36 miles total, 31 mile group ride with Sacramento Wheelmen
On my Wednesday ride with the Sacramento Wheelmen, I was told about a beginners ride on Saturday mornings, so I set out to meet them. Unfortunately, Discovery Park has a ridiculous number of parking lots, so we almost missed them. There were only four other riders. The pace this time was finally within my abilities, and we averaged about 15-16mph up the trail to Bella Bru at Five Points. I have an Odwalla juice and half a blueberry muffin and listen to the Wheelmen trade accident/flat tire stories.
The food turns out to be a bad idea, when halfway back my stomach starts to rebel over the food, heat and exercise combination. I now feel better about being so picky about my riding snack choices. In spite of my stomach's complaints, I make it back home in one piece and suck down a Diet Coke, jump in the shower and then relax to a Paris Roubaix documentary.
August 29, 2009
Ride Report 8/28
about 25 mile spin ride
Today is a ride just to put miles on my legs. I push moderately hard and go about 15-16mph. I head south on the Sacramento River trail and see something stuck on my front tire as I exit the path onto Riverside. I keep concentrating on my front tire, and when I look up, I am about 5 feet from a huge brush pile. I don't even have time to react before the Trek hits the pile. I do a complete flip over the handlebars and land on my back in a pile of cherry branches and leaves. Naturally, a jogger comes right along, so I can't pretend no one saw my fall. If only I had caught the whole thing on video, I might make my fortune...
Amazingly, my only casualties appear to be a sore neck and right hand and a few assorted scratches, so I continue on my ride. I do have the urge to sit on the curb and just give up, but it passes quickly.
Today I rode without my gloves because I'm not convinced the fingers aren't cutting off the circulation when I ride with my hands on the shifters. The bad news is riding without the gloves does seem to improve the numbness in my fingers, but the vibrations in the handlebars from the road seem to make the gloves a better prospect than riding barehanded.
Today is a ride just to put miles on my legs. I push moderately hard and go about 15-16mph. I head south on the Sacramento River trail and see something stuck on my front tire as I exit the path onto Riverside. I keep concentrating on my front tire, and when I look up, I am about 5 feet from a huge brush pile. I don't even have time to react before the Trek hits the pile. I do a complete flip over the handlebars and land on my back in a pile of cherry branches and leaves. Naturally, a jogger comes right along, so I can't pretend no one saw my fall. If only I had caught the whole thing on video, I might make my fortune...
Amazingly, my only casualties appear to be a sore neck and right hand and a few assorted scratches, so I continue on my ride. I do have the urge to sit on the curb and just give up, but it passes quickly.
Today I rode without my gloves because I'm not convinced the fingers aren't cutting off the circulation when I ride with my hands on the shifters. The bad news is riding without the gloves does seem to improve the numbness in my fingers, but the vibrations in the handlebars from the road seem to make the gloves a better prospect than riding barehanded.
Ride Report 8/26
Total 45mi, 35mi group ride with Sacramento Wheelmen
I sulked for three days over pinching and flatting three tubes while changing the Bontrager tires for new 700x23 Gatorskins. I finally took them in to the bike shop to have them put new tubes in the tires. Apparently, part of the trick is to put talcum in the tires first and on a nice hot day (is there any other kind in August in Sacramento?), leave the tires in the sun so they get nice and pliable. I take small comfort when the bike store clerk has difficulty getting the last few inches of tire back on the rim.
So, for my first ride on the Gatorskins, I check out a group ride with a local bike club, the Sacramento Wheelmen (who I'm very sorry to admit I did not catch their names). When I arrive at the meeting point, they laugh when I tell them I can't keep up with a paceline over 20mph and assure me they won't go that fast because this is a relaxed ride. Famous last words.
We head north along Steelhead Creek, then E Levee Rd to Elkhorn Blvd, and Garden Hwy to loop back to Discovery Park. The magnet on my rear wheel is misaligned, so I don't have an accurate speedometer or odometer reading for the entire trip, but I do still have my cadence meter, so I try to focus on form/RPMs during the ride.
The Wheelmen are very welcoming, but I can't keep up with the main group even when I shift into the big boy gears. I'm not sure if they don't want to go as fast or if it's out of pity, but a couple of the Wheelmen keep me company in my misery as I try desperately to keep up. When we pause at the intersection of Elkhorn & Garden Hwy, I ask how fast we have been going and I'm told we've averaged 17-20mph. The 15 miles on Garden Hwy seems to last forever, although the views of houses along the river at least make for nice scenery.
