Rides Planned for Long Weekend
 

Here's mine. What's everyone else doing?

Sat - Errands, no biking :(

Sun - Will do one of the local rail trails with my wife, probably ~25-30 miles.

Mon - I'm home alone, so..I'm thinking of heading up toward West Hill Dam. I will probably take the ATB rather than the RB because of a 2-mile 12% climb. I'm not sure I could do that on the RB but still undecided. This should be a nice ride, lots of back roads riding under the tree canopy. About 20 miles with alot of hills.

Tues - This should be fun. Bristol, RI has one of the oldest 4th parades in the country. We are going to start from Providence and ride the East Bay Path 15 miles to Bristol, watch the parade, have lunch (pie:) ) and ride back. We will probably be back in Providence before most people are out of the parking lots!

Sat-Trip with the family to Asheville. Probably do a 60 mile loop up that way.

Sunday-Day with the family

Monday-Paint the house**********

Tuesday-Fabulous 4th ride in Tryon-Metric Century

Saturday - Club ride of about 30 miles

Sunday - Driving to Tampa to visit relatives

Monday - Ride with my brother-in-law on the Suncoast Parkway bike trail. Bob bought a Schwinn Varsity from WalMart recently. I am going to check it out and write a report on it.

Saturday: Missus is out of town, got the place to myself. Probably do another century like last weekend if the weather cooperates.

Sunday: Younger daughter has a horse show; I'll be there all day. No riding

Monday: Hard 30-40 miles, with some good hill climbs.

Tuesday: Recovery ride with Mrs. Raket.

Or something like that...

Depends on the gearing but I did a hill a couple of weeks ago- 10 to 15% for 1 mile. Did it on the road bike and this was 50 miles into the ride. If you are used to the road bike- try it on that.
One thing I noticed on this hill was the gearing that MTB's are using nowadays. I thought I had a big rear sprocket of 32, but only use this at slow speed or as an emergency gear. Normally- most hills are taken in either middle ring on the front- 32-in which case I will use the 32 rear- or 22 front and 28 rear. Most of these MTBS were using something bigger than a 34 and the riders were still walking. I know most of them were not the fittest of riders- but I had a "Supposedly" fit offroader start with me at the bottom, and he literrally spun himself out- through using too low a gear.


P.S. Gardening this weekend so saturday is out but Sunday will be back to offroading for a Breakfast somewhere in the 30 miles planned

Sat, Sun is on the MTB and Tues. is on the Road bike.
Saturday is my normal (now 50 mi.) ride.
Sunday is my normal 15 mi. fast ride.
Monday is my no ride day and I have to work in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.
Tuesday is my normal hilly fast 20 mi. ride.

This is the same I would have done any other weekend, except I won't be working on Tues.

Did I mention that I love riding my bike?

Nada this weekend! My bike is in the shop, and being held up by a slow part delivery.

But, with The Tour starting and it being very hot in So Cal, I'll deal with it...


NOT!!!!!

Sat - no ride, work in yard on house etc.
Sun - Long ride, will it be a century? Stay tuned
Mon - recover
Tues - nice morning ride, 30-40 miles.

Saturday - no rides. Working from 8 to 4, then shopping and a movie.

Sunday - ride somewhere. No special plans. Wait to see what trails and roads are open after all the rain closed several of my usual routes. Late dinner with friends.

Monday - workday. Meetings out of the office so I can't even bike-commute.

Tuesday - ride somewhere. See what I feel like. Watch things blow up later.

I'm considering "riding my parents anniversary" sometime this weekend. On July 5th, they will celebrate their 63rd anniversary -- and yes, they are still bickering! :D

But it's quite an achievement, and I think this might be a good way to honor them and it. Then again, if the weather remains so freakin' hot, I might not get it done.

I'll be flying to Ocracoke, NC, where the only rental vehicles are bikes. We will rent two bikes, one with a Trail-a-Bike for our daughter and one with a trailer for our beach chairs, umbrellas, and other stuff. We will probably total about 6 miles a day, commuting betwen the B&B, beach, restaurants, and other places. If we decide to ride up to the pony pen at the far end of the island, that will be a 14 mile trip.

Paul

Stillwater, Oklahoma club (Red Dirt Pedalers) sponsors the Tour de Payne. A recreational 100mi or 100K or 40mi. ride through Payne County Oklahoma on the 4th of July. Low key ride with probably about 100 riders. A few nice water stops, one being the Cushing Aquatic Center where everyone can take a dip and cool off it they want. Weather predicated to be in high 90's. Nice.

About a dozen of us are going to go various distances. Mimi and I haven't decided what distance we will go yet. After this ride, she is getting a makeover. Sandblasting, powder-coating and new period proper Peugeot decals.

Tyson
Cushing, OK

I guess it's safe to assume that Mimi isn't Mrs. TysonB! At least, let's hope not! :D

What lady doesn't need a sandblasting, powder-coating and new period proper Peugeot decals???

