Day tour today, marvelous- and you?
11-26-05, 07:39 PM
#1
totally louche
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Anyone else lucky enough to get a good long ride in today? I did, and have to share.
A black ice warning kept me in the house until about 9 am today. Loaded up the rear panniers with extra crap to add a little training weight and threw in some snacks. Rigged up some mini speakers to the back of the LHT, tuned in to a morning reggae show, headed out for a 7 1/2 hour tour.
This has been my first two weeks back on the horse since breaking my hip in August, my stamina and strength had withered away while I was recovering; So I've been trying to stay out as long as possible, to get back in riding shape ASAP.
Maybe did a metric century, I wasn't keeping track. Spent all day jamming to music (haven't ever rigged up speakers to ride with) and by not wearing earphones, I could still hear the traffic approaching and never felt oblivious because of the tunes. The LHT got some admiring looks from other bikers at stops.
Saw two bald eagles regally perched in a tree early on, always a good harbinger for the day ahead. Sunshine on my face at all the stops. Took the LHT to a velodrome, did a couple of laps. Stayed DRY all day long, NO SWEAT because I was wearing wool tops under a softshell jacket and wool tights.
Did some mild offroading with the 37c slicks (worked better than anticipated.) Found a real antique windmill, saw lots of other happy bikers. got coffee in the afternoon sun, rode through the oldest farmer's market in America for some snacks, and headed home in the gathering dusk at 4:30
A wonderful, marvelous Fall day of riding in the Seattle area.
Anyone else get a good tour in today?
A black ice warning kept me in the house until about 9 am today. Loaded up the rear panniers with extra crap to add a little training weight and threw in some snacks. Rigged up some mini speakers to the back of the LHT, tuned in to a morning reggae show, headed out for a 7 1/2 hour tour.
This has been my first two weeks back on the horse since breaking my hip in August, my stamina and strength had withered away while I was recovering; So I've been trying to stay out as long as possible, to get back in riding shape ASAP.
Maybe did a metric century, I wasn't keeping track. Spent all day jamming to music (haven't ever rigged up speakers to ride with) and by not wearing earphones, I could still hear the traffic approaching and never felt oblivious because of the tunes. The LHT got some admiring looks from other bikers at stops.
Saw two bald eagles regally perched in a tree early on, always a good harbinger for the day ahead. Sunshine on my face at all the stops. Took the LHT to a velodrome, did a couple of laps. Stayed DRY all day long, NO SWEAT because I was wearing wool tops under a softshell jacket and wool tights.
Did some mild offroading with the 37c slicks (worked better than anticipated.) Found a real antique windmill, saw lots of other happy bikers. got coffee in the afternoon sun, rode through the oldest farmer's market in America for some snacks, and headed home in the gathering dusk at 4:30
A wonderful, marvelous Fall day of riding in the Seattle area.
Anyone else get a good tour in today?
Last edited by Bekologist; 11-26-05 at 07:46 PM.
11-26-05, 07:54 PM
#3
totally louche
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No digital camera! SORRY 
11-26-05, 07:56 PM
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Don't mind me...
I'm just cranky, since the black ice never melted in my neighborhood.
At least Mon-Tues-Wed are supposed to be 50 or more.
I'm just cranky, since the black ice never melted in my neighborhood.
At least Mon-Tues-Wed are supposed to be 50 or more.
11-26-05, 09:14 PM
#5
totally louche
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...I'm thinking the speakers are going to become standard touring equipment on the front bags when fully loaded. They are powered Sony flat speakers and about the size of a deck of cards, loud too... and will handle a MP3, CD player, or radio... I used Jannd pump straps to fasten them to the outside tops of the panniers and they held solid all day long. I zipstripped a sony sports radio to the handle bar so I could change stations while riding, with the cord to the speakers running along the top tube.
on the front bags when fully loaded. They are powered Sony flat speakers and about the size of a deck of cards, loud too... and will handle a MP3, CD player, or radio... I used Jannd pump straps to fasten them to the outside tops of the panniers and they held solid all day long. I zipstripped a sony sports radio to the handle bar so I could change stations while riding, with the cord to the speakers running along the top tube.
11-26-05, 09:19 PM
#6
Very Senior Member
Originally Posted by Bekologist
Anyone else lucky enough to get a good long ride in today? I did, and have to share.
__________________
It's better to cycle through life than to drive by it.
It's better to cycle through life than to drive by it.
11-26-05, 09:28 PM
#7
Senior Member
Originally Posted by Bikepacker67
Don't mind me...
I'm just cranky, since the black ice never melted in my neighborhood.
At least Mon-Tues-Wed are supposed to be 50 or more.
I'm just cranky, since the black ice never melted in my neighborhood.
At least Mon-Tues-Wed are supposed to be 50 or more.
