I've been doing so many hill repeat rides and/or social rides lately that I almost forgot what it feels like to go on a spirited pace ride.
Fixed that tonight by joining 4 others on Max's ride that he had posted on our social bike club's calendar. He posted it as a 15-16 mph pace ride........ uh huh, sure. Anyone who knows Max knows his rides often exceed expectations!
I arrived a few minutes late and thought seriously about pedaling hard to catch up with them... like how hard can it be to catch a group peddling at 15-16 mph? Unfortunately, (or fortunately as the case may be!) I wasn't sure of their route, it was going to be a last minute consensus thing. I drove down the suspected route in an attempt to find them then planned on driving ahead and hopping on the bike to join them "in progress".
Good thing I drove. When I finally jumped in with them I noted that they were pedaling a solid 20 mph. Much harder to catch a group moving that speed!
It was a cool day, never breaking 70 so I decided to wear arm and leg warmers, figuring if I got too warm I could either roll them down or take them off at a stop sign. I was glad I had them on. I never got warm enough to take them off, though I could have and not been cold. As the sun went down I was glad I had them on, there is beginning to be a touch of Autumn in the air in the evening.
I felt good tonight. It was a relatively flat route, but what little hills we had I was able to ride up quite easily... just a little more easily than my riding partners. ;-)
I didn't carry my camera tonight. Too bad, there was a really cool opportunity to get a photo of the shadows of our group in a pace line. Oh well, next time!
Rocky Butte hill repeats again tomorrow. Wonder what the traffic situation will be?
.......road bike.......rollers.........mtb.....lifecycle.....total
Today........34..............0.............0..........0..........34
Jan.........474..............0............21..........7.........502
Feb.........530..............0.............0..........0.........530
March.......502..............0.............0..........0.........502
April.......524..............0.............0..........0.........524
May........1003..............0.............0..........0........1003
June.......1016..............0............10..........0........1026
July.......1148..............0.............0..........0........1148
August.....1049..............0.............0..........0........1049
YTD........6150..............0............37..........7........6284
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Tuesday and traffic
It was Tuesday and time to lead the Rocky Butte Hill Repeat ride for my social bike group. Dealing with the rush hour traffic to get across town to lead this ride is always a roll of the dice, tonight I lost. It's 26 miles to drive it, tonight that took 2.3 hours. If there were just a decent way to bike there it would be so much more enjoyable.
I did eventually arrive, luckily the group knows the drill by now and 6 others were well into their first repeat by the time I got there. I managed to unload the bike and fall into line on the group's second repeat.
We rode up
and down
Hopefully on Thursday I'll manage to get the helmet camera pointing in the right direction! (no viewfinder or other way to determine exactly where it's aiming)
Following the ride most had other things to attend to but two of us were hungry and tended to that need at Staniches. It was a good evening to ride bike....but we all noted how the days are getting shorter and it won't be too much longer before this ride will get curtailed because of darkness.
I should get a few more miles yet for the month tomorrow when I join a ride from Scholls Heights.
........road bike.......rollers.........mtb.....lifecycle.....total
Today........14..............0.............0..........0..........14
Jan.........474..............0............21..........7.........502
Feb.........530..............0.............0..........0.........530
March.......502..............0.............0..........0.........502
April.......524..............0.............0..........0.........524
May........1003..............0.............0..........0........1003
June.......1016..............0............10..........0........1026
July.......1148..............0.............0..........0........1148
August.....1015..............0.............0..........0........1015
YTD........6116..............0............37..........7........6240
I did eventually arrive, luckily the group knows the drill by now and 6 others were well into their first repeat by the time I got there. I managed to unload the bike and fall into line on the group's second repeat.
We rode up
and down
Hopefully on Thursday I'll manage to get the helmet camera pointing in the right direction! (no viewfinder or other way to determine exactly where it's aiming)
Following the ride most had other things to attend to but two of us were hungry and tended to that need at Staniches. It was a good evening to ride bike....but we all noted how the days are getting shorter and it won't be too much longer before this ride will get curtailed because of darkness.
I should get a few more miles yet for the month tomorrow when I join a ride from Scholls Heights.
........road bike.......rollers.........mtb.....lifecycle.....total
Today........14..............0.............0..........0..........14
Jan.........474..............0............21..........7.........502
Feb.........530..............0.............0..........0.........530
March.......502..............0.............0..........0.........502
April.......524..............0.............0..........0.........524
May........1003..............0.............0..........0........1003
June.......1016..............0............10..........0........1026
July.......1148..............0.............0..........0........1148
August.....1015..............0.............0..........0........1015
YTD........6116..............0............37..........7........6240
Sunday, August 28, 2011
RTFB
I was in search of 102 miles today. A couple of weeks ago I lead a great ride around Crater Lake, but in the process only logged 78 miles for the weekend, the least I've ridden in some time. Yesterday I attended a niece's wedding. Suddenly I found myself up against the end of the month without my thousand miles logged yet.
I posted it to my social bike group as the "RTFB" ride. You can probably figure out what those letters stand for but if you need a hint look up RAO-FC508-RAAM-24 hr record holder, Sandy Earl.
From the time I left home this morning until I arrived at Oaks Park, the starting location for today's ride, both of my riding partners had cancelled.
Yup, it was going to be one of those days like so many before... riding solo just putting in miles.
I pedaled out the Springwater Corridor to Gresham, then made my way to Troutdale then up the Historic Columbia River Highway. I've ridden this road many times but today stopped for a photo at a location that I don't believe I've ever stopped at before.
I arrived at Multnomah Falls and was disappointed to see a Turkish Bazaar set up again. It sort of strikes me like that biblical story of the money changers in the temple.
If I had wanted to experience Saturday Market I would have done so yesterday at one of the many Saturday Market/Farmers Market type venues. The last thing I want to see is this type of thing set up defiling such a beautiful natural treasure. I lodged a friendly complaint with the Forest Service employees in the information center and also with the restaurant concessionaire whom I was told had sponsored the "show".
I pedaled along my way out to Cascade Locks then turned back toward Portland. I finished up with 103 miles, and still time to help with the post wedding cleanup.
I have another thousand mile month in the bag, and will still hopefully get a few more miles on Tuesday when I lead another Rocky Butte Hill Repeat ride.
........road bike.......rollers.........mtb.....lifecycle.....total
Today.......103..............0.............0..........0.........103
Jan.........474..............0............21..........7.........502
Feb.........530..............0.............0..........0.........530
March.......502..............0.............0..........0.........502
April.......524..............0.............0..........0.........524
May........1003..............0.............0..........0........1003
June.......1016..............0............10..........0........1026
July.......1148..............0.............0..........0........1148
August.....1001..............0.............0..........0........1001
YTD........6102..............0............37..........7........6226
I posted it to my social bike group as the "RTFB" ride. You can probably figure out what those letters stand for but if you need a hint look up RAO-FC508-RAAM-24 hr record holder, Sandy Earl.
