The Easter holiday is about to begin!

Tell us about the cycling events you're planning to do ... and then what you actually do. Are you doing a short tour? Participating in an event? Doing several long solo rides?

Post pics if you've got them!

Lots of riding this long weekend.

Thurs: rode 25mi with a few friends from the bike shop that had the day off.

Fri: rode mostly the same route with my GF but took a few different roads she likes better. I was on my CX with 28mm slicks (and only 46t big ring) and she was on her tri bike so she dusted me pretty bad on the downhills. bummer was she lost her saddlebag and we couldn't find it when we went back to look.
(river ferry isn't running yet )


Sat: bike shop ride.. did 43mi with 3 other guys. we had a pretty steady pace and the temps warmed up quicker than I thought once the sun came out.

62 km new loop this morning. Very challenging/rewarding with lots of climbs and descents. Some parts next to lakes and rivers.

33 miles today in a very rural area of southern Tennessee. LINK

After a week when I found it hard to ride—time constraints and fatigue—and every ride was interrupted with at least one mechanical failure, it was finally Saturday, my one day off. I ran some errands, dropped my car off at the shop, and headed out from the dealership on my bike.

As soon as I swung into that 20 mph headwind, I knew what I was in for.

I had barely eaten all day, I hadn’t slept enough ... but if I didn’t ride at least some miles today, I would be facing a second week of too-short rides squeezed into too little time.

To what I choose to call my credit, I didn’t quit—I didn’t take the first several cut-off back to my home. I only managed 20 miles—at 1.5 mph less than my monthly average. All in all it was a miserable time—except for the part about me riding my bicycle, which makes almost everything at least okay.

I know most of you did 20-mile warm-ups before you centuries and averaged 21 mph because you decided to do the slow instead of the fast group ride. Good for you.

Good for me too. I am exhausted and sore and borderline dehydrated and really glad I got out even for a miserable ride.

If nothing else I have lowered the bar, so my next several rides are bound to be better.

70 miles with 6800 meters of climbing, way too much of it in excess of 18%, with the local club. 260 miles for the week and my feeble, old legs are toast. Can't wait for tomorrow's fast 50 miler... seriously, I love this abuse. At 57, I laugh at all my friends who golf.

Thursday: 60kms on dirt roads, MTB.
Friday: family meeting, 5kms errands, hybrid.
Saturday: 211kms on paved roads, road bike.

43.5 miles at 17.9mph. 25mph headwind for 15 miles made it rough, but it was nice and sunny.

Quick summary ... more detailed report to come.

This weekend was a 5-part saga.

Part 1 - Cycle a 300 km randonnee. Check! Completed on Good Friday. Rolled in at 11 pm - 17 hours of cycling.

Part 2 - Support riders on 300 km randonnee. Check! Completed on Saturday. We saw them off at 6 am, napped, then headed out to find them on the road.

Park 3 - Cycle a 200 km randonnee. Check! Completed today ... about an hour and a half ago - 12 hours and 11 min of cycling.

Part 4 - Relax. Commenced now.

Part 5 - Do some route checking for 400 km randonnee. We'll do that on Tuesday and it will be done by car.


So ... 500 km of cycling in just over 60 hours ... with a day off in between.

1.7 miles with the kids. We hit two parks and played some tag. Average about 5 miles an hour, my 4 year old's pace.

The weather was great today, and I did 20km to some park in the woods/less mountains, and saw all kinds of guys on bikes. My wife told me next time we go to that park to meet her friend I can ride my bike and meet them. It's a really fantastic looking ride.

Sun: 22mi on the CX bikes with a friend from the shop. Nice easy recovery pace with some dirt road sections to mix it up.

Saturday - I took out two of the bikes. It was cool and windy all day though. First I took out the Greg LeMond Ventoux for a little over 40 miles. Pace was slow for me but to be expected with the winds. I do love how this bike handles the rough roads though, so comfortable.



Then I jumped on the, new to me, 1987 Waterford built Paramount for it's first test ride. Took it a little over 10 miles. I managed a few fast miles in the beginning but then the legs were done from the earlier windy ride and the fact that I was riding back into a very strong headwind. I need to do some work on this one....

Saturday I went to Picnic and Davis Is. for 40 miles. Still nice weather, but there are hints we are on the doorstep of FL Summer. Easter Sunday we host a big brunch for family and friends, so no riding today. My weeknight rides are on hold for a bit while I incorporate a rescue dog into my routine.

82 miles yesterday and 47 miles today.

It was 89° here on Long Island.... That's nuts.

Two good rides totaling 102 miles and 7700' for the weekend.

Yesterday was a run up Bear Mountain then the other long-ish climbs of the local Gran Fondo course before a bonus run up and down Bear again. Forgot to turn Strava on until getting to the top of Bear the first time, and bummed about not getting to see how what felt like a good pace compared to previous attempts. I'd joined two other guys for the ride, and even though we had rather different skills and strong suits and our paceline technique was crap, we managed to stay more or less together the whole way. We stopped for a huge breakfast before the final assault on Bear and all in all had a good time - mostly laid back, with just a couple of uphill attacks and downhill bombs thrown in for good measure.

