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

Jon...Jon...Jon...You definitely should know better. Trying to go riding in the heat of the day is bad enough, but to try and be fast without the proper warm up is even worse. I am surprised you didn't over heat and get sick. or have your legs go into cramping spasms. I've been there...and believe you me it ain't fun.

 

I think I have the cramping problems fixed. I was getting TERRIBLE leg cramps while riding, while at my desk working later and in the middle of the night while I was sleeping.

I put up on this board asking folks what they did about leg cramps and I want to thank Louis from Arizona for the solution. (Click here for actual post.) Louis said he added salt to his drink and cramps went away. So I bought a big round container of Morton salt and dump about a 1/4 teaspoon with my powdered Acceleraid before I add water. Since I have been doing this mid year, my leg cramp problems have virtually ceased. Louis!!!

 

Two rides today. One was a 'rolling walk' with Loke. I think his breathing is still off. Hard for me to tell since I might have gotten used to it.

The second ride was unexpectedly fun. I went solo and thought it would be just humdrum 'hamster wheeling' over old ground. As I was toodling through a residential area at 8 mph (in case kids decided to jump out from between hedges onto the road), I abruptly slowed as a rat came out of a yard. Nope. Not a rat. A hedgehog! SOOOOO cute!!

I stopped and followed it very slowly and quietly until it finally stopped to look at me and got a picture of it with the iPhone.

Then a few miles further on out in the country side, I was zipping between wheat fields at 17 mph when far down the -2% slope a funny looking cat came out of the wheat. Nope. Not a cat. A fox. As soon as he saw me, he bound back into the wheat. I should have had the GoPro!

Other than climbing a hill I usually crawl up in my lowest gear and doing it on my middle chain ring without noticing, it was an uneventful ride. Still loved the animals though!!! About 12 and a half miles.

Terii

 

I love wild life...they really are cute and especially when they have that curious look on their face.

 

Okay! A more detailed ride description posted on my blog now. The only photo is the one of the adorable hedgehog.

Terii

 

Rode greenway in heat. No DF riders to contend with. GPS said 15.05 miles. Endomondo sail 14.93 miles. Pretty close.

I tried to log this mileage in Bike Journal. I keep getting bombed out. Anyone else having that problem or is it just me???

 

Not just you, Jon. It refused to let me log onto Bike Journal all evening. It's working fine now though.

Terii

 

It was a joy for me to discover such a simple solution to the debilitating cramping problem. I'm glad it worked for you also.

Louis

 

Yeh, I got it working this morning also. Must of had mechanical problems yesterday. I TOTALLY understand!!!

 

How do you spell STEAMY???

Try 91 degrees
54% humidity
Sunny

That is what I rode in today. 21.1 hot miles. When I stopped, I had to rest on the bike for about 20 seconds before standing up, otherwise I would get light headed.

Wow this is REALLY HOT!!!!

 

Heat index 102-105 deg.F
Rode 40 miles during 95-105 deg a few weeks ago. Much lower humidity but one of rare times I wished for dual water bottles.

 

First Baileyton TN Mountain loop with Rans Mini

Got up at 5A, Had a nice whole grain breakfast with fresh fruit.
Bike was loaded so drove the short trip to Zions church. Very
leisurely rode the 12 mile loop. Stopped and talked to a lady in
her yard. She was glad to see me and talk. She sees very few
real men in Borah nickers and day glow Timberlake Pro shirt.
Wow, what an impression. I was so glad I could get her day
off to such a start. I was impressed too and will put this on
a routine schedule.

Oh, BTW, the temperature didn't get out of the 70's, and 12
miles was smart. Learned long ago, dumb things are not smart.
I'm a fast learner.....didn't take an MBA or engine-ear degree
to figure it out.

 

OK!!! I get it. I am stupid riding in this heat. I don't disagree!!!!

 

It's not an intelligence issue. It's a survivalist issue. Cycling. It's what we do. We can't always control when we go; sometimes ya just gotta go. Nor can we ever control the weather. So one must always be conditioned and prepared to go. The Call of the Road always drowns out the Call of the Sofa. Neither rain, snow, heat nor cold shall stay us from our appointed rounds (well, maybe snow will; I got 24mm wide tires).

 

That's right! I totally agree...even now, though the SUN is down and it is still "light outside" the draw to go ride my little BikeE is driving me nuts! After riding on the greenway last Saturday with the guys I've been going crazy! I've been looking at my little Bike E off and on all day trying to figure out ways to improve its performance. Hmmm, we'll see...there's bound to be a way.