kjc9640

Friday 7/30
34.1 miles today.

637.9 miles this month
4117 miles this year
127 ride days LY vs. 131 ride days TY
3450 miles needed to hit 2010 goal (7500 miles)
I am @ 54.9% of my goal. I need to be @ 66.6% (5000 miles) by the end of August
453 miles ahead of last year at this date

Got out about 8 am today the temp was already 83 with 91% humidity. When I got back the heat index was 102 with 59% humidity. This heat is rough on an old man like me.

FunkyStickman

I hit the bike this morning for my usual short 13.5 loop, I decided to put the kickstand, rack, and lights back on it, as I'm geaing up (no pun intended) for starting to bike commute. Gonna be interesting, for sure.

kjc9640

[QUOTE=zzOtherlandzz;11198314]Yes we did discuss that and she was buying into until she saw the pictures

CFXMarauder

Good day all around !! Got a raise, tailwind on both legs of my commute and toothless 20 something year old leaning out the beat up truck was actually giving me a compliment as he passed..Logged 7.5 miles for the day total trip time of 19 minutes...Average of 23 mph !!! Gotta love a tail wind !!

FunkyStickman

I'm looking to try to get in 40 miles tomorrow... there's a group ride starting at 7:00 but I'm going to try to get in 10 miles or so before then, and hit 30 with them. I haven't done a 40 miler in a long time, longest I've done recently was 32 a month ago.

Getting ready for the MS 150 in 2 months... I can do it! I was seriously thinking about doing it on my big chopper bicycle again, but I'd like to have time left over to enjoy the finish line.

CFXMarauder

If all goes as planned I should log 42.5 tomorrow.. Plan on hitting the Baldwin Trail at 6 am for 30 miles then an extended work commute for another 12.5 miles..

Funky...Im doing my first MS150 this October and I cannot wait..MS email say over 1800 riders "so far" set to ride !!!

FunkyStickman

That's awesome, man! I think we had around 1200 here last year, not positive. It was a very awesome ride, I had a blast, even though I was on the slowest bike there. It's just plain old fun, and you can go as fast or as slow as you like (thank goodness, cause Lord knows I'm slow). Ours is in October as well, so hopefully we can share some stories and such after the fact. Don't forget to take pics!

zzOtherlandzz

Well I got 2 rides in..... sort of today (Friday). The clouds started rolling in around 5ish again looked like rain but didn't see any lightning this time. So got all of my stuff together and got a ride to the pavement (about 1/3 mile away). I got a bit over a mile down the road and started seeing all kinds of bolt lightning, getting closer to where I was. So I turned around and went back to the house. That ride was almost 2.5 miles... I sat around in my bike gear for about a half hour or so..... and then I see the sun. Sooooo I hitch a ride back to the pavement. I figured I would get a 10 mile ride in before dark so I went a bit harder and faster than I normally would (which is still slow by most standards). I got to the 10.5 mile mark (the 2 plus from earlier) and felt really good (and had more light) so decided I would keep riding. Ended up riding 18.88 miles and felt great afterwords. I think part of the reason I felt good was the temp was only 86 with NO sun for the most part during the ride. Earlier in the day when I went past the bank at about 4pm it said 104 degrees. When I passed the same bank (2 times) on my ride it said 86 both times.

zzOtherlandzz ..... Has not ridden 40 miles in a LONG LONG time..... but has ridden 30+ .... 3 or 4 times in the last couple of weeks. It's odd I was actually thinking about a 40 mile ride earlier today (before I read the posts here). I was thinking maybe if it was a bit cooler I would give it a go. My goal right now is to ride 20 miles a day (or so) 5 days a week, until it cools down a bit. In the past I have burnt out and not stuck with it, even though its something I enjoy doing. Posting here, taking pictures, finding new and or different places to ride, reading about everybody else riding all helps to keep me motivated....... So thanks..... & keep posting!!!!

Ohhhhh no pictures today because it looked like it was gonna rain when I took off.....

Gavush

So.. thursday was "full moon ride" on the natchez trace Wife got home at 7:30 which gave me just enough time to get there at 8 for the t-time, I get there, and lots of cars but no bicycles. Have Mrs. check online, ah, they left at 7. Bah, that's way too early to leave on a supposed full moon ride. So, I head out, and decide to try to catch them. They were doing 14 miles out and then back... I thought the C group would average about 12, and they had an hour advantage on me so I thought I would catch them on their way aback at around mile 12 , giving them a 4 mile advantage. I was close.. passes the last rider (scott, bike shop guy, running sweep) at mile 9.55. Good thing I hollered out to them "you guys C group??" as I went past because scott said "huh?" and I was like "oh, is that you scott??" (it was dark out) and I knew he would be the sweep so, I turned around, chatted with him a bit, looked at my bike computer w/ my headlight, 20.3 average. Told him I might as well try to keep the average up and carried on.. passed about a dozen people on the way back (C's, plus it helps to be chasing tail lights) and got back to the car at about 19 miles, 18.9 average. Impressively, did not throw up the 1 slice of pizza and 1 bread stick I had for dinner at about 6:45.

