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

What is the goal? I was thinking last month i would do good to make 100 miles this year. But my brand new computer is showing 503 so far. So i am thrilled i exceeded my goal. Oh wait! i did not have a goal... ^%&*.....thought i was doing so good.

 

I almost had it Ward!

Well last night I left and made the 2.5 hour drive to Centreville, MD. I had an offer from Dana A BROL member to stay at his house but i left late and didn't want to bother him. So I tossed a sleeping bag in the back of MY KIA Forte and took off.

I really didn't sleep all that well, because it was FREEZING! I must have dozed off and I woke at 6:10 am. Check in started at 6. I got ready and met Dana and a few other local riders and I planned on riding with Dana for most of the ride. Then I started getting passed by the uprights and I took off. (Sorry Dana!). I eventually passed just about everyone and made it to the lead group. Then we Hit Slaughter Beach Delaware---POOF. Steady wind 20- 25 mph and gusts up to 35. It felt like i hit a brick wall. Well i went from a 17.1 mph average down to a 13.2 in short order.

I kept going and was still pretty much in front of everyone. A pack of DF riders and a Tandum (Piloted by Chuck and Crista Boris-I think..lol) who are one of the fastest tandem teams anywhere, caught up. I hung around them which was amazing for me until about mile 101. When i just had to stop to take a whiz. I never did catch back up to them.

The results:
130 miles (2 bonus miles)
15.8 Average
8:14:51 moving time
9:09:54 Total hours
5,490 feet of elevation (+ the Wind)

http://app.strava.com/rides/2306262

I really want to see the official Results and see where i finished out of the 62 people that signed up. I had a couple of comments of "Its a nice day to be riding a recumbent". Yes it was! I kinda felt bad for the DF riders---NOT!

The only complaints other than the legs which are pretty sore_ Still don't have the Corsa legs with only 230 miles on the bike..lol. My neck was killing me, I probably need a head rest or wait till my neck gets stronger..Another thing my rear was a tad bit sore. I did not get recumbutt, but i wonder if its either butt muscles working--lol, or sitting on the metal euromesh seat. MY arms were numb at points but i just shook em off and will deal with taht later with new handle bars.

 

After today's ride, I'm sitting at 3462 for the year. Only 38 miles to my goal of 3500!

Oh, today's ride -- Club ride, 43 miles. I rode in a group of what started as 7 guys. We were crusing at about 19-20 mph on flat ground on the way out, with a bit of a wind in our faces. About 15 miles out, one of the guys peeled off to head back home. Family stuff. I mostly hung off the back and visited with Gary, who doesn't like to be in pacelines. He's not very steady in spite of being a 6000 mile/year rider. Brunch, in Eaton Rapids, aka Eatin' Rabbits, took about an hour. Very slow! The trip back went faster with the tailwind. We cruised at 21 mph or so. I tried to leave a buffer between the pack and me, but it seems uprights can't hold steady speeds very well! Finally, 2 miles from the end, Gary and his BiL veered off and suddenly there were only three of us. I rode alongside them for a minute or so, but then I said thattheheck and let the bike choose the speed. The speed it chose was about 24 or 25 for the stretch. The other two were teeny dots in my mirror by the time I turned into the parking lot at the end.

 

Aah...that i what I like to hear... glad you had a good ride.

 

Here are couple pics I was sent from Saturdays ride

Leading the DF pace line half asleep-I found those motorcycle sunglasses I bought work very well to keep the icy cold wind out of my eyes. They may look goofy but they work. I look half asleep...lol







After seeing the official results I finished 15th out of 79 riders

Matney, Andrea Glen Echo, MD 7h 54m
Provine, Dave Millersville, MD 7h 54m
Conderacci, Greg Baltimore, MD 7h 54m
Vinette, Mark Bethesda, MD 8h 3m
Rowny, Michael Chevy Chase, MD 8h 30m
Oldale, Daniel Arnold, MD 8h 34m
Adams, ChipSeverna Park, MD 8h 34m
Provenza, Clint Millersville, MD 8h 34m
Beck, William Woodbine, MD 8h 49m
Willis, Bill Pasadena, MD 8h 49m
Bodine, Janet Millersville, MD 8h 49m
Bodine, John Millersville, MD DNQ(8h 49m)
Duvall, Gardner Baltimore, MD 8h 49m
Furnari, Theresa Baltimore, MD 8h 49m
Wyer, Brian Strasburg, VA 9h 12m
Martin, Michael Baltimore, MD 9h 12m

 

Brian, I wear glasses with foam inserts for the exact same reason. Also helps keep the SUN from coming in over the top. Great ride time! I see you chopped your off the bike time down to 45 minutes, good job.

I find whenever the wind is in your face suddenly DF riders that complain about not being able to draft are on my wheel.

Now I ride either off of the front or off the back. The guys down here don't want me to play in their lines so I don't let them draft any more.

Anyway, welcome to the highracer fold.

 

Brian,

You look like it is a perfect fit between you and your new Bacchetta! I love that you are leading the pack and the guys behind you look tired!!!