Alas, my schedule leaves me no time for day tours, even on the weekends. Might have gotten one in this weekend, but I'm at my parents' place with no bike, and it snowed! I ride in snow, too, but not with any of the bikes we have here. Sigh
.
11-26-05, 09:35 PM
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nothing tour length today. there is about 3" of snow on the ground and the drivers are being stupid so I rode 28 miles of rail trail from Amsterdam NY to Sprakers NY and back. I have a set of studded kenda tires I bought last year (nashbar also has them under thier brand)that I just built up some wheels for last weekend. They performed quite well, there was lots of icy patches under the snow but the tires never slipped.
11-27-05, 08:10 AM
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Originally Posted by grolby
Yeah, 50 or more plus rain. I don't mind rain so much, usually, but it feels like we've had as many rainy as sunny days this year!
It pissed all over me the other day when this pic was taken, and I still had a wonderful 50 miler.
11-27-05, 10:05 AM
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Where in western MA are you, bikepacker? I'm just curious - I grew up in the Pitts but left a long time ago, way before I rediscovered cycling. If and when I go back to see my family maybe I'll bring my bike, looks like nice cycling out there (assuming no ice & snow - yech - my blood has thinned after many years in CA !).
11-27-05, 11:43 AM
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I had a nice ride today under sunny skies and 6 degrees celsius in County Down. About 40 miles. Bit cold on the way home.
11-27-05, 12:08 PM
#12
hello
I did a sort of mini tour of the beach communities between Long Beach and Newport Beach here in SoCal on Thanksgiving Day, on my way to my in-laws for some turkey in Costa Mesa. I met my wife there later in the evening for the ride back home.
I took my bike aboard the Metro Rail from downtown L.A. to Long Beach and rode part bike path, part Pacific Coast Highway all the way down to Newport. It's been several years since I've been on this stretch of road. Here's a shot of where I made one of several pit stops. This was just south of Huntington Pier.
I took my bike aboard the Metro Rail from downtown L.A. to Long Beach and rode part bike path, part Pacific Coast Highway all the way down to Newport. It's been several years since I've been on this stretch of road. Here's a shot of where I made one of several pit stops. This was just south of Huntington Pier.
11-27-05, 12:28 PM
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hello
Originally Posted by Lolly Pop
purty! Is that the sun?
Actually, me personally, I prefer gloomy days......I really don't belong here in SoCal...
11-27-05, 01:27 PM
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Originally Posted by jobob
Where in western MA are you, bikepacker? I'm just curious - I grew up in the Pitts but left a long time ago, way before I rediscovered cycling. If and when I go back to see my family maybe I'll bring my bike, looks like nice cycling out there (assuming no ice & snow - yech - my blood has thinned after many years in CA !).
And the cycling is fantastic, as long as you like hills.
11-27-05, 08:08 PM
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Today my husband & I left our house in Union City and headed to Alum Rock Park in San Jose (about 28 miles one way). After a snack stop in the park, we turned around and headed back, with a side trip to our favorite pizza place (Mission Pizza, on Washington Blvd. in Fremont) for a well-deserved 'za. That's one of the many joys of a long bike ride, I can chow down without guilt ! We were feeling good so we bypassed our home on the return trip and continued on the Alameda Creek trail (a paved multi-use trail) out to the San Francisco Bay to bring our ride up to 64 miles. Late in the afternoon it was very pretty along the bay, and for once there was no screaming headwind on our way out to the bay - a very rare occurrence.
It was sunny, clear, about 55-60 degrees, and little or no wind. A grand day out ! Yeah, life is tough out here
The photos are from the two ends of our ride: The road leading into Alum Rock Park in San Jose and a view of the SF Bay near Union City
We were feeling good so we bypassed our home on the return trip and continued on the Alameda Creek trail (a paved multi-use trail) out to the San Francisco Bay to bring our ride up to 64 miles. Late in the afternoon it was very pretty along the bay, and for once there was no screaming headwind on our way out to the bay - a very rare occurrence.It was sunny, clear, about 55-60 degrees, and little or no wind. A grand day out ! Yeah, life is tough out here
The photos are from the two ends of our ride: The road leading into Alum Rock Park in San Jose and a view of the SF Bay near Union City
Last edited by jobob; 11-27-05 at 08:17 PM.
11-28-05, 09:12 AM
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I just did a 4 day tour up to and around Lake Okeechobee(Fl.) and back through the Everglades.It is 110 miles around the lake on the levee and you can ride on that or take the roadways encircling the lake as well.I did some of both and plenty of hiking along various levees as well.Only saw one eagle but 3 foxes,many alligators,countless blue heron one of which I was able to get 5 yards from before it took off and various other wading birds and typical Fl. birds.I really enjoy camping by the lake and its wetlands and the night sky/stars were awesome.I plan to start doing more weekend/long weekend tours to nearby areas many combined with hiking/backpacking excursions and may do a longer tour up to north Florida(and perhaps beyond) as well.
