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Took this beauty out today with our Summer-like weather in The Bay!
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6dacb33f5b.jpg

Got 12 miles in- 2 laps around my local small lake.
It was a crisp 87° 45% humidity fall day. 😄

Beautiful day. 65°F w/<5 MPH breeze. Did 40+ and felt like I could have gone on forever but didn't want the DW sending out the lost patrol :)
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6f71e87fac.jpg

Rode 30 miles to downtown Denver and back with my wife for her annual doctor appointment this morning. There probably aren't many 65 yo patients who will cycle in from out of town. The doc was pleased about that, and not needing to give the lecture about getting more exercise and losing weight.

At least this office doesn't have Pepsi vending machines in the waiting area. The last medical office I went to, when I first got on Medicare three years ago, proudly displayed their junk food machines. And they were under a poster promoting vegetables in the diet.

It's another warm, calm day in the Front Range, perfect cycling. We had on-street bike lanes and MUPs all the way for a safe ride. Denver's good that way.

I'm getting some training this evening in hydraulic brake repair and maintenance at the non-profit shop where I volunteer. We're just starting to see enough donations that need work. An LBS employee that volunteers with us when he can will be giving the class.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...09420f98f9.jpg
Rode 20 miles about half gravel on my FX-2. Rural cemetery I went by today

Tuesday started off with a lovely maintenance ride of 15 miles. When I went to join a local cycling advocacy group for their ride that evening, things went sideways. First, when I pulled the Mercian off the fork mount on the toolbox in the back of my old truck, I knocked BOTH Scott Mathauser pads out of the front brake. Never had that happen before ... so, since it was an out and back route I was familiar with, I told the ride leader I would catch up with them, took the Mercian home and swapped it out for the beater Gitane TdF fixed-gear, pausing to change shoes and then hustling back. I caught up with the group about half a mile short of the turnaround, chatted and some and wound up riding alongside a gentleman who remembered me from when he was a student worker at the college I once worked for. He was astride a Sam HIllborne in full Rivendell jacket mode, which I can appreciate - I used to have a Joe Stark-built Riv road custom and my wife and I had matching Quickbeams for a while there. My second mechanical mishap of the night happened when I went to drive home and the fork mount wasn't tight enough. The Gitane toppled over, bending the right fork dropout about 40 degrees. Fortunately, that's pretty ductile steel, and this morning a crescent wrench put it back to rights, followed by robbing another bike for a set of brake pads for the Mercian.

The forecast and family schedules mean I probably won't be on a bike again till Monday, so I set out to make it count Wednesday morning. I took my newly-repaired Mercian Vincitore fixed-gear went past the usual cut-off on Mt. Moriah Church Road and got out into real farmland and more back of beyond South Greenwood County.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...2b748632da.jpg

I turned left onto White Hall Road, another one of those little byways that shows up on 18th Century maps of this place before it became its own county. There is NOTHING out there for much of it, as you can see.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0c3bfd6b6b.jpg

But then you cross 221 and it gets prettier, with more tree canopies.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...fd782979f4.jpg

White Hall dead-ends at Rock House Road, another gateway to great rides.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...87f5f67039.jpg

There are long stretches of Rock House that are uninhabited, as much of the land flanking it is owned by timber companies or hunting clubs.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6d26ca1c89.jpg

And then suddenly I had arrived at the place that gives the road its name. The Tolbert family was embroiled in controversies, and a Tolbert was involved in the initial confrontation that triggered the Phoenix Riot of 1898 that left several people dead and who knows how many wounded or terrorized. According to a 1940 article in a college literary magazine, a member of the family built this fireproof structure in the early 1920s to allow him to store valuable family antiques. It was all stone and structural steel, and the now gaping grand entrance used to open onto a steel spiral staircase, long-since looted. By the late '50s it had become a local legend of a haunted house. The last time I saw it there were many trees in front of it. Interesting to see it cleared away now.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b549ea60b7.jpg

Soon afterwards I stopped to admire the swamp - sorry, wetland. No, it's a swamp, but a cool one, and I saw a hawk fly over my head as I left.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...2b016ceb1c.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1e39e19536.jpg

A few miles further on and I found my spiritual brothers - jackasses of the world, unite! I LOVED the fact that the three of them moved as a unit, almost like they were wired to each other.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...9c480c7463.jpg

Finally, I stopped for a moment to admire the industrious baling of hay under a Delacroix sky.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e5a5e0799b.jpg

I rolled in with 33.8 miles for my morning.

Something has changed within me. I traveled over roads that I used to enjoy riding, but I also used to have apprehension about hills, distance, etc. Now, when there is a hill I just climb it, no drama, no big deal. And the distances seem shorter than they did a few years back. Now I just enjoy myself, riding at my own pace. It helps that I've been riding this old Mercian for 20+ years, and I know I can ride pretty much everywhere around here on a fixed-gear because I did it a long time ago, and now I have more fun doing it.

I got a late start today at 9:00am, with very cloudy skies, and 10 minutes out of the house the drizzle started. I rode for an eight mile ride and came home. Not a bad start for not having been out in a week.

