34.60 - Biking the SRT, WT, & CCT (03.14.09)

Total miles = 34.60
Starting miles = 589
Ending miles = 623

Ride feel/mood = no wind, moderate start, fast finish

March 2009 Goal = 600
Miles completed in 3.09 = 219.96

Miles for 2008 = 623.84
2008 Goal = 3200

Today's ride was suppose to be a century...

My body could handle 100 miles today, but 34.10 will have to due. ARG!!!!!

After leaving Doug's GMA project a bit late, I got to REI to get some things for my bike. I was on the trail at Spring Mill by 2pm. I did the Philly leg of my century ride first. It was a good idea.

Today the trails everywhere I biked were very yuppy heavy. I haven't seen so many people wearing "Northface" ever. I swear I saw the same sorta tall, slim 30-some man with a blond gf/wife, yet wearing every yuppy outdoors outfit out there. LOL! I shouldn't bust on them, since they tend to be trail saavy enough to follow basic trail ettiquete. This trip to Philly wasn't as bad as most were, which was good for once.

After biking back to Spring Mill, I got my wind breaker on and headed on the CCT to Plymouth Meeting. When I was climbing the trail at Ikea, I switched gears, I felt a slip, then my chain was booth noisy and loose. The bolt on one of my sprokets failed and I lost my sproket. I was still able to ride my bike slowly 3-4 miles back to my truck.

Since I was near REI, I ended up getting a pack of sprokets there, since all the bike shops close after 5pm on Saturdays. (I was after 6pm). The bike mechanics pointed out some other issues with my bike, which I am going to get worked on at my bike shop in Collegeville.

I noticed I was missing screws, so I went to the hardware store. I knew they wouldn't have the ones I needed, but they did have something close to it, good enough to use to work on my bike. I ended up drilling out the broken bolt and was able to tempotatily fix my deraileur. I am not going to ghetto rig my bike, which I will put thousands of miles on, then the trip to Bike Sport tomorrow.

So how many days and miles will I lose while I wait to get my bike trail ready? I'll lose 80 miles that I had schedule to ride this week. I might just miss my 200 miles goal for the month. I'll do my best to get my goal or just barely miss it.

Labels: cycling

41.25 - Biking the SRT, PT, & CCT (03.13.09)

Total miles = 41.25
Starting miles = 548
Ending miles = 589

Ride feel/mood = no wind, moderate start, fast finish

March 2009 Goal = 600
Miles completed in 3.09 = 185.36

Miles for 2008 = 589.24
2008 Goal = 3200

Labels: cycling

20.73 - Biking the PT & SRT (03.11.09)

Total miles = 20.73
Starting miles = 527
Ending miles = 548

Ride feel/mood = windy

March 2009 Goal = 600
Miles completed in 3.09 = 144.11

Miles for 2008 = 547.99
2008 Goal = 3200

Labels: cycling

30.17 - Biking the SRT (03.09.09)

Total miles = 30.17
Starting miles = 497
Ending miles = 527

Ride feel/mood = warm, faster, very good

March 2009 Goal = 600
Miles completed in 3.09 = 123.38

Miles for 2008 = 527.26
2008 Goal = 3200

I rode from Pawlings to Port Providence to Collegeville to Norristown and back. Fair first half of a ride, where I wasn't pushing it. Second half of the ride was near a 15 mph average. Today I felt in pre-summer form! Good, since I have 600+ miles to grab in March 2009!

Labels: cycling

54.37 - Biking the SRT (03.07.09)

Total miles = 54.37
Starting miles = 442
Ending miles = 497

Ride feel/mood = good, warm

March 2009 Goal = 600
Miles completed in 3.09 = 93.21

Miles for 2008 = 497.09
2008 Goal = 3200

Labels: cycling

31.17 - Biking the SRT (03.06.09)

Total miles = 31.17
Starting miles = 411
Ending miles = 442

Ride feel/mood = good, warm

March 2009 Goal = 600
Miles completed in 3.09 = 38.84

Miles for 2008 = 442.72
2008 Goal = 3200

Labels: cycling

7.67 - Biking the SRT (03.03.09)

Total miles = 54.20
Starting miles = 404
Ending miles = 411

Ride feel/mood = snow glazed, cool, broke bike

March 2009 Goal = 600
Miles completed in 3.09 = 7.67

Miles for 2008 = 411.55
2008 Goal = 3200

Even my over-ambition thought it was stupid for me to ride today. It snowed yesterday and of course it all is not instantly melted. Then the lazy me ended up keeping my bike out in my truck. Somehow my rear derailer cable got messed up, causing me to be stuck in a high gear. I did have a good idea to bike on the roads of Oaks, yet being in a high gear didn't help.

If the 7 miles served as a lesson to me, then fine.

If anything I ended up giving my bike a long over due bath. That was the first time I took apart my rear derailer. Of course I couldn't get it back together until I looked it up online. It was a matter of how I was feeding the chain. Now all is good with my bike!

