Where are you cycling ... for fun ... this weekend?
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Sunday -- good ride today!! We decided to ride form one side of a little range to the other and back. Good ride for some hill climbing. The road was fairly quiet as far as traffic goes, with lots of country scenery. We saw cattle, sheep, horses, goats, chickens, ducks ... and a wallaby hopped across the road in front of me.
The weather was pretty good, with a high of 18. But then it cooled down to 13 on the final descent which was rather chilly! We had a bit of a headwind on the way out, and something of a tailwind on the way back which was nice because the climb on the way back was steeper.
And ... two roadies caught up to me on the way out, and slowed down for a chat. They were on a training ride for a Peaks Challenge: https://www.bicyclenetwork.com.au/pe...adle-mountain/ We chatted about long distance rides in the area, and then they rode off into the distance.
Stats
40.4 km
755 metres of climbing
(1.87 ride)
The Climbs
Cat 3 - both big climbs, one from start to top on the way out, and the other from about the midway point to the top on the way back
Max 17.8% on the way out
Max 19% on the way back
6% average grade going out
4% average grade coming back
And then I did a light weights workout when we got home.
The weather was pretty good, with a high of 18. But then it cooled down to 13 on the final descent which was rather chilly! We had a bit of a headwind on the way out, and something of a tailwind on the way back which was nice because the climb on the way back was steeper.
And ... two roadies caught up to me on the way out, and slowed down for a chat. They were on a training ride for a Peaks Challenge: https://www.bicyclenetwork.com.au/pe...adle-mountain/ We chatted about long distance rides in the area, and then they rode off into the distance.
Stats
40.4 km
755 metres of climbing
(1.87 ride)
The Climbs
Cat 3 - both big climbs, one from start to top on the way out, and the other from about the midway point to the top on the way back
Max 17.8% on the way out
Max 19% on the way back
6% average grade going out
4% average grade coming back
And then I did a light weights workout when we got home.
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#77
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Sunday -- 24.8 km ride up the Pipeline Track. It was really nice up there ... away from cars, not too many people, some great views.
The temp reached 15C, and it was quite comfortable going up, but a little chilly coming down. Still, a very enjoyable ride.
Pipeline Track
The temp reached 15C, and it was quite comfortable going up, but a little chilly coming down. Still, a very enjoyable ride.
Pipeline Track
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#78
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I fly into Toronto on Wednesday to attend my son's graduation from York Uni. Then hopefully some bicycling in town before I fly back to Doha, Qatar on Friday night. Toronto is around 14 C while Doha is 36 C and dangerous for bicycling except on Friday - the Holy Day when there is almost NO traffic.
Last edited by tmac100; 10-11-15 at 11:33 AM.
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I fly into Toronto on Wednesday to attend my son's graduation from York Uni. Then hopefully some bicycling in town before I fly back to Doha, Qatar on Friday night. Toronto is around 14 C while Doha is 36 C and dangerous for bicycling except on Friday - the Holy Day when there is almost NO traffic.
Down here, it is footy Grand Final day when there's almost no traffic.
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#80
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Nope. No helmet so didn't ride without... Old, but NOT stupid.
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Thursday -- Royal Hobart Show Day: I'm madly studying for a final exam, and was up till 2:30 am, but because it was a holiday, I was able to get a bit of extra sleep, and then Rowan and I went for a 32.78 km bicycle ride near Seven Mile Beach ... some of the flattest terrain in the area.
Beaches ... lunch at a Banjo's ... and cycling.
And for a little while, there was no staring at a computer screen!!
Beaches ... lunch at a Banjo's ... and cycling.
And for a little while, there was no staring at a computer screen!!
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After a rather rough start to the weekend where I spent Friday evening and night, until about 3 am, doing the final review for my final exam ... and then spent the whole of Saturday afternoon writing the final exam ...
Sunday -- 31.29 km on the cycleway, plus a bit extra at the start end. Beautiful ride outward ... but windy on the way back.
Where we started the ride ...
In our garden before the ride ...