I did 16 miles on the local path before the heavens opened up. Next up 20 miles as I rehab back to my pre surgery 25 +/- a few times a week. Felt good after the ride as well. Enjoy the weekend all.

Beautiful day for riding the Driftless. I took advantage after lunch, got 18 miles in for longest ride since I started back into biking last year.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...139cfb39af.jpg

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...fa73723eb9.jpg

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...d2ecb3aa25.jpg

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...3033ccee57.jpg

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...480e45f909.jpg

Have to find a new way to mount my GoPro, get a more level horizon than from my helmet's top. Seems it tends to lean right even when my head's vertical....

1:33:01, 1,376 ft elevation gain. 35% Zone 3, 64% Zone 2 on these roller coaster hills.

Some traffic even on these back roads; it's fall, one of the two really busy seasons here to get stuff done.

I got out for a 14 mile ride this morning. It was actually the first time in a while that I've wanted to chance a ride.

Six days ago while at home, I had a bizarre experience in which I completely lost sight in my left eye for about 10 seconds. Scary stuff........
My PCP has me set up with a specialist for some head and neck scans.

Quote:

Originally Posted by missinglink (Post 23358466)

My dad had a vision problem. He said it started like trying to look through a glass of tea then it went black. It was inflammation of the artery to the optic nerve.

This is Buffalo Street in Ithaca, New York It's a nearly half mile vertical wall, with gradients in the mid teens, a short break 3/4 of the way up for a road crossing, then a final steep pitch with gradients in the mid to upper 20s.

I last scaled this wall in 1990 on a Raleigh Technium with 42x28 low gear. I rode up again today, with the vibrancy of youth long faded and a much lower gear.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...680cff2db2.png

Quote:

Originally Posted by pepperbelly (Post 23358469)

My dad had a vision problem. He said it started like trying to look through a glass of tea then it went black. It was inflammation of the artery to the optic nerve.

Thanks. That sounds somewhat similar.

My experience was like a sudden explosion of shimmering light in only the left eye. It reminded me of these old films of a nuclear test blast.
It overwhelmed the still good vision I had in my right eye.

I wont know for sure until I visit the specialist I was referred to, but my symptoms are very close to what is known as amaurosis fugax.
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/healt...,Blood%20clots.

I plan to try another morning ride here in a bit. Loving this fall weather.

Thanks again.

I got out this morning at 7:45 am and rode for 21 miles. I did some miles on the bike path and some off. All in all it was a good ride.

I got out this morning for a 20 mile ride. I started out on the bike path, but remembered today is Saturday so I got off the path pretty quickly. Too many people on the path for my peace of mind while riding. It was a very pleasant day for riding.

Did another plus 30 day yesterday- I think the 3rd or 4th of the year.
As usual it was broken up stuff: TCOB downtown, go for groceries, go fishing, stop here and there for coffee etc.

https://i.imgur.com/WEtqrZV.jpg

Stopped for coffee here on my way to fish at the creek.

https://i.imgur.com/cX6NiGN.jpg

Outside the coffee shop at the south airport approach.

https://i.imgur.com/sfW8jfq.jpg

Hefty crop of the frame above reveals a C-130 Hercules at idle, waiting for clearance.
Could definitely hear it from where I was standing though.

-D.S.

Rode yesterday. Rode today.

Yesterday's ride was just a 17 mile fixed gear ramble to meet some people for lunch with some bonus miles afterward.
A random rail siding on the way to lunch.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0c85750188.jpg

Heading into downtown Fort Worth after lunch.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...8349a87903.jpg

The TCU mural downtown
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...2becc27ea7.jpg

The University Drive bridge over the Trinity River
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...aca86572fd.jpg

I got 17 miles in this morning before the HOA meeting. I wish I would have had more time because I felt great. I think I could have rode my age today.

And today's breakfast ride: 31 miles. Light turnout: Only 4 riders and a currently-off-the-bike-after-a-fall hanger on. I'm sure nkfrench will be riding with us again as soon as she can.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...d2d466194c.jpg
We ride at dawn!

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e07ed099b5.jpg
Coffee on the patio

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...54d891f9a3.jpg
Breakfast on the patio with our bikes

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...30b870fdff.jpg
This is why we ride

Quote:

Originally Posted by essiemyra (Post 23359467)

some of the trails we often ride will get crazy busy in certain areas - especially at certain times - we just plod through those areas and eventually we put some distance between us and the crowds (whew)

hit or miss on the rural roads - at times Sundays can be low traffic but in certain areas there will be a fair amount of Amish buggies on the roads

Quote:

Originally Posted by essiemyra (Post 23359467)

Busy bike paths I can put up with- most are courteous, and safety minded.
What's scary for me is busy bike lanes at rush hour.
There's far too may taking risks, and out-right breaking safety rules. Have had far too many near misses on those bike lanes.

-D.S.

Today is National Public Lands Day. Our county had over 400 volunteers picking up litter and pulling invasive weeds along the Clear Creek Trail, a popular MUP. My wife and I cycled just under 30 miles along that path to get to and from our assigned work area. While we were working, most cyclists thanked us, but a couple of rude ones actually scolded us for slowing them down!