This morning, 35 @ 15avg with buddy Mike from down the road. Good ride, got kinda tired at the end. Nowhere near as punchy as Wed evening or Thursday. Saw some unusual clouds (wind currents?) that were to the south of a nasty black looking cloud mass that got us a little wet and prompted a stop at a gas station to beg a plastic baggie off them for my wallet, phone and camera (when will I learn?) and then there was a unique veggie stand sign (just saw I swapped the links - I'm sure you get it tho)

CFMarauder: good luck on your MS150, I'll be on my 3rd on this Oct. - it's been a blast every year. We get 800-900 riders in my area, I can't imagine 1800! Wow. The one I do is called "bike to Jack and Back" and Jack Daniel's is not only a major sponsor but we have dinner at their private pavilion / lodge up on "party hill" on the distillery property and they serve a super dinner, and some drinks! Last year I got my wife to help out with our team rest stop and she camped out with me Saturday evening and got to go to dinner on party hill since she was a 2 day volunteer. Here are pictures from 2009 and 2008

FunkyStickman

Gavush: One of these days I'm going to do a loaded tour of the whole Natchez Trace... someday. 444 miles from end to end.

This morning, went out and did 5 miles, then 6 miles to meet a riding group, did another 22-ish with them, and rode home alone (after getting two flats! Blech!) finally clocked in at 38.4 miles. Had a great time besides the flats, and I feel great. I think I averaged around 13MPH, but did some extended 15-16 MPH pulls with the group.

I also found a killer deal on a Sunlite saddle/pannier set for $18 (yes, that's right... $18) so I'm getting closer to commuting.

Velo Gator

I didn't see you! I didn't get out until around 10.

I'm doing the MS also. 1800 is wild! This will be my first.

abracapocus

This morning I got myself out of the house around 7:30. The humidity was high, around 80%, but the temperature was still around 77 so it was pretty comfortable. It takes me way too long to figure out where I want to go. But it does give me time to drink a bunch of water while I figure it out.

Today I headed back to Decatur. No plan for when I got there, just headed that way! I took a slightly different route than last time and ran into this entry to the PATH trails over by Agnes Scott College.



You can't see that and not get on it, right? Lovely, but it was way too short. I got turned around when it dumped me out onto the street and headed the wrong way for a short bit. I suspected it though and confirmed with the position of the sun. No big deal. Turned around, headed into Decatur. Still wasn't sure where I was going but a no left turn coaxed me towards the cemetery.



I've been to this one before. Oakland has more elaborate monuments but this one is also lovely.





I sat in a gazebo for a few minutes and ate a Larabar and tanked up on water. Saw lots of locals pass through walking dogs or just walking.

On the way back, I got on a few miles of the PATH trail that follow a main street, Dekalb Ave. And I see why people complain about MUP's so much. A group of 3 cyclists were coming towards me spread out all across the path. The path has a yellow dashed line down the center to indicate lanes. One of them stays in my lane and just moves over some. Dude, get in line on your side! How hard is that? I think your companions will survive the loss of that 5 seconds of your witty conversation. /rant Anyway, along that stretch, there were about equal number cyclists taking to the road rather than the trail. I probably will next time too. It also felt weird because the trail was on the left side of the road so I was essentially riding against traffic.

This ride turned out to be right at 15 miles. My commuter rewards application went through, so hopefully I'll up my frequency with some commuting next week. Way to go all you doing the MS 150! Physically, I think I can take on longer rides. I just need the time.

kjc9640

Dude, get in line on your side! How hard is that? I think your companions will survive the loss of that 5 seconds of your witty conversation.

+ 1 on that

FunkyStickman

Here's a link to some photos of my ride last year, to give you an idea. I didn't have a camera mount, so no on-bike pictures, but you get the idea.

https://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...&id=1110486501

kjc9640

Jeff I gotta hand it to you if you rode that bike 114 miles you surely are the man

FunkyStickman

Heh, thanks, I didn't feel like "the man" when I was done... though you can't see it, that bike has a Sturmey 8-speed rear hub with drum brake. Everything on it is steel, it weighs close to 50 pounds. I heard comments from "You're hardcore!" ("wanna switch bikes?" "no thanks!") and "How big is that rear tire?" ("3 inches, thank you very much") and "How's that thing on hills?" ("goes downhill great!").