Sunday -- 31.29 km on the cycleway, plus a bit extra at the start end. Beautiful ride outward ... but windy on the way back.
Where we started the ride ...
In our garden before the ride ...
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Wow, this is beautiful... Thanks for posting @Machka.
Along the way there are some beautiful views over the valley and of the mountains ... and of course, that waterfall.
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Thursday 24 December (Christmas Eve) - 3 km (35 min) walking + 30 flights of stairs (24 min) + 11.69 km cycling (35 min) with 185 metres of climbing + weightlifting
I figured with the amount of food I'm eating during this Christmas season/diet break, I had better get moving!
We cycled a hilly little route from home that climbed for the first 4.5 km, then down to our beach, and then climbing back up to where we live. When we got to the beach, we stopped and just watched the water. This photo was taken a little while ago, but that's what the beach looks like, and it seemed a good place to go on a day when it hit 29C.
I figured with the amount of food I'm eating during this Christmas season/diet break, I had better get moving!
We cycled a hilly little route from home that climbed for the first 4.5 km, then down to our beach, and then climbing back up to where we live. When we got to the beach, we stopped and just watched the water. This photo was taken a little while ago, but that's what the beach looks like, and it seemed a good place to go on a day when it hit 29C.
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Saturday 2 January -- Cycled 52.06 km from home ... with 613 metres of climbing. Plus wind. Plus ... surprisingly chilly. My feet were quite cold when I got in.
And then Rowan and I walked down to the shop so I could get icing sugar and chocolate chips for the whipped shortbread cookies I just finished making ... that was a grand total of 0.6 km.
We also cycled 38.4 km together on January 1, but we drove to our start location so I won't mention that one here.
Good start to the year!
And then Rowan and I walked down to the shop so I could get icing sugar and chocolate chips for the whipped shortbread cookies I just finished making ... that was a grand total of 0.6 km.
We also cycled 38.4 km together on January 1, but we drove to our start location so I won't mention that one here.
Good start to the year!
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I added it up ...
Over the Christmas holiday week (Dec 27-Jan3: 8 days), I cycled outside every day. That's the first 8-day stretch I've done since Sep 27-Oct 4, 2012.
I wanted to do this for a number of reasons including:
-- I miss cycling regularly. Because we live in such a hilly area, it can be difficult to get up the motivation to ride after work, so we end up riding on weekends and maybe one day during the week. I had the time off and wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to ride as much as possible.
-- I wanted to ride all the possible (plausible) routes from home (no driving involved) to a) get comfortable with them, and b) see if I could find a good one or two to do in an evening. I may have found one decent 20 km route, and would still like to explore a few other options on coming weekends.
-- I wanted to challenge myself.
One of the following rides was relatively flat, the rest varied between about 400 and 600 metres of climbing per ride.
21.500
33.180
27.200
26.300
42.230
38.400 - flat ride, and only one which involved driving
52.060 - 613 metres of climbing
32.800
Total: 273.670 km
Today, I am back at work, so I'll rest a bit ... but I'm actually looking forward to riding again soon!
Over the Christmas holiday week (Dec 27-Jan3: 8 days), I cycled outside every day. That's the first 8-day stretch I've done since Sep 27-Oct 4, 2012.
I wanted to do this for a number of reasons including:
-- I miss cycling regularly. Because we live in such a hilly area, it can be difficult to get up the motivation to ride after work, so we end up riding on weekends and maybe one day during the week. I had the time off and wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to ride as much as possible.
-- I wanted to ride all the possible (plausible) routes from home (no driving involved) to a) get comfortable with them, and b) see if I could find a good one or two to do in an evening. I may have found one decent 20 km route, and would still like to explore a few other options on coming weekends.
-- I wanted to challenge myself.
One of the following rides was relatively flat, the rest varied between about 400 and 600 metres of climbing per ride.
21.500
33.180
27.200
26.300
42.230
38.400 - flat ride, and only one which involved driving
52.060 - 613 metres of climbing
32.800
Total: 273.670 km
Today, I am back at work, so I'll rest a bit ... but I'm actually looking forward to riding again soon!
