Rabid Koala

I finally got out today-my first ride since just after Christmas. My wife and I rode from Shelter Island to downtown San Diego, then up to Balboa Park. Only about 13 miles but it sure felt good to ride again. On this ride, I took my 74 Raleigh International.

trekker32

I rode around the neighborhood today. Only put in about 3 miles but it was good limbering up the legs. I rode me recently purchased 1984 Trek 610. Looks and rides like brand new!

bigbossman 

Disclaimer - I didn't ride a tandem in an organized "official" tandem rally. I was a wheel sucker. So sue me.

Anyway.....I was finally able to get out and do my first century of the season this past weekend. The Chico Velo Club always has a full slate of events in every given year, and this is usually first on the list. I hadn't pre-registered because the weather's been dodgy of late (a lot of rain), and because I couldn't find anyone to ride with. Well, the weather entered a prolonged spring-like state and I was able to talk a gym buddy into going on his first organized century, so the trip was on. The caveat was that he would only agree to go if we did the metric. What the hell - I'd rather do a metric with company than a full century solo, so off we went.

Sunday dawned a bit chilly (mid 40's) but clear and absolutely spectacular. Since we were only doing a short ride, we didn't hurry to register and get on our way. We checked in at around 8AM, and the thermometer was still showing 47 degrees. We elected to sit in the truck and chat until the temp hit 50 before starting out. This occurred at 8:20, so off we went. We rode west out of the town of Gridley, and were soon buzzing along on a long flat road surrounded by flooded rice fields and farms. The Sierra Buttes were far off on our left, and as we pulled abreast of them we turned south and headed in their direction. Still on flat road, we were just humming along at 18-20mph, enjoying the scenery and fresh air. By this time, the tempurature was quickly warming and the chill was more suggestion than reality. As we approached the buttes we turned east and started to circle around toward the east end.

As we turned south to skirt the east end of the buttes, we started to pick up a head wind. While not too strong, it was persistent, and our speed dropped to 13-14mph. By the time we hit the town of Sutter on the south side of the buttes we were into the ride for 30+ miles and coming up on the lunch stop. It was good timing, as were just a bit peaked from riding into the freshening breeze.

After lunch we continued on, leaving Sutter and traveling west to get to the western edge of the buttes. This part of the route involved the only climb of the day (if you can call it that), a shallow pitch up to a broad saddle a few miles distant. We made good time, and had had a great deal of fun tooling along a nice bit of road with almost no traffic. Almond trees were in almost full bloom everywhere, and while the wildflowers had not come out in force yet the fields were a sea of shimmering green expanse.

After making the west edge of the buttes, we turned north to traverse the west side and join up with the road that would turn back east and buring us back to our starting point, still about 20 miles distant. The head wind seemed to toy with us bt changinf directions, and going north we encountered a stiffening wind. Our average speed continued to suffer as a result.

It was at just about this time that we were overtaken by a couple of tandems that were clipping along, and as they pulled past I could feel myself getting sucked in behind them. It was an amazing feeling, and with seemingly no addtional effort on my part my speed picked up 4-5mph. I was moving along at 20-21mph with almost no exertion. I enjoyed my good fortune for several miles, and had a pleasant and prolonged conversation with a cute little stoker, to boot. Eventually we said our goodbye's and thank you's, and dropped out to refill our water bottles at a public park. At this point we were only 7 or so miles from finishing, and after replentishing our water supply we made the final turn in and enjoyed a quartering tail wind back to the ride finish.

All in all, it was a fantastic day and a great first century for the new year. The bike ran flawlessy, and I felt strong at the finish. Final numbers were 3:57 ride time, 15.6mph average, 62.5 miles.

I've included a few pictures so you can see some of what we experienced. Take a look, and if you ever get a chance to ride up around the Sierra Buttes, I highly recommend it.

Chasing my riding buddy, Jack:


A little scenery:


The only climb:


Rice fields:


Another rice field:


Wild flowers:


Mt Shasta in the distance:


Green field:

cuda2k

bossman - I am so ready to pack up my bike and come out riding with you. That is some great scenery!

