My Most Recent Ride 2012 (Part V in a series)

Went and put up 300 miles for June. I'll bring it up to date

 

Betty and I rode about 18 yesterday on the trikes, her longest since the surgery. She rode well, still pretty slow as she has lost so much strength in her legs. Even though it was warm, it was a.good day with a nice breeze and the air was very clean and clear for summer.

We stayed on the Riverwalk, the same route we took when A.D. And them came down. At the 8 mile mark they have built a new nature center and there is a new 1 mile leg that goes down to a pond. This is very twisty little path that leads down to a pond. I really like it but I rarely see other cyclist on it. Stopped for a few minutes there while I adjusted a brake on her trike that was running a bit then for the turnaround.

We took a little over two hours but had a great time. Oh, there is a new Velo in town. We ran into Ernie with his yellow Mango. Just a matter of time before I try one of those out.

 

This morning out at 6 am. We ran into a fella we used to ride with several years ago and he came along. He is a strong rider so I decided to hit him pretty hard as we headed toward some pretty tough little climbs.

The first real climb is only about 4-6% and I set a pretty fast pace watching his face in my mirror. When I was sure he was starting to suffer I started slowly increasing my cadence to see how long he could hang. I broke him about 50 yards from the top and he dropped down to a crawl. From that point on it was just hill after hill and I dropped him on each one.

One of the worst is a mile long climb that is really brutal because it changes so much. Lots of little walls with varying grades in between. I spotted him about twenty seconds because I wanted him to be on the first and steepest wall when I passed. It hurt but I smoked by him and made it to the top a full minute before him. Fun hunh!

A quick run back into town to meet Bety at 8am. She wanted to try her Eliptigo on the Riverwalk. It would be her first ride with any real hills. We met up and off we went. She told me to go ahead so we went to the end and back. Meeting her about 6 miles out. We finished it out to the 8 mile mark, stopped so she could catch her breath and headed back. Interestingly enough she received more attention on that than I did on the Cheetah (maybe because she is so cute).

So she finished with 16 miles and I ended up with 43, a nice morning.

http://app.strava.com/rides/13460062

 

Smoked him huh?! Now that is what I am talking about... I so enjoy hearing of your little rides. Glad that your wife is doing better...well enough to get out and enjoy some activity.

 

Glad to hear the wife is recovering so well, Ward!

As for me, the tour didn't happen.

The day was going downhill before we even left. The weather was MiSERABLE. Lead gray sky and drizzling, but that's just the way the summer's been. At least it was on the cooler side. Heat will stop me faster than wet.

The next bad mark on the day came as we were driving to the church. I was going to make a north turn on a road about half a mile from the church before turning west. Turns out, the road I needed had been converted into a bike-forbidden carriageway. Even if it hadn't been illegal to ride on it, I wouldn't have wanted to. No shoulder, lined with guardrails on both sides for much of it and cars screaming by at 70 mph just inches away as they'd have no space to give me space.

So, I spent the last few minutes of the drive franticly looking at maps for an alternative. It had quit raining at least.

Poor Loke. He was a little sluggish as I unloaded everything from the car, but his heartbreak and disbelief was obvious as Jens closed him in the car. He still wanted to go.

The church was pretty, less than a quarter mile from it, I sat for 10 min arguing with my Garmin and maps. Trying to find the new road I needed. I think it's the first time I actually got aggravated with my Garmin. The road names were so tightly packed I couldn't make out where the road I needed was.

I finally found it. A small unpaved road. It wasn't too bad really... at first. A few potholes here and there, but not everywhere so most easily avoided and it appeared to be well packed.

It rained... a LOT. Thunderstorms too which are usually rare in Sweden but not this year. A little strange considering it's been one of the colder summers we've had and it made sitting under an umbrella nerve wracking. It added just enough bog to the road that pulling a rain drenched trailer became ****, particularly when all that ran through my mind was my desperate need to answer nature's call and she wasn't cooperating. Tightly packed woodland undergrowth I would have needed machete to get through or open fields. Even once I found a place, I needed to go again barely 20 minutes later. That alone made most of the ride pure h*ll.

Even when it wasn't dirt road bogging trike and trailer, it was hills. One climb stretched for 2 miles with grades between 4 and 8%. Somewhere during that nightmare my hip gave a pop. No pain, just felt funny. The pain came later.

Around 7 pm, I found a place to camp just outside a little town called Surrahammar. It was near perfect. A bit off a quiet cycle path with short clipped grass, next to the gurgle of water running through gaps in a canal lock. A small outhouse close at hand.

I couldn't do it. I'd taken a max dose of pain meds and I still could barely walk. Stooping, kneeling and crawling into a tent to fight with sleeping bag and pad just wasn't happening.

Though he hasn't said a word, I think Jens was secretly happy I called. He'd been talking about how strange and empty the apartment would be without me. My legs were screaming as I left my perfect camping spot to find a place Jens could actually get to. I found a little open air museum to wait.

I'm still having problems walking this morning. Getting up and down off the couch is unpleasant, but at least that's not ground level. I guess being able to do 40+ miles doesn't equate well to dragging a loaded trailer over muddy road and up nasty hills for 25 miles.

So, that was the total of my tour. It was one of those rides I can't say even one good thing about. I didn't even enjoy photographing the churches. I barely noticed the scenery. I was too exhausted and painful to appreciate seeing a family of cranes hunting for food in a field or the friendly waves and greetings of people. I was just too glad to get in the car and doze all the way home. Pretty pathetic for 25 miles.

