I like to ride my bicycle - for long distances. I have earned the California Triple Crown and finished the Furnace Creek 508. My goals include qualifying for RAAM and ...(read the blog to find out).
"The bicycle has a soul. If you are able to love it as it deserves, it will give you emotions you will never forget."
Mario Cipolini
"Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride."
John F. Kennedy
"The important decisions in my life I make while out riding my bike."
Former Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi
"Pain is temporary, quitting lasts forever.” Lance Armstrong
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Just Playing with Graphics
I am unable to import my gpx file of the 2007 Cherry of a Ride into RouteSlip.com. As such, I am playing with Bikely.com. The input went very quickly the site will create an elevation graph. But, it is multicolored. It show brown for climbing and green for descending. This is useless information. Once can tell when the graph is going up or down. So, I have "corrected this with the image below.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
April Recap and Catch Up
Wow, Have I been busy! I finished the month of April with three centuries in the last nine days of the month.
Cherry of a Ride
Miles: 93.23
Elevation Gain: 5,364'
April Miles: 580.32
Year to Date: 2235.97
It rained hard on Saturday, April 21. Joanne and I looked out the window of our warm home and decided not to ride. We would do house work instead.
After cleaning the house, we loaded up our Cannondale rain tandem and headed for The Dalles, Oregon. It rained all of the way, even after we passed the Cascade Mountains, the usual place where the rain stops.
But, upon waking on Sunday morning, we found only damp roads and cloudy skies. We started the ride with hopes that the skies would clear and the sun would shine. Our hopes were rewarded and we had an very enjoyable, but hilly ride.
We rode by ourselves for the most part, but joined Tim and Georgia, our Jack Frost Time Trial competitors, for the last long climb of the day.
Rip Your Lungs out Tualatin Tuesday
Miles: 31.42
Elevation Gain: 2,051'
April Miles: 611.74
Year to Date: 2267.39
I joined Del and the Portland Wheelman Touring Club for their weekly hammer fest in the hills southeast of Tualatin. Most of the half fast group is in Italy leaving me to chase Jack up the hills. He showed no mercy and dropped me near after I worked so hard to follow him. No, I am not angry. How else am I going to improve my climbing if not shown how it is done? My average heart rate for hill climb was 155 bpm.
Wednesday Recovery Ride
Miles: 19.16
Elevation Gain: 157'
April Miles: 630.90
Year to Date: 2286.55
After Tuesday's ride, I needed a nice, easy recovery ride and I was happy to putt along staying with the slow riders. My average heart rate for the nearly 20 mile ride was just 78 bpm.
Saturday in the Hills
Miles: 94.17
Elevation Gain: 4,829'
April Miles: 725.07
Year to Date: 2380.72
Jon Wolf joined me for a session of hill climbing outside of Scotts Mills. He showed me a new hill to climb - Crooked Finger Road.
The 31st Annual Monster Cookie Metric Century
Miles: 100.29
Elevation Gain: 761'
April Miles: 825.36
Year to Date: 2481.01
Ah, the Monster Cookie. This is the granddaddy ride of the Salem Bicycle Club. 62 flat miles in the Willamette Valley from the Oregon State Capital to Champoeg State Park and back.
Joanne and I rode our tandem down to the start and back home again for a total of 78 miles. Then, I jumped on the LeMond for 22 miles fun filled miles for a full century. Yes, it was a good day to ride.
The Statesman Journal covered the event very well including a this video.