"Official" BIYF 2016-2017 thread

thegock

thegock

Well-Known Member
2/13

2:04

https://www.strava.com/activities/865281340

My aunt on my Dad's side and my mother's father were both weekend alcoholics, which was more fashionable back in the day. Well into my sixties, I occasionally wonder if I will put the Jim Beam on the Corn Flakes some morning. However, I do enjoy having a good local for over twenty years, faithfully staffed by my favorite bartender. When I do these silly "trails are too muddy" MUT rides, the ride is often by this place in Mountainside, which has good flat screens:

Chrones IMG_20170213_140308-01.jpg
 
Last edited:
huffster

huffster

Well-Known Member
2/14/2017: Ringwood State Park. I assumed the snow machines would've had there way with the fire roads by now, so the plan was to climb up to Pierson's Ridge on fire roads and see how White trail was coming down.

A few snow machines had been out. The key was to try and ride in the valleys of the fire-roads where the skis had tracked. Riding in the tread was a little choppy and soft due to being deeper snow. Another fat-biker had gone before me on most of this route to show me the way. They definitely HAB'd less than I did.

It was a slow but steady climb. After crossing the pipeline, going around the North Cape and crossing the pipeline again, the going got tougher...and tougher...and tougher. The wind had blow drifts up on the ridge that were 12"-18" deep. It was pure HAB as I post-holed my way along the ridge, dragging a fat-bike along. My predecessor had clearly encountered the same fate. I was literally HAB downhill.

When I finally reached the White trail, it appeared to be more traveled, but mainly by foot. Mount up! I think I got 50 yards before I was back on foot. I'll just put it this way, that stretch of white is about 0.8 miles (mostly downhill). If I rode 0.1 mile that was a lot.

By the time I reached Weyble pond, I was ready to lay down and rest. I did take the old "poison ivy" section and bailed a small section of white, then rejoined it. The lower section of white was much better.

Moving time: 2:19:12
Link: https://www.strava.com/activities/866139518

image2.JPG
 
huffster

huffster

Well-Known Member
Mountain Bike Mike

Mountain Bike Mike

Well-Known Member
2/15 - Wake up and ride... ride

1:04:26 - I usually have all my stuff laid out the night before but that didn't happen. When I got home from work last night, I was a total scatterbrain. I'm not sure why but I was off my usual routine and it felt like time was flying. Before you know it, it was time to got to bed and I didn't have any prep for today. I winged it.

Jumped on the road bike, rolled down the driveway and up my street and it felt surprisingly nimble and light. I bang a right out of my development and the cranks were turning over fairly easy and I felt like I was moving quick. I hit a little kicker approximately a mile out and breezed right up... At that point, I knew this was going to be a nice ride. As the ride went on, the effort stayed the same, relaxed and the avg mph slowly ticked upward until I found myself cruising 20+ mph on the flats, spinning a high cadence and staying on top of my gears and cadence. When I peaked at the mph averaging 19mph, I'll admit, I gave it a little more effort for the last couple miles to keep it.

I think riding the heavy steel bike on long flat gravel commutes may be building some leg strength or something. When I jump on the MTB or road bike, they seem so much easier to move, the effort required to maintain the same pace is much less lately. Plus, I am down approximately 5lbs due to some recent tweaks to the diet.

I'm thinking BIYF is having a very positive effect on my fitness. The additional hours on the heavy bike + some tweaks to the diet have me feeling stronger, lighter and more energized. I'm not really focused on that right now... For me, it's too early in the year to worry about Watts and training. I'm more focused on just riding my bike as much as life will allow but I guess it's ok to pulse check where I'm at with fitness once in a while. It's hard not to notice when rides like today and last weekend happen.

I guess the real test will be if and when I line up and throw down a race effort. Short track may be a good test.
 
w_b

w_b

Well-Known Member
2/14 2:49 https://www.strava.com/activities/865949092

Unintentionally wound up in the 'hood after blowing a right and continuing on. I had no concrete route planned and avoided any crimes aimed at me, so all good. Nice morning to be out; however my toesies got a wittle chiwwy towards the end of the ride. Guess I need better or more socks, or maybe a real set of shoes.... NAH HTFU

IMG_0804a.JPG


No progress on my Enduro repair. Actually backsliding. I went to pull the front wheel to make some room in my shop the other day, and the hub is seized to the Maxle; or some shit like that I din't feel like dealing with right then. Good thing I din't flat dat on the trail at 5AM or I'da been hoofin' it home.
 
Last edited:
rlb

rlb

Well-Known Member
Mountain Bike Mike said:
2/15 - Wake up and ride... ride

1:04:26 - I usually have all my stuff laid out the night before but that didn't happen. When I got home from work last night, I was a total scatterbrain. I'm not sure why but I was off my usual routine and it felt like time was flying. Before you know it, it was time to got to bed and I didn't have any prep for today. I winged it.

Jumped on the road bike, rolled down the driveway and up my street and it felt surprisingly nimble and light. I bang a right out of my development and the cranks were turning over fairly easy and I felt like I was moving quick. I hit a little kicker approximately a mile out and breezed right up... At that point, I knew this was going to be a nice ride. As the ride went on, the effort stayed the same, relaxed and the avg mph slowly ticked upward until I found myself cruising 20+ mph on the flats, spinning a high cadence and staying on top of my gears and cadence. When I peaked at the mph averaging 19mph, I'll admit, I gave it a little more effort for the last couple miles to keep it.

I think riding the heavy steel bike on long flat gravel commutes may be building some leg strength or something. When I jump on the MTB or road bike, they seem so much easier to move, the effort required to maintain the same pace is much less lately. Plus, I am down approximately 5lbs due to some recent tweaks to the diet.

I'm thinking BIYF is having a very positive effect on my fitness. The additional hours on the heavy bike + some tweaks to the diet have me feeling stronger, lighter and more energized. I'm not really focused on that right now... For me, it's too early in the year to worry about Watts and training. I'm more focused on just riding my bike as much as life will allow but I guess it's ok to pulse check where I'm at with fitness once in a while. It's hard not to notice when rides like today and last weekend happen.

I guess the real test will be if and when I line up and throw down a race effort. Short track may be a good test.
Click to expand...

A++, would read again
 
jackx

jackx

Well-Known Member
2/14 - Moving time: 1:39:56

The fallen branches on the road and falling icicles were more treacherous than most of the road conditions. The wind was howling in a few places and as a result I was pelted with ice falling from the trees.

There weren't too many icy spots on the roads although one road I went down wasn't plowed for about a quarter-mile at the end and the surface was a crusty, icy snowpack.

https://www.strava.com/activities/866570600




IMG_3594.JPG
IMG_3627.JPG
IMG_3628.JPG
 
w_b

w_b

Well-Known Member
2/15 2:45 https://www.strava.com/activities/867117616

Based on the overnight temps, I figured the local trails might be frozen enough to flow, so headed there. WRONG. A crusty frost heave efficiently sucked any forward momentum you generated. Tried a couple different trails to see if conditions varied for the better any, and they did, but not really. Bailed out after like 30 minutes back to roadin' it. I had good intentions to go for bonus but ran out of time. I was planning a late afternoon ride #2 for the day, with the usual Weds. suspects, but my social director kyeboshed that pretty quick too. Oh well, there's always tomorrow.

I think Venus was to the left of the moon in this shot, which I can assure you looked WAY better thru my viewfinder than it does here:

IMG_0806.JPG


Ride on...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom