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Old 02-01-13, 09:15 AM
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The Sunday weather isn't looking very good and with our fearless leader ailing it will be tough to gather the troops. I am a maybe at best but I do have a 73 YO Catonsville rider interested. He can crank. He is solid to 70 miles rider. I have been trying to get him to ride one of these for a year now. We'll see.
Last night my rear brake cable snapped. hard riding with just a front brake. AM commute was cool with all the snow coming down. Didn't really need studs as the roads were good
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Old 02-04-13, 10:02 PM
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To Frederick On Frederick

To Frederick on Frederick. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, the simplicity of the route belied the difficulty of the constant rollers. It certainly wasn’t an easy ride.

I had planned to ride the Gunnar, but when the forecast changed to snow, I had second thoughts. Nicole put it to me this way: “Which one would you rather crash? The Gunnar or the Surly?” Shaking off thoughts of me slipping on the pavement, I decided to take the Cross-Check.

On Saturday night, I inflated the tires to 70 psi, oiled the chain and checked the brakes. I filled the pannier with a U-lock, extra base layer, extra socks, extra cue sheet, mini tool, pump, tube, patches, tire levers, bungee cord, and snacks. Good to go.

I woke up around 5:30 and drank some coffee and ate a bagel. To combat the cold, I wore long johns under my bike sweats and two layers under my jacket. I also decided to wear snow boots. They’re a little heavy and clumsy, but they managed to keep my feet reasonably warm for the entire ride. I also wore leather gloves over wool ones which held off frost bite. Balaclava and hat worked well, too.

By 6:35, I was on the move. There was snow and ice on the side streets so I had to take it slow. Druid Hill Park was beautiful draped in snow. The only sound was the snow crunching underneath my tires. Dave said later that he spotted by tracks, I can hear him saying” Now that’s definitely a Schwalbe…” I wasn’t the only cyclist out there, one brave soul was riding laps around the reservoir. My thermometer read 19 degrees. Inaccurate maybe, but it was darn cold.

Monroe was pretty much clear so I picked up the pace, but had to be careful of the bridges. As I got closer to Carroll Park, I could make out Bob’s Nova. It was a blue beacon in an otherwise white and grey landscape. Pedro and Isaias were already there, and Mike, Brian and Dave soon joined. Bob was nice enough to bring coffee and muffins to the start. Much appreciated. Bob seemed thrilled that so many riders showed up on this cold morning to ride 100 miles on sketchy streets, but bummed at the same time because he couldn’t ride. Doctor’s orders.

Rather than use the GF trail, five of us decided to go back up Monroe and work our way to Frederick Rd. We were concerned that the conditions on the trail would be too treacherous. Not Dave. He had brought his Santa Cruz mountain bike with studded tires just for that purpose. I believe he rode the GF trail and was going to meet us at Ellicott City. He later sent me an email stating that he returned home.

Bobless, we headed out to find Frederick Road, which we would more or less ride all the way to Frederick. The ride out to Frederick was uneventful (at least for me). I had Jefferson Airplane’s “Hey, Frederick!” playing in my head most of the time. By and large, we rode together as a group, switching places now and again. Pedro would often pull ahead and then slow down for the rest of the group to catch up. I got to speak with everyone on the way out. After 30 miles or so, my bagel started to wear off, so I was elated when we reached the Starbucks in Mt. Airy. By this point, my water bottles had frozen over, too. Isaias mixed his water with a little salt to prevent freezing. I’ll have to remember that for next time. Anyway, after a sausage egg biscuit and large coffee, I was feeling pretty good. Brian thought he might be getting cramps, but we couldn’t decide if it was that or just the effects to the cold.

Back on the road, we reached the Frederick city limits by 11:30; we were making good time, I thought. Mike had the idea (I think, it was Mike, nevertheless, it was a great idea) to go to Brewer’s Alley for lunch and refreshments. We had to wait 15 minutes for the place to open, but it gave us an excuse to take some pictures. I mistakenly dropped my hat when we entered the restaurant. The hostess picked it up and handed it to me. The hat was just soaked with sweat. Yuck. I hope I tipped well enough. Most of us had burgers and beer. I had a couple beers; maybe not the best move. I really enjoyed lunch, though. Good food and great conversation. Pedro told us a story about how 2 of his bikes got stolen in Amsterdam. In Amsterdam, where bicycles abound? That surprised me, but I guess it shouldn’t. Understandably, Pedro was a little leery of leaving his bike outside the restaurant. Glad I brought my lock.

