=ltm&ie=UTF8&t=m&z=4

2790 miles from NY to LA, eh? Well, that's only 137 miles from now. I'll shoot for 137 at the low end, with 300 being icing on the cake. Granted, I may be a bit short in the elevation department (a-har!)...


Actually, screw it. I'm 347 miles away from 3k. I was shooting for 3k for next year, but damnit I can do this. 347 for the month. Here I come.

we all are talking sooooooooo tough! LETS DO THIS!!!!!!!!!!

OK - I just did 2 miles...wasn't planned but the FiOS folks set up a tent after waiting for YEARS for them to wire my neighborhood, they finally did it.
Now need to find out who is offering the better deal...Comcrap or Verizon (wife might get a discount too)

No tough talk here, I'm down for 100. Toeclips (maybe clipless if I can swing it) and fenders are on the list for this month.

Going for 100-150 .. I know I will lose 8 days this month to chemo recovery time. Got off to a good start today with 24 miles in one trip across to Wales. The majority of the month will be spent cycling on the trainer though.

I'm in for 300 miles.

Today, 16 miles.

Not sure if I can make 300 with the time change coming up. Most of miles have come after work and I won't be doing that starting next week. So, I'll just jump in here and see how I do. Got a decent start tonight...

11/01 - 25.3

11/1 - 41 miles (http://connect.garmin.com/activity/125754847 and http://connect.garmin.com/activity/125898955)
========================================================
41/347 (12%)

We're set to have some (relatively) lovely weather this week, staying in the 50's and 60's for highs. Lows are still in the 30's, however, so mornings are still somewhat of an ordeal. Given that we're having this lovely weather I've adopted a new "bike to work whenever you can" policy, in an attempt to grab as many rides as possible before skiing season begins. I ran out of food, which was somewhat problematic. I've been going grocery shopping on Tuesdays in the car lately and skipping the biking, but due to the aforementioned policy, I could not skip today's bicycle commute.

So... last week I got a basket for my bike. I wasn't going to install it until I got my new bike, but decided that if I was to go grocery shopping today, it's time to put the basket on the bike. So last night before I went to bed I prepped the bike and installed the basket quick-release mechanism. I then folded up the basket and stored it in my rear right pannier, so I wouldn't have to ride around with it while it was empty. Went to work in the freezing cold, but it was uneventful.

Upon leaving work I ran into the other person in my 600-person building that also bicycle commutes. He said he was surprised to see me still sticking with it; he figured I would have packed it in for the season already. He knows I do this for fun and fitness and that I own a car, so I suppose he thought that since it's now freezing in the morning that I would just drive now. Tried not taking any offense, so I decided to take it as a compliment.

Halfway home I stopped at the grocery store and did my weekly shopping. The first time I went shopping I wasn't very prepared for it. I had panniers but they were small and had all my tools in them, so I couldn't carry a whole lot. This time I have a new trunk bag with expanding panniers, so now the trunk has all my tools, and I could use the panniers entirely for food. I unpacked the basket and slid it onto the handlebars, loaded up my $70 worth of food, and went on my way.

This is the first time I've ever ridden with anything heavy on the fork. Wow was steering much more... interesting. There was so much momentum in the bars that when I swung them too fast, I could easily lose control by not stopping the swing in time. It took a mile or two to get used to it, and even then it was easy to start accidentally barreling left or right if I wasn't careful. I was able to maintain much more control over the bars by holding the bar-ends, but unfortunately there are no brake levers on the bar-ends, so braking had to become an entirely pre-planned affair. I made it the last 10 miles home however, all safe and sound, in the dark. I think I could get used to this.

Today marks a milestone: 1000 miles of utility cycling for the year. It's now actually the #1 category for me in terms of miles. I rate all of my rides in 1 of 3 categories: Fitness, Touring, and Utility. Fitness rides are when I ride shorter distances with an emphasis on speed or climbing. Touring rides are 50+ miles where the purpose is to go someplace I haven't been before, with an emphasis on the distance rather than speed. And Utility rides are any rides where the goal is to accomplish something I would have previously done in a car. Utility is at 1007 miles, Touring is at 876 miles, and fitness is at 811 miles. Since August or so, Utility rides have almost entirely replaced my Fitness rides, but that will be changing again next year when I get the road bike, and focus entirely on fitness rides for the first 2-3 months of the year.

