The Biking Thread

rickenvox said:
Do you guys have annual Turkey Day rides in your area where husbands sneak out and get an early morning ride in and then get in trouble for getting home at 11 while the turkey is cooking? Our Turkey Day ride is usually a mountain bike ride from a trailhead in Pasadena, and climbing 4500' in 10 miles up to the top of Mt Wilson. It's always beautiful and as I'm no longer married. nor living together with anyone since my last girlfriend it's all fun. I get my turkey dinners from Von's now and skip all the labor.
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Here in Orange County we have the Tour de Tryptophan. I am not into sanctioned rides with a bunch of fucking bike nerds with power meters. I usually ride every morning anyway so it’s not any different other than the trails are fucking crowded with people who can’t descend and Vietnamese hikers who don’t know “what on your left” means. This time of year is when night rides start to become more common place.
 
rickenvox said:
Do you guys have annual Turkey Day rides in your area where husbands sneak out and get an early morning ride in and then get in trouble for getting home at 11 while the turkey is cooking? Our Turkey Day ride is usually a mountain bike ride from a trailhead in Pasadena, and climbing 4500' in 10 miles up to the top of Mt Wilson. It's always beautiful and as I'm no longer married. nor living together with anyone since my last girlfriend it's all fun. I get my turkey dinners from Von's now and skip all the labor.
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No riding here. Generally first snow and ice. There is a family Turkey Trot fun run in town. But then we do that all together so I can't get in trouble. they DO serve beer at the end. But it is a little early, and kinda cold, for beer. :)
 
IamSeaDevil said:
Here in Orange County we have the Tour de Tryptophan. I am not into sanctioned rides with a bunch of fucking bike nerds with power meters. I usually ride every morning anyway so it’s not any different other than the trails are fucking crowded with people who can’t descend and Vietnamese hikers who don’t know “what on your left” means. This time of year is when night rides start to become more common place.
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Dude, you live in OC. We should have a pint sometime.

Oh yeah you have Little Saigon. We have mostly Chinese up here on the hiking trails. I prefer the fire roads.
 
We have a casual club ride to pre-burn the calories.
Instead, I like the small, unsanctioned CX fun race we do on the former golf course every year.

Beer handups fuel the fun!
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Guys, damn I'm out of shape. Doing my grad program and working full time and taking care of my 17 year old (which isn't required by him, but by me to take advantage of our time together before he goes to college next year) hasn't left a lot of time for riding. Actually there is "time" but when you're exhausted from other things then the couch looks much better.

Anyway, going to wake up early tomorrow morning and hit our regular Saturday training ride which I haven't been on in several months. I will probably suck, probably get dropped on the one steep climb in the last third of the ride. But it's the only way to get back in shape. Get humiliated for a couple of months until I get my legs back.

I have just started running again this year after not running most of last year due to a heel injury (plantar fasciitis - self diagnosed because my regular doctor doesn't know shit about sports injuries). But running doesn't directly help cycling, besides just generally keeping your cardio and leg muscles strong. Still doesn't translate well enough to keep up with a ride that regularly sustains long stretches of flats at over 30 mph, where you're praying "I'll count to 20 slowly and the surge will end" and it doesn't.

I'm scared. But I'm going to do it. Wish me well. I'll report back.
 
Been collecting a few photos over the last weeks for an update. Been getting some miles in for pleasure and work out. Also, after moving my office in early April, have been "commuting" the just under a mile to my new office by bike most days. I had been mostly on my red commuter bike for that but flatted the other day, and have been enjoying making the trip on @Tig's old Merckx I bought from him, with a little backpack to carry my stuff. I will probably do that some days too off and on now. Might get a better laptop backpack from Amazon as the one I have has a broken zipper. But a nice option. So freeing not to have to turn on a vehicle every day! With the backpack, I can also just ride my Kona down to work, bringing some proper riding clothes, and ride out to the trails from work when I have a chance. :)

Anyway, report:

Mar. 29 - San Diego

Hauled my converted '89 Fisher Paragon down to our family vacation. Got to ride around the trails and dirt roads of Balboa Park and surrounds, and pedal with my family along the board walk. I love their shared bike program there! I prefer my own bike, but worked great for the fam just for the board walk pedal.

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Apr. 22 - My son wanted to go mountain biking. He is a busy kid in his senior year, and I cherish any time he wants to go do something. Beautiful ride, right from home! The Croy Canyon trail system, developed just a few years ago west of Hailey, is such a nice addition to the area riding! Great any time, watch for snakes and hot in the summer. But particularly nice early season! They cut the trails real IMBA fair on the climbs so nice early season stuff.

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South Valley ramble on my converted red bike, for mix of road and gravel, south from Hailey on the bike path to Bellevue, out around to Townsend Gulch for a little dirt, saying hi to the elk hanging out in the fields, then back up along Broadford Road and the river back to home. Nice early season stuff.

