I Rode My Bike Today...

Thanks guys. Its not exactly unexpected. but overall hes had good quality of life (partied like crazy, raced motos in the 7o's, rode bikes with the RADS in their early days,) and zero dementia, until a few days ago. Better to go fast than drawn-out long suffering. We all decided no extreme measures.
 
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Got out this afternoon. First pedal in 25 days and third time in about two months.
Went for a suffering stroll through Santiago Oaks. Up chutes, down cactus, up coachwhip, down coachwhip, across bumblebee, up mountain goat, down chutes ridge line and out of the park at jamboree. I thought I was gonna die a few times. But, I managed to keep breathing and stay alive. 9-1/2 mikes and 1300 ft felt like 90 miles and 13000 feet. Didn't push it at all on the downs, just cruised and savored the freedom of riding my bike.
It was a beautiful warm day and watching the sun set when I got to the top of mountain goat made all the pain worth it. What a great thing to see. Very clear day, Catalina & Palos Verdes Peninsula where crystal clear. Very grateful for every moment I get to ride my pedal bike.
 
Yesterday i rode Whiting - Luge - Whiting loop, benefiting from a half day at work :thumbsup:
I love the STT climb. To be able to have great views to both sides, love it. Luge is in ridiculously good shape. It is basically Disneyland for bikes, amazing. That road from Luge to Cooks stinks though at the end of the afternoon. People speed with their cars, no shoulder and sun in driver's faces. Earlier this year i got hit by a car, ever since then i am a bit extra careful.

The descent through Whiting is very hard to beat in terms of fun. Sage DH is so good.

Looks like we are getting rain again, hopefully then dry after that. I prefer rain on Mondays during work weeks :)
 
We rode Thursday afternoon. Rolled out about 2:00 for a Whiting / Luge loop with my wife and a couple of friends.

Felt pretty good. Glad to see Whiting returning to a rougher state than usual.

Not my pace....but I was able to push the pace a little bit :whistling:

My wife flew down the Luge......yes, she is really diggin' the new Tallboy.

Unless I go out in the rain tomorrow....looks like this may end 2016. :thumbsdown:


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mtnbikej said:
2016
Distance ---- 5,838.0 mi
Time --------- 667h 21m
Elev Gain----- 803,491 ft
Rides----------- 213
Click to expand...

Almost 13 hours per week. That's a lot of biking! It puts into perspective the kinds of hours and miles pro bikers put in. I couldn't do it - but I enjoy seeing people who do!

In high school my son was putting 24 hours per week into the pool - 50 weeks per year. It was exhausting just driving him to practice!
 
With rain in the forecast and the warm temps, I decided to get in a quick Aliso run yesterday afternoon. Avg temp was 77 degrees. Can't beat that for a December ride. Was one of those days where the bike just felt foreign under me, but it was still fun. Felt some rattling and found that my rear hub has some play. I'll tear into that this weekend. Most likely my last dirt ride for 2016......

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Knew there wouldn't be mud on the bike paths so I conned Nick & Rusty in to going for a spin. We all got a free shower out of the deal and I got a bonus Stans shower when a small peace of glass gashed the front tire. Gotta watch out for that blacktop stuff. My last two times on it resulted in a broken spoke & a gashed tire.

Say cheese Nick...
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I just like this bridge.
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Had some nice roadie lady offer to stop & snap a picture for us.
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Did an out and back on lower chiquito this morning starting at 7:15. Had it all to myself almost the whole time, just a few hikers starting as i was finishing up. Beautiful morning, green hills, cool weather and epic dirt.
like Redman said, I am grateful for every minute I can spend outdoors, on two wheels or on two feet.
 
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So we have been doing a ride the last several years on NYD with some friends.

Friday the weather wasn't looking to promising. However looking at the Saturday forecast showed rain ending around 8pm. So we were on.

Me, my wife, @H2oChick , @cajun , Jeremy and Hugh saddled up.

11:00 am start, it was 50* at the base of Glendora Mountain Road....but it was sunny.

