Sometime back in the summer when I started biking regularly, I thought it would be a fun activity for Scott and me to ride out to Purcellville, stay in a B&B, and ride back home the following day. I mean, it's nearly 23 miles from our house to the end of the trail; there's no way we could possibly ride there and back in one day!
Except, we can. Or rather, I can. And did. Today. As part of my race to ride the distance to Mom's house before Rose's and my six month anniversary, I hopped on the bike and rode the 45.95 mile round trip to Purcellville and back. According to my new computer, the trip (minus stops) took 3 hours, fifty minutes (the full trip time was just over four and a half hours). Less than five miles shy of fifty miles, y'all. I'll totally be riding half centuries with ease next year. But first, I need to chase down that 850 miles by January 11.
I took lots of pictures and have some shout outs for great gear which will go up in a separate post.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Grateful
Today I am grateful for wool glove liners, insulated boots, and helmuffs. I am also grateful for not wiping out on the icy parts on the W&OD trail. I'm not sure if one should traverse ice slowly or at speed; I chose slowly.
It was 27F with little wind when I left home this morning. My winter ride clothing choices are improving and I had a nearly perfect layering system today. Unfortunately and despite the vents on my helmet, my head is still getting too hot and my hair is pretty damp when I get to the office. I think my only option for keeping my hair dry is to go helmetless and that's not really an option if my husband and my lack of grace have anything to say about it.
Oh! Something cool (in the fun way, not the temperature way) happened this morning. I've never been able to ride hands free. I've lifted both hands off the handlebars for mere seconds, but that's as far as I've gotten. This morning, while pedaling through the neighborhood before the trail, I reached up with both hands to adjust my scarf. It wasn't until I put my hands back on the handlebar that I realized I'd just ridden hands free. Whoo hoo! I tried a few more times on the trail and kept losing my nerve, unfortunately. I guess, for me, hands free will have to be one of those things I don't realize I'm doing until I realize what I'm doing.
It was 27F with little wind when I left home this morning. My winter ride clothing choices are improving and I had a nearly perfect layering system today. Unfortunately and despite the vents on my helmet, my head is still getting too hot and my hair is pretty damp when I get to the office. I think my only option for keeping my hair dry is to go helmetless and that's not really an option if my husband and my lack of grace have anything to say about it.
Oh! Something cool (in the fun way, not the temperature way) happened this morning. I've never been able to ride hands free. I've lifted both hands off the handlebars for mere seconds, but that's as far as I've gotten. This morning, while pedaling through the neighborhood before the trail, I reached up with both hands to adjust my scarf. It wasn't until I put my hands back on the handlebar that I realized I'd just ridden hands free. Whoo hoo! I tried a few more times on the trail and kept losing my nerve, unfortunately. I guess, for me, hands free will have to be one of those things I don't realize I'm doing until I realize what I'm doing.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Bike crazy
You know, I keep thinking that I'm the bike crazy one in my relationship, but it turns out that Scott may be as rabid as I. Since his new job puts him back in Herndon next week, he's going to start bike commuting. I suggested he wait until spring, but if the warm winter holds he's going to start as soon as he feels comfortable with the route. He plans to join me on the half century route of the 2012 Backroads Century. He's also started talking about triathlons. And with the thoughts of increasing mileage and tris, we're beginning to talk about road bikes.
Rose and his unnamed bike are comfortable enough, but they're getting heavy with the additions of the commuting/transportation gear. While I would LOVE to get an aesthetically pleasing loop-frame Dutch bike, that style is completely unrealistic for my current lifestyle. I believe that a lighter road bike would help me increase my speed and distance. I want to get up to centuries and trundling along at 10mph won't cut it. And while I know of a woman who bikes centuries on a pink Hello Kitty cruiser with no gears (and in skirts, corsets, fishnets, and four inch heels, no less!), I don't think I'm that hardcore. :)
For now, I'll start researching and plotting and planning and continuing to ride my beloved Rose and stretching out my mileage in preparation for next year's organized rides and then I'll buy a road bike after Rose's one year anniversary. Maybe.
