My Most Recent Ride 2011 (Part IV of the series)

60% chance of rain made me stay close to work. 15.6%. Had my SUMMER jersey and shorts on. Balmy 64 degrees out!

 

Out last night for the first fully dark ride of the winter. My SureFire 800 lumen flashlight straps nicely to the shark fin front derailleur mount, and I was running both the dinette taillight and a planetbike superflash. The only downside is I have to carry an extra battery for the surefire as I only get about 1 hour 20 minutes on a charge.

We passed a few cyclist on the trail as we headed out. Being new it doesn't have any lights and with trees forming a dense canopy it was DARK. Fortunately the cyclist were all using lights. However, none of the walkers were. I almost took out the legs of one guy wearing dark pants of some sort. Just at the last minute I saw the tiny bit of reflective material on his tennis shoe.

Anyway...a short stretch over regular roads and then we were out on Ft. Benning. Ten miles of nice short brutal hills, actually about 1000 feet of the elevation gain is within those 10 miles. Riding those well known roads in the pitch black dark made them new and a bit intimidating. Add to that the post was having maneuvers and we realized as we climbed one hill that there were two soldiers in full camo crouched by the road as we worked out way up the climb. The sound of the chain gun and small arms fire in the distance added to the ambiance.

Back off post it was an easy flat dark ride back to the vehicles. We didn't see anybody at all as we came back in finishing up just after 8pm.

I'm looking forward to many more night rides this year.

 

Yeah, nothing gets the adrenaline going and set the evening ride mood like a little evening gunfire eh?

 

Yeah it does. We get that around here in Palm Bay and Melbourne area without the maneuvers and the nice open terrain...lol Of course all the sirens and cop cars flying back and forth only adds to the exhilaration of a good ride...

 

haha, I bet. Out here in the country the one thing that will get your adrenaline going and get Penelope(my cat) & Ronin(my dog) both to agree to come inside really quick is the eery yapping/howling of coyotes. It got really bad the other night when Willie G and I were outside, we had two different packs going at full blast. It was really creepy...made my neck hairs stand up.

 

I actually love hearing a pack or two of Coyotes on the hunt. Must come from my hillbilly houndsmen roots. Next to a deep voiced Black and Tan i like listening to the "yotes."
Of course listening to a good pack of hounds put the handlebars on a pack of coyotes is really good music...

 

Well most times I don't mind it either, but there were A LOT of them this time. If I had to guess, there were enough to probably bring down a human and leave no remains.

The moon was out, so maybe it was conducive to hunting...I don't know. If they were, I am glad I wasn't the one being hunted.haha

 

So if you are night hunting, what weapon will you take... the Venom or the dragon? What will you be hunting? DF's?

 

me ,ed,brother daivd and mike got a ride in tonight about 16 miles was a little cold but we love the ride we always have a good time riding tonight speed was about 11 miles and hour not to fast nice cruse

 

Feed deDucks Tour!

The month has been long, but not 70 days!

 

The ride at night is the Venom. Lots of room for lights and I don't have to worry about hitting something and taking a fall. Not too much hunting down here at night, we rode out 29 mile route again and didn't see but 1 other cyclist and that was just as we pulled out at 6pm. Oh well, beautiful full moon tonight.

 

Rode 16.7 miles today. Sunny. 47 degrees. Greenway had a couple of joggers, a couple of walkers but no other cyclist.

Dressing properly is the secret. You need to start out for the first 10 minutes a bit cold then you warm up without getting overheated. But you have an incentive to keep riding to stay warm. :bike:

I am 180 miles away from hitting 2,000 miles this year. I have never ridden that much in one year before. So cheer me on to see if I can do it. The most before this year was about 1,850. Hope the weather holds out!!!

 

How about 2200! You can do it Jon, throw a couple of long rides in on the weekend. On the Strata a 50 mile ride should be about like 30 on the V-Rex right

 

Go Jon GO!


I road last two days 38 miles with my buddy Fred on the W & OD in the cold rain.

Did 16 Miles or so Today with the Old DF folks in the cold Wind..lol

I am off to Centerville MD for Tomorrows 200k. I haven't decided if I am going to try and push it or ride with a few other Bents. I will have to wait and see in the Morning how I feel.

 

Ha ha, surely you all aren't going to let a little bit of cold weather and chilling rain stop you??? Awe come on you guys can't stop now...you are too close to not finish out the year the right way.