TT biking club

“Marty-
Sorry to hear about your mishap. I have had many similar experiences, although I don't recall any of them resulting in a crash. It seems that many drivers make the assumption that because you are on a bike that you couldn't be moving very fast. Even worse, I believe some drivers just don't respect bicycles.

Anyone who bikes on the street should always assume that merging traffic does not see you. This is unfortunate, as you will find yourself yielding right-of-way, even when it belongs to you.

Better than having happen to you what happened to Marty, or worse.”

“YAY Marty! I consider your crashing to be a public service!

Next, how about fire safety?”

“Cool, next, I could fall victim to some internet scam for all of your benefit!”

“Martyb, I tore myself up yesterday as well. My first ride since surgery and I hadn't been in the saddle 45 minutes when I tried to jump a curb. I was feeling like my old self. Unfortunately my skills didn't match my attitude. Didn't make it and ended up peeling hide from my elbow, calf and shoulder. No broken bones. Luckily, there was no one ther to laugh at me. Man do I hurt today.”

“Wow - it's like we're brothers or something. Except for you being so much older than me....


Glad to hear about the lack of broken bones. How's the sternum?”

“The sternum is about the only thing that feels good. ;-)”

“Sorry to hear about your crash. I've only almost been run over a thousand times so far this year. My favorite is when you are cruising along at 20-25 mph when someone passes you then promptly makes a right hand turn as you lock up your brakes and try not to eat the back of their car.”

“Marty so glad to hear that you're okay.

When I run and bike I pretend that every car is out to kill me...living in metro-detroit odds are I am not too far off the mark.”

“birch-you've got mail @ yahoo address”

“That crash sounds terrible, but at least you were able to walk away. It aways hurts more when you wake up the next day and your whole body feels sore. I separated my shoulder in a mountain bike crash in 1995 and it hurt to do anything, even cough. I had to sleep in a chair for the first few nights. If I was on my back the pain was unbearable.”

“Wahoo!

The ride I've been training for (or trying to anyway) is next weekend, and I'm getting excited! Although I haven't been on my bike nearly as much as I'd like, I'm ready and looking forward to it.

Actually, I think it's the baked potato at the end of the first days ride that makes the entire weekend worth it! =D”

“You'll do all that for a baked potato? How much to paint my house?”

“more beer than you can afford...
:)”

“Rode ths morning without incident. Explored downtown Salt Lake. Very bike friendly with bike paths nearly everywhere one needs to go. Of cousre I managed to get lost, or at least a little confused, and ended up in the occasional odd locale. Did find a great spot for coffee and a bagel though. Now all I have to do is figure out how to get back. ;-)”

“Find any good curb jumping spots?”

“i just purchased a new (well, not exactly brand new but in great shape) litespeed titanium with a kestrel carbon fiber front end and dura ace group....can't wait for it to arrive so i can put the hammer down on that bad boy!!!

sorry about your mishap, marty....glad that you are (relatively) ok!!”

“Sounds like a great bike, gonzo!

I had a couple of great rides this weekend. Ate lunch by the waterfront on Saturday and watched people fish from the shore. Nice relaxing ride!”

“Back in the saddle (to work this AM) a week after my crash. Stayed on the bike this time.”

“Glad to hear it Martyb!

I took my last pre-Trek ride last night, will pack up tonight and be on my way after work tomorrow. Begin the ride Friday the 13th, my lucky day. :)

The following weekend a friend and I have planned our second annual century ride, looking forward to it!”

“Okay now, let me get this straight. You start out hikes singing the theme to Gilligan's island, and now you brazenly announce the start of a trip being on Friday the 13th......

Well, good luck to you, I'll be sitting this one out
<;p thhhbbbbbtttt!!!!!”

“haha! next year for you two!”

“Twigeater, have a great ride and be safe!!!”

“.... a 3 hour tour.....

Have fun Twigster but save some energy for the July BSP hike!”

“Woohoo! Thank you all!

Funny Pennsy, on this trip I basically have no idea where I am, I just follow the little arrows in the road and stop when someone tells me to. :)

I always write a trip report for the people who pledge me, maybe I'll post it here as well.”

“Well I've lived to tell about another Trek. What a great time!

The first day's ride was uneventful, but the last two days were tough. It rained and was so cold Saturday that between the people who never started, quit, or were hauled off because they were too cold to continue, only about half of us finished. Today was more rain, hills, more cold, hills, more hills, hills, hills, hills...

