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

And again!

Not the river loop this time though! I'd planned to do the 10 mile Vaksala/Granby loop, but jumping in the car to take a quick peek at the conditions of paths and roads, I couldn't make it out of Uppsala. The cycle paths through Gamla Uppsala were so crowded with walls of plowed snow, there wasn't enough space for my front wheels in between. The little residential roads through there didn't look as if they'd been plowed at all.

I was crushed. The middle 5 miles were stunning winter scenery and I itched to pedal through and take pictures. I just couldn't find a way out of the city without risking a speeding car skidding into me. The roads are slick!

Jens to the rescue! My wonderful hubby offered to drop me off at one end of the pretty stretch and pick me up at the other!

Loved it! It was hard work, but so worth it.

I think I'm going to need tomorrow to recover! If I keep riding like this, I'll have legs of iron and the stamina of a draft horse come spring!

I'll be doing a write up and sharing photos and vid in the next day or so!

Terii

 

Post on the blog made! Some really nice photos to go with the write up of the ride!

http://terii.wordpress.com/

Also have the video done. For those who want a more direct link to it on YouTube -

http://youtu.be/Vu9RIWQCOyE

 

Pumpkin Tires

I was gifted 4 of these new race tires. 700 X 20's
Got in 89 miles yesterday
Sunny 82*F Temps
The 19 MPH winds kinda hurt.

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh187/10wheels/CNTGP3000002.jpg

 

Do you like the tires???

 

They ride well for 700 X 20's. I get better MPB. (miles per banana)

Run 110 psi in front, 120 psi in rear.

Changed wheels and can install them with no tools.

 

I like the banana on your rear rack! You were serious about MPB!!!

 

Rode 16.7 miles today in 44 degree weather. Cloudy and COLD!!!! Had to dig out my winter clothes and didn't put enough of the on because I was still cold.!!!



All wabbits are hibernating now. See you in Spring Bunnies!!!!

 

Most of the time.

 

14 miles. I expect I will total approximately 1600 for the year.

 

Well, hopefully it wasn't too much too soon, but I took Loke out for a run. Finger's crossed the cold isn't lingering enough to grab back on.

The weather's been really unstable lately. Melt water pattering down from the eaves and tree limbs and making the snow even more like gritty sand with temps around 33-34 F. It wasn't even freezing at night. Heavy wet snow coming down too.

It stopped snowing today and actually has been below freezing for the first time in 3 days. I finally woke up feeling normal this morning, so once I got back from the vet to get Loke's ear checked and something to clean it with, I decided to go out for a ride. The first since the ride where I made the Winter Wonderland video.

It took about 1 hour and 40 minutes to do 8.16 miles. The snow was like churned sand so my speed was barely 5 mph most of the way, plus whatever stops to let Loke sniff and do his business. It felt good to get out and move again. I've been feeling like I was turning into a slug with just little walks 2 or 3 times a day for Loke and the rest of the time sleeping and coughing. The hard work of pedaling through the snow at 31 F brightened my mood considerably. Yay, exercise!

No pictures or video. Sorry!

Terii

 

UGH!

6.51 miles and 4.5 of it was h*ll! Thanks to another inch or so of snow which hadn't been plowed, it made the roads and paths harder. That wasn't the worst. What was? LOKE!

I have images that we must have been proceeded by a parade of female dogs in heat, capering along to spread their own special fragrance into the snow and gravel of the path. He was determined to smell each and every INCH of that path for no less than 10 minutes. So, not only did I have to fight boggier snow than last time, but I had to forcefully drag a 50 lb husky who was resisting with all his might. If I'd gone his pace, I think we wouldn't have made it home until some time after 10 pm tonight!

I am exhausted! Tuesday's ride didn't wipe me out this much. I feel like even 30 miles in spring, with a 20 mph headwind and all uphill would have been easier. I'd be about as wrung out but at least I'd feel like I did something.

Time to eat something and collapse for a few hours.

Terii

 

I'm impressed you got out at all Terii. Arrived in Uppsala myself this evening for brief stopover on way to in laws for Christmas. Had enough trouble dragging my suitcase through the snow, never mind a dog and a trike ! Adrian

 

We had 3 days of above freezing which packed down the snow, reduced it's volume while filling the river a bit. It broke last night, getting into the low 20's (-10 C).

Yet this morning dawned clear. The first time Uppsala has seen the SUN in over two and a half weeks. Out we went!

27 F and a bit breezy. The roads were most ice or ice chunks along with a few hard frozen ruts from bike tires on the paths. I bounced over it all. I can't really put into words how satisfying it was to be able to navigate so much of it without stress. There were a few places where plows had pushed wet snow into 1 foot mounds across paths and minor streets. Those had hard frozen and were deep enough to be a threat to the derailleur. Still, they were easy to see, only 3 spots like that for concern where for my Trice, there would have been 3 spots to try and avoid in a 1 square yard area!

Loke's typical energy is back which is good to see. The antibiotics had ruined his appetite and he went 10 days eating less than 200 calories a day. He was even turning up his nose at steak! RAW! Show how upset his tummy was.

So, a good work out that covered 5.54 miles. It felt awesome!

Terii

 

I envy all you riders who can Evan consider going for a ride o the first of the years. We won't see the plus side of zero for at least a few more months. Not to mention the 2 feet of snow, and Ivey roads. Enjoy your New Years ride, and think of us poor Canadians. We're not all hockey fanatics you know. Ride safe!

 

You'll have to excuse my spelling above. It's early here.