Machka 

Tell us about your cycling this weekend! Where did you go? Who did you go with?
Did you cycle or participate in another sport during the week? Got any interesting rides coming up next week?
Got pics?

Machka 

This past week ... I hardly did anything.

I'm finally starting to feel human again!! I'm not sure what happened there, but I was feeling flu-ish for a few days toward the end of August, and really struggled my way through an 84 km ride on Sunday 28 August. Then, all of a sudden, on the evening of Tuesday 30 August, I developed a massive rash which engulfed me. It grew and spread and went from blotchy to all red everywhere, and drove me absolutely crazy with itching and pain.

I visited the Dr three times as this rash just kept getting bigger and more painful. I spent last Friday night standing most of the night because it hurt too much to lie down, and finally on my last visit, the Dr prescribed some pretty strong medication which knocked me out for several days while the rash ran its course.

I've been tested for rubella ... and that came up clear. They're best guess is, simply, some sort of viral infection. How odd.

Anyway, I've just got a bit of it left on my feet and ankles but the rest of me is almost back to normal again.


On Friday, Rowan and I walked 2.4 km to the beach and back ... and that was lovely!


Today, Saturday, we did a bit of walking, but best of all, we cycled 23.6 km. That's my first ride in a couple weeks and it felt great to be out there again! It was also a lovely evening with reasonably decent temperatures and very little wind.

jeffreythree

90 miles this week. Today was the best ride of the week, dropping 3 minutes on a 3.3 miles Strava segment and a PR on a short, tough climb on the way home under these gorgeous skies:

seau grateau

Monday - Track training session. I've never been much of a puker on the bike, but pushing myself extra hard this week brought me really close. Felt sick the whole next day.
Wednesday - 25 miles solo ride with a few sets of intervals.
Friday - 45 miles, 2500' solo ride. Felt really good doing the climb at Griffith this week and PR'ed Mt. Hollywood for the second week in a row. Still had some energy after the climbing, so I took a route home that was a bit longer and hillier than usual. Added another 10 miles in the evening riding my single-speed beater to the bar, and may do the same tonight.

Jean3n16

I only did 1 ride this weekend and it was my fastest ride so far! It was with a group 24mi this morning. I was able to keep up and even go up a hill i couldnt before.

Something interesting was:
I grunt and groan when i go up hills and i did that today when the ride leader said " Must be _my real name_ coming ".

Jakedatc

Sat: normal saturday group ride from the shop.. 30mi.. a bit shorter than I was planning but some folks seemed like thye wanted to end earlier so we skipped a bit at the end.

Sat 2.0: cyclocross clinic on the course my GF is racing tomorrow.. only have a mtn bike but it was fun riding around with everyone.

Zukoda

Only got to ride 2x this week - Monday for 30 miles and Saturday for 35. Really happy with the 35 as it is a personal best and it put me over 1000 miles since I started tracking in April. Nice ride down to Whiterock Lake, two laps around, and then back to the car. Good times...

Laurido92

60 mile ride today and 30 miles tomorrow morning. Did a 12 mile ride on my hybrid on Tuesday.

dagray

Pulled 45 miles today https://www.strava.com/activities/707794527 but had to have my wife pick me up when I was 10 miles from home due to daylight going away and me being where I could stop and get off the road and safely wait to be picked up.

Machka 

Sunday -- 26.9 km bicycle ride to the end of the cycleway and back.


Back in the saddle again!!

kbarch

Debating whether to go out for a little ride later, but yesterday was enough work for the whole weekend. Probably the most exhausting day I've ever spent on the bike. I had decided to do the metric version of the New York City Century on the Vigorelli (fixed, 48/17).

It was not the longest ride (94 miles total including rides from home to start and finish back home), there was no climbing to speak of (1800', of which about 500 was on the way to the start, before sunrise), and it was very slow (average speed 9.4 mph, max 28.2). But it was kind of hot (~90F), and there was a lot of stop-and-go, with stopping requiring as much work as going.

The extended flat segments and easy "climbs" were a delight - it was nice to zip along finally after miles and miles of stop and go traffic. And it was interesting to see so many sides of the city; I think they selected the route purposefully to show the full range - uptown, midtown, the village, downtown; industrial, commercial, residential; manicured and naturalistic parks and wildlife refuges; beaches, flatlands and hills; housing projects, row houses, ethnic neighborhoods, townhomes, suburban areas...

