Machka 

Happy Solstice weekend ... tell us about your cycling adventures this weekend. Did you ride solo? With a friend? With family? With a group? Was it a competition? Or a recreational ride? What did you see during your ride? Got pics? How's the weather where you are?

Or if you're in western Canada, maybe you did a bit of swimming or canoeing?



Saturday -- Rowan and I drove to a nearby city (100 km away) to do a little shopping ... and we took the bicycles. We did a 21.19 km ride in the flat, flat, flat orchard area just outside the city. It was about 14C and sunny out there, with a little bit more wind than I had expected.

generalkdi

Went for a little ride friday after the job : https://app.strava.com/activities/61985203#

Tried a new set of wheels today : https://app.strava.com/activities/62148106

Long ride under the sun : https://app.strava.com/activities/62324573

Angelo19

50 km this morning at the crack of dawn, a few drops early, then clearing and 18c. Beautiful.

Machka 

Sunday - 58.73 km on the tandem. We cycled out to a neighbouring town situated on Lake Eildon and back, stopping in the town for something to eat, and again briefly on the dam wall ... the wall that creates Lake Eildon. It's a very pretty area, and so green at this time of year (mid-winter).

The day was sunny, with light winds, and the temperature topped at about 11C.

Along the way we saw quite a bit of animal-life ...

-- a flock of pelicans on a pond. They took flight when we got close and circled us for a moment before flying away
-- a field full of ibis
-- a deer
-- a running wombat
-- the usual sheep, horses, and cows ... and a bull who was engaged in amorous activity with one of his harem.

Machka 

At our "rest stop" ...



Overlooking the lake ...





Overlooking the pondages ...



(click photos for more )

Jakedatc

Machka's you're getting wimpy to the cold already being in Oz? 11c is a nice spring day in Ontario isn't it?

32mi(51km) ride today before it warmed up even more (20-25c) was pretty windy going out but once i turned around it was pretty sweet riding the tailwind
https://app.strava.com/activities/62333099

Got new shoes so I had to make some fit adjustments that i'm getting fine tuned now.

got over 500km for June.. 2nd month in a row. and one week left to add more

Bah Humbug

https://connect.garmin.com/activity/331583481

Gatorbait sprint triathlon. Second in age group, seventh male, eighth overall... and I wasn't chicked; I was beaten by a relay team. Which I don't really count.

And that was my best performance ever on that hill. And my mother and girlfriend were there to watch. So, good times.

GaryPitts

Went on my first night ride with 11 others in the cycling club in celebration of full moon https://runkeeper.com/user/GaryPitts/activity/198089176. I can now see the need for a brighter headlight! I also know now that some tail lights are just too bright for night riding with others near your tail. Makes it hard to see One of the fellows had some Pink Floyd playing for us All in all, an enjoyable and learning experience.

New head light ordered!

sbao26975

Climbed Mt. Evans. Great climb, crap road.

Carloswithac

Felt like some hill climbing today.


33 miles, 3,250 ft of climbing.


Perfect climbing weather. Overcast with no sun in sight.


Friendly locals.


Horsey.


Snack time


Cat 2 climbs all day errday!

Fun morning.

I mountain biked throughout the week.

crash14me

I did my first 50 mile ride today. I don't know the wind speeds but there were some gusts that got me scared on the downhills. It was probably about 86 and cloudy. Ended up being 50.4 miles with 2349 feet of elevation gained. I got smarter and brought more to eat this weekend. Saturday's ride was only 25.8 miles with 1053 feet of elevation gain. I need to get out of the city and find some better scenery next weekend.

StephenH

Did a 400k on the tandem yesterday. We got out in front of the group about 20 miles out and rode by ourselves the rest of the day. It was hot. We saw one roadrunner, one deer. Started at 6:00 AM, finished at 3:50 AM, including half-hour and 1-hour naps.

MarkThailand

I signed up for my first organized group ride this weekend in Nakhonnayok province with a LBS - Bike Specials - who held an open, all clubs, all brands, all other LBS welcomed.

Saturday - In preparation for my group ride on Sunday, I decided to take it easy and road a short 70 km ride at my usual training loop at Souvarnabhumi airport. I started at 7 am and completed my ride in 2 hr 45 min. It was quite cool and very humid with storm clouds over head. The family and I drove out to Nakhonnayok province, about 100 km northeast of Bangkok, on saturday aftertoon. We rented two ATV's and rode a guided tour in the ATV park for about an hour in the evening before coming back to wash up.



