The Human Car

I road out for a birthday party so I spent Saturday night eating, drinking, making balloon animals (a talent which I just discovered I had) and talking with some of the DC Randonneur crowd. Another fellow road 30 miles from VA so he got his 60 mile trip in via the party as well. I think the Randonneurs are conspiring how to get me out for one of their rides even though I am car free, so I may have some new adventures to tell.

Anyway I slept over and left Sunday after breakfast (2:30 PM) which was about the time I arrived on Saturday so I did need a long lasting light as I got home around 9 PM (I had to stop for lunch and dinner.) The light I have (which I can no longer find on-line) is a 5 LED headlight (the brightest I have seen in that category) and uses two AA batteries that are supposed to last 20 hours. It’s sufficient for speeds up to15mph but Sunday night had a very bright pink overcast so I had some lovely 30mph descents on the rollers. Anyway I like my light because it was cheep, light weight, long lasting and can stay on my bike even when riding over pot holes in the city (which has done in my last two lights.)

If there is sufficient interest I post my complete round trip but the only difference is when I left I used a more direct route to downtown from Falls Rd and picked up the Gwynns Falls Trail then Annapolis Rd to Waterview Ave which then joins my route I used to get back home. The reason why I posted what I did after traveling 20 miles on DC trails I wanted to plug our trails a bit and personally I find routes that have the same details there and back a little hard to deal with, but NoRacer you are right I should have flipped it before posting. Oh well.

balto charlie

Hey Barry I just read the article in the Sun about your ride to the hoco meeting. Nice. Charlie

balto charlie

here's a link to the sun article.
https://tinyurl.com/2oplcs

Even Barry needs a gps in Columbia

balto charlie

Well some of you long distance riders have been quiet. I guess the weather has curtailed rec rides. I have a bum knee. Seems to be tendinitis though I don't really know. I was off the bike from last Thur to Sunday. Am only riding half of the commute. Mondays commute was quite exciting in the snow. Is anyone going to the Westminster bike swap. I think it's in Feb. Lots of great deals last year. let me know if you go and we can hook up to drive up there. Riding would be nice but you never know what you'll buy Charlie

NoRacer

Saturday:

In anticipation of the weekend foul weather I purchased a set of rollers.

Riding the rollers
After a few false starts, I finally got an hour and 15 minutes session in at a slow average speed of 16 MPH. It wasn't without some restarts, though, as I was still on the upside of the learning curve. But, I found that I picked it up quickly and it's a matter of integrating the learning into my muscle memory and nervous system. Physically, I could have kept going much longer, but mentally, I had enough for the day. I did find it easier to relax with music in my ears, so I connected my MP3 player to my wireless headphones and that seemed to be a turning point for me.


Sunday:

Today, I did another session--1 hour 23 minutes at an average speed of 19 MPH. Again, these were done in intervals of ride and rest, mainly because I could feel myself slipping, mentally, when something started to bother me (i.e., getting too hot, needing a drink, cats running by the roller, sweat dripping). When my concentration isn't what it needs to be, I can't relax and this manifests itself as a slight oscillation while on the rollers. A couple of times, yesterday, these oscillations were big enough to put me off of the front roller.

I have a trainer, but it is brainless and boring compared to rollers. You have to be relaxed, but concentration has to be high and in a zone of sorts--at least for me. I think, that's why I do well with music in my ears during the sessions.

Monday and Tuesday:

More roller riding.

Wednesday (today):

Started my commute on the bike to work, but nearly half way there my RD cable snapped at the shifter. I couldn't get into the shifter to pull out the remnants, so I was stuck in a fixed gear of 34x11. Attempted to continue on to work, but some of the hills were too steep. I was afraid that: 1) I'd fall over trying to push up the hill on Putty Hill Rd crossing Belair Rd from Ridge Rd or 2) I would have overstressed the chain breaking it or 3) overstressed my knees breaking them. So, I turned back, dropped the bike off, changed clothing, and drove to work.

Needless to say, I have a little project on my hands once I get home and if I want to get more miles in, it'll be back on the rollers again.

derath

impressive. I must just be out of shape, cause 20 min on the rollers and I am toast.


