derath

Dude,

You came within 4 miles of my house! Next time stop on by and I will at the very least treat you to a nice lunch or something


Seriously though. I wanna know where you guys are in your life that you have the time to get so much riding in. I am a little bit jealous.

Between work and family, it is tough to find a decent block of time in the week to ride.

galen_52657

Small world...the old 'pink puffy cloud' jersey. I remember it well. Luckily, I was racing for the Wheelmen at the time. I did ride for Cycle Libre in 1991 though and have the even older 'white with big chainring' jersey.

Cycle Libre has since morphed into the Kelly/LSV club of which I am currently a member.

https://temp15asp2.aquesthosting.com/...m/Default.aspx

galen_52657

I should have done the BBC ride yesterday or just stuck with my regular buds. Instead I did the club ride out of Mt. Washington that was a complete clusterfluck on so many levels.....

Had at least 30 riders, maybe 40

"leaderless" ride even though most agreed on the route beforehand, some folks did not know the route and took wrong turns at the front.

several riders along who had no idea where they were and did not have a 'buddy' on the ride

one guy had two flats. Pack could not decide to wait or keep going. Half waited, half went back to check on the guy. We ended up waiting 20 minutes and then left on our own.

got my arse handed to me on the windy flats along Wiseburg Rd. and Rt. 23 and again got dropped on Old York. But, that worked out for the best as there was a crash in the pack which taco'ed a wheel so bad the rider had to get driven home in a car (wait another 15 minutes).

Got dropped for the last time up Providence road out of Loch Raven.... I was so sore after the ride I could barely walk...!

NoRacer

Well, I'm buying my house, but haven't done much with it for awhile; have a girlfriend who is sometimes NOT too understanding about my time on the bike, but can see the health benefits, especially compared to hers (she's a little on the "chunky" side and seems to be bothered [mentally] by everything she has no control over). She does stuff with the house, which is ok by me; have a decent job--just got my 20 year service pin; no kids (that I know of ), except for the three cats (hers--she calls them her kids --but, she's been hinting at having human kids ). I just turned 49 years old, so you can guess how I might feel about that.

derath

Well that makes me feel better.

Yea it's the kids that kill ya. Take today for example. Granted I am getting over a nasty cold anyhow. But my wife took our daughter (3) to a play date this afternoon. I stayed home with our son (8months) who has a cold and needed to nap. So I tried a bit of the rollers.

This spring though. He is gonna be my training ballast

-D

balto charlie

Saturday was a wonderful day around balto for riding. I did "some" of the hills in Catonsville(40 miles). I read your post about riding in huge packs of riders. 20 riders, 3 abreast sounds slightly dangerous to me. I am not chastising just observing. I don't know how y'all do it. I tend to ride alone most of the time....mostly due to scheduling conflicts. When I ride with others, I get to talking and not paying attention. Can cause a bit of trouble. I never ride in packs. I don't even know how? I am sure there are 'rules of the road' but am clueless. The idea of crashing because someone else FU bothers me. I see huge packs of riders and am always in awe.

Derath: I was there for many years and am only now coming out of the cloud. Enjoy them now as they will be gone. I just sent the oldest back to college this wknd and the middle off to camp Pendleton, CA. My youngest is headed to college next year. I took up mnt biking when my kids were born because it was the one sport that exhausted me quickly. I live next to patapsco st. pk. so I woke very early, rode like crazy for 2-3 hrs then came home and made them pancakes for the kids.

NoRacer

Riding in a pack is not hard, but you do have to stay attentive to your surroundings at all times, so that you don't cross wheels, brake too quickly when someone is right on your wheel, blow snot (or other bodily expulsions) in someone's face or be a "squirrel", just to name a few. On BBC rides, if we are two abreast and someone calls "car back", then [usually] the riders have enough common sense to move into single-file.

But, there's nothing like being in the draft of a rider(s) in front of you, or taking a pull at the front and then drifting back to the end of a paceline. You'll hold speeds that you'd never be able to hold on your own, whether in a paceline or a mini-peloton. It's great fun! (and less dangerous than drafting motor traffic, imho)

No matter what, you have to be aware of what's going on around you at all times.

The Human Car

I am a firm believer in resistance training. Hauling kids was an early factor in doing what I do. The weees I got while riding around with the little ones really helped spur me on to faster speeds with them in tow. My street is slightly offset when crossing one road and one time while riding with the kids I sped up to make the light and I got some glorious weees as I made the quick left and then right and I looked back and the trailer was up on one wheel. Ok, maybe faster is not always a good thing.

One factor that has lead me to be doing what I do is that I am divorced and the X would drop off the kids almost every weekend so she could do the things she wanted to do solo. So I asserted my right to have every other weekend off. One thing lead to the other and it was just easer not to be available the whole weekend or at least for a whole day. Once you are out for the day or weekend on bike, gaining mileage is an inevitable result.

I was surprised to hear that NoRacer is near the same age as me (50.) But then again he would probably say the same about me if I was not sporting a grey beard.

Vitamin J: I would love to meet you some time at the Annapolis B&A parking lot and we could do the B&A trail or whatever. I have tried making a case that the State should lower the fee for bikes to cross the Bay Bridge since they saved a ton of money by not accommodating us on the bridge so its only fair that they spend some of that money they saved in ferrying us across (right now it seems that there is not enough traction to get this done.) Currently it’s cheaper to drive down to Easton then it is to bike and since I don’t have a car it means I don’t get there much, but I should be around there during CAM.

