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

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Glad you found the fix, Jon. I put tires with integrated kevlar on my bike back around the beginning of the summer and haven't had any flats since, so I know the feeling.

Karen and I rode around Jordan Camp Park in Chattanooga yesterday. I was not aware of the trail there until recently. There's a two mile paved loop around the park with a paved spur that runs about half a mile over to a gravel trail that would be appropriate for a mountain bike rig. We're not set up that way, so we just went around the loop a few times, took some pictures, and moved on.

This morning, we rode the Chattanooga Riverwalk from the dam to the sculpture garden just before you get to the aquarium and back. Along the way, a guy passed us riding a Tour Easy that looked kinda ancient. It looked like it was in good shape, just old. After a while, we met him on his way back and I stopped to chat for a minute. His name is Dave, he's a yoga teacher, and he said he's been riding his Tour Easy for 26 years (long ride, huh? ).

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Wow 120 is a pretty high cadence. On the relatively flat Sea of Galilee loop I average some where between 94-97. On down hills I haven't seen my cadence pass 115.

How long can you sustain 120 rpm or is that pretty much your regular cadence on flats?

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

The stock Kenda tyres that came with my Sofrider were
flat-magnets.
The Kendas collected a brass tack, a lot of glass flakes,
a piece of brake wire off the floor of my garage
and more than a few thorns, during their service lifetimes.

I threw out one Kenda, after the tread wore away;
the other blew out it's sidewall in a catastrophic failure
during a ride.

---

The 9-dollar Nashbar slicks that replaced the stock Kendas have yet to let me down.
I've worn out one of the slicks and the two I'm riding on
are going strong.

These slicks are heavy though: they take a while to spin up to speed!
---

My most recent ride would have taken place yesterday, but our television
chose my ride-time to die.
We took it back to Best Buy for repair/replacement, as it is still under warranty.
It's an older generation set: remember when TV sets used cathode-ray tubes?
It's a CRT set.
Heavy. I know: I carried it out to the car.
Best Buy, in their infinite wisdom, is shipping (!) the set to
their repair centre for repair.

Now, I hope that the set is repaired and that we get to enjoy a few more years
of service from it, as it's much more efficient than almost any
comparable flat-screen set... and the blacks are blacker.

But, as a former electronic tech., I have to say it makes
absolutely no sense to pay the shipping -both ways- and a tech's
hourly rate, to repair an obsolete CRT TV!

Best Buy:
no wonder they're at death's door....

---

I'm going riding today!

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Not horribly long. When I started working on increasing my cadence I could only get up around 110 for literally seconds. Now, I can hold around 120 for close to 5 minutes. I think all of the hill intervals I have done this year has helped.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Rode from Dandridge, to White Pine via Baneberry, up to Talbot, then over to Jeff City,and home to Dandridge. Have no ideal how many miles but it was a beautiful ride and took me all day.4:45 am to 4;05pm. Of course i had 3 flats,(yes that is not a typo, thats 3 three THREE, but did have a nice breakfast at Hardee's; my favorite lunch (filet o fish) at Micket D's and a nice supper at some Italian place in Jeff City next to Hardees. For some reason i keep forgetting to take my water bottles so i did have a brief episode of dehydration somewher between White Pine and Talbot. After that the stores and fast food places were abundant so i recovered pretty well by the time i got back home. Was even gonna do a couple laps at Maury but they were having a game of some kind.......

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Cadence is certainly an interesting subject for 'bent cycling. About ten months I was complaining of some knee pains and John mentioned I should strive for a cadence of at least 90. At first I'd make a point of counting out my cadence (I hadn't installed a cyclo computer yet) but after a while it seemed natural to ride with a 90+ cadence.

Now with cyclo computer I consistently ride hills at 90-92 and flats at 94-97. Last Saturday I was chasing some uprights and although I upshifted afterwards looking at the data I found I'd upped my cadence as well to 102 rpm for around 25 mins.

Hard to believe but in couple of days I'll have completed my first year on a bent. I am wondering though if in time (over years) you find your average cadence for a ride has increased further?

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

on your one year anniversary!!! I think you have probably hit your "new" normal cadence. Most folks don't go over 120 or long periods of time. My cadence usually runs 90 - 100 rpm. I used to have a cadence counter on my bent. It was great for "learning" how to peddle faster not harder. But then I just stayed at that rate as my natural pace, so when I switched bents, I went with a GPS that did not do cadence. But I don't need a cadence monitor anymore because I maintain an optimal pace for me.

MY LBS guy said when riding to ignore speed and watch your cadence. If you keep your cadence up, you will end up passing the folks that start out fast at a slower cadence. Darn if it isn't True!

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

My cadence used to run between 87-90±, but now I bet is is more like 50-60.hahaha...

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Thanks. You folks have all been great virtual riding buddies and I've learned a lot from you.

We are at the same latitude as Georgia and South Carolina so I can pretty much ride year round. But a year has gone by so it is time for a "riding resolution" for next year.

My plan is to be able to climb the highest mountain in Israel, Mt. Hermon during next year. The public has access only to the ski area base which is at 5250 feet. The valley floor below is around 250 feet. The grades aren't too bad at 5-8% but it is a long climb. I did it quite a few times on my DF but the last time must have been in 2005. Stay tuned.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Could be a record. I and others have had two flats in a day, but don't recall three.

Italian place next to Hardees is Gondolier; one of my favorite Italians anywhere. Tremendous calzones. Can't eat and ride together; too full when I waddle out.

Don't screw around with the water thing. We've been in Ohio past 4 days in +80 deg. clear weather. Can't seem to drink enough although drinking all the time. Assume you rode with lights for at least 2 hours to start that early?

Dave

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Yes on the lights i ride with 3 blinking to the rear and one head lamp and a blinky on the front. But since it has become harder to find my 20 oz. propel in the sports bottle i bought a couple alunimu sippy type bottles. They are in the "fridge" ready to go. i just cannot seem to remember them. This made aboyt 3 or 4 times i left without them, but this was the first ride that took me anywhere but around home............

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

As soon as you get back from a ride, hang a tag or Post-it or Propel bottle label or colored rubber band or anything unusual on the handlebars to remind you next time.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

You may not be able to comprehend the rapid decline of my memory capabilities. What do i do when i see the tags, rubber bands note etc. and say now what the crap did i leave that there for. lol

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Dave; soon as I replace my idler, i am gonna be look'n at that Cades Cove night ride. You gonna be up for it? Maybe we should make it a halloween party ride.....:s5::scaredu:

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

I was doing some work on my brother-in-law's house up near Pine Mt on Monday. I had my bike so I decided to ride into town for lunch at a little BBQ stand. The only problem with this idea was the 400 foot climb with grades ranging between 6 and 15% on the way back.

So, I had a nice big sandwhich and a bunch of fries washed down with two glasses of sweet tea. :Eat: I made it back up that climb but I didn't set any records, I was just glad I didn't puke