Bike trend Tuesday: where do you ride?

http://www.bicycling.com/culture/advocacy/2014-readers-choice-poll

I thought it might be fun to compare my riding style and interests with other riders. I found this Bicycling Magazine Reader's Choice Poll and thought it had some entertaining info graphics. The article was published in 2014, but I couldn't find a more recent poll that was equally interested. I doubt we've changed that much since then. Where do you fit in?

I've ridden in Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Wyoming, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Alaska. I've also ridden in Italy and Antarctica. At 11 states and 1 foreign country, I've beaten the average. 

 Oddly enough, I don't think I've ridden in Hawaii, Canada, New Zealand or Australia. These are all places I've been to frequently enough, that you would think I would have ridden in them. I have no memory of it though it I had. 

There are several states with specific rides I'd like to do, or specific areas I'd like to see. Some just seem like they'd be fun to ride through. I mostly want to hit the eastern states; Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York. I'd also enjoy exploring Wisconsin and Michigan. I'm not opposed to riding the southern states, they are just not on my list because I think of heat and humidity when I consider riding them. I now there is a good time of year to ride, and so I've also pondered riding in Florida, the Carolina's and Tennessee in years past. Pretty much, I just want to ride through every state. If I were to have a whole summer free, I'd love to ride across the country. A girl can dream!

Specific countries of interest include Canada, Myanmar, and the Czech Republic. The problem when I think about travelling though, is that I want to bike my way through everything. Every time I look at a seeing a country, the first thing that goes through my mind is, "I want to bike it!" 

Bike trend Tuesday: Cycling makes life better

http://www.bicycling.com/culture/advocacy/2014-readers-choice-poll

I thought it might be fun to compare my riding style and interests with other riders. I found this Bicycling Magazine Reader's Choice Poll and thought it had some entertaining info graphics. The article was published in 2014, but I couldn't find a more recent poll that was equally interested. I doubt we've changed that much since then. Where do you fit in?

I'd say "Free Bird", at least the refrain, describes what riding is like for me. The things definitely apply to me. I don't really save money or see friends more often when I ride, but I definitely feel happier, have more energy, and think more clearly. I was going to say something about being less forgetful, but I forgot what it was.

PVGR to NCAR

Today I rode into Boulder via left hand canyon.  The day started out cold with my winter jacket and legs, but within an hour I was super hot.  For some reason I saw lots of women on the road today, which is rare.  Maybe all the women do all their riding on weekday mornings, or maybe I was on a popular route for women.  Whatever it may be, that was inspiring!  What was not inspiring was the hills.  I am tired of hills.  I flat out (har har) don't want to ride any more hills for a very very long time.  I spent most of the day being very grumpy because of all these hills.  Needless to say, the ride was beautiful.  I live in one of the most beautiful places in the world.  And as annoying as the hills were, the views they allotted were breathtaking.   I am taking the long, long descents for granted, and know that I will look fondly back at them when I reach a time where such descents are not so readily available.  I also love NCAR.  It's one of my favorite places in Boulder.  I met my dad there and we walked around.  We planned on hiking but a thunderous rain fell upon us as soon as I finished my ride, so we stayed in and l0oked at the exhibits.  Then it was off to Tokyo Joes for lunch and Sunflower Market for groceries.

• distance: 33.52 mi
• time: 2 hr. 38 min.
• av. speed: 12.69 mph
• max speed: 46.21 mph
• av. cadence: 63
• climb: 2521 ft
• max altitude: 9094
• av pulse: 149
• max pulse: 171
• temp 50-85

