Bicycle Diaries
30 years riding, 15 years writing
Rear tire flat and breaking spokes
All suited up when I noticed the rear tire was flat.
Hop in the car and ride to the bike shop to buy an inner tube. Install new tube, inflate tire, head out for a ride. A short 8 miles into the ride I feel the rear tire going flat. In my haste, I didn’t inspect the rear tire, there must be something puncturing the inner tube.
Another spoke broke on the rear wheel, that’s the fifth one, I think it’s time for a new wheel. Whether I buy a new wheel or have one rebuilt, I’ll need to decide tomorrow.
MTB: distance 8.65 miles, average speed 13.2 mph.
Spring Road Trip
Hit the road to visit family, returned to Winter like weather.
A short trip turned into a two week stay after getting sick with an upper respiratory virus. Returning home I was met with cold and wet conditions, it wasn’t until late this week that the weather returned to Spring like conditions.
Felt good at the start of today’s ride, it was like I had all this energy. But by the 10 mile mark my legs reminded me that I had taken 3 weeks off and that they were not about to cooperate on any fast ride.
Here’s to hoping that May stays Spring like and not like last last year where Summer crept in quite early.
MTB: distance 20.84 miles, average speed 12.7 mph.
Tailwind to the McAlpine Lake
Awesome day, temps in the high 60’s, sunny with a nice tailwind out towards the McAlpine Lake.
The wind did me a huge favor, it helped me get my legs to spinning nicely early on in the ride. I felt really good today, and I could of ridden a longer distance, but I wanted to catch the start of the Masters.
The Soccer fields were packed, cheering friends and family filled the sidelines. The trails had lots of bike riders, walkers, runners and one Chihuahua in a stroller.
MTB: distance 22.03 miles, average speed 14.0 mph.
Sunny and cool Saturday
The rains on Friday brought in a cool front, in the low 60’s for most of today’s ride, very enjoyable.
Couldn’t quite get up to speed today, I don’t know if it was the day off, the cooler weather, or my body just wanted to take it easy. My left thigh actually took like 10 miles to feel ride ready, it was like my mind showed up but the body stayed at home on the couch watching the Masters.
What I did do is put in some decent mileage, the weather called for it. By the 2 hour mark, the body was crying out to the brain, take us home, the mind obliged.
MTB: distance 33.54 miles, average speed 13.0 mph.
Choking on Pollen
Mid ride I was coughing and I could hardly see the road ahead. My eyes were tearing and I couldn’t drink enough water to keep my throat cleared.
The tree pollen was high today and the windy conditions didn’t help the situation. I’m not allergic to pollen, but when you’re huffing and puffing from an intense workout, there’s not much you can do about keeping those tiny particles from invading your system. A nice shower afterwards and I was back to normal again.
We should get some rain tonight or tomorrow that should alleviate the situation for the weekend.
MTB: distance 21.75 miles, average speed 13.8 mph.
Blew up the rear tire
To avoid flats, I keep the bike’s tires properly inflated.
Before going out for today’s ride, I pumped air into the tires. After pulling off the Silca pump’s presta adapter off the rear tire’s valve, I started to hear air leaking.
Placed the bike up on the Park stand and took off the rear tire. When I took out the inner tube, I noticed that the presta valve had separated from the rubber tube.
Looked in the spare bike parts cabinet and came upon an inner tube that I had kept around from when I bought new MTB tires and inner tubes three years ago.
Put the old inner tube in and went out for a ride. Reminder to self, need to buy spare inner tubes.
MTB: distance 20.11 miles, average speed 14.1 mph.
No Bike signs
Behind the McAlpine lake there’s a .75 mile trail that runs by the soccer fields and meanders through the swamp that is adjacent to the lake. For the six years that I’ve been riding the McAlpine, there are times that the No Bike signs are up, and there are times that they magically disappear.
While I was taking my mid-ride break by the lake eating a banana, I noticed the No Bike signs were gone. It was a surprise to me since they had been posted up since I started back riding last month. So I got on my bike and rode into the trail, one of the few trails that has a bit of an incline and there are birds galore singing away.
Adding that .75 mile trail to my ride brings a lap around the Greenway up to 6.55 miles. Three laps and I’ve got my twenty miles that I prefer to do during the week. On the weekend, since it’s harder to keep a good pace due to the amount of people out on the trails, I tend to put on more miles to compensate.
MTB: distance 21.29 miles, average speed 13.6 mph.
Snapper Turtle on the road
A huge Snapper Turtle was blocking the Cottonwood Trail near the Sardis Swim Club. Mouth open ready to take a chunk out of my front tire, it was a slow dance around him.
Nature is very much alive and coming out of the woods to invade our paths. Along with turtles, there’s plenty of snakes that slither across the trails. One thing I haven’t seen much of this year are Deer, maybe the Coyotes are scaring them away.
I was planning on doing a longer ride but my legs felt tired, it was no use trying to push it. If I’m feeling good, I’ll ride till I feel myself cramping up, a signal from my body to my brain telling me it’s time to turn towards home.
MTB: distance 19.56 miles, average speed 13.2 mph.
The body needed some rest
Nine straight days of bike riding and my body was pleading for some days off. So I figured on calling it a good March and get myself rested up for April.
March, the start of the 2012 season, saw me ride for 17 days and accumulate 363.14 miles. Not bad for taking three months off the bike during Winter, though I walked often as I still do on rest days.
Today I suited up just to get the legs ready for what I hope will be a good April in terms of weather and my body holding up. I’m not going to push it like I used to back 20 years ago when I would put more miles on my road bike than my car.
This year, I want to see what I can accomplish, what an aging body is capable of in a carless future.
MTB: distance 29.17 miles, average speed 13.2 mph.
Windy in all directions
Ride East, a headwind, ride back West, another headwind.
No matter what direction I rode, the wind was kicking my butt. I just couldn’t get into any kind of peddling rhythm today. Instead I pursued bike riders that I saw way out in front of me, a sort of forced interval training regimen.
Had two dogs snap at me, if it wasn’t for the owners holding them back by their leashes, my left leg would in intensive care today. That’s why when I’m passing a dog owner, I try to stay as far away from their pets as possible.
Feeling great, my body has become accustomed to the daily rides. The Performance Century Shorts have worked out well, they just needed to be broken in. I wash them when I’m showering then hang them up for the next day’s ride.
MTB: distance 25.31 miles, average speed 13.7 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
