Life On A Baron

End of January

2012-01-31T20:31:00.001-06:00

Well got close to 900, still have a lot of work to do

886.20 miles
17.62 mph average
20,348 ft total climb

January Blues

2012-01-27T21:49:00.003-06:00

Still riding and the nice thing is instead of 3/4 of the ride in the dark it's now about 1/2. Looked at my stats from the last 3 years and my total January miles were 730 in 2011, 711 in 2010 and over 1,000 in 2009. I'm sitting at 717 right now with 4 days to go so I'm shooting for 900 to get back into shape.

The Elite is pretty much done with some minor things I need to add. Most of the components are new. Wish I could find a new Optima carbon seat but for now I've got an old one mounted.

End of Year Summary

2011-12-31T22:37:00.002-06:00

Interesting year, started great with excellent rides down in the Houston area, riding slowed during the worst Texas heatwave ever and didn't finish the year well with either boredom or lack of confidence or both.

Stats however weren't that far off from 2010.

11,365.07 miles
262 rides
609 hours 38 minutes
245,286 ft total climb
18.79 mph average
#61 on www.bikejournal.com

Stone Mountain Day 3

2011-12-29T18:38:00.000-06:00

Hard and fun riding around the rock, if your in the area grab a bike and ride it

Stone Mountain Day 2

2011-12-26T22:41:00.001-06:00

Stone Mountain Georgia

2011-12-24T17:30:00.000-06:00

Some progress on the Elite

2011-12-21T23:15:00.003-06:00

I finally got off my ass and did some work on the new frame which always reminds me why I like riding Barons but hate working on them. Maintenance was never my strong point.

Decided that instead of taking old parts off the broken frame I'd install new stuff. including rear derailleur, crank, shifters and cabling. About the only things carried over are the Avid BB7 brakes and Terracycle idler.

Working on these things is always a learning process, for example putting in the headset ended up being an hour job, installing the steering was another hour mostly figuring out how the bearings went together. Added a new SRAM Force crank which actually went well :)

Mounted the race fairing, might be fun to play with for a while, needs a carbon seat instead of the stock Optima fiberglass seat.

The Dinotte rear tail light is awesome! I don't have to guess if its turned on I can easily tell just by the flashing from the road or signs through the mirrors. Traffic seems to stay farther away as well. This time of the year a good tail light is a must although I have no idea how to mount it on the race fairing.

DiNotte 300R Tail light

2011-12-12T20:25:00.004-06:00

Just got in a NiNotte 300R tail light with integrated Lithium battery, something to play with over the winter.

And now for something completely different

2011-11-27T21:30:00.002-06:00

Launching rockets after Thanksgiving

I used to do this stuff when I was a kid, some things never die

40 miles through Flower Mound/Double Oak

2011-11-22T23:15:00.004-06:00

Getting better at the night riding, slightly colder today with a start of 60 degrees and finish around 50, guess I better stop whining considering just a couple of months ago it was 105 :)

Ordered a DiNotte 300R tail light, brightest light available although their website blows goats...

http://www.dinottelighting.com/

Morning ride around DFW Airport

2011-11-20T23:17:00.002-06:00

Managed to get a decent 36 mile ride before the weather turned to shit, these are the horses at Los Colinas.

Copell/Grapevine/DFW Airport/North Irving

2011-11-18T19:13:00.000-06:00

Nothing better than a 17-20 mph headwind for half the ride. I'm getting used to this night riding stuff. At least it was 61 degrees tonight, last night I did 30 miles that started in the mid 50's and finished at 46 degrees.

Walking around downtown New York City

2011-11-08T19:07:00.001-06:00

Out at White Rock Lake

2011-11-06T19:54:00.004-06:00

Testing new "cow" pattern jersey and bibs from SprintDesign in Australia, I like their outfits.

www.sprintdesign.com.au

Yes that's still the Silver Baron, I haven't started on the new Elite frame yet. I like riding them but hate putting them together

Welp the next few months are going to suck

2011-11-02T21:34:00.003-05:00

Yes the picture is dark as is my mood. Today's mid-week ride at White Rock ended in rain and extreme wind, won't be able to do any more until March because I don't like riding the lake in the dark, regular rides during the week will be the same. Not sure if I'll do any more event rides this year.

Gonna be a long winter...

A couple of Bike Around The Bay Images

2011-10-15T22:16:00.005-05:00

These were taken by Eddie Harper from www.Wiredin.cc at Saturday's start. Now you see why I like that convict outfit.

DFW Airport with RBent

2011-10-15T21:51:00.009-05:00

Spent the week riding DFW Airport and White Rock Lake, today did another loop around DFW Airport, ran into Dallas RBent riders Paul Brown and Greg Gross. I "think" they were giving my riding style either a 1 or 11.

Galveston Bike Around The Bay

2011-10-10T22:57:00.018-05:00

Bike Around The Bay is a 2 day event. The first day is a 68 mile ride starting at Anahuac just east of Houston and finishes along the Gulf of Mexico with a ferry ride near the end into Galveston. Sunday starts in Galveston and heads back to Baytown.

This is the 2nd time I've done this ride and it's a good one!

Rider count: 1000+
Road Condition: Mostly great! Some chip seal which wasn't bad
Hills: One, an overpass into the peninsula.
Rest Stops: Excellent
Traffic Control: Excellent
Dogs: 0
Flat Tires: 0

Since I haven't had time to get the new Elite frame together I brought the silver Baron. This ride is very fast and although the "Big Silver" isn't quite as fast as the Elite it will get up and go.

The initial east run started out well then slowed as the wind picked up, this was offset on the south then west run to the ferry where it's extremely fast. It's a lot of fun riding along the gulf at high speed. I started burning out with about 15 miles to go but kept at it and finished well. The Garmin started screwing up and began auto pausing then starting which screwed up the final reading, the data after the ferry ride in Galveston was pretty much unusable. I defaulted it Saturday night and it was fine on Sunday

I finished first to the ferry then me and seven others made the first ferry trip over. I couldn't catch several of them and finished a decent 5th. The way I felt if I can beat em to the ferry that's good enough, trying to get sustainable speed going through Galveston is nearly impossible.

The rest of the day was spent having a few beers hanging around the pier trying to recuperate as you can see in this photo :)

Miles: 68 (estimated)
Time: 3 hours something (estimated)
Climb: 230 ft (the overpass)
Temperature: 69 degree start 89 finish
Heart Rate: 158 bpm average
Speed: 21.5 mph average (estimated)

Sunday was another story, after looking at the weather radar a large storm front was coming in from the gulf. For a while it looked like we all might avoid the rain and did for about 25 miles, from then until about 15 miles to go it was rainy and windy although judging by the storms after the ride it looks like I got lucky. This was the first ride I've done in the rain and it wasn't too bad.