I'm pooped! More tomorrow and some pics, although they aren't that great. I love my bicycle! =D”

“Sounds like you had a hill of a time twig.

I took my new bike out my first ride this morning. Rode 3 miles on a pathway through the woods we have here by the house. I enjoyed it. I felt like a kid again. MAy have to start riding in the mornings to get the day going.”

“Twigeater, glad to hear you made it! Riding in the conditions you described is lots of work and now you got really cool braggin rights for completing it, good for you.”

“I drove to Chicago this morning to ride in the annual Bike-The-Drive event. They shut down a 15 mile stetch of Lake Shore Drive (4 lanes in each direction), with the middle of it being right downtown, so you can ride in both directions to complete a 30 mile ride.

For those of you who don't know, Lakeshore Drive runs right along, and between, the Chicago skyline and the shore of Lake Michigan.

The event started at 5:30 in the morning and you had to complete by 9:30am. The weather was fantastic - bright sunshine and low 60s for the early morning temps. It was a pretty typical bike ride, at least for riding amongst 18,000 other bike riders! The start was a little tricky, but after people spread out it was nothing more than your typical day in downtown Chicago during rush hour - only with bikes . . . one major wipe out about 100 yds in front of me . . . another where a rider was taken away by ambulance.

The whole event was very well organized and I'm sure that I'll return next year. The nice thing about it, being early in the morning, was I returned home in plenty of time today to enjoy dinner with my 2 daughters for fathers day. :)

Anyone else from the area that went on the ride? Maybe you saw me . . . I was rider #12,822 . . . lol!”

“twigeater - looks like you should have been with me today! ;)”

“No kiddin' gforce, sounds like you had a nice warm ride! 18,000 riders! No way!
My report:

My pre-trek training consisted of about 18 rides that totaled 464 miles. I felt like I had enough miles in, but hadn’t trained with the intensity I have in the past, so figured I’d be working hard this year.

My brother’s girlfriend Celine rode with a friend’s team from work this year for her first Trek, so we shared a room Thursday night. After check-in and BBQ at the ski resort, I walked down the mountain to my room and sorted the way too much gear I had into “bike” and “truck” piles.

Day 1 – Newry to Farmington, 63 miles, 4.5 hours riding time

Got up at 5:30am, showered and had breakfast. Celine got a ride up the mountain for team pictures. I dubbed around and finally left at 6:50am. The ride was uneventful (we did see a magnificent hawk close up which was really cool) I arrived at each rest stop to “no lines, no waiting” and breezed in and out just as lines were starting to form. With 1,500 bikers, standing in line is par for the course, and over the years you learn how to avoid them when you can. I pedaled in to Baked Potato Land in Farmington at 12:30 and soon became a Hill Person, cheering the other bikers who pedaled in and greeting old and new friends.

Then off to set up my new Northface Canyonlands tent. I thought it was the niftiest tent, but forgot I needed my trekking poles for the vestibule. We had an excellent supper with some crazy characters and crazier conversation. Then band and bonfire, I read for a bit and called it a night, as it had been raining for a while. ALAM offered us space in the dorm if we needed it, plus there was always the gym to bunk in. Friends had tented next to me, and thanks to my friend Judy (who has a plastic bag fetish, lol) I was able to put the gear that did not fit in my tent (which was EVERYTHING) in a large garbage bag and leave it outside.

Day 2 – Farmington to Colby, 55 miles, 4 hours, 15 minutes riding time

We awoke to rain and cold in a field that was practically flooded. Temps had to be in the high 40’s. I had little room in my tent to dress, much less deal with wet STUFF, so I dragged everything under one of the big tents to pack it up. I cursed that tent and myself for bringing it.

Had an excellent breakfast under a big tent, and watched a supply truck that was stuck try in vain to get out of the field. ALAM announced that anyone looking for an alternative mode of transportation could be bussed to Colby. My friends were debating riding when I left, and my plan was to pedal to the first rest stop and see how I felt then. I hadn’t packed for this weather, and I was kicking myself in the butt big time. It was cold and we were all soaked, which made it tough to get moving, so I didn’t pedal off ‘til around 7:30am. I had on a rain jacket, long johns and a shower cap on my helmet. I had brought baggies for my feet, but they were in the bag I packed for the truck that morning, stupid me!

Along the route, I passed several support trucks picking up bikers. Right around 8 miles, it rained so hard and got so freakin’ cold I was sure I wouldn’t continue. Then we came to the first volunteer who was standing in the road directing traffic. They had to stand out there in the cold and rain no matter how many trekkers, so I figured I owed it to them to pedal.

