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Did 29 1/2 miles on my 51 year old Bottechia Giro with tubulars. 2nd ride on it since rebuilding it. Working the bugs out. Tough on the hills with the old gears.
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Charity ride this morning. The "Miles for Mammograms" ride raised over $5000 so women who cannot otherwise afford an exam can get one for free.
Opted for the 26 mile route, since I'm still recovering from an unexpected trip down a flight of stairs when one of my pups decided to beat me down them (she didn't - the fall was faster) and my posterior is still feeling the effects. It was a beautiful SC day, and the scenery was outstanding! https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c30bff99cb.png https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...53845999c2.png |
Feelin' like fall. Not sure I'm ready. Was in no hurry this morning since it was only 62 degrees.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...cd2fe7e4b8.png I've ordered a new bike. Hope to be on it by the end of the week. I started using the Ride app by Specialized( with Strava). Bet you can guess what brand bike I ordered:commute: |
Final long training ride before metric century next Saturday. Had planned to do 51 miles, but my riding partner had to call his wife for sag services at 23 miles. A late start, uncooperative "Delta Winds" and the sag recovery shortened the ride to 47 miles. Got in 109 miles this week, so should be good for the metric!
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...48cabd4c56.jpg |
50 miler?
Completed the 40th Honolulu Century Ride yesterday. According to the GPS app (Bike with GPS) the 50 miler I completed was actually 56 miles. I was pleased with a well run event put on by the Hawaii Bicycle League. I completed all the challenging climbs on the course & completed the ride in my projected time and pace with my 20” folder. Also had no mechanical issues after a tuneup to address recent problems. Good times.
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Just a soggy ride to the supermarket...
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...927e7dbbfb.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b9a56d18bf.jpg |
NO :-(.
Two days of rain bled into today so I canceled my scheduled ride. Back on the bike tomorrow. |
I got out and rode this morning with the temps in the low 50's when I left the house. During my ride I came upon a dog that was unleashed and walking by itself. The dog was just walking along the mup and then crossed the street without any one hitting her. The reason I know it is a her is a little later I saw the owner looking for her. I told her where I had seen the dog. She said well that is the way they live so hopefully she was going home. The older gentleman on the mup asked how she got off her leash. Other than that it was a quiet ride plus, I made it to the end of the bike path which is behind the Manchester airport.
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Four mile neighborhood cruise on one of my single speed conversion bikes .
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...293bd69d7.jpeg |
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...3f0e3c3bdf.jpg
Shop on Riverside Drive |
Rode a 65-mile loop from Golden to Boulder and back through Denver yesterday, 2600' of climbing. Beautiful day with great views of the Flatirons and Long's Peak descending into Boulder Valley.
Packing up this morning to ride the Mickelson Trail in South Dakota, supported by my wife. She rode it round trip a few years ago. |
I did get out and ride this morning. I rode the rail trail for 25 miles. The weather was nice and the ride was uneventful.
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Today was yard work day but got out early and rode 12.58 miles which included the marsh trail. I would normally not ride on yard work day but I picked up a new Specialized Sirrus X 3.0 yesterday and had to ride it.
Love my new bike. Still getting it dialed in but it's pretty close now. I did raise the seat another 1/2". I must say I LOVE disc brakes. I did swap out the handlebar grips with the ones I have been using on my old bike. The OEM grips have a molded in tightening band. Turns out that the allen bolt head hit my thumb making it uncomfortable to up shift.(MicroShift trigger shifter) |
Took my Rockhopper out this morning.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...edb12a29b.jpeg |
I just finished a two-day ride of the 108-mile Mickelson Trail. Highly recommended if you can swing it. It's achingly beautiful. Fall colors are just before their peak right now and temps are pleasant. The pastoral southern end lacked the mountain scenery, but the whitetail deer and turkeys were fun to watch, and there are a couple of scenic creek canyons accessible only by trail. I didn't see a single other trail user in the last 30 miles before Edgemont.
Older folks on e-bikes are definitely in the majority. I met two guys who flew out from the East Coast for a four-day vacation, rented e-bikes in Lead and are spending three nights in motels on a round-trip. They weren't in any hurry so they went my pace for most of their first day. I rode past their first motel in Hill City to meet my wife at a campground just south of there, and got an earlier start to finish in Edgemont and drive home the next day. Most people I talked to were riding the trail in out-and-back sections, also on e-bikes, one section a year. Most acoustic bike riders I saw were townspeople out on short rides from home. I rode my gravel bike on gravel for the first time in the four years since I salvaged it from the non-profit shop. I've been running 28 mm road tires on it since then--it looks a little funny, but it's versatile for my needs. I put a pair of used 38 mm Gravel Kings on it, borrowed for the weekend from the non-profit shop. There were only a few spots on the trail where I was thankful for the wider tires--it's so well-maintained, it's ridable in road tires. My wife rode it both ways on 25 mm tires a few years ago, and didn't complain about it. If I didn't have free access to wider tires, I would have been fine staying with road tires--just a little more careful in a few loose spots, maybe a few pucker-factor moments. One young guy on a sportier gravel bike with 32 mm tires passed me, making the trip in one day. He was supported by his parents at several trailheads. A trail patroller I met (had to show my pass) said there were two others doing it that day, ahead of me. I got a late start in Deadwood, otherwise I'd have been with them (ahem). I'm in pretty good shape for a century and thought about trying that, but a) I have no experience on gravel rail trails, b) the logistics of an early start would have been a strain on our travel plans, c) I wanted to enjoy the trail surroundings a bit more, and d) most important, it may have been foolish to safely attempt it as an old guy. The elderly patroller (just five years older than me), had a great saying--"I'd rather die with gravel in my teeth than a tube up my nose." https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...777c3d983a.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...8e8ff8786a.jpg |
Originally Posted by andrewclaus
(Post 23030650)
I just finished a two-day ride of the 108-mile Mickelson Trail. Highly recommended if you can swing it. It's achingly beautiful. Fall colors are just before their peak right now and temps are pleasant. The pastoral southern end lacked the mountain scenery, but the whitetail deer and turkeys were fun to watch, and there are a couple of scenic creek canyons accessible only by trail. I didn't see a single other trail user in the last 30 miles before Edgemont.
