This Ride: 70.2 miles
Month: 444.7 miles
2011: 7,514.2 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 13633.9 miles
Well, this was an interesting day …
It was all fixie, all the time. I started with the 5:45 ride this morning, and evidently shamed Clint into not only riding the fixie but also riding 5:45. There was a later ride planned for breakfast at the Red Canoe, but I wanted some extra miles and the earlier ride seemed perfect for it. We had a nice early ride, and as planned, arrived at the Rusty Bridge in time to meet up for the longer ride into Baltimore. This is when plans changed rapidly.
As we waited for others to arrive, we noticed a light on the trail south of us, then it was gone. Here, let me allow Chip to describe what happened.
Just a brief description of the event and how it happened. I knew I was pressing the time limit, so I opted to take the trail so they would see me coming. Unfortunately, before leaving the house I made a decision to wear only my sunglasses and thinking it would transition to light very soon. I could see light on the horizon. Unfortunately, it didn’t give me much visibilty and I was pretty much up to full speed when I hit the orange plastic fence. The bike stopped right there, but I kept going. l landed on the base of my spine so I’m pretty sure I did a complete 360 in the air. If I had been a little farther right, I would have landed in the hole and who knows how bad it could have been. So, I actually feel lucky in some way. Unfortunately, I’ll miss a few rides.
The plastic fence Chip refers to is a construction fence put up along the trail to keep people out of a hole washed out by heavy rain earlier in the year. The “hole” is a section of the bike path that is gone, and is about 8 feet deep. Clint called Chip to give him grief about not showing up for the ride and Chip squeeked out that he had crashed. Three of us made our way to Chip, evaluating his injuries, calling his wife to pick him up, and assisting him down the trail to a place where he could get into the car. It took at least a full minute to disentangle his bike from the fence. Thirty minutes later, we started our trek into the city.
We got into Baltimore with minimal problems (although Ravi might describe it differently). We connected with Theresa and Gardiner. Gardiner showed us a better route to the Red Canoe and Theresa served as tour guide, telling us all about the different buildings and sites we passed. Breakfast at the Red Canoe was great, as described. I had a breakfast burrito, which was excellent and the envy of those who ordered only muffins (although these are great muffins!). Soon we were back on our way south, with Gardiner taking us down a very enjoyable route. All of us agreed that this route was much better than any we had taken to the Red Canoe before.
Soon, but much later than planned, we were back home and I had accomplished my longest ever ride on the fixie, with 70 miles. My Achilles Tendon was complaining loudly, but some preventive taping minimized the trauma. It really hurt on the high cadence downhills.
All told, 12 people participated in the ride, although only six of us rode the whole route. I had the camera for video and stills, and will figure out how to post some of that later.
It was a nice day on the bike!
This Ride: 21.4 miles
Month: 374.5 miles
2011: 7,444 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 13563.7 miles
The winter solstice arrived with gusto this morning, and our first day of winter ride couldn’t have been nicer. We had a dozen riders out in falling temperatures starting at about 50 and ending around 45. Some of the riders were first-timers for the 5:45 ride, and at the end of the ride, at least one of them commented that this was the fastest ever ridden.
I’m gradually solving a shift alignment problem, so today was better than yesterday. Maybe later today I can get the bike up on the new Park maintenance stand and fine tune the adjustments. I want it working perfectly for Monday’s 200k.
Even though the hours of daylight gets longer now, sunrise still is later until January 6th.
Despite the crunch and demands on my time as we move toward Christmas (or maybe because of it), I’ve still been riding. As you know, I’ve been less successful at putting up ride reports.
Miles logged this week include:
- Monday = 21.9
- Tuesday = 21.4
- Wednesday = 21.5
As you can see from the miles, I’ve been riding the 5:45 ride as usual. Attendance has ranged from 4 to 10. It has been good to get out. I do notice that people are quieter this week. When I mentioned it, one rider simply commented that he was tired. Not another word was said.
In other Severna Park Peloton Cycling news:
- Our annual Holiday Party was held on Saturday evening at Clint’s house. Nearly 70 people were in attendance. Clint received a surprise award as Tête de Peloton. Bryan N received the cyclist of the year award.
- Our annual Christmas Light Ride was held on Sunday evening, followed by dinner and conversation at John & Janet’s home. About 20 riders were out to see the lights.
- SPP now has three full Flèche teams in place for the DC Rand Flèche April 14-15. I’m captain of the second team. This should be good.
- Friday, some of us are riding to Red Canoe in Baltimore for breakfast.
- Our Boxing Day (December 26) Ride (205k) is on with at least 5 riders.
- We are planning a January 2 ride (another 200k).
As I look to the end of the month, and the end of the year I’ve got revised goals. I want to end the year with at least 7,650 miles and 7,700 miles is not out of the question.
