fettsvenska 

IMG_1535 by FatSwede, on Flickr

Here we go...this is about 2 minutes before we both wiped out on a sheet of ice. But no worries, the bikes are fine. The only complication is that there was a witness and the wife and I are debating over whether we should pay him for his silence or "take care of the problem".

Chrome Molly

35 miles this morning with temps hovering around 40 degrees. A wet but not rainy ride, it sort of felt like riding through a cloud the whole time. The Trek 760 was chosen because I'd just cleaned up my cross bike, and it was already in line for a cleaning.

otg 

Low forties here this morning, sunny after a pretty dreary week. I got the Trek 600 out for a nice 26 mile jaunt, felt good to get out after the week we had in New England.

northbend 

44 miles on the fixed gear today. I saw this curious fellow along the way

Velocivixen

I met up with a group and went on a ride with PuddleCycles. They have weekly organized rides all winter long - keeps cabin fever at bay. Today's ride met at Westmoreland Park in Portland and did what turned out to be an 18 mile loop to find "hidden gems" just off the Springwater Corridor, which is a multiuser path that follows what used to be an old rail line. It goes from East side industrial Portland at the Willamette River all the way out to Boring, OR. Hidden gems included places such as Johnson Creek City Park, Oregon Pacific vintage railroad yard, Luther Road Restoration Area, Beggars Tick Wildlife Refuge, and the Foster Floodplain Natural Area, as well as Leach Botanical Gardens. The final "surprise gem" was a visit to the Belmont St. goats. These are urban "neighborhood goats" that lived in urban SE Portland near Belmont street and the owner sold the property, so the goats had to find a new home.



It was my first long ride on my Trek 820 drop bar conversion and the bike performed fantastically. Unfortunately I didn't feel like taking photos of any of these beautiful spots, but they're in my mind. It was sunny & upper 40's to low 50's. We rode from 1:00 p.m. to about 4:30 p.m. Great day all in all.

otg 

I got buzzed and honked at yesterday be some moron in a blue Ford F-150. I was on a country road with all sorts of room to pass. Smelled the exhaust for quite a while after he went by, thing was way out of tune. I have finally learned to deal with this by totally ignoring it. Took a while though.

Chrome Molly

After my morning spin class at the gym, I took the Trek out for a 20 mile jaunt. Still damp and foggy today, but also nice to be riding in December (if I can't be xc skiing). The bike was still all dirty from yesterday. The old thing is due for a respray one of these days, as the surface rusting is more than I can manage to properly fix anymore.

crank_addict

Funny you mentioned...
Today had an oncoming Ford p.u. give the 'friendly' beep-beep. I like those.
Anyhow, mid 40's temp, wet / fog but I'll take it. Was able to take a 32 miler but away from my fave gravel routes thru woods.... not the place to be riding during hunt season, even if wearing blaze orange. But, on the roads, lots of folks getting Christmas trees and leaving trails of slick muck. First time out trying an action cam, and with mud splash it was useless.

JJScaliger

I rode 50 miles today, about 7 on old dirt roads. I didn't see any other riders, but I saw skinny knobby tracks on the wet dirt. Temp was about 45 and sunny. I put the Huret Svelto back on the Dawes; it seems to belong there.





view of the Ponaganset River from an old bridge that has been decommissioned at Hopkins Mills village in Foster RI. Too bad, it split a nice little country road in two.


I heard gunfire thundering in the woods several times.

Peugeotlover

Advanced Auto sells a product called EvapoRust.
I just spray it on with a cheap, garden hand-held plastic sprayer.
The rust disappears (don't breathe it).

jimmuller 

We did 37.7 miles on the tandem today. Temps in the upper 30's, bright sun, a great day.

Here's pic my sweetie snapped at a quick food stop. The dirty snow pile is where Fern's bike racks used to be. It's a harbinger of things to come.



Short afterwards we pass this curious building. Five bays, stone columns. I wonder what it was. An old carriage house, a firehouse, a garage for old farm machinery?



Across the road, usually hidden in the undergrowth is this tower. What was it used for?



