2016 Bicycling - A New Hope

[Ronin 33]

Hi Everyone,

 

Thanks to all for the good wishes about my pain management. Osteoarthritis isn't fun and it doesn't get better so I'll have to deal with this until I meet the criteria for a hip replacement. Fortunately the VA here in NJ already does the anterior entry method which has a much shorter recovery time because they don't cut through any muscles, only the tendons that hold the abdominal muscles to the pelvis and then they sew the tendons back together. Not saying that it won't hurt but generally people are up and about in three to six days rather than three to six months.

 

I came to realize today that I'm high-wind phobic. Other than the winds, it was a beautiful day outside but seeing the leaves blowing at high speeds kept me indoors on the rollers. I guess that being blown over (literally) in Oct- 2015 has me skittish.

 

Unfortunately the Rheumatologist was sick yesterday and I could not ask him about changing medication for the increasing levels of pain. I have to reschedule the appointment. Perhaps the Orthopedist will have something to offer that isn't an opioid (don't even want to go that route).

 

Glad to read that everyone else is doing ok.

[ORjt 157]

Hi all,

 

Looks like it's a weekend to try to outguess the weather guessers.  Might have a dry spell for early afternoon on Saturday. We'll see how it goes - 

 

Hang in there, stay safe.

 

--JT

[Ronin 33]

Hi Everyone,

 

There are just some days when nothing works. The day started out normally and the weather is beautiful, also the last forecast nice day.  Start getting the tandem ready and -- the rear tire is flat.  It's almost at the point to replace so, I replace it (actually move the front tire to the back and put the new tire on the front - always want the newest tire on the front).  Of course all that standing is making my hip ache like crazy but a ride awaits. Then time to shift the chain back to the largest cog and - the shift cable snaps.  FRUSTRATION! I don't have a spare.  Oh well I can get out on the single bike for the exercise.  Get that bike ready and the front tire is flat and I just used my last spare tube to fix the tandem.  AARUGH!  FWIW: the single hasn't been on the road in over a year only on the rollers so I cannot figure out what could have caused the flat.

 

For some reason the universe doesn't want me on a bicycle today. Time to make some lunch then go to the bike shop for more tubes and a shift cable for the tandem.

 

Tomorrow is going to be very windy and rainy and the temperature drops over 20 degrees as the storm front passes through.

 

Maybe I'll get a roller session in later, by the time we get back from the bike shop and fix the tire it will be too late to ride outside - I wonder what else will go wrong.

 

I do hope everyone else is having a better time than me. 

[ORjt 157]

Ronin: ouch.  That's a stretch of bad luck. Hopefully, you got everything sorted out.

 

I was able to get out for 21 miles on Saturday - roads were wet from early morning showers, but otherwise it at least didn't rain on me.  Sunday was too wet, and too many other things to do.

No travel plans for us this week - and I'll either have 4 or 5 days off from work. Hard to say what the weather will bring, but so far, it's looking wet again. We'll see - lots of time for the forecasts to change (but either for the better, or worse - who knows?)

 

Hope everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

 

Stay safe out there ...

 

JT

[rwallen 99]

Hi all!

 

Just checking in.  I don't have too much to add. :|

 

Ronin, I'm sorry to hear about your bad luck with your bikes but more importantly, I'm sorry for your persistant pain and discomfort.  I have been thinking about the future and what I might do should I not be able to ride my single.  I don't know if I'll care to move to a recumbent trike.  I still would like to do some touring and I know that people tour on trikes but...  As far as my shoulder...it's doing good.  I have still have some discomfort, some days more than others, but I think it's doing ok.

Patti and I went to LA a couple of weeks ago and caught a short cruise to Catalina Island and Ensenada.  While walking around those two places my shoulder hurt quite a bit.  I took my sling which helped but it still hurt at the end of the day.  We rode on the Strand, once on a rental tandem and me on a hotel bike.  Both were cruisers and the hotel bike was a single speed.  They did not help my shoulder but I actually think it was good exercise for it.

