Its official, I've done my longest ride ever. 31 Miles!!! There was a break in the weather on Saturday and we (Dad, Cousin, & Myself) went from Brea to Newport to Huntington Beach. The morning started off freezing (well SoCal cold) a 46 degrees. That morning I didn't have much in riding gear, the day didn't end that way. Cold is a great motivator. So we met up at 6:30am, and by we I mean my Dad and I. I guess Luke (TriChef) was having technical difficulties. He was using my Univega and chose to swap the peddles out that morning. Plug in Murphy's Law. Finally he got them switched and we ended up on our way around 7:15am.
We plugged along with only one stop (bath room or as the Pinoys call it the CR [comfort room] giggle) before we arrived at the beach. By the time we got to the beach I was cooked. But then the "scenery" helped me forget the pain. As we were coasting some dorks (I don't even want to use that word because its semi-flattering), some idiots (I know they weren't real surfers because real surfers would know better) just crossed in front of the trail with a huge board carried by two people. My dad had already passed these hazards but TriChef and I weren't so lucky. He slammed on the breaks narrowly missing the first guy and getting clotheslined by the board and by the time (seemed like nanoseconds) I started breaking they had straightened out a little and I had to swerve to miss the idiots in doing so bumped shoulders with my cuz. The bump wasn't enough to knock either of us down but it was a close call. Just when we thought that was the last of the drama, as we crossed the RV parking lot some little kid (around 3 or 4) jumped into the bike lane in front of my Dad (still working on a nickname, any suggestions?). He slammed on the breaks and swerved to not run over the kid and the mother who was now on the path trying to grab her soon-to-be Darwin Award nominated child. No collision, no fatalities, everything A-O-Kay, USA. A few miles later we were at my Dad's place tending to the bikes and resting. Talking about the ride, how it was a great ONE WAY trip. I know I couldn't have made it back to the car.
I great ride and a fantastic work out that I learned a lot on:
1) I need a new saddle, big butt + little seat = rawhide
2) It's nice to workout in groups
3) TriChef has way too much natural talent for his own good
4) I can bike 31 miles and Survive!
All and all, it was a great experience that definitely needs to be repeated. The total time riding was 2:17:00. Which breaks down to an average speed of 13.4 MPH. I'm happy with that considering the distance was twice my previous longest ride.
TriVortex....Out
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Nice ride, TV. I'm glad no one got banged up avoiding the idgets...
TriVortex,
That sounds like my first ride. I borrowed my friend's mtb and we went 31 miles for 3 hrs or so. I told my friend to turn back b/c my butt was in so much pain.
Kudos on the PR ride.
Yes, get a new saddle, I find the "OEM" ones that come with a complete bike are usually not very good. Maybe you should look at Tri saddles - they tend to have a little more padding, especially in the nose. If you are looking to pimp your ride with a clip-on aero bar (helps heaps in head wind), I would suggest a Tri saddle - the extra padding on the nose makes a big difference to me in aero position. Having a bit more padding on a Tri saddle also helps when we ride with paper thin padding in out Tri shorts. :)
I can totally identify with the bike path near misses. Somehow people in Singapore tend to choose to stop in the middle of the bike path too. And this is not just limited to the young 'uns. I have seen 2 old folks stretching on the bike path before going for a run. Sigh...
Great job on the ride! Too bad you had to run into the idiots.
I am all about a nice saddle. Get you a new one. It made quiet a difference for me.
Kate Major spoke to us at a bike event recently and recommended Assos Chamois cream applied directly to the body instead of the shorts. I giggled. It was like she read my mind. One of those embarrassing questions I didn't want to ask about preventing chaffing, etc. Thought I'd pass it on. Way to go. Keep it up! It'll get easier.
Don't you love it when you care more about hitting someone's kid than they do? I can't believe how stupid some people can be.
glad you had a good ride overall!
hey dude, i went to see Tim Troha -- the main man -- at Colorado Multisport, and bike fitting legend, and asked him your saddle question.
he recommends for you to go with something from Specialized in a 155 width.
no need for an extra padding cushy number, this one will flex for you, and give you the ride you are looking for.
give Tim a shout out if it works out for you!
Hey, I got my Garmin on eBay. Much more reasonable that way. I guess it's somewhat of a risk. But mine has worked fine for two years. I don't usually go to Bonelli, which is why you didn't hear from me after that one weekend. (Sorry, I didn't explain further.) I usually go to El Moro (Crystal Cove State Park) in Laguna. The hills are always hard, but they do get easier the more you do them. And then, when you get on a flat course, it's really cool. I have a quote on my fridge from bicycle magazine. It says "DO WHAT SUCKS. You hate hill climbing because it's hard for you. You should climb – because it's hard for you."
saddle comfort is important. find one you like!!
good job on your ride!!
Congrats on your longest ride evah! very cool!
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