Your Weekend Ride Reports -- June 18/19
06-18-16, 07:21 AM
#1
In Real Life
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Down under down under
Posts: 52,152
Bikes: Lots
Mentioned: 141 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3203 Post(s)
Liked 599 Times
in
331 Posts
Your Weekend Ride Reports -- June 18/19
Tell us about your cycling this weekend! Where did you go? Who did you cycle with? Event, training ride, recreational ride?
[HR][/HR]
Saturday -- Rowan and I cycled 200.23 km with 2227.58 metres of climbing. It was a 200K randonnee to celebrate the winter solstice.
6 riders set off at 7 am, just as the sky was lightening slightly and we could make out the yachts and birds on the bay. The temperature was a chilly 4.3C with a bit of a headwind bringing the "feels like" temperature down to 1.8C.
Our route took us out the cycleway, a common cycling route. Unfortunately some drunks had been out there during the night and there were large patches of broken glass here and there along the way, so large that we had to lift our bicycles over.
Once on the road, the glass problem disappeared, and a little further up the road, the temperature dropped to 3.3C. Funny thing was, just before Rowan told me it had gotten colder, my feet and hands started feeling very cold and I was doing windmills (rotating my arms around like windmills) to try to warm my hands.
Onward to New Norfolk and then Bushy Park, the first control. Up till that point, there wasn't much climbing at all. But soon after the climbing began. One of the first climbs was a long steep thing that left me feeling quite nauseated and dizzy at the top. It was a tough climb! I saw it on the way back and thought, "I climbed that???"
At that point, I wondered about the possibility of finishing the event because I knew there would be more climbing for a while yet and I just didn't feel up to it! But I kept slogging away ... up and up ... and then, all of a sudden, I got a second wind or something and had energy for the rest of the 200K.
Unfortunately Rowan had issues with cramping again which kind of slowed him down.
We arrived in Bothwell, the turn-around point, with about half an hour to spare ... and got some salty food + ice cream. We were hungry! But it was a quick stop and we were back on the road again and heading back.
Everyone said that it's downhill on the way back from Bothwell. Well ... um ... not really. There is quite a bit of climbing for the first 32 km out of Bothwell ... and then, finally, it's downhill. I really enjoyed the downhill bit. That was fun!
For some reason, the section from the 145 km point to the 159.99 km point took forever!! I felt like I was watching those kilometres tick by for somewhere in the neighbourhood of 12 hours. Several times I watched to make sure that my computer was actually working ... at times the numbers seemed to freeze. I began to long for numbers in the 160 range ... just for something different, just to prove that we were actually getting somewhere. I had to laugh when I figured it had to be 160-something already, looked down at my computer and it read: 159.99. I couldn't catch a break!
Darkness was falling as we rolled into New Norfolk again and stopped at a little shop with a very friendly lady behind the counter. We chatted a bit about long distance cycling. She may have been there the last time we got our cards signed on the "So you want to ride 100 miles" event we did several months ago.
The next bit was my least favourite. It's a busy 16 km or so with narrow shoulders that sort of come and go, and includes a 2 km stretch with no shoulders. I'm not fond of it in the daylight ... the night was no better. Although I do have to say that most drivers were pretty good. It's just that there were lots of them.
I was relieved when we got off the main road onto a quieter road, and even happier when we got back onto the cycleway again. Fortunately the broken glass had been cleared away.
And we rolled into the finish area after 12 hours and 36 minutes.
[HR][/HR]
Saturday -- Rowan and I cycled 200.23 km with 2227.58 metres of climbing. It was a 200K randonnee to celebrate the winter solstice.
6 riders set off at 7 am, just as the sky was lightening slightly and we could make out the yachts and birds on the bay. The temperature was a chilly 4.3C with a bit of a headwind bringing the "feels like" temperature down to 1.8C.
Our route took us out the cycleway, a common cycling route. Unfortunately some drunks had been out there during the night and there were large patches of broken glass here and there along the way, so large that we had to lift our bicycles over.
Once on the road, the glass problem disappeared, and a little further up the road, the temperature dropped to 3.3C. Funny thing was, just before Rowan told me it had gotten colder, my feet and hands started feeling very cold and I was doing windmills (rotating my arms around like windmills) to try to warm my hands.
Onward to New Norfolk and then Bushy Park, the first control. Up till that point, there wasn't much climbing at all. But soon after the climbing began. One of the first climbs was a long steep thing that left me feeling quite nauseated and dizzy at the top. It was a tough climb! I saw it on the way back and thought, "I climbed that???"
At that point, I wondered about the possibility of finishing the event because I knew there would be more climbing for a while yet and I just didn't feel up to it! But I kept slogging away ... up and up ... and then, all of a sudden, I got a second wind or something and had energy for the rest of the 200K.