From the time I left home this morning until I arrived at Oaks Park, the starting location for today's ride, both of my riding partners had cancelled.
Yup, it was going to be one of those days like so many before... riding solo just putting in miles.
I pedaled out the Springwater Corridor to Gresham, then made my way to Troutdale then up the Historic Columbia River Highway. I've ridden this road many times but today stopped for a photo at a location that I don't believe I've ever stopped at before.
I arrived at Multnomah Falls and was disappointed to see a Turkish Bazaar set up again. It sort of strikes me like that biblical story of the money changers in the temple.
If I had wanted to experience Saturday Market I would have done so yesterday at one of the many Saturday Market/Farmers Market type venues. The last thing I want to see is this type of thing set up defiling such a beautiful natural treasure. I lodged a friendly complaint with the Forest Service employees in the information center and also with the restaurant concessionaire whom I was told had sponsored the "show".
I pedaled along my way out to Cascade Locks then turned back toward Portland. I finished up with 103 miles, and still time to help with the post wedding cleanup.
I have another thousand mile month in the bag, and will still hopefully get a few more miles on Tuesday when I lead another Rocky Butte Hill Repeat ride.
........road bike.......rollers.........mtb.....lifecycle.....total
Today.......103..............0.............0..........0.........103
Jan.........474..............0............21..........7.........502
Feb.........530..............0.............0..........0.........530
March.......502..............0.............0..........0.........502
April.......524..............0.............0..........0.........524
May........1003..............0.............0..........0........1003
June.......1016..............0............10..........0........1026
July.......1148..............0.............0..........0........1148
August.....1001..............0.............0..........0........1001
YTD........6102..............0............37..........7........6226
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Another superb Oregon evening
Another Thursday, another Rocky Butte hill repeat ride, and another great summer evening. I commuted in from Oaks Park, giving me 12 miles of warm up. There were 4 of us, a smaller group than normal. It was quite warm, in the mid 90's when we started, but we plodded along anyway. After the ride 3 of us went to Cha-cha-cha's for a little post ride snacking. Since I rode to the ride I rode to the post ride "debriefing" as well.
Following the "quatro pollo taquitos" I rode back to Rocky Butte then traced my inbound commute back to Oaks Park. I pulled into Oaks Park with just under 48 miles. The temperature was now 80 degrees, there was no noticeable wind, I had good lights along...... yup, I turned around and rode a couple of bonus miles. ;-)
I won't be able to ride Saturday since I will be attending a niece's wedding. If I'm going to get my thousand mile month it looks like I will be riding 102 miles on Sunday. Wonder where I should ride?
........road bike.......rollers.........mtb.....lifecycle.....total
Today........50..............0.............0..........0..........50
Jan.........474..............0............21..........7.........502
Feb.........530..............0.............0..........0.........530
March.......502..............0.............0..........0.........502
April.......524..............0.............0..........0.........524
May........1003..............0.............0..........0........1003
June.......1016..............0............10..........0........1026
July.......1148..............0.............0..........0........1148
August......898..............0.............0..........0.........898
YTD........6099..............0............37..........7........6123
Following the "quatro pollo taquitos" I rode back to Rocky Butte then traced my inbound commute back to Oaks Park. I pulled into Oaks Park with just under 48 miles. The temperature was now 80 degrees, there was no noticeable wind, I had good lights along...... yup, I turned around and rode a couple of bonus miles. ;-)
I won't be able to ride Saturday since I will be attending a niece's wedding. If I'm going to get my thousand mile month it looks like I will be riding 102 miles on Sunday. Wonder where I should ride?
........road bike.......rollers.........mtb.....lifecycle.....total
Today........50..............0.............0..........0..........50
Jan.........474..............0............21..........7.........502
Feb.........530..............0.............0..........0.........530
March.......502..............0.............0..........0.........502
April.......524..............0.............0..........0.........524
May........1003..............0.............0..........0........1003
June.......1016..............0............10..........0........1026
July.......1148..............0.............0..........0........1148
August......898..............0.............0..........0.........898
YTD........6099..............0............37..........7........6123
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Tuesday
The days are getting noticeably shorter, before too long we'll be back into dark and rainy evenings. That prospect makes nights like tonight even more precious.
It was a warm and dry evening, too bad most of the regulars had other things going on.
Just two of us rode Rocky Butte tonight. We rode as a group (both of us!) and got 5 repeats in. It was a great night for a ride, and a good night to snag a few wild blackberries as treats for a ride well ridden. ;-)
My evening's riding partner had dinner in the crockpot so wouldn't be hanging around for post ride snacking, I had other plans as well so we each went our own way rather quickly post ride.
It was a good night for a ride.
........road bike.......rollers.........mtb.....lifecycle.....total
Today........36..............0.............0..........0..........36
Jan.........474..............0............21..........7.........502
Feb.........530..............0.............0..........0.........530
March.......502..............0.............0..........0.........502
April.......524..............0.............0..........0.........524
May........1003..............0.............0..........0........1003
June.......1016..............0............10..........0........1026
July.......1148..............0.............0..........0........1148
August......848..............0.............0..........0.........848
YTD........6049..............0............37..........7........6093
It was a warm and dry evening, too bad most of the regulars had other things going on.
Just two of us rode Rocky Butte tonight. We rode as a group (both of us!) and got 5 repeats in. It was a great night for a ride, and a good night to snag a few wild blackberries as treats for a ride well ridden. ;-)
My evening's riding partner had dinner in the crockpot so wouldn't be hanging around for post ride snacking, I had other plans as well so we each went our own way rather quickly post ride.
It was a good night for a ride.
........road bike.......rollers.........mtb.....lifecycle.....total
Today........36..............0.............0..........0..........36
Jan.........474..............0............21..........7.........502
Feb.........530..............0.............0..........0.........530
March.......502..............0.............0..........0.........502
April.......524..............0.............0..........0.........524
May........1003..............0.............0..........0........1003
June.......1016..............0............10..........0........1026
July.......1148..............0.............0..........0........1148
August......848..............0.............0..........0.........848
YTD........6049..............0............37..........7........6093
Sunday, August 21, 2011
A full measure, and just a smidge more
A loyal blog reader contacted me with an invitation to go for a bike ride. She suggested something "about 75 miles, with a hill". Always happy to oblige I suggested we ride to my mothers, where I had a "honey do" job waiting for me, then return via a climb of Bald Peak. I have just enough Oregon Randonneurs in me that I decided to "ride to the ride"
Traffic was light early Sunday morning and I covered the 33 miles at a reasonable pace.
