Today I checked the tracking for an item I ordered on eBay. On Saturday it was in Philadelphia. By Monday it made it to Chicago. I live in Philadelphia. :foo:

Watching item tracking can be maddening sometimes :-p. Somehow it is the most efficient route?? At least to the shipping companies :-p

This morning I stayed on the gas for a few hours [MENTION=418438]TimothyH[/MENTION] style, ended up with 58 mi, 2:54 moving and 2,333 elevation. My speed was 19.9 MPH which should anger the Strava gods. Wish I could say I coasted down at the end of my ride and did it on purpose but the truth is I wasn't paying attention and just wanted to keep the pace up.

Power was good - 215 w average for the duration, which is the top of my zone 2 and ~3.3 w/kg on my ~145 lb body. I feel like that should have been faster, but I was on a training bike with training tires, and the air is thick and wet in the marine layer along the San Diego coast.

Update: it's back in Philly now.

Kicked down 101 miles today with moderate climbing. Started with the SDBC "A" ride (hammered the front), then broke off and did my own thing. I really wanted 99 miles to anger the Strava goons out of spite, but it just didn't happen. Next time...

...which might not be until October, honestly. Not gonna force it until then when I'll begin preparing for the 2020 racing season.

Today I drove 500 miles with the fixed gear tied to a roof rack. Didn't have any issues with the bike getting loose, but i'd like to not do that again. A standard bike rack won't fit. Will have to look into a roof rack mount maybe.

Was a good vacation though, did 25 miles at 17.9 mph one day, and a total of 92 miles.

Also, my six year old road a 2 wheel bike without training wheels for the first time! He literally jumped on the bike and took off with no problem. Proud dad moment for sure!

Dave

^
nice!!!!

5 kids riding, 0 training wheels. We'll see if I'm more proud of this or their future graduations.

(Yesterday) Rode my SSCX bike for 60 miles of grav grav for the first time in a month. Holy crap I forgot how much I love that bike. It just does what I ask it to.

A few days ago I visited Brussels, Belgium. I’m traveling in Europe this summer.

Brussels has a strong bike culture generally, and right now they’re gearing up for the TdF start this weekend. I’m working from my phone, so I’ll post a few pics as soon as I figure out how to resize them.

They had a cool local race there on Saturday. Sort of a crit, except the field was all spread out—probably more than 100 riders, and no peloton. (I couldn’t tell if it involved multiple laps or just one long course of which I could only see a small part.)

There were lots of guys and gals on fixed gears, some with geared bikes, and even quite a few long frame cargo bikes. It wasn’t really an alley cat, though. There were checkpoints along the course, but in between them it was very structured and carefully controlled. Organizers at every turn and intersection, directing vehicle and pedestrian traffic to keep clear and ensuring racers didn’t leave the designated route.

The city is very hilly, and they laid out the course to include stairways, sidewalks, really tight turns... all kinds of obstacles. Like a paved cyclecross course for messengers.

It was a very hot day, and most of the riders looked absolutely gassed when they finished. Did I mention the city’s steep hills? Everyone was unzipping jerseys and dipping into the city fountains.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...00c624eda9.jpg

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c06da0fc34.jpg

I guess this is where The Tour will start.

I was in Italy last month during the Giro. In fact, the final stages were held not too far from my location. Alas, I could not arrange to get somewhere to see it. (I watched some of it on TV in my hotel room.)

Today I got my first KOM on my fixed gear.

Good job!

Today I rode from Oaks to the Manayunk bridge and had to put my bike into the peloton on the Cynwood trail.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0234271c7f.jpg

Peloton

Today I tried to coast on my fixed gear.

Was zoned out, thinking about car tires or something and I just stopped pedaling....

Whoa! Hello! Good morning!!! Yeah, I'm awake now!

Nothing bad happened but still - note to self: don't do that.


-Tim-

I'd been thinking about ordering a Soma HWY One bar for my road bike, stopped in the LBS on the way home from my ride and they just happened to have one in the exact width/color I wanted. Took it as a good omen and grabbed it.

niiiice

Today I did 51.4 MPH.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...5ab2b0f87f.jpg

Strava mathematicians decided that it was actually 53.2 MPH. Either way, it was my second fastest recorded speed ever.

[MENTION=393713]bonsai171[/MENTION] was somewhere behind me on the descent but I have superior descending muscles. He beat me fair and square on a 1.2 mile 6% climb by 20 seconds though - rode off my front wheel actually. It was pretty humiliating. Credit has to be given as he has worked hard and gained lots of fitness.

Good times here in Georgia. Y'all come down.


-Tim-

I celebrated Bastille day in Frenchtown NJ. (I know it is tomorrow.)
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a95e6c7fd0.jpg

Greetings from Frenchtown.

Wow! Was that fixed? If so, what was your cadence?

Ride Safe,

Joe

No, not fixed.

[MENTION=393713]bonsai171[/MENTION] and I were freewheeling at the crack of dawn.


-Tim-

Did some sweet spot on Fiesta and Mt. Soledad bracketed around the "Chili's" group ride, 4 hr total. Smashed on the ride. Then, I went to the mall to buy a new dress shirt and some basic button ups and chinos for work. Not sure what was more tiring. What I can tell you is that I need some dinner and wine, stat.

Became acquainted with the materials that my new frame will be made from after work today.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6735c4b1d1.jpg


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c558d3ca5e.jpg

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...554bbb9565.jpg

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c54cdc0197.jpg

Today was a first: I had 5 seconds left to go on a green light, so I got out of the saddle and sprinted... and pulled my left foot out of the pedal. :twitchy:

Momentum allowed me to continue my sprint one-legged until I could get myself back onto the saddle and clipped back in. I was 100% sure that I was going to wipe out and/or rack myself on the saddle in the middle of the intersection, but miraculously didn't.

Guess it's time to adjust my pedal tightness or switch cleats...

:thumb: Looks like you still have some decisions to make…