- so can't wait to get out on some rural rides SOON.

luker

Alrighty then! 38 degrees, 10-15 mph wind, spitting rain and snow. First ride of the year, 16 miles. Spring has come to Idaho!

sorry, no pictures. didn't want to drown the camera.

lotek 

Irving texas, 15 mile lunch time loop winds 15 - 20 sustained gusts to 30!
temp was nice though about 60.

BTW if y'all don't know Irving is just up the road from Headwind texas!
yeeeeehaw.

marty

cuda2k

@ Marty. Was just in my boss's office here on the 19th floor looking down at the big American Flag at one of the car dealershps near by. Old Glory is standing straight out today! I rode the 'Cuda yesterday at White Rock Lake and even brought the camera, but between enjoying the day and dodging everyone else out yesterday never even got it out.

lotek 

yup, damned near got blowed off Freeport Parkway.

marty

cuda2k

First ride of March! And guess what - it was windy!

Nothing too exciting for this ride, but I did grab the small camera on the way out of the house and snapped a couple of shots along the way...


Quick rest at one of the local parks


Posing with my new Bell Alchera pearched on top of my head.


After wondering through neighborhoods I finally made my way to Castle Hills...


... Where I stopped at the corner of King Aurthor and Lady of the Lake.


Cruising along with the wind to my back for the moment.


Till I got chased off by the Dragon!


Back to home base. Time to cool off and hit the books.
I'm smiling for finishing a good ride - but not looking forward to studying.

bigbossman 

We finally got a break from the wind, rain, and hail, and had a decent day today. It was cool and breezy, but nice enough for a 15 mile loafing loop of the local area. My daughter got to test out her new road bike, and we had a nice lunch at Norm's in downtown Danville.

A couple of pics -

Downtown Danville:


Hustling to make the light at the top of the hill:

Poguemahone

I took this ride earlier in the thread. It was so excellent I resolved to do it a couple more times this year, with the seasons. Today was the first opportunity; I was visiting my dad, so I took a break and did the ride again. Just stunning, cruising through the woods on a gravel road... really can't describe it. I'll prolly go back in a couple weeks when spring really kicks into gear, then again in the fall. You can't ride real fast on the gravel, but sometimes a ride is just, well, a ride. To be enjoyed.

Got to the end of it, and had planned a ride back on the pavement. I rode about a quater mile on the paved road, thought to myself "this ain't as nice" so I turned back around and retraced my course. Meet these members of the equine family... I know one is a horse, but couldn't tell you what the other one is. My horsie type thing id skill are up there with my car id skills.

One thing, it's hillier up there in the mountains. After a winter of breezing around flat Richmond, the hill kicked my lil arse... oh, well. Got up all of 'em intact. May head down to Sugar Hollow next time I'm in the area. I'll post pics, the boulder at the dam is kinda cool...

Now I'm at home, listening to Thin Lizzy, drinking Murphy's, re-living my ill-spent youth and middle age... a fine day, I'ma tellin' you...

spider-man

No pics, but I took a cool ride yesterday through the heavily flooded New Orleans neighborhood of Lakeview with a good friend. He was on his Raleigh Lenton, and I took my mid-'80s Grand Prix, which has lights front and rear that came in handy as the sun ran out. As always, I was on the lookout for old bikes to adopt, and we were also trying to find a flooded and abandoned Harley Davidson (I can't stand the things, but the brother of a friend of mine restores them) that we saw a week or two ago.

Alas, the motor bicycle was gone, but we saw a flooded mid-'60s Mustang rotting away under a carport and had a nice tour of what had once been nice homes. There was quite a bit of activity on the shores of Lake Pontchartrain, people pushing kids in strollers, picnickers, cops guarding the levee, where construction is ongoing.

