Mid week ride

Luis, Marcie, and I rode a short ride today. The forecast was for 80% chance of rain so we were pleasantly surprised (and overdressed!) when we only had one very light shower on the ride today. Temperatures were in the mid 50's, winds light, and sky overcast. Not bad weather wise for winter in Oregon. With the prediction of rain I brought my steel bike that's equipped with fenders. As it ended up I really didn't need that. I guess chalk it up to training. Heavier bike and less favorable gearing. I put my XeroLite wheels back in this morning saving my Bontragger RaceLite wheels from the wear and tear of winter road grit. I've got a new IRD 11-28 9spd cogset to put on this set of wheels but didn't get it switched over yet so I was still on the 12-25.
We had some hills on today's route. Mapmyride said 728 feet in 34 miles but that seems a bit short on elevation gain. I managed to get my bike to the top of the hills a bit quicker than my partners today. Rather than waiting at the top I practiced what our group likes to call a "rolling regroup". I'd reach the top then turn around and ride back the way I came, passing my still uphill riding partners as I whizzed by. After an "adequate amount of distance" I'd turn around and climb the hill again, hopefully arriving at the top about the same time as the others. That little method ended up giving me 39 miles today with 2128 ft of climbing to my partners' 34 miles with 728 ft.

I felt good today and held a 15.3 mph on bike average even with the climbing.

Luis didn't have such a nice day, he had 3 flats, 2 rear and 1 front. The two on the rear may have been related. The last one came close enough to the end that he just walked his bike the remaining distance.





............BIKE............LIFECYCLE.........TOTAL
Today.......39...............0.................39
Jan........618...............0................618
Feb........200...............0................200
_________________________________________
TOTAL......818...............0................818