I just feel so accomplished now. When I first biked to work in July it was simply a one-off "let's see if I can do this" accomplishment, never intending to do it regularly. Now I'm thinking of removing my automobile usage from other tasks, having gone clothes shopping and grocery shopping on the bike now. God help me, I can actually see a Surly Big Dummy in my future in a year or two. Maybe one day I'll even sell my car. Let's see how the winter goes first, however. :D

Count me in even with working my two jobs I going to go for at least 125 miles for November if the weather holds out above 32 for me.

Im in.

200. Hopefully my legs don't freeze off.


OK. Im on the board!
11/1 - 7 miles of hill repeats. Only a few snowflakes :)
11/2 - 20 miles.

great job mith!

I have the time, as far as I know. I broke 400 miles last month. Don't want to go backwards, but feel like the weather is going to be a factor this month. What the heck, goal=400

67/400

11/1 - 41 miles (http://connect.garmin.com/activity/125754847 and http://connect.garmin.com/activity/125898955)
11/2 - 40 miles (http://connect.garmin.com/activity/125995584 and http://connect.garmin.com/activity/126100014)
========================================================
81/347 (23% month); 2735/3000 (91% year)

Absolutely gorgeous day out. 65 max temperature. Biked to work yesterday and I usually don't do sequential days, but decided that today was just too nice to pass up. Plus with bad weather looming on the horizon, I'll take whatever miles I can get at this point in time. 265 miles left to go for my final goal of the year. Morning ride was uneventful. Evening ride was almost as uneventful. As I was pulling into my apartment parking lot, a neighbor pulled up in his car a few seconds later. When he got to where I was, he opened the window and said "Jesus Christ, I thought you were the cops!". So, it looks like my new rear light is working better than I thought it would. Success!

I am in again for 250 +!

11/01 - 15 Miles
11/02 - 17 Miles
11/03 - 15 Miles
11/05 - 25 Miles
11/06 - 8 Miles (rain :()

MTD - 80 Miles

11/01 - 25.3
11/02 - 25.2

Total: 50.5

Off to a decent start. Going to try and make 300 but could be tough.

I'm in for 200. 12 down today, so a mere 188 to go!

I will got for 100. Today will be first ride of the month, will try for 20.

1st - 24 miles
2nd - 12 miles
3rd - 10 miles
4th - 10 miles

Total - 56 miles

Aim - 150

11/01 - 25.3
11/02 - 25.2
11/03 - 25.5

Total: 76.00

Probably had my last after work ride tonight.

I have went over 100 two months in a row so I will shoot for 150 this month. 100 on the highway, 50 on the dirt.

September 110
October 134

Don't have a particular goal set, but 2 months into riding I rode 130 miles in Sept, then with a new bike rode 215 last month.
So far I have 67 miles this month.

11-3: 21 miles. Great day to ride.

Who needs arm & leg warmers? I just stop shaving! LOL!

Not sure what I'll do this month, been travelling for the last 8 weeks so need to get back on the bike, but November weather isn't the best for it.

Hopefully I'll still get 2-300 in this month.

Last month was not a good month. Rode less than a hundred miles. (too much time at work) Trying for 200 this month. Got in 25 miles on Tuesday. Planning a 60 mile ride tomorrow morning.

11/1 - 41 miles (http://connect.garmin.com/activity/125754847 and http://connect.garmin.com/activity/125898955)
11/2 - 40 miles (http://connect.garmin.com/activity/125995584 and http://connect.garmin.com/activity/126100014)
11/4 - 40 miles (http://connect.garmin.com/activity/126371982 and http://connect.garmin.com/activity/126462263)
========================================================
121/347 (35% month); 2775/3000 (93% year)

Cold day. This is when the weather separates the men from the boys. Biked to work with no incidents. Heart monitor stopped working, I suspect the battery is dead. Stopped at the grocery store to pick up new batteries on the way home, only to find out I don't have any mini-screwdrivers to replace the batteries. Guess a trip to the hardware store is in store for tomorrow!