The loyal blog reader and I made our way northward. We took back roads and in this part of the country I bored her to tears with pointing out which uncle lived where, etc. at nearly every bend in the road. She had a bit of a headache so we stopped in Yamhill for some pain meds. I also took the opportunity to have a fudgecicle and my friend had a V-8. "I could have had a V-8" but didn't.
We crossed over the busy Hwy 47 and headed toward Newberg but turned northward on Laughlin Rd. We passed by the long emptied townsite of Dewey....
...then continued toward Gaston. The day was beginning to warm up and we were hitting the water bottles pretty hard. We detoured slightly to take advantage of the water fountain at the ball field on the edge of Gaston.
We refilled bottles again in Cornelius, then made the final push to Hillsboro where I had made arrangements to do a quick job for my mom. Mom had done herself proud. She had the counter full of watermelon and cantaloupe slices and fresh baked cookies.
I took care of my "job" and we both did our best to eat all the goodies laid out! We visited for a short time then pedaled off, knowing that we had a way to go yet today.
As we pedaled along about 18 mph I demonstrated my skills at multitasking.
We left Hillsboro via River Rd and Farmington Rd. Before long we were gazing at the beginning of the climb up Bald Peak. The temperature was just over 90 degrees and the loyal blog reader had 50 miles showing on the odometer (I had 83) The grade most of the time was between 7 and 15%. It didn't take long to begin seeing the fruit of our labor.
The labor proved to be a bit much on this hot day for the loyal blog reader.
She didn't walk much, but I did manage to get a photo.
She was working hard today. I was keeping my heart rate below 120. I decided to remedy the situation a bit by lending a hand and pushing her as I rode next to her. Speed increased, as did my heart rate!
After a bit even this wasn't enough.In this age of cell phones help is never far away. A call was made and before long one of her friends came out to help.
The friend saved the loyal blog reader the last 1.5 miles of climbing. I pedaled up the hill where we regrouped for the descent to Newberg. The intended route had us skirting Newberg on North Valley Rd, but the heat of the day made a stop in Newberg necessary. We refilled water bottles and cooled ourselves off with ice cream.
The loyal blog reader was ready to cash her chips in. We were only ~15 miles from her home but she was beat. After a few phone calls and texts it was determined that she was just going to have to ride the bike. We hopped on the bikes and started off. She was toast but persevered. Every little rise in the road was met with a drastic reduction of the already slowed speed. We stopped in Lafayette for another cold V-8.
We eventually reached McMinnville. The shadows we beginning to indicate that the day was drawing to a close.
It was none too soon for my friend. She ended up with 78 miles, pretty darn close to what she wanted, and a hill.... just a bit more than she wanted. ;-)
I didn't dally, I had less and hour and half to sundown, and two hours until dark to cover the 33 miles back to Wilsonville.
I had my 1W front LED blinkie in my pack and my 300 lumen LED "commuter light" along also just in case. I pedaled pretty hard in an attempt to finish before needing the lights. Lights or not, statistics show riding at night is just not as safe.
As I reached Newberg I turned on the rear red blinkie. Wilsonville Rd is a bit twisty and shaded. Even in daylight I feel safer with the rear light on. Just as I reached Wilsonville I put on the front blinkie. The sun had gone down and I wanted to be more visible to drivers pulling out in front of me. I never did have the need for the bright commuter light. Seeing the road was never an issue as I managed to finish up before dark.
A 151 mile day, not too bad.
........road bike.......rollers.........mtb.....lifecycle.....total
Today.......151..............0.............0..........0.........151
Jan.........474..............0............21..........7.........502
Feb.........530..............0.............0..........0.........530
March.......502..............0.............0..........0.........502
April.......524..............0.............0..........0.........524
May........1003..............0.............0..........0........1003
June.......1016..............0............10..........0........1026
July.......1148..............0.............0..........0........1148
August......812..............0.............0..........0.........812
YTD........6013..............0............37..........7........6057
Traffic was light early Sunday morning and I covered the 33 miles at a reasonable pace.
The loyal blog reader and I made our way northward. We took back roads and in this part of the country I bored her to tears with pointing out which uncle lived where, etc. at nearly every bend in the road. She had a bit of a headache so we stopped in Yamhill for some pain meds. I also took the opportunity to have a fudgecicle and my friend had a V-8. "I could have had a V-8" but didn't.
We crossed over the busy Hwy 47 and headed toward Newberg but turned northward on Laughlin Rd. We passed by the long emptied townsite of Dewey....
...then continued toward Gaston. The day was beginning to warm up and we were hitting the water bottles pretty hard. We detoured slightly to take advantage of the water fountain at the ball field on the edge of Gaston.
We refilled bottles again in Cornelius, then made the final push to Hillsboro where I had made arrangements to do a quick job for my mom. Mom had done herself proud. She had the counter full of watermelon and cantaloupe slices and fresh baked cookies.
I took care of my "job" and we both did our best to eat all the goodies laid out! We visited for a short time then pedaled off, knowing that we had a way to go yet today.
As we pedaled along about 18 mph I demonstrated my skills at multitasking.
We left Hillsboro via River Rd and Farmington Rd. Before long we were gazing at the beginning of the climb up Bald Peak. The temperature was just over 90 degrees and the loyal blog reader had 50 miles showing on the odometer (I had 83) The grade most of the time was between 7 and 15%. It didn't take long to begin seeing the fruit of our labor.
The labor proved to be a bit much on this hot day for the loyal blog reader.
She didn't walk much, but I did manage to get a photo.
She was working hard today. I was keeping my heart rate below 120. I decided to remedy the situation a bit by lending a hand and pushing her as I rode next to her. Speed increased, as did my heart rate!
After a bit even this wasn't enough.In this age of cell phones help is never far away. A call was made and before long one of her friends came out to help.
The friend saved the loyal blog reader the last 1.5 miles of climbing. I pedaled up the hill where we regrouped for the descent to Newberg. The intended route had us skirting Newberg on North Valley Rd, but the heat of the day made a stop in Newberg necessary. We refilled water bottles and cooled ourselves off with ice cream.
The loyal blog reader was ready to cash her chips in. We were only ~15 miles from her home but she was beat. After a few phone calls and texts it was determined that she was just going to have to ride the bike. We hopped on the bikes and started off. She was toast but persevered. Every little rise in the road was met with a drastic reduction of the already slowed speed. We stopped in Lafayette for another cold V-8.
We eventually reached McMinnville. The shadows we beginning to indicate that the day was drawing to a close.
It was none too soon for my friend. She ended up with 78 miles, pretty darn close to what she wanted, and a hill.... just a bit more than she wanted. ;-)
I didn't dally, I had less and hour and half to sundown, and two hours until dark to cover the 33 miles back to Wilsonville.
