kr32

94° 60% humidity...it seemed hotter so I cut of my ride to only 29 miles. I felt tired for some reason.

Hillbasher

Wonder what that could have been?

bjjoondo 

Put in a Half-Century ride today, it seems that since our "mini-tour" in July, I've just been, "plonking" around, todays weather was excellent so I just took off and ended up with 50 miles for the day. It felt really good to get out on the roads again, instead of just doing rail-trails or errand runs!

MinnMan

Arrghh! not 10 miles into my regular Tuesday evening hill-climbing club ride, I got a flat. I assured everybody that I could take care of the problem and they all whizzed by. Then....no tire levers in the saddle bag! Maybe some of you can change a flat without them, but I can't. Had to call my wife to come pick me up. RATS. I was having a blast before the flat, though. I tried some of my improved hill climbing technique on a short steep hill where I usually get dropped (see the 'Standing While Climbing" thread) and I kept up and even passed some of the hammerheads! Boy did that feel good.

bjjoondo 

18 miles, kinda a laid back ride after the 50 miler yesterday. Funny, left knee totally happy, right knee, kind sore and slightly unhappy?? It's been a nice couple of days here in So. CO., SIGH it won't last long, we've had more "cold fronts" bringing storms this year than I can remember any other

RonH

The weather has been cooler (88F instead of 95F) so today's ride was nice. I guess the cooler temp got my brain out of whack because I didn't hydrate properly (I think) because my legs were really hurting for the last 5 or 6 miles of the ride.

Allegheny Jet

Nice easy 1.5 hour Z2 ride on the cross bike. Beautiful evening in NE Ohio. I needed a little recovery spin at first to get the hurt out of my legs from last night's training race where we averaged just under 27 mph for the 36 mile race. I hid in the middle of the pack for most of the race except for a brief period with around 10 miles to go when I was near the front and the pace got wicked fast in a single line. I was just hanging on for about 1 mile, then I had to drop off the pace. Unknown to me was the fact that I was in a 7 or 8 man break that was out ahead of the main field. Once I drifted back to the pack I was able to hide behind a couple riders and recovered. There is no way I could have maintained the pace of the break and only three of the group were able to stay away from the field until the finish. Those guys are so strong it's amazing.

bjjoondo 

17 miles, just a jaunt to the LBS, the rear derailer started acting up, tried to tighten up the adjuster but it didn't make a lot of difference so I headed to the shop. Had them measure the chain wear, had them put on a new chain. With the adj. and the new chain the bike purr's like normal!

kr32

I know it is all a matter of training and ones ability but 27mph for 36 miles is crazy! (to me anyway)

Oh yeah did 36.11 miles tonight at 18.2 avg. Call me slowpoke

Smogsteve

Took my bike with me for when I had to work out of town (Santa Barbara, CA). Wow! I could ride here every day. Mid 70's all day. bike paths everywhere you look. First day a 42 mile trip to Golita, with a dinner @ Hollister Brewing Co. Tuesday a ride down past Carpenteria via Pacific Coast Highway. Wednesday a ride up to the hills in the area 38 miles and 3400 ft of climbing. Drove home today 5 hours @ 23mph avg. I should have stayed for another day.

Red Rider

22 miles of hilly, fas, interval-filled friskiness, avg. 18.1 mph, 8 miles against a 15 mph headwind. Three days off the bike= plenty of starch in the legs. Damn, it's good to feel good again!

Allegheny Jet

Believe me that it took every trick I had just to stay within the group of 30 or so riders. I never was near the front and when I was 6th or 7th in the single file line I was beyond my limit. This is my third year of racing and 4th year of training to reach the "next level". A few years ago my goal was to hang on in a group ride that averaged 20 mph on flats with a few rollers.

Tonight's training ride totaled 49.5 miles with a 7 mile warm-up then 1:40 minute Z3 interval in a local cemetery followed by a 5 mile ride back home. The average for the entire solo ride was 20.7 mph that included some noodling around the cemetery after the interval completion to pick up 2 empty bottles. I usually monitor HR and cadence while riding but due to the boredom of the long interval I switched the computer over to mph. I was amazed that I could ride around the cemetery over the .8 mile 7 turn course and maintain 22+ mph while keeping my HR under 145. I have to admit that I have made cycling performance a priority in my life and allot the 9-13 hours per week to train and race. I'm semi retired and my wife is retired from teaching so the time spent riding does not present any issues. I'm a lucky guy, just ask my wife.

kr32

Jet,

I really like reading your posts, as well as Hermes, about racing. Very interesting to me as I used to race Moto-X back in the day and know what it takes to compete at a higher level.

With all the time I ride a week one would think if I where to train I could be at a higher bike level too, but I just really ride my bike. Maybe at a higher level than some and not so much as others but still all in all it is fun.

I think about my times on a days ride and think it is really not bad considering my avg times are solo with several stops and goes from red lights and road crossings.

bjjoondo 

22 miles with the wife today to vist a old friend from H.S. (Class of 73), who's here to vist with her Mom. Nice day Sunny and a bit breezy, although the humidity seems to be higher than usual. LOL, us So. CO. folks are such WIMPS when it comes to humidity levels, what feels aweful to us is "normal" to most.

kr32

another 36 miles, seems I have been riding the same route as of late after work, and it was .8 mph slower than yesterday.
92° 44% humidity, not bad really.
This puts me at 501 miles for the month.

jcinnb

Went 11 to loosen up this evening in high heat and humidity. I now have put 21 miles on my new Allay saddle. Feeling pretty good.

Tomorrow morning I am going out for my first 20+ miler. Per my route, I have a whopping 187 ft change in elevation over 22 miles. Very rural, eastern NC. Wind could be factor, hope not.

