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Did you ride today?

1168440 Views 18549 Replies 272 Participants Last post by  newleaf150
Now that the National Bike Challenge is over, I thought I would start a thread to encourage people to continue to ride as much as they did while doing the NBC and show their results.

I'll start:

34 miles today. Good temps and humidity and a very crowded, but still flooded, MUP.
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Ladies and Gentleman .... A Neeeewwwww Wooorlddd Reeccoorrdddddd ..... for rides taken on May 9 2022 between 12 and 2 pm in Flatahoma ..... by me ....

Actually longest ride all year. 28+ mph at 14.7 mph, 891 feet of climbing .... a couple/few hundred more than I had intended to climb but once I was out there, it was pretty much ride or walk .....

wind was supposedly 10-16 but I didn't notice any strong gusts, and it was partly cloudy, for which I was extremely grateful. Another few degrees ad I would have been limping and crying all the way home.

One close pass by a dump truck ... it was probably the legal three feet but big trucks moving fast seem closer .... and the whole way, no one complimented me on my dog .... which isn't too weird as i don't have a dog, but people could have at least faked it to be polite, right? What a world we live in .......
Mr. Maelochs, in the spirit of politeness, I have never in my life seen a more beautiful and perfect dog than yours. Despite the fact that I live and ride with the cutest dog this side of the Mississippi 😀. Had I not seen your dog with my own polite eyes at some indeterminate time, I'd never have believed such extreme cuteness possible :cool:.

Seriously though, congrats on what sounds like a sweet and fulfilling ride. I'd have had trouble keeping up with you. Solely because I have to haul my dog around in a trailer, you understand. Yours simply flies alongside you on a cloud of improbability studded with diamond dust. I'm surprised you didn't sic him on the dump truck, though. Congrats on your kind restraint 🙃
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I got out for a thirty mile ride yesterday, 1,500 feet of climbing. It felt like it was all climbing. I think I’m giving up on my fancy $250 saddle, it just doesn’t work for me on my rough gravel rides. I have several saddles that were working ok but wanted to try something different. Now I have sore sit bones.
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Took random day off....67, low humidity and little to no wind.....pushed out 26 in flip flops and Jesus music....was heavenly. Navigated thru 2 elementary school's rush hr of kids riding to school, some wirh parent escorts as well as the usual gaggle of joggers and walkers with and without pets and even refreshing sprinkler spray in a few spots. Ahhhhhhhh, needed that action!

Bicycle Water Sky Tire Bicycles--Equipment and supplies
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With the winds down in the 20mph range, I figured it was time for a ride. Made it out for 22mi on the touring bike with canine companion Chip. He ran for 6.3mi and returned home a happy dog. Good times.
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No rides for me this week. Work work work then the boys came home from College then with & family time.

Maybe this coming week.
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Today's 15mph winds felt positively light after my last few rides. The mid-80's temps seemed to keep canine companion Chip mostly in his trailer, but he got out for a 2-mi run toward the end of the ride. I spun out 29 satisfying miles and enjoyed being outside on my touring bike.
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Today I tried to be lazy and failed. My recumbent needs some very minor adjustments, and I just didn't feel like doing the work myself. So I hopped aboard and rode to the LBS, where I was shocked to hear that they're running 24 days behind. Meaning the bike would sit there for 23 days before even seeing a wrench. I'd fully expected 8-14 days, but 24?! Thanks but no thanks. I headed out to a second shop where they claimed they'd be able to help me in no less than 20 days. [email protected] I really did want to be lazy.

It wouldn't matter, but I've run into a recurring problem with my touring bike and have an event coming up at the beginning of June. If I can't solve the problem before then, I'll have no choice but to ride the 'bent. I guess I'll just have to get up off my dead @$$ and do the adjustments myself.

In any event, visiting the two LBS and returning home again gave me 18mi on the 'bent. Because I'd planned to drop the bike off and walk home, I didn't bring canine companion Chip or his trailer. I was frankly surprised at how much faster I was able to ride without the added ~45lbs represented by Chip, his trailer, and assorted gear. Felt nice.

Chip was happy to see me when I returned home, even happier when I stowed the 'bent and broke out the Montague folding MTB and his Burley trailer. We headed out in the late afternoon for a quick 10mi jaunt, including a solid 4.5mi run for Chip. That gave me a total of 28mi between the 'bent and the MTB. Good day, even if I utterly failed in my attempt to be lazy.
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I will hide my shame at your failure .... I am sure you feel bad enough, only riding twice in one day.

I understand the maintenance thing sometimes, though. I have an intermittent thump in the rear (I think) of my work bike--maybe the two most-used cogs are a little too worn for the chain? the rest work fine---but since I have tried to adjust and fiddle and somehow fix the issue---and have failed repeatedly--I really don't want to tackle it again and fail again. On the other hand, there is no shop around here I trust ...... so I will have to get over myself.

On the working bike front, two hideously slow very short rides .... two days in a row when I just did not feel it at all. Still better than not riding .... on top of that the heat has started to edge its way in ..... I did a group ride early Saturday and it was still pleasantly cool .... about the same time today and it was starting to get unpleasantly warm. I can still do pre-dawn meditation outside, but once the sun clears the horizon, pleasant weather's reign starts eroding. By noon it is almost not fun to be out there .... and it is only May.

Getting on time to reschedule everything around late-evening rides if I can.
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Took random day off....67, low humidity and little to no wind.....pushed out 26 in flip flops and Jesus music....was heavenly. Navigated thru 2 elementary school's rush hr of kids riding to school, some wirh parent escorts as well as the usual gaggle of joggers and walkers with and without pets and even refreshing sprinkler spray in a few spots. Ahhhhhhhh, needed that action!

