I've been trying to ride at work during lunch at least once a week, but hoping to work in more, like twice a week, or otherwise days I'm not out running. I'm currently limited to a route of about 10 miles at my current fitness level and speed capabilities, which of course is largely affected by the terrain.

So I did a loop around town today, which includes this one big overpass that crosses the interstate, and then another large hill shortly after going into a neighborhood. The first half of the route, going north and then east across the interstate, is the same route we take on the annual Ride of Silence.

Today I had to stop going up the hill over the interstate. I have done the Ride of Silence twice before and had a hard time on that hill, but didn't have to stop I guess because I was on my KHS and had lower gearing available. I was using the 34-26 gear and had to stop once today, so definitely hoping to improve on that.

As I get better/faster I'm sure I'll add to the route to make it longer. But for now I'll just be doing this one.

Today the route of 8.6 miles (not 8.7 as the map shows due to cutting through a parking lot) took me 46:10 actual moving time. I'll be adding to this post with future ride times and any route updates.

Do you ride to work? Or do you bring your bike via car or public transit and then only ride at lunch? I'm wondering if you can get in more miles by commuting. If you're already doing that, perhaps adding a detour? Now that the time has changed, most of my ride into work is in sunshine. It's cooler, but the right clothes make it comfortable.

If McIngvale Rd. and Green T Rd. W stay decent, I would prefer just riding along those rather than through the neighborhoods. I find it much nicer to ride on main roads that aren't too busy rather than neighborhood roads. Around home and work I like to ride the country roads the most (low traffic without lots of driveways and intersections).

Have fun.

Green T and McIngvale are main roads, but are still 2-lane. McIngvale especially has quite a lot of traffic, very hilly, and no shoulder in most places. Hence going through the neighborhoods.

This is a small town, and I live in the next small town to the north. Almost all "main" roads with the most traffic are still 2-lane roads. I feel very much unsafe trying to pound my way up a hill at under 10 MPH when it's a 2-lane road and no shoulder. I don't commute, at least not at this point, because of the types of roads and because of the 14.5 mile distance that would take me at least 75 minutes each way, and I don't want to spend that much time on the bike in the dark, not at this time of year anyway.

Almost all the main thoroughfares around here, and EVERY connection between the towns where I work and live look like this (aside form the interstate):
https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll...2,5.29,,0,2.95

Doesn't look like that many cars there, but trust me there are plenty, and the traffic usually is doing 50+

Same route today, but did it on the KHS. The computer on the KHS reported the route as 8.6 miles, but that's expected as that one section on Commerce west of the interstate is not where I actually go. I cut through some parking lots just north of Commerce, but you can't plot the route through there.

Anyway, same route today, but time dropped to 45:16. I did not stop at all except for traffic a few times, not even on the big hills. But I also have lower gearing on the KHS, and indeed climbed those hills in the 22x28 gear. But then again the computer only measures moving time, not time stopped. So actual moving time was still better over the Felt, despite only going about 4 MPH up some of those hills in the granny gear.

And to top it off I was wearing my Vibram FiveFingers Komodosport LS's on studded platform pedals. AND most of the time I couldn't get into the 46t ring because of my stupid@$$ front shifter not engaging that one pawl to pull the cable on in.

So an improvement in time today, but now I have something to shoot for on the Felt to make more of an improvement.

Tuesday 11/13 - Felt bike, time 46:10, average moving speed 11.2 MPH
Thursday 11/15 - KHS bike, time 45:16, avg 11.5 MPH

Back on the Felt bike today. WOW huge improvement! I did the same 8.6 miles in just 39:22! Nearly 6 minute improvement over Thursday, and 7 minute improvement over the last time I did the course on the Felt! That's a 13.1 MPH average for the course.

I did not have to stop at any point on hills, and only put my foot down a couple of times for traffic. On the big hills I just shifted down and took it slow, about 6.5 MPH, instead of trying to pound it out faster near the bottom and wearing myself out before the top. Only had to stand out of the saddle once on a shorter but steeper hill, just after turning into the neighborhood off of Green T West. Also really tried to take advantage of the downhill portions of rolling hills, shifting to the big ring and getting up into the upper 20's. At one point not long after starting, heading north on Memphis Street, I was fairly easily keeping up 22-23 MPH on a flat section, despite a west wind at 7 MPH currently.

I suppose my goal for the near future is to complete this course in 30 minutes, which would be 17.2 MPH average. That could be a long ways off, but maybe not.

Ride more, fewer meaningless posts; a guide to not sucking.

well excuse me if I don't measure up to your awesome standards. I ride as much as my schedule allows, thanks very much.