The Biking Thread

Just wanted to post a nerdy gleeful update: I'm about to complete 800 miles for the summer. At this time last year, I'd completed all of six rides after 'miraculously' (read: terrified of getting old and decrepit) getting off crutches after my seizure.

Some time around 11:30 a.m MDT, I'll go over my goal - good thing, it's the last day of vacation. My blood pressure has gone down 15 points, I've lost 15 pounds, and of course it helps coping with some of the losses of the past year.

You have all really been great, and I must thank you. The encouragement is crucial, because I bike alone (best 'action' friend here is recovering from open heart surgery this summer).

I know you all are "just being you," and that's the best part. My hat's off to you.
 
Danhedonia said:
Just wanted to post a nerdy gleeful update: I'm about to complete 800 miles for the summer. At this time last year, I'd completed all of six rides after 'miraculously' (read: terrified of getting old and decrepit) getting off crutches after my seizure.

Some time around 11:30 a.m MDT, I'll go over my goal - good thing, it's the last day of vacation. My blood pressure has gone down 15 points, I've lost 15 pounds, and of course it helps coping with some of the losses of the past year.

You have all really been great, and I must thank you. The encouragement is crucial, because I bike alone (best 'action' friend here is recovering from open heart surgery this summer).

I know you all are "just being you," and that's the best part. My hat's off to you.
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Awesome! That is amazing news! I need to get out on a ride right now. Thinking I will do road today. A little longer ride across the Narrows Bridge to Tacoma to tour some terrain I have not really visited yet this trip. (Point Defiance Park, with 5 mile drive). The other day, I was cycling in the forests of Endor looking for Luke and Leia on the speeder bikes.

IMG_7473.jpg


Unfortunately, when I return home after the weekend, I will be returning a land that begs to be cycled but is filled with smoke. Some from California, and a lot more now from a big wildfire just east of where I live. The fire looks to be headed in the right direction, but too close for comfort. And I do NOT do well with smoke. It sucks as it seems to be a regular event now, and it really impacts my cycling season, just when I am really hitting a stride. Or a spin. Or whatever.
 
Danhedonia said:
Just wanted to post a nerdy gleeful update: I'm about to complete 800 miles for the summer. At this time last year, I'd completed all of six rides after 'miraculously' (read: terrified of getting old and decrepit) getting off crutches after my seizure.

Some time around 11:30 a.m MDT, I'll go over my goal - good thing, it's the last day of vacation. My blood pressure has gone down 15 points, I've lost 15 pounds, and of course it helps coping with some of the losses of the past year.

You have all really been great, and I must thank you. The encouragement is crucial, because I bike alone (best 'action' friend here is recovering from open heart surgery this summer).

I know you all are "just being you," and that's the best part. My hat's off to you.
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I love seeing others make progress and learn of their improved health. Keep on having fun, and the rest falls into place.
 
On a not so positive note, I only rode 1 hour this week. The last three weeks have been difficult. At first I thought it was just the heat, but I'm feeling bad off the bike, too. Tired and something-doesn't-feel-right. I forced myself to ride today as a diagnostic. Sitting around on a couch doesn't tell me anything, but on a bike, I can usually understand what my body is telling me better. I still have no idea, however, and without a job/insurance, I doubt I'll find out.

I'll play it day to day and hopefully start feeling better soon.
 
Today wasn't fun; I'll be honest. But 'seeing' the 800 mile marker 'ahead' got me across. Frankly, I'm ready for a little break - the weather has been brutal and I'm tired. Two hour rides plus 45 mins RT driving and an hour recovery = the good part of a day. And I've got to focus on getting an indoor set up together. Oversharing: I have saddle sores that are outrageous. My body is not ready for 150 mile weeks (which is what I did, and ... yeah. No).

@Tig , I'm no healthcare professional, but we all go through cycles. Maybe this is just a down week for you? Wishing you the best.
 
Good for you Dan. It's hard to get going when you haven't been doing anything for a long time and if you've had health issues on top of that.

Hopefully it's just the heat Tig. I know it's been crazy hot in most of the country.

