Troul 

60-75 & dry without wind is my sweet spot.

SpeedyBlueBiker

Nice photo of your boat out on the end of the dock. You know, if you built a larger dock in front of your house across the water you could just moor your boat closer to your house!

Sierra_rider

I'd say late summer/early fall. If I have a cycling superpower, it's that I tend to thrive in the heat...some of my more decisive racing triumphs have come in triple-digit events that everyone else was struggling with. During the summer, I'm able to spend all day out in the sun, climbing multiple big Sierra passes. I do that all summer and I swear it feels like I unlocked some cheat code to riding. I can carry that through most of fall, but eventually cold temps get the best of me.

As someone who lives and rides in the snow for almost 1/2 the year, you'd think I'd like cold weather...but nope. I struggle at putting down reliable power at anything below the low 50s. I prefer anything in the 70-80 range, but can handle much higher...my endurance does drop off near 100. Although my 2-6 hour power PRs last year came in a mountainous gravel race that topped out in the upper 90s. If it drops down into the 60s, it makes it hard to be comfortable on some of the more mountainous local rides. I can be comfortable on the climbs, but then my muscles get cold on the descents.

Funny about playing cat and mouse with those 2 guys...kinda reminds me of when I was out on a gravel ride last year. I just had gotten onto the road after bushwhacking through a gravel roads that turned to single track, and then virtually disappeared. I was totally Fredded out on the gravel bike, MTB shorts, T shirt, and my USWE hydro pack. Anyway, once on the flat part of the paved road, a dude with some city cycling club kit on a newish C-dale SuperSix blows past me. I was just out sightseeing, so I didn't even think I'd see him again...until I got to the climb. The only reason I even remember it was that he was kind of a dick. I tried to exchange pleasantries with him when it was my turn to pass...I failed to see the airpod in his ear, so he took it out and responded with a "WHAT!?" Me: "Nothing, enjoy your ride!"

Sierra_rider

Easy-ish ride for today, as I'm "tapering" for the big XC race at Sea Otter this week. Nailed the golden ratio on a local loop that had 43 miles and 4300' of gain, at a low-for-me wattage.

rsbob 

Interesting about your superpowers in high heat. In my 30s I loved high temps too. 90s and low 100s had zero effect on me. In fact I really enjoyed it when after a long hard ride - I would come home with clothes encrusted in salt and still have energy to do more. It was just weird that I could do 70-80 miles at 8/10s in the heat and have plenty of power left over. I have tried to recapture those days but physiologically I am stymied. Having knocked myself out last summer in the mid 90s and having a dizziness episode towards the end of the ride was a real downer, so I go for it now - and do the hard workout indoors in AC when it is hot. Problem solved.

jaxgtr

My sweet spot is 70 to 80 with light to no winds, maybe 10 or less as we always have wind here. It takes me about 2 weeks to get back into the hot and humid game once the temps start to rise, or 2 rounds of mowing, which once summer rolls around at the end of April or early May, I am typically mowing 2 times a week as the afternoon rains kick off the growing season. My wife gets on me about mowing at the 3 pm time frame when it is generally the hottest point of the day, but I use it as resistance building so If I can survive 1.5 to 2.5 hours doing yard work, I can handle 3 to 4 hours riding the bike in the same temps and humidity.

I got in 29 miles and 2.1K of climbing after a long work day. I need to find a new job that offers me a better work\life balance.

rdf37

A bit late but rode 9.4 miles on 4/15/2024. Only been back on bike and am already seeing results as my ability to ride more increases

WaveyGravey

Today I rode 26 miles.

Troul 

37 miles, 52F, the temps are starting to feel like spring season!

rdf37

5.8 today and a flat tire from a defective valve. Got it fixed and sealed and made it home. Fun ride
rdf37

bald1der

I almost feel bad coming here posting my measly 10 miles ride this morning. 2nd day back on the bike this spring. Giving my new drivetrain some shakedown runs.

jaxgtr

Post work 24.6 miles, 1.9K is ascent, which has some really stupid 26% sections, I chose my route poorly today.

Sierra_rider

No miles for me today. Knocked out some yard work, tore off part of my dilapidated deck, and mostly tackled the last of my side work out in the shop. I was actually dying to go for a ride, but common sense says I should get a couple of rest days ahead of a big race day. Tomorrow is our local Wednesday night XC race, I'm going to do my part to keep that race "easy." I'm really trying to go into Friday's race on top form.


