Beautiful country to ride through.
The road looks a little bumpy.

I got out on Sunday and around the neighborhood last night. The March False Spring is highly seductive to this guy with spring fever.

The blue vintage SM500 was the choice on Sunday.

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Yesterday’s seat time was as much a shakedown/test ride as spring fever outlet. The ride was the first time out after upgrading drivetrain, tires, and saddle during time off at Christmas.

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Extremely bumpy. What you see in this pic is about the best pavement you'll find on this road, which dead-ends at the entrance to a ranch about 5 miles beyond this point. I know it hasn't been repaved since at least 1980 when I came here and it was pretty poor then.

I'm running 32 tires now and will likely go 34 on the next set. In hindsight, I probably should have gotten a gravel bike and run road 40's or something.

Looks to be family friendly - noted for summer adventures.

On a different note, my uncle grew up in Steubenville but I've never been there.

Today was just too nice NOT to get out and ride! 78 degrees, sunny, 2mph wind (breeze?)

I rode the loop inside Cowpens National Battlefield. It's about 3 miles long, has some up and down elevation changes (steepest is 5%) and just about zero vehicular traffic. In fact, the only vehicle I saw was a park ranger pickup that passed me. The road is about 90% one way with a 25mph limit, and there is a 5 foot wide section marked for bikes and walkers/joggers.

I spent a little time on the first lap bedding in the new disc brake shoes I had installed to replace the worn ones. Once that was done, I just enjoyed riding several loops around. Riding in Zwift all this winter must have helped some, because my average speed picked up overall. Still not fast, but not as slow as I was last year. :backpedal:

After an hour of riding it gets a little boring going around and around the same road solo. My riding partner is unable to ride with severe sciatica (I don't think he will be able to ride this year at all) and my "alternate" riding partner is recovering from back surgery to alleviate the same sciatica pain that has plagued her for the last 9 years.

It's tough getting old. :50:

I got out and rode for 21 miles today. The first 15 miles were out and about and the last 6 were to the senior center so I could play dominoes. The temp was about 59 when I left the house and not to much wind.

I had my routine (every 3 months) cancer checkup today. No results yet, but I feel fine.
After that was done, I figured I'd better get out for a ride before the next weather system hit's tomorrow. Ugh......

FRIDAY: Red Flag Warning in effect. Mostly sunny, warm, and very windy Wind: SW 25-45. Gusts to 60. High 81.

The wife wasn't interested in riding today, so I got out for a hard fast 17 mile solo ride. Felt good. I needed it to help burn off the stress.

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Montour trail - north and south sections near Tandem Connection bike shop (mm 27)

On Tuesday I got out and did just over 20 miles and it had gravel sections and some brutal headwind sections. My right leg (knee) had some soreness after. I thought once I got on the bike again and warmed up it would be fine. I made it about 100 meters yesterday and realized Nope, its not happening. I can walk fine. Seems I overworked it driving myself hard into those headwinds.

ughhh … take care of those knees !

when I hear wind reminds me of a friend / triathlete that faced incredible winds at the 2008 Hawaii Ironman

she struggled to stay upright - some riders were literally being blown off their bikes

on one downhill section she was only able to go 8 mph

but it was worth the effort - her first podium finish

https://archive.triblive.com/news/ar...ackle-ironman/

.

It really is incredible how hard a headwind can be. In my case it was probably 15-20 MPH on a flat Iowa corn section of 2 miles. You know you are only going like 7-8 mph at times and man is it hard. I mentally can handle it, but it seems my body at age 58 is only so willing to go along. Good on her for pushing through.

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Panhandle trail (first picture) - and Montour trail - sections from McDonald trestle / viaduct to National tunnel

43 miles out and back on Hwy 25. It's been raining the last few days and the backroads have a lot of standing water and debris so I stuck to the dry pavement. 1500' of climbing.