The Strand was really great!  I wished I could have had one of my bikes there.  I have been riding since vacation but have missed a couple of days and when I have got out I have only rode my typical 21+ miles.  I mentioned that I thought that the rental bikes were good for my shoulder.  Perhaps they were or maybe my shoulder is just doing better.  I have been getting out of the saddle and doing some climbing.  My shoulder lets me know that it's there but it's not unbearable.  If it wasn't the time of year that it is, I would be getting a bit more aggressive both on the miles and the intensity .  Unfortunately, the time change happened while we were in Cali.  So, I am still trying to adjust to that.

Anyway, that's about all I got.

JT, raffi, and Ronin, I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving!  Take care!

[raffi 177]

The weather guessers are calling for bad weather this afternoon so I started my Thanksgiving ride before 8:00 AM to beat the weather. That made for a pleasant (but chilly) 20 mile ride. I usually do my Thanksgiving ride closer to noon, so I have never hit the town of Palouse that early on Thanksgiving morning. Seems they do a fun run to raise money for the library. It looked like the entire town was out walking, running etc. Made for a bit of an obstacle course, very unusual for that sleepy little town.

 

Hope you all are having a wonderful Thanksgiving. Stay safe.

[raffi 177]

First commute of the season on studded tires. I put the (very aggressive) tires on last night and rode across the garage. These things are so knobby that I thought I was going to shake a filling loose, it had me concerned about commuting to work on them. On the plus side, I was pretty sure I'd get the traction I needed. Turns out they did great in the gravel and were nowhere near as jarring as I feared on pavement. It was a slow ride given the ice and leftover snow from yesterday's storm, but it went well.

[ORjt 157]

Hi all,

 

Just a quick update: got out for a chilly ride on Sunday - just over 20 miles in 39-degree weather. Would have been a bit longer, but one of the roads was closed due to flooding. (I think that road's been closed at least once each winter since I've been riding).

 

Also took the 'cross bike in, and had the LBS (re) install my fenders. I wasn't thrilled with the ham-fisted job I'd done 18 months ago (my install was fully functional, but not very 'pretty'). They did a bang-up job, and as an extra bonus - they are now completely rattle free. I didn't realize how much noise I was putting up with till I started riding.

 

Ride when you can - and stay safe out there!

 

--JT

[raffi 177]

The weather guessers were not having a good morning this morning. There was a winter weather advisory predicting inches of snow and the graph showing no precipitation expected. The radar was somewhere in between. Since I was meeting my family for dinner in town, I did not want to have two cars in town so I decided to ride. It snowed on me the first half or  so of the ride and was a bit windy, but the studded tires did great and at around 30 degrees it was not too bad.

[ORjt 157]

Hi all,

 

Flood water subsided, got in a 'full loop' at 21 miles on Saturday. Saw all of two riders while out (wasn't bad weather - 46 and (mostly) dry).

 

My weather guessers have been about as inept as Raffi's. Saturday was supposed to be dry all day, started spitting rain then drizzling by 2pm (I was mostly back by then, so didn't actually get wet).  Sunday was supposed to be wet all day - rain stopped by ~930, and didn't resume till after dark. (I had other commits, more's the pity, as I could have gotten in another ride). Supposed to have snow by this morning, but it's still just raining ...

 

We're supposed to get an Arctic Blast of cold air mid-week (highs in the low 30's, overnight down to ~20-ish).  Should I hold my breath?

 

Ride when you can - and stay safe out there!

 

--JT

[rwallen 99]

Good morning!

 

Hope everyone is doing well.

 

I had my first spin bike session in quite a while last night.  I can't say I hated it but I have been trying to ride the bike(s) exclusively.  So, there have been days that I should have been on the spin bike but chose not to.  For some reason, probably because I haven't really acclimated myself, I am not tolerating the cold so well this year.  Even on the 40ish degree days it seemed chilly.  I have the gear, and I have been out in the past down to around 25, but I'm just not feeling it this year.  In spite of the fact that a few circumstances have affected my goals for this year I need to focus on next year.  I really want to come charging out of the gate when the weather and daylight hours become more kinder.  So, it looks like riding one way or the other is what I need to concentrate on.  I just joined RUSA.  I hope to participate in some of the brevets and ride some permanents this year.  I admit that I'm not so much obsessed with mileage and days missed for the remaining part of the year but January 1st......

 

Hope everyone else is tolerating the weather where they're at and are getting out!

