Bicycle Diaries
30 years riding, 15 years writing
Steamy ride
Last night, a storm blew through Charlotte.
I had to wait till the afternoon for the ground to dry up before I headed out, even so, it was slow going with a very soggy trail. Aside from the mud, the woods were steamy from the small heat wave that hit us on Monday and continued till today. Since the trails were slow, I decided to put more miles in and shed some pounds.
MTB: distance 19.32 miles, average speed 13.1 mph.
Midday heat
Waited for the Tour’s stage to end before heading out.
By the time I hit the edge of the forest, it was 86 degrees Fahrenheit and no breeze to speak of. It felt good riding back to back days, had a longer distance and a faster time to show for it. I’ll go for a brisk walk tomorrow and hopefully be back on the bike on Tuesday.
MTB: distance 13.55 miles, average speed 13.8 mph.
Wasp bite
This week, while doing the lawn, a nasty looking wasp decided to attack my thigh.
The sting hurt quite a bit and it got inflamed in a matter of hours. I took a break from the bike so as not to spread the poison around my system. I think next time I do the yard, I’m going to wear long pants and a long sleeve shirt, take a queue from the guys who do yards for a living.
MTB: distance 8.54 miles, average speed 13.1 mph.
Tour de France
We’re in the middle of the tour.
Whenever I finish watching the day’s stage, I can’t wait to suit up and go for a ride. The weather hasn’t been that great of late, it’s either too hot or it’s raining in the afternoon. Today, it wasn’t that hot and the trails had dried up a bit, so we rode.
MTB: distance 13.43 miles, average speed 12.8 mph.
The wisdom to...
Had a wisdom tooth pulled, so I took some time off the bike.
It took me a few days to get back to normal but after reading all the caveats, I decided to rest until I was sure I wasn’t going to pop any blood vessels in my mouth. The net can be a very informative place when researching medical information, but it can also be a scary place. The scariest part was looking at all the images on Google, even found a video of a procedure that was way more intense than my short 30 second visit with the chisel.
MTB: distance 8.03 miles, average speed 12.6 mph.
Fallen limbs
We’ve had a few days of rain and wind.
The trails were littered with fallen limbs, riding was a bit of an adventure today. I had to dismount a few times and carry my bike to continue down the trail in some parts, it made for slow going.
The creeks, where they meet the walk over bridges, are packed with limbs also. It’s like a beaver dam type situation, must of been a site to see the run off lashing the bridges at the height of the rains.
MTB: distance 9.98 miles, average speed 13.2 mph.
Spring is back
The Summer heat that covered the east coast is easing up. Today, it was a rather pleasant day for outdoor activities, so I dusted off the bike helmet and went for a ride.
I did walk a few times this week, but pedaling in the intense heat was something I didn’t want to do.
MTB: distance 11.64 miles, average speed 14.3 mph.
Oh, the sweat
If you want to lose weight, go out bike riding this weekend.
The sweat was just pouring off my body and onto my bike all ride long. As soon as I got home, I jumped in the shower for a cold refreshing dip of water. Came out of the shower, got dressed and kept on sweating over everything.
MTB: distance 11.88 miles, average speed 13.7 mph.
Oh, the heat
My body is not used to the high temps anymore.
From now on, until fall comes around, I’m going to have to ride early to avoid the summer heat. I went out a bit late today and I was suffering. It’s fine on the inner trails where the trees shade you from the sun, but on the main trail, you can see the heat rising up from the gravel.
MTB: distance 13.57 miles, average speed 13.9 mph.
Snakes on a trail
As the temperature rises, the more I see of our reptile friends on the trail. For the most part, they are harmless, but I keep an eye out for them, especially when I’m walking the trails with the girls.
MTB: distance 13.46 miles, average speed 14.0 mph.
Charlotte, NC
Spent 10 years in Charlotte, a block away from an entrance to the McAlpine Creek Greenway.
Switched to a mountain bike from the road bikes I was accustomed to riding for 15 years.
The time spent on these trails was most appreciated.
Trek Fuel 70
