Doohickie

19 miles on the 2-speed. The way home featured a much stronger headwind than I anticipated. Stopped for a shot at a car wash.

Doohickie

And it would look even better with this saddle:

kookaburra1701

Rode by Mercer Lake at daybreak. Lots of geese paddling out on the lake, which was smooth as glass. Also heard lots of osprey calls, the males are out lookin' for love.



About half an hour later, from a different point on the lake.

photogravity

That is indeed a nice saddle, but the existing saddle is period correct. Besides, until the check is cashed it's not really mine.

photogravity

Lamplight, you're starting to make me jealous of all these beautiful pictures of your rides.

In all seriousness though, your pictures are great! Thanks for posting them here for us all to see.

photogravity

That's cool how they inserted a park in the middle of the those exhaust stacks. At first glance, I was thinking, "huh?" but then read the text.

Lamplight

Thanks! I was planning to go for a longer ride today, and yesterday the forecast was showing only a 10-20% of rain for Thursday. Suddenly today that's jumped to 80% somehow. I may still do it, though. I actually enjoy riding in a fine mist, but I don't care to ride in an actual shower if I can avoid it.

Doohickie

A B17 is correct for any period.

photogravity

But it already IS a B17. Specifically a B17 that would have been on a bike that would have been built in 1950. You're confusing me now Doohickie!!

JJScaliger

Wow, this thread is blowing up! Great pictures everyone!

I had some computer problems the last few days. Here are some pictures from Sunday.

I rode 56 miles, high in the low 70's. Crossed the border into Connecticut, then turned back towards home.



Hit some new dirt roads coming back in RI in Foster and Coventry.

Lamplight

That looks like my kind of road!

photogravity

JJScaliger, sweet!! Nice pictures, too. Those dirt roads are really nice. I ride on a similar surface with the C&O Canal towpath on a regular basis and I still don't know how you ride that De Rosa comfortably on those surfaces. I rode my Peugeot PX-8 on the towpath the other night which has 28-700c tires (measure 26mm with a caliper) and I find it challenging to ride that surface with that bike. You're a better man than me, I s'pose!

Lamplight

Today I went for a ride that I thought would be about 30 miles, and it turned out to be 45 miles. That may not be a big deal to a lot of folks here, but that's the farthest I've ridden since I was 18. Not even halfway through, my Achilles tendon in my left ankle started hurting pretty badly, and then on the way back my legs just decided they didn't like what I was doing. I rode up to Birch Bay, then when I returned to Ferndale I just gave up and took the bus back to Bellingham. From the station in Bellingham I rode the rest of the way to apartment instead of waiting the 30+ minutes for the bus just to take me the remaining three miles. But that last little bit hurt a lot. Despite the pain, and the fact that on the return trip I just stuck to some pretty crappy main roads because I just wanted to get home, it was a great ride. More climbing than I expected but Birch Bay was lovely.

Barely out of Bellingham and I'm already stopping to take pictures.








Pano:
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...s/DSCF3638.jpg



Pano:
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...CF3644copy.jpg



Finally there!


Pano:
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...CF3648copy.jpg

Drillium Dude 

^ Wow! Great shots!!

I will be right there in your neck of the woods tomorrow for a facilitation - and bringing a bike for myself to ride, too. I am definitely heading for Birch Bay for a photo or two. Ben, I'll give you a call if you feel up to another ride so soon after this one

We'll be handing over the facilitation bike in Fairhaven at the Amtrak Station, then getting lunch in town before we head our separate ways.

DD

Lamplight

Sure, give me a call! The Amtrak station is practically down the street from me. I'll have to wait until tomorrow morning to see how my ankle is doing. Right now it hurts pretty bad. If nothing else maybe I could ride a short distance and then turn around.

Drillium Dude 

Good deal - the plan is for me to arrive at the station around 1030 in the morning. Black 4-door BMW 3-series, roof rack with a black Mercian and gold Colnago on top. Can't miss it

I'll give you a call around 1000.

DD

Alex Moll

Wish I could join you guys in B'ham - looks to be a nice day tomorrow. I'll be watching my twin nieces compete in a state gymnastics meet.

I did have a wonderful ride in the Skagit Valley this afternoon and evening. This is the PNW's little slice of Holland. The red tulips are called "ILE de FRANCE." Not kidding - how could I make that up?

kookaburra1701

Oh man, all you guys in the PNW with SUN are making me jealous here on the Oregon Coast. But then riding in precipitation that couldn't decide whether it wanted to Mist or drizzle was fine too - the ospreys were out hunting. None of my pics of the fog rolling across the lake came out, but I got a good shot of the temperate rainforest around here. Unfortunately no matter what I did my crappy phone camera kept over exposing the bike.


Almost expect a triceratops to come lumbering out of those ferns.

Drillium Dude 

It's funny you should write that - this is from your neck of the woods :



Don't envy us too much - it's been raining all week and supposed to start pissing down again Sunday evening

Not that that's altogether a bad thing - my new lawn is loving the free watering!

DD

Drillium Dude 

Beautiful shot, Alex - and the only way to go during this time of year out in the tulip fields. Watch your six, though; the tourists are terrible at keeping their cages between the lines with all that gorgeousness lining the roads

We have to get some of the guys together for a Centennial Trail ride here in the next couple of weeks...

DD

kookaburra1701

Where is that? I've been to the Prehistoric Gardens in Port Orford, but that looks more detailed than their dinosaurs. (Also less psychedelic.)
(not my photo)

MrEss

I rode the short course of the Dairy Roubiax gravel grinder this morning. The dairy farms all nestled into the rolling hills and gravel roads were gorgeous. The weather was great and the cows were frisky.

Sorry the pic is of a paved road. :-P I didn't want to stop for a picture until after my friends split off for a longer course.

photogravity

Today's ride consisted of a shakedown ride of a new steed that I acquired in a trade with forum member ilikebikes last weekend. I had a lot to accomplish today but ended up putting in 11+ miles along the C&O Canal. Of note is that this bike is my first with a Sturmey 5-speed IGH. Based on this first ride, I think I'm going to have a nice relationship with this bicycle.

Several of the pictures are on and around the recently rebuilt Catoctin Aqueduct on the C&O Canal towpath.


The James On The C&O - 1 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


The James On The C&O - 5 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


The James On The C&O - 7 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


The James On The C&O - 8 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


Catoctin Aqueduct - 2 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


Catoctin Aqueduct - 3 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


Catoctin Aqueduct - 4 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr

Drillium Dude 

After meeting up with mikemowbz in Fairhaven at the Amtrak station, turning over the Mercian and then having lunch (thanks, Mike!), he headed for the Great White North while I drove down to the trailhead in Bryant.

I took off for Snohomish and had a really nice ride - upper 60s and fairly sunny with cloud cover at times. Bugs were out in force, however.

View from the trail onboard and at speed:



Hydration stop at Lake Cassidy:



Colnago at Cady Park, Snoqualmie River:



I'll be updating the "Facilitation" thread tomorrow after Mike puts his side of the experience out there. For one, I'm tired (the good kind) and for another, I caught a chill on the return leg and have a half-stuffed-up nose

Anyway, the best part of the story will be Mike's 50+ mile ride up to and across the US/Canada border with the new bike

Tomorrow, then!

DD

northbend 

Alex Molls' bike looks perfect with those tulips in the background!

I had two rides today. Enjoyed a 50 mile route that took in some of my favorite hills early this morning.

Then later in the afternoon I met up with one of my friends for an MTB training ride.
I learning new skills and this time kept all my skin.

Planning to get up early for a long day in the saddle tomorrow on the Merckx...