I rode past my friend's house on the way home, and his neighbor noticed my generator-powered light and came over to talk after I had left. He told my friend he has a '73 Carlton that he bought straight out of college, and because it is a bit too small for him, it's just been sitting. He's been looking to get rid of it. Coincidentally, I am just a bit shorter than the fellow who owns the Carlton, so I'm going to look at it this week.

roughrider504

Today I rode around West Jefferson Hospital and around the surrounding streets. Yesterday I rode on the bike trail to test my mr.tuffy liners, and I hit about 3 pieces of glass [I cant see the clear ones when im going 20mph] and no flats. No pics but I hope to get pics soon of where i ride.

teambhultima

[QUOTE=bigbossman]We finally got a break from the wind, rain, and hail, and had a decent day today. It was cool and breezy, but nice enough for a 15 mile loafing loop of the local area. My daughter got to test out her new road bike, and we had a nice lunch at Norm's in downtown Danville.

Yeah Danville! My wife & I visited California once and stayed w/ some friends who had moved from here in Alabama to Danville. What a beautiful town. We really enjoyed the visit.

I went for a first Spring ride this Saturday - maybe 20 miles, tops, slow and easy with good wind and about 60 degrees. Not much traffic fortunately - it gets scary sometimes out in rural areas here. Narrow roads and drivers who are not so used to bikers. Plus lots of trucks. I saw only one other rider on my way back home. I had a great ride, though.

Thanks for the Danville pics!

bigbossman 

We've been getting absolutely hammered with wind, rain, hail, and even a bit
of snow. The weather's been fairly furious and volatile - changing
radically hour by hour. A big storm came in Friday so I didn't even bother
getting up until late Saturday morning. When I did, I hung around in the
garage building a bike and looking for weather in the east. I worked for a
couple of hours, and the weather stayed clear with big puffy clouds scudding
by. Cold and breezy, but clear. I finally got fed up at about 1pm, said
"screw it", and suited up, hoping to snatch a quick 20 mile loop before the
promised storm closed in. I grabbed the cell phone, gave the girls a kiss
(they were NOT interested in coming along), and took off.

Well, It was a bit crisp so I started with a few small climbs to warm up. I hit
a familiar flat stretch and aired it out for a while. Looking down at the speedo, I
found I was cruising along at about 25+mph - pretty brisk for me. The
weather was still very cooperative, so instead of turning into the back of
the loop I had planned, I got a wild hair and turned away from home and
headed out to Livermore. I was feeling pretty good, traffic was very light,
and there weren't many bikes out. I had the rolling hills to myself - just
me and the livestock watching me glide by. It was really enjoyable. I
finally came out the other side of the farmland and pulled into the town of
Livermore. I popped into a Subway sandwich place to get out of the chill and
get a bite to eat before turning for home.

So - get this - I'm 21 miles from home, and feeling pretty flush.
As I'm thinking about how best to drive for home, I start punching the
buttons to review my numbers......I come to Average Speed and stare
uncomprehendingly at "16.9mph" with a ride time at 1:14. I'm dumfounded.
Honest to God, I've NEVER EVER averaged better than 15.8 on a 20 mile run,
ESPECIALLY with hills tossed in.

I may not have felt any different, but the numbers were there in black and
white. Or...... maybe it was that big bowl of Cream O' Wheat that I
shoveled down an hour before taking off. :-)

After lunch I hit the street to make the run for home. It's noticeably
colder and the breeze has started to freshen into something stronger. By
the time I hit my driveway, I can't feel my feet from the cold, and I'm
starting to get a mild asthma attack from exertion in the cold wind. Who
cares - a bit of Primatene Mist and I'm good as gold. A final check of the
computer shows a total round trip distance of 45 miles - not bad for trying
to snatch a quick 20 before the weather drove me inside.... :-)

I snarf down some food (I was starving!), and settle in to watch "Hell On
Wheels".

I'm totally stoked - I love riding, I love my bike, and I CAN'T WAIT
for the next outing.

Sorry, no pics this time. In a sad twist of fate, my daughter distracted
me while I was in the middle of downloading them from the camera, and they
were inadvertently deleted without being saved.

Maybe next time.....

cruentus

I took these pictures while on a bike ride yesterday. This is the train station in Maywood, NJ. This railroad hasn't provided passenger service since the 1960's but still operates as a freight line.

The station was donated to a local railroad historical society, all the materials and labor that went into restoring the station were donated. The station dates back to the 1880's.
