I almost backed out at the beginning, felt like giving up in the middle but am glad I finished.

Miles: 74.41
Time: 4 hours 21 minutes
Climb: 925 ft (all overpasses)
Temperature: 69 degree start 77 finish
Heart Rate: 114 bpm average
Speed: 17.1 mph average

Well look what Mr UPS dropped off

2011-10-06T23:02:00.003-05:00

Can't imagine what it is :)

Getting reacquainted with the silver Baron

2011-10-04T21:09:00.005-05:00

It's old but it ain't slow...

09/26 Coppell/Grapevine/DFW Airport/N Irving 40.52 miles @ 18.2 mph average
09/27 Coppell/Flower Mound/Double Oak 38.90 miles @ 17.4 mph average
09/28 White Rock Lake 38.48 miles @ 21.7 mph average
09/29 Coppell/Grapevine/DFW Airport/N Irving 41.10 miles @ 18.4 mph average
10/01 Coppell/Grapevine/DFW Airport/N Irving 41.34 miles @ 18.1 mph average
10/02 Lewisville/Highland Village/Flower Mound 40.31 miles @ 17.6 mph average
10/03 Coppell/Flower Mound/Argyle/Highland Village/Lewisville 50.88 miles @ 18.4 mph average
10/04 Coppell/Flower Mound/Argyle/Highland Village/Lewisville 50.97 miles @ 18.1 mph average

Handling feels different than the Elite, not as confident in the tight turns but the speed is there. Sometimes it feels like I've got a flat which is odd, maybe it's just me but then again I remember it was like that before.

Here's a picture just received taken on the Elite at the start of the Big Dam Ride. I can't help it but I love that convict outfit :)

Updated image of the broken frame

2011-09-26T20:57:00.005-05:00

Looks like the metal was weakened around the weld, I'll cut it up and send it back to Optima.

The silver Baron is up and running, I did a 40 mile ride around the airport tonight. Shifting needs adjusted and the back brakes need to be replaced but it'll work for now.

Little Rock Arkansas Big Dam Bridge

2011-09-25T12:20:00.004-05:00

Final ride of a good friend

Rider count: 2000+
Road Condition: Great! Even Arkansas chip seal I can deal with
Hills: Lots including a 1.5 mile 9% grade
Dogs: 0

This is the 3rd time I've done this ride, it is/was the best overall ride of the year which is why I drove 300 miles to do it. This year they changed routes and added a lot more hills including a BITCH of one long steep one at around 67 miles. I was doing great until...

75 miles: The rear brake started rubbing, couldn't be fixed.

85 miles: Garmin GPS froze up solid, couldn't be fixed.

95 miles: The Baron's frame broke right below the seat, can't fix that either.

I'm not much of a metal expert so I won't guess what happened, the frame has somewhere between 11,000 and 12,000 miles. Time to get the silver Baron running for a while.

It's too bad, even with the added hills I was feeling great although I liked last year's route better,

Miles: 95 (estimated)
Time: 4 hours 30 minutes (estimated)
Climb: 3,100 ft
Temperature: 57 degree start 76 finish
Heart Rate: 133 bpm average
Speed: 19.2 mph average (estimated)

Greenville Cotton Patch Classic

2011-09-17T21:21:00.002-05:00

Rider count: 800+
Road Condition: Lots and lots of chip-seal
Hills: A couple of short steep ones
Dogs: 1

This is the 5th time I've done this ride, it normally is a fast one with the last 15 miles being an absolute blast speed-wise however like many other roads in this part of Texas this one has been infected with the dreaded chip seal making it an annoying ride.

Too bad too, it was a good one, somewhere in the video is a tutorial to understand what the problem is.

63.12 miles
3 hours 4 minutes 55 seconds
1,339 ft total climb
71 degree start 88 finish temperature
139 bpm average heart rate
20.5 mph average

Fort Worth Cowtown Classic

2011-09-10T12:41:00.004-05:00

Was going to redo the Pryor Oklahoma Dam Jam ride but didn't feel like driving all over the place this weekend so I did this one. Haven't ridden the Cowtown Classic since 2008 and figured I'd give it another try.

Rider count: 300+
Road Condition: Good in some parts lousy in others, lots of 90 degree turns
Hills: Lots of short ones
Dogs: Many but most behind fences, none threatening

The first third of the course was not very good with some rough chip-seal, it wasn't until the middle of the ride when I was able to stretch the Baron's leg and hit some decent speed, It didn't turn out to be a bad ride but next year I'll do Oklahoma again.

"Ride it like ya stole it!" Comment from another rider as I passed, seemed fitting

60.31 miles
2 hours 53 minutes 16 seconds
1,818 ft total climb
59 degree start 89 finish temperature
144 bpm average heart rate
20.9 mph average

Coppell/Flower Mound/Highland Village/Double Oak

2011-09-05T13:32:00.005-05:00

Riding around DFW Airport over the summer was fine during the heat wave but not very challenging. These routes are the best for endurance training, northwest Flower Mound has a number of hills and really builds the legs, I'll likely be doing variants of these two routes the rest of the year. Nice thing is some of the construction areas are finished so it's a lot easier getting over to Highland Village for a few extra miles/hills.

Temperature was 65 when I started and only 80 at the finish but came with a 15-20 mph wind from the north which didn't bother me much. I have a feeling I'll need to order new tires real soon!

Enid Tour de Trykes

2011-09-03T13:21:00.001-05:00

Last year's Tour was a hell of a ride, did the 100 mile route with a 22.8 average, this year for some reason started getting burned out with a leg cramp about half way through and ended up doing the 58 mile route.

I think I need to start pushing myself on endurance this week which won't be a big deal now that the eternal Texas heatwave has ended. Some big rides are coming these next couple of months.

No day off this week

2011-09-01T23:42:00.002-05:00

Contrary to what I said about a day off after the Hotter 'n Hell ride (which apparently was the hottest ever recorded) I put in about 220 more miles in preparation for the Enid Oklahoma Tour de Trykes 100 this Saturday.