I had my 1W front LED blinkie in my pack and my 300 lumen LED "commuter light" along also just in case. I pedaled pretty hard in an attempt to finish before needing the lights. Lights or not, statistics show riding at night is just not as safe.
As I reached Newberg I turned on the rear red blinkie. Wilsonville Rd is a bit twisty and shaded. Even in daylight I feel safer with the rear light on. Just as I reached Wilsonville I put on the front blinkie. The sun had gone down and I wanted to be more visible to drivers pulling out in front of me. I never did have the need for the bright commuter light. Seeing the road was never an issue as I managed to finish up before dark.
A 151 mile day, not too bad.
........road bike.......rollers.........mtb.....lifecycle.....total
Today.......151..............0.............0..........0.........151
Jan.........474..............0............21..........7.........502
Feb.........530..............0.............0..........0.........530
March.......502..............0.............0..........0.........502
April.......524..............0.............0..........0.........524
May........1003..............0.............0..........0........1003
June.......1016..............0............10..........0........1026
July.......1148..............0.............0..........0........1148
August......812..............0.............0..........0.........812
YTD........6013..............0............37..........7........6057
Saturday, August 20, 2011
A warm Summer day
and it was about time! After a cool rainy start to the Summer today warmed up nicely. According to the weather almanac on wunderground.com it reached 83 today in Portland, it felt much warmer.
I rode from Tualatin to Portland via mostly Boones Ferry Rd then down to the Sellwood Bridge via the cemetery hill. I rode out the Springwater Corridor Trail then headed north on the I-205 bike path (what's up with me and bike paths lately?)
I turned upstream on the Columbia River and rode to Blue Lake Park than turned around and backtracked. I was just wandering around but as I was riding in Fairview I decided to drop by Glenn Otto Park in Troutdale, where my social bike club was having a ride and picnic. I arrived at Glenn Otto Park just as the food was being set out.
The riders were still on the road on a Larch Mountain out and back. Mark was manning a rest stop at Chanticleer Pt with cookies! It didn't take long for me to decide I should pedal up that way and say hi to Mark!
I pedaled up to Chanticleer Pt, remembering how this used to be a formidable hill, and now was barely noticable. Years of riding will do that!
As the group started to disperse I hopped on the bike and headed back toward home, on a slightly different route to the Willamette River than I had taken out.
By the time I was finished up today I had a respectable 127 miles.
Tomorrow I'll add another 150+ miles. Not a bad weekend, but I have to ride a bit to make up for last weekend's paltry mileage total. :-p
........road bike.......rollers.........mtb.....lifecycle.....total
Today.......127..............0.............0..........0.........127
Jan.........474..............0............21..........7.........502
Feb.........530..............0.............0..........0.........530
March.......502..............0.............0..........0.........502
April.......524..............0.............0..........0.........524
May........1003..............0.............0..........0........1003
June.......1016..............0............10..........0........1026
July.......1148..............0.............0..........0........1148
August......661..............0.............0..........0.........661
YTD........5862..............0............37..........7........5906
I rode from Tualatin to Portland via mostly Boones Ferry Rd then down to the Sellwood Bridge via the cemetery hill. I rode out the Springwater Corridor Trail then headed north on the I-205 bike path (what's up with me and bike paths lately?)
I turned upstream on the Columbia River and rode to Blue Lake Park than turned around and backtracked. I was just wandering around but as I was riding in Fairview I decided to drop by Glenn Otto Park in Troutdale, where my social bike club was having a ride and picnic. I arrived at Glenn Otto Park just as the food was being set out.
The riders were still on the road on a Larch Mountain out and back. Mark was manning a rest stop at Chanticleer Pt with cookies! It didn't take long for me to decide I should pedal up that way and say hi to Mark!
I pedaled up to Chanticleer Pt, remembering how this used to be a formidable hill, and now was barely noticable. Years of riding will do that!
As the group started to disperse I hopped on the bike and headed back toward home, on a slightly different route to the Willamette River than I had taken out.
By the time I was finished up today I had a respectable 127 miles.
Tomorrow I'll add another 150+ miles. Not a bad weekend, but I have to ride a bit to make up for last weekend's paltry mileage total. :-p
........road bike.......rollers.........mtb.....lifecycle.....total
Today.......127..............0.............0..........0.........127
Jan.........474..............0............21..........7.........502
Feb.........530..............0.............0..........0.........530
March.......502..............0.............0..........0.........502
April.......524..............0.............0..........0.........524
May........1003..............0.............0..........0........1003
June.......1016..............0............10..........0........1026
July.......1148..............0.............0..........0........1148
August......661..............0.............0..........0.........661
YTD........5862..............0............37..........7........5906
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Hill Repeats repeated
Thursday night, time once again to lead the Rocky Butte hill repeats ride for my social bike group.
And once again it proved to be just a tad too far to get there on time given the late afternoon traffic.
I arrived 6 minutes after pedals spinning time. I hurriedly unloaded my bike and started up the hill. The evening was uneventful. The weather was nice, the hill was there, we pedaled up it multiple times and rolled back down.
I had my helmet cam with me tonight, but misinterpreted the beeps, seems I wasn't really recording after all. I'll practice a bit with it and get some video posted here when I can get it all figured out. :-O
After 90 minutes of fun most quit. I was thinking that in a few months I'd be wishing for warm, dry, evenings like this. I turned back up the hill and started riding again. I did a total of 10 repeats before dark, the last two with descents via the slightly longer "back side" route.
A good night for a ride.
........road bike.......rollers.........mtb.....lifecycle.....total
Today........32..............0.............0..........0..........32
Jan.........474..............0............21..........7.........502
Feb.........530..............0.............0..........0.........530
March.......502..............0.............0..........0.........502
April.......524..............0.............0..........0.........524
May........1003..............0.............0..........0........1003
June.......1016..............0............10..........0........1026
July.......1148..............0.............0..........0........1148
August......534..............0.............0..........0.........534
YTD........5735..............0............37..........7........5779
And once again it proved to be just a tad too far to get there on time given the late afternoon traffic.
I arrived 6 minutes after pedals spinning time. I hurriedly unloaded my bike and started up the hill. The evening was uneventful. The weather was nice, the hill was there, we pedaled up it multiple times and rolled back down.
I had my helmet cam with me tonight, but misinterpreted the beeps, seems I wasn't really recording after all. I'll practice a bit with it and get some video posted here when I can get it all figured out. :-O
After 90 minutes of fun most quit. I was thinking that in a few months I'd be wishing for warm, dry, evenings like this. I turned back up the hill and started riding again. I did a total of 10 repeats before dark, the last two with descents via the slightly longer "back side" route.
