Rode an active recovery ride this AM. My chest wall was still sore from my mtb crash on Friday. Things started to come around about 45 minutes into the ride when I could finally breath deeply. Ended up with 38.6 miles @ 19.6mph ave. The last 45 minutes of the ride was pretty fast and I still had some good power at the end of the ride.

Beautiful sunny late fall weekend. Did a solo CX ride saturday and my roadbike with a buddy today. A bit scary with some frost on the tarmac today so this might be the last ride on a roadbike this season.

I had another warm October ride in cycling shorts in Chicago.

A group of 7 riders used our vintage bikes and rode up & down the Chicago lake front. A solid north wind improved speeds sounthbound and required a bit of HTFU on the way back. 40 miles today with 58 miles yesterday made for a solid weekend. The beer & burgers after the riding today were a just reward!

Michael

Yes finally the weather was great today and a 30 miler would have liked more but got a late start.
It also looks good for tomorrow. :):):)

Very Nice day
2 riders, rode to Manville TX and back

Rode 20 miles today (a repeat of the Fred race but with only 1 Fred). Got my first flat in 30 years and was able to fix it and get back on the road. I haven't been that lucky, of those 30 years there is a 29 year stretch where I didn't ride :-)

The Lezyne HP road drive mini pump worked great.

31 miles yesterday and 20 miles today both on the new seat (Selle Italia Flite Gel Flow) which is working out pretty well.

While taking a break at a gas station some guy whistled at me - he must have been whistling at the Cervelo, it is a beauty.

Did 55 miles of hill repeats, only 4 hill but they were long ones. It was a gorgeous day, but a bit windy. Thankfully the uphills were protected in the woods, just had to watch out for the strong gusts on the downhills

20 miles late this afternoon. Beautiful sunny afternoon. Might not be any nicer days this year. 17 mph.

45 mile club ride on a route in Dakota County on a gorgeous and warm fall day. There were some challenging hills at the outset and then some flat sections. A few hills towards the end, also. I ended up in the front of the ride with the very fast group, and I survived but I didn't do any appreciable pulling. For quite some time there was a very fast tandem couple in that group and they did some outrageous pulling - up to 30 MPH for a short stretch. I was barely hanging on for that part. I think they cooked their legs though, as they fell back soon afterwards. Also, towards the end, this guy Joe caught up to us - I'm not sure where he came from, as I didn't see him at the start or at the rest stop. Anyway, he's a cat 3 racer and has the reputation of being the fastest guy in the club. He has a tendency to hang back and then just explode ahead when he's feeling like stretching out. He did just that on the last major hill. I couldn't keep up with him, but I hung on the wheel of another guy who was also trying to catch up. We got to the top of the hill and somehow managed to regroup, but then Joe opened it up to about 26 MPH. I was still trying to recover from the hill, so I didn't have a chance. Fortunately, I didn't fall too far behind and there was a traffic light up ahead that allowed me to rejoin the group. Overall, a very enjoyable ride. Even though I was drafting almost the whole way, it's an example of how a club ride can stretch your limits and still be fun.

That sort of describes me, except for the Cat part. I've never had so much as a one-day license. But I'll often hang back and go off the front at will whenever I get 'happy feet.' What can I say? THE FEET must be obeyed. The group refers to it as dropping me off the front.

Today was a beautiful fall day, so I did the 43 mile club ride to the cider mill. The group was small, so I just hung with them. The cider and fresh apple-cinnamon donuts were great. On the way back we were talking about Larry, who was hit by a car a year ago and hasn't done any club rides since. I coasted down the next hill, and everyone else pedaled ahead. There was a light at the bottom of the hill, and of course they all made it through just before it turned red for me. As I sat there watching them recede in the distance, someone hollered, "Hey John, now you'll have to catch them!" I looked and in the first car on the other side of the intersection was... Larry!

I did 27 mph for a little over a mile to catch the group. That made my feet happier.

I did a metric today, over a week late for my birthday ride. About as beautiful as days get for bicycle riding. Sunny, very little wind and temps starting in the upper 50s rising to the mid 70s.
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...8plus-a-few%29

MinnMan, What you describe is a race rather than a club ride. The dynamics of a race are much the same as your description. In races there are always people leading early on only to fade away. The over all pace has everyone suffering and near breaking although the racers keep it private. Suddenly the entire pack will back off giving everyone a needed recovery (red light). Towards the end of the race the big hitters will show themselves by doing huge efforts that break some of the riders. The Cat 3 rider hammered the hill pushing guys to the limit then attacked again over the top creating a selection of better riders and leaving "threats in the sprint finish" behind.

Nice job hanging on with the A guys! Usually the B group works hard together to have a faster average speed and enjoy the moment while all finishing together. The A guys are out to play king of the mountain and may finish the ride in little groups or even solo.

It didn't feel like a race until Joe showed up towards the end. And even then, the dynamic waxed and waned - after blowing us away, he slowed down and we all finished the ride together at a brisk but congenial pace. But definitely, once he showed up, everybody tried to up their game, either to compete with him or simply (in my case) to not be left in the dust.

Three riders to Galveston TX, 100 miles
Pics:
http://s256.photobucket.com/albums/h...view=slideshow

Got out on Monday for a little over 32 miles :):):)

2 hours with 16 other Lake Erie Wheelers on their Wednesday Night ride.

George drove down to League City and rode 70 Miles.

His Map.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/53867911

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...70/GTCDIKE.jpg

5 riders today. Got in another 100.
Pics:

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...geLCTXC033.jpg

http://s256.photobucket.com/albums/h...view=slideshow

A relaxed 6.5 miles this evening. Rode through some nearby neighborhoods - looked around more than usual.

Yesterday - 18 miles total to and from work. Holy cow! 50,000+ FFA kids in Indy for a convention. (Not Future Farmers but rather kids interested in Agri business or Agri science, etc.) Very nice/pleasant looking kids.

Sadly, a short 15 mile round trip to the LBS, found a hairline crack in the seat tube above the brace welded to both the top and seat tube. :( The good part is that "Jamis" is sending me a new frame and it's actually a "upgrade" to the next level (I ride a converted Trail-X 3.0 Hardtail, the frame there sending is from a, Durango 1.0 hardtail). Still kinda a bummer I've really enjoyed the 2 years on this frame and would have been "bikeless" till it got to the the LBS but luckly I found a 2006 Fuji Monterey 3.0 on Craigs List for $100.00! :) Just got the new "utility/trailer tower/back up bike" cleaned up, accessiorierized and adjusted so I will ride it till the frame arrives from Jamis! All's well that end's well! :)

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_GW75NWraW4E/TL....0-2006-sm.jpg

It was wreckless and irresponsible of you not to be in possession of a Backup Bike before you noted the problem with your Jamis. What if you had not been able to find your good catch on Craigslist? Then you would have been in Big Trouble-> Bikeless. :D

LOL, well in my defense, I'd just given my "old back up bike" to my Son, who was using a friends bike, (long term loner), then the friend needed it back so actually I "did" have a back up bike. ;) The great thing is that the new to me Fuji is WAYYYYY newer than my old BUBike and has mellower gearing too boot! :) Photo of old BUB:

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_GW75NWraW4E/TI...pbikephoto.jpg

What do you expect from a lowly H.S. grad from the early 70's, attending a H.S. called "Widefield"!!! I mean, you seem to think I'm un-edumacated or something!! ;) Ok, the arthritic fingers got tangled up again, that's my story and I'm sticking too it!! :)

I guess I am glad I graduated in the 50's - when we had some real standards. :) :)