tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post7767582180833593703..comments2024-03-18T08:41:35.438-04:00Comments on Lovely Bicycle!: Wham Bam Thank You Lamb! Velouriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-19651107797661522232013-05-02T10:04:02.215-04:002013-05-02T10:04:02.215-04:00Ha, you're good Jim. That's how it started...Ha, you're good Jim. That's how it started I hear, with the team sort of mocking Team Popular. But the team is made up of the eccentrics, oddballs and whatnot that have always and will always make up the interesting fabric of San Francisco. Oh how I love this crazy place.<br /><br />Velouria, you will like this: my team kit will have 'Meow' on it. I'll be sure to get photos.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03262425857471988498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-5920501614929780132013-05-01T21:59:31.315-04:002013-05-01T21:59:31.315-04:00Oh la, the weather can be frightful in Alaska.
...Oh la, the weather can be frightful in Alaska. <br /><br />So here's the scoop: there is a team called Team Popular that is super snooty, full of pretty b*ys, all in matching kits. Because one was a top fundraiser they felt like they could break all the ride rules. <br /><br />Consequently, highly annoying! Next year in SF a counter-vibe team formed called...Team Unpopular. It started out as a joke one night in a bar, a bunch of down to earth guys with a sense of humor. Team Popular got miffed, obvi, b/c of the potential damage to their rep. <br /><br />That's it, there's still a TP, though I'm sure only in their minds. <br /><br /><br />--Scoop CentralGR Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01145811568384053426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-74467666063170113882013-05-01T19:02:21.823-04:002013-05-01T19:02:21.823-04:00Ooooo Alaska. The SF Randonnuers talk about a 1200...Ooooo Alaska. The SF Randonnuers talk about a 1200k in Alaska, the Big Wild Ride?<br /><br />AIDS/LifeCycle is a moving city for sure. Our showers are in those trucks!<br /><br />Here's my page Jim: http://www.tofighthiv.org/goto/AliceStribling<br /><br />I'm $500 to my fundraising goal! It's a humbling experience to have all this support.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03262425857471988498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-89338617419681793322013-05-01T18:49:28.687-04:002013-05-01T18:49:28.687-04:00Some days we ride on coast, some inland. Here'...Some days we ride on coast, some inland. Here's the route: http://tinyurl.com/cxvkrfm<br /><br />And then we camp every night. http://tinyurl.com/c6cmdka<br /><br />It will be quite an adventure. I think it will give me the experience of touring, which I would like to do, but without slogging all my own gear. Entry level touring maybe. :) I'm excited about seeing more of California by bicycle.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03262425857471988498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-5425540657783735262013-05-01T18:48:44.635-04:002013-05-01T18:48:44.635-04:00Alice, yeah. One was Alaska, which is a story unt...Alice, yeah. One was Alaska, which is a story unto itself. Singing show tunes has been the tradition since the beginning! Different demographic back in the old days, glass the tradition continues. Got a link?<br /><br />V, support feeds, meds, sags, tents, facilities the riders, leapfrogging them from morning to eve. It is intense; I saw the staging area on Treasure Island once - Penske trucks nearly as far as the eye could see.<br /><br />GR Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01145811568384053426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-66937629541694192112013-05-01T17:27:54.692-04:002013-05-01T17:27:54.692-04:00I've been following Team Unpopular's pictu...I've been following Team Unpopular's pictures, but didn't realise what you were training for.<br /><br />Where do participants stay during the 7-day trip?Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-25678024010849181882013-05-01T17:25:04.698-04:002013-05-01T17:25:04.698-04:00Oh dang, Jim are you saying that Mrs. GR has compl...Oh dang, Jim are you saying that Mrs. GR has completed AIDS/LifeCycle four times? That's fab. <br /><br />It is a life changer for sure. It's a great cause with a great community. Now I have a team of artist and oddballs to ride with (we are Team Unpopular), and we have the tendency to sing show tunes out in the middle of cow country.<br /><br />I do not intend to sag. I intend to ride every last mile!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03262425857471988498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-53045325015820686022013-05-01T13:56:26.883-04:002013-05-01T13:56:26.883-04:00ME????? Wow, I'm stunned. Proud. Here we go in...ME????? Wow, I'm stunned. Proud. Here we go influencing each other and we don't even know it! Thanks lady. That made my day.