I knew there would be no extended climbs, but initially I was a little concerned that the route might include a challenging little bump/ramp or two. Turns out going up was never an issue at all. The challenge was controlling speed going down, and stopping. The bike only has a front brake, and a fairly lame one at that, so the rest of the work has to be done by the legs. I actually enjoy gradually slowing down that way, and approaching a track stand (which I haven't yet mastered) - as long as I'm sure I can come to a complete stop in time if necessary. The scariest, hardest part of the ride was on the way home: a -6% grade ending with left turn just before a t-intersection. What a nightmare that was!

But despite that, and the heat, the grit, the traffic, etc., I'm glad I did it - it is such fun to go up modest grades and to sprint along a straight, clear road when that flywheel effect is working for you - even just cruising along it is such a marvelous feeling!

Laurido92

32.53 miles today and 62 yesterday

Jakedatc

Sun: rode the single speed around the outside of the Cyclocross course to watch my GF and other friends during their race.. took photos and rocked the cowbell. This is the same venue that CX Nationals will be at this year in Hartford.. pretty easy course this time but i'm sure the nationals race director and staff will add some features to toughen it up.

bikecrate

Last Thursday I did my usual Davis Is. evening ride for 33 miles. Saturday I went to Picnic Is. and Davis Is. for 40 miles. I had a close encounter with pedestrians walking out into the road from behind a truck. Why people would step out into a road without looking is beyond me. Sunday I rode out to Flatwoods for 40 miles. Really bad ride. Even though it was morning the heat got to me.

mrodgers

My riding buddies are riding Pittsburgh to DC. Couldn't go with them as I have more important financial concerns. Thus, I was all alone this weekend. Rode out 22 miles to the lake to have a bite to eat. Spent about an hour chilling out watching the water and the birds.



Took a different route home which was 17 miles. They were paving the road and had the direction I was going finished. About 5 miles of freshly laid blacktop. It was glorious here in the land of rough chipseal roads.



I was on a road I ride all the time but in reverse direction. I come down the hill all the time for a nice long climb back out. This time it was the nice long descent and a steep climb out. I never realized how steep it is. I got stopped on a hill for the first time since starting out on the hills of western PA 3 years ago. I lifted the front wheel straight up which stopped me dead. Had to get started again by going across the road and when I turned back up, front wheel lifted straight up and I spun around to facing down the hill again. Really had to concentrate at the point I got going and turned back up the hill not to lift the wheel and spin around.

Internet super-biking-hero I am not. It was steeper than another hill that I ride and RidewithGPS tells me is 18.9% but RWGPS tells me this one is only 15.9%. I call BS on the superheros who claim to climb 10 miles of 20% on their 50/46 and 11-25 road bikes. This hill stopped me dead in my tracks in a 26/34 combo.

I did get going again and did not walk . I refuse to ever walk a hill. I will say though, I'm definitely not going to do the Pittsburgh Dirty Dozen race any time soon.

Machka 

Nice road!! Beautiful.

cycleheimer

I did a club ride on Sunday. Incredibly good weather. The route was scenic, with a gently rolling terrain. I wound up doing just south of 40 miles. We were mostly riding at about 14 mph. I then headed for the chaise lounge in the backyard.

mrodgers

Indeed, I think I may ride it again this weekend except I'll do out and back while passing up the lake to the end in a little town. They should have all the paint done now and no traffic stoppage since it's finished. Gotta hit these roads when you find them. You have 2 years when they blacktop them before they chipseal them forever.

Machka 

Absolutely right ... enjoy it while you've got it!

Machka 

Sep 9 - 2.4 km walking (30 min)
Sep 10 - 1.6 m walking (20 min) + 23.6 km cycling (70 min) + 10 flights of stairs (8 min)
Sep 11 - 26.9 km cycling (85 min)
Sep 12 - 1.9 km walking (20 min) + 5 flights of stairs (4 min)
Sep 13 - 5.3 km walking (65 min)
Sep 14 - 3.2 km walking (40 min) + 5 flights of stairs (4 min)
Sep 15 - 0.5 km walking (6 min) + 4 flights of stairs (3 min)