My Most Recent Ride 2010 (Part III of the series)

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Dave, that tube had definitely earned it's right to be thrown out! It was pretty thin and I doubt I could have rode another 50 miles with it. As far as all those patches, there was no problem there.

The next time you have a BBQ, try some rubber cement. It just might give you a whole new flavor!

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Triathletes are an interesting match to 'bent riders since they don't stand much and are mostly in an aero position. So they are also basically one position riders.

54 miles at 19.3 mph is a really good pace and included some climbs as well.
I am slowly increasing my riding volume from week to week. My longest ride was last Saturday when I road the Sea of Galilee loop which about 38 miles at a 17.7 mph pace. If I can eventually get to a pace of 18-19 mph that would be great.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

I spend the winter riding my heavy trike up and down hills and that really had increased my speed this year. You'll get there.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

I rode yesterday! Only 7-ish miles thanks to unforeseen events, but I blogged it and there are a few photos!

www.terii.wordpress.com

Terii

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Well I had one of my c*appiest rides ever two days ago. It started last week when I had a flat tire I had to fix on the road. Well last Monday I get my bent out and the back tire is flat AGAIN!!! Took the tube off and where I patched it, I only got right next to the hole, the the hole itself was slightly exposed and leaking slowly. GEZZZ. So I am going to buy a light colored small sharpy (like Dave has mentioned before) so I can mark AND SEE the hole so I can put the patch in the right spot!!! Since I didn't want to put a patch over the patch, I just tossed the tube and put on another one.

Well after I righted my bent, I proceeded to put all my stuff I carry into my bike trunk. My repair kit with two new sets of latex gloves, my water bottle, cell phone, granola bar and other miscellaneous stuff.

I was riding down the road and at 8 miles (my halfway mark) I stopped to drink some water. It was then I noticed the side pocket I carry my cell phone in was open AND THERE WAS NO CELL PHONE IN IT!! So panicking I rode back the way I came and no cell phone. Got back to the office and called the phone, but no answer. SH*T!!!!

Now I didn't lose just any cell phone, but it was a brand new Motorola Droid cell phone which cost about $500 new and without a plan. My heart felt a little better because my son said I really should get insurance on the phone. If it broke or I lost it, it would cost me a lot of money to replace. Well I have only lost one cell phone in 15 years but that was when cell phone were much cheaper. So I signed up for insurance. I have made 2 $8 / month payments when this happened. I filled my claim and the next day got a new droid cell phone. WHEW!! The only thing it didn't cover was the 16 gig micro SD card you need which ended up costing me $70 buck. So for the $90 deductible and $70 SC card, I got a new phone. It took two days to get my phone, all the apps and connecting to my exchange server all worked out. But it is now done.

So here are the lessons I have learned.


1. If you own an expensive cell phone, buy the insurance!
2. Double check where you put your cell phone to make sure it is secure before going off on a ride.

I am planning to ride today and hopefully will have a much BETTER ride!

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Following a doctor's visit in Knoxville yesterday, I took the rest of the afternoon off and rode from the World's Fair Park to the Neyland and Third Creek Greenways. Third Creek has a lot of construction going on with a major detour. The greenways were mostly deserted except for runners. It was a warm afternoon and a group of (UT?) men ran by wearing nothing but shorts and shoes on. But later the group of women that went by wearing nothing but shorts and shoes got my attention (didn't happen, but got your attention, didn't I?).

Buy a silver sharpie; it shows up well on a black tube. Buff off the ink around the hole before patching, or draw the circle larger than the patch.

I was a bit nervous during the ride. My back Marathon Plus developed a flat spot some time ago. Never saw a tire do that unless the wheel is majorly screwed up. It now shows through to the blue inner liner. Made it through the day OK, and a new set of tires from BikeTiresDirect was waiting on my front porch when I got home.

Jon, I lost a digital camera a few years ago on Third Creek Greenway. Looked for an hour but no luck. Then two weeks later got a call from a guy who found it. Got with him and except for a few scratches it was fine. Gave the guy a reward. I had put my name and phone number on a label on the camera and written on the flash card. Word to the wise; can't always assume the battery is charged so your data will show up.

Maybe your lost droid will turn up. My wife has taken advantage of cell phone insurance a couple of times. One of the few items Consumer Reports says may be good to have device insurance on. Personally I carry my phone on the handlebars in speaker mode. I know its always there and is instantly available if I choose to answer it.

$70 is a lot for a 16GB SD micro card. Just a bit of shopping should find it for half or less.

Dave

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Ouch, Jon. Hope your next ride goes better.

I tried to get another ride in today. My husband has joined a little fly-fishing club for fishing rights on a couple of tiny lakes (for those who haven't seen my blog). He decided he wanted to go fish there again today since things didn't work out so well yesterday. He was going to drop me off at the same spot he picked me up yesterday so I could continue along the route I'd mapped out. He even packed a book so he could sit in the car and read if the bugs chased him back to the car so he wouldn't cut my ride short.