Lost track of time at work... on a Friday of all days. Left at 5:45, which means that more than half of my trip was in the dark. Seeing as how Daylight Saving Time begins on Sunday, my commutes home will now be completely in the dark starting next week. Almost with perfect timing, my new Cygolite TridenX 750 flood light arrived today, which I just attempted to install on my bike. I'm having issues however, because the basket quickrelease takes up the thickest part of the handlebars and the bars taper down from there, meaning the light mount flops around. So I may end up getting one of those Topeak bar extenders... god how Fredly. Oh well, it's a utility bike; it's supposed to be functional, not look cool.

Thinking of doing one more epic ride of the year this weekend. Probably not a century, but I'm thinking around 80 miles ought to do it. I'll go somewhere special, to end the year on a high note. After that I think I'm going to keep all my rides under 2 hours due to the cold.

mith: how many lumes is the light? do you have pics?

mith: how many lumes is the light? do you have pics?

750. No pics yet, maybe tonight.

11/1 - 41 miles (http://connect.garmin.com/activity/125754847 and http://connect.garmin.com/activity/125898955)
11/2 - 40 miles (http://connect.garmin.com/activity/125995584 and http://connect.garmin.com/activity/126100014)
11/4 - 40 miles (http://connect.garmin.com/activity/126371982 and http://connect.garmin.com/activity/126462263)
11/5 - 2 miles (http://connect.garmin.com/activity/126596056)
11/6 - 85 miles (http://connect.garmin.com/activity/127012682)
========================================================
208/347 (60% month); 2862/3000 (95% year)

Yesterday I had to go to the hardware store. It's amusing because I think I've been brainwashed. Whenever I need to go to the hardware store, I usually end up driving 10 miles to Lowe's, despite the fact that there's a locally-owned hardware store a mile from my door. I guess I've been brainwashed to think that only the big national chain will have what I need. So I decided, it's time to stop that kind of thinking. Ended up biking a mile to Valu, and they had what I wanted. Customer service was astounding too. Everyone was happy and smiling... why don't I do this more often? Screw the national stores. Local is where it's at.

Today... well I went on a giant adventure to Niagara Falls. Wrote a ride report here: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/780018-Ride-Report-To-Niagara-Falls!

138 miles left. Definitely going to kick this goal in the ribs.

I have been traveling in the beginning of November so no riding. However, yesterday I rode maybe 4 miles with friends on a trail to look at migrating ducks. I rode a mountain bike that was so large for me I could hardly reach the handlebars and even with the seat all the way down it was too high. I also had to dramatically fling it to the side to dismount with the large top bar. Most of the time I rode it standing up and then it wasn't too bad. Kind of a funny experience.

We saw a huge flock of wigeons and gadwells, a number of trumpeter swans and white pelicans, and too many coots, mallards and Canadian. geese. Three probable hooded mergansers in the distance. But nothing too exciting. Hoping for blackducks and canvasbacks that were seen earlier in the area.

Still on 56 miles after having a rest day Saturday and playing football Sunday. Had chemo today so I am not expecting a brilliant amount of miles and certainly not much performance wise.

Got 15 miles in, could have done more but I don't want to burn myself out early in the week as the longer I stave off chemo brain the better.

1st - 24 miles
2nd - 12 miles
3rd - 10 miles
4th - 10 miles
7th - 15 miles
8th - 12 miles

Total - 83 miles

Aim - 150

I'm up to about 125 miles so far this month.

Here's what I did Saturday: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/127060342

Off to a decent start in November, dodging the rain and the work/family commitments.
60 miles MTD - (24% of 250)

I seem to have hit a plateau on the weight loss - so will be mixing up the workouts and eating patterns this week to "jolt" myself.

Not gonna set a goal for the month, but just trying to get in shape for the San Diego Tour De Cure in April. 19 miles today as I finally went up to San Bernardino to check out the SART. Waterman to just past the 60fwy and back. Was a great ride and saw several other riders. Best part was not having to stop for the traffic lights that I normally do around the house.

Goal is 200 miles

120.25 km of 325 km (74.5 mi of 200 mi) so far.