Show "Bicycle"

On the camping trip, we returned to a spot we visited last year. There's a 5 mile downhill MTB trail there, that I was SMITTEN with last year. I convinced the wife I could ride it slooooowly 1-armed and not kill myself. It was tricky, especially getting over a downed tree. But I did it, and it was amazing again. Very smooth and flowy, relatively easy but if you don't ride the brakes you can be doing 25 mph easy, which I did NOT do, of course. "No getting hurt allowed."

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Be careful, you don't want to hurt your only good arm! 😮 😁

That trail looks fun! I need to bring our bikes on the next Oregon trip we do as a family!
 
Today I decided to ride the chunky stuff on my gravel bike!

An old relay station by JPL:
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On the bottom of a small canyon:
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Riding over baby head-sized rocks:
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Don't worry I didn't fall off a steep flood control wall:
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It has been hot and very humid all week, so I've limited myself to short jaunts around the neighborhood during light rain showers when the temp is bearable. I was planning a longer outing tomorrow, but the forecast calls for (drum roll) hot, humid, and T-storms. :(
 
Temps are hitting the 90's here, so I've been riding in the early evening. It's okay, golden hour is best for photo ops! :D

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Other than a few brief forays in light rain and sessions on the indoor bike, I didn't do much riding over the past 7 days. When it wasn't raining, it's been hot and incredibly humid. Not a good combination for outdoor activities, at least for this old goat.
 
I added new Panaracer GK tires to my geared bike and a carbon fork. Unfortunately the crown race I added to the fork makes for a tight fit when tighting the steerer, so I need to try another crown race or swap out the headset. 🤔

I also swapped the WTB Nano tires to my single speed bike making a fun off-roader! 🙂

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My friend and neighbor Bob (who happens to be a fellow photographer as well as a hard-core bicycle freak) recently acquired a cool ancient Schwinn Tiger -- look at those whitewalls---

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Look at the design---

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The frame still has rust but the chain is clean now---

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And that classic two-tone Schwinn seat---

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The front rack is fully functional---

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It's such a cool bicycle.
 
It's 90 degree (32-33c) weather here, but I really wanted to ride so I went into roadie mode with slicks and did a hot 23 miles! Not too many cyclists out midday unless they like to suffer! :roflmao:

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I'm a wimp . . . I stick to the indoor bike when weather is like that. Although I did once do a 50 mile ride starting out right after sunrise on a very pleasant morning. I didn't bother to check the weather, and didn't realize it was supposed to get hot fast! It hit the mid 90s by the time I still had about 20 miles to go - and this was the first of October. I would have been in trouble if the route hadn't taken me through a small rural town where I could rest and refill my big water bottle.
 
I'm a wimp . . . I stick to the indoor bike when weather is like that. Although I did once do a 50 mile ride starting out right after sunrise on a very pleasant morning. I didn't bother to check the weather, and didn't realize it was supposed to get hot fast! It hit the mid 90s by the time I still had about 20 miles to go - and this was the first of October. I would have been in trouble if the route hadn't taken me through a small rural town where I could rest and refill my big water bottle.
I haven't had much time to ride this week. I've been trying to hone things like uphill cadence and being able to do sprints on my bike. I also picked up a bike computer and it's been really useful in tracking my route, time and speed. I'm sort of itching for a lightweight road bike now! 😆

Plus because of the hot weather my kids like going to the park in early evening, so they take priority in that regards. Though in the back of my head I know it's the perfect time to be biking! 😢😁
 
I haven't had much time to ride this week. I've been trying to hone things like uphill cadence and being able to do sprints on my bike. I also picked up a bike computer and it's been really useful in tracking my route, time and speed. I'm sort of itching for a lightweight road bike now! 😆

Plus because of the hot weather my kids like going to the park in early evening, so they take priority in that regards. Though in the back of my head I know it's the perfect time to be biking! 😢😁
UH oh . . . next you'll be binging GCN videos, hanging out on Strava, and discussing segment KOM titles on cycling forums. :D
 
UH oh . . . next you'll be binging GCN videos, hanging out on Strava, and discussing segment KOM titles on cycling forums. :D
Haha, it only briefly crossed my mind, but then I realized it's the same trap as photography and before I know it I'll have a road bike, gravel bike, MTB bike, fixed gear bike and a couple frames with the intent of building them, but never getting around to it! :D

Last night I did about 6 or 7 laps around the Pasadena Rose Bowl loop. I tried riding as hard and fast as possible. I even took off my helmet, all my bike bags and water bottles to go faster on the loop. If going clock-wise the loop is on a slight incline and you can feel the burn trying to maintain a high candence. By the time I was done, I felt nauseous! When I got home I ate several slices of pizza, a burrito and chugged down a large can of coconut water! Biking makes me eat like a pig! :p🐷

1 loop = 3 miles:
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From today's ride! Temps are hot, but LA is still getting that nice ocean breeze even though we're a bit inland. I checked out this local MTB trail area. It was okay, but I felt like I was at a dog park because it just went in a loop and had lots of obstacles. I prefer destination riding ending with fast descents! :D

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I made a lizard friend!
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From yesterday's 19.77 mile road ride. I focused mainly on keeping my cadence above 80 rpm and peaking at 187 rpm (thanks cycling computer). I actually burned through some energy drafting two dudes trying to pass me on the flats, averaging over 100 rpm before the hill climb! By the time I reached the peak, I was spent!

I'm also trying to mark all the water fountain stops around LA just so I know where I can fill up due to these higher summer temperatures!

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