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I used to do a bit of snowbiking back in my Winnipeg days ... it was fun.
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Saturday 9 Jan -- I'm building up my distance, getting into better shape, and so today I cycled 77.8 km.
The ride contained two lengthy, fairly strenuous climbs ... up and over into Hobart and up and over home again. Plus a decent stretch in the middle that was relatively flat. However, on that bit, I had a hot headwind on the way out. It wasn't too strong, but just enough to be a little annoying. Nevertheless, I was looking forward to a tailwind all the way back. That was not to be. I had a reasonable tailwind for a little while, and then I started getting the odd cold gust coming from the side, and it wasn't long before I was riding into quite a strong cooler headwind. The coolness was nice (the day hit 30C) but the wind made it a slog.
One of the larger cruise ships was in today, and the area around the centre of town was thick with tourists. There were also quite a few walking or riding rented bicycles at the beginning of the cycleway. Nice to see.
Also near the beginning of the cycleway was a very enthusiastic young boy riding with his father. He was good with checking to see who was coming behind and then riding hard past people. I thought I would sail past them, but ended up riding behind for a little while because this little boy was putting in a really good effort!
The ride contained two lengthy, fairly strenuous climbs ... up and over into Hobart and up and over home again. Plus a decent stretch in the middle that was relatively flat. However, on that bit, I had a hot headwind on the way out. It wasn't too strong, but just enough to be a little annoying. Nevertheless, I was looking forward to a tailwind all the way back. That was not to be. I had a reasonable tailwind for a little while, and then I started getting the odd cold gust coming from the side, and it wasn't long before I was riding into quite a strong cooler headwind. The coolness was nice (the day hit 30C) but the wind made it a slog.
One of the larger cruise ships was in today, and the area around the centre of town was thick with tourists. There were also quite a few walking or riding rented bicycles at the beginning of the cycleway. Nice to see.
Also near the beginning of the cycleway was a very enthusiastic young boy riding with his father. He was good with checking to see who was coming behind and then riding hard past people. I thought I would sail past them, but ended up riding behind for a little while because this little boy was putting in a really good effort!
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Saturday 9 Jan -- I'm building up my distance, getting into better shape, and so today I cycled 77.8 km.
The ride contained two lengthy, fairly strenuous climbs ... up and over into Hobart and up and over home again. Plus a decent stretch in the middle that was relatively flat. However, on that bit, I had a hot headwind on the way out. It wasn't too strong, but just enough to be a little annoying. Nevertheless, I was looking forward to a tailwind all the way back. That was not to be. I had a reasonable tailwind for a little while, and then I started getting the odd cold gust coming from the side, and it wasn't long before I was riding into quite a strong cooler headwind. The coolness was nice (the day hit 30C) but the wind made it a slog.
One of the larger cruise ships was in today, and the area around the centre of town was thick with tourists. There were also quite a few walking or riding rented bicycles at the beginning of the cycleway. Nice to see.
Also near the beginning of the cycleway was a very enthusiastic young boy riding with his father. He was good with checking to see who was coming behind and then riding hard past people. I thought I would sail past them, but ended up riding behind for a little while because this little boy was putting in a really good effort!
The ride contained two lengthy, fairly strenuous climbs ... up and over into Hobart and up and over home again. Plus a decent stretch in the middle that was relatively flat. However, on that bit, I had a hot headwind on the way out. It wasn't too strong, but just enough to be a little annoying. Nevertheless, I was looking forward to a tailwind all the way back. That was not to be. I had a reasonable tailwind for a little while, and then I started getting the odd cold gust coming from the side, and it wasn't long before I was riding into quite a strong cooler headwind. The coolness was nice (the day hit 30C) but the wind made it a slog.
One of the larger cruise ships was in today, and the area around the centre of town was thick with tourists. There were also quite a few walking or riding rented bicycles at the beginning of the cycleway. Nice to see.
