My Most Recent Ride 2013 (Part VI in a series)

Fun club ride tonight. Everyone rode S L O W L Y on the way out - about 15 people. The only recumbents were a Volae tandem and me on my M5. On the return leg I headed out with 4 other 'faster' riders. When we hit the downhill/uphill that I've traditionally used as my fitness-gauge, I took off like a bottle rocket. Hitting the top of the climb at 24 mph was only 2 mph short of my PR. THEN I opened it back up and held 27-31 for the next 5 miles, followed by the last mile at a cool-down pace. The others could only watch as I pulled off the front and disappeared.

 

Hope you don't mind while I bask in the distant glow of your victory. As I hve said before, I really enjoy reading nice little stories like this, especially late at night, they make the best bedtime stories.

 

Another 5 miles. I think the shifting was worse. Loke limped. I discovered a bolt was missing from my luggage rack/mud guard which lets it slip so a bit of metal rubs the tire's sidewall....

*sigh*

Terii

 

Terii, the point is to stay healthy right! Keep getting out there.

Tues night started out with a quick little 11 miles while waiting for some friends to show up. Once back we assembled and headed out on a fairly flat route. This was sort of an inaugural trip for Scott with us and we didn't want to hurt him too bad. Plans changed a bit as about 7 miles out Cary broke a spoke. This prompted an immediate turnaround back to the cars.

As we pulled in two groups of cyclist arrived coming down the rail trail. One group, the faster one immediately turned and headed out while the slower group waited for everyone to assemble. I talked to Cary and Scott for a few minutes then decided to chase the faster group. Not sure how long I waited before I left but I wasn't able to catch them. I did end up with 43 miles with an over 16 mph average.
http://app.strava.com/activities/71036343

 

Thanks for the encouragement, Ward!

Back from a ride where I finally got to try out the newly cabled and adjusted gears.

It went... FLAWLESSLY! I was admittedly nervous as I got ready for the ride. I had images of the derailleur exploding into a ball of flames like a movie car crash since I meddled with the gears. Me! The queen of disaster. But no. They shifted beautifully and quietly. After the first .25 mile, I had a huge, goofy grin and it stayed there for the rest of the 5+ miles.

I kept it short because the humidity is about 1000% so the air feels more like swimming through warm oil. It's only 80 F (at 9 am), but it feels much worse. I had to stop every mile to give Loke water and a 5 min breather in the shade.

So, in spite of feeling miserable thanks to the weather which deviously looks beautiful, it was a good ride and I'm thrilled more than ever with Neil's help and the fact my husband bullied me into calling ICE.

Terii

 

WELL DONE Terii!!!!

 

Whipping Boy for DF Rider

Call me a tortoise today.



I was riding around my loop and this guy on a DF zoomed by me. Well this was my warm up lap and I fought the urge to chase him. So I let him go.

Lap 2 he zooms by me again. HUH???? I wasn't going to push myself and he had flames roaring out of his a** he was going so fast. So I just kept poking along at 18 MPH.

Lap 4 he passes me again. What am I a whipping boy for DF riders????

Must be. I let him go.

But then I saw him pull into the parking lot and put his bike on this car.

SO I FINALLY GOT TO PASS HIM!!!! (Wasn't the same though. Gezz!!! I must be getting old!!) :shocked:

 

Hmm, I don't consider taking a leisure ride as being a whipping boy. According to your post, in your own words, "...I LET him go..." big difference in actually trying to catch him and him running circles around you. You were just taking a nice day and watching him burn up his energy. Don't feel bad about it, I am sure you could have dusted him if you chose to.

 

Got my rump out for a ride this morning. Just another River Loop. You know, I think this is the most I've done the River Loop in a year since... I can't remember when.

So, just 5.2+ miles. Cloudy (thank heaven). Though a bit on the cooler side at 70 F, with nearly 90% humidity and not a breath of wind, I still felt like I was stewing once I warmed up from pedalling. Loke seems quite happy to be flat under the ceiling fan now that we're back home.

Still, not a bad ride and I still grin when I shift the back gears and they move smoothly and flawlessly. It still feels like a huge accomplishment to me. I even had to call my dad to tell him about it.