Chanelling "America's Toughest Bike Race" and failing

I really wanted to get training going for the MS Ride.  But for this ride I was severely ill-prepared.  I had not fueled up enough, I was not fit enough, I was not dressed enough, nor did I have adequate bike lighting.  It was hard to pick clothing for this ride.  Just the other day it was snowing, but the online weather reports said 79, matching my thermometer.  At the same time I was riding into the evening where it would get colder, but I'd be pushing up hills which would make me hotter, but I'd be speeding downhills which would make me colder, but most riders out here are in just tee shirts.  Sadly, I developed full-body goosebumps on my first decent that remained the rest of the ride. I was numb and shivering when I had still an hour of riding to do. I cut my route short (full route on link at bottom of page) because I worried about getting too cold. I came home and gingerly lowered myself into the nicest bath ever, but by the time I got out I was so famished I felt faint and immobile.  It took 30-40 minutes to get food and another 30-40 to feel better.  Yesterday it seemed like the cold was my biggest problem.  But today, I think it was just too hard of a ride.  Mapmyride started using climb ratings modeled after climb ratings given by the UCI for races like the Tour de France and other professional cycling events. Category 5 is the lowest level, it must be at least 500 meters in length with an average grade of 3% or more.  As the numbers get smaller, the climb gets more intense.  This ride has stretches ranking in category 5, 4, 3 and 1.  With the hardest climb, category 1, spanning 10.8 miles.  I can't ignore the fact that I live right on the stage 6 route for America's Pro Cycling Challenge for this year, aptly titled "America's Toughest Bike Race."  I'm just a casual rider who hasn't exercised at all all winter and barely rode 1000 miles in the past 2 years.  This is not the route to "get me back into shape."  Oh well.

• distance: 26.76 mi
• time: 2 hr. 35 min.
• av. speed: 10.36 mph
• max speed: 37.35 mph
• av. cadence: 57
• climb: 2791 ft
• max altitude: 8879
• av pulse: 145
• max pulse: 163
• temp 50 (and I was in shorts and a short-sleeved jersey! What was I thinking?!)
• Ride map

I ride for stir fry and ice cream

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Before today's ride I fueled up at Tokyo Joe's. They serve the sort of food that is my "standby" when cooking for myself at home. But the fun and ease of fast food are too much to resist. And, they are damn good. I sat outside and read the paper. Then it was over to the Sunflower market to get some groceries so I can cook at home (what is it with, you Boulder, being so pretentious? The whole Foods is packed, but the Sunflower is empty. They stock the exact same stuff!) I got dressed in a luxious bathroom at a hotel, then I was ready to ride.

I did a route I did many times before in Boulder. While riding, I realized I had to get 2 birds with one stone for a ride to feel worthwhile. The potential "birds" are: healthy, see something new, chat with friends, get somewhere/have destination. On today's ride, I only had one thing; the health. But the scenery was amazing, as per usual. Left hand canyon and it's deep red rocks are gorgeous. Just after I crested my climb, I blasted past some amazing views of the valley below.

After the ride I decided to stop at the Ice Cream Shop in Lyons to get a cone, because, you know, I might get pekid if I don't eat. Apparently the shop was doing some "training" and the soft serve kept pouring freely, so they gave me a free cone. I never had soft serve taste so good. It wasn't you standard flare, it had something else to it. Can't complain about any of today.

Today I stole a route from a fellow map-my-rider. I am tempted to compare today's ride with past times I covered these same roads. I thought I was a mapmyride member back then, but my membership says I've only been active since 2009. I'll have to dig into the old blogs to find old logs. Sadly, they are not readily available. Guess I don't get to geek out on stats tonight.

• distance: 21.28
• time: 1 hr. 40 min.
• av. speed: 12.69 mph
• max speed: 42.14 mph
• av. cadence: 69
• climb: 1207 ft
• max altitude: 6400
• av pulse: 146
• max pulse: 168
• temp 80
• Ride map

Peaceful Valley to Katmandu

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Today I rode my bike out to Nederland to meet my father at our favorite lunch meetup spot, Katmandu, the Nepalese restaurant in town. They offer an affordable lunch buffet that my father loves. The food falls short of my expectations, but it is still tasty. It also has to be 10 times healthier than what I eat at work. It's also a place where I can feel totally comfortable sitting in a nice plushy booth wearing head-to-toe bike gear. But that may just have to do with the resuraunt being in Nederland. Nederland is cool that way.

It was a pleasantly uneventful ride. I worry on this ride because the combination of fast driving cars, small shoulder, and rampant gigantic potholes. Luckily, all was good. My dad was convinced in was going to rain, so I rode back with him rather than biking back. Upon returning home, I regretted the decision, as rain never came. I'm also not sure why rain would be so bad. The giant potholes and steep roads scare me. I did reach speeds over 40mph, and to hit one of the 2 or 3 foot potholes would have been disastrous. However, rain isn't really going increase the chances of that happening. To make up for it, I'm going to find a nice place to ride tomorrow.