Also near the beginning of the cycleway was a very enthusiastic young boy riding with his father. He was good with checking to see who was coming behind and then riding hard past people. I thought I would sail past them, but ended up riding behind for a little while because this little boy was putting in a really good effort!
Oh, incidentally, this would be part of my commute, were I to cycle to work.
Cycling facilities ...
Hot day ...
Along the Cycleway ... yes, this is still within city limits. In the first photo, that's Mt Wellington and a vineyard and the Cycleway, then I turned to my left and took the second photo.
I don't know how much you may have heard about Hobart, but if you've ever heard of MONA, it is quite close by to where I am in these photos ...
Almost home ... part way up the second climb.
And if you click the photos, there are more dated 09Jan16.
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Saturday -- 101.6 km training ride with approx. 560 metres of climbing.
I cycled from home down to Kettering, then caught the ferry across to Bruny Island. Once there, I cycled down to Alonnah, and back to the Bruny Island Ferry Terminal.
That's the short story. Now the slightly longer version ...
Today was a lovely day with a high of about 20C, mostly sunny and a fairly strong south-east wind gusting up to 40 km/h. The wind started a little lighter than that, but got stronger as the day went on. This meant that I had a headwind on the way down, and a tailwind on the way back. That headwind had me worried for a while because I didn't realise how strong it was and was beginning to wonder what was wrong with me that I couldn't seem to get up any speed. At the turnaround point, I overheard a couple people in the shop talking about the wind and saying it had become quite strong. Oh ... heh heh ... maybe that's what was up! And on the way back, I definitely had speed!
The first 25 km was from home to the ferry, and that bit contained about half the climbing. So I had quite a hilly start to the ride. The remaining 75 km on the island, had the other half of the climbing, concentrated in the beginning, the bit right around the turnaround point, and the end. The middle gave me a bit of a break.
The traffic was pretty good. We've got a 1.5 metre law here ... motorists are supposed to give cyclists 1.5 metres. The vast majority of the drivers did that ... there were just two I can remember who cut it pretty close.
On the ferry ride over to Bruny Island, I met a couple who were also cycling and we chatted the whole way over and a little bit when we had disembarked. That was really nice. We also spotted a seal in the water doing it's body temperature regulation thing with the flipper out of the water. They were heading the opposite direction to do a bit of camping (cycletouring).
There were quite a few other cycletourists along the way as well.
At the end of the ride, I stopped by Rowan's orchard to see where he was in the process of wrapping up his day, and then I cycled down to the ferry terminal to wait for him. We rode the ferry back together and then I caught a lift home.
I was really pleased with two things in particular:
1) I managed an 18 km/h average rolling speed. That's the fastest I've ridden in a long time.
2) Last weekend I did a 77 km ride in a total time of 5 hours. This weekend, I did the 75 km on the island in about 4 hours 40 min. I knocked 20 min off that distance!
Did any of you get out for an enjoyable ride this weekend?
I cycled from home down to Kettering, then caught the ferry across to Bruny Island. Once there, I cycled down to Alonnah, and back to the Bruny Island Ferry Terminal.
That's the short story. Now the slightly longer version ...
Today was a lovely day with a high of about 20C, mostly sunny and a fairly strong south-east wind gusting up to 40 km/h. The wind started a little lighter than that, but got stronger as the day went on. This meant that I had a headwind on the way down, and a tailwind on the way back. That headwind had me worried for a while because I didn't realise how strong it was and was beginning to wonder what was wrong with me that I couldn't seem to get up any speed. At the turnaround point, I overheard a couple people in the shop talking about the wind and saying it had become quite strong. Oh ... heh heh ... maybe that's what was up! And on the way back, I definitely had speed!
The first 25 km was from home to the ferry, and that bit contained about half the climbing. So I had quite a hilly start to the ride. The remaining 75 km on the island, had the other half of the climbing, concentrated in the beginning, the bit right around the turnaround point, and the end. The middle gave me a bit of a break.
The traffic was pretty good. We've got a 1.5 metre law here ... motorists are supposed to give cyclists 1.5 metres. The vast majority of the drivers did that ... there were just two I can remember who cut it pretty close.