View attachment 54735
What do you use to listen to Jesus music? I never listened to music while I rode until this year. My son bought me a Bluetooth speaker so I figured I better use it so I don’t appear ungrateful. I usually either play music from my library on my phone or select something from Apple Music. The speaker is rechargeable and can recharge my phone and Garmin on the fly if I forget. It also has a built in headlight in case I get caught out after dark. I haven’t tried riding with the headlight because I have another light I use for night rides.
Today's ride was short but sweet. After adjusting my recumbent, I set out with canine companion Chip to have a quick check ride and restock our supply of adult beverages. Chip rode outbound only to run home. I took a different route in order to give him a 1.4mi jog Overall mileage was a whopping 2.2mi.

I missed a heck of a chance for a longer ride earlier, but better to make it out for a short ride than for none at all. Better, my recumbent is ready for service should I need it for my upcoming event. I still hope to ride my touring bike, but feel easier at the prospect of having a functional alternative in the event I am unable to resolve the touring bike's recurring saddle issues.
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Shouldn't there be photos in the After 5 thread?
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Shouldn't there be photos in the After 5 thread?
Perhaps, but as the standard for vodka is 'odorless and tasteless' it seems a bit pointless to yak about brands and such. I have learned that while I like beer, it does not like me. No such trouble with cocktails :cool:.
Well, the road construction that prevented me from riding north for my “I don’t have much time but want to ride rides” was finally completed.
It was the last section of the Circle D’lake loop that REALLY NEEDED to be fixed years ago.
I had enough time before the approaching rain and darkness to squeeze in 19 miles.
It felt so good to be out again.
Yesterday, my youngest (but now a college student) went for a ride around the park. He’s such a joy to be around. I’m a lucky man.

Oops
I forgot to add a picture of the completed roadwork.
View attachment 54753
It was less than half a mile, but because of this interstate bridge, it took them around 7-8 months to complete.
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Dos, when I turned 40 I asked my mother if it made her feel old. She didn't answer.
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Newleaf150, on Betty White's 100th birthday I had a vodka on the rocks for her. It reminded me why I don't drink vodka on the rocks.
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What do you use to listen to Jesus music? I never listened to music while I rode until this year. My son bought me a Bluetooth speaker so I figured I better use it so I don’t appear ungrateful. I usually either play music from my library on my phone or select something from Apple Music. The speaker is rechargeable and can recharge my phone and Garmin on the fly if I forget. It also has a built in headlight in case I get caught out after dark. I haven’t tried riding with the headlight because I have another light I use for night rides.
I have an Altec Lansing submersible bluetooth speaker strapped to frame of the flipflop belt drive party bike and have another one that hangs on the strap of my camelbak when riding offroad or on other bikes. I listen to UP! on iHeart app on my fon that rides in the top tube bag on party bike commuter or in the camelbak in a ziploc on other bikes.

Automotive tire Tire Automotive lighting Motor vehicle Hood


Pic of bag the fon rides in...weatherproof and can use touchscreen while in the bag. Faces up. Can run any mapping or data app dashboard too....


Bicycle Bicycles--Equipment and supplies Bicycle frame Shoe Crankset


Here is pic of the one on the camelbak. As you can see it gets sprayed with mud on occasion. Just washed it off. $30 speaker, plenty loud, long run times in 3-4hr range with it pretty loud too. Many rides in rain, have been hit with sprinklers, even floats in the pool or river. Been real happy with them and the sound is great IMO for how small they are.

Textile Chair Bag Luggage and bags Wood
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Not for days now. Mrs. Newleaf went to Vegas last weekend. Apparently no one told her that what happens in Vegas is supposed to bloody stay there: she came back with a nasty case of the flu, which I immediately caught. I have not been this sick since I was an active cigarette smoker prior to 2010 and acquired the occasional ugly lung infection. This flu wasn't as hard on the lungs, but made up for it with exhaustion, body aches, and blithering mental stupidity among other happy symptoms. I hope the fever has broken at last. Thought it had yesterday, but that was just the Tylenol finally working.

At this point I would not be surprised if my upcoming event, the Elephant Rock ride, ends up being too much. I signed up for the metric century, which would normally be easy mileage for me. Between illness, weather, mechanical issues, and saddle sores, confidence is now low.

I'd planned to ride my recumbent in the event if I was unable to address the saddle sore issue between than and now. Well, I haven't addressed it but the recumbent is an unfortunate non-starter: during routine maintenance right before I came down with this mess, I found broken spokes on my rear wheel. Apparently they were too light for use with a trailer. Since it's 'that' time of year, finding a place with as little as a two week waiting list is presently quite difficult. Worse is getting the bike to the shop. It will fit in Mrs. Newleaf's car, but not easily or well.

Stay healthy, y'all.
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No like on any of that.....flip the script!
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Wife had a bit of surgery yesterday morning and I got my 2nd covid booster later in the afternoon so only ride I did today was up and down street on some new tires on the AnthemX to get mail.
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I finally had an opportunity to ride around the lake yesterday. This is a 27 mile loop i would have usually done multiple times by now, but road work and a seriously lacking amount of free time has prevented me.
I started off weak and ended weaker, but I complete the loop nonetheless.
Temps rise rapidly from upper 60s to mid 80s abs THAT zapped be.
I spent the rest of the day walking around in a lack of energy stupor.
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