Mild Disappointment
Date: June 16 Sat
Mileage: 10 (Rans)
June mileage: 16
Year to date: 838
Date: June 17 Sun
Mileage: 24 (Bleriot)
June mileage: 40
Year to date: 862
Date: June 17 Sun
Mileage: 6 (9.2.5.)
June mileage: 46
Year to date: 868
A little mileage now that Spain hangover has ended. The Saturday ride was a pleasant one, taking the Rans out for the first in a long time to the coffee shop and back, both via the neighborhood. I hadn't ridden the Rans for months and months since I had chain malfunction in the fall. It is what it is though, a comfy and entertaining bike, although I don't desire miles on it. 'Bent types swear by them as opposed to "wedgies", but I'll take it as an occasional mount, unless of course the prostate goes bonkers.
Sunday afternoon's ride providing both adventure and slight disappointment on several small scales. All in all it was a successful afternoon of riding empty country roads and getting some good fitness riding in. We were visiting the in-laws (mine) in Maysville for a family reunion so I had opportunity to get country riding in just as I had exactly one month previous. On the pessimist scale a couple things creep in to cloud my ride experiences. First of all, I was out for two hours total and managed to only get a little more than 20 miles in. The explanations vary. I stop and walked around a couple times but the watch was constantly running regardless of whether I was riding or not, so my total time was not the same as ride time. Sin embargo, my fitness is shit for the hilly country found down there. I found 2/3 through the ride that the Bleriot has a broken spoke on the rear wheel, so I was dragging rim every slightly on the wobble for the course of my ride. Who know's when it happened? I took a variety of pics w/ the pencam, but they're out of focus so not usable. I dropped it last time in Maysville and hadn't used it since, but I've found that long-distance focus doesn't really work so any photodocumentation is for naught.
On the positive side I had a nice ride and interesting ending to said ride, so I should stop being a "stickinthemud", as we may call someone here. My route took me past my brother-in-law's house, where I said hello, through some outstanding ridge riding, past Alhambra, KY, and up several leg-building hills with my final arrival at Blue Licks State Park, which a State Nature Preserve adjacent. My emotions are mixed about visiting Alhambra. Just last week I spend the morning touring La Alhambra, which is found in Granada, Spain. I think it's my favorite spot in Spain so I was quite excited to visit both the original and the KY version in the same short time span. The KY version is, let's say, hard to find. I was on the right road (Alhambra Road- very bottom right), but the only evidence of "Alhambra" was one mail box that I saw in very brief passing. Seems that, much like the original Alhambra, Alhambra, KY is perched atop a substantial hill. In fact, the descent from the KY version was the steepest road I've ever been on. Oh to have an altimeter with me, but I would predict a minimum of 20% in parts, but I predict more. Instead of sloping the road on switchbacks or whatnot, it just went/comes straight downhill. At the bottom is where I found the broken spoke, so I didn't have the gumption to crawl back up. (Damn, I can't believe I found that topo. The internet's an amazing place, isn't it?)
I just did some incredibly unscientific calculations. It looks like the inclination is 250ft/.10mile. I want one somebody who's more mathematically inclined to tell me the %%. That's the challenge!! Mierda, the more I look at it the more I'm confused. Surprised?
I finished the ride with some traipsing around Blue Lick. Fortunately the country store next door was open, so I had a big, thick turkey sandwich that only a country store can make along with an oatmeal pie and chocolate milk. I ate my lunch below the lodge and then road a few of the park roads, looking at the boat/canoe launch. I then pushed the Bleriot along a trail for a bit and crossed the original Blue Lick bridge, one that is now closed to traffic. I eventually found myself on a bench next to the nature preserve. And what did I do with my time? took a nap. I eventually wound my way down some of the other trails (pushing the Bleriot) and read my book until the rescue squad arrived.
The last bit of mileage is oxymoronic. I took the monster gas-eater in for a recall notice and road the fixie home. I'm supposed to just skip the vehicle part, right?