 

I edited this to do a PS.  The shoulder is doing good!  I can tell it's injured but I'm getting pretty much back to normal.

[raffi 177]

With the first real snow storm of the season leaving behind a couple of inches of snow and now snow plows in sight, it was time to replace the screws in my fatbike tires and hit the road. I did a 14 mile loop and had lots of fun. A couple of inches of snow does make for slow going, but the studs did their job.

[ORjt 157]

Hi all,

 

Rick - that's good news about the shoulder 

 

Raffi (et al), we had our first (and apparently not last) snow out of this storm, too. (We have winters where we don't get snow at all. This isn't going to be one of them) -- had about an inch, followed by freezing rain, then rain, with very slow warming.  No riding for me over the weekend (pretty much had rain all weekend).  We're supposed to get an 'arctic blast' this coming week, so it'll be cold, but dry. (Supposedly).  So far, the guessers are saying high of ~33 next Saturday.  Hard to say whether I'll be able to ride; there may be too much frost on the roads, even if we don't get precip with the cold.

 

N+1 (or maybe, it's N+ 1/2 - I'm not sure).  I'd mentioned earlier contemplating having a frame made for me ... but local builders are too expensive, and I've only been musing about ordering something like a Jackson or Mercian.  In the meantime, I've been perusing the local Craigslist ads (I do this anyway - just to see what's out there). I ride a generally smallish frame (53/54 cm), and it amazes me how many really big bikes I see for sale (as in >60cm - I wonder who the giants are that ride these things) - so it always piques my interest when I see something in 'my size'.

 

Last week had one of those ads.  After a lot of consideration, and web spelunking, I met the guy at one of the bike shops in Portland.  I now own an Eddy Merckx AX Titanium frame.  I'm old enough to remember Merckx racing, and I know his history with the bike business. I did not know he ever produced Ti frames; apparently he was involved with the design, but contracted out the build to Litespeed (it's stickered as such).  For its age (mid-late 90's), it's in very good condition. Most of the wear is limited to the decals, with minor cable rub and tire rub. No structural issues, and the tube internals are all very clean.

 

It'll be a project, for sure - I'm guessing 1-2 years till it's rideable.  I'll post up a photo of the frame if anyone's interested.

 

(And yes, I'm well aware of much of the thievery propagated through CL - I did my due diligence to check for theft reports ... )

 

Hang in there, stay safe, ride when you can.

 

--JT

[rwallen 99]

Hi all!

 

Thanks JT!  I wouldn't mind seeing a picture of your frame.  Right after you posted I have been seeing a FB post/ad for Ti parts.  Have you seen it or would you be interested in the link?  It appears to be a company in China!  eek! 

 

Well, so far I was just on the SB that one time.  I have been trying to get out.  I know we have all said this, or at least I know I have, it's the thinking about getting out that's hard. Maybe the first mile or 2 is equally tough but I end up not minding the ride so much and I'm usually glad I got out.  I know there's a few days coming up that I won't be able to get outside and might not be able to do the SB either but it is THAT time of year.

 

Has anyone been giving thought to what next year will be like?  I realize that things don't always go according to plan.  I plan to try to get some Randonneuring awards.  I would like to do from the KS/CO border back to Springfield, on the TransAm route, in 5 days or less.  That'd be a little over 100 miles a day.  I'd like to attempt to do our Katy Trail in 2 days or even one, if possible.  It's around 235 miles.  One other thing is to try to beat the record for my age group crossing Missouri.  Of course, I always have big plans and then reality sets in but I have to have something to occupy my mind.

 

Anyway, take care and if I don't post again before Christmas, have a great holiday!!

[ORjt 157]

Hi all,

 

Snow-pocalypse here. (Well, we got a little over an inch, but that's a lot, for us). Cold, clear, and no way for me to ride.

 

(I've seen some of our local news footage that's been broadcast on one or another of the national broadcasts)

 

Rick -- if you have the link, go ahead and post. I'm not looking for anything in particular, but it's always fun to poke around.  I'll post a photo of the frame/fork once I get a headset, and get it installed (with a spare stem/bars that I've got) - so it'll look a little more like a proper bike, Might be a week or two ..

 

 

Stay safe out there!