Wichita Falls Hotter 'n Hell 100

2011-08-27T18:37:00.006-05:00

The Hotter 'n Hell 100 is a massive 3-day event about 100 miles north of Dallas/Fort Worth, it hosts a number of professional races as well as a huge pavilion and convention hall with lots of shopping booths. The name originally comes from Hundred miles in Hundred degree weather to celebrate Wichita Falls Hundredth birthday, this year was the 30th anniversary of the ride and an estimated 14,000+ riders attended.

I've only done one event ride this summer (Cleburne Goatneck) because of the current Texas heatwave which for a while also impaired my daily rides so while I figured my speed was still there I wasn't sure about the endurance. Last year was the first time for doing this ride and I finished with a 22.2 mph average even after burning myself out the first 30 miles, this year I figured I couldn't get close to that.

As usual I seriously underestimated myself.

Started out strong and stayed that way, the 2010 ride wasn't as hot as this year and the heat started getting bad after about 60 miles and really made the last 20 a challenge with the Garmin showing 118 while sitting at the last rest stop, the SAG trucks and ambulances were definitely out today and I'm glad for the 100+ degree evening rides over the last couple of weeks although time still had to be spent at the last two rest stops cooling down.

101.41 miles
4 hours 34 minutes 10 seconds
1,467 ft total climb
75 degree start 111 finish temperature
149 bpm average heart rate
22.2 mph average

Coppell/Grapevine Dam/Grapevine/DFW Airport/North Irving

2011-08-25T21:46:00.003-05:00

40.03 miles
2 hours 13 minutes
100.3 degrees
18 mph average

About as ready for the Hotter 'n Hell 100 as I'm going to get...

Strange Evening at White Rock Lake

2011-08-24T21:41:00.002-05:00

Drove there expecting another 4 lap ride in 105 degree weather (heat index of 114), noticed a large storm front closing from the east although it looked like it would miss the Dallas area. While unloading the bike a strong wind came in dropping the temperature down to about 85. While doing the first lap it started raining dropping the temp down to 75. After a nice soaking all through the first lap everything cleared up and it was 80 degrees the rest of the night, decent but slow ride.

It's getting better out there

2011-08-23T20:56:00.003-05:00

Still very hot but I'm having an easier time dealing with it, last week was 40 miles a day this week trying 50, today's ride was identical to yesterdays however I forgot to charge the Garmin and it was giving me a low battery warning so I shut it down mid-ride.

Trying to improve my endurance for the Hotter Than Hell Hundred this weekend. This year I haven't done any century rides and it'll be the first.

White Rock Lake Thursday

2011-08-18T22:21:00.003-05:00

Strange ride this evening, it was hotter than yesterday so I figured I'd take it slower and only do 3 laps however felt pretty good and finished 4 with a 21.2 mph average which was better than yesterday's 20.8, no idea why it was different tonight.

Had a good challenge from a couple of riders on west side during the 2nd lap but managed to outrun them, maybe the mojo is really coming back :)

Back in Texas

2011-08-17T21:32:00.003-05:00

I decided that whining about the heat isn't doing much good so doing 40 miles per day regardless what the temperature is. So far it's not been too bad although today at the lake it was a struggle finishing 4 laps around White Rock in 105 degree weather, still managed a 20.7 mph average so I can't complain too much :)

Haven't been wearing the evaporation vest either, decided it wasn't quite as effective on a recumbent and not wearing it hasn't made much of a difference.

Cayuga/Eugene/Flat Iron Indiana/Danville Illinois

2011-08-11T17:01:00.002-05:00

Click the title for ride details

Towpath Road to Perrysville and back

2011-08-10T16:56:00.000-05:00

Towpath road 150 years ago was apparently used to tow boats down the Wabash river, today it's a fun fast wooded stretch of road with little traffic

Click the title for ride details

Fountain/Attica/Williamsport/West Lebanon

2011-08-10T16:53:00.000-05:00

I have to do this route once a year, not long at 40 miles but the scenery down old US63 is impressive and they were nice enough to repave it for me.

Click the link for ride details

Covington Indiana Evening Ride

2011-08-09T16:49:00.000-05:00

Nice being able to do two rides a day without dying from the heat

Click the link for ride details

Tuscola/Iversdale/Sadorus Illinois

2011-08-09T16:43:00.001-05:00

Click the link for ride details

Sadorus/Ivesdale/Monticello/Bondville Illinois

2011-08-08T16:37:00.004-05:00

Down in Illinois for a couple of days, temperatures are slightly warmer

Click the link for ride details

Hostel Shoppe Midwest Recumbent Rally Day 3

2011-08-07T22:35:00.007-05:00

Final ride of the rally, this one starts and finishes at Amherst just 15 miles east of Stevens Point. The 44 mile long route had a few good hills and excellent scenery.

Overall the weather was excellent, a couple of days had some mid 90's temperatures but compared to what Texas is going through I had no problems dealing with the heat. It rained the evening before today's ride and there was a possibility of some showers later in the morning but that never happened. The day started at 67 degrees and finished in the mid 70's.

Hostel Shoppe Midwest Recumbent Rally Day 2

2011-08-06T22:06:00.001-05:00

This is the main Saturday morning ride, relatively short at 41 miles but the hills made it seem longer. Got to ride with my brother Tim who came up the previous evening.

Hostel Shoppe Midwest Recumbent Rally Day 1

2011-08-05T21:44:00.001-05:00

This was the first ride of the rally, the "long" route was only 23 miles and put me at almost 80 for the day. Attendance was a little down this year and the Chicago Nocomm boys were a no-show but it was still a very good event

Click on each video for the hi-res version

Stevens Point Day 3 Morning Warmup Ride

2011-08-05T21:37:00.000-05:00

Rally starts at noon so I had to do a morning ride

42.57 miles
2 hours 23 minutes
791ft total climb
17.8 mph average

Stevens Point Day 2

2011-08-04T21:20:00.000-05:00

Trying to get the legs back in shape, roads are excellent around here

51.05 miles
997 ft total climb
18.7 mph average

Some footage from downtown Stevens Point

2011-08-04T15:58:00.002-05:00

This was from the end of last nights ride

It's hot so I went somewhere else

2011-08-03T21:06:00.001-05:00

Somewhere like Stevens Point Wisconsin

37.00 miles
346 ft total climb
20.0 mph average

Cleburne Tour De Goatneck

2011-07-30T21:44:00.002-05:00

Rider count: 1500-2000
Weather: Sunny
Temperature: 75 at the start, 93 at the finish
Wind: 8-10 mph from the south
Rest Stops: Very good
Road Surface: Good to very good
Hills: Rolling, a couple of steep ones
Traffic Control: Great
Recumbents: A few RBent people were out
Dogs: 0
Flats 0

This is the 5th time I've done this ride, it was my very first event ride back in 2007 and an overall excellent course with lots of riders, good scenery and a couple of very challenging hills. Temperatures were slightly lower than normal and the morning cloud cover kept the heat away long enough.

