Tuesday, July 15, 2008

I hoped to do a mountain bike ride in Brown County State Park on Sunday, but the pervasive Bloomington rain prevented it. Saturday morning was rainy but late morning and all afternoon were bright, sunny, and warm. When I got home from work on Saturday, I adjusted the mountain bike for off-road (dropped the seat and lowered tire pressures). Saturday evening, I went to a show at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. During the show, the lights went off and on and it wasn’t part of the light show. Various booms were heard that were not part of the music. A very strong storm came through. No mountain biking.

Sunday morning was cool, crisp, and sunny. It was my first ride of a route I did a few times last year - 45,  Bethel, Boltinghouse, Old 37, Anderson, through the Morgan Monroe Forest, Old 37, Chambers, Dittemore, Bottom, and home through town.

The roads were fairly dirty with a lot of blow-down. Broken branches blocked at least 1/2 of the road in 5 places. It was a day when riding into corners or shadows called for caution.

The pace was fairly good based on how little riding I’ve done this year. At Kinser Pike and the Bypass, the average was 15.3 (~37 miles). It was 15.0 when I got home (42.7 miles). From the Bypass to home, almost every corner seems to have stop sign or traffic light.

The hill in the Forest seemed a lot steeper than last year. All hills seem to require more than I did at the end of last year. I measured by my heart rate at the top which was consistently in upper 140s to low 150s on the big hills.

Little traffic as usual. Three pickups passed me on 45. From Bethel through to end of Bottom, 3 cars passed me. The county roads on Sunday morning are a bicyclist’s pleasure.

When I’m riding alone, I don’t shift often. I categorize my climbs sorta like the Tour, based on the rear cog. I generally ride in the 6 cog (I’ve never counted the teeth). There are two 4 hills on Anderson, the Forest hill and Old 37 are category 2. Climbing from Bottom to 37 is a category 3. I don’t think I shifted 10 times during the ride.

The rain prevented a mountain bike ride but the road ride but the road ride was darn nice, anyway.

July 11, 2008

The OWLS ride earlier this week was mostly on roads that I ride regularly except for the Leonard Springs. The ride was pleasant and challenging. Rockport Rd is always a challenge with its rolling hills. (I reported on ride last year on Rockport Rd.) The hills are just as steep this year.

The group is always pleasant. Light banter. Pace varies but is never too hard or too easy. Tonight’s ride was mostly on low traffic roads so side by side riding was possible. The pace was a little slower but Rockport seems to slow the pace substantially.

I’m starting to learn more about how to ride in groups. I haven’t yet figured out how to maintain a pace that is equal to others. I seem to brake more than others. I also don’t yet know the norms about stopping at stop signs. Sometimes we seem to stop and gather, sometimes part of the group goes through without much of a stop. It will come to me after a few more rides.

Weekly Riding

I seem to be developing a pattern - longer ride on Sunday morning, OWLS on Tuesday evening, and easy ride Thursday morning. Along with runs on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, it’s a good exercise pattern.

I have not commuted this week - rain, tight schedule, errands, and a trip have prevented it. I hope to start again next week.

Mountain Biking

It’s been dry for a couple days so this evening (Friday), I started to plan for a trip to Brown County for mountain biking on Sunday. Then, I looked at the forecast. It looks unlikely again because rain is predicted for tomorrow. It seems like I won’t get out this summer.

The weather in Bloomington this year has been exceptionally wet. It’s often annoying to miss a ride or commute because of the weather. It is even more annoying to not be able to mountain bike.

Sunday, July 6, 2008

A wonderful morning for a ride. The temperatures were in the 60s and low 70s. Plenty of sun. No wind.

I decided to ride around the Lake Monroe. Despite sharing 446 with a few cars, it’s generally a quiet ride. There were few cars on 446 and almost none on the roads south of the Lake. Coming back north to Bloomington, there was a little traffic but nothing that was troublesome.