Birthday ride
 

12.7 miles, coffee shortly after the 1/2 way point.
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Windjammer Park view of Oak Harbor, part of the Puget Sound.

from prev post / third pic posted ( pic posted again above) - Montour gorge / ‘Peacock Cut’

Bigfoot sighting just a couple days later … lmao


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Harry get's around, we met him at Steven's Pass WA :p

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mrs t2p heard something above - it’s possible we just missed him :)

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I think he was stalking us on a ride last May :)

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Friday night had the meteorologists all a-flutter. One local TV station had one who'd started making up his own tornado warnings, so they had to go three states away to replace him with one I'll call Blondie, whose looks, in my old fart opinion, wouldn't be hurt by an extra half inch of fabric. So Blondie comes in at the end of the newscast and reiterates all the watches that were coming, and then tells us, "Stay home tomorrow. Don't go out, don't leave your safe space or storm shelter, you never know when a sudden storm might pop up." What?? Now in our broadcast area, I'd guess 25% or more of the folks over 50 can read the weather radar as well or better than any of the TV weather personalities. We've been through this rodeo before; 6 EF-3 or better within 20 miles since I've been here that I can think of right off the top of my head.

But I digress. Happens to us old folks.

So after the first round of storms blows through Saturday morning, I tossed out some grass seed, then headed out for a ride. (Next rain was 100 miles away.) It was overcast, and a bit blowy, but nothing too bad. Enough people had been scared inside that traffic was nice and light, the roads were barely damp. But for the most part it looked like late winter instead of early spring.

Some daffodils were blooming, and the Bradford pears are out. I'm always tempted to take my electric chain saw and do a ninja girdling run this time of year. 15 miles into the ride, there's another sign of spring:


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Forsythia in bloom!

We had one for years, but I finally lost the battle to save it to a privet. It's still lovely, one of the first signs of spring. Then three miles from home, one of the early magnolias is in bloom.


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Yes, it really was that dark

I didn't know these were magnolias for years after I moved here. I thought magnolias were twice that big, and the white flowers bloomed in the summer. And here's another one I didn't realize was a magnolia until my wife looked it up this spring.

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I'm not a botanist, I call this a White Flower Tree. Don't ask for a Latin name!

Little White Flower Tree is catty-corner across from home. Three houses up is a redbud, which I think matches the forsythia as an early spring flowering bush or tree.

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Redbud

My neighbor tells me she got this for free at an Earth Day celebration about 20 years ago. Long way to ride to find the blooming trees. The cherries should be next.

So one good ride in the books. 22 miles, didn't get rained on, didn't get blown away, no tree limbs fell on me, just an hour plus of fresh air, good exercise, and fun.

Then came Sunday. Clear blue sky, twice as much climbing in only 14 miles. And wind. 30 mph gusty headwinds can ruin a good downhill run. When you're down in the drops trying to duck that wind, you feel every dadgum hidden pothole, crack, and bump in the road. Goofy the Garmin said 1 hour recovery was needed after Saturday, but 20 hours after Sunday's ride. Still great to get out, though!

After several days of rain I was able to get in 37 miles this morning. Most of my regular backroads are wet and full of debris so stuck to the main road, which I had mostly to myself.

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Got out today
Somehow,… feeling bullish about more rides this Spring.

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Haven't posted in this thread for a while. I have been riding- short rides about 5-6 miles duration.

Weather and roads have improved a bit here- hit 35F today, and there's a lot of mush spraying up.
The good thing about this is enough of the ice is off the roads, and that means road-bike time. :D
Got the miles in today on both bikes.

https://i.imgur.com/BbaSdSe.jpg
First early a.m. trip today 8 miles in total. Seen most of the roads downtown almost dry. Pic taken about 6:55 a.m. with the sun not quite rising yet. Very high ISO level on the camera.

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

Second trip out for coffee after a major pit at one of my favorite LBS's. Another 8 miles.



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Loot from the LBS.:love: I actually really needed to get the Allan key spyder. Went riding around with a slightly not tightened enough security skewer on the rear wheel, and it ended up rubbing. The spyder solved it, and it's gonna live in my camera bag, which I have most of the time with me, while I'm riding. The cone wrench is a welcome addition. It will complement my somewhat beaten original 30 year old chrome cone wrench. Cheep pedals for grand kids bikes- more a just in case measure than anything else. The 14 buck price tag on them made it a no brainer. 1/2" spindles for kiddie bikes.

https://i.imgur.com/MQx9VTQ.jpg

Final ride of the day at yet another 8 miles- this one just a relaxation and coffee ride at just after 5 p.m. Daylight's getting longer!
A little over 24 miles in total for the day, and I couldn't be more pleased. The old Motobecane is getting really dialled in now.

-D.S.