Labels: cycling

54.20 - Biking the SRT (02.28.09)

Total miles = 54.20
Starting miles = 349
Ending miles = 404

Ride feel/mood = cold again, fair, fast start, steady finish

February 2009 Goal = 300
Miles completed in 02.09 = 378.54

Miles for 2008 = 403.88
2008 Goal = 3200

14.0-14.5 mph average the first 25 miles, which for me is a good, yet really just a mdoerate pace. The weather and being hungry got to me the last 15 miles.

To the jerk in Mannyunk with the Ford Mustang... I don't say these kind of things, but if I ever see you again, I will punch you... well worth the legal problems it will give me. You brake checked me!!!! You saw that I was biking faster than you and was using the right lane to pass you up. You are a sad excuse for a human!

And to everyone else, I know you are just getting outside after a harsh winter. Trail rule #1: keep to the right of the trail. Don't hog up the trail. At least 50 (no exaggeration) people I encountered today on all parts of the trail did this. Much worse than a warm weather holiday.

On awesome note... 400 miles YTD during crappy winter season!

Labels: cycling

10.26 - Biking the SRT & PT (02.27.09)

Total miles = 10.26
Starting miles = 319
Ending miles = 339

Ride feel/mood = fair, warm (60F), slightly over dressed

February 2009 Goal = 300
Miles completed in 02.09 = 324.34

Miles for 2008 = 349.68
2008 Goal = 3200

It was warm and I would love to bike all night, but spending time with my friend is more important. So far in February I've biked 324 miles, 350 ytd. I'll bike 50-60 miles tomorrow, which will put me at 400 miles for the year. That will be my best start ever and I am very pleased that doing a little more often, in the midst of winter weather, has paid off. That trend will continue.

Labels: cycling

20.39 - Biking the SRT & PT (02.26.09)

Total miles = 20.39
Starting miles = 319
Ending miles = 339

Ride feel/mood = slow/fair star, fast finish

February 2009 Goal = 300
Miles completed in 02.09 = 314.08

Miles for 2008 = 339.42
2008 Goal = 3200

I felt tired and dragging when I started, but towards the end I had some runs going 14-15 mph, which for me isn't bad, especially in the cold. It is nice to know that I am on the verge of being able to push myself again on some 15+ mph rides. Maybe I can break the 20mph barrier this summer?

Labels: cycling

10.06 - Biking the SRT (02.25.09)

Total miles = 10.06
Starting miles = 309
Ending miles = 319

Ride feel/mood = fair

February 2009 Goal = 300
Miles completed in 02.09 = 293.69

Miles for 2008 = 319.13
2008 Goal = 3200

Labels: cycling

21.30 - Biking the SRT (02.24.09)

Total miles = 21.30
Starting miles = 287
Ending miles = 309

Ride feel/mood = decent casual ride

February 2009 Goal = 300
Miles completed in 02.09 = 283.63

Miles for 2008 = 309.07
2008 Goal = 3200

A cold, but fair ride. Spent most of the ride distracted in thoughts, which made the 2 hour ride go by quick. I was dressed warm, yet got cold towards the end, since I didn't eat a full meal all day, just snacks throughout the day.

Labels: cycling

20.23 - Biking the SRT & PT (02.19.09)

Total miles = 20.23
Starting miles = 267
Ending miles = 287

Ride feel/mood = good steady ride

February 2009 Goal = 300
Miles completed in 02.09 = 262.33

Miles for 2008 = 287.77
2008 Goal = 3200

Guess in the past 2 weeks there were a lot of firsts. This is the first time I biked 7 days in a row, with no day less than 20 miles, totaling 190 miles. What impresses me is that this is February! Thursday I had bad weather and biked just fine. 4 hours after that ride the conditions were better, warming up and just foggy/misty. Wind is coming in a day, so Friday might not see a day 8 in this streak.

Labels: cycling

21.10 - Biking the SRT & PT (02.18.09)

Total miles = 21.10
Starting miles = 246
Ending miles = 267

Ride feel/mood = fair ride

February 2009 Goal = 300
Miles completed in 02.09 = 242.10

Miles for 2008 = 267.54
2008 Goal = 3200

Was cold and rainy, but I was warm and mostly dry. 20 miles in weather I say I never would bike in isn't bad at all.

Labels: cycling

20.40 - Biking the SRT & PT (02.17.09)

Total miles = 20.40
Starting miles = 226
Ending miles = 246

Ride feel/mood = fair ride

February 2009 Goal = 300
Miles completed in 02.09 = 221.00

Miles for 2008 = 246.44
2008 Goal = 3200

Almost slept in, but after a 20 minute restless snooze, I got up and was on the trail but 5am. It was in the lower 20's, he coldest weather I will dare bike in, no matter how well dressed I am. This was the furthest I biked in 20's, going 20 miles. I ended up stopping halfway through, then switched from parking in Port Providence to Pawlings. Also switched from bike helmet to a skull cap, where I raher risk head damage than frost bite, since my ear where cold. All in all a good ride.

Labels: cycling