The start to a new week means Mosey Monday. It often serves as a recovery ride. We had quite a number of riders out in sub-freezing temperatures and our first half of the ride was rather sedate. We took advantage of the strong tailwind and rode a comfortable pace to the turn around at the south end of the trail.
There was no clue that this was all about to change. I ducked in behind Brian to cheat the strong headwind, then on B&A Blvd found myself behind Chet, where I hung tight to his wheel. Suddenly, Chet decided to close the gap between he and Matt (about 50 yards) and I stayed with him. My alternative was to fight the headwind and I didn’t want to do that. Little did I know that this would start a full on sprint as Matt really didn’t want to get caught, and those behind me also didn’t want to battle the headwind. Within a short time, the group ride was split with about 6 of us off the front, and several who got “dropped”.
I have to admit that the sprint felt pretty good. Not only was I able to hang on, but there was a bit of a rush from the added effort. If it had been a longer distance, I would have fallen off the pace, but this was sufficient for the day.
A ride is always a nice start to the day, and to the week.
This Ride: 21.1 miles
Month: 72.6 miles
2013: 876.8 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 20,649.7 miles
After yesterday’s disappointing attendance at the 5:45 am ride, Dan put out a list of 10 reasons he gets out of bed in the morning to ride.
1: Somebody else may be at the bridge and I wouldn’t want them to ride alone
2: If I don’t ride in the morning it just aint happening
3: By the time y’all decide to come back out I want to be in shape to drop your sorry asses
4: Middle aged men in spandex should ride in the dark, sorry but that ought to be a rule
5: What else you gonna’ do between 5:00 and 7:15am, like Earl said “who are you kidding”
6: Somebodies got to ride more miles than Janet
7: My bikes like to get dirty, it sure beats gathering dust in the garage
8: The Fleche is less than five and a half weeks away…….just sayin’
9: I like to eat, so I gotta’ ride
10: I see the sunrise from the saddle almost every morning, why would I want to miss that
’nuff said? See you at the bridge!
Today, a total of 5 riders were out in a very light rain and 42° F. Chris L was out. It is always good to see him. It was a morning of good conversation. Again, what a great way to start the day.
February is in the books. If I get time later today both bikes now need to be cleaned up after riding in wet conditions, so no more riding for February.
This Ride: 26 miles
Month: 388 miles
2013: 804.2 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 20,577.1 miles
On a foggy morning the froggies peeped. But where were the riders? Oh they were asleep!
<Insert Groan here>
Those little amphibious harbingers of spring around these parts have started their love calls and I’m excited! This is a sure sign of spring.
There were only two of us riding on the warmer (45° F) foggy morning. We had a lot of rain yesterday into last evening, but besides being damp out, it was quite pleasant.
We had wide-ranging conversation. We nearly earned the “Run over a bunny” award. I had a front flat that was quickly repaired but resulted in the need to cut the ride a couple of miles short.
And, as always, I feel better now than when I first got up. What a way to start the day!
This Ride: 18.5 miles
Month: 362 miles
2013: 778.2 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 20,551.1 miles
Get your butt out of bed and go anyway!
The desire, motivation, feeling, and attitude just wasn’t there this morning. When the alarm rang, I was this close || to rolling over and going back to sleep. It was a late night and I didn’t sleep well.
But, before I could talk myself out of it, I was up and getting ready. Granted, I was already mapping out the day to find time for a nap, but in reality that will not happen today. I climbed on the fixie in the below freezing temperatures and pushed off. I kept the pace up and added a little before the Rusty Bridge. When it was time to roll with the group, we had 8 riders.
I don’t know exactly when it happened … I only know it did. The fog in the head lifted, and my attitude and perspective changed. It was a good morning to be on the bike. I even added a few extra miles at the end.
So yes, get up and ride. Your excuses are not reasons to stay in bed.
This Ride: 24 miles
Month: 343.5 miles
2013: 759.7 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 20,532.6 miles
The 2013 Fléche is April 6-7. Team Chain Reaction has two new members due to an injury and an attempt to keep local riders involved. Our new members include Fran & Theresa and our returning members include myself, Jack N, and Mike B. Our route this year was designed by Jack and includes two trips over the Blue Ridge Mountains and a control in Charlestown, WV. It has been submitted for approval.
With that major event (more than 225 miles) less than 6 weeks away, it is time to ramp up the training, especially the base miles. Therefore, as I pushed off this morning for the Mosey Monday Ride with Severna Park Peloton, I resolved to kick it up a notch and increase the pace. I maxed out my heart rate on a couple of hills (170 bpm) and kept the pace up for most of the ride. That’s tough to do with temperatures in the upper 20s, but I accomplished my fastest average speed in a month and only have 4 rides faster this year.
In recent weeks I’ve been riding slower with Dan as he recovers from knee surgery. Dan got his legs back, and even as I kicked up the pace, my view was of a flashing red tail light gradually moving away from me. I’ll never be as strong as Dan, but I’d like to be able to keep his light in view!