Due to this month's oppressive heat wave I've been staying away from the event rides and almost passed on this one, since it's been a struggle getting miles in I wasn't sure if my endurance was still there and burn myself out.

Turns out while I wasn't as fast as previous years it was an excellent ride and I felt very good the entire time.

Click the title for detailed information

69.63 miles
3:30:55 total time
2,710 ft total climb
144 bpm average, 179 max heart rate
19.8 mph average

BILT Cooling Vest update

2011-07-21T22:21:00.003-05:00

I've been doing some White Rock Lake rides testing the vest and so far it DOES work although the effects aren't always noticeable until the ride finishes when you realize you...

a. don't feel like shit

b. aren't as much of a sweaty mess like before

c. there is no c.

Being on a low racer does take away some of the benefits since some of the wind is blocked by your legs or the frame and it's about 5 or 6 additional pounds you gotta carry but I'll gladly accept that.

Only thing that bothers me now is breathing the super-heated air around here, no end in sight to this heatwave.

BILT Cooling Vest

2011-07-18T21:48:00.005-05:00

Here in Texas July has been a long heatwave with no end in sight, nothing but intense heat and high humidity and it's been a struggle doing the nightly 40 mile rides when you start at 101 degree heat and end at 98 degree heat.

Tonight I bought a BILT cooling vest for $29.99. The concept is simple, soak it for 3 minutes then off you go. Supposedly the evaporation effect lasts for several hours.

It doesn't feel like it's doing much but then you notice halfway through the ride you aren't quite as hot as before and in some spots you can feel a slight cooling effect. I felt a little better at the finish.

Only bad thing is it's fairly heavy after the initial soaking but it beats feeling like shit after a 40 mile ride. Plenty of hot days ahead for more testing...

I also have been wearing a Headsweat Coolmax headrag (or whatever you call it) instead of the Gutr head band, makes a little bit of difference with the sun no longer shining on my receding hairline :)

Coppell/Flower Mound/Highland Village/Grapevine/DFW Airport

2011-07-16T22:02:00.001-05:00

I was going to do an event ride in Paris Texas but chose instead to do some local riding to get the legs back in shape. It's easier to do these early in the morning before the summer heat rolls in.

2011-07-16T22:02:00.000-05:00

I was going to do an event ride in Paris Texas but chose instead to do some local riding to get the legs back in shape. It's easier to do these early in the morning before the summer heat rolls in.

Coppell/Grapevine/DFW Airport Morning White Rock Lake Evening

2011-07-09T21:07:00.003-05:00

Been doing a lot of DFW Airport morning rides, this seems to be a decent route, funny thing was the front tire went flat pulling into the garage, good timing!

Time for new tires, nice thing about Schwalbe Kokaks is they are fast tires that last, these went for about 4,000 miles.

And of course to break the tires in a trip to White Rock Lake, haven't hit the lake as much as I like and it shows, was pretty wore out after 3 laps.

Strange Dayz

2011-07-07T21:36:00.005-05:00

Trucks getting maintenance done so for the last couple of days I've been riding 10 miles to work and back every morning which is kind of fun and adds some to the daily miles. Even using the old Radical saddlebags to haul work clothes in, really have the Baron loaded down. Afternoons are still hot but I'm slowly getting used to it

Yesterday I had a faster than usual run around DFW Airport finishing 44 miles with a 19.8 average. No idea why just felt like going fast, maybe missing my usual White Rock Wednesday ride.

Today however on the way home from work I got knocked over by a lady in a Lexus. Nothing major since we were starting out from a light doing 2 or 3 mph. The bike is fine however I have some nice new abrasions on my elbow and a slightly bruised right hip (yes the bad one). Just about gave her a heart attack.

Not content with sitting at home nursing my wounds I instead did another 40 miles up through Flower Mound :)

Oh yea almost forgot, have over 6,000 miles in so far this year.

Weekly Rides

2011-07-03T13:42:00.005-05:00

Still hard to get decent riding in due to the heat but I'm managing :)

Waxahachie Cow Creek Classic

2011-06-25T21:12:00.004-05:00

Rider count: 700-800
Weather: Sunny
Temperature: 80 at the start, 85 at the finish
Wind: 15-20 mph from the south
Rest Stops: Good
Road Surface: Some rough chip-seal, some good
Hills: Rolling, none steep
Traffic Control: Great
Recumbents: Quite a few RBent people
Dogs: 0
Flats 0

This is the 4th time I've done this ride and I promised myself I wouldn't do it this year. It's an odd one in some ways and beats you up with hills and some rough roads during the south run but then leaves you with a sweet 25 mile fast dash north to the finish with the wind at your back. The primary routes were either 45 miles which is a little short and 78 miles which is a little long right about now. This year they changed things around and added a 55 mile route so I figured why not...

Then I remembered why I promised myself I wouldn't do it again, lots of chip-seal especially at the start and on the new sections, couple that with a few well-placed hills and lots of south wind and it became a pain. I was fine for the first 30 miles or so then struggled for the next 15 or 20 then recovered somewhat for the last 5 back in town.

Not a lot of fun, gotta be something better next year.

Click the title for detailed information

54.82 miles
2:56:22 total time
1,709 ft total climb
139 bpm average, 170 max heart rate
18.7 mph average

Better ride tonight

2011-06-20T21:20:00.003-05:00

After spending a week with the weather kicking my ass it's still hot but cooling off, still windy but getting better.

40 miles in at the lake with a 20.8 average and face-off with a really good rider on the last home stretch who didn't let off not matter what I did so I called that one a draw. I love those kind of runs.

Hot and crappy week

2011-06-18T13:52:00.002-05:00

Didn't do an event ride today, too hot and windy out there, all week (month)has been like that. maybe next week will be better.

McKinney Collin Classic

2011-06-11T13:43:00.006-05:00

Rider count: 1500+
Weather: Sunny
Temperature: 75 at the start, 85 at the finish
Wind: 5 mph from the south
Rest Stops: Good
Road Surface: Some rough chip-seal, some very good
Hills: Rolling, none steep
Traffic Control: Great
Recumbents: Not many, maybe 6?
Dogs: 1 small yapper
Flats 0

This is the 4th time I've done this ride, it's usually fast with good roads. This time they changed the route heading out which had some pretty rough chip-seal and I slightly overheated after about 40 miles. A little harder than usual and not as fast as 2008's 21.8 average but still a good ride although I wish they'd go back to last year's route and avoid the rougher roads.