 

-JT

[raffi 177]

Lots of snow here. It's starting to look a lot more like a "normal" winter. After getting over 1/2 foot of snow, the temperatures have dropped to single digits. Snowy roads and cold temps means fatbike fun. I ended up a bit too bundled so I was sweating quite a bit and I still don't have the toes/feet figured out so I had to thaw them out when I got back, but 1 1/2 hour ride was quite a bit of fun.

[rwallen 99]

JT, I can't find that link now but when I do, I'll repost.

[raffi 177]

Turns out a 20% grade up wet ice is about the limit of my DIY studded tires on the fatbike. I did make it up the hill, but the wheels were starting to break free. Today's ride was 39 miles over ice, dry pavement and snow covered roads. At one point, I was riding through a very deep (8 feet?) narrow (It would have been tight for a single car) cut on the road. I'm glad I don't have to do that stop in a car.

[ORjt 157]

Hi All,

 

Raffi: that's impressive!

 

 

Just a quick note to wish you all happiness in whichever holidays you celebrate this time of year  .

 

I'll (most likely) be 'off the grid' till after New Year's 

 

(sorry, best emoji I could find).

 

 

Stay safe, be well, see you in '17 ...

 

--JT

[raffi 177]

After announcing that I was trying to decided between a bike ride and skiing, my 18 year or daughter was just staring at me. When I asked "what?" she just shook her head and said "no normal person would be trying to decided between skiing and riding a bike in the same area on the same day." Opting for the bike ride did not seem to change her opinion.

[rwallen 99]

Hi all!

 

Well, today was my last ride for the year as I know that I will be traveling to Topeka and back over the weekend.  So, I will start off the new year with a missed day as well.  I missed a total of 100 days of not riding something (including the spin bike) this year.  While I missed making this my best year for total miles, it was pretty close to a tie for the 2nd best year for actual bicycle miles.  Oh well, there's always next year! 

 

I hope you all have a great and safe New Year's Eve and Day! 

 

See you in the new forum!

 

Rick

[raffi 177]

Sunny and 20 degrees for the last ride of the year. Total mileage was lower than I had hoped, but I was not all that motivated for long rides in the colder temps of a "normal" winter.

 

4267 for the year. December was my lowest mileage month with 158. I'm satisfied.

[rwallen 99]

Hi all!  Happy New Year!

 

I was surprised in the fact that we made it back from Topeka on NYD with time for me to get in a quick ride.  I  had already marked down the deficit on my spreadsheet.

 

My "goal" for 2016 was to beat the total mileage (bicycle and spin bike mileage) for my best year, which was 2013, with only bicycle miles.  That mileage was 7762.  I missed it by 1K.  However, when compared to 2013 by just comparing bicycle miles I was only shy by a little less than 200.  Close but no cigar!   

 

A couple of times I kinda got fired up because I thought I might be able to pull off my goal but when I saw that it wasn't going to happen I tried to focus on getting stronger in the endurance cycling area.  Then my accident happen.

 

All in all, though, 2016 turned out to be a decent year and even though I realize I put too much importance on miles and days missed I will try to set some decent goals for this year but keep things in perspective as well.

 

Here's to 2017!!

[ORjt 157]

Hi all,

 

My close for 2016? I was off work for the week (needed vacation/down time), got in 3 rides (63 miles total), in 29,31 and 28 degree weather. Last ride was NYE day, caught a brief snow flurry on the way back home. Fortunately, it wasn't sticking.  Pretty sure these are the coldest rides I've ever done, but all in all, it really wasn't all that bad. (No ice, anywhere to be seen).

 

Total for the year was somewhere around 1675, about 100 miles less than last year.  Given the arthritis flare up in the spring with the requisite PT, and time off the bike that that required, I'm satisfied with the total, though I'd hoped for better. (Don't we all ???)

 

As Rick says - here's to 2017 

 

Stay safe out there!

 

(I've got a couple of photos now of N+0.5, I'll post to the 2017 thread once that's started ...)

 

JT

[raffi 177]

Since no one else seems to have done it yet, I started the 2017 thread over here http://www.diabetesforums.com/forum/topic/79592-2017-bicycling-neither-snow-nor-rain-nor/.