• distance: 18.45
• time: 1 hr. 34 min.
• av. speed: 11.76 mph
• max speed: 41.19 mph
• av. cadence: didn't register
• climb: 1591 ft
• max altitude: 9272
• av pulse: forgot my strap!
• max pulse: forgot my strap!
• temp 65
• Ride map

Foco Loco! (a perfect-day bikeride in Fort Collins)

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bike with Bogart

Today I rode around Fort Collins with Heather.  Highlights included passing the drive-in movie theater (am so impressed that it's still open and thriving!).  After riding an hour, Heather took us up to this tall, windy road with a rock formation off to the side of the road, where she reminded me of the first time we climbed this rock.  Apparently, when we were scoping out Fort Collins as a place to live, she and I climbed to the top of this rock and looked over it into the town below.  And we said, "Yeah, this looks like a good place to live."  It's sort of hilarious to think about now, how would looking down on a town give any insight of how good of a town it would be to live in?  Oddly enough, it was a fine decision, as we are both better off now.

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We rode into Masonville and stopped at this eclectic corner store where the employees were even in costume.  It was there that I thought about the situation of any given country road in Colorado when the weather is good.  It is no place to anyone, unless you are a "biker" (some exceptions for F350s or SUV hauling motorboats).  There are 2 kinds of bikers, and they are closely represented in population.  There is the cyclist, like myself, riding on a narrow, colorful chuck of metal with skinny tires. The attire is colorful spandex, a mushroom-head helmet and sunglasses.  There is also the traditional biker, riding on a thick, black chunk of metal with fat tires.  The attire is black leather, a smooth helmet and sunglasses.  They both are out to enjoy the nice day, they both seem to be following this strict dress code.  Sort of cracked me up, it seems like we should not get along, but there's a sort of unsaid agreement between us and them.  We stop at the same corners of the road, with the same knowing glance at each other, and we get along quite well.

• distance: 42.3
• time: 5 hr. 34 min.
• av. speed: 12.88 mph
• max speed: 35.32 mph
• av. cadence: 70
• climb: 2649 ft
• max altitude: 8085
• av pulse: 146
• max pulse: 171
• temp 79-82

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Flatland Riding 101

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snake

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Today I left the cold and snow and mountains for a ride on the sunny front range.  I couldn't have picked a more perfect day.  These are the days to ride in Colorado, when you can find that nice mix between snow and sweltering.  I hadn't ridden in Longmont before, but I what I found was a pleasant similarity to many of the rides I've done in other parts of the front range; Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, etc.  It was at that point when I realized I that these trails were no worse than any of the trails we rode in Italy.  This trail particularly reminded me of Ravenna.  Since Ravenna is, besides being the mosaic capitol of the world, is also considered one of the world's most bike-friendly cities. It was at this moment that I decided to pretend I was a tourist. First, the wildlife. Early on my way I caught an epic snake sighting! This guy was just making his way across the bike path!  Only every once in a while do I get to see something other than a garden snake! So cool!  I hope he made it all the way across safely!

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Later on, as I entered into more marshlands, I saw some unique and colorful birds.  I wish I was able to photograph birds so I could later identify them, but sadly, birds just move too much.  I also came across some ducks, which was very Oregon-esque.  When I came into a park that was a sea of geese, I was floored.  Like always, it was then that I was reminded that we've taken away the homes of all these creatures that were here first so we can have our pavement.  But, before I got too sad, I had to appreciate the City of Longmont for recognizing and valuing what was originally here.  At least, as part of their city planning, they retained some places for these animals to go, albeit crowded places.  They keep the species alive and provide some education to the young and pleasure to people like me.