Click the title for detailed information

60.40 miles
2:53:32 total time
1,863 ft total climb
142 bpm average, 168 max heart rate
20.9 mph average

Mesquite Rodeo 100k

2011-06-04T13:53:00.005-05:00

Rider count: 2000+
Weather: Sunny
Temperature: 75 at the start, 85 at the finish
Wind: 5 mph from the south
Rest Stops: Good
Road Surface: Mostly great with some chip seal out in the country
Hills: Rolling, none steep
Traffic Control: Great
Recumbents: A few
Dogs: 0
Flats 0

It's been a while since I did this (2008 and 2009), It's a fast ride southeast of Dallas and mostly void of the dreaded Texas chip-seal. It's one of the bigger event rides in the area with at least 2,000 riders.

Flew through the first third and got to play catchup with Tony Ward riding a Performer low racer recently bought from Jay Gorman who I think once owned a Baron. After that it was playing with a 10-12 rider group, I'd pass then then they'd catch up when I hit a rest stop then I'd play catchup again. It's a great way to burn through the miles.

The Texas heat is starting to pick up but I felt strong the entire ride and my main goal was to be faster than the 2008 ride, was I? Why yes I was....

Click the title for detailed ride information

62.06 miles
2:47:36 total time
1,163 ft total climb
151 bpm average, 175 max heart rate
22.2 mph average

Finally some relief from the wind

2011-06-01T21:39:00.002-05:00

40 miles climbing through Flower Mound area yesterday
40 miles racing at White Rock Lake today.

Feels good not struggling against a 30 mph headwind although it's starting to get hot which I have to get used to for the next 3 months.

Flower Mound

2011-05-30T00:06:00.004-05:00

39.5 miles
17 mph average

25-30 mph south wind made this one very hard on the way back from Flower Mound, felt more wore out on this one than some of the 100k event rides earlier this month.

Some riding, lots of wind

2011-05-28T00:03:00.000-05:00

Nothing major this last week, some White Rock Lake and some Flower Mound mostly due to every freaking day having a 20-30 mph south wind. All month has been like that

I could be wrong but

2011-05-24T21:04:00.003-05:00

I doubt if I ride tonight, my poor old truck...

Richardson Wild Ride 100k

2011-05-21T14:21:00.007-05:00

Rider count: 2000+
Weather: Cloudy kind of blah again, misty rain in the middle
Temperature: 65 at the start, 70 at the finish
Wind: 10 mph from the south
Rest Stops: Good
Road Surface: Mostly great with some chip seal out in the country
Hills: Rolling, none steep
Traffic Control: Great
Recumbents: Quite a few
Dogs: 1
Flats 0

Another benefit ride in the fight against cancer. Richardson is a north suburb of Dallas and the route ran east through Murphy, Wylie, Nevada and Josephine.

This is was excellent ride last year and no different this time. Most of the east/west section was smooth and fast and even the chip seal wasn't bad. Other than some minor misty rain during the middle third of the ride and some wind at the end the weather was about perfect

Several fellow riders from the local RBent club were present and TJ made his return to riding on his Challenge Jester. TJ did the 40 mile route and was joking at the start about beating me to the finish, I still passed him with less than a mile to go and have now earned the right to razz him mercilessly.

Met a rider from last week's Ashdown ride and one of those guys on the tandem pacing me near the end knew my name, if you read this let me know who you were, you uprights all look alike :)

Last year I finished with a 21.9 mph average and wasn't quite able to match that on the Elite mostly due to the south wind at the end but it was still a great ride.

Click the title for detailed ride information

64.66 miles
2:58:28 total time
1,575 ft total climb
150 bpm average, 173 max heart rate
21.7 mph average

Ashdown Arkansas Ride To The Edge For A Cure

2011-05-14T16:56:00.005-05:00

Rider count: 70-80
Weather: Cloudy kind of blah
Temperature: 54 at the start, 65 at the finish
Wind: 10 mph from the northwest
Rest Stops: Okay
Road Surface: 1st half crap, 2nd half awesome
Hills: Several, none steep
Traffic Control: None
Recumbents: 1 P-38 Lightning, 1 Vision LWB
Dogs: 1
Flats 0

Nothing going on locally so I took my first trip of the year to southwest Arkansas. Not a big event but some pretty good riders including a team from Houston who just finished a Beaumont to Texarkana ride. This event was a benefit for the fight against cancer.

The first half going west into the wind toward Oklahoma has some crappy road surfaces and a few hills but the east route back to Arkansas was fairly smooth and fast with the wind at my back. Spent most of the final 20 miles catching the lead rider who was very fast. This one was a little harder than I though it would be but well worth it.

Click the title for ride information

65.03 miles
3:00:52 total time
1,060 ft total climb
151 bpm average, 179 max heart rate
21.6 mph average

Cedar Hills Head For The Hills

2011-05-07T20:31:00.008-05:00

Rider count: 800-1000
Weather: Sunny
Temperature: 70 at the start, 85 at the finish
Wind: 10-20 mph from the west
Rest Stops: Good
Road Surface: Not good
Hills: Lots and lots
Traffic Control: Good
Recumbents: Several member of Rbent showed up
Dogs: 0
Flats 0

I've ridden this event twice before in 2008 and 2010. Like the Germanfest ride last year on the old Baron I finished with a 19.2 average although somewhere around a third of the way in I wasn't feeling 100% until the last 15 or so miles. I at least wanted to better my average this year.

This is one of those rides where you go then later wonder why you went, you forget over the previous 12 months what it was like. I didn't mind the hills or the stiff south wind but like the Lancaster ride a month ago many sections of the course were total crap as far as road surfaces with many potholes and patches. Some people like that type of course but I really miss the smooth roads of the Houston area right about now. One intersection had a missing sign causing about 20 of us to take a 2-3 mile detour, I should trust my GPS a little more.

The ride's saving grace was the north third heading back home with a 20 mph tailwind which was an absolute blast. I began that stretch with a 19.0 average and finished right at 20 which was better than expected.