On the ferry ride over to Bruny Island, I met a couple who were also cycling and we chatted the whole way over and a little bit when we had disembarked. That was really nice. We also spotted a seal in the water doing it's body temperature regulation thing with the flipper out of the water. They were heading the opposite direction to do a bit of camping (cycletouring).
There were quite a few other cycletourists along the way as well.
One funny thing happened after I'd been cycling on the island for about 10 km. All of a sudden there was a trumpet! Loud and sounding like it was right next to me!!
"I'm not feeling that bad after all that climbing for Gabriel to be coming for me now!" I thought.
It was someone standing on the beach, next to where I was cycling, playing the trumpet.
"I'm not feeling that bad after all that climbing for Gabriel to be coming for me now!" I thought.
It was someone standing on the beach, next to where I was cycling, playing the trumpet.
At the end of the ride, I stopped by Rowan's orchard to see where he was in the process of wrapping up his day, and then I cycled down to the ferry terminal to wait for him. We rode the ferry back together and then I caught a lift home.
I was really pleased with two things in particular:
1) I managed an 18 km/h average rolling speed. That's the fastest I've ridden in a long time.
2) Last weekend I did a 77 km ride in a total time of 5 hours. This weekend, I did the 75 km on the island in about 4 hours 40 min. I knocked 20 min off that distance!
Did any of you get out for an enjoyable ride this weekend?
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Saturday -- 101.6 km training ride with approx. 560 metres of climbing.
I cycled from home down to Kettering, then caught the ferry across to Bruny Island. Once there, I cycled down to Alonnah, and back to the Bruny Island Ferry Terminal.
That's the short story. Now the slightly longer version ...
I cycled from home down to Kettering, then caught the ferry across to Bruny Island. Once there, I cycled down to Alonnah, and back to the Bruny Island Ferry Terminal.
That's the short story. Now the slightly longer version ...
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Saturday -- Rowan is finally finished with the cherry harvest and we are "training" for longer events. I have been gradually increasing my distance and this week was scheduled to do a ride over 100 km. Preferably somewhere between 110 and 120 km.
We decided to do a ride that is mostly flat ... ha ha!
The route starts with a long 12 km climb and then a brisk descent into Hobart. From there the route is mostly flat ... except for all the little ups and downs. Then there's a long climb, up a different road, and a brisk descent back into our suburb, then a bit of up and down home. All up, I think it comes in at about 900 metres (3000 feet) ... so it is one of the flatter routes around.
We had a light headwind to start and then the headwind increased and became quite strong (40 km/h). It became a bit of a slog getting out to our turnaround point. What also didn't help was the road surface ... really rough ... and the traffic! Wind, rough roads and traffic. Great combo.
But we made it to New Norfolk and stopped for lunch. Much needed break.
On the way back we had a glorious tailwind! Even the rough road and traffic didn't seem so bad! We flew back to Hobart, but as we got closer to the centre of town, the wind shifted and the cooler sea breeze came in. And it was back to a slog for a little while. Incidentally, the actual direction of the wind was the opposite of what was predicted.
But the climb back to our suburb wasn't too bad ... the wind wasn't much of a factor there because of the trees and buildings.
Just as we were reaching the top of the climb, it felt like a large leaf or bit of eucalyptus tree landed on my helmet or fell into one of my vents. I reached up to remove it and all of a sudden there was an agonising, searing pain in my left index finger. I yelped, and stopped to remove my helmet. I was still thinking "plant" and thought maybe it was a thorn, but then it suddenly dawned on me ... wasp!! I had been stung by a wasp! If you've never been stung by a wasp, let me tell you ... that is some pain!
After ensuring that the wasp was no longer in my hair or helmet, I took an allergy pill (I carry them) and we continued. But my finger was too sore to allow me to shift my chainring. When I did need to, I reached over and shifted with my right hand ... that's awkward! It was also extremely painful using the brakes on the brisk descent back into our suburb.
My finger is still sore, red, and badly swollen ... in fact, my whole left hand is slightly swollen. Makes typing interesting.
