AT Cycling Log - 100,000 miles done! Next stop ???

[mechBgon]

27 miles today, including the weekly shop ride, which was very casual for me since I was the support vehicle, complete with a full-sized tire pump:



Highlight of the group ride: rescuing a small, injured bull snake from the road. It was hurt, but near the tail. Maybe it'll be OK.

Total: 33014 plus 10 snake-related karma points.

 

[virtuamike]

Just bought a 29er, about 10 years since I've been on a bike. Breaking it in at Coyote Hills, 34 miles in 3 rides.

Total: 33048

 

[mechBgon]

I did just the basic direct commute today, 7 miles.

Total: 33055

 

[KMc]

105 miles today, decent conditions, not too windy, temps in the low 60s. Resting up for the return trip tomorrow. Forecast is slightly cooler and stiff crosswinds.

Total: 33,160

 

[mechBgon]

105 miles today, decent conditions, not too windy, temps in the low 60s. Resting up for the return trip tomorrow. Forecast is slightly cooler and stiff crosswinds.

Nice :thumbsup: Here's hoping the crosswinds aren't too disruptive.

My past two days were "easy, & even easier" so I was debating what to do today. After waffling between long distance or intensity for a while, I settled on intensity. Specifically, mid-sized hills, stuff that takes 5-10 minutes to climb. So I ended up with this:

http://app.strava.com/activities/53680310

26 miles @ 16.9mph average, about 2300ft ascent, and some good intensity. The results were OK considering I haven't been doing much of this stuff yet this year. The weather will turn cooler next week, with chances of showers, so that's a great time for me to ramp up the climbing training.

Total: 33,186

 

[drteming]

15 miles, quick jaunt, bright sunny day, mostly to work on the tan lines

Total: 33,201

 

[KMc]

105 miles on the return trip. Forecast proved quite accurate. Temps only got into the low 50s with 20 mph crosswinds. Pretty brutal. Felt really good until the last 50. Even in a paceline, there was just nowhere to hide.

Total: 33,306

 

[mechBgon]

I did an estimated 9 miles Sunday, just shopping for groceries. Very leisurely pace (I'd rather not be sweating while shopping).

Total: 33,315

I signed up for a new Strava challenge, the Battaglia in Montagna challenge (Battle in the mounains), which began midnight Monday 5/13. Despite the name, it's a distance challenge, not an ascending challenge. Anyway, 506 miles in 14 days, so that's about 36 miles a day for the next two weeks.

 

[eBauer]

24 miles to work and errands.

Total: 33,339

 

[mechBgon]

39 miles today, including 35 after work: http://app.strava.com/activities/54087853 I focused on high-torque, low-cadence efforts, mostly on ascents, to build more muscle stamina. Along the way I improved some personal bests on three climbs, although there was tailwind assistance mixed in there. Whatever. My legs hurt, that's what counts :sneaky:

Total: 33,378

 

[KMc]

Whatever. My legs hurt, that's what counts

:thumbsup:

 

[_Rick_]

Finally back on the bike.
12 miles short commute.

Rain announced for tomorrow, but at of this time I am still cautiously optimistic, that my willpower will see me through.

33390

 

[mechBgon]

3.5 miles to work
2.7 miles on a Post Office errand mid-day

34 miles after work, including about 2700ft of ascent, 17.2mph average. I used some stupidly-high gears again, to build some muscle stamina for climbing, but nevertheless improved on two PRs and put in decent results on a couple others: http://app.strava.com/activities/54269496 So I guess I'm making progress. Good thing my knees are tolerant of high torque, not everyone can get away with that kind of abuse.

Total: 33,430

 

[eBauer]

7 miles back and forth to work yesterday. Got poured on the last mile.

Total: 33,437

 

[_Rick_]

Got poured on the last mile.

Total: 33,437

Getting worried about this. At work, and they've been announcing rain all day. Not a drop (well, a few drops, but no downpour) has really fallen yet, so I'm anticipating, that the moment I head home all hell will break lose. Torturous anticipation of doom!

Edit:

Made it home dry, rain started falling (lightly) when I walked through the door :awe:
Cut a minute from the climb on the scenic route home, stayed on the big ring all the time. In the end, the overall pace was pretty much identical to every other ride, at 1:30h, give or take a minute.

So, that makes 33 miles for today and puts the new total at

33470

 

[mechBgon]

Today I did 3 miles to work and about 45 on the way home. Tragically, I paused my Garmin and lost the last ~15 miles of my homeward ride, which I could've really used for my Strava distance challenge :| Yeah, silly first-world problems...

Total: 33,518

 

[eBauer]

33 miles yesterday to work and taking the long way home.

Total: 33,551

 

[mechBgon]

49 miles today. Yesterday's ride was intentionally mellow, so today I threw on some intensity on the ride home from work. I started with a gradual 2-mile ascent and did that fast enough to grab the KOM title on Strava, then rode a steady tempo on the highway, and then finished up with the time-trial course that goes down the river and back.

The other times I've done the time-trial course were on slow studded tires, with panniers installed (weight + air drag), in cold weather (dense air), and several of those were either in an actual snowstorm, or on snow and ice. So as you can imagine, it was pretty easy to annihilate my previous best time with just a trunk bag and 2.0" knobbies. I took my PR from 20.0mph up to 22.3mph. Good enough to justify eating some cookies & chocolate milk :sneaky:

Total: 33,600

 

[eBauer]

16 miles yesterday between work and biking to the local tennis court. Since Easter I have went from 179 to 158 lbs. (5'9") The drop in weight makes the literbikes even more fun

Total: 33,616

 

[drteming]

50 miles today. Getting humid down here in the Carolinas.

Total: 33,666

 

[mechBgon]

29 miles yesterday. I had to work late, so I wasn't tearing it up, but managed to take the 25-mile rural route home at least (with laundry on board). I'm still right on track with my Strava distance challenge.

Total: 33,695

 

[mechBgon]

18 miles of errand-running today.

Total: 33,713

 

[KMc]

Took the week off to rest up from last weekend. Got out today for 34 miles. What a difference a week has made in the weather! Warm!

Total: 33,747

 

[mechBgon]

I took the mountain-commuter bike for 26 miles today: http://app.strava.com/activities/55191131 This was a hill-climbing ride, so it was like intervals on a large scale. Climb, descend, go to next climb & repeat. I only did four medium hills plus two small ones, but I got some good intensity (a 94-minute ride with 11 minutes in Zone 5, yikes!) and improved on four of my previous bests, one of which was already a KOM.

Weather was nice... partly sunny, 60F. I was a little overdressed, but oh well.

Total: 33,773

 

[eBauer]

57 miles this weekend.

Total: 33,830