Click the title for ride information

60.39 miles
3:01:33 total time
2,198 ft total climb
142 bpm average, 170 max heart rate
20.0 mph average

Not a bad couple of days at White Rock Lake

2011-05-05T23:09:00.001-05:00

Wednesday 48.01 miles with a 21.5 mph average
Thursday 48.5 miles with a 21.8 mph average

Another hilly ride this Saturday and I need more speed this time

Muenster Germanfest

2011-05-01T09:39:00.004-05:00

Rider count: 1000+
Weather: Sunny
Temperature: 75 at the start, 80 at the finish
Wind: 8-10 mph from the west
Rest Stops: Good
Road Surface: Good
Hills: Lots of em
Traffic Control: Good
Recumbents: Lots of em
Dogs: 0
Flats 0

I've ridden this event twice before in 2008 and 2010. Last year on the old Baron I finished with a 19.2 average. Wasn't sure how well I'd do because Thursday I T-Boned another biker at White Rock and was still rather sore.

The roads are good and the route has a LOT of hills, still was able to beat last year's average by over half a mile an hour.It was a good solid ride with just about everyone in the local RBent recumbent club showing up including the guy from Ardmore on the Challenge Fujin from last week's White Rock ride. (sorry forgot your name)

Click the title for ride information

59.45 miles
3:00:35 total time
2,730 ft total climb
143 bpm average heart rate
19.8 mph average

Ride the Rock - White Rock Lake

2011-04-22T20:08:00.000-05:00

Normally I do this lake all the time for free but this time they had an event celebrating it's 100th year complete with a 20+ mph south wind. Still lots of fun

78 miles
20.1 mph average

Racing The Crappy Weather

2011-04-20T21:51:00.001-05:00

Threatening rain the last couple of days, this time it held on long enough to get some miles in at my favorite White Rock Lake

48 miles
19.5 mph average

Georgetown Red Poppy Ride

2011-04-16T16:59:00.006-05:00

ider count: 200+
Weather: Sunny
Temperature: 45 at the start, 65 at the finish
Wind: 8-10 mph from the north
Rest Stops: Good
Road Surface: mostly chip-seal and crap
Hills: Rolling hills
Traffic Control: Very good
Recumbents: 1 and a trike
Dogs: 3 tiny ones, could have run them over with no damage to the Baron
Flats 0

Haven't done this ride before, had 4 in the general area but I though this one would be the best. Only problem was most of the route was infested with Texas's infamous chip-seal and road patches, sometimes I could get some decent speed only hit another bad patch, could have been worse I guess and in spite of all that I felt excellent at the finish.

65.42 miles
3 Hours 34 Minutes
1,837 ft total climb
Not sure, Garmin screwed up
19.4 mph average

Once again the Garmin screwed up, somewhere during the first 15 miles it thought I as in the north Atlantic. I wish they'd fix this crap with a firmware upgrade because it's a pain to find and remove that one bad track that causes it.

Lancaster Country Ride

2011-04-10T15:52:00.003-05:00

Rider count: 600-800
Weather: Sunny
Temperature: 75 at the start, 85 at the finish
Wind: 15-20 mph from the south
Rest Stops: Good
Road Surface: Good to poor with chip seal
Hills: Quite a few in the middle
Traffic Control: Excellent
Recumbents: Lots Rbent riders
Dogs: 0
Flats 0

This is the 3rd time I've done this ride, last year finished at a 20.5 on the silver Baron. This year was a lot tougher with a heavy south wind so I wasn't quite as fast but still had a good overall ride.

63.34 miles
3 Hours 10 Minutes
2,057 ft total climb
143 average heart rate 174 max
19.9 mph average

Coppell/Flower Mound/Corinth/Highland Village/Lewisville

2011-04-05T21:28:00.003-05:00

Haven't done the Highland Village route in a while, click the title for full stats

56.98 miles
3 hours 14 minutes
1761 ft total climb
17.6 mph average

Irving to White Rock Lake to Downtown Dallas then Back to Irving

2011-04-03T21:38:00.001-05:00

As if I didn't get enough of downtown Dallas or White Rock Lake here I go doing a longer version of it complete with a 20 mph south wind

73.81 miles
4 hours 16 minutes
1873 ft total climb
17.3 mph average

Tour of Dallas

2011-04-02T20:58:00.005-05:00

Rider count: 4000+
Weather: Sunny
Temperature: 60 at the start, 75 at the finish
Wind: 7-8+ mph from the south
Rest Stops: Very good
Road Surface: Mostly very good
Hills: A few minor ones around White Rock Lake
Traffic Control: Excellent
Recumbents: Lots of trikes
Dogs: 0
Flats 0

I was going to do a couple of event rides in Austin but since this was less than 20 miles away I thought I'd give it a try, it's a short one at less than 30 miles so I did a 2nd lap around White Rock Lake to bring it close to 40. Fun slow ride with a lot of local Rbent riders.

37.52 miles
2 Hours 27 Minutes
908 ft total climb
106 average heart rate 153 max
15.3 mph average

Rides this week

2011-04-01T22:01:00.003-05:00

In spite of a 3-day cold snap I was able to get a few rides in

Wednesday: White Rock Lake 37.5 miles @ 20.3 mph average
Thursday: White Rock Lake 47.6 miles @ 22.1 mph average
Friday: Grapevine/DFW Airport/North Irving 45.98 miles @ 18.1 mph average

Was thinking of doing 2 event rides this weekend in Austin however I'm instead likely doing a short ride at the Tour of Dallas tomorrow and maybe a Hockley 90 mile ride down near Houston or a shorter 62 mile ride in Georgetown just north of Austin....decisions decisions :)

Waller Texas Bluebonnet Express

2011-03-27T17:33:00.005-05:00

Rider count: 1000+
Weather: Cloudy
Temperature: 65 at the start, 65 at the finish
Wind: 7-8+ mph from the east
Rest Stops: Very good
Road Surface: Mostly very good with 10 miles of rough chipseal after Bellville
Hills: Several rolling hills on the way to and from Bellville
Traffic Control: Very Good
Recumbents: More than yesterday
Dogs: 0
Flats 0

A little history: I did this ride last year and before the start the temperature dropped about 10 degrees with a 15 mph north wind and after about 10 miles into the ride I got the blah's and just wasn't 100% so the 75 mile ride turned into the 68 mile ride which turned into the 55 mile ride which ended up 47 miles. Not the fault of the organizers I just wasn't into it that day. I felt I had to do better this time.

Met up with Zak from Houston on his Baron and later Bobby from Baytown on HIS Baron so it was interesting that we had 3 Baron's at the start. Zak rode with me for a little over a quarter of the ride. I lost him in the hills and later he had some leg cramps but still finished the 75 mile course which amazes me considering the limited time he's been on his Baron. If he gets his endurance up I'm in big trouble.

