smokey52
Posts:493
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| 11/10/2021 10:06 PM |
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My outdoor cycling season usually ends in late October after the roads are salted. Not this year. Today's ride mid-afternoon was good, but the angle of the sun was daunting. I didn't trust drivers to see me even with the tail-light flashing. |
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 11/11/2021 09:24 AM |
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Yeah, I’ve been able to largely stay outside so far (trainer last week, though)….but all my riding right now in on trails with my gravel bike. Something about riding this time of year on the roads never sits well with me.
Weather is changing today, though…52* for our early ride, but cold front on the way in. Rain started coming down the last 2 miles of the ride. Possible snow this weekend. *sigh* |
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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Dale
Posts:1767
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| 11/11/2021 09:35 AM |
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This week's been magnificent for outdoor stuff
Saturday- hiked with my wife in the Buffalo National River area
Monday- hiked some stuff we ran out of time to do on Saturday
Tuesday- mbt on a local trail
Wednesday- 40 minutes on the trainer 
Today- Lunch with my daughter then a couple hours gravel
Friday- I'll do an early morning swing before heading out to see daughter #2 in St. Louis
Saturday- CX race in St. Louis
Agree on the road... the low angle of the sun makes visibility sketchy. |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 11/11/2021 10:30 AM |
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We are in season of perpetual rain. Limited riding recently.
I did go to Paris to visit family for first time in 2-3 years and managed a local lap to check out all their new bike infrastructure (somewhat madhouse just like the local driving). Leaned my bike against French things at various tourist traps including Sacre Coeur (nice cobble climb up streets of Montmartre), Arc de triomph, Eiffel Tower, jardin Luxembourg, Notre Dam, Louvre and finally that needle thing. Return via the road turned multi use path along Seine (according to my sister the only conversion drivers have complained about). Glad I didn’t kill myself hahahaha. All of the one way streets have narrow painted “bike lanes” (width is less than MTB handlebars) going against traffic so you end up leaning your bike into sidewalk to avoid the oncoming cars (I dodged a few cabs that way). There is also some pretty posh infrastructure like along Seine and Louvre (two separate sets of bike lanes on that street one painted yellow the other white, I didn’t understand difference one may have been through going traffic). BTW this ride was inspired by Pogacar. After TdF route presentation him and his girlfriend rode city bikes in streets. |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 11/11/2021 11:15 AM |
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| For a visual impression: https://strava.app.link/YgzeypGq6kb |
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smokey52
Posts:493
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| 11/13/2021 07:52 PM |
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OC - great pictures! Paris is one of our favorite cities.
Another November issue: Wet leaves. Even being careful, I almost slid out. |
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79pmooney
Posts:3180
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| 11/14/2021 12:06 AM |
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Posted By smokey 52 on 11/13/2021 07:52 PM
Another November issue: Wet leaves. Even being careful, I almost slid out.
Wet partially rotted leaves. The leaf volumes are starting to drop but the sum of volume and level of rot stays constant for the next month or so. Then a hard rain will come, we'll get a short window of absolutely clean and super grippy roads - the fast descents are a blast! -
until the freezing rain and sand and the start of a new year of road crude.
My Raleigh Competition with fat Paselas and little air thrives in these conditions. No I don't lay it over on the corners. But with cars behind me so I have little choice on where I put my tires, that combo is pretty secure. And if I need to leave the pavement, NBD.
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79pmooney
Posts:3180
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| 11/14/2021 06:50 PM |
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| Today was one of those super grippy days. I just went for a windy 30 miles on Jessica, flat so traction didn't matter but that traction was all there. Plus I had my Open Pave "greenies" on. |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 11/15/2021 11:56 AM |
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Posted By smokey 52 on 11/13/2021 07:52 PM
OC - great pictures! Paris is one of our favorite cities.
Another November issue: Wet leaves. Even being careful, I almost slid out.
Thanks Smokey. Next time (next November) I might try a gravel ride. This time around we almost got run over by someone in Bois de Vincennes (walking distance from my sister's place). It looked like he was riding a copy of Evenepoel's Belgian Waffle Diverge but his mud and leaf handling skills didn't match the bike. Neither did his speed, outfit or anything else LOL. On one hand one could say what a waste but on other hand it shows the transition towards cycling the town is making.
Epic rain continues here. All of the highways to east are closed due to mudslides and flooding. Lots of folks spent last night in their vehicles. |
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longslowdistance
Posts:2881
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| 11/15/2021 09:40 PM |
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Wow, read online about the catastrophic weather in southern BC. Jeez, this isn't right. Wishing safety and health, and rain in the west where it is needed.
And hoping you enjoy great snow this winter. |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 11/17/2021 12:53 PM |
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Whatever snow we had got washed away in that rainstorm, which was part of problem. It was quite warm.
What isn't right is that people displaced by floods are sharing shelter space with people still displaced from forest fire season earlier this year. Hopping from one extreme to the other. |
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 11/17/2021 01:55 PM |
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Woke up this AM, ready to hit the trainer...glanced at my phone as I got out of bed....60*!! WTH?!?!
Quickly scrapped my plans, grabbed a jersey and arm warmers and headed outside. Was spectacular.... |
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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thinline
Posts:323
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| 11/18/2021 10:23 AM |
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We had a sudden turn to colder weather and even a little snow. Today however, is a lovely mid-50s. Supposed to get colder later again though as a front moves in.