When we were getting ready to leave, I noticed small snowflakes falling outside. No big deal, I thought. We left in a pack, but quickly broke into separate groups once we got outside the city limits. Pedro headed out in front, Mike closely following. I tried, but I couldn’t keep up with them. My goal was to just keep them in my sights until we reached the Dunkin Donuts in Mt Airy. Isaias and Brain were close behind me. Or so I thought. As it turned out, I never saw them again. By the time we reached New Market, the snowflakes were huge, blowing toward us at an angle. With wet snow hitting my face, I struggled to peer over my glasses to see the road. Luckily, the snow didn’t last for long and did not cause us any problems. It was mostly uphill into Mt Airy, and I was beginning to tire.

Approaching Mt Airy, I was looking for both Ridge Road and Pedro and Mike. I spotted the leaders but missed the turn because it was marked South Main St. After a few minutes, we got bearings and found the Dunkin Donuts. Isaias and Brian were not there. We figured that they rode by earlier, and not seeing us, decided to ride on. As it turns out, Brian had called the cavalry in Lisbon. Isaias had kept going and didn’t stop until he reached Catonsville. The three of us stopped for coffee and a snack. By the time we left, it was after 3 o’clock and we had over 30 miles to go before we got back to the city, and almost 40 miles to home. I had to get back in time for the Super Bowl kickoff.

My trek back to Ellicott City was miserable. I was cold and my legs were starting to sting. The rollers kept coming. I was constantly shifting the gears on the bike, using the big chain ring to build up speed and momentum down a hill then switching (not too quickly as to lose momentum) to the small ring to and the large cogs to get up the next hill. The bike performed well, though. No issues. I went over some wet train tracks too quickly and didn’t slip. The one bright spot was going through one lane tunnel. Where was that?
But, I was really drained on this stretch. Why? Was it my snow boots? Did I bring too much stuff with me? Heavy tires? Nah, it wasn’t the beer…. Anyway, I was embarrassed. I was struggling while Mike and Pedro seemed to cycle effortlessly. They had moved far ahead and waited up for me a few times. I told them to go on, but they stuck with me. Thanks guys.

All I could do was put my head down and concentrate to keep the pedals turning. We hit Ellicott City around 5 p.m. Mike and I said good-bye to Pedro and we headed to the trolley trail. Mike continued on home. I had to stop and take a break. I had nothing left. I scarfed down a power bar. An old lady walked by with ski poles and said hello. All I could manage was a grunt in return. After 15 minutes I got back on the bike. I waited too long and got cold. Shivering, I slowly made my way up the trolley trail.

I warmed up by the time I reached the city. I felt better. Now confident that I would make it home, I picked up the pace to make it home by the 6:30 kickoff. The dealers on Frederick Rd. gave me some encouragement, too. Downtown, I made a left on Paca, right on Mulberry, left on Charles. Before I knew it, I was home. 6:29 p.m.

Nicole had buffalo wings, chips and beer for the Super Bowl. Sweet! I watched the game with the family and warmed up next to the fire. Satisfied.

Cyclemeter recorded: 107.46 miles, average: 14.26 mph, ascent: 6233 ft.