We do 35 miles in a little under two hours. The group stops for lunch at Pearl on the River, but I haven't brought any money. I am invited to sit in anyway, and I gulp down 3 glasses of ice water and listen to stories of bike rides/races past. At the end of the meal, the ride leader gives me half of his hamburger that he claims he can't finish. Not a bad ride at all...
After lunch, we take Garden Hwy that allegedly connects again with Discovery Park, but of course I can't find the turn. I do find my way to another path that connects with the bike path. As I rejoin the path, I hear the ominous fipfipfip from my front wheel of a goatshead thorn in my tire. My brand new puncture resistant Gatorskins. And my tire levers are in a bag with the spare tube I bought yesterday. By some miracle, I see a few of the women from the ride on the path and they see me cursing at my front tire. I pray the tube will hold for the 6 miles home, but it goes flat after several hundred yards. I had only just pulled off to the side and flipped the bike over when two of the women come back to check on me. In an amazingly short time, they have the tire off the rim, the tube pulled and the new tube in place. We do have to flag down a male cyclist to help get the last few inches of tire onto the rim without using levers.
So, hot, tired, and cursing my new tires, I finally make it home after my first group ride and having my ass handed to me by a group of senior citizens, most of whom have been riding longer than I've been alive.
I sulked for three days over pinching and flatting three tubes while changing the Bontrager tires for new 700x23 Gatorskins. I finally took them in to the bike shop to have them put new tubes in the tires. Apparently, part of the trick is to put talcum in the tires first and on a nice hot day (is there any other kind in August in Sacramento?), leave the tires in the sun so they get nice and pliable. I take small comfort when the bike store clerk has difficulty getting the last few inches of tire back on the rim.
So, for my first ride on the Gatorskins, I check out a group ride with a local bike club, the Sacramento Wheelmen (who I'm very sorry to admit I did not catch their names). When I arrive at the meeting point, they laugh when I tell them I can't keep up with a paceline over 20mph and assure me they won't go that fast because this is a relaxed ride. Famous last words.
We head north along Steelhead Creek, then E Levee Rd to Elkhorn Blvd, and Garden Hwy to loop back to Discovery Park. The magnet on my rear wheel is misaligned, so I don't have an accurate speedometer or odometer reading for the entire trip, but I do still have my cadence meter, so I try to focus on form/RPMs during the ride.
The Wheelmen are very welcoming, but I can't keep up with the main group even when I shift into the big boy gears. I'm not sure if they don't want to go as fast or if it's out of pity, but a couple of the Wheelmen keep me company in my misery as I try desperately to keep up. When we pause at the intersection of Elkhorn & Garden Hwy, I ask how fast we have been going and I'm told we've averaged 17-20mph. The 15 miles on Garden Hwy seems to last forever, although the views of houses along the river at least make for nice scenery.
We do 35 miles in a little under two hours. The group stops for lunch at Pearl on the River, but I haven't brought any money. I am invited to sit in anyway, and I gulp down 3 glasses of ice water and listen to stories of bike rides/races past. At the end of the meal, the ride leader gives me half of his hamburger that he claims he can't finish. Not a bad ride at all...
After lunch, we take Garden Hwy that allegedly connects again with Discovery Park, but of course I can't find the turn. I do find my way to another path that connects with the bike path. As I rejoin the path, I hear the ominous fipfipfip from my front wheel of a goatshead thorn in my tire. My brand new puncture resistant Gatorskins. And my tire levers are in a bag with the spare tube I bought yesterday. By some miracle, I see a few of the women from the ride on the path and they see me cursing at my front tire. I pray the tube will hold for the 6 miles home, but it goes flat after several hundred yards. I had only just pulled off to the side and flipped the bike over when two of the women come back to check on me. In an amazingly short time, they have the tire off the rim, the tube pulled and the new tube in place. We do have to flag down a male cyclist to help get the last few inches of tire onto the rim without using levers.
So, hot, tired, and cursing my new tires, I finally make it home after my first group ride and having my ass handed to me by a group of senior citizens, most of whom have been riding longer than I've been alive.
August 22, 2009
Ride Report 8/22
22 mile easy ride
Today I'm going for a ride with S. I make my way through south Sacramento against a headwind. I don't have a bike lane for most of the ride, but even when I do, it seems to cause the cars in the lane next to me to drift to within inches of me. Go figure. I survive biking south on 24th St and deliver some mountain biking shorts to S.