Month: 353.1 miles
2011: 7,422.6 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 13542.3 miles
This Ride: 52.4 miles
Month: 288.5 miles
2011: 7,357.9 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 13477.6 miles
It required a double take and independent verification this morning to determine the temperature. At 5:00 am it was 58° F! I almost left the house dressed for 58 and I’m glad I didn’t. I noticed that the temps were supposed to fall fast, reaching about 45 by 8:00 and since I planned a little longer ride this morning, I dressed for 45. I’m glad I did. More than half my ride was in those lower temperatures. What a week! Monday started with 23 and by Friday it was 58. I went through quite a variety of clothing choices.
We had 12 riders out this morning, with 6 going on to breakfast at the Hard Bean in Annapolis. It was a breezy morning, but lots of good conversation and four of us were on fixies. Much of our conversation was on tomorrow evening’s SPP winter party at Clint’s house. We are expecting about 60 people so it should be a good time.
The solo trip around the airport felt pretty good. I shot some video. I’ll have to see if it turned out. Part way around the airport I heard three beeps (not good) and turned the camera off. I had hoped to record the whole airport loop and play it back at double speed. There was very little traffic on the trail around the airport. I think I saw only about 3 riders the entire loop.
The task list for today is pretty long. I think I’d better get to it.
A pastor’s life in the ramp up to Christmas is crazy. Just keeping up with the log of my rides reaches that tipping point where it just doesn’t fit anymore. So, while waiting for an appointment to show up, I’ll catch up a bit.
Wednesday:
Ten … that’s right, ten riders were out Wednesday morning in 34° F temps for a great ride. We split on Old County Road again, the faster riders just couldn’t hold back and we slower riders were content to keep conversation going. I rode the Kona, expecting that the next ride would be on new wheels and I wanted to get a feel for the difference those new wheels would make. It was simply a good ride. The sunrise at the end of the ride was spectacular.
The new wheels arrived Tuesday and I took them to the Bike Doctor for a new cassette and new tubes and tires. Then, before installing them on the bike, I cleaned the bike and chain and checked the brake pads. I made a slight adjustment to one of the brake pads, and all was good.
Thursday:
Eight riders were out in 44° F! Forty-four! Most of us overdressed, especially as we reconnected with the southern end of the trail and picked up the pace dramatically. I know I saw 28 mph on the Garmin and I logged my fastest time on the private route I established in Strava. I don’t expect to be setting records in December! The new wheels worked well. They do have a little noise to them as they are settling in. I’ll let them rest tomorrow as I log some miles on the fixie again.
These Rides: 42.8 miles
Month: 236.1 miles
2011: 7,305.6 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 13425.3 miles
This Ride: 22.9 miles
Month: 193.3 miles
2011: 7,262.8 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 13382.5 miles
It wasn’t as cold as yesterday morning … but 26° F still means ice where water flows across the trail/road and in the dark we watch for those spots. Eight riders out once again. Clint made the observation that of the 8, only one of us was “on the fence” yet about riding the Flèche in April. Bill C. wants to, but he is still trying to determine if life off the bike will cooperate for him to spend 24 hours on the bike.
We got a chance to hear about Chip’s adventures on the Woodbine Wallop ride last Saturday. It was the ride that completed an R-48, 48 consecutive months of riding recognized 200k (or more) rides. In SPP, he sets the bar. The next closest rider has an R-36, a whole year less.
We had our share of excitement this morning. Both Bryan and Chip had lighting issues, so their headlights stopped functioning half way through the ride. They tucked in close behind others with lights and negotiated the route fine. Vehicle drivers were not as attentive or courteous this morning either. That seemed the theme for the morning, and it culminated in an encounter near the end of the trail. At Robinson Road I made a bad decision about the speed of an oncoming vehicle (and with the fixie it is harder to stop short), so I proceeded through the intersection. I believe everyone else stopped. The vehicle was coming faster than anticipated, he had to slow, and proceeded to yell at us that there was a stop sign. Someone yelled back that there also was a crosswalk. I slowed and waited on the other side for the resolution of the matter and later thanked the group for defending my honor, even though I was in the wrong.
All in all, it was a nice morning to be out.
My day is proving to be interesting. I have a meeting in Frederick that I’ll miss. My car won’t start. My jumper battery is dead too. I have plenty of work to do without going to the meeting, so it’s just a change in plans.
I’m also expecting my new bike wheels to be delivered today.
Last Friday, on Friendly, Fixie, Friday we had a chilly good ride into Annapolis. I shot some video and I’ve been working on getting the videos edited and uploaded to a YouTube channel (in the little spare time I have). Watch for more of that feature in the future.
This Ride: 33.3 miles
Month: 149.1 miles
2011: 7,218.6 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 13338.3 miles
When we blew into the Hard Bean, we were glad for the warmth of the room and the warmth from Myna also. We all ordered our coffee and breakfast, and in no time 4 slices of pecan pie appeared. It was very tasty. I decided to ride back with Mike B, and once we got on the trail his front fender failed. It had to be removed and he shortened his trip, so I simply rode up to Baltimore Washington Hospital and picked up the car. It was a nice morning on the fixie.