It was a good morning ride. There were six of us out. Part of our conversation was focused on the delight of outdoor exercise. We are getting a sunrise before we finish the ride, and it is nice to be riding in daylight … for a couple more weeks before Daylight Saving Time kicks in.
This Ride: 21.8 miles
Month: 319.5 miles
2013: 735.7 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 20,508.6 miles
Three days of riding in a row! I’m embarrassed to say that today’s ride marks only the second time this year I’ve ridden more than two days in a row. I’ve not yet put together a longer string this year … except a string of no rides for 10 days and another of 9. Granted, there has been illness and challenging weather, but still. I need to kick this up a notch.
This morning’s ride to Annapolis for breakfast was the usual great time. There was only one scare, and that was when a deer looked like it was going to challenge us for position on the road shoulder. I think Mike B’s shout convinced the deer to go another direction. Mike C drove down, so he was there for the first time in 3 months. He is 12 weeks post surgery on an Achilles tear. I had to rush back because I have a service window of “8-12” for a washing machine repair. I would have liked to ride longer, but will have to settle for 27 miles on the day.
This Ride: 27 miles
Month: 297.8 miles
2013: 713.9 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 20,486.8 miles
When I saw the forecast last night for this morning’s temperatures, I wanted to stay in bed. But then, I thought of poor Dan, out riding his bike all alone, and I set the alarm to get up and get out there.
It was 24° F at 5:30 when I pushed my way out the door. Twenty-four is not so bad. It was 23 on Monday when we started, so I had the clothing dialed in to remain comfortable. That experience matters.
Arriving at the Rusty Bridge, I was surprised to see Matt and Ravi … but no Dan. All of us wondered where he was as we pushed off. By the time we hit Robinson Road, we were convinced that it would be the three of us (all on fixies by the way) and we settled in for the morning.
What yonder light breaks? At Glen Oban, there was Dan! He fell back asleep after the alarm sounded, and woke again just as we were pushing off from the Rusty Bridge. He endured the ribbing and the four of us settled into a reasonable pace that allowed conversation and still gave us a workout.
It was a quiet morning. Dawn arrived gently. Despite the heavier than usual traffic on B&A Blvd, there were no incidents to report. Clothing choices worked perfectly. I arrived home without being chilled to the bone.
This morning’s ride is what are called “base miles”.
This Ride: 18.6 miles
Month: 270.8 miles
2013: 686.9 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 20,459.8 miles
That 200k on Monday hurt me! I was surprised by the pain I had Monday evening into Tuesday. My legs ached and I was stiff.
I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised. As I look at my riding log, I had exactly 5 rides between my 200k in January and this one in February, even though there were 19 days in between the two. Those 5 rides totaled just over 105 miles. This is what it feels like to not have sufficient base miles under my belt when doing a 200k! We can’t let that happen again!
All in all, that meant that yesterday was a no ride day, and today was a gentle recovery ride. And I actually did it right!
Chris L, Dan & I stuck to the trail and took it easy. My heart rate average was 116 for the morning, and it was that high only because of the last half of the ride. My legs were challenged by the < 14 mph average pace on the fixie. But it was a good morning, and as Dan & Chris kept repeating, we always feel better after a ride.
Recovery rides are as important as those base miles, those intervals, the hill training, the long-distance riding, and the sprints. Each have their place.
This Ride: 18.3 miles
Month: 252.2 miles
2013: 668.4 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 20,441.3 miles
You never know what you will find along side the road on a 200k. There is only one route I know in the area that will yield more than a dozen banana peels; Sailing Down to Solomon’s 200k. It was President’s Day and one sure fire way for me to take a day off work on a holiday is to climb on a bike and do a long ride.
As I planned the ride, it looked like it was going to be another solo ride. Then Steve H. signed on. Then, an ACP ride was postponed because of weather on Saturday and suddenly I had 5 more riders going with me. No one needed to ride alone to count banana peels.
With the exception of Steve, this was a very experienced group of riders. This was Steve’s 3rd 200k. We arrived at the start in plenty of time, and all pushed off right at 7:00 am, after a brief confab on the anticipated stops. It was a very chilly 23° F with the forecast of sunny skies, light winds, and temperatures getting into the upper 30s. Early on, it was clear that we would not all be riding together the whole day. There were some fast riders, slower riders, and even slower riders. Much of the day for me was spent trying to negotiate the proper speed so that I wasn’t riding alone.
Our first stop was at mile 36 where water bottles were topped off (temps had risen to freezing), bathroom break and the cup of hot chocolate and snickers bar seemed to be the perfect choice for me. Although I had liberally applied chapstick to my face, the red ring where my skin had been exposed was quite apparent. A quick blast from the hot air hand dryers made quick work of a damp balaclava. Since it was now above freezing, a layer of clothing was able to be removed … for me that was simply one layer on my head and my wool glove liners. Vents were opened in my jacket and I remained comfortable in those temperatures.
