My Most Recent Ride 2008 (Part I of series)

Re: My Most Recent Ride

You never cease to amaze me. I thought you knew every back road in the 5 county area. More, I also thought you'd given up climbing hills. I love bridges, esp. old ones. Took the long way home from Fayetteville, NC partly just to see one of the few wooden covered bridges left. They've put the highway parallel to the bridge and angled a spur about 100 yards over to the bridge. Can't drive on it, but is a very nice specimen of old architecture. There's also one at GPS coords N36 18.69 W81 35.98 just NW of Todd near the Railroad Grade.

Sounds like there's reasons to make the trip out to the Funny Farm and see new sights in new places.

Dave

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

Buddy, that sounds like a great ride.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

You would like it real good Dennis. Yesterday was a quite different story.
Went back to Boone Lake and the 30 + mph wind blowing across the water
in an already 30o temp., sent me back to the van in four laps. I'm not into
pain. When it stops being fun, I'm out of there. I wasn't dressed for it.
Left the helmet with faceshield at the house, thinking it was going to be
in the high 30's.

Dave, we don't need to drive far to find new roads to ride. That's my first
time into Washington county by bike. Beautiful out there close to the mountains. BTW, when I gave up riding a lot, the bike was a Tour Easy with 130mm cranks. That and 3100 miles with it in 2006 had me plenty discouraged. Don't get me wrong, the Tour Easy is wonderful, but not
the best choice for these 7-12% TN hills. And 130mm crank length is
best left for children on little bikes. They are real knee killers.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

Got over 1k in this year and hope to ride every day untill
January and then every day next year. That's my goal.
Interval training is working well. Ordered

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

Got over 1k in this year and hope to ride every day untill
January and then every day next year. That's my goal.
Interval training is working well. Ordered a full faceshield
flip-up helmet on eBay for scooters. Looks good and cost
$9.95. Shipping $16.00. These things really make cold
weather riding almost nice.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120352193379&viewitem=

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

Rode 12-24-08. Nice ride. Saw the altimetor hit 16% several times
and a lot of 12, 14, 15% readings. The 16%+ readings get into the
bad knee. The good one doesn't care at all and picks up the slack

Hope to get in a ride today.

Merry Christmas.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

Go for it Buddy. We can hardly walk outside because of all the ice. Seems we had a short warm-up yesterday and after I cleared the 4" of snow, what was underneath melted and then froze. Nasty to walk on for sure.

However, this is difficult to believe, but they are forecasting possibly 50 degrees for Saturday!!!! In Michigan?

That can be both good and bad. The wildlife are struggling now. We've had almost 4' of snow so far and the bottom layer is solid ice. Now if we get more rain that could get worse. So we are hoping we get warm enough and enough rain to melt all the snow. It will be messy, but good for the wildlife at least. And, I could start cutting wood again. Right now I can't even get back there to cut. The lane is plugged and the way I feel about it all is, The Lord dumpeth, the Lord will melteth.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

Jon, my most recent ride was on Nov. 15, for a benefit ride to support local children and adults who have no or very little money and insurance to be able to bye othropedic equiipment. It was rainy and cold that day but you do what you have to do, right? Although the ride was more of a walk for most people my brace company asked me if I would be willing to bring my Handcycle down so people could see other modes of transporation being used for people with disabilities, that is far more fun than just riding around in wheel chairs and the like. There were people even from North Carolina, there. Was about 30 people from all over and we raised $3,800.00. Don't think that was to bad considering it was the frist time for an event like that. They plan to have them every year from now on. Hope people can come and see what a different this will make on other people with disabilities. Thanks, for your friendship. Mike

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

For a really cheap light weight boot, Crocks now makes a wool lined rubber boot and Walmart had some knock offs for $8. The leg part is wool lined quilted material. Just a thought.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

I like a motorcycle helmet with shield best. It covers the whole head and ears and keeps me toasty warm.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

If my posts don't make sense, it's because when I post a response under someone else, the post ends up at the very end of all the posts. I ride outside in the high 40's and above sometimes. In a pinch, plastic disposable gloves over knitted gloves will keep out the cold but makes for sweaty hands. I like using a motorycycle helmet with shield as it is very warm and protects my ears. When I run out of layers to put on in 30 degrees, I'll add a pair of jeans or quilted coveralls and tie the leg bottoms with bandanas to keep them out of the chain. But I am in a rainy season so I have had to take to a trainer. I was losing too many hours riding round the weather report. I do 4 hours on it in front of the tube at a time, eat lunch on it and play on the internet. It is somewhat boring but I don't have to worry about cars, mean kids, or mean dogs. The trainer gives me better control of exercising after meals. Not as hard a work out but decent. Can't wait 'til summer when I can sweat again in the heat. I lose weight fast then.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

http://losebellyfat.intervaltraining.net/Losebellyfat1/

Interval training....not boring, no sweat. Strap on the heart
monitor and follow the plan. Works well for me. Try it, you
may like it.

http://www.intervaltraining.net/

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

Well, I haven't been able to talk myself out the door for a ride since I tried the new tires. I just can't face the knee pain and the 2/3 to 3/4 drop in efficiency. I tried going with the 'more exercise per mile' attitude, but it just isn't working. My husband repeated it, to which I responded, 'Would you go jogging with a 40 pound pack and screaming knees?'. He admitted he wouldn't.

I really need Marathon Slicks.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

Well, I went for a ride this morning. Of course, I borrowed one of my brother's bikes (DF) and we were riding some pretty serious trails. It was good fun, warmer in central Va then you expect in December, but it was a good ride.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

Mike, I don't think we've talked, but my hat's off to you guys with handcycles. At least the ones I've been around, it's amazing to watch them go by. And I mean by, as they move on. I'm thankful to have all my parts in working order, but I'd like to have even half that much upper body strength. And to raise money for others like that riding in lousy weather is just fantastic!

Yesterday (Saturday) in East Tennessee. One of the promised, expected, and long overdue days of Late December. No fog. No clouds. No or very little wind. Highs by mid afternoon in low 70s. A gorgeous day, almost too warm for my new Nike long-sleeve cycling shirt. Rode 3-1/2 hours for 40 miles to west of New Market and back toward Morristown. Felt good to get out in dry, warm weather. Actually saw four other cyclists in the area!

Total 2008 mileage is in the dumpster; less than 3000 miles compared to 4100 last year. Various family and personal health excuses; will just have to work harder next year.

Dave "The Breeze"