And hidden even deeper in the woods, barely visible, is another stone building.

jimmuller 

JJS, nice pics. It's been a while since we've seen anything from you!

whatwolf

I rode until the pavement ended, then a bit further, then turned around. 36 miles and 2,600 feet of climbing. Practicing for some longer permanents and brevets I want to start doing with the local Randos.

Sir_Name 

Nice looking bike.

thinktubes 

@Chrome Molly

That Trek is "eye sweet"!!!!

rccardr 

Glorious day in VA yesterday, mostly sunny & temps in the low 50's.
Did the Occoquan loop with some side trips tossed in, about 32 miles in all with just the right amount of elevation/intervals.
One of those days where you take your time and simply enjoy being on a red bike in December!
Back to cold and raining today, which means a return to holiday baking...

whatwolf

Some fun out on the trails today. Just me and a coyote.

Prowler 

Just the usual aerobic trip "around the block" - 13 mile circuit thru the local neighborhoods, cul de sacs and a small park. I say just the usual but it was great: bright sun, 39deg and clear quiet roads - recent rains have washed off the salt/brine. And the chrome'd fork ends and stays, the polished bits and the clean blue paint just glistened in the sun. It was hard to watch the road vs gazing at the machine under me. Stupid huh?

This time of year, on each ride, I know that it could be the last prior to pack away. Once they really salt the roads and the ice moves in to stay the C&V could be put up until April. I find I appreciate each ride more than in the summer. And being early winter (winter solstice tomorrow) I'm re-learning my layering techniques. In the 30s I start out too cold, then just right after 10 minutes then too warm after 30 minutes and a few hills. My toes are fine, legs are fine, torso is OK with some zipper management but my arms were too warm. I need to drop one base layer. Basic soft shell gloves are great with a fleece glove over them - pull the fleece gloves off (without stopping) after 20 minutes.

I suppose part of the fun is figuring out what system to use in each of the various temperature ranges. Oh, and figuring out where to put the mop as my nose runs the whole time. I'm just glad to be riding and so is my heart.

obrentharris 

@Prowler
Nice piece of writing! It helps me to understand what it's like to live and ride in a place where there is a non-riding season. Here in soggy Northern California there are days when I can't ride because it's raining too hard (28 inches of rain so far in December) but nothing like what you folks in snow and ice country deal with.
Brent

Prowler 

Thanks Brent. Some winters we get lucky and I can keep riding on the SRT down towards Philadelphia. They don't plow nor shovel the SRT but they don't salt it either. Wet brine mix and even salt powder does awful things to bicycles and motorcycles.

Vonruden

Cold


Grey

Pink

gomango

Great bike for sure.

Is that a Kirk stem as well?

jimmuller 

VR says cold. That looks like a pretty hot pink!

I took the Motobecane out for 32.5 miles today, yeah cold, temps in the low 30's but at least above freezing.

The swollen Sudbury River with ice at the edges:



The Bridge over the Sudbury:



Of course it's not the only bridge, but it's the one with some significant local history. You see, about 20 years ago it collapsed. A big 15' chunk just fell out from the middle and dropped into the river. It carries a lot of traffic, and we had gone under it in our canoe the previous weekend. Analysis showed that when it was built maybe 80 years ago the construction company had completely left out the steel reinforcing rods called out in the engineering design. Were they cutting corners, i.e. cheating, to save money? Was there no oversight at the time? Was there no accountability? Apparently no one knows the real answers now!

The state took several years rebuilding it. One reason is they saved the original stone and reconstructed the side walls and facade with them. The shape isn't quite the elegant compact arch of the original, but it should last a lot longer!

pastorbobnlnh 

My "Last Day of Fall Ride!" No wind, sunny, beautiful sunset, mid 20sF, tips of my big toes still sting from the cold. Stopped at the local golf course and captured the sunset and a selfie in the windows.

jbchybridrider 

Rode a roadbike for the first time in over 3 years today post back op. I chose the Ricardo for the small seat to bar drop and found it's less stressful on my back than the JBC hybrid I've been riding. It was stinking hot but enjoyed getting low in the drops for the high speed flowing corners down hill, up to 80kph, it's been too long.