Yesterday afternoon, once the front has moved through it was blue skies, and light winds. 26.5 miles, its supposed to be much the same for the entire week, save a slight chance of showers Thursday evening. There is riding to be accomplished, lads.....

Canklecat, even with flat bars, you need to fit the reach, and drop, to best suit your personal needs. Now that you have adjusted the drop a bit, make sure that the reach is in the right place. Many times neck and shoulder pains come from having things too long, or too short, its a happy medium. When you get this dialed in, its a matter of time for your body to get conditioned, and fitter, then you can look at a drop bar bike, if that is what you want to try out. Best of luck on your riding, just stick with it.

Bill

13.1 miles on the Roubaix. I wrapped a large ace bandage around the knee but had to stop twice to re-do it. A trip to Walmart for a compression knee brace is in order. Or a total body transplant.

2015: 4750 Miles ♂ 2013-15: 9425 Miles
Allez 1195.6/2395.8 · Roubaix 1319.1/2484.9 · Sirrus 664.4/1956.6 · Trike 1571.1

I'll procrastinate tomorrow.

15 miles on the MTB in a tee shirt and shorts. 62* in New York on December 15 is nuts.

Great 37 mile ride with my buddy Frank in 72* weather, this morning.

Thanks, I figure it'll take a few rides to get accustomed to the changes. I went ahead and lowered the stem completely, so it's about 3 inches lower than I'd been using (and still about 3 inches higher than the saddle - can't change that without replacing the bars). I'll ride another week to see how my back and neck feel.

Took a 5 mile ride today on mostly hilly roads to get a feel for the position. Feels more efficient and I'm less inclined to climb out of the saddle. When I did climb out of the saddle a couple of times the lower handlebar felt more secure. I remember when I first began riding this bike with the fully elevated bars a few months ago it felt comfortable but paradoxically also a bit twitchy and wobbly, especially when standing to climb short hills.

Tuesday afternoon, 26.5 miles, same route as the previous rides, for the last several days. Blue skies, little winds, moderate humidity, mild temperature, just what I ordered from the Cycling Weather Store.com

Bill

45 solo miles this morning. Beautiful weather and tolerable winds.

Had some wrist and shoulder pain this AM so I thought it was going to be a day off. But it was so nice this afternoon (cold but sunny) I threw the trike in the SUV and drove over to the bike path for an even 10 miles @avg 12mph.

2015: 4760 Miles ♂ 2013-15: 9435 Miles
Allez 1195.6/2395.8 · Roubaix 1319.1/2484.9 · Sirrus 664.4/1956.6 · Trike 1580.9

Paved path ,under the train tracks, by Vine rd & the Parks Hwy.


24 miles , 28°, windy cloudy, spitting snow

Getting the layers & venting about right ,
I put the polar fleece with the zipper in the back to let the heat & moisture out & keep the windy font side warm.
Hit a 25 mph cross wind by Wasilla Lake. It moves you !

Looks like ole man winter is moving in to East Tennessee, the last two days have been great with temperatures in the mid to upper 60's. I finally got to 5,000 miles for the year, yesterday with two other old guys in their 70's.

We were suppose to have a cold snap today and tomorrow but so far it hasn't happened. It's still summer like weather except for the high winds we are experiencing. Today's ride was 37 miles with my buddy Frank C. Frank D showed up at the end of the ride but after battling those winds, I just didn't have enough left in me to do a lap with him.

Gloomy, overcast, 34°, but dry. 17.0 miles on the Roubaix. Got a heating pad on the right knee and right wrist brace on, but hey, I got to ride. Doubt I'll make 5000 for the year but I'm close.

2015: 4777 Miles ♂ 2013-15: 9452 Miles
Allez 1195.6/2395.8 · Roubaix 1336.1/2501.9 · Sirrus 664.4/1956.6 · Trike 1580.9

Pouring Buckets Out there . Nope.

I rode my commute again. The ride in was nice and dry. The ride home was nice but wet, my headlight throwing a pretty illuminated fountain in front of the bike. By the time I got home my shoes were dripping, my pants were dripping, my gloves were dripping, the bike was saturated, my rain jacket wore a solid skunk stripe. But the inside of my Dill Pickle handlebar bag was dry as a bone. It was a great ride.

Intended to ride 20 miles Thursday evening but cut it short to around 10-12 miles when sudden headwinds nearly blew me off the road. I'm accustomed to the west/east evening wind shifts but this was unusually stiff. Took a detour through a residential area to view some holiday lights, and enjoyed the tailwind shoving me homeward.

On the plus side, lowering the handlebar stem seems to be working out, especially on hills and into the wind. Still not sure I can handle drops, but we'll see by next spring.

On the minus side, I've gotta get rid of my old Honda leather gloves from when I rode motorcycles. The gloves are infested with critters - mold, mildew or something - giving my asthma fits. I remembered these gloves got soaked years ago from riding in rain, but they remained supple and pretty good looking so I never noticed until now they're almost toxic for folks with allergies. Guess I'll have to retire them or give 'em to someone who isn't allergic to everything.

Once the front moved along, and the rains stopped, yesterday's ride was very nice. One of those days when everything meshed, and nothing went wrong. 26.5 miles in the log book. Supposed to be some sunshine today, but a little cold snap for the next few days.

You guys in the Pacific NW take care, y'all might want to just follow Fietsbob's lead for a few days.

Bill

Did the usual yard sale run (a.k.a. "Le Tour de Bullhead") on the Kona in balmy 45-degree weather, plus 20 m.p.h. winds toward the end.

Clear, sunny, and very cold. There were large patches of frost on the road and bike path. 16.9 miles on the Allez. My right knee is ready to fall off, time for a heating pad.

2015: 4794 Miles ♂ 2013-15: 9469 Miles
Allez 1212.5/2412.7 · Roubaix 1336.1/2501.9 · Sirrus 664.4/1956.6 · Trike 1580.9

A short ride, on a newly built-for-me-bike.



stopped at the neighborhood micro-vineyard.

Well, our cold snap finally arrived this morning with temps in the upper 40's. Met my buddies Frank C and Lou and did a nice 40 mile ride; bundled up and facing 15-17 mph constant winds and 20-22 mph gusts. Good news is that this cold snap goes away late tomorrow and our mid-upper 80º temps return on Monday.

Another 100 miler, solo. Great training ride. Headwinds the last 35 miles punished me physically and mentally. 28 degrees at the start but sunny skies all day. Warmed up to 45 degrees. 30 degrees cooler than last week's Century.

5mi out and back with the MTB, clobbered Avalanche Mt like a Boss.

Barely above freezing but sunny and dry. 11 miles. The Burton ski gloves I got last year work well for this weather.

Hit that this morning myself, a bit colder up here in St Aug, 39 when I got up, hung around until 9:30 and headed out. Fierce winds so I did my best to plot routes that kept me out of it as much as possible. Squeezed in a 40 miler anyway. Nice and sunny, not many bikes out but I saw a few hardy souls. You up north guys would laugh at these temps but
this is serious cold here.

That cold front lowered things a bit here, we had a frost last night, the rides Friday and today were both chilly, but nothing to write home about. Winds were harsh yesterday, NNW at 15mph steady and gusts to 25mph. 26.5 miles twice again, the route for the week just was too nice to pass up.

Bill