Rose and his unnamed bike are comfortable enough, but they're getting heavy with the additions of the commuting/transportation gear. While I would LOVE to get an aesthetically pleasing loop-frame Dutch bike, that style is completely unrealistic for my current lifestyle. I believe that a lighter road bike would help me increase my speed and distance. I want to get up to centuries and trundling along at 10mph won't cut it. And while I know of a woman who bikes centuries on a pink Hello Kitty cruiser with no gears (and in skirts, corsets, fishnets, and four inch heels, no less!), I don't think I'm that hardcore. :)
For now, I'll start researching and plotting and planning and continuing to ride my beloved Rose and stretching out my mileage in preparation for next year's organized rides and then I'll buy a road bike after Rose's one year anniversary. Maybe.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
So spoiled
Can those of you in the mid-Atlantic region believe these temperatures? 50F and 60F in the days leading up to Christmas? Holy cow! It certainly makes this "winter cycling" thing so much easier. ;)
Something that wasn't quite as easy as it should have been, though, was last night's commute. Specifically, illuminating last night's commute. The first rule of winter bike commuting is LIGHTS. The second rule is BACK-UP LIGHTS. The MiNewt.600 let me down when I got to my bike and hauled it out of my bag. Despite allegedly charging all afternoon, it wouldn't turn on for love or money. My back-up light was still attached to Scott's handlebar from our last Christmas light tour. I did have my two white blinky lights which I attached to each side of my front fork in steady mode to provide a teensy bit of illumination and, with the combination of my basket lights, allowed me to be seen by oncoming traffic.
Luckily, I left work about twenty minutes earlier than usual and there was a little bit of sunset reflecting on the cloud cover. Plus, the clouds reflected back a fair amount of the light pollution from the shopping center and car dealerships. But the tree-lined, dark parts of the trail were DARK. I took it easy and had no mishaps. Happily, the deer encounter happened in the light-polluted area and the black cat which crossed my path shot across the trail before I got too close.
My headlight is now fully charged and I will be sure to pack the backup before hitting the road tomorrow.
In non light-related news, I had another realization of my increase in strength last night. Not only did I ride up the 28 overpass in a higher gear, I actually gained speed climbing. Dude, that's huge. I also powered up the last hill to my street. That's also huge. And I wasn't a total sweaty mess when I got home. That's not huge, but it was a nice surprise.
Something that wasn't quite as easy as it should have been, though, was last night's commute. Specifically, illuminating last night's commute. The first rule of winter bike commuting is LIGHTS. The second rule is BACK-UP LIGHTS. The MiNewt.600 let me down when I got to my bike and hauled it out of my bag. Despite allegedly charging all afternoon, it wouldn't turn on for love or money. My back-up light was still attached to Scott's handlebar from our last Christmas light tour. I did have my two white blinky lights which I attached to each side of my front fork in steady mode to provide a teensy bit of illumination and, with the combination of my basket lights, allowed me to be seen by oncoming traffic.
Luckily, I left work about twenty minutes earlier than usual and there was a little bit of sunset reflecting on the cloud cover. Plus, the clouds reflected back a fair amount of the light pollution from the shopping center and car dealerships. But the tree-lined, dark parts of the trail were DARK. I took it easy and had no mishaps. Happily, the deer encounter happened in the light-polluted area and the black cat which crossed my path shot across the trail before I got too close.
My headlight is now fully charged and I will be sure to pack the backup before hitting the road tomorrow.
In non light-related news, I had another realization of my increase in strength last night. Not only did I ride up the 28 overpass in a higher gear, I actually gained speed climbing. Dude, that's huge. I also powered up the last hill to my street. That's also huge. And I wasn't a total sweaty mess when I got home. That's not huge, but it was a nice surprise.
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