I finally got a short ride in today. I rode 13.3 miles, still trying to kick this bug I picked up. I think my kid brought it home from school, which started a few weeks back. I'll see if I can get in 30 or so tomorrow.

I did a 38 mile loop north of Ashland, VA, with some moderate hills. The weather has been fantastic here all week. This morning was low 70s, low humidity, no wind.

https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UT...737e844436fca2

only 64mi on the fixie today

Saturday 9/05/09... Another metric century today.
Wildlife count:
4 Deer
1 Gofer turtle
1 Turkey
A ton of squirrels

All is well in Slo Spoke Jim's' household.

62.45 (s)miles today
149.23 (s)miles this month
4,635.77 (s)miles this year
4 ride days this month (Sept.)

Yes, finally, 21 miles on the Withlachochee. Started at the new trail head (Central Ridge park) just off of 491 near Holder. We found it a couple of weeks ago and it's close to where we live. Road to Inverness and missed the rain showers. All in all , good ride.

LindaN

Don't know what time you rode Linda, but we may have passed each other. I usually stop at Central Ridge Park on every ride as a rest stop, mainly I like riding down that curvy tree covered path out to the trail! I rode from my house in Citrus Springs to Inverness and back. 32.6 miles. It was really foggy this morning, I waited until after 8 and it was still pea soup thick. I rode to Inverness before I could put my glasses on, lucky to have found the place considering how blind I am without my glasses!

Well, we were there much later than you but everytime I ride I wonder if we are going to pass each other. We just found that trail head a few weeks back and really like it. It's very convenient and I also like the tree lined half mile to the trail itself.

Today we decided to drive down to the southern most end of the trail and work our way north. Owensboro Junction I think it is called. We had never been down that far and wanted to see what it was like. We rode about 12.5 miles north and then turned around. We rested for awhile just before the SR50 overpass on the way back. By the time we got back it was after 2:00 and we were tired and hot. I am so ready for some cooler weather. We are considering riding on Oct 4 but I need to get some more info. We (well, I should restate that and say "I" ) am not a speed demon and DH is nice and normally stays with me. I'm a little concerned we might get run over if we're not going very fast.

LindaN in Ocala/FL

Sunday 9/06/09... Short mileage day today only 22 miles to the LBS for some new break pads. My daughter will be spending Monday night, Tuesday and Wednesday with us so I hope to get in some high mileage with her.
All is well in Slo Spoke Jim's household.

22.46 (s)miles today
171.63 (s)miles this month
4,658.17 (s)miles this year
5 ride days this month (Sept.)

I didn't ride yesterday as swmbo decided having a nice breakfast as a family was the thing to do. We haven't done it in a while, so I took the morning off. We went on a family ride this morning, loading up the bikes and driving to Inverness to ride. We went down to Floral City and turned around for an easy 14 miles. Well, easy for me and our son. The wife was at her limit as she hasn't ridden much lately. She used to ride 20 miles without too much effort, I'll have to get her out more once the weather cools. Nice day today!

Well, I've not been posting, but I've been riding my ususal 30-50 mile 6 day weeks.

Took the family out to Alachua for the 8 hours of labor mtb race yesterday where the boss took 4th place.

Today's ride was from FCC Kent campus on the westside of Jax, about 15 miles from home, and I rode up at 18ish. The ride had options that included 52/70/75&78 miles, as well as a few shorter routes. After getting spit out the front a couple of times I fell off the back after 16 or so when the pace hit the upper 20's, 29ish, so I hit the Jax Baldwin trail and headed back towards home.

At the end of the day I'm calling it 80 miles at 18.5 mph, the 'puter read 78 at 18.4 but I forgot to wake it up after starting back up from the campus. I rode like 50 of this solo, and with the tail wind home I was able to run in the mid 20's.

Over all, it was my most epic ride this year exceeding my 60 miles fixed a month or two ago.

Hubby and I went out about 4:30 and rode the north end of the Withlachochee. Started at the Central Ridge park and rode an easy 13.5 miles to the north end and back. Great time as it was getting cooler and the sun was behind the trees. We found some nice trail heads that we didn't even know were there. Nice ride overall.

Nope. This is NOT a race, it's a ride. Maggi and I call these types of rides "zoo rides", because there is every kind of animal you've ever seen on a bicycle. In addition to families with the 5 and 6 year olds riding their own bikes, there will be people on those silly three-wheeled skateboard trikes that go from side to side taking up the whole trail; people on bikes towing their 140 pound dog "Bear" in a trailer; people on skates being towed by their 140 pound dog "Bear"! We've see people riding with birds on their shoulders and even one with a monkey on his back! I wouldn't be surprised to see someone put a set of pedals on that camel and show up on it at the start/finish! This is a zoo ride, EVERYONE is aware of that, and the vast, vast majority ride accordingly.

Perhaps a helpful hint, though. There will be some fast groups, and they generally ride south first since that's the longer portion of the trail, and they want to do the bulk of their miles out ahead of all the casual folk. They generally leave between daylight and a half hour after. So you should leave about a half hour after daylight and go north. There will still be some fast groups that will pass you, but not half as many.

One other tip, applicable not only to this ride, but any time you're riding on a trail. Make sure if you're riding side-by-side that you are ready to go single file if you hear "ON YOUR LEFT" from behind at the same time you have oncoming traffic. It's usually a good idea to just automatically go single file when you see oncoming traffic anyway, but if people are passing from behind as well, you definitely want to give as much room as possible.

If no one is coming the other direction, you're OK to stay double, just tighten up to the right as much as you're comfortable with and hold your line.