No judgment here, that's 10 miles better than no miles.

bald1der

That's how I'm looking at it. And today is my yard day, so no miles for me today. But I will definitely get my steps in.

rdf37

Don’t!!!! A ride is a ride short or long! Take it from me after I was off bike for almost nine years from an accident. I was more satisfied a few weeks ago with a 6mile ride than any of my century’s when I rode in the past. Just rude and don’t worry about “keepin up with the jones” or “ I rode more than you” people

Smaug1

It was pouring this morning when I had to commute, so I took the cage to work. :-(

However, I am planning to scout the route for my club's inaugural Wednesday Night Ride. (20-30 miles) Gonna be a 20 mph wind gusting to 35, though. I may throw a folding eBike in the trunk and drive to the starting point and do it with that, or else I'll be finishing the ride in the dark on county roads.

Advice?

rsbob 

Not 100?! Slacker.

rsbob 

Cancel the ride. There is always another Wednesday

rsbob 

I use my rest days (about 2 per week) to work outside on our acre, or hike or fix stuff. Can’t just sit around since the gardens require constant attention. Two big things waiting for me is pressure washing the back patio and awnings and the huge structure around our deer fenced vegetable garden - and then re-staining it. The day before yesterday - was the PITA setting up the fountain.

Sierra_rider

Your outdoor space looks considerably more manicured than mine. I'm on a few acres with an aging house+shop, so there is a never ending supply of stuff that needs attention.

Now that we're starting to get nice weather, my focus is going to be on splitting all the piles of firewood I have around my house...propane is much too expensive to heat with, so collecting/splitting/stacking firewood is almost a non-stop process. At least I don't have far to get it, we had a storm that delivered 7' of snow in one go last winter and it broke a bunch of the trees on my property, so I have rounds piled up everywhere.

The other spring chore is cleaning all the pine needles off and away from the house. I don't go super crazy with it, just what's on the buildings and within 50' or so of them. I started that yesterday, besides demoing an unnecessary part of my front porch that collapsed in a big snow storm last year.

Smaug1

I'm 47 and I like 50s. I can wear leggings and long sleeved jerseys against the sun without being too hot even at full steam. Maybe a wind vest rolled up in a back jersey pocket in case it drops a bit or the sun goes away. Water stays cool, too.

rsbob 

Our propane bills were so outrageous,$600-700 every other month, we got a heat pump which paid for itself in 5 years, but since you have free fuel - and a good upper body workout, go for it. I clean needles off the roof and gutters 2X a year which is not fun getting on the second story and getting out to the gutters.

You still have fire/home owner’s insurance? Received a notice last month that Farmers, after 40 years - and zero claims, dropped my mom’s house in Auburn because it is considered high risk for wildfire. Which is interesting since it is pretty much the burbs, but she does have several live oaks and 6 ginormous redwoods out front.

Editid ride today but burnt too many matches over the last few rides and i sucked. Even my Garmin told me I was being unproductive and to take some time off. this time I am going to listen.

Good luck with the race

Sierra_rider

I built a fairly heavy duty hydraulic log splitter, so no more upper body workouts from splitting firewood...and building it myself saved a few thousand dollhairs over buying a comparable commercial grade splitter, so more money for fancy bikes lol.

I've got 2 separate home insurance policies. One covers everything not related to wildland fire and the other covers specifically wildland fire related damages. Unfortunately for some, the fire severity/risk zones don't always make perfect sense. On the other hand, I've also had the experience of chasing fire through a developed city, although that was an extreme, once-in-a-career moment.

Sierra_rider

MTB racing tonight, all together about 20 miles and 1500' of gain...although only 13 of those were race miles. I took 2nd in a pretty stacked field, I did a come-from-behind sprint and was short by less than half a wheel...did about 1000 watts for 10 seconds in the sprint. I can actually do better in a sprint and I realized that I kinda gave away the win with that effort, but no complaints on how it turned out. Even though it was a fast race, I managed to keep my power numbers down and feel like I won't be carrying any fatigue into Friday's race in Monterey.

Smaug1

I took your advice and did my route research at home by looking through my Garmin Connect routes and sending the candidates to my GPS. I really wasn't feeling the ride.

I took the gravel bike in today, so it will be 4 miles only, for commuting. Flirting with rain on the way home, but if it does rain, I'll get to test my new fenders.