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https://www.flickr.com/photos/8917725...7632684833728/
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Old 02-05-13, 07:24 AM
  #7878  
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Nice report Peter. I have been waiting eagerly for it. Sounds tough, I knew it would be a hard ride: cold, icy and long; as well as Bobless....(Loved the line). What a lovely wife.
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Old 02-05-13, 07:28 AM
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Originally Posted by balto charlie
Nice report Peter. I have been waiting eagerly for it. Sounds tough, I knew it would be a hard ride: cold, icy and long; as well as Bobless....(Loved the line). What a lovely wife.
Thanks, Charlie. I am a lucky man indeed.
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Old 02-05-13, 08:12 AM
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Thanks, PJ. Great writing and an heartfelt story.
I linked to this from the ramble blog.
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Old 02-05-13, 08:26 AM
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Originally Posted by greaterbrown
Thanks, PJ. Great writing and an heartfelt story.
I linked to this from the ramble blog.
Thanks, Bob. I forgot to mention how glad I was to have fenders for this ride. They kept me clean and free of salt.
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Old 02-05-13, 03:32 PM
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Thanks for the ride log peter. Those train tracks were slippery indeed made my back wheel slip as well but managed to stay upright.
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Old 02-06-13, 07:28 AM
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Thinking about biking up to Westminster this wknd for the bike expo. Don't really need anything but always fun to look around. Leaving from Catonsville earlyish(8??). Can meet on the way up near Woodlawn perhaps. Anyone interested drop me a line.
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Old 02-14-13, 07:59 AM
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Crashed hard at Penn Station this morning. I was riding slowly, too. The ice was thin and invisible. Despite Bob's advice I instinctively put my hand out. I still ended up with a big cut on my upper lip. Also, lost a piece to my glasses. Anyway, the staff started putting out salt after I crashed. So, I guess it wasn't for nothing. Be careful out there.
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Old 02-14-13, 08:06 AM
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Originally Posted by CycleRail
Crashed hard at Penn Station this morning. I was riding slowly, too. The ice was thin and invisible. Despite Bob's advice I instinctively put my hand out. I still ended up with a big cut on my upper lip. Also, lost a piece to my glasses. Anyway, the staff started putting out salt after I crashed. So, I guess it wasn't for nothing. Be careful out there.
Sorry to hear.

I had a slow motion one that prompted me to go back and put a stud on the back wheel as well as the front.

I made my 25 mile commute with no other incidents.

I saw lots of car crashes and long queues at turns.
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Old 02-21-13, 03:02 AM
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i miss back home..
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Old 02-28-13, 06:50 PM
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Hola folks: just returned from a 2 week vacation in Mexico. Lots of sunshine. I also got in a cyclovia ride in Merida, Yucatan. Nice to ride with the locals. Rented a bike for 20 pesos and hour(less than 2 USD). It didn't fit, missing a rear brake pad and didn't shift gears. Didn't matter, I still had fun.
PJ Sorry to hear about your crash on ice. How's the lip? Hard not to put out your hand as you go down. It's the kinda thing that you need to practice....and nobody wants to practice that.
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Old 03-03-13, 07:53 AM
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Anyone know of any Saturday/Sunday group rides around Silver Spring? I know about the Bicycle Place ride but that's a little too hardcore for me.

Ideally I'd like something 16-18mph for 20-30 miles
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Old 03-05-13, 07:55 AM
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Hey folks: Last few days have seen some cold AM commutes. Wasn't dressed for them yesterday. I fared better today. Day length has been growing at both ends which has been nice. I actually see daylight when I arrive at the train in the AM, shame to lose this next week. It was a red sky this morning...sailor take warning. Get ready to mount the studs, things are going to get nasty. I'm going back to studs for the PM commute. I'll be ready for what ever mother nature has in store.
@Aquateen: try Potomac Peddlars, they should have something near you.
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Old 03-25-13, 08:33 PM
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Charmed, I'm sure

This month Bob scheduled Charm & Grace, a ride up to Havre de Grace, west to Jarrettsville, then south back to Charm City. I woke up unusually early, before 5 a.m. I drank some coffee and did a last minute checkup the Gunnar. I had punched a few more holes in the leather straps of the “small” Sackville seat bag to raise it higher above the rear wheel. It worked well throughout the day.

Bob posted that he would be at the Daily Grind in Fells Point before the start, so I met up with him there. A coffee and bagel provided much needed fuel. Instructions were to meet up at Canton Waterfront Park at 7:45. When we arrived at 10 of 8:00, no one else had showed. I got a little nervous about riding this one alone, but Mike appeared before I could finish the thought. Brian arrived shortly thereafter, followed by Tom.

Sans Wagner, the four of us set out to conquer the March ramble. It was about 37 degrees out, too cold for this time of year. It was also overcast and windier than forecast. While it took longer to get out of the city than I had hoped, I appreciated the relatively easy miles. Traffic was fairly light, except around the churches. After a few minutes, I made the first of what turned out to be at least 3 missed turns when I failed to see the street sign for Golden Ring Road. The sign I saw was for Stemmers Run Road and I kept going. Oh well, it only cost us a few minutes.