Today was a slightly more spirited ride up to Nyack for Pie. Totally different group - four others at the start, then along the way we invited someone new (whom none of us knew) to join us a few miles in. We'd gotten underway at a much more brisk pace than I normally would have been comfortable with, but fortunately I'd already warmed up with a few hundred feet of climbing and hurrying on my way to the start. Having 11 hours sleep last night helped as well, I think. The rest of the way up was kind of inconsistent, pace-wise - there was some hammering and some casual cruising, but no one seemed quite committed to either. However, since nobody promised or had much reason to expect either, I think a good time was had by all. We certainly all enjoyed the stop for pie.

We stayed more or less together for most of the ride back, but fell apart about 5-7 miles from the end. I'd spent all my bullets attacking some of the longer ramps, including the last one of the route, so after everyone caught up when things leveled off, I couldn't keep up with the time-trial pace they wanted to make. The stranger who'd joined us cramped up shortly after that, too.
Ironically, fly-bys indicate that the guy we'd kept dropping before managed to stay with the remaining three until the end, and did a bit of dropping the others himself before it was over.

If we're throwing Friday in as well, it was a short work day, so I managed to have a bit of fun on a Citibike riding down to the West Village before work for a run up Perry-Roubaix (cobbled segment of Perry Street), and again in the afternoon for a loop around Washington Square before heading up to Port Authority. Couldn't have asked for a nicer day. Actually, couldn't have asked for a nicer weekend.

Sunday - Took out two bikes again. Today was Paramount day. So first of was a 25 mile ride on the Waterford Paramount. Warmer than yesterday and the wind wasn't too bad for once. This was the first full ride on this one. It went very well. I fixed the minor RD problems from yesterday and flipped the stem over so that the bars were much lower and where I needed them.



Then I went home and grabbed the PDG Paramount for another 25 mile ride. This one felt faster on the same route but much harsher. Winds were now a good bit stronger but I did manage to hold a better overall pace than I did on the other one. I think I'm going to put a new chain on this one. It's got a Sachs chain and it's noisy. Seems to have some resistance too.

Those belong in the "Hot or Not" thread. ... on the Hot side.

Friday: Got in a short loop with one decent climb. Storms were predicted for late afternoon, but they missed us and did not arrive until late evening. There was a bit of rain, but nothing too crazy. Total: 21.5 miles, 838 feet.

Saturday: I stayed away from the country roads due to more storms in the forecast; a few were popping up to the south. I ran errands on my bike, though: 5.7 miles.

Sunday: I met up with a new (to me) group for an easy Spring ride. It was a fun group, and I'll probably ride with them again. The route was further north than I usually ride, through some farmland with very nice views of the bluffs. It was nice to see some different areas, and I'd probably get lost trying to get out there myself! The group ride was 38.4 miles, and I added another 19.4 riding to and from the ride for a total of 57.8 miles, 1,640 feet elevation.

Friday I got in a 25 mile ride, little windy but it was a great ride. No riding Saturday it was a busy day with my sons soccer and I spent some time cleaning the bike and adjustments where needed. Easter was a great day. Nice and warm not really any wind to think of. Headed out and was shooting for a specific route and figured it would be pretty close to 50 miles, clocked out at 48.9 miles. Longest ride I have done in a long while, since my neck re injury. I felt really strong and my pace was up for all but the last 3-4 miles.
Seriously have not felt this good on the bike in a couple years anyway. Have some pain in neck and shoulders, been the norm for a long time despite what I do or don't do. The big lesson is I'm going to hurt and I'm going to be sore but I'm not giving up on life's pleasures like cycling. I have another ride I have not done in a while that I'm setting my sights on by the end of April. its close to 80 miles so if I can get back to my pre injury distances I will be very happy.

Two very beautiful bikes, I really like the yellow one. Great answer to a problem of owning two bikes like that. Ride them both and back to back no less.

I think those two only scratch the surface of James' collection of really nice bikes.

Double post somehow reposted my previous comment.

I guess if you have two many it could be a long day going back to back. Lol.

And today ... we walked!

Just a couple rides out over the weekend for me. 16 miles after work on Friday. Saturday was a day with the kids (well, the youngest as the oldest is now "in love" so I don't get to see much of her anymore.) Sunday between church and dinner I snagged 12 miles.

Sunday was horrible and wonderful. Headed out into the wind, on my hybrid, and was held to about 10 mph pedaling like crazy on downhills. The pleasure was hitting the pretty flat state road on the way back cranking up my hybrid out at 24 mph with barely any effort. Pretty darn windy day. I didn't even feel any wind on the way back hitting me from the front until around 17-18 mph.

60 Miles / 3,300 feet Saturday AM
18 miles / 1,000 feet on Saturday PM