Most of the ride was at an easy pace. My heart rate didn’t exceed 130 climbing up from Lake Monroe on 446. It was mostly in the 110s south of the Lake. It reached about 140 at the top of “the alps” (Mission Valley Rd).  The day was so pleasant that I wanted the ride to last for a long time.

After climbing the hill from the Lake Monroe dam, three riders picked me up and carried me at speeds I wouldn’t normally ride for about 5 miles to Smithville Rd. Two had Royal Toyota team jerseys. They were serious riders. My heart rate increased substantially riding with them.

I rode the Hoosier Hills 60K ride mostly. Instead of doing Ramp Creek, I rode on Fairfax because I couldn’t remember ever riding it. I took Fairfax to Rogers St and then back to home.

Mapmyride has the route at 36.66 miles but my computer has 38.1. I think my computer is more accurate because it’s similar to Garmin distances and I don’t map my rides accurately. I did it in about 2.33 hours. My computer said the average speed was 15.5.

In Bloomington, with the academic calendar, July 4 weekend means that summer is coming to an end. School ends in early May, so we’ve been on a summer schedule for 2 months. But, summer riding is here and as long as the rain holds off, I anticipate more pleasant rides over the next few weeks.

June 17, 2008

Again, not much biking to report, to include fewer commutes by bike than usual. A variety of factors are getting in the way and will continue to do so until the end of this week. For example, today may be the only day this week that I rode to work.

Last Saturday, I rode with my daughter. We rode just a bit less than 45 miles. We finished the first 42 miles in about 2.66 hours. The last few miles, we meandered through back streets and parking lots which slowed our time considerably. However, at the end, it was enough riding for me. The weather was humid to start but less humid by the end. There was more traffic than usual. We rode a longer version of the airport ride.

Sunday, I did a 4.5 mile run by myself and then a 1 mile run with my grandson. Sunday was probably my “June Day” for the year. I planned to ride with the Bloomington Bike Club OWLS (Older, Wiser, a Little Slower) on Tuesday evening but my road bike has a flat - a “garage flat.” I don’t think it was flat when I finished the ride on Saturday but it was flat on Sunday morning. This morning, I replaced the tube but broke the valve stem when trying to inflate the new tube. I didn’t have time to change it again and I think my floor pump might have caused the valve stem to break.

I considered using my commuting bike for the ride but I can’t shift the rear derailleur without causing unanticipated changes. It seems to change gears intermittently and randomly, so I don’t shift often. A trip to the bike shop is coming soon.

Addendum: Later in the afternoon, I considered riding my commuting bike on the ride and using the three rings for up, flat, and higher speeds. On my ride home, I tested the small ring. The front derailleur wouldn’t take it down that low. I would have experienced some tough cycling on the hills If I tried to use the bike. Also, I changed the tube on my road bike tonight with no problems. I guess I wasn’t careful enough this morning.

I haven’t posted in a couple weeks because off travel and work. In fact, there is nothing especially new or unique about my bicycling to report. I’ve been commuting just about every day for the past two months when I’ve been in town. My weekend rides have been sporadic because of travel.

Two weekends ago, I was in Allentown PA to attend a wedding. While there, I ran about 6.67 miles in the Little Lehigh Parkway. The running course was inside the park. It reminded me that Bloomington is the only place I’ve lived where I didn’t have a running path that was quiet and away from traffic. One of the reasons I like to ride on Sunday mornings in rural Monroe County because it is possible to find some spaces that are quiet and without traffic at that time.

Last Sunday, I rode an old standard - the Airport ride. The ride is 27.5 miles and I averaged 15 mph. I noticed on the ride that there are very few stretches without a traffic light or stop sign. It takes me almost 30 minutes to go from my house SE of town to cross 37 on Kinser Pike, NW of town. Then, except for 3 stretches of 2-3 miles, I stop regularly. It’s almost “stop and go” traffic for a bicyclist. However, traffic was light.

Each year that I’ve been in Bloomington except last year, it seems that I’ve had what I call my June Day ride. It’s a day when the temperature is cool but pleasant, the air clear, skies bright, and little humidity. Sunday was fairly close to that. A few high clouds and a little humidity but not bad. I hope for a real June Day before the month is over.