Fortunately I hadn’t looked at the map before leaving, so I didn’t realize that rest stop #1 was 25 miles – almost half the day’s distance. No way was I getting a ride at that point. When I got to rest stop #1, trekkers were loading onto vans. Others were wrapped in survival blankets, regular blankets, or some cottony looking stuff. Some were ordered to report to the vans by the medics. I was soaked and my feet were freezing. I could barely feel them when I got off my bike and my shoes were sloshing. I bummed a couple of plastic bags the grapes came in and some plastic food service gloves from the volunteers and headed back out very quickly.

Starting out was so cold, but I quickly warmed up – the baggies and gloves made a huge difference. At rest stop #2 there were real baggies, rest stop #3 had hot honey water – although I didn’t notice any honey, the hot water sure felt good. There were few trekkers on the road, and at each rest stop vans left with more trekkers.

Arrived Colby 12:45, pooped, but not too pooped for pizza and ice cream – Gifford’s gave each trekker a whole pint! Hard to believe after that cold ride we’d want ice cream, especially a whole pint, but we did a pretty good job eating as much as we could! I had planned on sleeping in the field house which I enjoy, but Celine offered me the other bed in her dorm room, so I bunked with her. Trekkers had been loaded in school busses, there were so many who required rides. More than the heat waves we’ve pedaled in!

Had a great meal, then went to Colby night to hear the ALAM tell us that the bill to ban smoking in bars passed! Watched a neat slideshow of the first two days of trekking.

Day 3, Colby to Belfast waterfront park, 55.21 miles 4 hours, 17 minutes riding time

I didn’t start this day until 7:20am, it was 51 degrees but not raining - yet.

It started raining after rest stop #1, it was cold, but not as cold as the day before, although there were a couple of times when the rain pelted my face like needles. This day’s ride is Roller Coaster day, and we continuously go up, down, up, down - and as I’ve experienced in the past, I don’t shift “right” or in time, and many hills I was still in 2nd gear on the front crank, unable to get down to the granny gear. I was pleased that I was able to grunt up the hills anyway, and that although today I feel like I worked, I can’t say that I’m sore.

Arrived Belfast 1:15pm, had a nice meal. Celine and company arrived around 2 and my brother picked us up at 3pm.

Despite two days in the saddle with a wet butt, I had a great time and I’m all signed up for next year!”

“This weekend was my first weekend trip of the year, Started Friday night on Highway 278 and CR63 between Addison and Double Springs. Three miles south on CR 63 put me at the Houston Recreation Area for the night; really nice area, the US Forest Service can be proud of this one. The whole area was well maintained, clean and in good shape. I was one of two sites occupied, water, gravel tent pads and restrooms with showers...HOT showers (unusual but appreciated). Got the bike unpacked and put up the Hennessey Hammock, spread the 10 X 10 tarp over the hammock and bike, set the fire, made dinner on the esbit, and crashed.

Up on Saturday morning, rode out to the Houston Post Office, stopped to view the 1840's log jailhouse and attempted to drown myself by pulling the tube off of my camel back. Bought a bottle of Gatorade for the bike bottle, refilled my camel back and hit the road(10AM)...Up CR 63 across HWY 278, to the intersection of CR 33, just south of the CR 6 turnoff to the Sipsey Wilderness trail head. (Heck, at my age and given the terrain, I thought I would get there in the late afternoon)...imagine my surprise to see it was only noon.

Change of plans, had planned on biking up FR208, (the Horse Trails are open to MTB's) but since it was early, decided to make the ride to Decatur's Point Mallard instead.(Old age making me senile?) I used to do century's in my younger days...memories overcame my age and physical condition...Rains came and went, stopped for lunch in Wren, then north to Moulton on CR 33 to the HWY 24 turn to Decatur.

I needed a better Topo Map of the route, the Alabama Gazetteer that I used showed this to be fairly flat, and for a short time it was...then the Loooooong slow upgrades that sap strength and will, through the passing rain showers, cursing my change of plan, but determined to see it through now that I was enroute.

Missed the turn off onto the CR that would make the trip shorter, so went all the way to State 67 and 24, turned south on the Beltline, and got washed onto the side of the road by the rain.

Tired, wet, getting sore...but alive in Decatur.