She has been biking a total of 8-10 miles a day and has fallen head over heels for the hybrid. She even licensed it the day she picked it up. I am thrilled for her, but now I know how T feels when he rides with me. S & I toddle along at 8-9mph. My heart rate falls to the 90s, then the 80s. Now I know how T feels when he has to ride 18mph with me. But it's still miles on the bike and S's enthusiasm about the hybrid is not mine to quash. I'm impressed when we finish our loop of a little over 8 miles.
When it's time for me to head back, I go faster than I'm supposed to on a long slow ride, but it feels good to be traveling in double digit mph again. I take S Land Park north and for a short while have a pretty nice tailwind. I shift into the big boy gears, but only make 20.8mph and shift back to the middle chainring when the road turns and I have a crosswind again. At the messy intersection of Land Park and Sutterville, a car tries its best to sideswipe me, but I squeeze through and make it home alive today.
Today I'm going for a ride with S. I make my way through south Sacramento against a headwind. I don't have a bike lane for most of the ride, but even when I do, it seems to cause the cars in the lane next to me to drift to within inches of me. Go figure. I survive biking south on 24th St and deliver some mountain biking shorts to S.
She has been biking a total of 8-10 miles a day and has fallen head over heels for the hybrid. She even licensed it the day she picked it up. I am thrilled for her, but now I know how T feels when he rides with me. S & I toddle along at 8-9mph. My heart rate falls to the 90s, then the 80s. Now I know how T feels when he has to ride 18mph with me. But it's still miles on the bike and S's enthusiasm about the hybrid is not mine to quash. I'm impressed when we finish our loop of a little over 8 miles.
When it's time for me to head back, I go faster than I'm supposed to on a long slow ride, but it feels good to be traveling in double digit mph again. I take S Land Park north and for a short while have a pretty nice tailwind. I shift into the big boy gears, but only make 20.8mph and shift back to the middle chainring when the road turns and I have a crosswind again. At the messy intersection of Land Park and Sutterville, a car tries its best to sideswipe me, but I squeeze through and make it home alive today.
Ride Report 8/20
27 mile spin ride on the Trek
It's my day off, so I get to ride in the evening for a change of pace. I remember to take my pepper spray, and have to remind myself that being shouted at by three juveniles is not a pepper sprayable offense.
I take the bike path north along Steelhead Creek, which is so low in some spots that it resembles a slough more than a creek. Still, the view is much nicer than gang graffiti along the north bike path. I still pass "VNS" graffiti along Steelhead Creek and wonder if I need a job that enables me to know that stands for "Varrio Northside."
At the levee road gate, I am disappointed to find out I have only gone 12 miles so far, but the sun is going down, so I turn back south. Out of nowhere, I'm passed by a man on a no-name mountain bike, but this is an easy ride, so my tiny ego and I let him fly by.
I raised my seat a small amount to try to alleviate the numbness that creeps into my hands unless I change position every few minutes. Unfortunately, it's enough of a height difference to throw me off when I try to hit the crosswalk button on Garden Hwy and I overbalance and fall into the weeds. I suppose I should be thankful that I only seem to fall over when I'm at or coming to a stop, but it would be nice not to have an audience for each fall I take.
Just past Old Sacramento, I pass a group of about 15 cyclists, including several Sacramento Golden Wheelmen. My internal debate lasts too long, and by the time I turn around to talk to them, they've dispersed. I follow three cyclists for a few blocks, then lose them when my light turns red. Better luck next time.
It's my day off, so I get to ride in the evening for a change of pace. I remember to take my pepper spray, and have to remind myself that being shouted at by three juveniles is not a pepper sprayable offense.
I take the bike path north along Steelhead Creek, which is so low in some spots that it resembles a slough more than a creek. Still, the view is much nicer than gang graffiti along the north bike path. I still pass "VNS" graffiti along Steelhead Creek and wonder if I need a job that enables me to know that stands for "Varrio Northside."
At the levee road gate, I am disappointed to find out I have only gone 12 miles so far, but the sun is going down, so I turn back south. Out of nowhere, I'm passed by a man on a no-name mountain bike, but this is an easy ride, so my tiny ego and I let him fly by.
I raised my seat a small amount to try to alleviate the numbness that creeps into my hands unless I change position every few minutes. Unfortunately, it's enough of a height difference to throw me off when I try to hit the crosswalk button on Garden Hwy and I overbalance and fall into the weeds. I suppose I should be thankful that I only seem to fall over when I'm at or coming to a stop, but it would be nice not to have an audience for each fall I take.