A good night for a ride.
........road bike.......rollers.........mtb.....lifecycle.....total
Today........32..............0.............0..........0..........32
Jan.........474..............0............21..........7.........502
Feb.........530..............0.............0..........0.........530
March.......502..............0.............0..........0.........502
April.......524..............0.............0..........0.........524
May........1003..............0.............0..........0........1003
June.......1016..............0............10..........0........1026
July.......1148..............0.............0..........0........1148
August......534..............0.............0..........0.........534
YTD........5735..............0............37..........7........5779
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Tuesday again
and traffic woes again. I was late for my own ride. Luckily the participants know the drill. Hop on the bikes and ride up and down that hill as many times as you can in 90 minutes!
If I weren't so busy working during the day and riding bike at night I might get the Crater Lake weekend blog entry put together but alas, I am waiting to gather a few more photos from some of the other riders.
Tonight I was about 15 minutes late to Rocky Butte. The others were already coming down and making the turn for ascent #2. I joined them as they made the turn.
I joined one of the participants and we pedaled together as we did the repeats. As we neared the end of the 90 minutes I challenged her to get an extra round trip in. She was riding well, but not putting out nearly 100%. I continued to cheer her on.... ok, badgered her! .. as she began to gasp for air. She normally gets 5 repeats in, tonight I watched her dig deep and get 5 2/3 in. A faster start would have seen her get six, but she was shadowing a new rider on the first climb and it cost her time. If the ride leader (me) had been there to do his job then that would have been me losing the time and my friend would have gotten six. Next time!
Following the 90 minutes of fun..er torture.. I accepted the offer for bonus miles. I had thought there might be bonus miles tonight and had my bright commuter light along. It was a beautiful evening for a ride so it was an easy choice. I rode from Rocky Butte out to 33rd, then up to the Marine Drive bike path then down the I-205 path back to Rocky Butte. Not far, but better than just the hill repeats.
It was a fun evening and a good ride.
........road bike.......rollers.........mtb.....lifecycle.....total
Today........33..............0.............0..........0..........33
Jan.........474..............0............21..........7.........502
Feb.........530..............0.............0..........0.........530
March.......502..............0.............0..........0.........502
April.......524..............0.............0..........0.........524
May........1003..............0.............0..........0........1003
June.......1016..............0............10..........0........1026
July.......1148..............0.............0..........0........1148
August......502..............0.............0..........0.........502
YTD........5703..............0............37..........7........5747
If I weren't so busy working during the day and riding bike at night I might get the Crater Lake weekend blog entry put together but alas, I am waiting to gather a few more photos from some of the other riders.
Tonight I was about 15 minutes late to Rocky Butte. The others were already coming down and making the turn for ascent #2. I joined them as they made the turn.
I joined one of the participants and we pedaled together as we did the repeats. As we neared the end of the 90 minutes I challenged her to get an extra round trip in. She was riding well, but not putting out nearly 100%. I continued to cheer her on.... ok, badgered her! .. as she began to gasp for air. She normally gets 5 repeats in, tonight I watched her dig deep and get 5 2/3 in. A faster start would have seen her get six, but she was shadowing a new rider on the first climb and it cost her time. If the ride leader (me) had been there to do his job then that would have been me losing the time and my friend would have gotten six. Next time!
Following the 90 minutes of fun..er torture.. I accepted the offer for bonus miles. I had thought there might be bonus miles tonight and had my bright commuter light along. It was a beautiful evening for a ride so it was an easy choice. I rode from Rocky Butte out to 33rd, then up to the Marine Drive bike path then down the I-205 path back to Rocky Butte. Not far, but better than just the hill repeats.
It was a fun evening and a good ride.
........road bike.......rollers.........mtb.....lifecycle.....total
Today........33..............0.............0..........0..........33
Jan.........474..............0............21..........7.........502
Feb.........530..............0.............0..........0.........530
March.......502..............0.............0..........0.........502
April.......524..............0.............0..........0.........524
May........1003..............0.............0..........0........1003
June.......1016..............0............10..........0........1026
July.......1148..............0.............0..........0........1148
August......502..............0.............0..........0.........502
YTD........5703..............0............37..........7........5747
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Another day, another trip around a lake
After having several other long ride options fall through, I rode around Diamond Lake today with 5 others. Photos and story to follow.
........road bike.......rollers.........mtb.....lifecycle.....total
Today........11..............0.............0..........0..........11
Jan.........474..............0............21..........7.........502
Feb.........530..............0.............0..........0.........530
March.......502..............0.............0..........0.........502
April.......524..............0.............0..........0.........524
May........1003..............0.............0..........0........1003
June.......1016..............0............10..........0........1026
July.......1148..............0.............0..........0........1148
August......469..............0.............0..........0.........469
YTD........5670..............0............37..........7........5714
........road bike.......rollers.........mtb.....lifecycle.....total
Today........11..............0.............0..........0..........11
Jan.........474..............0............21..........7.........502
Feb.........530..............0.............0..........0.........530
March.......502..............0.............0..........0.........502
April.......524..............0.............0..........0.........524
May........1003..............0.............0..........0........1003
June.......1016..............0............10..........0........1026
July.......1148..............0.............0..........0........1148
August......469..............0.............0..........0.........469
YTD........5670..............0............37..........7........5714
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Crater Lake
Not many miles but lots of fun!
A mere 67 miles but 200 photos to sort through. A write up of this ride will get posted as soon as I can get time around life details to sift through the photos and details and put something together.
........road bike.......rollers.........mtb.....lifecycle.....total
Today........67..............0.............0..........0..........67
Jan.........474..............0............21..........7.........502
Feb.........530..............0.............0..........0.........530
March.......502..............0.............0..........0.........502
April.......524..............0.............0..........0.........524
May........1003..............0.............0..........0........1003
June.......1016..............0............10..........0........1026
July.......1148..............0.............0..........0........1148
August......458..............0.............0..........0.........458
YTD........5659..............0............37..........7........5703
A mere 67 miles but 200 photos to sort through. A write up of this ride will get posted as soon as I can get time around life details to sift through the photos and details and put something together.
........road bike.......rollers.........mtb.....lifecycle.....total
Today........67..............0.............0..........0..........67
Jan.........474..............0............21..........7.........502
Feb.........530..............0.............0..........0.........530
March.......502..............0.............0..........0.........502
April.......524..............0.............0..........0.........524
May........1003..............0.............0..........0........1003
June.......1016..............0............10..........0........1026
July.......1148..............0.............0..........0........1148
August......458..............0.............0..........0.........458
YTD........5659..............0............37..........7........5703
Friday, August 12, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Not your normal Thursday
Getting across town to lead the Rocky Butte Hill Repeat ride is always a test of patience. The 26 miles should be just over a 30 minute drive but most nights it's somewhere between 75 and 90 minutes. Tonight it took 2 hours! I would have just parked and biked in, it would have been faster, if only I knew a place where I could have parked!
