Hi John!
Well, here we go again! Some of the old timers will get bored hearing about my riding, but I love to talk about it, so here goes!
I live in a small town in rural Nebraska, and work in a little larger town 7 miles away. I started riding a bike in April of this year to help get me into shape and loose weight. My first bike was a Fuji Sagres cross trainer. After a little practice, I started riding it to work. The more I rode, the more fun I had, so pretty soon I wanted to start stretching my rides out. This also made me want a road bike, so before long, there was a Fuji Roubaix parked next to the Sagres! With the Roubaix, my commute started to kind of stretch out as I added little detours! First 10 miles, then 13, and now it has grown to 27 miles.
This morning, it was 64 degrees, and there was a breeze out of the east. I topped off the air in the tires, and walked the bike outside to begin my ride. I ride about one half block on a gravel road, then it's all paved after that. Two blocks and I am at the State highway that I commute on. To go straight to work, I would turn right, but on most mornings, I turn left. I try to spin it up pretty good for about a mile, because that will put me at the foot of the shallow side of The Hill. I try to do different things on my rides, like intervals, but today I chose to just keep my cadence up. I went up the hill at 14 mph, and although I was breathing harder than normal, I would have been able to talk had anyone been around. The hill is more or less level for about a mile, then it's down the steep side in the biggest gear I have! Gotta love those downhill sections! I keep spinning in the big gears as long as I can, but eventually, I have to gear down to keep my cadence up. I usually ride on the right shoulder of the roadway, or just inside the fog stripe, depending on traffic. Traffic is usually very light, and I keep moving so I make a harder target! (LOL) At about this point, I will be nearing the farmstead of one of the local Veterinarians. He has three ponds in front of the house, with domestic geese on them, and the occasional few wild ones who stop by. He also has a few horses that are always fun to watch. Grind on for a little ways, and I find myself in Cambridge. I go almost all the way through town to an intersection that is just 10 miles from home, then I turn around. There are a lot of walkers that I see every day, and they have started waving and saying Hi to me. This morning, I enjoyed a tailwind on my way to Cambridge, but as I leave, now it is a headwind, and time to go to work. I find a gear that I can comfortably spin in, and settle down for the 17 miles to work. When I reach the steep (but shorter!) side of "The Hill", I keep gearing down to maintain my cadence, and top it at 11 mph. Now, back up the gears, as it will be downhill again soon. After getting back on the flats, it is back through my hometown, and on to work. I have covered this 7 miles so many times, that I think I know every bump and hazard by heart! But, I always keep an eye open for a new broken beer bottle or other object that might otherwise ruin a perfect day! Besides that, it has been fun this year watching the farmers plant the crops, then watching the little plants start to grow and mature. When I finally arrive in Arapahoe, I first go to the post office to check my mail, then back up the street to my office. This final two blocks is the only riding that I do in what would be considered city traffic. A quick clean up, and I am ready for the day!
The only bad thing about living around here is the lack of paved roads. If I turned south at Cambridge, I could get to work via the Beaver Valley, but this would add another 30 miles to the ride! As the days shorten, I will have to change my routine a bit, which will have a negative impact on the miles that I ride. But, I can work a few more hills that way, so I guess that will be okay!
Well, that is my morning ride. I will save my evening ride for another post!!