NoRacer

I have good genes. My mother doesn't look her age.

galen_52657

Barry, does your bike have a long wheelbase and an oval wooden 'rack' that looks like a skateboard deck in the back? If so, I am sure I have seen you out on the road in Baltimore County!

NoRacer

galen, that's him.

The Human Car

I should mention that technically I have never seen three abreast but what I am referring to is an odd phenomenon when a solo rider gets sandwiched between two sets of riders riding two abreast as they sort of spread out to semi-interlace the solo rider, from the rear it looks like three abreast but in reality it’s 2-1-2. Since some people are reluctant to re-pair and lose their riding bud this situation is semi-permanent but more to the point that this situation prevents others from taking this space when passing.

Safe riding in packs or in pace lines is highly dependent of riders communicating (stopping, slowing, turning or hazard) with one another and too often this is not stressed enough. Another problem is if the leader fails to anticipate that the pace line will be following his path +/- 5 inches so if he passes too close to a roadside hazard and fails to communicate that hazard it could catch an unsuspecting cyclists off guard. I can usually tell in short order if a pack is safe or not and when everyone is watching out for those behind. When everything is done right riding in a pace line can be a real blast. I remember running across something on the net about safe pace line instructions but I did not save the link. BBC riders are generally pretty good but we do have our occasional mess up (but not when I’m around. )

Anyway Charlie you are another person who I am looking forward to riding with one of these days.

It looks I have been spotted by Galen.

NoRacer

Like this (disregarding the ..) from above:

@ @
..@

Looks like this from the back:

@@@

I did that awhile on Cuba Rd with Billy G to my left front and Janet G to my right front. All three of us were discussing a running joke. Not too long after that is when I took the flyer off the front.

RacerMike

Temperatures for the coming weekend are predicted to be in the mid to upper 60s again for both days. Unfortunately, both days are also predicting "some showers", but its too far out for me to believe them, at least about the rain

derath

Hey Mike,

If the weather holds wanna get together for a ride? I haven't been on the bike for almost a month I think at this point so I promise I won't take you on any monster hills. well at least not on purpose (it is hilly around us).

How was that group ride last weekend?

-D

garysol1 

I started my riding life.....well actually my life in general in Baltimore County, Pikesville to be exact. I spent many a day as a teenager riding with the BBC. Anyone here ride with the BBC back in the early to mid 80's?

RacerMike

That group ride from Glenelg was great. About 50 people I'd estimate, with about 15 of those being female. It was a nice change from the struggling to get 3 people together for a ride up here. It was only the second time I'd been on the bike since mid-October so it was challenging for me, but I made it. There was probably a group riding that was on my level, but after I lost the lead group (about 2 miles into the ride...hahahaha) I waited for my father-in-law and rode the remainder with him at a slower pace than what I could have done. If nothing else comes up for Saturday and the weather holds, I wouldn't mind doing the same ride as last weekend if you are in for a trip to Glenelg.

Mike

derath

I'd be up for it. Do you know the route you took. That area is right around the Columbia Triathlon route (something I gotta keep getting ready for).

-D

NoRacer

This was yesterday's report and I sent it to the Baltimore Metropolitan Council as well ( https://www.baltometro.org/content/view/289/239/ ):

This morning wasn't as icy--just windy. These two spots were the only ones that were inconvenient:

- Bucks School House Rd (1/4 mile after Rose Haven Rd)
- Hiss Ave (about .1 miles from Avondale going toward
Harford Rd)

The Bucks School House Rd leak is also caused by a leaking fire hydrant. I'm sure the one on Rossville Blvd is still a big problem as well.

--
Isaias

balto charlie

We should get together for ride. Charlie

balto charlie

I always have a few spots that are icy. I've learned to avoid them at high speeds, especially when cars are nearby. When I call the local govs for help with road conditions I always ask the employees for their names. Seems to get their attention more. I also ask them when can I expect to see results. good luck with those areas. I think winter has finally arrived!! Charlie

The Human Car

If you are not familiar with Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC) 311 service for cyclists you have to check it out! (Though they don’t call it that.) It saves a lot of the hassle of getting names and the personal follow up. Government being what it still may not do an adequate job but the service BMC provides really does help getting a bit more attention focused on the needs of cyclists. Again the link is: https://www.baltometro.org/content/view/289/239/

The Human Car

FWIW This was part of my adventure in riding out to Columbia:

https://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/N-Balto-Columbia

And another part:
https://www.baltimorespokes.org/artic...70110180544326
(Note any cyclists living in Howard County should read the above.)

angelo

Part of the problem with Columbia is that the roads are so convoluted. Unlike other places, you can't just make a hunch and go with it in Columbia-- that will just get you lost and probably dump you out on an inhospitable road. I really wish there were more options other than rt108 between 32 and 175.

However, I do like Centennial ln, it is a good way to get from frederick rd to columbia.

I once mapped out a crazy route from Baltimore to Rockville. I'll try it sometime when there is more daylight available. The main trick is to use Brighton Dam Road instead of 108. Amazingly, its not that much different from the straight-line distance. NB, the segment on windswept lane probably won't work, it appears that is a private road.

SaladShooter

Grab a bike trail map of Columbia, there are a ton (almost 100 miles) of paved trails through the area. I ride them to work fairly often and they are well maintained (my exorbitant Howard County tax dollars at work). Great way to get from one end of town to another.

Agreed about not being able to just wing it in the area though if you aren't local, and even then it gets dicey. The whole 'planned community' idea goes so far as to drastically limit signage and it gets ugly.

Anyone looking for a barely out of shape riding buddy? I need to put some more miles on the bike this year, only put a little over 500 last year.