On the next leg to Solomons, we easily settled into 3 different groups. George and Scott were off the front. Janet and Gardner were riding together. Mike, Steve and I brought up the rear. Mike took it slow uphill, but we still had a reasonable pace and enjoyed the day. We were settled into the fact that this would be a longer day. As we left the information control at Solomons, not only did Gardner and Janet show up (they had taken a wrong turn), but I noticed that my front tire was getting soft. I pressed on, and made it to the planned lunch stop without having to stop and change the tube.
Let me tell you. If you are going to get a flat on a winter ride, do it at your lunch stop. It really makes everything easier. I removed the wheel, took it and the repair kit inside, and while waiting for my food, found the piece of glass embedded in the tire and changed out the tube. My hands were warm and dry. Best flat tire repair ever!
From Solomons, the ride is a gradual uphill and there are sections where each of the hills have their own character. They are all quite familiar to me, and I don’t like a handful of them. Rather, I don’t like most of them, I despise a handful of them. Our pace slowed because of the hills, but the slower pace meant that I never really got myself into trouble. Steve commented at one point about how much better he felt with the slower pace than the pace he maintained on his last 200k … last weekend.
Without incident, we moved through North Beach and to another planned stop at Rosehaven. It was there where we caught Gardner and Janet and Bill W had ridden down on his motorcycle to visit with us at the control. We stayed long enough for hot chocolate and another cheese steak, bracing ourselves for the last 30 miles with the most rolling hills and long climbs. Gardner and Janet stayed close the rest of the ride, sometimes getting ahead but waiting at key intersections for us to arrive.
Those last 30 miles seem to take forever. It begins with a very long steady climb, followed by a short, fast descent, followed by a long steady climb, short ups and downs, and sections that look just like the last section. At Harwood, we stopped just long enough to don reflective gear and break out the headlights as the sun was very low in the sky and the upcoming curving roads sometimes traveled through forested areas with no shoulders. Better to be seen in the diminishing light than to be hit by some vehicle coming around a curve.
We finished after sunset, at around 6:15 pm. It was my slowest 200k “on the bike”, but not my slowest in terms of elapsed time. Despite three significant stops, including two “meals” we managed our off the bike time pretty well.
It was a nice day to be out on the bike, even if it was pretty chilly most of the day. I dressed properly and never really got cold.
I’m always amazed and disappointed at the amount of trash along the roadways. What are people thinking when they toss stuff out the car window? Banana peels I can partially understand. They will eventually decompose. (I count these because of my first ride on this route in icy/snowy conditions. I thought that slipping on a banana peel in icy conditions would be rather funny.) I’m reduced to looking for interesting trash among all the debris along the road. The Ipad was smashed. Can you imagine the fight in the car that caused that to happen? The coffee maker … who knows?
Ride number 7 in this next series of 12 consecutive months of riding at least a 200k for the second R-12 award is in the books. It is time to start planning the March ride. April will be the Fleche. May and June will likely be within a few days of one another. That’s as far as I can see right now.
The only photo I took was in the bathroom at Rosehaven. It seemed like good advice.
This Ride: 128.7 miles
Month: 233.9 miles
2013: 650.1 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 20,423 miles
We had an enjoyable breakfast ride this morning. We had some folks out we had not seen for a while, and that is always nice. I elected to keep the ride short this morning because of a long list of tasks to take care of at home … including bike maintenance.
I rely on these nice days because my bike maintenance takes place in the back yard. I had a short but important list for both bikes.
Kona
- Degrease, clean, and lube the drive train.
- Evaluate the condition of the chain.
- Replace rear brakes.
- Evaluate the condition of the tires.
- Replace rear tire & tube.
Fixie
- Degrease, clean, and lube the drive train.
- Evaluate the condition of the chain.
- Replace the rear brakes.
- Evaluate the condition of the tires.
- Clean bike.
It is very satisfying to have accomplished these essential tasks.
The Kona maintenance was mostly preemptive. I’m riding another 200k on Monday, and I wanted to make sure everything was in fine working order … especially the rear tire. While there are likely more miles on this tire, the upcoming ride will likely have plenty of debris on it. A new tire handles that a lot better. Let me tell you, a new tire is a beautiful thing!
Look at that new tire compared to the old one.
The Fixie was long overdue for some basic maintenance. I need to order a new chain. The one on it now is shot after riding in all the wet, snowy, gritty, salty weather the past month or so. The chain tester indicates more than 100% wear. I guess I’ll order one soon. This chain has 1700 miles on it. Not bad for a fixie!
I installed “Cool Stop” brakes for the first time. I’ll be interested to see how they function.
This Ride: 27.9 miles
Month: 105.2 miles
2013: 521.3 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 20,294.2 miles
Rev Rider 