Sunday - There were about 120 bikers assembled by 745 am for the start at 800 am at Juntra Hotel in Nakhonnayok, Thailand. It was a mix group of fixed gear, mountain bikes, beginner road bikes, and "advance road bikes with aero tubular wheels". I was on my titanium Lynskey R330 with wide HED.C2 rims with 25c Continental GP4000s clinchers carrying two spare tubes and patch kits. I had tons of sun block on my face as well.



Well, as recommended by another biker, I decided to stay with lead breakaway group to avoid any traffic jams and potential accidents. Immediately, we speed ahead at 35 kmh average speed up a steady 2-4% grade up to Huay Peur Reservoir - I stayed with them for about 25 km until last 5 km when the grades increased to 6-8 % and then 15%. I got to the top of the reservoir before the large group behind me. My average power was 220 watts and average speed was 30 kmh with a max power of 790 watts up those hills. The weather and scenery was great with storm clouds forming overhead.



Then, after a 5 minute rest for me (15 minutes for others), we headed off to Sarika waterfall at even faster pace downhill from the reservoir then up another 5% grade up to the base of the waterfall. There were three flats among those carbon aero tubular wheels. By this time, the group had spread out with me still shadowing the leading group. At the base of the waterfall, I had a banana and rested another 5 min. I had ridden only flat lands before and was careful not to let my power output climb too high since this was suppose to be a 90 km ride in total.

We then headed down the waterfall base onto the next stop - the top of the Khun Daan dam with its nice climbs. As we were heading down, the skies opened up for over 20 minutes. At the base of the dam, the fast riders pulled over to let the rain stop because there was going to be a KOM competition. Well, since I was trying for a Joker Survivor of the Mountain, I continued up the hill in my maxed out 34-25 gear combination. I reached the top as the lead group zoomed past me. My legs were toast and I stretched them a good 10 minutes before heading down. Wow, my max speed coming down was 55 kmh with a simple two lane road with traffic going up and coming down. This was the max speed that I was comfortable but could have easily gone faster. Btw, there were several more flats from the carbon aero wheels on the way down.

At the base of the dam, we then rode back to the hotel with the group completely obliterated. Thank God I had my Garmin with its return to starting point feature but had to ride through Nakhonnayok city to get back. The ride back was 30 km and I had mis-calculated my water supply. In the last 5 km, I was starting to develop cramps at the top of my right quads - vestus medialis - so I limited my power output to 130 watts and got back without incident.

In total, I had ridden 86 km with an average moving speed of 25 kmh. My average watt output for the ride was 205 watts with a max peak at 780 watts and 2300 calories were burned. Fortunately, I did not have to use any of my spare tubes. But, once again, I should have carried my drink.

Mark

SeantheSurgeon

I did my first ride with a group on Saturday. Had a great time enjoying some good company and the beautiful weather. We rode 30 miles along Puget Sound, my longest ride so far.

Machka 

11C was nice ... the starting temp of about 3C was a bit chilly.

ThinLine

Your rides across the pond seem like fun. I did 73 miles in 2.5 days, with a bad back which I refuse to keep me off the bike.
I do a 2.6 mile loop which is boring but full of hilly sections, woods on one side and best of all....no traffic.

gc3

Friday-Sunday, did the first 3 days of Bike Virginia in the "hills" around Lexington, VA. Total 155 miles with over 10,000 feet of climbing, which is a bunch for me. I "almost" reached the absolute limit of my uphill capability with the 52/36 12-27 gearing. Wimped out from trying the century on Sunday, which went up to Wintergreen and down to Vesuvius. This ride is pretty well run, and luckily it didn't rain while camping. It got pretty hot, into the 90s, but the scenery in this area is always beautiful....

Machka 

Was the whole 73 miles on this 2.6 mile loop?

bikecrate

I got a late start on Saturday which put me in a much hotter time of the day. I think I went through three large bottles of water just to stay hydrated for 45 miles. Sunday I did a shorter 35 mile ride and then spent another 3 hours doing yard work in the hot FL sun. Blah, I'm already sick of summer.

Machka 

Come to Australia ... it's winter. Not Canadian cold, but still rather chilly.

bikecrate

Well, thanks for the invite. I don't think I could withstand the plane flight, however. Summers in FL are just one of those things that have to be endured at least until October (if we're lucky).

kaisersling

Rear wheel slipped off on a 10% climb.... that is all.

dstrong 

Did my first two "Garmin" rides this weekend. It was hot.

Saturday Standard out-and-back

Sunday Standard Dam Loop

svtmike

Rained out on Saturday morning, 77 mile ride with the group on Sunday. First hot day of the year -- and my hydration stunk. I hate puttering along at an endurance power output with a race pace heart rate.