Tougher than yesterday's ride due to a number of rolling hills on the way to Bellville and 10 miles of rough chip-seal afterward but still a very good ride and I felt okay at the end. Passed a number of pace lines during the first half of the ride and was almost retaken by one of them on the chip-seal but as soon as we hit smooth road I was gone, can't beat aerodynamics :)

Click the header for Garmin ride details

74.87 miles
3 Hours 30 Minutes
1214 ft total climb
142 average heart rate 167 max
21.4 mph average

Missouri City Texas Schlumberger Education Expedition

2011-03-26T19:43:00.003-05:00

Rider count: 600+
Weather: Cloudy
Temperature: 70 at the start, 84 at the finish
Wind: 7-8+ mph from the south at the start, 10-12 at the finish
Rest Stops: Very good
Road Surface: Hella Good again!
Hills: None, zero, nada
Traffic Control: Very Good
Recumbents: 1 LWB and a guy on a trike
Dogs: 0
Flats 1

After the Manvel Great Escape I spent the next 2 weeks riding the hills of Flower Mound and speed runs at White Rock Lake (sure that got me a traffic ticket but hey...) and since part of this ride was along the same route as Manvel's I knew it would be flat and decently fast.

Then after 2 miles in I flattened the rear tire running over road debris...

Normally something like this would bum me out for the rest of the ride (like when I hit the dog last year) and I'd do something stupid like take a shorter route but not today, I didn't drive 250 miles to get here just to quit early.

Like Manvel the first half was going south into the wind and the last half with the wind at my back making it an absolute blast especially the long stretch along last 25 miles.

The local rides over the last couple of weeks really made a difference, although I wasn't as fast as the Manvel Great Escape it was just as much fun (in spite of the flat) and I felt way better at the end. I could have easily done a century at the pace I was going although I imagine I'll need it for tomorrow's Waller Bluebonnet ride.

Would have had a little more video but I maxed out the memory in the camera by forgetting to delete old rides. Click the header for ride details.

76.61 miles
3 Hours 31 Minutes
87 ft total climb
138 average heart rate 161 max
22.3 mph average

Coppell/Flower Mound/Corinth/Highland Village/Double Oak

2011-03-24T21:28:00.001-05:00

Coppell/Flower Mound/Corinth/Highland Village/Double Oak Details
60+ mile ride all over the place

Finally no wind!

2011-03-23T20:53:00.002-05:00

And what a difference it made, felt great today

47.5 miles
2 hours 8 minutes
141 bpm average heart rate, 173 max
1133 ft total climb
Lap 1 22.1 mph
Lap 2 22 mph
Lap 3 22.6 mph
Lap 4 22.6 mph
Lap 5 21.9 mph
22.2 mph average

White Rock Lake Sunday with a gift from the Dallas Police

2011-03-20T16:43:00.003-05:00

I gotta quit running stop signs, these can get expensive...

Irving to White Rock Lake to Downtown Dallas to Irving by mleuck at Garmin Connect - Details

2011-03-19T17:15:00.001-05:00

Irving to White Rock Lake to Downtown Dallas to Irving Details

Test

Meh....got to be a better way to post a damn map here

Irving to White Rock Lake to Downtown Dallas then Back to Irving

2011-03-19T16:30:00.007-05:00

Haven't done this in a while, nothing like riding down Elm Street in downtown Dallas. The map here isn't quite accurate showing the way back because it's an old ride. Still working on a better way to display ride data.

Click the title for ride details

75.22 miles
4 hours 22 minutes
116 bpm average heart rate, 147 max
1690 ft total climb
60 degrees at the start, 80 at the finish
17.2 mph average

Rides this week

2011-03-18T22:37:00.002-05:00

Tuesday: 55 miles through Flower Mound/Double Oak
Wednesday: 40 miles around DFW Airport
Thursday: 48 miles around White Rock Lake
Today: 62 miles through Flower Mound/Argyle/Double Oak

Was thinking about doing a century down near Houston again, figured I'll wait until next week and do a couple of 75's weather permitting.

Working on a solution to the slow website loading, all those "L Frames" from Garmin and YouTube tend to slow things down, I'll fix it somehow

Manvel Texas Great Escape

2011-03-13T17:09:00.008-05:00

Rider count: 1000+
Weather: Cloudy
Temperature: 62 at the start, 75 at the finish
Wind: 7-8+ mph from the south at the start, 12-15 at the finish
Rest Stops: The one at the 35 mile turnaround was very good
Road Surface: Hella Good!
Hills: None
Traffic Control: Very Good
Recumbents: 1 or 2 I think, Zak and his Baron had a mechanical and didn't ride
Dogs: 0

A little history, I did this ride last year and considered it an awakening to what I was able to do speed-wise, I was finally able not only to catch the front runners but pass and give them a run for their money (for a while). It was the first event that I finished with a 21+ mph average. This year they changed the long route and I was a little annoyed thinking it wouldn't be as good, turns out it was better, much better.

The real kicker was the 35 mile down and back "tail" from the main course. On the way down the south wind wasn't bad and likely helped me catch and pass the leaders before the 35 mile turnaround at the end of the tail, BIG help on the way back with the added bonus of passing lots of people finishing the 55 mile course, it was just flat out (literally) fun and I felt very strong up until the last 3-4 miles when the legs started to go. Turned out the ride was about 4 miles longer than advertised.

Definitely a ride to remember and like last year's ride showed me what I am capable of doing.

77.01 miles
3 Hours 26 Minutes
94 ft total climb (seriously, it was that flat)
152 average heart rate 166 max
22.3 mph average

Since the logo shows a criminal on a bike I though I'd look the part...

Huntsville Texas Raven's Revenge

2011-03-12T20:46:00.006-06:00

Rider count: 500+
Weather: Cloudy with some sun
Temperature: 58 at the start, 70 at the finish
Wind: 7-8+ mph from the south, 15 at the finish
Rest Stops: Good, stopped at one around the 20 mile point
Road Surface: Good to really crappy
Hills: Quite a few
Traffic Control: Very Good
Recumbents: 3 or 4
Dogs: 2, 1 gave it a go at me

I was originally going to do a ride 30 miles west of Houston in Brookshire called the Brookwood Benefit Ride however while checking out websites in the area I found one that said it was cancelled so it was a choice to risk going and risk finding nothing or do the next best thing and do this one about 60 miles north of Houston.

I played it safe and at 5:00 in the morning drove up to Huntsville...

