Week 9, 80 miler, 15 mph — Rain out!

Oh no! It’s raining and the forecast is for rain almost all day.  The radar looks like rain.  We postponed the ride until Sunday.   Sunday was even worse than Saturday.  A total washout.  I’ve missed the 70 and 80 mile ride and with rain forecast for the whole week there is no chance of getting some miles in.  I’m in pretty bad shape to do 100 after missing the last big two and grinding out the whole season with a bad hip that won’t cut me much slack.

The season started out so well, no flats, no wind nice weather.  Well most of the folks in the group (all of them really) will be able to do it.   I,  on the other hand will be pushing my luck.  We ended up with three weather cancellations.

Well, right now the forecast for Saturday is 72 and sunny with a light west wind — doesn’t get much better than that!  Guess I’ll try to tough it out.  Perfect conditions for the beginners!

See you Friday night for the pasta dinner — I’m still in good enough shape for that!

Week 8, 70 miler, 15 mph —

Imagine being in the city on a beautiful spring day and not doing the 5 Boro Bile Tour!

This week the ride moves to an 8:00 start.  That means I’m setting the alarm for 6:30.  I never will be known as a morning person.  The phone rang at 6:00 am and I was up late doing the blog the night before!  It was not a rider asking if we’re on but my friend who was anxiously awaiting the call to come into the city for a kidney transplant.  I had happily accepted the role of driver a few years back, fully knowing the call could come at any time of the night!

You know what kind of day it is going to be when you start off with a flat in the parking lot.

It seems I missed an eventful ride.  We made up for an almost flat free training season in one day!

Dina picked a bad day to join us. She and Jane wouldn't be laughing for long!

If you have to get a flat, it might as well be at Momma Lombardy's

I don't recognize the location of the next flat!

We gather in the Wildwood.

Well Lunch at Wildwood State Park is always fun — especially on a nice day!  We have actually had snow on the Wildwood ride.  You never can tell about Spring on Long Island!   Josie called me to tell me the ride was about two hours behind schedule and to see how the transplant was going.  Unfortunately that was also delayed.

The headwaters of the Peconic. You would drive right past in your car. Thanks Evie and Lori for the photos!

Super Mario! aka MA-RE- O Speedwagon!

Carl Hart Bicycles was an unintended stop on the ride today.  Riders purchased a few tires, tube and other parts as the ride passed through Middle Island.  Later Mario’s axel broke.  He called home fora ride.  They drove to to Carl Hart and Mario rejoined the ride with a new rear wheel.  Those bike riders are crazy!

About 6:30 I got back from the City and decided to go out to find my wife.  More time was spent fixing bikes then riding today!

I caught up with the group in time to photograph the final couple of legs on LI Ave.

Troopers!

Almost home!

Everyone will do the 100 — Two weeks to go!

Week 7, 60 miler, 14 mph — “At last… and life is like a song.”

It should be smooth sailing today with temps in the 70’s.   I hope people didn’t give up because of the cancellations.

Marianne gets the bike fit demo!

Today we’ll combine the bike fit and clothing talks into one “how to be comfortable on a long ride.  We’ve already done a couple of impromptu bike fits along the way, but today we explain and demonstrate.

We did a fit for Marianne.  Last week in a quickie fit we recommended she bring her handlebars up and in.  Her bike shop made the changes and the rest of her fit was right on.  After the ride she loved the changes.

This week it is Miles' turn to show off his new bike! Frankie Karl and I are the only steel holdouts!

Yip Yip Yaphank

Long Island Oddity?

Car Back?

So everyone showed up for the 60 after all! This is a determined bunch.  This week we ordered lunch ahead and the great folks at the Back Country Deli had it ready for us to carry to Smith’s Point.  We stocked up with water (and used the bathrooms of course).

Picked up lunch at the Back Country Deli in Yaphank

Life's a Beach!

Oh yeah!

I think they are hungry!

