Mark B
Zen MBB Master
I skipped riding yesterday (Saturday) because it was misting. Of course, as soon as I committed to doing something else, it quit, but the threat of rain caused me to give up the notion.
Today, I got out of bed determined to ride, no matter what. It was cold... Really cold..... 41 degrees! This at 7:00 AM. I bundled up and headed over to meet up with our breakfast club group. I was dressed just about right. Going downhill, as I was to the ride start, I was comfortable. I got to the meeting spot and there was nobody there. I waited awhile and finally, a couple other riders showed up. We decided to do the regular breakfast ride with a twist. We did the ride backwards, heading into Colton, then back north toward San Bernardino.
Unfortunately, this plan meant a downhill run for a few miles. Those riders that had driven to the ride start were complaining a little about the cold. No worries, after we turned north, we began the gradual uphill climb. This would have been fine except the wind was blowing! So, they whined about that!
We pushed on and began working our way back to the Airport Express, where we normally eat breakfast. We normally invade this place with huge numbers, but today, there were only four. You could almost sense the disappointment in their eyes, but we ate good!
We took off from there and did Greenspot backwards. This basically continues east up some steeper river grade. Nothing too strenuous, just a continual grinding ride. The kind that builds strong legs and lungs. I stayed with the group back to the ride start, then did another small loop to get my mileage for the day up to 45 by the time I got home.
There was one scary moment on the ride. I was going through an industrial area, formerly orange groves, where the streets are all lined with huge, old palm trees. I wasn't thinking when I took this route. Palm fronds get blown off during windy conditions; the streets were littered with them. I got to thinking that this crap could take your head off, coming down from 50 feet in the air! So, I pedalled the gauntlet, one eye cautiously skyward, looking for tree garbage to come flying my way. I made it safely out of there and pedalled happily the rest of the way home. It never did warm up to where all the cold weather gear could come off. I did shed my jacket, but everything else stayed put!
Mark
Today, I got out of bed determined to ride, no matter what. It was cold... Really cold..... 41 degrees! This at 7:00 AM. I bundled up and headed over to meet up with our breakfast club group. I was dressed just about right. Going downhill, as I was to the ride start, I was comfortable. I got to the meeting spot and there was nobody there. I waited awhile and finally, a couple other riders showed up. We decided to do the regular breakfast ride with a twist. We did the ride backwards, heading into Colton, then back north toward San Bernardino.
Unfortunately, this plan meant a downhill run for a few miles. Those riders that had driven to the ride start were complaining a little about the cold. No worries, after we turned north, we began the gradual uphill climb. This would have been fine except the wind was blowing! So, they whined about that!
We pushed on and began working our way back to the Airport Express, where we normally eat breakfast. We normally invade this place with huge numbers, but today, there were only four. You could almost sense the disappointment in their eyes, but we ate good!
We took off from there and did Greenspot backwards. This basically continues east up some steeper river grade. Nothing too strenuous, just a continual grinding ride. The kind that builds strong legs and lungs. I stayed with the group back to the ride start, then did another small loop to get my mileage for the day up to 45 by the time I got home.
There was one scary moment on the ride. I was going through an industrial area, formerly orange groves, where the streets are all lined with huge, old palm trees. I wasn't thinking when I took this route. Palm fronds get blown off during windy conditions; the streets were littered with them. I got to thinking that this crap could take your head off, coming down from 50 feet in the air! So, I pedalled the gauntlet, one eye cautiously skyward, looking for tree garbage to come flying my way. I made it safely out of there and pedalled happily the rest of the way home. It never did warm up to where all the cold weather gear could come off. I did shed my jacket, but everything else stayed put!
Mark