I registered for the Coach Hep Cancer Challenge for next Saturday. I plan to do the 40K ride and 5K run. So, it was time to get on my road bike. The last time I rode the road bike was in the Hilly Hundred, 6 months ago. I got the bike off the trainer and did some minimum maintenance last Saturday evening.

Sunday, I rode the “airport” ride. It’s a dependable 2 hour ride. I live southeast of Bloomington and the ride goes through Bloomington to the northwest end of town. Then across 37, south on a variety of roads, east and north at the south end of town.

I’ve done the ride very often in the 20+ years I’ve been in Bloomington. Today, I had to wait for a long train on Kirby Rd near the airport. The airport ride crosses a number of railroad tracks and this is first time ever that I’ve had to wait for a train.

I did the ride in about 1.75 hours (27.5 miles) which isn’t bad for a ride that has many traffic lights and stop signs. After the ride, I ran a long 3 miles. I did a little more than I will need to do on Saturday. For those who don’t know - a “brick” is a ride and a run. I have no idea how the term originated.

Overall, I didn’t feel too bad for the first focused road ride of the year. I think that 1.75 hours is about as fast as I ever do it. Traffic was fairly light. The temp was 41 when I left and 47 when I got home. I dressed for a warmer day and when in the sun, I was comfortable. A nice ride.

Sunday, April 06, 2008

I got out for a ride today. Very nice weather. I started about an hour later than usual because I wanted to wait until the sun had a chance to warm the air. I left about 9:20. It was 46^o  when I started and about 62 ^o  when I finished about 2.16 hours later. More traffic than I normally find on Sundays but not terrible.

I had about 4 possible rides when I left home but I didn’t ride any of them. Instead, I started out to ride northeast of town. I went east on 45 and then north on Bethel Ln. I planned to go down Boltinghouse but completely missed it. My mind was wandering. I also planned to turn down to Griffey but missed it, too. At Old 37, I went north to Robinson. Up Robinson, Tunnel, and back to 45. I added the Russell Rd detour to get a little more distance and another hill. I had a very strict 11:30 deadline, and I just made it. I added a couple side trips to look at some things. Nothing planned but sometimes unplanned rides are fun.

Highlights – not many. Russell Rd is always a challenge but it was very sandy on the downhill side. Uphill, it was fine. The sun was bright and I had just enough clothes. I may not get out for another long ride until June, so this 29.5 mile ride might be my distance record for some time. My computer distance is longer than Mapmyride because I didn’t record all side trips.

My riding is getting more steady now. I was able to ride to work 4 of 6 days last week. I got out for a Sunday ride, and I got in a weekday short ride. Spring has arrived.

 Sunday, March 31, 2008

After a good start to the week, I didn’t get as much riding the rest of the week. Thursday, it rained. Friday, I was home most of day doing my taxes. Saturday morning was sunny and bright, so I rode to work instead of driving which I usually do on Saturdays. I’m actually happy that I got ride my bike to work 4 of 6 days this week.

Today, I hoped to do an interesting ride. Last night, the weather report indicated that the rain wouldn’t start until the afternoon. But, when I checked weather.com before starting, I could see rain in Greene County. So, I chose to ride the same ride as last week.

However, when I got to the south end of Harrell Rd, the rain started. I turned around instead of going to the water treatment plant. When I got to Jackson Creek School, it wasn’t raining hard, so I decided to join the ride I did earlier this week. By the time I got to the apogee of the ride near Bloomington Speedway, the rain started again.

Overall, the timing was good. As I opened the garage door, I heard the first thunder and the heavy rains started. The ride was a couple clicks less than 25 miles and I rode for 1.75 hours. A little more than the intended 1.5 hours but I was glad to do as much riding as I could on a not so cheerful day.

The Bicycling Comic

On Friday, a member of the Bloomington Bicycling Club posted a message about a new bicycling comic on its listserv - Yehuda Moon and the Kickstand Cyclery (http://www.yehudamoon.com/). I think it’s pretty good. It’s helpful to start at the beginning of the series to understand the characters. It won’t take long to view all the daily comics.

