Bicycle riding

[MoValley John]

Did a slow century today. Windy, but temps were perfect!
Screenshot_20210821-180724_MapMyRide.jpg

[WuDrWu]

Holy crap! Almost 9 hours in the saddle.....I don't want to do anything that feels GOOD for 9 hours......

Very impressive.

[MoValley John]

Why am I riding in this bullsh1t?
Screenshot_20210823-152116_Hyperlocal Weather.jpg

[MoValley John]

I'm only doing 20 miles, but the hundred I did on Saturday and the heat and humidity is killing me.

[JVShocker]

I'm only doing 20 miles, but the hundred I did on Saturday and the heat and humidity is killing me.

I bike primarily in the evening. I don't even head out the door till around 8pm. I usually get home by 10pm. We did bike Sunday, in the sun and hot part of the day (first time in a long time for riding in the hot sun.) We rode the gypsum creek bike path in south Wichita. Was fine riding into the wind, but the wind at the back was no fun at all.

Finally came across the old Soap Box Derby hill and rode it. Was trying to film as I rode and switch gears at the same time at the end of the hill as it ramped up to almost 20%, and promptly dropped my chain.

That little dot at the top of the hill is the wife.

[MoValley John]

The wind on Saturday was brutal at times. I did the century with a few other guys. That slowed it down some as well. I was aiming for 14 mph average, not great but pretty good for a 57 year-old that has only been riding three years. When you get more than two people on a ride, silly things slow you down. When you combine that with some stiff head winds, we fell a little short of that goal. I'm still awed that people can do 3-1/2 to 4 hour centuries. Our's took 8 hrs 45 mins. Including breaks, we were just under 10.
Screenshot_20210821-180724_MapMyRide.jpg
On another note, my 15 year-old son just cast his first brass ingots tonight. It was a little hot out for the foundry, but he wanted to do it, so he and I did some metal casting this evening.
20210823_205950.jpg
That sh1t is hot!

[WuDrWu]

I bike primarily in the evening. I don't even head out the door till around 8pm. I usually get home by 10pm. We did bike Sunday, in the sun and hot part of the day (first time in a long time for riding in the hot sun.) We rode the gypsum creek bike path in south Wichita. Was fine riding into the wind, but the wind at the back was no fun at all.

Finally came across the old Soap Box Derby hill and rode it. Was trying to film as I rode and switch gears at the same time at the end of the hill as it ramped up to almost 20%, and promptly dropped my chain.

That little dot at the top of the hill is the wife.

Wow that takes me back....can't believe I was ever on that hill.

[Kung Wu]

Why am I riding in this bullsh1t?

Weight loss!

[MadDog]

Great to see folks posting on this thread again! We’ve really stepped up our cycling this year. Several weeks in a row now where we have gone over 100 miles. Found some great new places to ride in town and have discovered the all important route to get from NE to NW Wichita, and from Sedgwick County Park to Garden plain. With these new routes we have a 100 mile ride from Andover to Garden Plain on all bike paths and bike Blvd. We just need the weather to cooperate and get about 20 degrees cooler and we’re ready to give it a shot.

Our big accomplishment of the summer so far has been a 72 mile ride on the Prairie Spirit gravel trail. 72 on gravel much more difficult than 72 on pavement! Heading to Colorado with our bikes in a few weeks for a biking/hiking trip.

JV, congrats on taming the soap box derby hill. I think it’s a lot tougher than it looks. Hope there were no tire punctures at the top. What a mess!

[Kung Wu]

How y'all prostates and/or butts don't hurt, I will never understand.

[revenge_of_shocka_khan]

I thought I'd leave an update.....

I'm right at eight weeks post surgery. I have a long way to go and I'm holding back on the resistance, but I'm back to 75% of where I was pre-surgery. Tonight I rode 14.15 miles in 36 minutes, but riding a stationary bike is nothing like getting out on the street.

Given that I'm having to spin, hill climbing is out for now, too, but I stand a little every time I get on the stationary and it hurts a little less.

Probably the best metric of the night was the 408 calories, which is 11+/minute. I am very happy I can do that this quick after surgery.

I'm getting the right one done in November, as of right now.

I will keep everyone posted.

Also had a question for John......what is that crybaby hill in Tulsa like? I bet it is fun to ride that. We had some great hills back when I rode in the MS-150 on the park roads in Bastrop and Buecher parks, but I am proudest of a ride I did on the day after Christmas in Arizona. IIRC, that was 5,000 ft. of elevation change in a 10 mile ride. Very steady, not like trying to take on a long steep hill (which I think is harder). But I did to it on a folder, which made it tougher.

[revenge_of_shocka_khan]

Here is a link to the picture, kinda' sucks that i can't download a copy, but this guy is reasonably close to the crest of the hill at the Houston MS-150 on the road between Buescher and Bastrop state parks:


buescher-state-park_f08683a7-c7a1-47b7-ab0d-f6338dfcb1ef.heic (1200×630) (imgix.net)

It's kind of a crappy picture, but most pictures of landscapes are. Wish I could show you the drop and relief. Let me say this, there were angles where you could see the houses and they were small.

I believe the MS-150 will still let you ride that route, but they have limited the number of cyclists allowed through the park because it was too dangerous. At the top of the ascent, it got extremely steep and you couldn't see almost any of the downhill until after you topped. When most riders topped the hill, they would go all dead man walking, pushing their bike in the middle of the course and some stud biker would come along and wipe them out. Once you hit the top, you would go from about 5 to 25 in about a hundred yards. I would get over 50 on those downhills. They were steep to go up and steep to go down.

I'd like to hear others thoughts on riding steep hills. I might start to lurk a little more back here when the season starts.

[MadDog]

Out here in Colorado right now hiking and riding for 8 days. Day 1 we rode Dillon Lake which had a 600 ft hill climb over 3 miles at 9100 feet of elevation. For a Kansas flat lander it was very tough. Day 3 we rode from Avon to east Vail which had a 1400 elevation gain over 14 miles. Much easier than the day 1 ride.

[revenge_of_shocka_khan]

Out here in Colorado right now hiking and riding for 8 days. Day 1 we rode Dillon Lake which had a 600 ft hill climb over 3 miles at 9100 feet of elevation. For a Kansas flat lander it was very tough. Day 3 we rode from Avon to east Vail which had a 1400 elevation gain over 14 miles. Much easier than the day 1 ride.

Cool! Happy riding!

I'm still on the stationary bike. Plan is to stay on it until I get the right knee done, which will be in November. By March I should be outside again.

Enjoy your vacation!!

[JVShocker]

Hope MD is enjoying the hiking and bicycling in Colorado. Hopefully revenge will be able to get back on his bike soon. Today marks the last day of a bicycling year for me (October 1, 2020 thru Sept. 30, 2021). After yesterday's ride, the cyclometer reads 4,798 miles for the 2021 year (a little over 3,500 the previous year). And it was a fun one to bike. There were far more ups than downs, the only down really being the flat tire I had during the summer....18 miles from home (with no repair kit, getting dark, mosquito country in the canopied area on the redbud gravel trail (on my road bike). Only had a extra tube to get to pavement. Made it. Got home right about 10pm I think, so not too much trouble, but the wife made me get a cell phone after 30 years of marriage. I should cross over 4,800 today, yeah, even if I have to go it in the rain. Really looking forward to fall and even winter riding. Hope all are well.