Took refuge under the Drive Through Teller of a Union Planters Bank, and made the call to my rescue ride...(wife Tammy..have I mentioned that I recently got married?). She drove to meet me as I recouperated; I cut the trip short, to tired, wet and sore to continue...but content actually, as I had accomplished a ride I had done Spur of the Moment, and changed midway. I will continue to ride this summer between hikes...I'm doing more with fewer people, and enjoying it.

Give me a little longer to get the legs back and maybe I'll see a few of you on the road...”

“Twiggy, you are hard-core, girlfriend!”

“thanks lyra! :) and thanks birch, I do feel like I accomplished something on Saturday.

pics”

“WOW, Twig...good for you!!! You are hardcore. I wonder how my boss made out.....I wished him luck on Thursday and said "it should be a good weekend"LOL(not really funny. I thought the weather would've turned around, unfortunately not. Hope I didn't jinx him. Well, Monkey boy and I would like to give it a try next year! Hope to catch up with you soon... :)”

“LOL - I'm not really "hardcore" just a stubborn btch.”

“Well, I just rode about 7 miles and I came home huffin and puffin pretty hard. I thought I was going to pass out. I AM WAY OUT OF SHAPE!!!!”

“HEY!!! Who the heck bid against me on EBAY??? I want answers and I want them now! WHHHHHAAAAA...I really wanted to win that Mtn. Bike for my wife too!”

“Doing a bike tour of Antelope Island tonight. The island is located in the Great Salt Lake, Utah. The ride starts at 10:00 P.M. and is a 20 miler. The ride is billed as a moonlight ride. Not sure why the organizers didn't do it under last weekend's full moon, but even with a partial moon it should be exciting. Hoping to see Big Wave Dave and family there as well.”

“Cool Geezr. Have a good time and stay upright!”

“I didn't Bike the Drive, but my hubby did, with two of the kidlets in the trailer behind him. That rather large man on the purple bike with the blue and yellow trailer? Yeah, that was him.

I went with my friend Mary that day and did a 20 miler on the prairie path, from Villa Park to Wheaton and back.

Today, my new road bike is arriving, so I can take the slicks off my mountain bike and put the knobbies back on and start hitting some trails. I love the road, but I long to get dirty :-D Someday I'll have a nice hardtail (have a rigid now) to take down to the woods to ride around with my brother. sigh...someday

Jessie”

“Sounds like a fun ride Geezr!

I did a sunset ride (lights required) at a bike rally once. The rally organizers left an important turn off the map they gave us, so we were lost for three hours. Our "sunset" ride turned into a "pitch black" ride once our lights burned out!”

“Three hours, eh, Twig....sounds familiar.....:)”

“LOL! so that must be where I learned three hour touring...

It was skeery! =D”

“No moonlight to ride by last night. Rain, windy and cool, but with a gore-tex shell it actually turned into a pleasant ride. Now I have to go back during daylight hours to see what the island actually looks like.”

“Here's one for ya -

I bent the rear rim on my mountain bike. How, you ask? Flying down a crazy single track? Ripping though a stoney stream crossing? Try pumping up my rear tube!! I changed to slicks for a road ride and was airing up. Suddenly, POW! Crap, I thought, time for a new tube. I look at the wheel and, low and behold, the air pressure from the tube blowing caused the rim side wall to peel back over a 3 inch section! Cripes! I've never seen anything like it. Oh well, time to buy a new wheel. Hmmm, upgrade time? Maybe a new wheelSET...”

“i rode 30 miles yesterday....i feel great today!! i am gradually working my way back into bicycling shape and really enjoying the new bike!!

i have a question for my cycling friends.... what kind of pedals do you use for the road?? the choices are just mind-boggling!! i am thinking about the speedplay style because it makes so much sense to me to have two sides to lock into and i really like their light weight....

any comments or opinions??”

“One Set of NEW (Tags still on them), Frontier Expedition Panniers, at Unclaimed Baggage, Scottsboro Alabama...price:35.00

Combined with the Diamondback Trunk pack, I now have more CI's of gear space on the bike than I can get in the Kelty External I carry backpacking...any locals up for a weekend bike trip?

Gonzo: Steel Rat Traps with Toe clips on both the road bike and the MTB. I ride the MTB on the road mainly, but like the added advantage it gives if I decide to do a trail or a gravel road...”

“dang you people who even have the option of speedplays. My only choice was toe-clips, the cheap ones at sports authority. ;)”

“I don't know anything about bikes, so I don't understand when you say "it makes so much sense to me to have two sides to lock into"
but I have clipless pedals like these. Both sides of the pedal have a clip.”