Leaving Smith’s Point is always a problem.  One way or another the wind is gonna kill you.   Today was no exception!  It was picking up as we came in and really blowing when we left.   It hounded us for the rest of the day!  It was an exhausting ride back.  Joan and Lori fell in separate  incidents.  Only our egos were badly hurt.  That wind can really fatigue you on a long ride.

Another (windy) day at the beach.

Slav - "Watch it he's my Slave" said the the deli guy who mispronounced his name.

Luckily Joan fell right near a gas station with a nice convenience store.   Some people will use any excuse to eat and use a bathroom!

North Street -- I heard someone say "This is a long street!" Especially in the wind!

I can't place this -- I'm guessing South Street. Mario, Lori and Karl take on the wind!

I don’t even want to say what time we got back!  All in all a challenging ride and the longest ride ever for a bunch of the riders!  They are still having fun — RIGHT MARIO?

Week 6, 60 miler, 14 MPG — POSTPONED AGAIN!

Oh no — rain, rain and more rain all day long.  Gotta cancel another one.  Three weeks left. We won’t be doing the “Bonus Ride” this year!

Week 5, 60 miler, 14 mph — POSTPONED!

Hmm.  I don’t know if we’ve ever canceled because of the wind before!   Josie said  we have.   This is a tough ride anyway because of the wind at Smith Point.  I never should have written that we’ve had calm winds on all of the rides so far!  Today it’s 25 – 35 mph per hour winds —  gusts to 50 and a wind advisory from the National Weather Service.  I’ll kick myself if I’m wrong, but the blue blob of rain on the map  looks like it can miss us.   I’ll feel better if it actually start raining again!

Josie has been sick all week and it looks like I got it back the last two days too, so I’m feeling more cautious than usual.  I talked myself out of it!  Not feeling well probably pushed me.

Last year we got stuck in a wind and rain storm while we were at Smith Point.  We got lucky and waited out the rain under the pavilion.

Our first call was to a rider who lives on Fire Island– she said IMPOSSIBLE!  I fell a little better!

Tomorrow is supposed to be nice, but we have plans already.  Grrrrr.

Make sure you ride during the week!

Week 4, 50 miler 13 mph

Bikes of Steel!

It’s raining in the morning — people want to cancel.  It looks like the weather  might break, even though the forecast is for rain.  We delay the start for an hour.  Good call.  It stopped just in time.    A couple of people stayed home.  It hardly warmed up but we stayed dry.   The wind is calm at least.  With Josie on her new bike Frank and Karl are the only other steel bikes left — except me of course!   I wonder how many people in the club ride steel.

Josie's new bike -- much faster once she figured out how to shift!

Ah now my computer is not working!  Can’t seem to make it work.  I think I kinked the cable.  Turns out I can’t keep the 13 mph pace without the computer.   Pete volunteers to lead.  I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun on the training ride.   I got to ride with all different folks.  Got to look at their position and see how they were doing!

Lunch at The Bagel Lady.  I was looking for a pasta salad but it was not to

More bagels.

be.  Another week of bagels.  There was another group of cyclists eating when we got there.  They weren’t club members,  just buddies out for a ride, all carbon or titanium.

We lingered too long at the stops again and did not hit our target speed but we were close.  No one was far off the pace.  All in all this is a group that will do well.  Speed should not be a problem since we have not had a rain out yet with four more weeks to train.  Oh yeah we finally had a flat — Karl — must be the extra weight of the steel bike.  I forgot to take a picture to commemorate.  This is the most miles ever for a couple of the riders.

I think it's fun!

Carolyn was a first timer last year, and it took a lot of coaxing. This year she's a natural!

We stayed fairly tight for a beginner 50 miler!

With Pete leading, I get to take more pictures.

Wing it!

Someone thought a blog about the beginner training rides might be interesting.  I’m not so sure, but since week two is tomorrow I guess I should get something in there about week 1.   I’ve been thinking about what to write for about for a couple of weeks.  Guess we’ll wing it!