My Most Recent Ride 2008 (Part I of series)

Re: My Most Recent Ride

Definitely dog breeds are not all the same when it comes to running and how far. But if you want to see some really good ones, just look at the dogs on the Iditarod Sled Dog Race in Alaska. Now there are some real work horses!

I laugh every year here in the late summer or early fall you'll see guys riding in their car or truck with a leash out the window and a hound or two or three running along side the car or truck. Now how's that for ambition?! The dogs love it though. I've also seen some do this on a scooter or small motorcycle but methinks that could be a disaster in the making. Picture this poor guy riding along nicely and then some female dog in heat come out.... Ouch!

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

I have been dodging the rain and been able to have some good rides. Last thursday a very flat ride of 48 miles, I felt great and managed my best adverage speed of the year at 17.8.
Saturday I hooked up with 4 real strong DF riders. I shadowed them for about 20 miles before I eased up beside them and started talking. They were quite impressed that I could hang with them as there were some pretty strong hills were we riding. By the end of the ride I was toast though, 53 miles wth a moving speed of 18.2, total time adverage 16.6.

I didn't see much wildlife on either ride, Ft Benning is doing lots of expanding as they absorb troops from other bases that are closing. I miss seeing the Deer, wild Boar etc.

Ward

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

This thread now has over 4,000 views and over 300 replies. Is that the most on RRI so far? Is there a limit? Is there any value to start MMRR #2? Maybe in case MMRR #1 gets corrupted?

Dave S.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

Dave, it has been a busy thread. Sort of nice.

Ward, keep chasing those DF riders and you'll be back to your old self again soon. I agree it is nice to see wildlife. A few days ago (when it was warm) I saw 2 deer as I pulled out of our driveway. Nice. Later in the ride I saw some other wild life, but not the nice kind...

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

The weatherman was predicting a 50% chance of rain for today in Oak Ridge right up until last night. But today has turned out beautifully sunny and cool. I'm so glad.

Karen and I just got back from a trip out Oak Ridge Turnpike/Route 95 from the west end guard tower and back. As far as wildlife goes, mostly we saw and heard pretty little birds, although we did shoo a couple of vultures away from a dead cat at one point. tongue9

After we got back to the guard tower (about 21 miles), we loaded Karen's trike in the pickup and she drove home while I rode my bike home. Since the turnpike is torn up from the guard tower in toward town as they're widening it, I wanted an alternate route and climbed up to the top of the ridge that runs along the north side of town and rode along West Outer Drive.

Once you get to the top of the ridge, going along West Outer isn't too bad -- mostly rollers -- but getting to the top of the ridge was brutal. Coming down at the other end was a lot of fun, of course, so I got my money's worth.

I don't have a computer on the bike I was riding right now, but based on what Karen's computer said when we got back to the guard tower (21 miles) and what MapMyRide says about the route I took from there to get home (8 miles), I figure I did a total of around 29 miles today.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

Sunday morning I was going to get in a recovery ride from Saturday's 53 hard miles. However, I ran into a fella right when I started and we rode together. He was way stronger than I am especially on the hills but I was able to pull my fair share on the flats and downhills.

We rode out onto Ft Benning proper and they were having the Best of the RAngers competition, that slowed us down a little dodging barriers etc. Then He dropped a key when we were digging out our ID's at the gate a little more time lost.

2 hours 33 minutes for 43 miles with only 980 feet of climbing. I did a fair amount of drafting so it sort of was a recovery ride right

Terii get that poor dog outside! Don't pity the cyclist in the rain, I have had some great rides in the rain. At least they were great to talk about later

Ward

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

Ward keep it up and you will be back to last year's fitness in no time.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

It was a beautiful day yesterday and I got out (first time in a week) and rode 24 miles. I feel cleansed!!!

Hope to ride today also!!!

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

Also took yesterday afternoon off as a Mental Health Halfday. Pedaled to Jefferson City, played 3-1/2 hours of tennis (singles and doubles) and pedaled back for 24 miles. Almost overdid it, but felt good once home. A bit stiff-jointed today though.

Dave

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

Gee Dave, maybe you need more help on that mental health. lol That is a lot of exercise this early in the season! I wish I could still do that though. The stiffness and soreness is sometimes worth it all. It can be overcome rather easy. It's when you get that stiffness and soreness after walking to the mailbox that is bad.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

I went riding Wednesday and rode through Knoxville. The city is tearing up the 100 block of Gay Street to replace all the infrastructure under the road (water, sewer, electric, etc). This has not been done forever.

Here are a couple of pics.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

Went riding today. 24 miles. Beautiful weather. A bit windy, but a wonderful 68 degrees and sunny. I smiled the whole way because it has been so long since I last rode.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

I just returned from 31 windy miles. Temperature is 64 but sunny. Supposed to warm up big time Wednesday. Even tomorrow forecast to be 70. Great! I'll ride again.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

Did a fair bit of riding this weekend, and rode this afternoon, in spite of the winds. I made good time even though I made the "fast" leg of my trip into the wind, and did almost 10 miles. Somewhere in there, I'm sure I can get my route up to 10 miles solid without doing anything stupid. Getting a little faster overall, which will make it easier for me to cover more ground in my after work rides. I have to drive home, change, ride, and get back to the house/and/or pick up the kids by 5. Now I just need to find a route nearby with good hills that is as agreeable traffic wise as my current route.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

Figured it was time to take the tandem on a little road trip. The plan was to ride from Lancaster to Tarzana, well that was the plan. Knew we were going to have about a 3000 foot drop so it was supposed to be an easy ride, right. First thing we learned is that we can't climb worth beans. Of course we blamed it on the tandem. Dropping down Escondido Canyon we got brave and let it roll up to 36 mph on the good stretchs of road. Then coming out of Santa Clarita we started climbing again. The first hill we walked was about a mile, the second was 2 1/2 miles of hiking. We got as far as Newhall and threw in the towel and called a friend to pick us up. Total miles for the day 43. Except for the hiking it was a great day.

When we were liading the tandem in the back of the truck we discovered that the cords on the back tire were giving up the ghost. The tire has about 3 large knobs on it. Sure glad we bailed out. We would soon have been hiking and pushing a bike with a blown tire.