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03262425857471988498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-70723938133674205902013-05-01T13:32:24.236-04:002013-05-01T13:32:24.236-04:00Alice you can do it. 200k = you'll knock this...Alice you can do it. 200k = you'll knock this one out.<br /><br />Mrs. GR has done 4 of them, once on an MTB but remember: you will_not sag like some of the wimps!GR Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01145811568384053426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-6257112193552961172013-05-01T13:01:06.434-04:002013-05-01T13:01:06.434-04:00"because you've been a big influence on m...<i>"because you've been a big influence on me..."</i><br /><br />Hilarious. You are largely responsible for my doing timed RUSA events! It seemed more accessible once you did it, since I can relate to you more than to the crazy roadies I ride with. Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-31946620000336140222013-05-01T12:55:45.513-04:002013-05-01T12:55:45.513-04:00Sure. I understand that. No one else can decide wh...Sure. I understand that. No one else can decide what's right for you. I guess I just want to encourage you, because you've been a big influence on me. Which may sound weird coming from someone you don't know. :)<br /><br />My way of 'seeing what is possible' is participating in a supported ride in June (AIDS/LifeCycle). It's 545 miles from SF to LA, fully supported over 7 days. I figure after this, my brain will hopefully believe that anything is indeed possible. It takes as long as it takes to get there, right? We have to ride at our own pace.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03262425857471988498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-69974978430792993312013-05-01T06:04:20.028-04:002013-05-01T06:04:20.028-04:00The "I won't bail if there's no oppor...The "I won't bail if there's no opportunity to" logic is tempting. But the fact is, cyclists do need to be rescued during these rides, it happens almost every time. And they all no doubt used the same logic, which explains why they do not have a contingency plan in place. It is unacceptable for me to be in that position. It's one thing to feel like a ride will be a challenge. But if I have serious doubts about my ability to complete it, I won't do it.Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-51639478350386142992013-04-30T21:04:14.310-04:002013-04-30T21:04:14.310-04:00The issue is that overall elevation gain really do...The issue is that overall elevation gain really doesn't tell the whole story. Over the course of 3 weeks, I did 3 100k rides with near-identical elevation gain figure. As far as climbing, the first felt okay, the second easy, the third difficult. If you are able to look at the route in a program like ridewithgps, it helps to look at the individual climbs.Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-36362520890397549152013-04-30T20:55:02.297-04:002013-04-30T20:55:02.297-04:00All of these 80-100 mile rides has to be helping y...All of these 80-100 mile rides has to be helping you. But work on your core as well. It's nice to have balanced muscles.New England Bicyclisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16609454624593868118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-9324482723941995082013-04-30T15:37:53.408-04:002013-04-30T15:37:53.408-04:00Only ride I ever DNFed (other than for mechanical ...Only ride I ever DNFed (other than for mechanical problems) was the one where I could just hop on the train after 190km instead of riding another 110...Hobbes vs Boylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03745006035218212607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-41416467070660342802013-04-30T02:56:30.446-04:002013-04-30T02:56:30.446-04:00I've pulled my kids up to the Oregon Zoo, and ...I've pulled my kids up to the Oregon Zoo, and then over to Pittock Mansion, twice: 1300 feet of climbing in 18 miles. It took all day, since we stopped at the zoo for a couple of hours in the middle: Map: http://goo.gl/maps/NFv9j<br />And MapMyRIde says this was 2000 feet in 36 miles, with both kids: http://goo.gl/maps/HGzzT<br />The extra weight isn't that much harder, though it is much slower.Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10347867836045599809noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-91372553775449964322013-04-29T15:07:23.894-04:002013-04-29T15:07:23.894-04:00In general, elevation shouldn't be that intimi...In general, elevation shouldn't be that intimidating. I rode New Haven's Rock to Rock metric with a relatively new rider just over a week ago. The longest she had done previously was about 40 miles. R2R was 65 miles with about 3,500 of climbing. Remember that in most cases, that climbing comes in drips and drabs along the route, and remember also that in most cases, gravity will repay you later.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-34610810341104283582013-04-29T14:49:29.620-04:002013-04-29T14:49:29.620-04:00Having a bailout plan is nice, but having no good ...Having a bailout plan is nice, but having no good way to get back sort of forces one to finish. Which is good! I did my first 200k in Feb, parts of it sucked, but I'm glad that I did it. If you bring lots of food, and follow Velocio's rules, you will finish. I have no doubt!