Biggest concern are bears (we have seen a lot lately), snakes, and road dogs!

Allegheny Jet

27 recovery miles of mostly Z2. It was hot and I was sore from last night's workout and couldn't wait to get off the bike after 1.5 hrs. Not many rides that I hate my bike, helmet, shoes, gloves etc..., but today's was one of them.

JanMM

18 miles round trip to/from work yesterday.
15 mile ride this evening. Very pleasant weather after hitting 90F this afternoon. Averaged 16.5mph. First ride after replacing the rear v-brake with a BB7, to match the front. Smooth braking. I like my bike.

MinnMan

24 easy miles. Not exactly a recovery ride, but something like it. I rode hard the last two days and I'm planning on a longer and faster ride on Sunday, so Friday and Saturday are take-it-easy, high cadence days.

Although the ride was mostly easy and for most of its duration, pleasant, I had a couple of weird experiences unlike most any I've ever had. They made me feel wretched.

#1 was on a bike trail around Lake Calhoun, a park in Minneapolis. I'm riding behind, but coming up on 3 or 4 slower riders on my right. Up ahead on my left, standing right in the trail, is a guy talking on a cell phone, facing away from the direction of bike traffic. He appeared to be East African and was wearing a skull cap - not uncommon around here, the Twin Cities have many immigrants from Somoila and elsewhere in the horn of Africa. A guy in the group of cyclists whom I'm about to pass yells out, "GET OFF THE BIKE TRAIL, YOU F***ING RAG HEAD!" I was completely mortified, but, not knowing what to say or do, I rode on.

2. Later, on the same bike trail, I come up behind a group of 3 cyclists, riding slow, talking to each other, and taking up the whole path. I slowed and called out "Passing please, on your left". There was no response. I slowed some more and repeated the exact words. Two of the riders moved the right, but the third then began zigzagging, taking up the entire rest of the trail and saying, "go ahead and pass me, go ahead and pass me". They were going about 8 MPH. I repeated "Passing please on your left" a third time", and he kept zigzagging and telling me that I should pass him if I could. Well, I lost it a little bit - as he zigged right, I powered past him on the extreme left of the trail and burst out, "Get the F*** out of here! I'm not proud of this.

#3. Riding on the mid-town greenway (Minneapolis cyclists superhighway), on an overpass above me, there's two guys, one punching the other (hard- i could hear the smacks) repeatedly in the face. They were not horsing around WTF?

Minneapolis is a fairly peaceful and polite place. I ride all over the area day in and day out, and I've never had any experiences like these. What a day...

kjc9640

Saturday 8/21/2010
13.7 miles today
299.6 miles this month
4417 miles this year
142 ride days LY vs. 141 ride days TY
3082 miles needed to hit 2010 goal (7500 miles)
I am @ 58.9% of my goal. I need to be @ 66.6% (5000 miles) by the end of August
205 miles ahead of last year at this date

I was released from the hospital late Thursday and I took Friday off due to feeling very weak. They did just about everything except cut me open and could not find the cause of my illness. I cannot stand hospital food so I had pretty much been fasting for about the last 6 days. When I got up Friday morning my wife had to restrain me from ripping the refrigerator door off the hinges. I ate and slept just about all day.

The weather was beautiful today high 70s when I left and high 80s when I got back and 70%+humidity. I needed to feel the breeze in my face and hear the sound of spokes slicing through the wind so off I went. My goal was to do 10 miles and if I felt like it do some more. I finished with 13.7 miles so I am happy. I thought I would ride to Cranes Roost Park and take some pictures to share with everyone.

Photo #1 My daughters note on my bike when I got home Thursday.

Photo #2-3 This is the majestic Building, it is being built by the owner of The Super Channel, a religious TV station here in Altamonte. They started construction mid 2000 and still have about 2 yrs to completion. He is paying cash (donations) as he goes so when he gets some money construction starts when he runs out of money construction stops. The building sets at the south east cornrer of I-4 and Central Parkway. For years just the iron frame work was all that you saw they just put the glass on with in the last 2 years so people started calling it THE EYE SORE ON I-4.

Photo# 4-5-6 Views around Cranes Roost Park. A great park for outdoor concerts and fire works shows on holidays.

Photo#7 From across the lake a view of Uptown Altamonte a very nice place to live and shop

Photos 8 When I first saw this gal she was practicing her kick boxing. She looked pretty good at it and I didn't feel up to getting kicked or punched so I waited til I got past her and took a picture from the back.

Photo 9 Rain clouds starting to form over the Altamonte Springs water tower. Time to start home.

I hope you enjoy today’s ride as seen through the eyes of my bike.

LAriverRat

36 miles today, 36 on Thursday after being off the bike for a while due to pneumonia. Feeling much better and taking it easy.

kr32

44.40 in 91° 49% humidity weather, not bad but a tad breezy.
Nothing special just a bike ride.

jcinnb

Broke the 20 mile barrier today for the first time. Easy ride except for the sit bones. Not sure what happened, but they did not do well. Averaged over 11 mph, which is good speed, at that distance, for me. Been on the bike 4 weeks and 3 days, am way ahead of schedule, but still far behind where I need to be. A month ago, I was going three miles at 7 mph, so I am celebrating this evening with a small steak and a big beer!. Just one.

DnvrFox

Congratulations. And I don't quite know "where you need to be"?? Seems to me you are at exactly where you need to be, unless you have a bet on the side or something.

Revel in your achievement. 20 miles is a significant accomplishment, and puts you ahead of 99% of the folks inthe US of A.

JanMM

DnvrFox is dead on.


Wife/stoker and I rode 18 miles on the tandem this morning.