I had such a great time with it, nobody cared that I was in the last 10 people across the finish line. Just goes to show, if I can do it on that bike, anybody can do it.

kjc9640

My hat is off to you, great story....

GeologyJoe

sure did. 25mi at 17.8 on a 26 pound bike.
i cant wait until my fast bike is ready.

FunkyStickman

LOL. My "fast" bike is 35 pounds... what can I say? I'm a glutton for punishment.

CFXMarauder

Started my ride at 6:10 and had finished the trail by 7:53.. Ended up being mildly dehydrated so I was sporting a nice headache by the time I got home and wussed out on my workbound commute..Even at that early hour my jersey poured sweat when I took it off..You had to of been dying !! Did you do the MS Kickoff ride from Golf Headquarters to St Aug? That was like 500 riders and I thought that was big..1800 is insane !!

Extended work commute cut short by wuss with a headache and afternoon rain,,I like riding in the rain but don't like riding with the brain surgeons who think 55 in a 35 while pouring rain is perfectly acceptable..Logged 33 miles for the day.. Total distance for July 2010 537.63 mi. .

zzOtherlandzz

Got out a bit earlier on Sat... The clouds started rolling in around 3pm or so. It dropped the temp back into the mid to upper 80's, so it was time for a ride. I got about 2 miles from the house and the down pour started. Rode about 3 or 4 miles in the rain and actually almost sort of but I wont admit it... got a chill at one point. The rest of the ride was dry..... but I was wet for the whole ride. Ended up riding 24.5 miles. Again I felt great at the end of the ride, must be the cooler temps.

Cool pics and stories by all..... gooooood motivation.....

..... again.... no pics.... rain.....

CFXMarauder

Plans for the day are my work commute of 7.5 miles rush home after work, grab the van and meet Mr Brown for a Trail ride of 30.0 miles at about 7:15pm...Hopefully no rain !!

Miles for August 1st 2010 = 0

kjc9640

Sunday 8/01 42.5 miles today.
42.5 miles this month
4160 miles this year
128 ride days LY vs. 132 ride days TY
3339 miles needed to hit 2010 goal (7500 miles)
I am @ 55% of my goal. I need to be @ 66.6% (5000 miles) by the end of August
455 miles ahead of last year at this date

Got out about 5:30 am today and the temp was already 81* with 86% humidity. When I got back the heat index was 98 with 74% humidity. This heat/humidity is rough on an old man like me. Tons of riders out today.

zzOtherlandzz

Got out about 5:30 am today and the temp was already 81* with 86% humidity. When I got back the heat index was 98 with 74% humidity. This heat/humidity is rough on an old man like me. Tons of riders out today.

Ahhhhhhhhhh I almost could not finish reading that sentence after the 5:30am part.......

droobieinop

I'm not likely to get into a ride today. Feeling lazy and going to a festival in the city this afternoon. However, I did do 54 miles yesterday morning and have some nice year to date averages.

I've not been posting these rides because of the time it takes to share all the garmin downloaded data across three different programs and distraction from le tour. That and out of respect for those that don't ride like I do. I would like to commend everyone on how consistant they have or are becoming and I encourage you to keep up the good work.

As someone that rides a "fast" road bike in a group, more often than not, I would like to address a few things I've seen in recent posts. There is little excuse for one to not say "Hi" or otherwise announce themselves when overtaking another cyclist. That being said, the state of Florida does require the use of a bell or horn for this purpose while riding on trails and sidewalks. It is also bad form and dangerous to not "skinny up" or ride single file on a MUP with oncoming traffic.

In Florida, the law states that cyclists may ride "no more than two abreast," there is nothing that says single file. Untill the new highway safety bill takes effect, next month I think, that is. So then, riding two abreast can mean four abreast on a roadway with a bicycle lane where two can ride in the bike lane and two in the travel lane. So there is no reason to worry about others passing and going out into the travel lane, its still legal and relatively safe to do so. Assert your right to the roadand hold your position. However its bad form to pass without someone, anyone, saying something cordial. This is what gives "roadies" a snobish reputation, which they often think of as just being "serious."

I'd like to say good luck to all participating in the various MS rides, I encourage you to continue riding all year round, if you can. Please do get involved with your local clubs, do some other organized rides both training types and century rides.

Sorry, enough of that borderline rant. Hope I didn't ruffle any feathers, that wasn't my intention.

Here is a little of my averages:
this week 233 miles, 13.5 hours, 17 avg mph
this mth 1128 miles, 64 hours, 17.7 avg mph
YTD 6252 miles, 348 hours, 18 avg mph
YTD avg miles: 895.5 a month, 206 a week, 29.5 day