Look up in the sky in about 10 hours. :)

Shredded!
 

Today, I shredded. I rode with a bunch of old guys, well guys my age. We tore it up. It was my first time riding in Oakley Corners State Forest. The single track was hilly, twisty, rooty, very y. It was technical enough to be a challenge but still a very fast track. I road my old Jamis rigid and was complemented on my retro status. Today I was quick and sure attacking effortlessly scrubbing speed efficiently shifting effectively. We rode for about 2 1/2 joyous hours this fine morning and I'm still buzzing now. Sweet. g

Last week [snl]middle-aged man[/snl] commandeered my road bike. There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth plus a flat to fix...

Yesterday we rode with another couple and a little way with my circus folk father-in-law on his recumbent (you've seen these freaks in their easy chairs chewing up the miles). We did 42 miles from Owego, NY through some hillbilly country toward Spencer where the hillbilly/hippy line is drawn over to Candor. I wonder what comment caused that naming to occur? We caught a tailwind from Candor back to Owego, great fun. My bike saved my butt once toward the end of the ride. My concentration wavered and I slipped off the pavement in a place with no berm. Hopping my front wheel back onto the pavement was totally subconscious. No fuss.

Saturday/Sunday is our annual MS 150 ride. We're going to camp this year so the rain should be a pleasant diversion. Actually sounds like a repeat of last year.


Saturday:
Variable clouds with thunderstorms, especially in the afternoon. Isolated severe weather is possible. High 81F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Saturday night:
Scattered thunderstorms during the evening, then partly cloudy overnight. Low 63F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.

I don't know where the heck this T-storm is coming from but since an earlier forecast had highs in the nineties maybe its for the best. We're gonna have fun booze anyway!

MS 150 2003
 

Okay, so having shifted from sore to not sore, I can report that a good time was had by all. Pete (for new folks Pete is a chick and my wife) and I raised about a grand for the MS Society thanks in part to some of the folks here. Saturday morning we took off a little early so we could take our time at the rest stops munching, drinking, and chatting. With rain threatening, the organizers held folks back so they wouldn't get fried by the potential difference in potential. We were gone before that decision was made and did get a little wet so it was soggy shoes for the rest of the day. The showers swept through occasionaly for the rest of the day.

We had a different route for Saturdays 100 miles this year. We kept looping through Union Springs a cute little town on the North-East side of Cayuga Lake in NYS. There was a lot more climbing this year which added to the lack of long term goal, like riding to Ithaca and back last year, made it harder for some folks to keep their heads in it. I didn't train as hard this year as I did last but I wasn't nearly as heavy this Spring as last. I felt great and was climbing easily since I didn't have any nagging injuries. My legs didn't hurt at all until the last 15 miles. My butt was pretty sore but thats to be expected. We camped this year crashing hard after 1.2 beers for myself and .8 for Sneaky Pete.

Sunday we got a late start but made good time on the 50. We had a strong headwind coming back to the NY Chiropractic campus in Seneca Falls. It was very sunny so I caught a few too many rays but it was a welcome change. The campus is absolutely gorgeous and the town is pretty homey. Seneca Falls was the inspiration for Bedford Falls in Its a Wonderful Life. If you go definitely hit Baileys Ice Cream parlor mmmmmmm milkfat. You see after a 150 miles in 2 days you can eat as much ice-cream as you want.

They're still taking pledges so I'll leave the link up a couple more days.

*edit smelling isues

Good work!

17.5 degrees F when I left the house this morning to meet the MTNBikin buds. We're out of shape, it was cold, and we had a blast. the end

I severely underestimated the weather when I headed out Saturday afternoon. Went out in shorts and a long-sleeved jersey, no booties, and ditched my jacket before leaving the driveway.

45 fast, fast downhill miles into raging headwinds (took about 2-3 mph off my average speed). One big climb that absolutely killed my legs, which were shaking by that point.

It took more than an hour to regain feeling in my toes. My fingers were pretty cold too - took a lot of effort to shift by the time I got home.

Definitely bundled up in full gear today - but, as expected, I got too hot. :(