I kinda missed the last of the outdoor stuff. On November 2 I had surgery to get hardware taken out of my ankle that was installed early July 2020 after a nasty break I suspect some of you recall. All went well but I was sutured up for two weeks (sutures came out this past Monday) but the incision is still a little in need of further healing and toughening before I can really work that area. So, I have been on the trainer and moping a little on the nicer days. That's okay. Letting it heal for skiing! Got new boots, skis, and bindings this year plus a comp Alterra Pass (Sugarbush) as a spouse of an instructor employee so looking forward to that (although I far prefer Mad River Glen!)
Hope everyone winds down with some nice late season weather.
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Dale
Posts:1767
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| 11/18/2021 12:12 PM |
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| Got in 57 miles yesterday with a half dozen guys, mixed gravel and pavement on some seldom traveled roads. I doubt we were passed by a dozen cars the whole time. The only real traffic we saw was crossing a two lane highway. The forecast looked like we might get rain the last hour but we all had rain gear, turned out it wasn't needed. Started out at 55*, finished at 65*. Half hour later the wind shifter and the temp plunged. Gorged on BBQ on the way home. |
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 11/18/2021 01:37 PM |
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The forecast looked like we might get rain the last hour but we all had rain gear, turned out it wasn't needed.
best way to guarantee it won't rain is to be prepared for it.....
Started out at 55*, finished at 65*. Half hour later the wind shifter and the temp plunged. Gorged on BBQ on the way home.
I hate you. |
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 11/18/2021 04:24 PM |
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Well its 4 degrees here in proper units. Will be riding outside all winter though, haha. Went last Saturday and got 85k in right before the deluge hit. Tomorrow looks like another fine day once morning frost is gone.
October, November are probably the worst time of year, maybe December inclusive. By the time we hit February, the crocuses typically start to pop out. |
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Dale
Posts:1767
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| 11/18/2021 04:59 PM |
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Posted By Cosmic Kid on 11/18/2021 01:37 PM
I hate you.
LOL! Take a number
Posted By Orange Crush on 11/18/2021 04:24 PM
Well its 4 degrees here in proper units... Went last Saturday and got 85k...
I knew I should have used the proper distance, it sounds better having done 90+K rather than a measly 57 miles, but the temp still confuses me. I guess if we're talking about being miserable in the cold we need to use C, if we're talking about brutal heat then F is the unit to use. My confusion is those milds days in-between, say 50F or 10C? Such a quandary. |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 11/18/2021 05:18 PM |
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There's nothing confusing about celcius. 0 you're freezing (literally). 100 you're boiling. 10 is cool (jacket, knickers), 20's perfect (shorts and short sleeves), 30's beach weather (extra water), 40's too hot to ride. Anything higher than 40 is panic, shelter in place. I had two rides around 40 mark this year LOL.
Older hotels and motels still have thermostats in F here. It confuses the hell out of me. |
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79pmooney
Posts:3180
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| 11/18/2021 07:42 PM |
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Posted By Orange Crush on 11/18/2021 05:18 PM
There's nothing confusing about celcius. 0 you're freezing (literally). ...
No. Our blood has enough in it that the freezing point is lower. Now, 0F/-18C, that's freezing!
I've ridden in 0 degrees of both. Haven't frozen yet at 0F (don't believe I've ever frostbitten) but I've been close.
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 11/18/2021 08:07 PM |
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Ben - according to Brits “ Frostbite is damage to skin and tissue caused by exposure to freezing temperatures – typically any temperature below -0.55C (31F).”
That’s close enough to zero C to call it freezing. But then again Brits are more sensitive to these things. Perhaps you hearty Mericans really only freeze at 0F. Must be all the lead from gun holsters thickening the blood. Clearly pints of lukewarm brown ale don’t nearly work as well.
In practice biking around zero F is probably safer than around zero C which is black ice territory. I tend to avoid the zero C mornings and freeze thaw cycles but once we get some proper cold and clear days I sometimes venture out again. |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 11/19/2021 05:22 PM |
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| Rode a metric century today (105 kms) but drank an imperial porter. Madness. |
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longslowdistance
Posts:2881
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| 11/19/2021 09:54 PM |
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Indeed, but you imbibed only one?
Madness! |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 11/19/2021 11:04 PM |
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| Actually I had a regular porter before the imperial one. |
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 11/20/2021 08:44 AM |
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| Gonna tickle 50* today, so I am hitting the trails later….can’t wait. |
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 11/20/2021 03:15 PM |
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Posted By Cosmic Kid on 11/20/2021 08:44 AM
Gonna tickle 50* today, so I am hitting the trails later….can’t wait.
Did you move to Makuri Island? Nice. |
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Dale
Posts:1767
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| 11/21/2021 11:23 AM |
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Posted By Orange Crush on 11/20/2021 03:15 PM
Posted By Cosmic Kid on 11/20/2021 08:44 AM
Gonna tickle 50* today, so I am hitting the trails later….can’t wait.
.
Did you move to Makuri Island? Nice.
LOL… took me a minute. |
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 11/22/2021 09:14 AM |
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Yeah, the day definitely did not go as planned....technical issues prevented the planned trail ride, so I was stuck inside.
sigh. |
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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