Just past Old Sacramento, I pass a group of about 15 cyclists, including several Sacramento Golden Wheelmen. My internal debate lasts too long, and by the time I turn around to talk to them, they've dispersed. I follow three cyclists for a few blocks, then lose them when my light turns red. Better luck next time.
August 19, 2009
Ride Report 8/19
32 miles on the Trek
I stayed up until 3:30am reading Ten Points by Bill Strickland (HIGHLY recommended reading), so I get up later than planned and don't leave for my ride until a little after 11am. I do the north trail to Elverta and back, but loop west to Discovery Park then through Old Sacramento to Broadway and home to add a few miles to the route. On the way out, instead of taking 2nd Ave west to 21st St north I turn north on 34th St, which is normally my return route. I am not used to taking this route backward, so I don't cut across to Alhambra in time and end up making a couple U-turns and probably reinforcing a few drivers' opinions about bicycles being unpredictable and flighty. When I get sorted out, an entire family on bikes passes me going the wrong way in traffic. Great example there, dad.
On the access from C and 21st Sts, a fire truck is parked on the path next to an extinguished grass fire, presumably from one of the many homeless campsites set up along the trails. Luckily, the burned area is relatively small, and the fumes are not unbearable. Today is a long slow ride, so I concentrate on my form (bend those elbows! keep that back straight! drop those shoulders!) and cadence and keep my speed 13-15mph for the entire ride.
On the path in Rio Linda, I pass two Sacramento Sheriff and one Twin Rivers PD cars. The officers are talking to a couple walking their dogs. I don't bother introducing myself because I don't talk to the dayshift deputies that often and, at best, I am a voice on the other side of the phone/radio to them. Plus, thanks to budget cutbacks, the fact that two units responded to this event means it was something serious, since there are probably 3 units total to cover this district. I later learn the call was an alleged attempted rape and I vow to take my pepper spray with me from now on when I ride solo.
After a quick break at the trail end, I head back south. A bodybuilder on a small bike yells "You can do it!" as he passes me headed north. A little further, I see a man pulling up his pants while coming out of a culvert. I have ranted to my co-workers enough about "where are the homeless people going to the bathroom" that now I have my answer. Only the man is clearly not a typical transient on a bicycle. He is dressed well, wearing a helmet, and not carrying his life's belongings on his bike. He becomes Mountain Bike Pooper to me (although I suppose he may have just been taking a pee), but he loses me when he squirts through a red light. I'm not sure what I would have said to him, anyway. Right after I lose sight of him, I have to decide how to pass two young men on (of course) BMX bikes, each riding in the center of one lane but both headed south. Since one of them is subjecting me to a view of his entire ass crack, passing them is a priority. I ride between them and past them as fast as I can to save my sanity.
I take a quick break at Discovery Park. When I head south toward Old Sacramento, I see some sort of plant matter stuck to my front wheel. My fears of a thorn seem to be substantiated when it stays there mile after mile (and after the boardwalk). I risk the wrath of the tour train conductor by riding on the asphalt right next to the train tracks rather than on the cobblestones. The conductor(s) and I have a nodding acquaintance thanks to my nearly killing myself on the hybrid to maintain a 17-18mph speed to outpace the train along the Sacramento river bike path stretch. A week or so later, I was riding north next to the train tracks and got a "naughty naughty" finger shake from one of the conductors who felt I was riding too close to the tracks.
It is hot outside and I have not been drinking enough. The light headwind has dried out my contacts so that 8th St looks like 88th St when I pass the street sign. On 2nd Ave, I pass three girls on their bikes. While I am happy to see they are all wearing helmets, they are riding the wrong way and the 30 seconds of their conversation that I overhear makes me glad I never ever have to be a teenager again. By some miracle, there is no thorn in the front tire when I check it at my front gate. Maybe my flat jinx has been cured with a new bike?
I stayed up until 3:30am reading Ten Points by Bill Strickland (HIGHLY recommended reading), so I get up later than planned and don't leave for my ride until a little after 11am. I do the north trail to Elverta and back, but loop west to Discovery Park then through Old Sacramento to Broadway and home to add a few miles to the route. On the way out, instead of taking 2nd Ave west to 21st St north I turn north on 34th St, which is normally my return route. I am not used to taking this route backward, so I don't cut across to Alhambra in time and end up making a couple U-turns and probably reinforcing a few drivers' opinions about bicycles being unpredictable and flighty. When I get sorted out, an entire family on bikes passes me going the wrong way in traffic. Great example there, dad.