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03262425857471988498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-71082218755631906792013-04-29T00:34:19.742-04:002013-04-29T00:34:19.742-04:00I can ride in a paceline, and I feel very comforta...I can ride in a paceline, and I feel very comfortable with the rules and synchronicity that involves. This was different - more casual, loose, with mixed rhythms - which might be why I found it hard to adapt. Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-68053239662074327902013-04-29T00:16:36.827-04:002013-04-29T00:16:36.827-04:00What would the phrase "their rhythm did not m...What would the phrase "their rhythm did not match mine" mean?<br /><br />If "they" have some sort of established rhythm(?) and they are numerous and you are rhythming solo the discipline of riding in a group might entail you matching your rhythm to theirs.<br /><br />A gaggle of riders going down the road in proximity but with each indulging quirks and idiosyncracies as much as they possibly can is something recent and very American.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-11665377741819734612013-04-28T22:57:05.459-04:002013-04-28T22:57:05.459-04:00Well if it helps you to overcome your doubts: I ro...Well if it helps you to overcome your doubts: I rode this year's first century last weekend and this season's first 200k brevet by the Ontario Randonneurs here in Toronto was scheduled for today, which I planned to ride. On last week's ride I was in pain and very much unhappy on the bike for at least the last 60km. During the ride I was really thinking to myself: "Why am I doing this to myself? Why did I get so stupidly obsessed with cycling? I don't want to ride a bike ever again! There's no way I'm going on a 200k next weekend"<br /><br />By Tuesday, all was forgotten and I was stoked to ride the 200k today, no matter what! During the week I made some important adjustments to my saddle, which ended up making a huge difference. And I got a trunk bag to carry extra clothes, because I had attempted the previous ride with pretty minimal gear and suffered a lot from windchill after the early spring sum stopped warming me in the late afternoon.<br /><br />So I did have some trepidations to go on such a long ride today, but I ended up being just fine, even though we ended up riding the last 40k in pretty serious rain and I even had to make it home in the rain after the ride. Of course it's still a pretty gruelling challenge and you suffer at times, but the more often you do it, the better you learn to deal with it. It is quite rare that riders get into situations where they have to be "rescued" or "bailed out". Some of the time, every fiber in your body says STOP, but you keep going, because it's your only choice and 10k down the road you might get a second wind and feel like your having the best time of your life. It's an extreme challenge for most people and so the feelings involved are also quite extreme. But the truth is that for most healthy people in relatively good shape, with an adequate bike (as you famously have) and the right gear, a 200k ride is almost always doable. It is aerobic excercise, so if you make sure you eat and drink enough, you can sustain a moderate effort almost indefinitely.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17237004217292230784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-54551135035168821702013-04-28T21:54:10.835-04:002013-04-28T21:54:10.835-04:00Crazy talk!
But okay, joking aside: What gives me...Crazy talk!<br /><br />But okay, joking aside: What gives me pause is that the 200k goes straight up across the NH border and back (instead of, say, being the same milage but winding its way closer to Boston). This means I will have no bailout option. I do not want to put myself in a position where I have to get "rescued" if I can't go on. So that is the determining factor here.Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-53971031254307330932013-04-28T21:49:36.890-04:002013-04-28T21:49:36.890-04:00Ah, for those of us who do multiple things with ou...Ah, for those of us who do multiple things with our days I'm glad there's bicycling to share and bind :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-74126748758002087262013-04-28T21:38:57.343-04:002013-04-28T21:38:57.343-04:00^ that!
and once you're done, might as well ...^ that! <br /><br />and once you're done, might as well do the 300k ;)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-61017932267433916232013-04-28T21:34:39.510-04:002013-04-28T21:34:39.510-04:00Yup. Let me see. I got all this info after I'd...Yup. Let me see. I got all this info after I'd published the post, and didn't have time to update it.<br /><br />Fastest time for the NER Populaire was 3:45(!)<br />Last time was 6:55<br /><br />Time limit was 7:08Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.com