Well, it didn't happen. It was pretty in Uppsala and over 65 F. By the time we got to where he picked up next to a lake yesterday, it was raining and 45 F. Needless to say, it took the oomph both out of my desire to ride and his desire to fish.

We thought about letting me out along the way back home for me to cycle, but the rain chased us. Ah well.

Tomorrow we're going to Stockholm for shopping. Hopefully I can find some shoes to fit these wide American feet . So, next chance to ride is Saturday.

Terii

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

The best-case scenario presented itself, for this afternoons' ride:
as I was just starting my ride, a DF rider crossed the intersection in front of me.

Even better?
I never caught him.
Which means, I got a great workout this afternoon.

Whew!
Here's hoping I see him again... often.

-Steve

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Sounds like more than a few are having some bad luck out there. I can't even seem to get out there any more but hopefully, next week. Heavy rains today. Nothing like what some other folks got a bit ago down south but heavy for here and water standing all over the place. Our creek is right to the top and it got there during the few hours we were in town.

Jon's problem with his cell phone and Dave's story about the camera brought back a couple of memories.

During 2007 RAAM, one of the fellows on the crew lost his cell phone. He phoned race headquarters in case someone found it. Lo and behold! Someone indeed found it and it was the team from Brazil. If memory serves me, there was only one fellow on that team who spoke English. He looked on the phone and called the first number which happened to be this guy's girlfriend. At the end, in Atlantic City, NJ, his phone was waiting for him. A happy ending there.

We also one time came upon a camera in Zion National Park. It was laying right in the center of the road. We asked at the visitor center then and again before we left the park but nobody had reported any loss. We had the film developed hoping to get a clue on the owner but didn't find anything that would help.

Another time in the Shennadoah National Park we talked for quite some time with a couple. After they left, we were looking around and suddenly found their camera. This was no cheap camera either! Very expensive model. We chased them down....with our motor home. If anyone has been there they know there are many turnouts with scenic views and that is where we found them. They were very thankful.

Sometimes these things work out and sometimes not.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

And I thought those things only happen to the newbies.. I also forgot to zip the pocket I carry my cell phone in during a ride about 3 months ago. I didn't discover it until I was back from my ride. Mine is only worth$20. Anyway I drove my route back with the car and actually found it on the shoulder of the road about a half mile from where I'd parked and in working condition. Nobody had even run it over.

By the way I am surprised the efforts you folks go into patching old tubes. The hassles I went through when an old patch would leak were enough for me on my DF. When I get a flat I put in a new tube and am happier for it. The old tubes come in handy for all sorts of odd jobs around the house.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Freddy, it really is not a hassle for me patching a tube. I've even had patches over patches and never had a problem with air leaking. It is all in how you put them on.

I agree though that a new tube is nice to have and I usually have one in my bag. However, for years I did not do that and have patched many a tube on the road. Patching is easy but blowing up that tire can be a bit of a pain with the little pumps. I just recently bought one of the compressed air gizmos but haven't yet used it.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

That's one of the quirks of being a bicyclist. We will spend thousands of dollars on a top quality bike, then use a 50 cent patch to salvage a $4 tube.

I carry a new tube and patches. Use the new tube first and patches if necessary before getting home. Prior to using the Marathon Plus tires, I would just accumulate several holy tubes and have a Patch Party at some point.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

I want to add 2 more lessons.

1. Put a password protection on your phone, so if you do lose it, some else can not start calling (or in my case see all your password to bank accounts, charge cards, checking accounts etc!!!)

2. Get an app to find your phone. I found a Google Android app I paid $1 for which will sound a Klaxton horn for 5 minutes if I think I lost it around the house or office and also will send me the GPS coordinates if I haven't a clue where I lost it. So if I haven't a clue where I lost my phone (like I wrote about before) I just get my computer or another phone and then I find the general location via GPS within 30 feet and once I am there, I sound the phone alarm for retrieve it.

If you have an Android operating system phone, the software for this is at:

Click here:

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

YUP I agree. But I wanted the card and needed the apps so I paid "full price". OUCH!!!

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

I had a really good ride yesterday!

It was only a bit over 23 miles with Loke and I being out for over 6 hours to do it. It was just a bit too close on the hot side to push Loke and there were lots of climbs which I take at about 3 mph. It was the warmest day of the year in this part of Sweden hitting 75 F with a hot SUN in a cloudless sky. Being reclined on a 'bent and trapped in black tights made it feel closer to 85.

There was lots of pretty scenery, some frustration, quite a few hills to torture my knees as well as gravel roads WITH lots of hills for a little added impact. It was pretty though.

Lots of people were out riding today and all of them very friendly. One guy mowing his lawn even came across the street where I was letting Loke cool down in a patch of shade and chatted with me for a bit. Lots of pictures with a record of no less than THREE manors/castles in one day.

I also saw a moose and a snake. Also, a hare paced us for a bit before cutting right across a field. That really made Loke nuts.

Full LONG rambling detail on my blog as well as most of the pictures I took.

Terii

P.S. Blog at www.terii.wordpress.com