On the access from C and 21st Sts, a fire truck is parked on the path next to an extinguished grass fire, presumably from one of the many homeless campsites set up along the trails. Luckily, the burned area is relatively small, and the fumes are not unbearable. Today is a long slow ride, so I concentrate on my form (bend those elbows! keep that back straight! drop those shoulders!) and cadence and keep my speed 13-15mph for the entire ride.
On the path in Rio Linda, I pass two Sacramento Sheriff and one Twin Rivers PD cars. The officers are talking to a couple walking their dogs. I don't bother introducing myself because I don't talk to the dayshift deputies that often and, at best, I am a voice on the other side of the phone/radio to them. Plus, thanks to budget cutbacks, the fact that two units responded to this event means it was something serious, since there are probably 3 units total to cover this district. I later learn the call was an alleged attempted rape and I vow to take my pepper spray with me from now on when I ride solo.
After a quick break at the trail end, I head back south. A bodybuilder on a small bike yells "You can do it!" as he passes me headed north. A little further, I see a man pulling up his pants while coming out of a culvert. I have ranted to my co-workers enough about "where are the homeless people going to the bathroom" that now I have my answer. Only the man is clearly not a typical transient on a bicycle. He is dressed well, wearing a helmet, and not carrying his life's belongings on his bike. He becomes Mountain Bike Pooper to me (although I suppose he may have just been taking a pee), but he loses me when he squirts through a red light. I'm not sure what I would have said to him, anyway. Right after I lose sight of him, I have to decide how to pass two young men on (of course) BMX bikes, each riding in the center of one lane but both headed south. Since one of them is subjecting me to a view of his entire ass crack, passing them is a priority. I ride between them and past them as fast as I can to save my sanity.
I take a quick break at Discovery Park. When I head south toward Old Sacramento, I see some sort of plant matter stuck to my front wheel. My fears of a thorn seem to be substantiated when it stays there mile after mile (and after the boardwalk). I risk the wrath of the tour train conductor by riding on the asphalt right next to the train tracks rather than on the cobblestones. The conductor(s) and I have a nodding acquaintance thanks to my nearly killing myself on the hybrid to maintain a 17-18mph speed to outpace the train along the Sacramento river bike path stretch. A week or so later, I was riding north next to the train tracks and got a "naughty naughty" finger shake from one of the conductors who felt I was riding too close to the tracks.
It is hot outside and I have not been drinking enough. The light headwind has dried out my contacts so that 8th St looks like 88th St when I pass the street sign. On 2nd Ave, I pass three girls on their bikes. While I am happy to see they are all wearing helmets, they are riding the wrong way and the 30 seconds of their conversation that I overhear makes me glad I never ever have to be a teenager again. By some miracle, there is no thorn in the front tire when I check it at my front gate. Maybe my flat jinx has been cured with a new bike?
Ride Report 8/17
0.7 miles on the UCD Aggies cruiser
I had planned on sleeping in ridiculously late today to make up for lack of sleep on the weekend, but I get a call at 10am from my friend Suzette who is anxious to come pick up a loaner bike from me. She has signed up for classes at Sacramento City College for fall semester and wants to bike to/from class. She is so excited, she tells me she even rented a bike locker.
When she comes over, I go over the Performance hybrid with her. I warn her that I think the frame will be too big for her. I lower the saddle, move it as far forward as it will go on the rails, and tilt the handlebars back a bit. We go over shifting/gears (she last rode a single speed bike) and pedaling. I give her my scorned helmet and attach a seat wedge with tire repair tools.
During our test ride, I try to gauge the bike fit as best I can from what I have learned from T and from reading about cycling. Suzette says she is comfortable and I have her practice shifting a few times. I have fun pedaling the big clunky cruiser around, but stopping is a pain with coaster brakes.
I had planned on sleeping in ridiculously late today to make up for lack of sleep on the weekend, but I get a call at 10am from my friend Suzette who is anxious to come pick up a loaner bike from me. She has signed up for classes at Sacramento City College for fall semester and wants to bike to/from class. She is so excited, she tells me she even rented a bike locker.
When she comes over, I go over the Performance hybrid with her. I warn her that I think the frame will be too big for her. I lower the saddle, move it as far forward as it will go on the rails, and tilt the handlebars back a bit. We go over shifting/gears (she last rode a single speed bike) and pedaling. I give her my scorned helmet and attach a seat wedge with tire repair tools.
During our test ride, I try to gauge the bike fit as best I can from what I have learned from T and from reading about cycling. Suzette says she is comfortable and I have her practice shifting a few times. I have fun pedaling the big clunky cruiser around, but stopping is a pain with coaster brakes.
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