When we hit Philadelphia Road in White Marsh, Brian turned back to take care of some pressing house matters. Brian, Glad you got to ride with us. And then there were three… Bob usually has more people show up for the Rambles, but it was a nice change of pace to be part of a small group. I got to know Mike and Tom a little better.

Soon, we were riding on Jericho Road, where the Little Gunpowder Falls tumbled along on our right. It was very scenic. Between the still bare trees, you could see the water rushing over various rocks and boulders out to the Bay. Tom pointed the remnants of old structures along the way. Then I saw it, the Jericho Covered Bridge. How cool is that? I took a picture of it from far away, but decided to put the camera away sooner rather than later as it is a single lane wooden bridge. (My combined one lane covered bridge bike riding and picture taking skills need more practice). We then passed more mill buildings from another time before making a right onto Jerusalem Road. This was my favorite section of the trip.

By this point, it had warmed up to a balmy 41 degrees. We took a short break at the first rest stop, and proceeded northeast up Route 40. The headwinds were strong, and keeping speeds over 15 mph required much effort. I was a little annoyed because this was supposed to be one of the easier sections of the ride. But, that’s what I’ve come to learn from the Rambles; you just never know how it’s going to unfold. We took some turns at the front in the face of the wind, but we were happy to get off Route 40 once we got Aberdeen.

For the most part, the drivers were courteous. There was, however, a little old lady in a brand new Dodge Charger that was not going to let any cyclist delay her from turning left. Thanks for the scare, miss. Please go back to Pasadena.

By noon we found ourselves in Havre de Grace. Once in town, I got completely turned around and headed south instead of north. Mike asked an elderly couple out for a walk for directions, and they were nice enough to point us toward the restaurant. Within minutes, we spotted our fearless leader and Teresa. The five of us sat down for lunch at Coaklies Pub. All had a round of beer, except me. (I gave up beer for Lent, but come Easter, I’m going to have few…).

My BBQ burger hit the spot. Glad Bob and Teresa made it to lunch. As always, the group enjoyed quite a few laughs. We were back on the bikes by 1:30 p.m. with Level Road to greet us. Nothing like a 2 mile climb on a full stomach. Anyway, I missed a turn on the way out, and had to circle back yet again. Doh!

By midafternoon, the skies were a snowy grey forewarning what was to come. The temps were still in the mid-forties, but at least the wind had died down. There was nothing to do but hammer our way west. So, we did. This part of the route included a lot of rollers. The three of us were acting like the pendulums to our own clocks. On a downhill stretch Tom would blow past me at some incredible speed, then Mike would pass me. As we reached the next hill I would swing past Tom and catch up with Mike. On the next downhill, Tom would zoom past us again and Mike and I would work to catch Tom up the next hill. This scenario repeated itself several times after lunch.

Soon, we reached the next rest stop. Earlier, Bob noted a good section to take a break before we hit the East-West Highway. We stopped at the WaWa for short while. By 3:00 p.m., we were on the road again. On MD 23, we were joined by another friendly rider who was out for a thirty or so mile ride. He was happy to tell us all about the good riding in the area. He also gave us an update on the weather; snow was definitely on its way. While conversing with this chap we lost contact with Tom. After the grueling climb up Greene Road, Mike and I decided to wait to see if Tom would catch up. My legs were screaming at this point. Mike shared a Snickers bar with me. It’s amazing how a little chocolate can change your mood. After 15 minutes, we decided that we best move onward. The temperature was dropping and I was starting to get cold. We learned later that Tom had changed course and headed further west to catch the Light Rail back to Baltimore. Glad you made it home safely, Tom.

After a quick stop at the Loch Raven Dam, I started to focus on the climb up Satyr Hill Road. I hadn’t climbed it since the last time I rode Charm & Grace, which was September 2011, but I knew it was going to be difficult. The approach to Satyr Hill Road from Cromwell Bridge is a bit tricky and I am happy to report that the motorists were accommodating, despite the heavy traffic. Parts of Satyr Hill near an 8% grade, which is tough enough on fresh legs but near torture after 100 miles. I could feel the burn almost immediately. As I climbed, I imaged Duke shouting: “No Pain!” “No Pain” at me like he screamed to Rocky in Rocky IV. Mike climbed up far ahead of me with apparent ease.