I know you will love your Corsa. These things do go much faster than the V Rex. But the V Rex is a great bent to learn on. Also, it builds up your legs so you can "fly" on your Corsa.

Thanks for sharing. I know I wouldn't be in front of the pace line!!!!! Nice to see some of our folks can do that!!!

 

Well summer is back. 64 degrees and VERY WINDY!!!

Rode Red on my 3 mile loops on Cherokee Blvd. Only one other cyclists and we passed going in different directions. Never saw them again, so they much have continued onward will I yoyoed back and forth.

Not much to report. Added 18.7 miles to I am slowly creeping up to my 2,000 goal and all time record. Currently at 1,847 miles. I can taste 2,000 miles this year. Just give me some good weather!!!

Supposed to rain today and tomorrow so no riding here!!!

 

Hi,

I have had my new bike since October 16 and yesterday was the first day I rode out of my neighborhood on my usual df route. I rode 16.65 miles and my time was 1 hour 26 minutes. Not as fast, but way more fun. Yesterday the weather was about 68 degrees with brilliant sunshine; a perfect day for a ride. I am getting the hang of the new configuration! I have 148 miles on this bike now and I am really happy that I made the switch!

 

The first 50 miles are ! It takes about 300 miles to get really comfortable. You are half way there. And I agree with you, bent riding is so much more fun (AND COMFORTABLE) than DF riding. I sold all my DF bikes 6 months after purchasing my first recumbent. I never wanted to get on them again!!!

 

I have been able to ride almost every day since I bought the bike and that has helped get me more comfortable. I am looking forward to the time when riding a bent becomes second nature, like riding the df has been. It's encouraging to think I will be there soon. Hopefully the weather will continue to cooperate here in the Mid Atlantic region of the East Coast. I am going to continue to ride as long as it's not wet. I have great cold weather gear, so cold shouldn't stop me. I'll let you know how I do when it gets below 30.

 

How Do you like the Volae? I was really close to buying one. One of the biggest reasons I went with a Bent is cold weather riding. I tried it a few times on my DF and it just about killed me (wearing extra layers on a wedggie seat). I now can ride wearing anything, 2-3 pair of pants, sweats etc and not have a problem. I can ride a lot more in a lot worse weather than I ever would have on a DF bike.

Thanks Jon- Its not perfect yet--I am going to get longer Bars- Bacchetta makes "Long" reach bars now that are about an inch longer than the Standard, OR I may go with Mashashai Bars. I kinda like the looks of them.

And

The Euromesh seat will probably go, I think the bars may be hurting my back causing arm numbness. I have been in Touch with Mark at Power On Cycling and will eventually buy his fiberglass seat with matching Ventisit Pad + head rest. THen i will sell the Eruromesh.

But that is a project for down the road.

 

Hi,

I really love the Volae. I was very close to a Giro 20 ATT, but the Volae seemed more customizable as far as seat distance to pedals. I am vertically challenged (5'2") and it was very important to get the X-seam right. I also like the bars on the Volae better. The Volae also had different size stems, risers and handlebars so I was able to get a really good fit.

I found that the wind doesn't bother me nearly as much on the recumbent than on my df. I rode last Friday and it was very windy and 48 degrees and I was very comfortable. I wear long underwear under my bike pants and I have a very warm bike jacket and a bright yellow wind breaker. I also wear very heavy Pearl Izumi gloves and a balaclava. I work up a sweat with all my gear! I have been very happy with the Volae and I really feel that this was the best decision I have ever made with regard to my biking. I am so much more comfortable.

 

Hmmm. I am thinking I need longer handlebars too. I saw the bent that Alex Miller rode (he set a bent record recently) and he had the extended handle bars. I also saw Mark Powers bent also had extended handlebars the first time I was there. I am lucky. Mark is in my back yard!!!! I get to pester him any time I want!!! :lildevil: Good for me. Bad for him!!! :lildevil:

 

Welcome Mona! Good to meet another vertically challenged rider. I'm also 5'2".

I went for my for my first ride in AGES today! The first since breaking my tailbone and getting the back pain. Back is pretty much returned to it's pre-fall condition which is fairly pain-free. Tailbone is improving but I still can't sit and lean back the least little bit. So, it's a good thing I made a round pillow JUST for the purpose of riding my trike though originally it was for indoor riding.

Today, I decided to test my back and wrestled everything out the door. It was quite nippy so I waited for the warmest part of the day. Unfortunately, that's around 2 pm... and sunset is at 3:00. 39 F is close to the threshold of riding without something to protect my face. I've tried standard baklavas, but once my breath makes the fabric soggy, I start feeling suffocated with the effort of trying to get air through the cloth. My bullet-proof thermals worked wonderfully though! Just two layers top and bottom and I felt fine though I probably could have used another layer on my arms.

Of course, once the snows come, temperature is irrelevant. A frozen, snow-choked chain isn't getting me anywhere.

Loke and I did a modest 6 miles since I was too wary about staying out too close to sunset. I'm a bad girl and haven't replaced my lights for night riding since the brackets broke. Cops WILL ticket people riding without lights. I've seen it happen frequently here.

It felt nice to get out though! Loke loved it too!

Terii