Older folks on e-bikes are definitely in the majority. I met two guys who flew out from the East Coast for a four-day vacation, rented e-bikes in Lead and are spending three nights in motels on a round-trip. They weren't in any hurry so they went my pace for most of their first day. I rode past their first motel in Hill City to meet my wife at a campground just south of there, and got an earlier start to finish in Edgemont and drive home the next day. Most people I talked to were riding the trail in out-and-back sections, also on e-bikes, one section a year. Most acoustic bike riders I saw were townspeople out on short rides from home. snip . . . |
100 miles over 4 days
I managed to get in 100 miles over 4 day from Thursday thru Sunday. I'll try to keep this up for a while but it's tough to carve out that much time with work and life projects.
I did my favorite ride which has rollers (around 1,000 ft of climbing over 25 miles), good water views (the ride meanders along the Des Moines river and Saylorville Lake), good tree cover, and a decent amount of wildlife. This is my favorite time of year to do the ride as the tall grass starts to turn brown and the wildflowers are still largely in bloom. They've done a good job of restoring the prairie along this bike path. The bike is an early 70s Raleigh Gran Sport (Reynolds 531 double butted main frame and forks) I picked up a few years back and finally got around to rebuilding. It's decent for gravel with 700 x 35c tires as well as paved roads. I set it up with generous gearing (50/34 with a 13-30 6 speed freewheel). Not much is original on the bike other than the headset, saddle, and the Raleigh branded seatpost binder bolt. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...5a078c3fab.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...9de4ed42c9.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0e2966179c.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...014ffe597a.jpg |
I got out early this morning and rode to work. The temp was a cool 55 f degrees with the smoky haze that made either the sun or moon look strange. Anyway, it was a quick ride to work and home. Due to wanting to see my granddaughter with her cheering squad at the football game.
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Originally Posted by bikemig
(Post 23031051)
I managed to get in 100 miles over 4 day from Thursday thru Sunday. I'll try to keep this up for a while but it's tough to carve out that much time with work and life projects.
I did my favorite ride which has rollers (around 1,000 ft of climbing over 25 miles), good water views (the ride meanders along the Des Moines river and Saylorville Lake), good tree cover, and a decent amount of wildlife. This is my favorite time of year to do the ride as the tall grass starts to turn brown and the wildflowers are still largely in bloom. They've done a good job of restoring the prairie along this bike path. The bike is an early 70s Raleigh Gran Sport (Reynolds 531 double butted main frame and forks) I picked up a few years back and finally got around to rebuilding. It's decent for gravel with 700 x 35c tires as well as paved roads. I set it up with generous gearing (50/34 with a 13-30 6 speed freewheel). Not much is original on the bike other than the headset, saddle, and the Raleigh branded seatpost binder bolt. Those 35 mm tires would be fine on the Mickelson Trail, if you want a faster, lighter bike. My wife rode it on 25 mm Schwalbe Marathons. I would choose 32 mm gravel tires if I could do it again. Cyclists I saw on MTBs, mainly local townspeople, seemed to be struggling. Edit: I just noticed you said your MTB is a drop-bar conversion with rigid fork. I see why you'd consider that bike, for indexed shifting if nothing else! |
Originally Posted by andrewclaus
(Post 23031108)
I've only ever ridden a small NE corner of Iowa, on the ACA Northern Tier route, along the Mississippi bluffs. Plenty of steep climbing.
Those 35 mm tires would be fine on the Mickelson Trail, if you want a faster, lighter bike. My wife rode it on 25 mm Schwalbe Marathons. I would choose 32 mm gravel tires if I could do it again. Cyclists I saw on MTBs, mainly local townspeople, seemed to be struggling. Yeah, there's fine climbing in NE IA, SE MN, and SW WI. That's one of my favorite areas to ride. I'll have to check out the ACA maps of the area. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...ea30484fd2.jpg |
I was able to get out by 8:45 this morning later than I wanted but early enough to get a 19 mile ride in. I wanted to make sure I also got a cribbage games in today. Therefore I had to be back by a certain time.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c48cb8fe4.jpeg |
After so much rain lately and cool temperatures it was nice to have a sunny day in the seventies. No way I'm not getting on my bike. I did 35.1 miles with 1101 elevation gain. After reading some of the threads about nutrition and hydration while riding I did adjust my intake and I think it worked wonders. I wasn't tired after I got home, though my legs are a bit sore going up stairs. My new Trek AL 5 is such a dream to ride after twenty six years on a Trek 1220. I love the wider tires and the disc brakes. It's a shame the weather is going to get colder because I know that is going to cut back my mileage.
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In my younger days I would reveled in the mud. But I was wearing one of my favorite jerseys this day!
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Took the Sirrus out this morning:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...f5e93d2d_b.jpgIMG_4528 by 2cam16, on Flickr |
I rode this morning returning in time to watch baseball. 14.8 miles. Rode places I haven't been to even by car. Love my new Sirrus. 2cam16 My Sirrus is the new flat bar X3.0 Haven't had it 2 weeks yet. Just over 70 miles as of today.
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