Forests of Endor that's hilarious SVL! Too bad about the smoke. The Mendocino fires are just today sending smoke down our way so the air quality which has been good has started to degrade. Hopefully it won't get too bad. Last year during the Napa fires it got too bad to ride, or even work outside for a couple of days. Wildfires are looking to be a fact of life around here more and more.
 
Tig said:
On a not so positive note, I only rode 1 hour this week. The last three weeks have been difficult. At first I thought it was just the heat, but I'm feeling bad off the bike, too. Tired and something-doesn't-feel-right. I forced myself to ride today as a diagnostic. Sitting around on a couch doesn't tell me anything, but on a bike, I can usually understand what my body is telling me better. I still have no idea, however, and without a job/insurance, I doubt I'll find out.

I'll play it day to day and hopefully start feeling better soon.
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Take care of yourself! You are the only you we all got!
 
Tig said:
Felt better this morning, but I'm taking it slower/wiser.
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Had a great ride yesterday. Won't bother with pics here as you, Dan, and Nuke have seen the ride on Strava already. I stopped to visit my Mom in the re-hab center she is staying in near the end of the ride, and the garmin quit recording after I paused it. So, two rides show up. But great weather for riding in a nice cool umplace. Now, I go back to SV, and right now it sounds warm, and smoky. With that in mind, when the air is ok enough to ride, I will also take it easy. I have noticed this time of year in the past when we have fires that I feel fatigue in general, and that trying to ride hard does not help. I am thinking it will be better to do some maintenance exercise as best I can while it is smoky, and pick up the intensity again as summer ends and the lovely autumn riding begins. Hoping you just had some hot season malaise going as well.
 
Today I’m enjoying the pain of road rash. I moved into a left turn lane to turn and some asshole drove up behind me and honked. That made me jerk left and I ran into a curb and went flying. My left knee is missing a few layers of skin and it hurts like a bitch. On the upside, since my torso hit first the bike didn’t hit hard. So it’s fine with the exception of some nicks on the front wheel that the brake catches on, and I can fix that with my dremel.
 
jp_nyc said:
Today I’m enjoying the pain of road rash. I moved into a left turn lane to turn and some asshole drove up behind me and honked. That made me jerk left and I ran into a curb and went flying. My left knee is missing a few layers of skin and it hurts like a bitch. On the upside, since my torso hit first the bike didn’t hit hard. So it’s fine with the exception of some nicks on the front wheel that the brake catches on, and I can fix that with my dremel.
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Yikes! Glad you are ok, relatively!
 
That certainly sucks. I hope you heal up quickly.

It takes a lot to mess with me, but I'm not sure if having nerves of steel is a good thing or a bad thing. Last week on a very wide section of a 4 lane road that goes to 6 lames over a bridge, I was just outside of the white line on the shoulder when a car passed so close it all but brushed me at 70 MPH or faster. Either they weren't looking or it was intentional. All I thought of was that getting hit that way would likely be a quick death instead of a painful one.
 
Tig said:
It takes a lot to mess with me, but I'm not sure if having nerves of steel is a good thing or a bad thing.
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I feel the same way. I want to just rocket down steep hills but all I can think about is rolling over a stick and going flying. It was easier to have nerves when I was riding on French highways because they actually avoid hitting cyclists.
 
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"Faster way up."

No, he wanted to get attention on the internet. Stairs, two at a time: 3.3 seconds. Being a clever soul on the internetz: 8.8 seconds. Fuck yo' "bike elevator." And yo' treehouse. Trust fund baby.
 
Here is a vid made my the son of a friend of mine, and fellow ski coach. This kid has skied with my kids' ski group over the years. He apparently likes wheelies!

I am not good at this kind of riding. I wish I was better at it.

 
sunvalleylaw said:
Here is a vid made my the son of a friend of mine, and fellow ski coach. This kid has skied with my kids' ski group over the years. He apparently likes wheelies!

I am not good at this kind of riding. I wish I was better at it.

Click to expand...


nice. I wish our local fire roads and single track trails had banked corners. Many of them are off camber which takes a lot of skill to bomb down.
 
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