I didn't take any photos this time as we were on a mission to do this ride so we didn't stop much.
So all up ... 112.68 km with a rolling average speed off 18.8 km/h and an overall speed of 16 km/h. Faster than anticipated.
[HR][/HR]
One of the things I really liked about this ride was that we did it from home. We haven't done a whole lot of longer rides from home since we moved here because they are challenging and difficult. It's easier to pack the bicycles into the van and drive to a more suitable start location. But as you can see by this post and my last couple posts here, I've/we've been doing some more rides from home lately. That's partly because I haven't had access to the van what with Rowan working, and partly because I've wanted to see where I could go from home.
And what has helped to make the rides a bit less challenging and difficult is that I've really been working on improving my fitness over the past year. Last year around this time, I wouldn't have even considered the ride we did yesterday (this one ^^) or the rides I've done on the previous two weekends. I was cycling, of course, but I usually sought out the flattest routes I could find.
But now that I'm fitter, I've got many more options.
We decided to do a ride that is mostly flat ... ha ha!
The route starts with a long 12 km climb and then a brisk descent into Hobart. From there the route is mostly flat ... except for all the little ups and downs. Then there's a long climb, up a different road, and a brisk descent back into our suburb, then a bit of up and down home. All up, I think it comes in at about 900 metres (3000 feet) ... so it is one of the flatter routes around.
We had a light headwind to start and then the headwind increased and became quite strong (40 km/h). It became a bit of a slog getting out to our turnaround point. What also didn't help was the road surface ... really rough ... and the traffic! Wind, rough roads and traffic. Great combo.
But we made it to New Norfolk and stopped for lunch. Much needed break.
On the way back we had a glorious tailwind! Even the rough road and traffic didn't seem so bad! We flew back to Hobart, but as we got closer to the centre of town, the wind shifted and the cooler sea breeze came in. And it was back to a slog for a little while. Incidentally, the actual direction of the wind was the opposite of what was predicted.
But the climb back to our suburb wasn't too bad ... the wind wasn't much of a factor there because of the trees and buildings.
Just as we were reaching the top of the climb, it felt like a large leaf or bit of eucalyptus tree landed on my helmet or fell into one of my vents. I reached up to remove it and all of a sudden there was an agonising, searing pain in my left index finger. I yelped, and stopped to remove my helmet. I was still thinking "plant" and thought maybe it was a thorn, but then it suddenly dawned on me ... wasp!! I had been stung by a wasp! If you've never been stung by a wasp, let me tell you ... that is some pain!
After ensuring that the wasp was no longer in my hair or helmet, I took an allergy pill (I carry them) and we continued. But my finger was too sore to allow me to shift my chainring. When I did need to, I reached over and shifted with my right hand ... that's awkward! It was also extremely painful using the brakes on the brisk descent back into our suburb.
My finger is still sore, red, and badly swollen ... in fact, my whole left hand is slightly swollen. Makes typing interesting.
I didn't take any photos this time as we were on a mission to do this ride so we didn't stop much.
So all up ... 112.68 km with a rolling average speed off 18.8 km/h and an overall speed of 16 km/h. Faster than anticipated.
[HR][/HR]
One of the things I really liked about this ride was that we did it from home. We haven't done a whole lot of longer rides from home since we moved here because they are challenging and difficult. It's easier to pack the bicycles into the van and drive to a more suitable start location. But as you can see by this post and my last couple posts here, I've/we've been doing some more rides from home lately. That's partly because I haven't had access to the van what with Rowan working, and partly because I've wanted to see where I could go from home.
And what has helped to make the rides a bit less challenging and difficult is that I've really been working on improving my fitness over the past year. Last year around this time, I wouldn't have even considered the ride we did yesterday (this one ^^) or the rides I've done on the previous two weekends. I was cycling, of course, but I usually sought out the flattest routes I could find.
But now that I'm fitter, I've got many more options.
__________________
Rowan
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Photo Gallery
Last edited by Machka; 01-23-16 at 06:54 PM.