Unfortunately Rowan had issues with cramping again which kind of slowed him down.
We arrived in Bothwell, the turn-around point, with about half an hour to spare ... and got some salty food + ice cream. We were hungry! But it was a quick stop and we were back on the road again and heading back.
Everyone said that it's downhill on the way back from Bothwell. Well ... um ... not really. There is quite a bit of climbing for the first 32 km out of Bothwell ... and then, finally, it's downhill. I really enjoyed the downhill bit. That was fun!
For some reason, the section from the 145 km point to the 159.99 km point took forever!! I felt like I was watching those kilometres tick by for somewhere in the neighbourhood of 12 hours. Several times I watched to make sure that my computer was actually working ... at times the numbers seemed to freeze. I began to long for numbers in the 160 range ... just for something different, just to prove that we were actually getting somewhere. I had to laugh when I figured it had to be 160-something already, looked down at my computer and it read: 159.99. I couldn't catch a break!
Darkness was falling as we rolled into New Norfolk again and stopped at a little shop with a very friendly lady behind the counter. We chatted a bit about long distance cycling. She may have been there the last time we got our cards signed on the "So you want to ride 100 miles" event we did several months ago.
The next bit was my least favourite. It's a busy 16 km or so with narrow shoulders that sort of come and go, and includes a 2 km stretch with no shoulders. I'm not fond of it in the daylight ... the night was no better. Although I do have to say that most drivers were pretty good. It's just that there were lots of them.
I was relieved when we got off the main road onto a quieter road, and even happier when we got back onto the cycleway again. Fortunately the broken glass had been cleared away.
And we rolled into the finish area after 12 hours and 36 minutes.
__________________
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
06-18-16, 09:38 AM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: CT
Posts: 3,054
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 10 Times
in
7 Posts
Nice.. good that you're back to the longer stuff again
Sat: RI shop ride with a mellow B group. Really flat compared to the stuff i have been doing in CT so it felt easier than the Avg speed turned out to be. Pretty nice when the avg is better than you expect. (The last 2 years now i have kept the map screen open on my garmin that only shows current speed and distance.. i stopped looking at Avg since it can psych me out. either going too slow or "ut oh too fast")
Sat: RI shop ride with a mellow B group. Really flat compared to the stuff i have been doing in CT so it felt easier than the Avg speed turned out to be. Pretty nice when the avg is better than you expect. (The last 2 years now i have kept the map screen open on my garmin that only shows current speed and distance.. i stopped looking at Avg since it can psych me out. either going too slow or "ut oh too fast")
06-18-16, 05:05 PM
#3
on your lawn
I ended up going about 38 miles. Hot and muggy here. About 88F. I rode a new route today, going farther west than I've been. When it seemed like I should have got to the road I was planning on taking back, I checked my GPS on my phone and saw that I had gone a few miles past it. I took the next cross road and a few miles later took another road to the one I meant to be on. If I didn't have my phone with me to check the map, I don't know where I would have wound up.
06-19-16, 05:11 AM
#4
In Real Life
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Down under down under
Posts: 52,152
Bikes: Lots
Mentioned: 141 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3203 Post(s)
Liked 599 Times
in
331 Posts
Sunday -- We walked about 2.1 km ... just trying to stretch things out and recover.
__________________
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
Last edited by Machka; 06-19-16 at 05:41 AM.
06-19-16, 06:51 AM
#6
In Real Life
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Down under down under
Posts: 52,152
Bikes: Lots
Mentioned: 141 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3203 Post(s)
Liked 599 Times
in
331 Posts
Photos from Saturday's ride ...
__________________
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
06-19-16, 01:33 PM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 4,286
Mentioned: 21 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1096 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
A fun, but terribly undisciplined weekend here.
Yesterday I passed on a long training ride with a friend because I had chores to do and wanted to start and finish early. Also wanted to take it fairly easy, so I wouldn't wear myself out for the next day's race. Well, it was a gorgeous day, and for some reason, whenever I came upon hills, I felt compelled to charge up them. Turns out, it payed off, Strava-wise. But I also rode a little further and longer than intended, and wound up paying for it. Although I managed to get plenty of sleep, by this morning's race I wasn't recovered. I got dropped after a couple of miles, hammered my way back on again, rode with the pack for a few more miles, then lost my concentration. One moment I was in the mix, the next moment - "whoah, where'd that gap come from?" I was toast. But our team did well - we got 1st and 8th - and afterwards, four of us went for an urban-adventurous ride through traffic and torn-up 2nd Ave. for breakfast at a Ukrainian diner (they sponsor another team, not ours, but the food is nice).