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Apr. 29- A little bit longer ride out west, with light pedal pressure. The green was coming on!

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A little Meadowlark was hiding in these rocks singing away in a loud voice. 'Til I came around and it brought it down to a little chirp. Then fired back up after I pedaled on. :)
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I tried to do one of those cool riding selfies @Tig is always posting on FB and failed. Got the view though!
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Lately I have been doing some road riding on @Tig's former bike he sold me. Going back to it in a pinch when I flatted the commuter, and was in a hurry, caused me to be smitten by the bike all over again. I bet I do a little more road riding this year. Also, commuting with it reminds me of the main character in breaking away, as he rides his sweet racing bike around everywhere, in every type of clothing. Ciao, Papa!

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And the season is just beginning!
 
rickenvox said:
Guys, damn I'm out of shape. Doing my grad program and working full time and taking care of my 17 year old (which isn't required by him, but by me to take advantage of our time together before he goes to college next year) hasn't left a lot of time for riding. Actually there is "time" but when you're exhausted from other things then the couch looks much better.

Anyway, going to wake up early tomorrow morning and hit our regular Saturday training ride which I haven't been on in several months. I will probably suck, probably get dropped on the one steep climb in the last third of the ride. But it's the only way to get back in shape. Get humiliated for a couple of months until I get my legs back.

I have just started running again this year after not running most of last year due to a heel injury (plantar fasciitis - self diagnosed because my regular doctor doesn't know shit about sports injuries). But running doesn't directly help cycling, besides just generally keeping your cardio and leg muscles strong. Still doesn't translate well enough to keep up with a ride that regularly sustains long stretches of flats at over 30 mph, where you're praying "I'll count to 20 slowly and the surge will end" and it doesn't.

I'm scared. But I'm going to do it. Wish me well. I'll report back.
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So, report back? Been getting those legs back? Has been taking me a while too this year. Partly because my former group ride that forced me into a higher level of intensity, is no more. May have to find a substitute group ride tht pushes me. Hoping yours is going well. @Tig looks in good form in his pics.
 
sunvalleylaw said:
So, report back? Been getting those legs back? Has been taking me a while too this year. Partly because my former group ride that forced me into a higher level of intensity, is no more. May have to find a substitute group ride tht pushes me. Hoping yours is going well. @Tig looks in good form in his pics.
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Yep, you can't get speed without a good training group ride (or a friend with a motorcycle to draft off). I just started back on our Saturday ride a few weeks ago. I'm slowly getting my legs back but still finishing in the back of the pack. It'll take me maybe 3 months to get up to speed. Unfortunately I have classes on Tuesday and Thursday evenings which is our weeknight speed training rides around the Rose Bowl and Brookside Golf Course (3 mile loop, 10 laps, finishes in 1hr 6 or 7 minutes. That's the best ride to get up to speed, since everyone I ride with on Saturdays do that ride both nights. Mark Cavendish is supposedly going to show for the ride tonight, as he's in town for the Tour of California that starts in Long Beach on Sunday.

Too bad about your group ride. I always take for granted the rides will always be there. Yep, Tig is looking fit. Hopefully I can post pics without the excess body fat by this summer.
 
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rickenvox said:
Yep, you can't get speed without a good training group ride (or a friend with a motorcycle to draft off). I just started back on our Saturday ride a few weeks ago. I'm slowly getting my legs back but still finishing in the back of the pack. It'll take me maybe 3 months to get up to speed. Unfortunately I have classes on Tuesday and Thursday evenings which is our weeknight speed training rides around the Rose Bowl and Brookside Golf Course (3 mile loop, 10 laps, finishes in 1hr 6 or 7 minutes. That's the best ride to get up to speed, since everyone I ride with on Saturdays do that ride both nights. Mark Cavendish is supposedly going to show for the ride tonight, as he's in town for the Tour of California that starts in Long Beach on Sunday.

Too bad about your group ride. I always take for granted the rides will always be there. Yep, Tig is looking fit. Hopefully I can post pics without the excess body fat by this summer.
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I am just a lumpy mountain biker in cargo shorts (listening to Pearl Jam, gratuitous Bike Snob reference), and my group ride was on the dirt. Fl0g the horse up the single track climbs to keep up. I was the scrappy Dad built like an Alpine skier trying to keep up with guys that looked like cyclists. But, I managed to crawl off the very back of the pack to end up mid pack before the ride quit. But I can sure tell I am not pushing myself without the group ride now. That was a Thursday night ride. There is a Wednesday night road ride with three groups of increasing intensity out of a Ketchum shop. I could start going to that and start in the easier or maybe mid crew and see where it goes. I will have to show up with hairy legs, perhaps baggy shorts, and no bicycle NASCAR stuff on my shirt. Just becuz. I MIGHT be convinced to wear a traditional chamois. Mebbe. Not sure about that.
 
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