I texted one of the participants to inform the group that I would be arriving late and not to wait for me. I arrived about 8 minutes late. I quickly assembled my gear and started up the hill. I didn't take the time to put on the heart rate monitor, or put the camera in my pocket.
It was another small group, only seven total. 5 of us extended the evening at a local Mexican food establishment.
We talked bikes and home brew. One of this evening's participants is married to a home brewer and it was interesting listening to her talk of the whole home brewer world. She also had a pretty snazzy new bike of a style and brand more at home on a Randonee. Her Rivendell did look pretty darn nice though!
I got 5 repeats in during my abbreviated ride.
After a good start to the month as far as bike miles goes, this weekend will be a tapering off so to speak. I leave tomorrow after work for Crater Lake where I'll be leading a 62 mile ride on Saturday. Sunday is a bit up in the air but I may just repeat the Saturday trip. ...or maybe a ride along the North Umpqua River. We'll see what materializes.
........road bike.......rollers.........mtb.....lifecycle.....total
Today........15..............0.............0..........0..........15
Jan.........474..............0............21..........7.........502
Feb.........530..............0.............0..........0.........530
March.......502..............0.............0..........0.........502
April.......524..............0.............0..........0.........524
May........1003..............0.............0..........0........1003
June.......1016..............0............10..........0........1026
July.......1148..............0.............0..........0........1148
August......391..............0.............0..........0.........391
YTD........5592..............0............37..........7........5636
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Tuesday
Try as I may, I just can't be at two places at once, but tonight I was two people at once.... sort of.
It is Tuesday, time for the Rocky Butte Hill Repeats ride that I lead for my social bike club. Tonight we were joined by some folks from the Portland Wheelmen. My friend has dual citizenship and belongs to both groups. She posted tonight's ride on the PWTC calendar but was unable to attend this evening so I agreed to make the PWTC sign-in sheet available as well as our own group's sign-in sheet. I joked that tonight I got to be Monica. It was agreed that I'm not nearly as pretty as she is. ;-)
Oh well, at least we got everyone signed in.
It was a small group by Tuesday standards. I had 4 cyclists, plus two more from the Portland Wheelmen. It was a perfect night for a ride. Temperatures were in the upper 60's, the sky was blue, and wind was nearly non existent.
I got a leisurely 6 laps in, and a significant amount of visiting in also. ;-)
........road bike.......rollers.........mtb.....lifecycle.....total
Today........18..............0.............0..........0..........18
Jan.........474..............0............21..........7.........502
Feb.........530..............0.............0..........0.........530
March.......502..............0.............0..........0.........502
April.......524..............0.............0..........0.........524
May........1003..............0.............0..........0........1003
June.......1016..............0............10..........0........1026
July.......1148..............0.............0..........0........1148
August......376..............0.............0..........0.........376
YTD........5577..............0............37..........7........5621
It is Tuesday, time for the Rocky Butte Hill Repeats ride that I lead for my social bike club. Tonight we were joined by some folks from the Portland Wheelmen. My friend has dual citizenship and belongs to both groups. She posted tonight's ride on the PWTC calendar but was unable to attend this evening so I agreed to make the PWTC sign-in sheet available as well as our own group's sign-in sheet. I joked that tonight I got to be Monica. It was agreed that I'm not nearly as pretty as she is. ;-)
Oh well, at least we got everyone signed in.
It was a small group by Tuesday standards. I had 4 cyclists, plus two more from the Portland Wheelmen. It was a perfect night for a ride. Temperatures were in the upper 60's, the sky was blue, and wind was nearly non existent.
I got a leisurely 6 laps in, and a significant amount of visiting in also. ;-)
........road bike.......rollers.........mtb.....lifecycle.....total
Today........18..............0.............0..........0..........18
Jan.........474..............0............21..........7.........502
Feb.........530..............0.............0..........0.........530
March.......502..............0.............0..........0.........502
April.......524..............0.............0..........0.........524
May........1003..............0.............0..........0........1003
June.......1016..............0............10..........0........1026
July.......1148..............0.............0..........0........1148
August......376..............0.............0..........0.........376
YTD........5577..............0............37..........7........5621
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Tillamook Double
I rode Sandy Earl's Tillamook Double course today. The weather was much nicer than the last time I rode this.
I took off early this morning, remembering that even with a 5AM start last time that it was dark and raining when I finished. The longer days of Summer will help in that regard but I'd rather have a dark start in the early morning (low traffic count) rather than a dark finish in the evening (busier roads, and a more congested portion of the route)
It was an uneventful ride for the most part. Small stores were scattered along the route often enough that self support wasn't too hard. I had ridden two other double centuries this summer, Reach the Beach (and back) in May, and STP in July, both rides with a lot of company. Today's ride was notable mostly for it's.... loneliness. I don't remember seeing a single cyclist all day.
The weather was nice though. I started from Tillamook and headed north along the coast almost to Seaside before I turned inland and pedaled down to Hwy 18 and overlapped the Reach the Beach route for a bit. Once I "reached the beach" at Pacific City I kept going however. I was now riding the Three Capes Scenic Loop again, this time in the opposite direction from yesterday's ride.
The sun was a little more prevalent today. The ride over Cape Lookout was still a rough trip, and the mottled shade made it even harder to pick up the potholes. I scrubbed off quite a bit of brake pads, but stayed safe.
There was a stiff wind blowing today, probably 15-20 mph ...directly in my face as I made my way northward. But I had to keep telling myself, "It's ONLY a 20 mph headwind, and at most it can only last for another 45 miles, I've done worse."
It was pretty though.
I made it down Cape Lookout and was now riding along Netarts Bay again. Netarts had the welcome mat out.
The construction still had the Cape Meares leg closed, no surprise.
When I rode this last fall Sandy made an executive decision for we riders to forgo the Cape Meares loop in an effort to get us through Tillamook and it's busy traffic before dark. This time darkness would not be a problem. It struck me just a bit funny that I've ridden the Tillamook Double route twice now, and neither time did I get to ride Cape Meares. Luckily there's enough bonus miles built into the course that even shaving off the last cape I still get 200 miles in.