So, Saturday's little 34 mile/ 1480' ride was a virtual win (2 KOM and a couple of other trophies on Strava), but today's race was a real bust - a big fat DNF; 42 miles & 1420' all told today, including the ride to breakfast and back. Perhaps one of these days it will all come together, but it's still plenty of fun as it is.
Yesterday I passed on a long training ride with a friend because I had chores to do and wanted to start and finish early. Also wanted to take it fairly easy, so I wouldn't wear myself out for the next day's race. Well, it was a gorgeous day, and for some reason, whenever I came upon hills, I felt compelled to charge up them. Turns out, it payed off, Strava-wise. But I also rode a little further and longer than intended, and wound up paying for it. Although I managed to get plenty of sleep, by this morning's race I wasn't recovered. I got dropped after a couple of miles, hammered my way back on again, rode with the pack for a few more miles, then lost my concentration. One moment I was in the mix, the next moment - "whoah, where'd that gap come from?" I was toast. But our team did well - we got 1st and 8th - and afterwards, four of us went for an urban-adventurous ride through traffic and torn-up 2nd Ave. for breakfast at a Ukrainian diner (they sponsor another team, not ours, but the food is nice).
So, Saturday's little 34 mile/ 1480' ride was a virtual win (2 KOM and a couple of other trophies on Strava), but today's race was a real bust - a big fat DNF; 42 miles & 1420' all told today, including the ride to breakfast and back. Perhaps one of these days it will all come together, but it's still plenty of fun as it is.
06-19-16, 03:23 PM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: North East Tennessee
Posts: 1,616
Bikes: Basso Luguna, Fuji Nevada
Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4261 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
1 Post
@Machka , I always love your photos and ride reports.
I had a long weekend got in 4 rides for a total of 105 miles 3,341' of climbing and 3 Strava PR's. It been hot and windy here the last few days, cross winds up to 30 MPH and temps reported in the upper 80's but it feels hotter than that on the bike.
I had a long weekend got in 4 rides for a total of 105 miles 3,341' of climbing and 3 Strava PR's. It been hot and windy here the last few days, cross winds up to 30 MPH and temps reported in the upper 80's but it feels hotter than that on the bike.
06-19-16, 11:19 PM
#9
Senior Member
I remember riding 25 miles yesterday, but it doesn't show up on my Strava history so it's probably just me imagining things.
Today I finally got around to doing the Mountain Loop Highway, which itself is 50 miles, but completing the "loop" made the ride 90 miles. I've never been on it before, except a short stretch near the Granite Falls end of the highway. I'd heard it's a pretty road, and people weren't kidding.
A park at the start of the highway in Darrington, with Whitehorse Mountain in back center:
Pretty soon, pavement gave way to dirt/gravel. In terms of bumpiness it was a phenomenally smooth dirt road, although it was a bit goopy from yesterday's weather:
One of the lookouts early on in the dirt section, I think the mountain is White Chuck:
View from the middle of a bridge:
The highway spends a lot of time running alongside water.
There are often good views through the trees. Sometimes the trees cut out.
The dirt section is overall uphill (with lots of ups and downs), and ends at the very top of Barlow Pass, the highest point on the highway. From there you have 30 paved miles left to get to Granite Falls. I think the dirt section is the most beautiful, although it's hardly bad afterwards. Here's Big Four mountain, on the left:
Aaand now I'm tired.
Today I finally got around to doing the Mountain Loop Highway, which itself is 50 miles, but completing the "loop" made the ride 90 miles. I've never been on it before, except a short stretch near the Granite Falls end of the highway. I'd heard it's a pretty road, and people weren't kidding.
A park at the start of the highway in Darrington, with Whitehorse Mountain in back center:
Pretty soon, pavement gave way to dirt/gravel. In terms of bumpiness it was a phenomenally smooth dirt road, although it was a bit goopy from yesterday's weather:
One of the lookouts early on in the dirt section, I think the mountain is White Chuck:
View from the middle of a bridge:
The highway spends a lot of time running alongside water.
There are often good views through the trees. Sometimes the trees cut out.
The dirt section is overall uphill (with lots of ups and downs), and ends at the very top of Barlow Pass, the highest point on the highway. From there you have 30 paved miles left to get to Granite Falls. I think the dirt section is the most beautiful, although it's hardly bad afterwards. Here's Big Four mountain, on the left:
Aaand now I'm tired.
Last edited by HTupolev; 06-19-16 at 11:31 PM.
06-20-16, 04:04 AM
#11
Coffin Dodger
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 2,138
Bikes: Motobecane Vent Noir, Lynskey R345, Serotta Nova Special X
Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 794 Post(s)
Liked 292 Times
in
143 Posts
https://www.strava.com/activities/613575430
My daughter and I at end of the 100/200 in Vermont
She's the best SAG driver a dad could have, very "pro".
