Where'd You Ride Today? (New & Improved)

[raverson]

Yesterday's weather was cooperative so the wife and I ventured out on the Yelm-Tenino Trail for an out and back. Had a nice ride and said hello to alot of friendly trail users.

Vintage bikes spotted: His and hers Davidsons that were awesome, a Panasonic mixte, and a kid riding his dads Nishiki Alien that was in good shape. I mentioned to him that the bike was an item that should be cared for and he just looked at his buddy and they both started laughing. Oh well.

Stopped to ask a guy on a gas pipe MTB about the Chehalis Western Trail. He was wearing what looked like work clothes and heavy work boots. He gets off his bike, bows to us in Asian style, shakes his head no without speaking and then jumps back on his bike and sprints off. We found out later that there is a Buddhist retreat in the area. oops!

[Big_e]

Since I'm off on Mondays and the weather was good I took the LeTour out for a ride around Oak Cliff. Didn't go anywhere special today, just rode around parks.

Dart Rail Station at Polk & Wright st.


Lake Cliff park




Kidd Springs park



Most of my commute around town is through residential streets such as this.

[Big_e]

Kiest Park has new blacktop! Makes for a smoother ride.

[bigbossman]

We finally had a break in the wet weather, so I "worked from home" today and managed to snag 22 miles on my brand new build. The Dancelli rode well, but I'm not digging the way the Campy "race" triple FD is shifting - gonna have to beat the bushes for a 2006 or so Veloce/Centaur model.

Other than being a shake-down cruise, nothing too noteworthy to report - except that the fuchsia colored Dancelli seems to be a bit of a chick-magnet. I was getting a lot of attention, especially when I was stopped at the local coffee house, and I had a lot of women come over and strike up a conversation just to take a look at the bike. Better than having a puppy.

Spring is here:


The Dancelli:

[retrofit]

We finally had a break in the wet weather, so I "worked from home" today and managed to snag 22 miles on my brand new build. The Dancelli rode well, but I'm not digging the way the Campy "race" triple FD is shifting - gonna have to beat the bushes for a 2006 or so Veloce/Centaur model.

Other than being a shake-down cruise, nothing too noteworthy to report - except that the fuchsia colored Dancelli seems to be a bit of a chick-magnet. I was getting a lot of attention, especially when I was stopped at the local coffee house, and I had a lot of women come over and strike up a conversation just to take a look at the bike. Better than having a puppy.

Spring is here:


Stunning spring photo, BBM. Those are live oaks, yes? You truly have an eye for visual composition; shows in both your photos and your builds.

stan

[bigbossman]

Stunning spring photo, BBM. Those are live oaks, yes? You truly have an eye for visual composition; shows in both your photos and your builds.

Thank you for the compliment. Photography was once a serious hobby for me, and there was a time where I got paid to play. Kind of took the fun out of it, and mostly I just do point-n-shoot stuff anymore. All my old Canon iron is still in the closet, though, and I sometimes miss playing with the prime lenses.

[WNG]

Kiest Park has new blacktop! Makes for a smoother ride.

Big e,
What kind of rear derailleur is that on your Schwinn? Is the body supposed to be set so far back?
I've not seen one like that before.

[big chainring]

North Branch bike path in the northern burbs of Chicago. I didnt get to far as you can see by the iced over path. Probably 4 miles round trip. Come on Spring!

[bigbossman]

Took a 35 mile spin today though the too-green-to-be-true Livermore hills, with BF members Bikingshearer and MarkoPolo.

I haven't been able to get back into my "rhythm" since I had a cold several weeks ago, but we had a great time nevertheless.

Buzzards circling as we start out. Yes - they were buzzards... lots and lots of them:


Riding behind the Autobus:

[Exit.]

Wowwwww.

There are few times I wish I lived in a less urban area, but every time BBM posts pictures I do indeed wish for that.

[bigbossman]

I don't live there, I just ride there.

Seriously - I'm Suburb Boy, through and through. But my suburb is surrounded by hills and ranch/farmland, so I don't have to ride too far to get out of town.

[Tigerprawn]

Actually yesterday, but my girlfriend and I went ona bike around town running errands and gave her a chance to try out her newly acquired Sprite. Stoppe by a japanese garden on the way home .

[dudeona3V]

[QUOTE=Tigerprawn;8451408]Actually yesterday, but my girlfriend and I went ona bike around town running errands and gave her a chance to try out her newly acquired Sprite. Stoppe by a japanese garden on the way home .


Beautiful Sprite, Beautiful Nishiki, Beautiful spot. Where is it?

[Big_e]

Big e,
What kind of rear derailleur is that on your Schwinn? Is the body supposed to be set so far back?
I've not seen one like that before.