I don't know what type of caboose this is, but it sure is an obscene shade of red.









This old house is located next to the station, it was built in the 1760's, long before there was a railroad -- before there was a United States. This house is not a museum, people live here. As far as I know, this house has been continuously occupied since it was build -- not by the same people obviously.

roughrider504

today I rode around the town, and on the bike trail. The bike trail all together is REALLY long, but I just ride a part of it, because to get to the other part I have to go through a tunnel, walking through grass and getting hit by leaking water sometimes etc. so I just ride a part, about 5-6 miles. and that is ME

cuda2k

Well - I rode this yesterday:

Spring Fever 2006 - Sulphur Springs Texas.
A beautiful and well organized ride by the Pilot Club of Sulphur Springs. I did the 44mi route and it was just about right for this time of year for me. The Barracuda Mk.I was a joy to ride.


TheCahill ahead of me as we enjoy the final miles to the end.


The end is close - but not quite in sight yet.

bigbossman 

OK - so, back in post #140 I blathered on about a nice ride I did out to Livermore and back a couple of weekends ago, and bemoaned the fact that I had accidentally deleted the photos. Well, turns out they were just filed in the wrong folder - I found them today!

Which means......lucky you - you get to see them!!

1st pic, on the way out of town cruising on Tassajara Road. Note the beautiful scenery, the wide boulevard, the generous bike lane, and the absence of traffic. You'll never ever convince me to live in a city, never ever:


2nd pic, just the standard type of scenery I rode through that day:


3rd pic, farmland along Highland Road, as I pass through the Livermore Hills and head into the Livermore Valley:


4th pic, snow covered local mountains south of Livermore, heading for home on the return leg of the loop:


5th pic, Shadow Cliffs recreation area (reclaimed quarry) with snow covered hills in the distance:

Lamplight

Beautiful pictures, bigbossman. Looks like you have some great places to ride! Last night it was wonderfully clear and in the 60s, so I took a ride with my brother. I can finally keep up with him reasonably well with my new-to-me Peugeot, but he's still in better shape than I am so he can leave me when he chooses to. We rode around town mostly, totalling just 23 miles. But it was a great ride, and I love this bike! I've always been a mountain bike guy, but I've quickly fallen in love with lugged steel road bikes. So smooth, quiet, and efficient! It's supposed to be warm again today, so if the rain holds off I know what I'll be doing.

raverson

Nice ride and nice pics bigbossman. You even made the old quarry look inviting on a cool day!

bigbossman 

The family and I did the Bike Around the Buttes ride last Saturday, near Yuba City, CA. Should you care to, you can read the long version of the day at the following link:

https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycling/190695-bike-around-buttes-ca-4-22-06-trip-report.html

It was my 10 year old's first solo ride over 20 miles in length, and in fact she finished the 40 mile loop unassisted (save some gentle cajoling) on her new (Christmas) bike.

The weather was a bit dicey at first, but held out for the duration and we all had a good time. I did the "dad" thing and rode with the family, saving the century for another time. Here are a few pics:

roughrider504

Today, I rode 4mi to a friend's house. 2mi there it starts thundering. I think, ok I can make it if I try. I bump up the speed to 15-17. 3mi there it starts POURING. I am not talking about regular rain. Storming gusty rain. I couldnt see, because the rain was going into my eyes. I couldnt see anything, the water was passing my rims, and I was pushing 20 . I made it there, soaking wet though.

TysonB

Today I rode to the convenience store .75 miles from the house. I rode the Mt. Bike just to buy a .99 cent package of spaghetti. Figured it would cost about 25 cents or more in gas. I spent more time in the check-out line than I did on the ride.

For exercise, ran (yes, that's on foot!) my 4.6 miles route through the largest tank farms (oil storage tanks) in North America.

Tyson
Cushing, Oklahoma
(The "Pipeline Crossroads of the World")

raverson

Rats, I wanted to go on the Butte ride but too many other things needed attending to. My brother in law rode and had a great time. He sent me some nice pictures similar to yours. By chance did you happen to see him riding his Miyata 210?