Let the 2009 Peadling Begin! - Page 5

Ronin · #61 (**permalink**) 02-25-2009, 02:48 PM

Hi Everyone!

Finally, the stars aligned after five days of either very busy schedules or weather that just prohibited bicycling outdoors. Linda was in great form and kept the pedals moving as we blasted along the roadways compelting our 16+ mile training loop in just under one-hour (0:59:53).

Today the temperatures were in the mid-40's and tomorrow promises an additional 10 degrees of warmth. Of course there is more rain in the forecast for the end of the week -- Yuck!

gregc · #62 (**permalink**) 03-01-2009, 07:55 PM

16 miles is a awesome bike ride

Great Job

Ronin · #63 (**permalink**) 03-02-2009, 03:57 AM

Hi Greg!

Thanks for joining the thread. I appreciate the sentiment, but really have to admit that, on a personal level, 16 miles is fairly short by Spring, Summer and Fall standards. The problem is cold. About and hour of exposure to cold, and the attendant wind chill of riding the Tandem or bicycle makes those last few miles miserable.

That being said, Linda was busy with a project yesterday, and with the prospect of heavy snow Sunday night, I went out on my single for a 22 mile loop. It was great to go that far but I was darned cold at the end. Despite layers and all of the right clothing, that cold just finds every crack to get in. If I overdress, I get soaking wet and that, I have learned from experience, is really bad and I wind up being even colder and shivering.

The next few days are going to be Tour-de-Gargage because the snows fell last night (with more coming -- Oh Joy). Lots of exercise shoveling today.

It's time to think Spring!

Gordonm · #64 (**permalink**) 03-02-2009, 06:45 AM

Need snow tires today! Indoor ride for a few days.

PPierce · #65 (**permalink**) 03-03-2009, 09:11 PM

Glad to see a thread for bikers. I ride a Trek R200 Recumbent over steer. I have owned it now for 6 years and have logged just a little over 1500 miles. Now that I have diabetes it is more important that I ride. Just gotta get the weather to straighten up. We still have 20 degree weather and snow on the ground. But will be getting it out to change tires wax the chains and tuning it up.

Paul

dex123 · #66 (**permalink**) 03-05-2009, 10:59 AM

I have 4 bikes all hardtails, 2 mountain cos i ride downhill/freeride and xc thats a kona hoss and kona stuff, i also hav a road bike which i ride 15 miles each way 2 college in the summer and am going 2 start again soon, and a bmx which i ride dirt jumps and park with

i havent got any idea of my mileage :P i do about 40 offroad miles a week tho, happy trails

A_Darling · #67 (**permalink**) 03-05-2009, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dex123

I have 4 bikes all hardtails, 2 mountain cos i ride downhill/freeride and xc thats a kona hoss and kona stuff, i also hav a road bike which i ride 15 miles each way 2 college in the summer and am going 2 start again soon, and a bmx which i ride dirt jumps and park with

i havent got any idea of my mileage :P i do about 40 offroad miles a week tho, happy trails

nice to see a fellow Kona fan. I'm on a 03 Kona Dawg and did a dh race last year, hoping to do more this season and maybe pick up a beefier bike while I'm at it.

Ronin · #68 (**permalink**) 03-07-2009, 01:25 PM

Hi Everyone!

Glorious weather -- sloppy roads. As the temperatures rose into the low 70's the snows from last Monday melted making a lot of roads wet -- really wet.

Linda and I climbed aboard the Enterprise (that's the tandem with the fenders) and rode our 16 mile route as we have a wedding to attend this evening.

Perhaps the forecast rain for Sunday evening will get rid of the remaining snow and we'll be able to get the Voyager back on the roads.

It was great to be out in shorts (with pale legs, but who cares?)

Gordonm · #69 (**permalink**) 03-07-2009, 04:46 PM

I figured you would be out today. I also went out for a 26 mile ride. I left early at 6:30 AM so it was still a little chillyso no shorts yet for me. Nice ride but me and the bike came back filthy. Salt and sand and mud was the name of the game today. I'll be out tomorrow also. Rain should hold off until the afternoon.

Ronin · #70 (**permalink**) 03-08-2009, 02:43 PM

Gordon, et al.,

We checked out the route on the way home this morning and found that all the roads had dried -- therefore the Voyager came out of space-dock and we headed out for our 22 mile loop. The temperature was exactly 61 degrees (F) according to the thermometer on Linda's cycling computer and only dropped in the last mile of the ride. (Which we completed in 1:19:12 pretty good for this early in the season.)

The rains are coming, and while I will miss riding for a day, they will clean the last of the salt and sand off the roads and the chillier temperatures will only make us layer-up. It does feel good to get out on the roads again with the better tandem.

We hope everyone else has managed to take advantage of the hits-of-spring weather.

A_Darling · #71 (**permalink**) 03-11-2009, 07:14 PM

sunday was for the mountain bike so I did around 10 miles of XC and then hit the freeride area for about an hour.

Today was a road bike day. Got in a nice 20 mile ride after work in 1:06. I haven't been on the road bike for almost 2 months so it was kinda nice to get back on the beach roads and get some mileage, although spring break certainly makes for plenty of distractions

.

cwathne · #72 (**permalink**) 03-13-2009, 12:38 AM

Anyone from the Seattle area? The tour de cure for diabetes is May 16th out of Redmond. I'll be riding the century.

I ride an 07 Allez Elite. I've only clocked about 400 miles in the last 8 weeks; the weather has been fairly cold. I cant wait for spring/summer!

Ronin · #73 (**permalink**) 03-14-2009, 07:03 AM

Hi Everyone!

Finally the weather has lifeted enough to sanction longer rides, that means more time on the road, more pedaling, more consumption of all sorts of body energy (muscle glucose, blood glucose, liver glycogen, and even some stored energy from fat cells) and the endorphine high!

At the end of yesterday's ride I got that old familiar feeling of being just mellow and I knew that the endophines had kicked in.

It seems a pity that some of the pleasure seekers that I know who eschew exercise because it might hurt are missing out on that natural high from exercise. They are also missing out on the benefits as well.

Today's ride (that would be Saturday the 14th) has to be a bit shorter because of a busy schedule, so I guess I won't get that endorphine high, but there will be more to come as the season continues.

Gordonm · #74 (**permalink**) 03-14-2009, 03:39 PM

I find the end of the rides the most enjoyable. The last 10 miles or so just seem to sail by. I ride harder but it just seems a little easier. My weekday rides have been few but with the time change I'm hoping to get in more early evening rides. I did get out for some good miles today. Tomorrow is iffy on the weather. If its not raining I'll be out!

Ronin · #75 (**permalink**) 03-15-2009, 02:35 PM

Gordon, et al.,

Here in Morris County, NJ today's weather was great for bicycling. Mid to high 50's with little to no winds. Linda and I did our 22 mile loop today.

I was playing with cadence as I had been reading some messages from a tandeming listserver that were recommending higher cadences. So I shifteg my FlightDeck into cadence mode and was looking at the numbers trying to get into higher cadences. About a third of the way into the ride I realized that I was being dictated by the meter and not the way my body was reacting. It was not comfortable nor pleasureable. So back to normal mode and ride the way I like to ride.

Linda and I use a wide range of cadences during a ride. I guess our average is somewhere in the mid-80's with occasional spins in the 100's and some grinding out climbs in the 70's. I briefly forgot the dictum of "what works for you" in favor of advice from others as to what is "right." Linda puts up with a lot.

The week ahead looks good, albeit a bit chillier tomorrow.

Think Spring!