Rolling onto Monroe Truck Trail the dirt was damp. The botttom section of the trail follows through the creek bed. After the recent rains, there was actually water running through the creek. It was great to see and fun to ride through. Took it easy as to not get my feet wet.

Made the turn/switchback to begin the climb. The trail handles rain really well, probably better than STT. We got spread out a few times, but regrouped from time to time. My wife knew she wasn't going to make it to the top, so we agreed we would summit then pick her up on the way back.

Greg and Kay were up ahead of us a bit. About 1.5 miles from the top, heard the "pop, pop, snap, crack". Hugh had busted his chain and smacked his knee on the bar. Went to help him out and give him a quick link....oops, my 8 spd link won't fix his 10 spd chain. We were about a 2 minute pedal to reach the ridgeline. He said he would run up to the ridege and wait for us to come back.

Jeremy and I reach the top where K&G were. After quick break and temps at 40*....and no longer sunny, we headed down. The dirt was like velcro. A few spots of mud, and a few water holes.

Fun times with the gang today. Trail couldn't have been better.

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That damp chilliness that turns clammy on the climb, sporting the new DHRII on the rear. Noticeably narrower than the old HRII both at a nominal 2.3. Seems to work OK, but what do I know? Rode the western edge of my hills that usually dries out a little quicker than other places, no trees or shade. Didn't sling much brown goo and it was fun. Go Trojans!
 
mtnbikej said:
So we have been doing a ride the last several years on NYD with some friends.

Friday the weather wasn't looking to promising. However looking at the Saturday forecast showed rain ending around 8pm. So we were on.

Me, my wife, @H2oChick , @cajun , Jeremy and Hugh saddled up.

11:00 am start, it was 50* at the base of Glendora Mountain Road....but it was sunny.

Rolling onto Monroe Truck Trail the dirt was damp. The botttom section of the trail follows through the creek bed. After the recent rains, there was actually water running through the creek. It was great to see and fun to ride through. Took it easy as to not get my feet wet.

Made the turn/switchback to begin the climb. The trail handles rain really well, probably better than STT. We got spread out a few times, but regrouped from time to time. My wife knew she wasn't going to make it to the top, so we agreed we would summit then pick her up on the way back.

Greg and Kay were up ahead of us a bit. About 1.5 miles from the top, heard the "pop, pop, snap, crack". Hugh had busted his chain and smacked his knee on the bar. Went to help him out and give him a quick link....oops, my 8 spd link won't fix his 10 spd chain. We were about a 2 minute pedal to reach the ridgeline. He said he would run up to the ridege and wait for us to come back.

Jeremy and I reach the top where K&G were. After quick break and temps at 40*....and no longer sunny, we headed down. The dirt was like velcro. A few spots of mud, and a few water holes.

Fun times with the gang today. Trail couldn't have been better.

View attachment 23671 View attachment 23672 View attachment 23673
Click to expand...

Hugh took my place with the chain break! Tell him, "Thank you". :Roflmao I'm a little bummed I couldn't make it... Sounds like a very good time.

And with that... I rode my bike today! I've been fighting the crud since just after J and I went snow hunting at Modjeska Peak last week. Felt lousy the entire time in Big Bear, and only managed a little bit of skiing. But, the cabin was nice, and the horde of teenagers were all well behaved...

So... It was a crapshoot to ride today, but I needed to do something to get the year going... And I didn't want to miss out on Mrs. @StrandLeper's Christmas cookies. :thumbsup: At the end of the road, 9 miles in, I decided to pull the plug. The coughing fits made the lungs hurt, and I knew I would become the boat anchor at some point. I made it to the first left hand turn just to round out the 2000 feet, and then headed back down- into the rain. An extra layer and some dry gloves made the descent enjoyable... The only spot I got really cold was in the canyon by the little store. It was raining hard enough that I had a hard time seeing. Other than that, it was a fun time down...

18 miles and 2200 feet... I didn't get far, but I got to see the guys for a little bit, and got the first 2,000 feet of my 500,000 foot goal for 2017. :thumbsup: And I had a cookie... All rides are good with homemade cookies. :thumbsup:
 
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