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I should interject here, that I really admire a town that builds such wide, wonderful bike paths.  The cool thing about these paths is, while they connected park and greenways and rivers, they also connected to strip malls and big box campuses.  I admire a town that thinks about alternative modes of transport.  I thought a minute about the people who work in these stores.  They are huge, they must employ hundreds of people all for a very low wage.  The expectation is to buy some $20K car and also pay $4 for every 20 miles they drive it.  On the flip side, some person can spend $300 on a decent bike and the only fuel they have to pay for is the Chipoltle they had for lunch.  Bike commuting is such an economic way to live, and yet, so many city designs prohibit it.  Las Vegas, for instance, makes it very difficult for one to ride around in town.  Now, the weekend warriors can escape town and have world-class riding nearby, but these sorts of pleasures and income-restrictive, and I admire any town that thinks of it's every person.  Even Denver has a huge and wonderful network of bike paths, but they are not entirely helpful for actually trying to get someplace, and going off the bike path is pretty unpleasant.  I did have to veer off the trail for a few miles on this ride, and for a short while was riding on one of the town main thoroughfares.  It had no bike lane and not much of a sidewalk, but that was only for a mile or so, and I'm sure only because there was a more appropriate road nearby.  For the most part, the entire town was littered with wide roads and bike paths.

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The last animal I want to mention on the tour of your typical flatlander's bike path is the prairie dog.  The prairie dogs run rampant in these parts, almost to an epidemic level in some places.  They are always poking in and our of their holes near roads and bike paths.  I guess they are the places they can get away with digging holes.  Like all rodents, I admire how prairie dogs wait until the last minute before they have to find safety.  They are always testing their limits.  Every prarie dog that got scared would run to its hole, but rather than instantly burrow to safety, they would hang out at that hole for a while, knowing that everything isn't a threat and they could find safety in a second.  They all took a similar stance, poised at the hole, tails thumping.  I know their epidemic populations are doing something bad to the Colorado ecosystem, but I still like watching them as I ride by.

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Another great thing about this ride was the random trinkets of art all around.  Every mile or so, I'd come across footprints in the walkway.  They were always something different.  That's a lot of footprints!  They were quite entertaining, and I was pressed to stop and photograph every single one, but, I didn't, for fear I'd never reach my destination!  There was stretch of footprints, though, man's shoes, that was imprinted a little too deeply.  It caused quite a jolt on the bike and I feared I'd pop a tire.  The footprints spanned the whole walkway, so there wasn't any avoiding them.  Other than that, though, the footprints were and absolute delight!

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There were so many other fun things to see as I passed by.  It made for a very casual, laid-back ride, as there was so much to see.  It made me miss my Steph, as this ride would have been perfectly paired with a latte.  Apparently, Longmont passed a public art bill which explains the bits of art all over.  None of it was that mindblowing, but it was these little details that entertain on what could be a boring ride.  Left hand canyon, for instance is signified on one of the bridges.  Although the hand is also the logo for Left Hand Brewing company, which also makes it's home in Longmont.  Perhaps the hands were made by them.

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There was one spot where I had to detour as the existing bike path was being dismantled.  That was loud.  Really, it was a very Front Ranch typical bike path.  If it weren't for the art, it could have been any other town.  The beauty of it is not unlike the beauty of Alaska.  Once glance you see a barren, brown, desolate dirt pile, but at another glance you wildlife and geology and land formations that you just don't see anywhere else.  What is this white striation in the rock, rock people?  Quartz? Limestone?

All in all, this was a great ride.  There was no point that I wasn't perfectly entertained.  With the exception of a few bodily complaints (sore back, not enough sunscreen) the ride was absolutely perfect!

• distance 29.53
• time: 2 hr. 14 mins.
• av. speed: 13.22 mph
• max speed: 29.7 mph
• av. cadence: 70
• climb: 673 ft
• max altitude: 8065
• av pulse: 145
• max pulse: 168
• temp 78-80