I also listened to an interviewer with the comic’s author - Rick Smith - on a podcast on The Fredcast (http://www.thefredcast.com/). Rick Smith mentioned that he is focusing some on the differences between the utilitarian cyclists (Yehuda) and the more intense cyclists (Joe).

I see a lot of Yehuda in my fellow Bloomington bicycling bloggers (Ear to the Breeze and Biking the Hoosier Uplands. For me, I guess I’m closer to Yehuda on Monday - Friday (or Saturday) and more like Joe on Sunday. Overall, I can see a lot the bicycling in Bloomington reflected in the strip.

 Sunday, March 23, 2008

Today was my first road ride since early January. I rode a fairly simple ride - to the south end of Old 446, back north on 446 to Swartz Ridge. At the bottom of Swartz Ridge, I rode south to Monroe Lake to see the flooding. It’s high but not the highest I’ve seen it. I turned around and rode up Moore’s Creek and then to the Water Treatment Plant. (My fellow Bloomington bicycling blogger calls it the Water Works ride - a nice Monopoly title.)

I forgot to start the computer (a regular problem for me) when I left but based on a couple observations, I assume the ride was 26-27 miles. It took 1.83 hours. I planned to ride about 1.5 hours, so it was reasonably close. Overall, I felt a little sluggish and didn’t have the “snap” I will have later this year when I get to short uphills, etc.

The temperature was 28^o and it was cloudy when I started. By the time I got home, it was 36^o and sunny. Traffic was light but a little heavier with Easter church traffic than is usual for a Sunday morning.

It seems that 28^o feels much colder in March than it does in November. I dressed warmly and was a little concerned that I was overdressed. I wasn’t. Towards the end, I was warm when riding hard and cool when going downhill. Just about the right balance.

Overall, it was good to get outside again.

 Sunday March 16, 2008

This morning, my ride was different from any that I have ever done. Inspired by Mitch Rice’s descriptions of rides off paved roads (Dubois Ridge, McGowen Rd), I decided to do something similar.

From my house, I went to Moore’s Pike, crossed over 446 and down Lampkins Ridge Rd. The road was paved but very gravelly. At the end, I turned right onto Friendship Rd. Soon after I arrived in Bloomington (21 years ago), I rode down Lampkins Ridge on my road bike. I was very surprised to find that Friendship Rd was gravel. It still is gravel and it has relatively big gravel. I wouldn’t ride my commuting bike very far on the gravel that big. I would walk my road bike.

Friendship Rd has 2 dead ends near Lake Monroe where the road was closed to let the birds rest. The roads open on April 15, so I’ll try again then. Riding on Friendship Rd is mildly challenging and a few times my off-road skills made it a little easier to keep riding.

On the return, I went up Gross Rd that is gravel most of the way to Old 446. It has one steep hill that wouldn’t seem especially challenging on a road with a road bike but was challenging because of the gravel. The last 30 yards were especially challenging because the gravel was much thicker and washboardy. The road conditions changed 2-3 times with each pedal stroke. As I got to about 15 yards from the top, the washboarding became very tight, so I decided to increase my cadence to get through it. It didn’t work and I spun the rear wheel out. Maybe I should have dropped a gear and pushed through it.

Gross Rd is paved near Old 446. When I got back to Old 446 I started riding faster because I had exceeded my 1.33 hour limit that I allotted for the ride. The ride took about 1.66 hours. I don’t know the distance because I forgot to start the computer. About a mile into the ride, I got off the bike to adjust the seat height, reset the computer, and adjust my toe straps. I didn’t know that I had to restart the computer, so I didn’t record the distance. I have 3 bike computers and there is little consistency among them.

Overall, the day wasn’t bad. It was 35^o when I started and about 38 when I got home. Cloudy but little wind. Traffic very light on the paved roads.

This summer, I expect to do more off-road road rides like today.