30 miles Thursday evening, include 20 miles with a local group of about 50 cyclists.

My first ride in 30+ years with a fairly experienced and disciplined group. Although the B group pace was modest, around 14 mph, due to the heat, it was still a good challenge and experience. That's only my second group ride of any kind with the new-to-me road bike. The first was last night with a more casual group.

While most of us kept a full bike length between each other it was still close enough for drafting, which made it the easiest part of my ride -- physically. My rides to and from events are usually where I push the hardest, then I relax during the group rides. But this ride demanded more attention and focus, which was good.

And I was acutely conscious of every minor wheel wobble I experienced while reaching down to shift. Toward the end of the ride my right elbow was aching and left palm was numb, so I dropped from the middle to the end of the pack to be sure I wasn't distracting anyone from wheel wobble as I was a bit fatigued. But I asked a couple other riders who'd followed me and they said I seemed steady and predictable, so that was reassuring.

Great job canklecat. I love hearing stories like this.

22 hilly miles with a LBS group of about 25 last night. Most are a little quicker than me (16mph average, tops at 40mph), which is a great way to get and stay fit. Several others in the group over 50, which is nice to see. Most of these people are pretty experienced, so drafting wasn't too difficult, though with 1,500' elevation gain, drafting isn't always that useful.

26.1 miles (41.9k). Another beautiful day and a great ride on the Allez. I might have to try that long ride to Mayberry Park again tomorrow (Sat) since I don't have to be anywhere at any specific time (like on the weekdays). It's a beautiful, wide, well paved road with up and downs where you can carry the 25mph momentum up most of the next hill.

2017: 2,731m (4,395k)♂Total: 17,720m (28,517k)

Ridiculously hot today. I've been trying to get my buddy Frankieto do a century but he always turned me down. Last week, he was challenged by Amanda Coker to do a century and put his name on her Century Board. I was challenged several months ago but between my sinuses and bad weather, I never got around to doing one. So today, in killer heat, Frankie and I rode 100 miles and put our names on her board. It was Frankie's first century so it wasn't very fast.

Kudos to you both.

31.4 miles (50.5k). Rode with a buddy to Mayberry Park, had yet another rear flat on the Lil' Tarmac. That's 5 this year, and I put new Conti GP4 tires on it—with tire liners.

2017: 2,763m (4,446k) ♂ Total: 17,761m (28,567k)

Forty-nine miles on the Grubb. Very nice.

Birthday is not until the 10th but I decided to go for the ride now since the weather was good.

10:10PM last night out the door and finished a little after 1PM today after stopping a few times and hitting Wendy's for a Frosty treat. Hit my goal of 3 x age(67) plus 1 to palindrome the total miles. At start it was 84F and at finish 91F.

50 mile club ride today on the tandem. Cemetery Ride - rode by about a dozen cemeteries in Morgan County. There were hills.

54 mile ride on a 88°F beautiful day.

34 miles Saturday, including a group ride. Very pleasant day after a hard rain overnight.

One YIKES! moment as a large tree limb crashed into the street between two cars, on the opposite side from us as we headed downhill fast. Fortunately the cars weren't going fast. Could have been disastrous if it had happened on our side of that downhill run.

That's one reason I avoid most routes with overhanging trees after a heavy rain. Too many live oaks in Texas have been weakened by a blight. They're most treacherous after a heavy rain.

Was away most of the week at an off site company meeting in Ponte Vedra, along the coast of south Jax. Didn't even think to bring my bike, not that I would have had much time to ride.

So, finally this AM, 40 miles on an early AM ride. Felt great....

Hot and muggy this morning for my usual route, 40 mile ride. The park was really crowded this morning so the ride through the subdivision was nice since we didn't have to dodge runners and all the people on roller blades. There was a fair share of cyclist there too but they are easy to handle.

20.6 miles (33.2k). Feeling a bit tired today even tho I was on my lightest bike (Tarmac S-Works 17lbs). Beautiful day out.

2017: 2,783m (4,479k)♂Total: 17,772m (28,600k)

I've been feeling pretty strong and wanted to do a kick ass ride yesterday. We did the usual ride up GMR to Baldy Village and had our cinnamon rolls. It was kind of strange ... the climbing felt effortless.

So I opted for some extra credit ... a ride up to Crystal Lake. So much for effortless climbing. It kicked my arse. It was rather warm, and just got warmer as I climbed up. Some kind of strange inversion layer.

The roads were mostly closed (fire danger), and there were clouds of cyclists about. But when it warmed up in the afternoon, I was about the only cyclist out there.

I finished, but got good and beat up in the process. In a sick sorta way, it felt kinda good. I ordered an arse-kicking. I got what I ordered. lol

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/22695972

The obligatory Baldy Village photo:

Got out this morning at 0640. Thought I would beat the heat, well that didn't happen. The good ole' NC humidity was in full swing and I at least managed to get in 63 miles today.

Me and heat exhaustion are like the Martin and Lewis feud in the last few years. Fishin' weather today, got a haddock.

My ride today
 

Fun in the sun...still getting my legs back.


https://www.strava.com/activities/1064666043

Tired from yesterday's 50 mile hilly Cemetery ride - 20 miles this afternoon with some very mild hills and a few nice sections of rollers felt just right.

14 miles Sunday evening. Intended to ride a bit farther and push harder but a loose chainring bolt kept nagging at me with clunking noises. Couldn't get to the lock ring behind the crank so all I could do was snug it back down every few miles. The aggravation seemed to help my speed -- I improved my time on some hill segments that usually thwart me.

Friday, 6/30: 24.1 miles.
Sunday, 7/2: 24.1 miles
This morning: Weight training; 20 min./12k on the stationary

25.6 miles (41.2k). Led the Kiwanis group (of 3) up Huffaker on the Allez. Great coasting ride down (22mph). Then I sped toward lunch (12 miles away) and made it in plenty of time (Speedy Gonzales, eat your heart out).

2017: 2,809m (4,520k)♂Total: 17,797m (28,642k)

44 miles to the base of the mountains till the road turned to dirt. Uphill there, downhill home. 91°F

15 miles Monday evening. My first Strava KOM. Kind of a joke. It was a private segment I set up as a personal challenge.

Doesn't count for much without a little more motivation so I made it a public segment. My time will soon drop to 30th or so where it belongs.

Hot even after 7 pm. Fortunately this neighborhood has plenty of shade, smooth asphalt and some decent 2% grades to play around on when it's too dang hot for the open road.

24.0 miles (38.6k) on a beautiful, warm morning. Predicted high today 97°. I put gel and new Deda leather wrap on the Tarmac handlebars. Looks good. Fireworks tonight from the roof of the Nugget only a few blocks away.

2017: 2,833m (4,559k)♂Total: 17,821m (28,680k)

One of the LBSs that a friend of mine manages, did a 4th of July ride from their shop in New Tampa to an IPA brewery in Plant City and back. It was a total of 40 miles but I dropped off about a mile from my house and rode home. I only got in 37 miles but that was OK because there were a couple of riders in this group of 20 that were really making me nervous. They couldn't figure out where in the group they wanted to ride or what side of the line they wanted to stay in.