That's pretty much it. I don't know you at all, but I can absolutely guarantee you will NOT be the "slowest" couple out there. As a matter of fact, it's an odds-on bet that you two will even get annoyed a time or two by slower riders that don't adhere to the simple rule of "slower traffic keep right" when YOU are trying to pass!

It's a ride for a good cause, and consequently, a lot of VERY casual cyclists show up to support it, (as in, they haven't ridden their bikes since last year's ride!), so most just smile, expect to navigate these waters, and enjoy the ride for what it is!

Incidently, this particular zoo ride is also a cafeteria ride, meaning the sag stops are so well stocked that you can literally do a century ride and GAIN weight! The business community up and down the trail typically joins in on this event and sponsors a sag stop, so there's lots of them. Eat to ride, ride to eat!! Now we're talking!

By all means, ride the ride, eat the food, enjoy the comaradarie, and have fun!

Tuesday 9/08/09... Good ride today with my daughter we got in a little over 50 and rode over into Lake county on SR 46.
All is well in Slo Spoke Jim's household.

50.46 (s)miles today
222.09 (s)miles this month
4,708.63 (s)miles this year
6 ride days this month (Sept.)


Edit: Linda, Onegun has nailed this ride just as it is. You do not have to be fast to enjoy it, but sometime you will have to be tolerant. This will be the first one that I have done in about 20 years and and the first one for my daughter and we are looking forward to it. Perhaps we will see you their.

If anyone shows up on that camel...well I don't know what I might do

We rode yesterday on Labor Day, September 7 in Augusta, GA on the Augusta Canal trail. You folks in Augusta are lucky to have such a trail that is wide, well groomed, and just plain out and out beautiful. They need to fix the access at the end of Eisenhower Dr. at the Augusta Water Works. The over size gravel is hard on tires and feet, and the narrow metal bridge needs to wider and have railings.

Once past that, we were off and rolling. My son and I were on the tandem, pulling my daughter on her trailercycle, while my wife rode on her Trek Sole Ride. We started at the Water Works and rode up to the lock and dam where we stopped, took pictures, and snacked. Nothing overly spectacular during the ride other then my wife mistaking a log for an alligator. We did get some odd looks and comments about the "train" that weighs 620 pounds rolling along, and my daughter, only 4, gave a few people a hard time about not wearing a helmet.

We had fun and plan to return on Columbus Day, hoping the fall colors will be out in full bloom.

What a spectacular morning here on the Nature Coast! Sunny and cool, the nicest morning since last spring. It was so nice I kept going when I got to my normal turnaround in Hernando. I rode all the way down to Inverness and then came home. It got a little warm towards the end and I picked up a bit of headwind as well, but it didn't ruin the ride. 32.6 miles roundtrip. Tomorrow I ride on my snazzy new blue Michelin tires that came in the mail today, maybe they'll make me look faster!

Wednesday 9/09/09... Another good ride today with my daughter we got in a little over 36 on the newly paved Seminole Wekiva Trail. Sure seemed to make us faster, but we will not change our name.
All is well in Slo Spoke Jim's household.

36.03 (s)miles today
258.12 (s)miles this month
4,744.66 (s)miles this year
7 ride days this month (Sept.)

Great morning, but my legs didn't have much strength today. I rode 16.7 miles and basically took it easy. The blue tires did not improve my speed, but I do like the way they handle!

40mi/1:56hr with my friend Dallas and 4 other guys. i actually wore arm warmers this evening!!!

Friday 9/11/09... Another good solo ride today on the newly paved Seminole Wekiva Trail. Got out early and was back home before 10.
All is well in Slo Spoke Jim's household.

35.81 (s)miles today
293.93 (s)miles this month
4,780.47 (s)miles this year
8 ride days this month (Sept.)

DH loves to MB but I am happier on either paved trails or double track. Late this afternoon he asked if I wanted to try to ride part of the Santos trail just south of Ocala. He said he'd start me out on some of the easier stuff so, we loaded the mbikes. The weather was wonderful. It finally feels a little cooler in the late afternoon.
Well, we left from one of the trailheads that he thought would be easier ( a green trail) and made our way to the land bridge. It was slow going for me and he was nice and stayed close cause he knew I'd be nervous. Well, made it to the land bridge and back without falling so I guess I did ok. Not my most favorite thing to do but maybe I will get used to it the more I do. At least that's what he says.

So, we rode but I sure didn't ride my normal speed but I guess it counts anyway.

LindaN in Ocala/FL

45mi/2:35hr (ride time - total time was almost 3.5hr) very nice ride this morning with 2 of my friends. we rode from clayton to wendell, zebulon, and middlesex.

Sunday 9/13/09... Another good solo ride today on the newly paved Seminole Wekiva Trail. Got out early and was back home before 11.
Wildlife count today:
5 Deer
1 Possum
4 Sand Hill Cranes
All is well in Slo Spoke Jim's world.

46.13 (s)miles today
340.06 (s)miles this month
4,826.60 (s)miles this year
9 ride days this month (Sept.)

Since Fri afternoon some bug (virus?) lodged in my middle ear and keeps my world a-spinnin' 'round. So no riding for me. I'll feeling a lot better, so back on the bike this week.

been riding all week and had to switch bikes after weds. I was training for my first race and despite a sinus infection (i guess), i tried to race any way. i was in for the first 10 or so miles of the first of 3 13 mile laps and just faded off the back of the 25+ mph pace, crossed the line way off the back and then sat down off the side.

next year

don't think i've ever said that before

Tuesday 9/15/09... Another good solo ride today on the newly paved Seminole Wekiva Trail. Got out early and was back home before 10.
Wildlife count today:
2 Rabbits
All is well in Slo Spoke Jim's world.

35.48 (s)miles today
375.54 (s)miles this month
4,862.08 (s)miles this year
10 ride days this month (Sept.)