When I reached Proctor Lane, I breathed a sigh of relief. The rest of the ride home would be gravy so to speak, and it was. Mike and I made quick work of Old Harford and Harford Roads. Once we reached Lake Montebello, I split right to take 33d Street home. Mike made a left on Chesterfield Ave. toward his house. Fifteen minutes later I was home, where Nicole was busy making chocolate chip cookies. There’s just nothing like fresh chocolate chip cookies out of the oven after being out in the cold all day. Yet another epic ride in the books. I had a blast. Thanks all.

111 miles, 6,411 feet of climbing, 15.24 mph moving avg.

Pictures: https://www.flickr.com/photos/8917725...7633088713719/

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Old 03-26-13, 11:13 AM
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Wonderful report!
May I mooch it for the Ramble blog?
-GB/Bob
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Old 03-26-13, 11:17 AM
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Originally Posted by greaterbrown
Wonderful report!
May I mooch it for the Ramble blog?
-GB/Bob
Absolutely. Thanks for organizing it.
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Old 03-26-13, 12:38 PM
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house purchased in catonsville! looking forward to some baltimore/howard county riding this season
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Old 04-08-13, 06:36 AM
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Point to Point 2013

Sunny weather yesterday, which was a welcome break from the last few rambles. Fun, fast ride. I hope to write up a more complete report over the next few days. In the meantime, the link to the pictures is below.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/8917725...7633187513961/
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Old 04-08-13, 02:28 PM
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Point to Point 2013 ride report

I had spent the entire day before the ride doing yard work. Not the best activity to be engaging in before a ramble, but it was the only day my wife and I both had free to attack the front yard. I hand tilled the front beds and worked in the fifty bags of soil that we had delivered. Over the past ten years or so, the front beds had eroded and the tree and shrub roots were starting to show. Time to shore it up. The bags of mulch had absorbed the rain and were quite difficult to move, as my hamstrings reminded me. After twelve hours we were happy with the result and knocked back a couple of beers. And, then I remembered, I’ve got a ramble tomorrow!

I wasn’t that concerned. After all, Bob had mentioned on his blog post that this was an “easy” ride. I guess it could be; it just all depends on how you ride it. I woke up early, had a few cups of coffee and pumped up the tires on the Gunnar. By 7:00 a.m. I was out the door. Coming up Jackson Street, I saw Bob pass by on Fort Avenue, and I raced up to say hello. We headed for Fort McHenry. Bob remarked that I was just wearing shorts and my blue Ramble jersey. I was cold, but I figured that it would heat up later. It did (and I did as well).

Before long, Isaias appeared, then Tom, Pedro, Mike, Carolyn, John F., Tiffany and others I don’t know or can’t remember. Soon, we were taking in the sights on the path around Fort McHenry. 8:00 a.m. on a Sunday is a good time to ride around the Fort; later, the path becomes crowded. It was an easy pace around the Baltimore Harbor. Tom had left for the Harbor early to take pictures of all us as we rode by. Not sure what happened, but we didn’t see Tom again until shortly before lunch. Riding around the harbor, I didn’t bother looking at my cue; I just followed either Bob or Isaias, depending who was out front. The pace picked up quickly though once we left the harbor and headed toward Dundalk. You can hear the siren call of a hammer fest on those open stretches of flat road, but I tried to keep in mind that I had 90 more miles to go. Also, there was a strong wind coming out of the South.

When we arrived at Sparrows Point, we found the entrance to the old Bethlehem Steel plant locked with a No Trespassing or similar sign. I was kinda bummed because I really wanted to ride around that point more than any other. Oh well, we headed off to the North Point, on which the old VA Hospital grounds are located. In case you’re wondering, the facility really is closed on the weekends, and that’s all that I’m going to say about that.

We then hurried off to Cuckold Point. A gate blocked us from the pier, which was probably a good thing. The first and well placed rest stop was along North Point Blvd. Traffic was pretty heavy on that stretch and I was glad that I was riding in a group. The temps were rising a bit now but the wind kept blowing, too. At times, it was hard to fully enjoy the tailwind knowing that we’d meet it again on our return.
It was around Cox Point, I think that we picked up some addition riders. Cox Point provided some of my favorite views. You can clearly see the water treatment plant and its double gold bell whatever-it-is across the Back River. Off to the right was a marina.