I need only 107 miles to break last year's 803. I'm almost tempted to make it August's goal. It would be a snap if this humidity would break. I would be thrilled with 30% less. The weather would be perfect! I'd settle for 15% quite cheerfully though. My brother told me that I'd just wilt if I came back 'home' to the Gulf Coast. My response was, 'Wilt nuthin'. I'd be a simmering puddle on the pavement.'

Terii

 

You can do this in your sleep. Go Terii!!!

 

Rode Tuesday evening. I didn't have long, about 1.5 hours total so I hit it pretty hard. Now, my speed is off a bit having been off the bike for almost 10 weeks with the shoulder separation but my goal was 22 miles with a lot of hills in 1:15-1:20.

I was moving along pretty well but when I hit the steepest climb on the route I knew I wasn't going to make my goal. The last time I rode this hill I held an 8.4 average, this time I was struggling to maintain 7 mph.

Coming around to the home stretch there was a DF rider coming from the opposite direction and he turned onto the road heading towards the gate where everyone parks. I tried to pick it up but he was pulling away from me on the first climb. No problem I thought, I will gain some of this back on the flats and the downhills. Nope, as I crested the hill I could see that he was already halfway up the NEXT hill. Out of sight by the time I hit the bottom of the hill I didn't see him again until I arrived at the gate.

I went and introduced myself and congratulated him upon the severe A** whooping he had given me. He was nice and humble and blamed it (yes blamed it) upon having put compact cranks on the bike. Oh we, at least he was only about 30. That made me feel a bit better. Oh, I almost made my goal with 1:20:01.

http://app.strava.com/activities/72742093

 

Actually got my rump out the door today. It's been so hard to dredge up the motivation and no clue why.

Still, Loke got 8 or 9 miles as I took a round-about way to the city forest where we cruised along the shaded paths. We saw a little roe deer buck, but I didn't have a chance to get a picture before it vanished into the growth.

Loke got draggy toward the end, so Jens fetched him from the parking lot where we usually start our forest walks from and then I zipped home. A lot of the way from the forest is apparently downhill. Nothing spectacular steep, but a constant downgrade that accumulates speed especially with something that glides as sweetly as my Sprint 26. It's quite exciting to go zooming down a city cycle path at 24 mph. I might have broken the speed limit a few times.

In spite of dense, large clumps of rain clouds, I stayed dry on both legs of the ride and the breeze felt good rather than being a hinderance.

Speaking of photos, I have a new camera tripod. Bought for my birthday a few days early. I found the 'perfect' one finally. I found the model earlier in the week. There were 3 left (4 if you count the display). When I decided I had to have it, there was 1 left and the display. Still, it ticks all the boxes for the 'list' of traits and features to be perfect for my needs and wants. It only took me 3 or more years to finally find it.

Terii

 

Out again today. 8 miles, dragging Loke around. He's so completely bored with the area that it's hard to get him to move faster than a walk. I have the car tomorrow, so hopefully we'll get to some new ground even for a short ride.

It was so cool and breezy this morning. I think autumn is already on its way.

Terii

 

And out again today. Just a measly three miles due to a stupid oversight. I had the car today and since Loke (and I) are so incredibly bored with the local routes, I had planned for us to go cycle around Långsjö (Long Lake) again as it's been several months and we've only done it 3 times.

Gorgeous weather. Partly cloudy, glorious temps at 68 F with humidity around 60% and breezy. I arrived at Björklinge church, got everything set up, plopped into the trike to put my feet on the pedals. 'Oops, I need to put my cycle shoes on' went through my head immediately followed by, 'You mean the ones sitting by the apartment door?'

But Loke was soooooo excited to be hitched to the trike someplace other than near home, I didn't want to disappoint him utterly. So, with my sensible black shoes clinging desperately to slippery made-for-cleats pedals, we took a quick loop around the residential streets in the area. The furry one was disappointed it was over so soon, but he seemed happy while we were rolling which is a nice change from poking along at 5 mph.

I managed to keep my feet from slipping off, but I think every muscle in my body aches because I was so tense (paranoid) about getting a leg yanked under the cross.

Terii

 

I have made that mistake a few times as well. When I had the Kettweisel I rode 30 miles with some friends with my regular Keen sandals. Man, did my legs hurt! The first and only time one of my friends has dropped me