-D

The Human Car

I like being outdoors and I could not do the indoor thing. That’s one reason why I like Maryland our bad weather is rarely longer then a week.

Anyway fellow Randonneurs the DC Randonneurs are doing this ride and the weather looks great for Saturday:

SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 2007
"THE SWINGING BRIDGE CENTURY," starting from Elkridge Elementary
School/Elkridge Landing Middle School, Elkridge, Maryland. MEETING TIME
7:30 a.m. Promises to be challenging, but probably not quite so
challenging as was "From Here to Tibuktu" a couple of weeks ago. I'm
estimating about 7,000 feet elevation gain. The ride will begin on a
mellow and yet very scenic note, visiting Patapsco Valley State Park and
traversing a swinging bridge. See
https://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclan...scovalley.html.
After a few flat miles along the Patapsco River, we'll climb out of the
valley and begin our trek northward, passing through the Soldiers
Delight Environmental Area, see
https://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclan.../soldiers.html and
https://www.bcpl.net/~sdci/sdci_history.html. We'll continue north past
Liberty Lake on scenic Baltimore County and Carroll County roads to our
lunch stop in Hampstead. The return route passes through the tiny
village of Patapsco and more of Patapsco Valley State Park, crossing
over Liberty Reservoir. We'll visit historic Ellicott City near the end
of the ride. 100 miles, with short options of 53, 75, or 88 miles.

Here are the directions to the ride start:
ELKRIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL/ELKRIDGE LANDING MIDDLE SCHOOL, ELKRIDGE, MARYLAND
7075 Montgomery Road, Elkridge MD 21075 - 410.313.5056
From DC Beltway I-495, take Exit 27 onto I-95 north. In about 16 miles,
take Exit 43A onto MD100 East toward Glen Burnie. In about 1 mile take
Exit 6B onto US1 North toward Elkridge. In 2.3 miles, turn left onto
Montgomery Road. In 0.4 mi. turn right into the elementary
school/middle school complex and proceed to parking area.

balto charlie

Hey Barry Sounds nice. Unfortunately I have a knee that is not cooperating with the down stroke. This wknd I will be heading to the mnts, cuz there's lots of snow in them thar' hills Hopefully a little backcountry skiing won't do any more damage. Please post a map of the ride as it sounds like a great ride. I do hope to join you and the dc randys when healed. Are you going to ride to the ride Or join it in progress. Charlie

NoRacer

Brrrrrrr!

Barry, are you cycling to the ride start?

The Human Car

It looks like me and NoRacer are planning to ride to the ride. He has an extra 6 miles round trip over me on this endeavor.

NoRacer

If anyone else in the Baltimore metro area is interested in meeting us, the plan is that I meet Barry at the Carrol Park Gwynn's Fall trail head in time to leave for Elkridge Elementary School by 6:45am. We should be able to get to the school in about 35 minutes from there.

If any interested rider is closer to Essex, PM me and we'll set up a meeting location and time, otherwise, I'll be leaving Essex, promptly, by 5:50am.

The ride is a 100 miles and the ride start is another 18 miles from Essex. It's a very good idea to have lights and reflectors for this trip, especially for getting to and from the ride start location at the beginning and end of the 100 mile portion of the ride. Also, you should have food and drink with you -before- we head into the city.

I believe that it'll be about 140 miles, total, for the day by the time I get home.

derath

Hey,

Does anyone have a que sheet for this ride? I can't do the whole thing due to time and well, I still can't get rid of this chest cold. But Hampstead is maybe 10 miles from me. It would be cool to hook up for at least a little bit of the ride just to meet you guys in person.

-D

NoRacer

-D,

Barry forwarded one to me, but it's in Microsoft Word. If you want it, I can forward it on to you, if I can see your email under your profile, or alternatively PM me with your email address and I'll forward it to you.

OR

Go here:

https://www.dcrand.org/cgi-bin/weeken...?RIDE=20070127

...and contact Crista for a copy.

veloellen

GarySol, My husband rode Columbia BMX for Atlantic Cycles, Hutch and Princeton Sports. He is still friends with Matt and John Beverungen.

derath

Looks like I am gonna try and catch you guys at Glen Falls Rd (mile 33.3) From the looks of it I should be able to stay on the ride to your lunch stop, at which point I will keep on going to get home in time for my family engagement.