Mosey Monday
This Ride: 21.3 miles
Month: 170.4 miles
2011: 7,239.9 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 13359.6 miles
It’s winter! We’ve not had snow yet, but when it is 23° F as we start the ride … it’s winter. We had 8 brave souls out this morning. I dipped deeper into my bag of winter clothing pulling out the wind resistant tights, the wind resistant balaclava and the ski gloves. I rode the fixie and completely enjoyed the ride. We had some patches of ice to watch out for. It has been quite some time that we’ve had to call out and warn one another about ice. In fact, as I review my records, this was one of only 4 rides all year at this temperature or colder. I guess it was chilly.
(Lousy reports … but now I’m not behind.)
This Ride: 21.5 miles
Month: 115.8 miles
2011: 7,185.3 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 13305 miles
Last evening when I went to bed, there was a forecast of some possible snow overnight. The weather has changed dramatically in recent days. Monday we had thick fog. Tuesday we rode on very wet pavement, but it was warm. Yesterday, I chose not to ride in the heavy rain. This morning … well, no snow and temperatures were right around freezing. At least there was no ice on the roads.
We had a big turnout, more than 10 riders. We took a pretty easy pace. Chris L joined us for the first time in a very long time. Mike B was also out trying to accumulate miles. His 9,000 mile year is just barely within grasp and he keeps flirting with whether or not he will commit to the effort necessary to achieve those miles in the remaining days of the year.
There were a lot of sticks on the trail. I got one caught in a jockey wheel and we entertained ourselves for a little while with Clint maneuvering close to run over the stick to pull it out by running over it. While this close formation maneuver was going on, 4-5 deer crossed the trail ahead of us, making a second attempt necessary. The trick worked … kind of. I still had to stop to remove stick debris from the jockey wheel, but it wasn’t dragging on the ground any more. That was the excitement for the morning.
Clint and I talked to Bill C about possibly riding on the Fleche team. He is going to take some more convincing.
It was a nice ride. Now on to the rest of the day. Work responsibilities will take me to after 10:00 pm today.
This Ride: 22.2 miles
Month: 94.3 miles
2011: 7,163.8 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 13283.5 miles
The radar showed light showers in the area at 5:00 am, but nothing much to be concerned about. The temperature of 55° F meant that if there was any light rain, it wouldn’t feel uncomfortable. So, here we were in December with no jacket, wearing shorts and short fingered gloves riding before dawn. We had seven at the start and one joined us much later. It is good to see some of the irregulars out on a morning like this. It was a nice day to ride.
Our ride was relatively brisk but cautious at the same time. Wet road surfaces hide the imperfections and can be quite hazardous at times. We encountered no rain whatsoever, so the ride was actually dryer than yesterday’s fog. At the re-entry onto the trail, Dan picked up the pace and we held about 20 mph to the end, then he turned around and did it all again at about the same pace. I was able to hang with that for a time, but then dropped back to a more comfortable3 pace. Jim K, Bill C and I rode the last 1/3 of the ride together, with some good conversation and still a reasonable pace.
This morning is a great example of just getting out and exercising. If there had not been a group that I knew would show up to ride in these conditions, I might have decided to sleep in. The decision to ride each morning has already been made before morning arrives (most times days ahead of time). That means that to not ride is to change my mind. If I did it any other way, I might not get out of bed. It is a routine like going in to the office. If it is a work day, I’ll be going in. If it is a work day, I’ll be riding.
This Ride: 22.1 miles
Month: 72.1 miles
2011: 7,141.6 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 13261.3 miles
The fog this morning was dense. Sometimes visibility could be measured in yards. As we met at the Rusty Bridge, we noticed some people were coming rather late. When Clint arrived, he told us about an accident at the roundabout at Jumper’s Hole & East West Highway where a young woman had missed the roundabout and simply gone straight into the circle. We went back to see if we could provide assistance. We freed her car from the planting area, and waited with her until her parents arrived. The wheel was damaged, and possible suspension damage suggested the best move was a tow truck. We proceeded on our way, although Mike C turned back because the fog was thick and collecting on his glasses so much that it was hard to see.
We took the pace easy. Visibility was actually better up front. With other rider’s tail lights flashing it was harder to see. The six riders set out at a very conversational pace, with most of the ride being two by two deep in conversation. I barely noticed the miles slipping by.
I’m amazed at the ease with which my pedals turn now that I have a new bottom bracket. It is noticeable! I received word on Friday that I need new wheels. The rear hub could not be overhauled. If the bike feels this smooth with a new bottom bracket, I wonder how much better it will feel with new wheels.
It was the same routine route this morning, so rather than posting the graphic, the link to the Garmin data is provided.
Rev Rider 