Ride to Laughter

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An unusually warm, and fabulous day, I took the opportunity of steal a quick bike ride.  This was the best ride yet with no face-pummeling wind, no flat tires, no slips on gravel melt, and nothing but big-sky views all around. I took a new road this time, and descended rapidly down into the town of Ward.  I stopped briefly to contemplate how much I wanted to go into the valley, knowing I'd have to climb back up again. What I saw was this hillbilly mashup of homes, a store, outhouses, cars, chairs, propane tanks.  Nothing was lined up at all like most properties are, and I had no way of telling where one property began and another one ended.  The whole area looked universally messy, and like it had no shortage of cars.  While my first glance tempted me to make some sort of judgement of the town, it only took a second to hear the laughter.  The whole town must have been out.  I had to look carefully, but people were everywhere.  Sitting in that bench over there, leaning on the propane tank there, standing in the ditch, partying on the hill.  No one was alone, and everyone was laughing.  I almost didn't recognize the sound, I hadn't heard so much laughter in so long.  I didn't find it annoying, like the sound of a playground at recess, instead, it was calming in it's intensity and how well the groups of people were hidden. The valley was so steep, these folks really were in the hills.  I had to figure a whole town of people having this much fun had to be pretty awesome.  When I finished listening to the laughter, I started climbing up the hill, and worried how long it would take me.  There were several switchbacks stacked up on each other, for several hundred feet.  I started to hear the raspy yell of what must have been a drunken angry person.  I worried the person was yelling at me, there wasn't anybody else on this hill.  I could see them a few switchbacks up, but couldn't tell where they were looking.  They yelled things like, "Get up here you f__king bi_ch!"  I wondered what I could do if this person was aggressive, I was climbing this hill at 4mph, and couldn't go any faster.  One drunken leg kick and I'd be all the way at the bottom.  As I approached the uneven saunter and the shadows lifted, I saw what I can only describe as a mix of Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman and Pocahontas.  A woman?!  I approached her and she smoothly murmured, "peace" and "happy trails to you."  I looked around. The yells had to be directed at this woman, not coming from her.  But there was no one else around.  Not a soul.  Needless to say, I got up the hill without even noticing it.  It's amazing what proper distraction can do.

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I am really starting to get the hang of my new bike computer.  It felt a little intimidated by it at first.  It has 4 buttons that all do several things, and I am used to only one button.  But, turns out it's pretty intuitive while you are pedaling.  It the first of all my bike computers that will display the time while wheels are turning.  I find the time and the temperature to be the least discouraging displays to be looking at while climbing massive hills, an option I've never had before.

• Distance: 15.52 mi
• time: 1 hr. 28 mins.
• av. speed: 10.52 mph
• max speed: 38 mph
• av. cadence: 55
• climb: 1592 ft
• max altitude: 9433
• av pulse: 149
• max pulse: 169
• temp 58-70

Work Commute for the Insane!

I rode to work with Zoe this morning. She came to my place, then we biked downtown, accross northwest and then to the Tuality Geriatric Psychiatry Center via Cornell. The center is just past the Grande Lodge in Forest Grove. Also, note that this involved climbing the west hills! Whoo Hoo! I have to say that I felt pretty tired toward the end. I know I can do the STP, but man, I biked some 200 miles in the past 5 days and I am bushed. What is it going to feel like to bike that in 2 days? Ah, too late to worry now!I decided Hillsboro doesn't like cyclists. First some guy yelled at me. Then someone threw thier Big Gulp cup at me! It hit me in the head and then on the arm. I coulda died!! Anyway, I turned out okay and made it back home safely. Unfortunately, I went to the Waterfront Blues Festival afterwards and all that outside time left me with a little sunburn. Boo Hoo. The most exciting thing is that my maximum speed clocked at 43 mph. whoooooo! I felt like my eyeballs were going to pop out of my head! start approx. 8 AM, 54.37 mi, av 13 mph

Sauvie Island Ride

Cold. Wet. Rainy. Chipseal. Flat. Lonely. Boring. Today's ride bummed me out. Sauvie Island hasn't changed. I took a wrong turn and ended up taking the bumpy ride that went to the nude beach instead of the nice happy loop. Bleah.The only thing that made today's ride worth while was following the last of the STP ride on the way back. Several hot pink markers, seemingly every couple of miles, marked the route. Not only that, but hot pink spray paint highlighted every bump, pothole, hill, railroad track and so on! It put me at ease about my worry of getting lost. I hope the whole route is equally well marked! start 8:35 AM, elasped time 4:43 56.46 miles, av 14.6 mph HR av 134, max 171

Nostalgia Ride!

Zoe (complete with a teething Elliot in tow) rode accross town to Sellwood and then north and back. Elliott seemed to enjoy himself. We walked around on a trail by the Williamette River. He cried a bit on the way back and then fell asleep. Zoe rode 4 mph faster with the trailer than on the Strawberry Ride. I photographed some lazy geese sitting in the bike trail.On the way back we came across a plaid pantry that looked just like the one by my house as a young child in Portland. We tunred on my old road, and there it was. Looking the same, but at the same time very, very different. start7:33AM, 29.9 miles, av112.1 mph HR av 115, max153

The Curse...