It should at least give me a 25-30 mile ride, and a chance to meet you guys in person.
-D

NoRacer

Cool!

I just sent you email.

derath

Well I just mapped out my route. Looks like it may be another nice lunchtime loop as well.

https://www.routeslip.com/routes/19972

derath

Well ((*&%$#^%$#@%!

I dunno what happened there. Either you guys weren't were I thought you were when you called, or you seriously hauled a$$ during the hour between calls.

Oh well, chalk it up to a wasted day. Maybe I can get in a ride tomorrow.

-D

NoRacer

-D,

Sorry about that.

What happened was that the first time I called you, we were taking a break at a convenience store. Because I didn't have a cue sheet, I stayed with the ride leaders--Chuck & Crista who rode a tandem. The rest of the group left ahead of me, Crista and Chuck. So, when us stragglers finally got going, we were hauling-ass and even caught some of the group that went ahead. When you called me, we were in a climb and I couldn't answer the call. Then I called you to let you know where we were--making a left turn on Black Rock Rd. I don't know those roads all that well, so when we crossed or rode along Rt140 eluded me.

If I were to rate this ride, it would be a 9-scenic (only thing making it better would be if it were late Spring-early Summer), 10-climbing (the "official" estimate from the average of 3 GPS devices was 8,700 feet and many were over 10% with at least two probably at 14%), and overall a 9 for the ride. It was hard and I'm pretty sore today, but I set another personal decent speed record of 58.5 MPH, as Crista and Chuck were not at all squeamish about decending (but for safety's sake I stayed back a little when they were, so I could hear when they were braking for a turn at the bottom of the decent which was usually the case), and my total ride for the day is 145 miles (10 hours, 26 minutes and 54 seconds in the saddle) including the ride to and from Elkridge and the 3 or so miles that Barry and I overshot the ride start initially.

Heading into Ellicott City, at the beginning of the ride, I lost Barry. Barry... what happened to you? (While we were riding to the start, he didn't seem to be feeling well.)

derath

Stuff happens. You must have been closer to 140 when you called initially is my only guess. Otherwise your first call at 9:50 would have been at mile marker 23, And when I called you a little over an hour later you were at mile 48.

But yea, it is hilly out this way. I have increased my climbing ability a ton. How did you like Tank and Brown roads? (they had really steep windy downhills, usually those are my uphills). They were after lunch.

Either way, If you ever want to hit the roads out this way feel free. I ride them all the time.

[edit] and in hindsight, so you know, Rt 140 was the only 4 lane with center turn lane road you were on during the ride. With the possible exception of the very beginning or end.



-D

NoRacer

Yeah--I said me and the tandem were hauling-ass! I got to suck tandem-wheel the whole time.

NoRacer

If anyone is interested, here's the route that was taken during the DC-Rand "Swinging Bridge Century" from last Saturday:

https://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/15117

It only shows a cumulative climb of 6,500+ feet, including the ride to and from the ride start. Also, I lost a couple miles plotting the map, as it did not come out to 144.9 miles like my CatEye reported.

balto charlie

Thanks for posting. I was really interested since it leaves from my hood. I'll leave off the east side part. You guys are beast. Too ride that much is hard, to ride that much at this time of year is impressive. Did you ever hear from Barry? hope he's OK. My knee is feeling better after going back to my old pedals and raising the seat. My knee has to be better as my syncro vw van broke down on the way home from the mnts. I think i need CV joints.....expensive!!! It might be cold commuting the last few days but i've no other options. When one knows you have to ride it ain't so bad. Charlie

NoRacer

Yesterday's wind was "biting", literally, through openings in my balaclava to my face during my bike commute to work/Towson yesterday. A good portion of it was headwind.

I haven't heard from Barry, but I did receive my Baltimore Spokes delivery ( https://www.baltimorespokes.org. ) from his website yesterday. It would be nice to hear from him about his journey on Saturday and I hope he didn't have too many problems.

Sorry to hear about the vw, but it's great that your knee is better.

balto charlie

tonights commute home should be interesting....to say the least. I have a retirement party immediately after work until 8:00. party + snow =