Sorry,

The guys over at the Classic/Vintage site know Mimi is my 38-year old French babe. She is a bit long-legged at 60cm, a bit pudgy by some standards, but oh, is she comfortable and willing to please!:o A long romp with her and you feel great. She is perky and when a mood strikes her, she is still fast as the wind, especially when the road stays flat. Don't take her for granted because she is quirky and has a few surprises if you don't pay attenetion. No matter how long the ride, she's always ready for more, though at my age I can't stay in the saddle like I once could!:rolleyes:

She started life in France as a U08, but she has changed over the years so that her parents would hardly know her. If I knew how to take and post pics, I'd send you guys a shot of her. She's not the stunner she once was, but my friends all like her and enjoy being around her. I occassionally look the other way while she takes a friend for a ride.

Best part is that my wife knew her before I did (1970) and neither is jealous of the other. I've still got both and we all live together!

Tyson
Cushing, Oklahoma

(Sorry for being off topic, but you asked!)

Since when are French babes "Off Topic?" And why are you hiding Mimi in the Classice/Vintage section?

Well, I was going to post something about a planned 30+ mile ride today and how it would help my yearly mileage goals--- but they I read Gary D's and Tyson B's posts above--- and what is left to say**********

Sunday: A ride on Whidbey Island. Fairly hilly.
Tuesday: A Ride around Lake Washington.
I'll use the new Sequoia on both.

Very hot in SoCal so I'll probably do 25 today, 35 tomorrow and Sunday, Monday off or a short recovery ride and 60-70 on the 4th. I will ride down to the Huntington Beach 4th of July celebration. where else could a red white and blue Medone go on the 4th? If I remember my camera I'll post a picture. I was thinking about try to do a 1/3 tour over the next couple weeks..1/3 the mileage of the TDF. I am pretty sure I could do the totals but the number of days those guys go in a row would prolbably break me down. I guess i could do the "time trial today and see how it goes !

Today I rode a few hundred yards testing the old Takara road bike I'm fixing up to give my son tomorrow for his 21st B-day. It's just a beater for riding to class at Ga. Southern. This was also my first ride since having a vasectomy on the 23rd. The boys didn't seem to mind, so I may do another short ride later.

Sunday - Bike club social ride at the lake. The wife and both sons are riding with me. Hope to talk birthday boy into riding his age.

Monday and Wednesday thru Sunday - I'm off for the week. Plan to ride 30 to 50 miles each day along with yard and house work (and watching the tour on TV). Tuesday I'm drinking beer and grilling chicken.

I did 45 miles today in
104+ degree heat (in the shade)
from San Bernardino to my home
in Glendora, CA. It took me 3 hours
and 15 minutes but I swear I got
caught in every stink'n stop light
on old 66. That and I was riding
my EZ-1 which isn't exactly
reknowned for its speed.

I drank 3 cokes, two bottles
of water and ate two bananas
and an atkins protein bar and
survived, but a couple of times
I thought I was gonna pass out! :O)

I recovered pretty quick though
after I got home and had a smoothie.

I can't say much for the scenery.
I came down old highway 66 and
there is nothing romantic about it
these days. Just run down welfare
motels and liquor stores most of
the way til you get into the burbs.

Hope ya all are having a good weekend.
Don't anybody burn your house down
with illegal fireworks now. (I say that
cause a neighbor who always has a
spectacular show is building a house
on the corner and I can just see
the damned thing going up in
flames at his own hands. :O)

I was planning a run to Frenchtown and back today. Unfortunately, as I approached Washington's Crossing, I found that the bridge to NJ was closed. A guy hanging out in front of the local grocery told me that all bridges to NJ were closed due to structural damage (actual or suspected) as a result of the flooding that occurred earlier in the week. At that point, I had 12 miles in averaging 17 mph, so, I figured that, since the day was shot, I'd go into the grocery and get me a big Gatorade - and I did just that. Finished it just as they opened the Washington's Crossing bridge - so I crossed to NJ.

I hate the tow path, but, out of curiosity, decided to take it rather than the road into Lambertville. What an experience. In some places the path was paved in a thick layer of river mud that stuck to your tires as though they were the core of a big snowball. In other places, everything was simply washed away. In yet other places, the fine gravel that is used to cover the path had been picked up by the water and deposited in foot-high mounds across the path. In some places, the action of the water had turned the path into a giant washboard. I think I averaged a little over 4mph for that portion of the trip.

When I got to Lambertville, sure enough, the bridge back to PA (New Hope) was blocked off, so I figured I'd run up to Frenchtown after all. But, just beyond Stockton, the entire road (RT 29) was closed due to flooding. So, I doubled back into Stockton, crossed the river (that bridge was open), and took a hilly RT 263 into Warminster, PA, then, back to Southampton.

55 miles and seven hours in the saddle - 96 ounces of Gatorade, LOL.

The weather was spectacular, and it was a very interesting (if not so speedy) ride.

Caruso

Friday evening...15 mile loop on the American River Bike Trail
Saturday...30 miles along the Silverado Trail in the Napa Valley wine country.
Sunday...50 miles and any hill that gets in my way...destination as yet unknown.
Monday and Tuesday...too far away to think about.

COOL! I love the Outer Banks. I'll be there next week.

No long weekend for me, working retail, but had Friday(6/30) & Sat.(7/1) off. Rode 16 miles Fri., combo of road and mtn.biking, then yesterday, took Donna with me and hit the road and trails again, for just 10 miles. The trails, with climbs, obstacles, and what-not, take a lot more out of me than does the road. Don't get out near as much as I used to, but still enjoying the trails (at 55), on my steel-framed, 30lb. mtn.bike (though the climbs don't get any easier).