I figured this to be hilly and it was although all rolling hills especially at the beginning and end, wasn't sure if I should do the 61 mile route, the 51 or a modified mid 50's ride although I felt strong so I did the big one and it was well worth it. The middle of the ride had some pretty bad road surface and it was fun avoiding the crap but that didn't last long. Most of the ride was through the Sam Houston National Forest which has some excellent scenery.

Met Michael from the Waller Bulldog and Katy Spring Breakaway rides on his RANS Stratus at the start but didn't know any of the other bent riders.

Felt strong the entire ride, didn't over-stress myself and had a good time, looks like this week's daily 55 milers in hilly Flower Mound did some good. No idea if the Brookshire ride took place and don't really care :)

61.57 miles
3 Hours 6 Minutes
2,374 ft total climb
140 average heart rate 168 max
19.8 mph average

4 Decent Days = 4 Long Rides

2011-03-10T20:58:00.003-06:00

Training for a big weekend

3 days 3 rides

2011-03-03T20:46:00.002-06:00

Katy Texas Spring Breakaway

2011-02-27T19:24:00.003-06:00

Rider count: 800+
Weather: Overcast
Temperature: 70 at the start, 75 at the finish
Wind: 20+ mph from the south
Rest Stops: Didn't stop at any, they looked nice thoe
Road Surface: Better than average with some chip-seal in the middle
Hills: None
Traffic Control: Very Good
Recumbents: 4
Dogs: 1, not really a threat

I did this same route during last year's Katy Donut ride although this had an added bonus of a fairly brutal 20+ mph south wind which made for some very hard riding at the beginning and the end.

Met Zak and his Baron from the Manvel ride and we rode most of the route together which is something I haven't done with anyone in ages and he was just as fast as I was!

The last 15 miles going east was the hardest trying to keep up the average and I was only passed by one excellent upright rider near the end. That's a 2nd place I'll gladly accept

57.43 miles
2 Hours 44 Minutes
400 ft total climb (very flat)
163 average heart rate 175 max
21 mph average

Waller Bulldog Bike Ride and Pancake Breakfast

2011-02-26T14:51:00.007-06:00

Rider count: 400+
Weather: Overcast, no rain tho
Temperature: 60 at the start, 65 at the finish
Wind: 5 mph from the southeast
Rest Stops: Looked okay going by, didn't stop at one
Road Surface: Better than average with some rough chip-seal near the end
Hills: A could of small rolling ones
Traffic Control: Very Good
Recumbents: 2
Dogs: 3 but behind fences
Deer: 4 ran across the road in front of me

I did this one last year on the yellow Baron in fact it was the last event ride it ever did since it broke the frame the next day, I finished then at 18.9 and figured I could do better on the Elite.

Felt very strong the entire ride, started wearing down near the end into the wind but still kept a decent pace going and had pancakes afterwards.

50.85 miles
2 Hours 24 Minutes
597 ft total climb
153 average heart rate 174 max
21.1 mph average

DFW Airport Tuesday

2011-02-22T20:06:00.000-06:00

Flower Mound Monday

2011-02-21T20:05:00.000-06:00

Nasty 15 mph wind from the north

White Rock Sunday

2011-02-20T20:03:00.000-06:00

Not super fast but did have several people that wanted to race

Humble Texas Lion's Club Event Ride

2011-02-19T20:05:00.008-06:00

Rider count: 1000+
Weather: Wet and humid at the start, dry and sunny at the finish
Temperature: 60 at the start, 70 at the finish
Wind: 5 mph from the southwest
Rest Stops: Very good
Road Surface: Very smooth
Hills: None
Traffic Control: Very Good
Dogs: 3, none threatening

Lots of fun on this one, very damp and humid at the beginning so I didn't think it would be all that fast but it dried out enough and off I went. Felt strong the entire ride. Nice to see Bobby Clement on his Baron, he was at last year's Baytown and Bike Around The Bay rides. I'll hopefully see him again in a couple of weeks.

The Garmin file for some reason was corrupt uploading however I was able to fix it, oddly it shows the ride time slightly off but the rest of the data came out okay.

52.28 miles
2 Hours 24 Minutes (not 2:45 like the chart says)
192 ft total climb
144 average heart rate 170 max
21.1 mph average

Global Warming is my friend (part XXXVII)

2011-02-17T21:33:00.002-06:00

Weather is still in the mid 70's, might as well take advantage of it. Ride was actually 1.5 miles longer, forgot to start the Garmin

Global Warming is my friend (part XXXVI)

2011-02-16T20:28:00.004-06:00

I had the heart rate chest strap on tonight, notice the calorie count is about a third of yesterday's ride when I didn't wear one...strange...

Better Temperatures = Longer rides

2011-02-16T00:19:00.003-06:00

It was almost 80 today, enough time to pick up a plasma TV, do laundry and yea go riding...This is my normal spring weekday route with lots of hills.

Back To The Grind

2011-02-16T00:18:00.001-06:00

I need to work on endurance (I think)

Manvel Ride To The Rescue

2011-02-13T22:54:00.002-06:00

Rider count: 500+
Weather: Sunny
Temperature: 38 at the start, 55 at the finish
Wind: 5-10 mph from the southwest
Rest Stops: Very good
Road Surface: Very smooth
Hills: None
Traffic Control: Very Good
Dogs: 0

This one started well although I was still feeling the Katy ride yesterday. Felt fine until about 20 miles into it then blah..not feeling that hot and there goes the legs, might help if I had taken it easy at the start but that's hard to do. Even worse was missing several signs and getting lost twice on the way back, still got in almost 40 miles so I can't complain too much and next month Manvel has an almost identical ride.

Got to meet Zak and his brand new Baron, nice riding with you!

39.85 miles
3 Hours 6 Minutes
59 ft total climb
133 average heart rate 159 max
18.8 mph average

Katy/Hempstead Peddling The Prairie

2011-02-12T19:43:00.006-06:00

Rider count: 1000+?
Weather: Sunny
Temperature: 38 at the start, 55 at the finish
Wind: 5 mph from the southwest
Rest Stops: Very good
Road Surface: Mostly smooth
Hills: A few rollers, nothing steep
Traffic Control: Very Good
Dogs: 4, 3 behind fences, one in the road, started chasing me but backed off

Excellent and tough ride northwest of Houston, nice to be back in the saddle after 2 weeks of shit winter weather, felt fairly strong and endurance is still pretty good. Will have video up soon.

Tomorrow off to Manvel for the Ride To The Rescue 100k

46.13 miles
3 Hours 24 Minutes
1,214 ft total climb
154 average heart rate 179 max
20.1 mph average