...and I got the 200 miles in before dark! :-)
........road bike.......rollers.........mtb.....lifecycle.....total
Today.......203..............0.............0..........0.........203
Jan.........474..............0............21..........7.........502
Feb.........530..............0.............0..........0.........530
March.......502..............0.............0..........0.........502
April.......524..............0.............0..........0.........524
May........1003..............0.............0..........0........1003
June.......1016..............0............10..........0........1026
July.......1148..............0.............0..........0........1148
August......358..............0.............0..........0.........358
YTD........5559..............0............37..........7........5603
I took off early this morning, remembering that even with a 5AM start last time that it was dark and raining when I finished. The longer days of Summer will help in that regard but I'd rather have a dark start in the early morning (low traffic count) rather than a dark finish in the evening (busier roads, and a more congested portion of the route)
It was an uneventful ride for the most part. Small stores were scattered along the route often enough that self support wasn't too hard. I had ridden two other double centuries this summer, Reach the Beach (and back) in May, and STP in July, both rides with a lot of company. Today's ride was notable mostly for it's.... loneliness. I don't remember seeing a single cyclist all day.
The weather was nice though. I started from Tillamook and headed north along the coast almost to Seaside before I turned inland and pedaled down to Hwy 18 and overlapped the Reach the Beach route for a bit. Once I "reached the beach" at Pacific City I kept going however. I was now riding the Three Capes Scenic Loop again, this time in the opposite direction from yesterday's ride.
The sun was a little more prevalent today. The ride over Cape Lookout was still a rough trip, and the mottled shade made it even harder to pick up the potholes. I scrubbed off quite a bit of brake pads, but stayed safe.
There was a stiff wind blowing today, probably 15-20 mph ...directly in my face as I made my way northward. But I had to keep telling myself, "It's ONLY a 20 mph headwind, and at most it can only last for another 45 miles, I've done worse."
It was pretty though.
I made it down Cape Lookout and was now riding along Netarts Bay again. Netarts had the welcome mat out.
The construction still had the Cape Meares leg closed, no surprise.
When I rode this last fall Sandy made an executive decision for we riders to forgo the Cape Meares loop in an effort to get us through Tillamook and it's busy traffic before dark. This time darkness would not be a problem. It struck me just a bit funny that I've ridden the Tillamook Double route twice now, and neither time did I get to ride Cape Meares. Luckily there's enough bonus miles built into the course that even shaving off the last cape I still get 200 miles in.
...and I got the 200 miles in before dark! :-)
........road bike.......rollers.........mtb.....lifecycle.....total
Today.......203..............0.............0..........0.........203
Jan.........474..............0............21..........7.........502
Feb.........530..............0.............0..........0.........530
March.......502..............0.............0..........0.........502
April.......524..............0.............0..........0.........524
May........1003..............0.............0..........0........1003
June.......1016..............0............10..........0........1026
July.......1148..............0.............0..........0........1148
August......358..............0.............0..........0.........358
YTD........5559..............0............37..........7........5603
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Three Capes
Well, really only two capes because of road construction. I was on the Oregon Coast this weekend for two days of bike riding under glorious weather.
Today I spent the afternoon riding the Three Capes Scenic Route. I started in Tillamook and rode south along the edge of Tillamook Bay, riding my intended loop counter clockwise. It became obvious quickly that today would only be a two capes ride. The road over Cape Meares was closed by construction. Too bad, the lighthouse on the Cape is always worth a stop and the view from there is outstanding. After a little sojourn along Tillamook Bay for the view I returned to the main road detour and saved a few miles, and a bit of climbing. I worked my way around the shore of Netarts Bay then began the biggest climb of the day, Cape Lookout. The climb isn't all that bad, but the road is really deteriorating. Potholes and cracks in the asphalt from the roadbed sloughing off abound and they are hard to see in the mottled shade. Climbing not so bad, but it really complicates the descent. Hopefully the road gets repaired in the not too distant future. It is signed as the Oregon Coast Bike Route, so hopefully there is some impetus to keep it safe for biking.
The third cape of the day hardly counts. Cape Kiwanda at Pacific City is barely noticeable as a climb on the bike, more like a run of the mill hill. But Haystack Rock is always worth a photo.
I reached Pacific City, stopped for a snack, then headed inland for the return leg of my loop. There was a north wind so I was lucky that I rode counter clockwise. I had more shelter from the wind amongst the trees.
The weather was comfortable, in the mid 60's. There was a high overcast, but no rain. Later in the day the cloud cover burned off to reveal a nice blue sky.
78 miles today.
and of course a good day to be on a bike!
........road bike.......rollers.........mtb.....lifecycle.....total
Today........78..............0.............0..........0..........78
Jan.........474..............0............21..........7.........502
Feb.........530..............0.............0..........0.........530
March.......502..............0.............0..........0.........502
April.......524..............0.............0..........0.........524
May........1003..............0.............0..........0........1003
June.......1016..............0............10..........0........1026
July.......1148..............0.............0..........0........1148
August......155..............0.............0..........0.........155
YTD........5356..............0............37..........7........5400
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Accidental Half Century
It is Thursday, time for me to lead an installment of the Rocky Butte hill repeats ride for my social bike club. I took the opportunity to ride in from Oaks Park tonight just because the weather was so nice, I got off work in time, and the extra miles would be a good thing. I hit some heavier than expected traffic on the way to Oaks Park so had to ride hard to make it to the ride in time. I rode east on the Springwater Corridor then north on the I-205 Bike Path. I'm not normally a big fan of bike paths but it worked tonight.
Thursdays have become a less attended event than the Tuesday rides. Tonight we had 4 cyclists total. I rode 6 repeats. Not a hard ride by my normal standards, but hard enough to get some training value. I got a little visiting in while doing it too. ;-)
Following the ride we split up to go our separate ways. It was a very nice night for riding so I accepted the offer to join one of this evening's participants on the ride home. It was nice bonus miles, and a nice chance to chat a bit. When that trip was finished I turned south and made my way across town via residential streets rather then return the ~70 blocks to Rocky Butte and follow my inbound route back.
I knew that if I just kept going south I'd have to bump into the Springwater Corridor at which point I'd turn right and head toward the Willamette River.
Somehow riding in the dark I missed the Springwater Corridor path and continued south for several more miles before it became glaringly obvious that I had missed the path. I was in Milwaukie and a few miles beyond where I should have turned. I made a call to my sister who mapquested my location and where I wanted to be. She gave me directions on how to get back on course. Okay sis, I take back almost all the things I said about you when we were kids.. almost! ;-)
I got back on course and got back to my pickup just before 11PM. Tonight's ride, with planned commute would have been about 38 miles. I came in with 48.4 miles. Not raining, not cold, only 1.6 miles to go to make a nice round 50 mile ride. What's a bike rider to do? Ride the bike of course! I rode around a few blocks and watched the odometer roll the 50 miles into view.
This weekend I had planned on riding in Central Oregon, 100 miles on Saturday and 100 miles on Sunday. Century Drive one day and up to Paulina Lake the other day. Two of my favorite Central Oregon rides. However the social bike club is involved in a fund raiser for one of our members who was involved in a bad bike crash and has been hospitalized for many weeks. The leadership asked that all competing rides be cancelled.