#95
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First Weekend of February ... both rides from home ...
Saturday -- Up and over the hill into town ... wandered about, watched the Taiko Drummers, had lunch, looked at leather belts at Salamanca ... and back again.
Distance: 48.2km
Elevation: 728 metres
Moving Time: 3:08:22
Elapsed Time 4:19:31
And then I went for a 4.5 km walk to the beach and back.
Sunday -- Rowan and I cycled up Mt Wellington today. 73.4 km with 1636 metres (5367.45 feet) straight up the side of the mountain. Not an easy ride!!
We started with a 10% climb out of our suburb, and set of rolling hills, and then the real climbing began. Climbing from 8 km to 39.6 km ... there's even an HC category climb in the middle.
I was doing all right at first, all the way to Fern Tree (about 29 km into the ride), and then there's a turnoff for the main part of the climb to Mt Wellington, and it's steep in the first kilometre or so, reaching 17% at one point. With what strength I had, I kind of chuckled when I heard the kookaburra start up in the tree next to the road. Isn't that the way, just when I'm dying on a climb that bird had to start laughing at me!
It kind of eases off a bit at The Springs, and then goes into a long and steady climb of about 9%. That's when my lower back and right hip started giving me trouble. I also kept wishing for an easier gear ... one gear easier is all I wanted ... but one gear easier is not what I had, and no amount of wishing magically conjured one up.
3 km from the top it eases slightly ... to only about 6% or so.
Tired, and with various and sundry aches and pains ... we successfully made it to the top!!
And then the descent.
I find descents quite challenging ... as do my poor brakes ... but we made it down and faster than the last time we did it.
We weren't sure about the weather. All week, the forecast had been iffy for Sunday and even this morning, it had rained and they were indicating strong winds on top of the mountain. However, fortunately the wind wasn't a factor on this ride. It wasn't bad at all. And although it was cloudy, we didn't get any rain until we were nearly home, and then only just a little. It's raining more heavily now.
But one interesting thing was watching the fog come up over the Derwent and bay from above ... it rose as we descended until we were among it at one point. Mist hanging in the trees just above us.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals for January:
Walking Distance (km) 142.7
Walking Time (min) 1768.1
Cycling Distance (km) 599.2
Cycling Time (min) 2122.2
Stairs Climbed Number 391.0
Stairs Climbed Time (min) 312.8
Total Distance (km) 741.9
Total Distance (miles) 461.0
Total Time (min) 4203.1
Total Time (hr) 70:03:08
And happily, I reached another goal! I was working toward a "lifetime" (since I've been keeping track) cycling kilometre goal of 160,000 km. This month, I reached that goal and by the end of the month I reached 160,246.8 km.
Distance: 48.2km
Elevation: 728 metres
Moving Time: 3:08:22
Elapsed Time 4:19:31
And then I went for a 4.5 km walk to the beach and back.
Sunday -- Rowan and I cycled up Mt Wellington today. 73.4 km with 1636 metres (5367.45 feet) straight up the side of the mountain. Not an easy ride!!
We started with a 10% climb out of our suburb, and set of rolling hills, and then the real climbing began. Climbing from 8 km to 39.6 km ... there's even an HC category climb in the middle.
I was doing all right at first, all the way to Fern Tree (about 29 km into the ride), and then there's a turnoff for the main part of the climb to Mt Wellington, and it's steep in the first kilometre or so, reaching 17% at one point. With what strength I had, I kind of chuckled when I heard the kookaburra start up in the tree next to the road. Isn't that the way, just when I'm dying on a climb that bird had to start laughing at me!
It kind of eases off a bit at The Springs, and then goes into a long and steady climb of about 9%. That's when my lower back and right hip started giving me trouble. I also kept wishing for an easier gear ... one gear easier is all I wanted ... but one gear easier is not what I had, and no amount of wishing magically conjured one up.
3 km from the top it eases slightly ... to only about 6% or so.
Tired, and with various and sundry aches and pains ... we successfully made it to the top!!
And then the descent.
