My Most Recent Ride 2012 (Part V in a series)

Beautiful day. 85 degrees and only 31% humidity. Sunny.

Got on the trusty V Rex and rode 16.8 miles on greenways. I am trying out my new Garmin Edge 800. I will give a full write up on it later.

The screen is very flexible. You can change the number of items you want to monitor on it, what you want to monitor and change the location on the screen.

This unit came with a heart rate strap and monitor built into the unit. So I decided I wanted to check the % of Maximum heart rate as a monitoring item. I put the heart rate strap around my chest and then took off.

Well I found out I was dead. The % of maximum heart rate was two dash line that looked like this

--

I guess that means I had flat lined. Luckily it didn't interfere with my ride and I had a great time. When I got back to work, I switched the % maximum heart rate to plan old heart rate to see if my transmitter was getting to the receiver. Luckily I had a heart beat. So then I had to pull up the manual to figure out why this was not working. I had already put in my sex, age and weight so it could calculate my maximum heart rate. What was missing was I didn't put in my resting heart rate which was needed for the formula to work. Once I put that in, my % of max heart rate gauge began to work.

So in my next ride, I want to get an idea of how hard I am pushing myself on the bent.

More on the unit later under Rider Gear.

 

Quick Ride

Rode around a few blocks a few times.
Twenty miles.
No bicyclists (prey) to chase.

Still, managed to average 17.4mph!
I don't know how that happened... I did not attack the hills and
sort of loafed downhill.

My bike must be faster.
Must be.

 

Had planned to take a 14-16 mile trip, but it ended up being derailed so as to speak. My main road out of Uppsala has been stripped of ever last bit of asphalt to rock roadbed. Huge stones, not yet well packed. After 100 yards, I'd banged my rear derailleur a few times and Loke was having problems with foot bruising.

By then the clouds were starting to look nasty too, so I just turned around to head back home. 4.75 mile under heavy gray skies and mild temps.

Today is gorgeous out. I just wish my back would have let me carry my trike out. It's cool out, almost brisk and sunny. So, doesn't much matter that my trike is in the car with Jens in Stockholm.

There is good news in the health front though! Even after the nightmare of Loke's recovery, I've managed to lose weight! I'm the lightest I've been in over 3 years!

Terii

 

Well done Terii!!

 

Going to ride from Coulter Bridge today. Leaving at 11:30 am. Anyone want to join me give me a call on my cell

Spoiler: Phone

865-310-7151

 

Thanks Jon!

Another ride today or maybe I should say 2.

Jens got home early from work so I had planned to take Loke for a 10-ish mile loop, his longest since surgery. Alas, it wasn't meant to be. It seems he bruised and scraped his feet enough on the rocks yesterday that he started limping before I'd gone much more than half a mile. So, the outing turned into a rolling walk. Toodling along at 4-5 mph as I kept him in the grass as much as I could while taking the shortest loop back home. I figured at least it would get the furry one to do his business so Jens could relax that a bit this evening.

We got home with about 3.7 miles. As I took him in, it was just too pretty for me to call it quits, so I decided I'd go out for a spin fest. 7.02 miles in 36 minutes. I know for some of you greyhounds on here, that's turtle speed, but for this plump feeling-her-miles woman on a trike that probably weighs nearly 50 LBS with all the stuff on it, I'm quite pleased and impressed with myself.

Just the River Loop with a couple of the extensions on it, but it got me out in the sunshine, low humidity and near perfect temps in the low 70's. The only complaint I have were the d*mn BUGS! I wish I could say it was 'clouds' of gnats, but I swear it was simply one big mass about 5 miles in diameter centered right on my route. I had to wear my sunglasses to keep them out of my eyes and had to constantly snort them out of my sinuses.

Still not a bad ride though!

Terii

 

Outdoor Knoxfest 2012

My wife and I were in Knoxville this weekend visiting our twin daughters at UT. I took my bike along and rode the 40 mile road ride saturday morning at "Outdoor KnoxFest". The weather was perfect, the route was very nice, and the people organizing the event were super, they were excited to see a recumbent rider in the group. This is the first year that a road ride has been included in the weekend of activities, the course was marked and supported by the Smokey Mountain Wheelmen, they are planning multiple routes & mileages for next years event. So mark your calanders for next summer. Check out the website at http://www.outdoorknoxville.com/

 

Very nice John. I passed that on to Vic Day. He is president and director
of the Greeneville club. He and his wife are absolutely fantastic and are
growing the club well.

Thanks for that and glad you had a nice day.

 

I sure did have a nice day Buddy, please pass that on to them for me. I remember meeting you at the 2009 Sunrise Century, I was riding the LWB homebuilt.
I hope you are doing well!

John Mullen

 

I see you left the Blue Bullet at home and now ride a Corsa. That is a MUCH faster bent!

 

Hey Jon,
Still have the blue bullet bit have not ridden it since I got the Corsa .I love it!
John Mullen

 

Speed can be a terminal factor! Meaning you give up your other bents. My trusted V Rex doesn't see a lot of riding now that I have my Strada. But you can't beat it on trails!!!

 

Rode the greenway west today. Boy it is getting bumpy. The tree roots are starting to really buckle the asphalt so you feel like you are riding a roller coaster. More bumps than I care for.

But coming back I saw a DF rider with full panniers parked next to the greenway. So I stopped and talked to him. He is on a cross America self contained ride. However, he started from the East and is going West. I asked if he was using Adventure Cycling maps and he said he started with them but they were worthless. He said Google maps are the best so that is what he is using. Google is everywhere (or at least until Apple wins its lawsuit against them also!!!)

I am trying to stay ahead of Ward but he is coming up to me like a freight train. Just continuous seemingly non stop bent miles. Looks like he will pass me today. Oh well, it was a good run while it lasted!

 

I have seen 4 cross country riders this week passing through Dandridge, possibly 5. Two young ladies left Myrtle Beach headed for San Francisco. I believe they said they were from Idaho. Apparently they picked up a guy that was hitch hiking and talked him into getting a bike and riding with them. They were on nice (as nice as a wedgie can be) fully loaded and prepared expedition bikes and he had some kind of "very" used looking 10spd.
Next day met a guy and girl from Georgia headed to the east coast. Not sure if they started out together or not cuz she was heavily loaded with 4 panniers, rack bag, and bar bag. He had 2 panniers. Bought everybody a cold drink and wished them God's speed. Was kinda interesting. In 26 years being stranded in Dandridge those are the first i have seen here.

 

Can't out run a greyhound Jon...