I'm not too parts savvy, the best I can do is say that it's an Allvit short. It does stretch out like that when I'm in high gear. The previous owner said everything on the bike was original. All I did was chop/flip the drop bars and put on cane creek crosstop brake levers.
Ernest

[Tigerprawn]

[QUOTE=dudeona3V;8451420]

Actually yesterday, but my girlfriend and I went ona bike around town running errands and gave her a chance to try out her newly acquired Sprite. Stoppe by a japanese garden on the way home .


Beautiful Sprite, Beautiful Nishiki, Beautiful spot. Where is it?

It's a small Japanese garden in San Jose, CA. Was a unexpectedly nice day despite the recent rain we've been receiving.

[-holiday76]

Today was a beautiful day to go for a ride:





blizzard like conditions and all. But being the dedicated Ebay seller I am, I had a crankset I had to get shipped out to California. So I grabbed my winter beater and headed out into the 50mph winds and snow.


after just sitting for a few minutes while I got ready to go the bike was starting to get covered in snow:



this downhill was kinda scary:



here's looking back to give an idea of how steep it was:



it was so bad there really werent many cars on the roads at all.



be back in a few to finish the rest of the story...

[-holiday76]

moving along, downtown was pretty dead:



finally made it (a whole mile away from home )





it's uhh, pretty cold:



almost stopped by the pub on the way home, but I decided to just take a pic instead. I'm glad I did because I think this pic came out really great:



NOw I have to go down this hill, then up the snow covered pretty steep hill I came down before:



I got some strange looks and a few questions from the post office people. It was pretty crazy because even with the cross tires I have on the bike it was pretty slippery. I also dont think i like riding clips in the snow like that. I'd much prefer just flat pedals if my feet would just stay on them.

[Amani576]

Awesome story, cool pics. The snow died down here, but I stayed home from work to be careful.
Maybe BMX pedals with pins would be your answer, or half-clips.
-Gene-

[Straightblock]

Geez, after looking at Holiday76's pictures I feel kind of bad posting my ride pics from today. But not real bad.

My office is on furlough one day a week, so I can get in a good weekday ride. Here in Central California, the fruit trees are in full bloom:





Saw two coyotes in the low hills (second one is in the top right):



Wildflowers are popping out everywhere:







California has some of the toughest environmental laws in the country, and probably more self-proclaimed environmentalists per capita than any other state, yet we still have plenty of narcissistic roadies that think this is cool:



I stuffed it in my jersey along with 2 more from the roadside and packed them home. There are already enough people in the foothills that don't like cyclists without us leaving our trash on their property.

People that come from out of the area to spring races or centuries think we're pretty lucky to have someplace like this to ride. But by early May all the green hills are mostly brown, and by mid-June everything is tinder-dry. I thought the 45° temp at the start of the ride was pretty cold, but I'll enjoy it while it lasts.



.

[High Fist Shin]

We had unseasonably warm weather today. It got up to 70 degrees and just five days ago, it was in the teens.

I got out for the first time on the Miyata to take it for a shake down ride to adjust the brakes and fenders. Then, I just kept going into the beautiful Pennsylvania countryside.




Monster climb for platform pedals.

[raverson]

Lots of great ride photos you guys.

holiday76, the pub shot reminds me of a Thomas Kinkade painting, nice.

Here's a couple from this week, since up till today, we've been having California weather.

This hill was a beauty, 16% towards the top and a 4 mile roller coaster on the back side!

[divineAndbright]

clicky for big


got 60km on friday (fix gearing), through this krappyahara together cause long distance riding on a fix gear blows plus its still too awful outside to wanna ruin anything good and did 100km yesterday, had more of the same planned today but it was just to cold and didnt get much in, I feel like a wuss, but I didnt wanna lose any toes to frostbite or anything.

[-holiday76]

Today was a short 15 mile loop before breakfast. I really havent been riding that much because I've been training for a half marathon, so I don't really have too much steam at the moment. That will change after I start commuting again, maybe this week.

Decided to take the Alan as it would be a nice shakedown run since the build.



my riding buddy Dan came over to meet me on his 90's Campy Mirage equipped Bianchi Campione D-italia


Dan is built more like a power lifter than a cyclist...

a few miles from my house is out of the city and into the woods and a fairly new bike trail. This bridge was just finished a few months ago:



It's next to the Skukyll River which runs into Philadelphia.

Dan's working out the post ride lunch plans with our wives on the iphone..

but first Dan tried to kill us by taking us up a hill. This is at the top:

[-holiday76]

looking back what we just rode up:



and this was also there:



the Alan is always ridely finding it's way into my pics



explanation of the tower and the park we were riding in



hey, it was Dan's idea to ride up that hill, not mine.



my $5 Performance gloves and my GPS watch which was not $5.



still some ice next to the river






so it was a ncie short ride. Despite the gloomyness it was a comfortable 50 something degrees.

[dudeona3V]

the Alan is always ridely finding it's way into my pics

The Alan turned out nice!