06-20-16, 07:14 AM
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: LF, APMAT
Posts: 2,758
Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 630 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 406 Times
in
231 Posts
I went out Wednesday and Thursday for the usual Davis Is. 33 mile evening ride. It was really hot. Thursday was windy to boot. Saturday I rode to Weeden Is. for 39 miles. My legs were feeling terrible on the way over. I thought something was wrong until I turned around a flew home. I didn't realize how strong the headwind/tailwind was. On Sunday I was feeling really good so I went out to Flatwoods park. It was mostly cloudy so the temps stayed down. The only downsides the trail at the park was partially closed and when I stopped for a break I got swarmed with bugs. However, still got in about 48 miles.
06-20-16, 12:41 PM
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Columbia, SC
Posts: 2,977
Bikes: 2014 Cannondale Synapse Carbon 4 Rival; 2014 Cannondale Trail 7 29; 1972 Schwinn Suburban, 1996 Proflex 756, 1987(?) Peugeot, Dahon Speed P8; 1979 Raleigh Competition GS; 1995 Stumpjumper M2 FS, 1978 Raleigh Sports, Schwinn Prologue
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 213 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
4 Posts
Did the regular Saturday morning group ride..though there weren't many who showed up! Just under 40 miles, and nailed a bunch of Strava PRs.
https://www.strava.com/activities/612983283
For whatever reason climbing seems to be under reported since I got an iPhone. Anyway, most of the elevation is in 2 or 3 discrete parts of the ride and I tried to hit those hard and ended up riding away from the group. One of these day I'll have to budget in the time to ride out with the A group - they do 20 more miles and seem to average about 1 mph faster. Distance is no big deal. I imagine I could do the speed with others pushing me.
When I finished, The Better Half sent me a picture of a bunch of oil that had come from under the washing machine. Spent the rest of the day taking it apart and cleaning everything I could (you wanna talk about disgusting! Now I'm tempted to at least take the drum out every year for a good cleaning).
https://www.strava.com/activities/612983283
For whatever reason climbing seems to be under reported since I got an iPhone. Anyway, most of the elevation is in 2 or 3 discrete parts of the ride and I tried to hit those hard and ended up riding away from the group. One of these day I'll have to budget in the time to ride out with the A group - they do 20 more miles and seem to average about 1 mph faster. Distance is no big deal. I imagine I could do the speed with others pushing me.
When I finished, The Better Half sent me a picture of a bunch of oil that had come from under the washing machine. Spent the rest of the day taking it apart and cleaning everything I could (you wanna talk about disgusting! Now I'm tempted to at least take the drum out every year for a good cleaning).
06-20-16, 01:42 PM
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Nor Cal
Posts: 6,016
Mentioned: 17 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1814 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 923 Times
in
569 Posts
Machka- nice ride!
The Terrible Two on Saturday.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/12760205
I was a bit nervous as it can be hot, & I DNF'd last year,
but the weather gods smiled & it went well.
Still, I think only about 75% finished.
My lats & triceps got bigger from the miles & miles of standing climbs.
The Terrible Two on Saturday.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/12760205
I was a bit nervous as it can be hot, & I DNF'd last year,
but the weather gods smiled & it went well.
Still, I think only about 75% finished.
My lats & triceps got bigger from the miles & miles of standing climbs.
06-20-16, 04:28 PM
#15
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Lebanon (Liberty Hill), CT
Posts: 8,611
Bikes: CAAD 12, MASI Gran Criterium S, Colnago World Cup CX & Guru steel
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1816 Post(s)
Liked 1,346 Times
in
781 Posts
Rode my 13.5 mi. TT and rode it briskly. Yesterday was my birthday and Father's Day. Celebrated age 35 for the second time. Today I rode a 16.5 mi. climbing route. Had a great time these past three days.
06-21-16, 07:58 AM
#16
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: LF, APMAT
Posts: 2,758
Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 630 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 406 Times
in
231 Posts
Another Davis Is. evening ride for 33 miles on Monday. Nice weather for FL in June. It was partly cloudy and a little less humid. I've also been using our Riverwalk MUP to finish the ride home on. It now goes almost within a mile from my house. This time of the year it isn't very crowded due to the heat and it is a relaxing way to end the ride.
06-21-16, 07:48 PM
#17
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Posts: 129
Bikes: Specialized Cross Trail, Specialized Roubaix, Paramount PDG 5, Framed Alaskan Carbon, BMC Roadmachine 01
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
National 24 Hour Challenge in Middleville MI. 92 degrees, 353 miles, a personal best. Witnessed a new record of 516 miles. Incredible.