I'll make my donation in another way and go ride my bike. I'm thinking I may go to the coast and ride the Three Cape Scenic Loop, a nice ~75 mile lap, or maybe I'll ride the Tillamook Double course that Sandy Earl put together last year.
We'll see what happens. Stay tuned!
........road bike.......rollers.........mtb.....lifecycle.....total
Today........50..............0.............0..........0..........50
Jan.........474..............0............21..........7.........502
Feb.........530..............0.............0..........0.........530
March.......502..............0.............0..........0.........502
April.......524..............0.............0..........0.........524
May........1003..............0.............0..........0........1003
June.......1016..............0............10..........0........1026
July.......1148..............0.............0..........0........1148
August.......77..............0.............0..........0..........77
YTD........5278..............0............37..........7........5322
Thursdays have become a less attended event than the Tuesday rides. Tonight we had 4 cyclists total. I rode 6 repeats. Not a hard ride by my normal standards, but hard enough to get some training value. I got a little visiting in while doing it too. ;-)
Following the ride we split up to go our separate ways. It was a very nice night for riding so I accepted the offer to join one of this evening's participants on the ride home. It was nice bonus miles, and a nice chance to chat a bit. When that trip was finished I turned south and made my way across town via residential streets rather then return the ~70 blocks to Rocky Butte and follow my inbound route back.
I knew that if I just kept going south I'd have to bump into the Springwater Corridor at which point I'd turn right and head toward the Willamette River.
Somehow riding in the dark I missed the Springwater Corridor path and continued south for several more miles before it became glaringly obvious that I had missed the path. I was in Milwaukie and a few miles beyond where I should have turned. I made a call to my sister who mapquested my location and where I wanted to be. She gave me directions on how to get back on course. Okay sis, I take back almost all the things I said about you when we were kids.. almost! ;-)
I got back on course and got back to my pickup just before 11PM. Tonight's ride, with planned commute would have been about 38 miles. I came in with 48.4 miles. Not raining, not cold, only 1.6 miles to go to make a nice round 50 mile ride. What's a bike rider to do? Ride the bike of course! I rode around a few blocks and watched the odometer roll the 50 miles into view.
This weekend I had planned on riding in Central Oregon, 100 miles on Saturday and 100 miles on Sunday. Century Drive one day and up to Paulina Lake the other day. Two of my favorite Central Oregon rides. However the social bike club is involved in a fund raiser for one of our members who was involved in a bad bike crash and has been hospitalized for many weeks. The leadership asked that all competing rides be cancelled.
I'll make my donation in another way and go ride my bike. I'm thinking I may go to the coast and ride the Three Cape Scenic Loop, a nice ~75 mile lap, or maybe I'll ride the Tillamook Double course that Sandy Earl put together last year.
We'll see what happens. Stay tuned!
........road bike.......rollers.........mtb.....lifecycle.....total
Today........50..............0.............0..........0..........50
Jan.........474..............0............21..........7.........502
Feb.........530..............0.............0..........0.........530
March.......502..............0.............0..........0.........502
April.......524..............0.............0..........0.........524
May........1003..............0.............0..........0........1003
June.......1016..............0............10..........0........1026
July.......1148..............0.............0..........0........1148
August.......77..............0.............0..........0..........77
YTD........5278..............0............37..........7........5322
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
A slow start to the month
Today is Wednesday, that of course means that yesterday was Tuesday. Followers of this blog likely remember that I lead Rocky Butte hill repeats for my social bike club on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. What most blog followers don't know is that I've got a fire board meeting on the first Tuesday of each month so I am unable to ride Rocky Butte on first Tuesdays.
Bummer!
But I did get out tonight thanks to an afternoon invitation to go for an after work lap around Hagg Lake. Having a grand total of ZERO miles for the month so far I jumped at the chance to get even a few miles tonight.
The weather was nice, blue sky, no appreciable wind, low 80's. I was hoping to have time to ride to the lake from Forest Grove but a tight time schedule made that not possible.
I rode from the Lake Stop Store which gives a couple of miles of warm up before climbing the first hill. I rode the first lap counter-clockwise at an 18.6 mph average then joined up with my ride partners for clockwise lap at a slightly slower pace. It was a nice evening for a ride around Hagg Lake.
On our return to the Lake Stop Store after our circuit of the lake we came across a herd of perhaps 90-100 elk. They kept a close watch on us, but we managed to get a few photos and eventually ride off without having them bolt off.
After the ride we went to a local pub where a spouse was saving a table for us. After the seemingly mandatory tater tots along with assorted accoutrements we all called it a night.
Tomorrow is Thursday, time to ride hills again!
........road bike.......rollers.........mtb.....lifecycle.....total
Today........27..............0.............0..........0..........27
Jan.........474..............0............21..........7.........502
Feb.........530..............0.............0..........0.........530
March.......502..............0.............0..........0.........502
April.......524..............0.............0..........0.........524
May........1003..............0.............0..........0........1003
June.......1016..............0............10..........0........1026
July.......1148..............0.............0..........0........1148
August.......27..............0.............0..........0..........27
YTD........5228..............0............37..........7........5272
Bummer!
But I did get out tonight thanks to an afternoon invitation to go for an after work lap around Hagg Lake. Having a grand total of ZERO miles for the month so far I jumped at the chance to get even a few miles tonight.
The weather was nice, blue sky, no appreciable wind, low 80's. I was hoping to have time to ride to the lake from Forest Grove but a tight time schedule made that not possible.
I rode from the Lake Stop Store which gives a couple of miles of warm up before climbing the first hill. I rode the first lap counter-clockwise at an 18.6 mph average then joined up with my ride partners for clockwise lap at a slightly slower pace. It was a nice evening for a ride around Hagg Lake.
On our return to the Lake Stop Store after our circuit of the lake we came across a herd of perhaps 90-100 elk. They kept a close watch on us, but we managed to get a few photos and eventually ride off without having them bolt off.
After the ride we went to a local pub where a spouse was saving a table for us. After the seemingly mandatory tater tots along with assorted accoutrements we all called it a night.
Tomorrow is Thursday, time to ride hills again!
........road bike.......rollers.........mtb.....lifecycle.....total
Today........27..............0.............0..........0..........27
Jan.........474..............0............21..........7.........502
Feb.........530..............0.............0..........0.........530
March.......502..............0.............0..........0.........502
April.......524..............0.............0..........0.........524
May........1003..............0.............0..........0........1003
June.......1016..............0............10..........0........1026
July.......1148..............0.............0..........0........1148
August.......27..............0.............0..........0..........27
YTD........5228..............0............37..........7........5272
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