Terii

 

Sorry to hear about that Terii. About the best you can say for a ride like that...what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

 

FINALLY got a ride in today. Haven't ridden in 12 days. Took the Bacchetta out and rode 17.6 miles on the newly pave Cherokee Blvd. Very nice indeed.

Caught one slow rabbit. Felt great to be back on the bent again!!!

 

Great to hear that, Jon!

Mostly had sunshine and cool temps today, but I was too wrecked to enjoy it after yesterday's wet, thundery slog-fest. Just finished the post on the blog with long ride report. Pictures of a few churches, a canal lock with an extensive history of the canal and some pretty photos of the dark, heavy storm clouds I had to deal with.

Terii

 

Terii,

You do a TERRIFIC job on your blog!!! Well done!!!

 

Why would anyone say shame to someone who just rode 18 miles on their bicycle? Shame on you for writing that Buddy.

But wait! Perhaps you can shame me also because I too rode 18 miles yesterday in the heat. I also averaged a bit over 12 mph for the ride and was exhausted when the ride was done.

Some of us have a few problems we have to contend with and I, unfortunately am one. True, if this was a normal year I'd be riding 100 miles or more and coming home feeling great. But sadly I have relapses and when that happens, it is almost like I have not rode for years and I have to start all over again with the training. Hence, the 18 mile ride....which happens to be my longest ride in the last 2 months. And in case anyone is wondering, I am not ashamed but instead am happy that I can finally ride once again. Only 2 weeks or 3 weeks ago it was an extreme struggle just to ride to our mailbox and back; a mere 200 yards.

So my conclusion is that the shame should be aimed somewhere else. Sorry for the rant. Carry on.

 

Glad you are better Dennis

 

Awwww. Thank you, Jon! Always nice to hear that.

Terii

 

Thanks Ward. It's coming slow but still improving. Guess the long rides may wait until next year. I'll have more time then too because the chances of me doing RAAM again are extremely slim.

 

I lost 2 to 1.

88 Degrees
55% Humidity
Sunny

Yes today was a hot day. I rode around Cherokee Blvd again this time testing Endomondo smart phone software to my GPS. (Go to Gear for those results.) I remembered to turn it on at the beginning of my ride this time.

Rode 20.5 miles. I got bushwhacked right off the bat!!! I was getting on my Strada and whoosh a DF Rider was on his peddles and flashed by me.

Well the mature 60 year old brain said, "Let him go,,, You haven't even warmed up yet...He has a running start on you." So I listened to my reason and started out slow. Then I threw reason under the bus and said "What the HECK!!!" and I slammed on the peddles. I got up to speed quickly and was going 22 MPH. Problem was, I wasn't catching up to the guy. So I raised it to 25 MPH!!! I still wasn't catching up to the guy. After 2 miles I quit this insanity and slowed down. WHAT WAS I THINKING!! :

The result of this stupidity is I have scorched my legs and they are screaming because they went from totally relaxed to full speed within 5 seconds. So I slowed to a crawl and licked my wounds of becoming DF wabbit meat. I also tried to get my leg muscles working again because they had declared a "walk out" from that stupidity!!!

So I decided not to let it ruin the ride, and I started riding laps S L O W L Y (meaning 15 MPH). I was minding my own business when another DF passed me. What was this, "Put the target on the back of a bent day???" My legs still hurt from my first attempt at foolishness, so I let him zip by while I became more depressed that this old man has to face his limitations with these young bucks.

I was still riding my laps when another DF passed me. That makes THREE today! This NEVER happens!!!! But this one didn't pass me doing the speed of light!

Hmmm. My Greyhound ears perked up and I started sniffing.... wabbit. Well maybe there is time to redeem myself and get out of my bent funk.

So I down shifted and revved up my cadence then clicked into a higher gear and then a higher gear.

Now this guy was funny. He was going about 22 MPH which isn't shabby. I was about 1000 feet behind him and was just keeping his pace. I wanted to see if I could even attempt passing him since the last two times were a big BUST!!!

My strategy was to wear him down before he wore me down. (So far I haven't had much luck!!) He turned around and saw I was 1,000 feet behind him. We rode for about another minute and he turned around and I was 500 feet behind him. Rode another minute and he turned around and I was 100 feet behind him. He didn't turn around but I zoomed right up to his back tire when we got ready to swing around the roundabout. He looked behind and saw I was his shadow. He took the inside turn of the roundabout and I went around the outside of the roundabout which gave him about a 300 foot advantage. The game was ON!!!

I was ready to trail him a bit longer then pass him, but he must of had mechanical problems because he stopped and started inspecting his front wheel. The wheel looked fine with me as I zipped by. I don't think he wanted to play... I kept riding and when I turned around at the end and started back, he must have fixed his tire because I saw him riding just fine in the other direction.

Anyway final count they got me twice and I got them once. Not the best day, but I didn't strike out completely. And I left with some small sense of bent pride!!!

 

Good effort Jon, but next time warm up first! Ha. I will try the Corsa tomorrow against some roadies and see where I'm at. I rode the V rex today with my Jonesboro buddies, we start and finish in mid-town, so that is better suited to the Rex, although I'm not sure that any bent is well suited for stop and start riding in town.

I will try to post tomorrow with a Corsa report!