I find descents quite challenging ... as do my poor brakes ... but we made it down and faster than the last time we did it.
We weren't sure about the weather. All week, the forecast had been iffy for Sunday and even this morning, it had rained and they were indicating strong winds on top of the mountain. However, fortunately the wind wasn't a factor on this ride. It wasn't bad at all. And although it was cloudy, we didn't get any rain until we were nearly home, and then only just a little. It's raining more heavily now.
But one interesting thing was watching the fog come up over the Derwent and bay from above ... it rose as we descended until we were among it at one point. Mist hanging in the trees just above us.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals for January:
Walking Distance (km) 142.7
Walking Time (min) 1768.1
Cycling Distance (km) 599.2
Cycling Time (min) 2122.2
Stairs Climbed Number 391.0
Stairs Climbed Time (min) 312.8
Total Distance (km) 741.9
Total Distance (miles) 461.0
Total Time (min) 4203.1
Total Time (hr) 70:03:08
And happily, I reached another goal! I was working toward a "lifetime" (since I've been keeping track) cycling kilometre goal of 160,000 km. This month, I reached that goal and by the end of the month I reached 160,246.8 km.
__________________
Rowan
My fave photo threads on BF
Century A Month Facebook Group
Machka's Website
Photo Gallery
Rowan
My fave photo threads on BF
Century A Month Facebook Group
Machka's Website
Photo Gallery
#96
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Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Erie, PA
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i just moved up to the erie area and sunday is supposed to be nice so im hoping to get the bike out and pedal around the peninsula and really enjoy the sights of lake erie!!!
#97
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Easter Adventure
__________________
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Rowan
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#98
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Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Land of Angora, Turkey
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If all goes well (i.e. if my household is far enough through the bad flu that's been going around), I'm planning to meet some people on Sunday for one of the Spring Classic rides sponsored by the Wisconsin Bike Fed. This one is a 54 mile road ride that goes through the Mindoro Cut, a very interesting roadway literally cut in the middle of a bluff.
LCF content: The starting point for the ride is between 10.5 and 12 miles from my house, depending on the route I take. Extra miles...yay! I'm planning to take the newly resurfaced state highway up to the ride and check out the upgraded bicycle infrastructure that they added last fall.
LCF content: The starting point for the ride is between 10.5 and 12 miles from my house, depending on the route I take. Extra miles...yay! I'm planning to take the newly resurfaced state highway up to the ride and check out the upgraded bicycle infrastructure that they added last fall.
#99
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Where are you cycling ... for fun... this weekend? There’s a long-standing, active thread on the Northeast Regional Discussion Forum, “Metro Boston:Good ride today? It’s a congenial self-selected group of cyclists, many from the same area in Boston who post year-round about often everyday rides in areas well known to all, particularly on a MUP, the Minuteman bike path. I have described this coterie:
One of the posters was contacted by a well-known BF subscriber, mainly on the Fifty-Plus Forum, that he would be visiting New England this weekend so it has been suggested for this Saturday, to meet at one terminus of the Minuteman bike path for a show-and-go ride. I have described the area in my Cycling Guide to Metro Boston as:
…I like to write up my rides, as do others on a local discussion thread here in Boston…Of course we in Metro Boston all know the region, and each other, at least electronically, so we are a ready receptive audience for each other.
I have thought of that thread as the cycling equivalent of “apres-ski” after a day on the slopes, where we gather to exchange stories, routes, photos, ribbing, and (?) tall tales. …
I have thought of that thread as the cycling equivalent of “apres-ski” after a day on the slopes, where we gather to exchange stories, routes, photos, ribbing, and (?) tall tales. …
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 04-21-17 at 04:56 AM.
#100
Prefers Cicero
Sunday -- good ride today!! We decided to ride form one side of a little range to the other and back. Good ride for some hill climbing. The road was fairly quiet as far as traffic goes, with lots of country scenery. We saw cattle, sheep, horses, goats, chickens, ducks ... and a wallaby hopped across the road in front of me.
Wait - you're sitting in the shade?