After visiting Rocky Point, we headed toward the Island View Café on Barrison Point. There, we sat on the back deck enjoyed the sunshine and the view of the water. I was surprised to learn that the water was so shallow. Having good conversation over a burger and couple of beers, it was hard to leave. But, it was time to push on.

We arrived in Miami Beach shortly after lunch, only to that find that it too, was closed. My memory of the rest of the ride is sort of a blur. After the third rest stop, Pedro, Isaias and Tom continued to set a spirited pace for the home stretch. Unfortunately, we battled a head wind for most of the ride back to Baltimore. The wind distracted me from the fact that the temperature had risen to around 65 degrees, and I was still wearing that wool jersey over another heavy layer.

In addition to the wind, we came across something that we had not seen all day. Hills. Huh? Forgot about those. Anyway, we said good-bye to Isaias in Essex. Tom, Pedro, Mike, Carolyn, Paul and I soldiered on back to Baltimore. I don’t know about anyone else, but I was moving about as fast as I could at that point. I’m not sure why; I guess we all wanted to get home. We took Lombard Street back into the city until we hit Patterson Park. Pedro, Tom and Carolyn headed south and Mike and I headed north to take Baltimore Street downtown. Mike noted that had we headed south around the park, we could’ve avoided the hill on Baltimore Street. Whoops. Sorry, dude. At President Street, I said good-bye to Mike and headed north to home.

Only 4-5 miles to go, but I was really starting to feel the effects of the heat now. By that I mean I felt queasy. I was shocked at how I started to feel so bad so quickly. Ugh. I should’ve stopped and peeled a layer or two, but I wanted to keep going. I guess the stress of a prior day’s worth of yard work struck again. I had a similar, but more severe experience on my way back from the Chesapeake Beach ride. So, I just soft pedaled up the Fallsway. Before I reached the bridge at Guilford, I heard a familiar voice behind me. It was Paul. As we rode up Guilford, we discussed the day’s events as it was his first Ramble. Good show. A few minutes later, I was sitting on the coach watching the replay of the Orioles game. GB, thanks for organizing and glad you’re back. Until M2M…

Cyclemeter says: 106.41 miles, 4495 ft. of climbing (seems way out of whack); 16.39 mph moving average.
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Old 04-08-13, 06:21 PM
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Nice post PJ. I was completely out of gas for my trek back to up to Catonsville. Definitely a long last few miles. I was wondering about the rolling average for the ride. 16+ seems pretty quick for one of these rides. My Garmin also claimed over 4000 ft in elevation change...can they both be wrong? Mike
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Old 04-08-13, 06:31 PM
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Originally Posted by Bike Run Beer
Nice post PJ. I was completely out of gas for my trek back to up to Catonsville. Definitely a long last few miles. I was wondering about the rolling average for the ride. 16+ seems pretty quick for one of these rides. My Garmin also claimed over 4000 ft in elevation change...can they both be wrong? Mike
16+ is out of whack, too. That's why I prefaced it with "Cyclemeter says". I just checked my bike computer which shows 15.3 mph. Not sure why there is such a descrepancy. Did you get an avg. speed with your Garmin?
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Old 04-08-13, 06:58 PM
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Originally Posted by CycleRail
16+ is out of whack, too. That's why I prefaced it with "Cyclemeter says". I just checked my bike computer which shows 15.3 mph. Not sure why there is such a descrepancy. Did you get an avg. speed with your Garmin?
My average for the ramble was about the same. 15.1 before lunch, 15.8 after. The average from the city to home (12.7) slowed things down a bit.
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Old 04-08-13, 11:24 PM
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Originally Posted by Bike Run Beer
My average for the ramble was about the same. 15.1 before lunch, 15.8 after. The average from the city to home (12.7) slowed things down a bit.
Nice write up PJ. The average speed depends on how you take into account the times we were stopped. The 16+ average is excluding any time that we were stopped, also traffic lights. If we only exclude lunch I get 13.5 before and after lunch.
Here is a link to the ride on strava: https://app.strava.com/activities/47755325#
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Old 04-12-13, 07:27 AM
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Attacks on Guilford Ave

Just thought y'all might want to know about the recent attacks on cyclists on our Bike Boulevard. Be careful. See the link below:

https://carfreebaltimore.com/?p=2932
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