Mileage: 10 (Rans)
June mileage: 16
Year to date: 838
Date: June 17 Sun
Mileage: 24 (Bleriot)
June mileage: 40
Year to date: 862
Date: June 17 Sun
Mileage: 6 (9.2.5.)
June mileage: 46
Year to date: 868
A little mileage now that Spain hangover has ended. The Saturday ride was a pleasant one, taking the Rans out for the first in a long time to the coffee shop and back, both via the neighborhood. I hadn't ridden the Rans for months and months since I had chain malfunction in the fall. It is what it is though, a comfy and entertaining bike, although I don't desire miles on it. 'Bent types swear by them as opposed to "wedgies", but I'll take it as an occasional mount, unless of course the prostate goes bonkers.
Sunday afternoon's ride providing both adventure and slight disappointment on several small scales. All in all it was a successful afternoon of riding empty country roads and getting some good fitness riding in. We were visiting the in-laws (mine) in Maysville for a family reunion so I had opportunity to get country riding in just as I had exactly one month previous. On the pessimist scale a couple things creep in to cloud my ride experiences. First of all, I was out for two hours total and managed to only get a little more than 20 miles in. The explanations vary. I stop and walked around a couple times but the watch was constantly running regardless of whether I was riding or not, so my total time was not the same as ride time. Sin embargo, my fitness is shit for the hilly country found down there. I found 2/3 through the ride that the Bleriot has a broken spoke on the rear wheel, so I was dragging rim every slightly on the wobble for the course of my ride. Who know's when it happened? I took a variety of pics w/ the pencam, but they're out of focus so not usable. I dropped it last time in Maysville and hadn't used it since, but I've found that long-distance focus doesn't really work so any photodocumentation is for naught.
On the positive side I had a nice ride and interesting ending to said ride, so I should stop being a "stickinthemud", as we may call someone here. My route took me past my brother-in-law's house, where I said hello, through some outstanding ridge riding, past Alhambra, KY, and up several leg-building hills with my final arrival at Blue Licks State Park, which a State Nature Preserve adjacent. My emotions are mixed about visiting Alhambra. Just last week I spend the morning touring La Alhambra, which is found in Granada, Spain. I think it's my favorite spot in Spain so I was quite excited to visit both the original and the KY version in the same short time span. The KY version is, let's say, hard to find. I was on the right road (Alhambra Road- very bottom right), but the only evidence of "Alhambra" was one mail box that I saw in very brief passing. Seems that, much like the original Alhambra, Alhambra, KY is perched atop a substantial hill. In fact, the descent from the KY version was the steepest road I've ever been on. Oh to have an altimeter with me, but I would predict a minimum of 20% in parts, but I predict more. Instead of sloping the road on switchbacks or whatnot, it just went/comes straight downhill. At the bottom is where I found the broken spoke, so I didn't have the gumption to crawl back up. (Damn, I can't believe I found that topo. The internet's an amazing place, isn't it?)
I just did some incredibly unscientific calculations. It looks like the inclination is 250ft/.10mile. I want one somebody who's more mathematically inclined to tell me the %%. That's the challenge!! Mierda, the more I look at it the more I'm confused. Surprised?
I finished the ride with some traipsing around Blue Lick. Fortunately the country store next door was open, so I had a big, thick turkey sandwich that only a country store can make along with an oatmeal pie and chocolate milk. I ate my lunch below the lodge and then road a few of the park roads, looking at the boat/canoe launch. I then pushed the Bleriot along a trail for a bit and crossed the original Blue Lick bridge, one that is now closed to traffic. I eventually found myself on a bench next to the nature preserve. And what did I do with my time? took a nap. I eventually wound my way down some of the other trails (pushing the Bleriot) and read my book until the rescue squad arrived.
The last bit of mileage is oxymoronic. I took the monster gas-eater in for a recall notice and road the fixie home. I'm supposed to just skip the vehicle part, right?
Comments
If we are not racing, what's the point of speed? 20 miles in two hours with stops is fine by my standards. However, Tyler and Lance may take umbridge.
I hope you get the camera fixed, so we can see some of those Kentucky pictures. The links look interesting but they don't hold a candle to rider's photography.