I set out to read this book over a year ago, based on the idea that I would relate to the author. In the one-paragraph review I read, I found 3 similarities that are important to who I am.

1. 1) I am female, 2) I enjoy cycling, and 3) I am a perfectly normal person who just happened to have a dryspell of significant boyfriends.

It turned out I was right. Right there in writing, were all thoughts I'd had before at one time or another, and things I have done, even if the time and place were different. What I didn't count on was that The Curse of the Singles Table : A True Story of 1001 Nights Without Sex would be absolutely HILARIOUS! I read this book in one night. I couldn't put it down. I read it aloud, laughing all the way. I read it too myself, still unable to keep the giggles quiet. Unlike all the other female comics Americans are subjected too, Suzanne is intelligent, healthy, and moral. If you've had enough of funny women either being the likes of Rosanne Bar or Cathy, this is the book for you! I recommend it to women and men alike, single and attached.

Heft on Wheels

I finished a cycling book today, Amazon.com: Books: Heft on Wheels : A Field Guide to Doing a 180 by Mike Magnuson. Don't read it. This book is terrible. I never read a diary of a guy who whines so much, is so competitive, and thinks he's the bomb for having suffered so much, or thinks suffering is a good thing. I could not relate to this guy at all. He is everything about cycling that I am not.

Southern Oregon Scenery-to Jacksonville

To Jacksonville and back from downtown Phoenix. A beautiful light breeze and many a chirping bird kept me in good spirits. Passing cars didn't seem to know what to do with a cyclist on the road. A few other cyclists were out and appeard to be very excited to see a like cyclist. They smiled the chesire smile and waved full arm waves at my passing.My legs felt like lead, I felt the burn on the few small inclines, but I zoomed on the way back, increasing my average by 2 mph. 10:30AM start, 55 min elasped time 18.81 mi, av 15.5 mph no HR data, av approx. 150 bpm

PAIN!

Much to my dismay, I have not ridden since Monday due to splitting pain in the anterior region of my pectoral minor. I woke up Tuesday with unbearable, brain-numbing pains radiating from this area that I can only deduce thier cause from my arm flailing of the bed while sleeping in a most disastourous way. I imagined (hoped, planned) that the pain would dissapear the next morning just as it had appeared. Not so. Finally today I visited a Tuina (Oriental Massage) student who found my pulse dissapeared in my forearm when my arm was moved. So we thinks I have a pinched nerve up there somewhere. This is strange and challanging and frustrating. Queen says it best,

"I WANT TO RIDE MY BICYCLE. I WANT TO RIDE MY BIKE!!!!!"

Terwilliger Ride!

I never thought I'd be one of those crazy white-collar health nuts exercising on Terwilliger Boulevard! Yes, today I summited what is known to locals as "Pill Hill", passing Oregon Health Sciences University, the Veteran's Hospital, the Children's Hospital and so on (via downtown). I remember thinking this road was insanely hilly. I road at a leisurely pace, waiting for the hills. I rode from one end of the road to the other, and back again, and still didn't find the hills! I am either much more fit than before, or I have my roads seriously mixed up! The incline I clocked was not impressive, so I fear Skyline boulevard is the only way I am going to get some serious hill work in!The weather was a perfect low 60s with a threatening drizzle. I heard some rubbing from some of my mid-range gears so on the way back I stopped at Riverside Bikes. The friendly bike boy introduced me to the "trim" feature on my bike, where I can adjust the front derailer so I doesn't rub the chain in extreme gears. Nifty! Though I wonder how many other cool things my bike can do that I have no clue about.... 10:35 start, 1:39 elapsed time 17.24 mi, av 12.7 mph av HR 136, max 172 approximate 740' accent/decent at 1220'/hr

Strawberry Century 2005 Lebanon Oregon

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Utilitarian Ride!

I don 't think this ride really counts as a ride, but it was the only riding I did on Friday, so I am writing it up regardless. I sped to the Acupuncture clinic to the bike store and back home again. I covered much of the same ground I did when commuting to Horizon Engineering. It was motivating to find the hills were much easier to climb now than they were back in 2002.About 5 miles. No HR data.