Excuse my ignorance, but what is HTFU?
Moon Shadows are Evil
- Thread starter stb222
- Start date
Pearl
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING
Interesting. The exact opposite happened to me. I felt like a champ the first half of the ride, but the second half I wanted to hang myself.
The Kalmyk
Well-Known Member
Did you head towards Monroe??? That would explain it... When I lived near Ben I would always head toward the Millstone/Monroe direction and the last half of the ride was all head winds
Pearl
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING
Yes, went NE towards East Brunswick then south.
BiknBen
Well-Known Member
FWIW, I was riding in Bergen County yesterday with someone. I had no idea where we were going. I figured out early on that we had a tailwind. IE: I felt like a champ. I intentionally reduced my effort because I new I would pay for it later. The return portion of the ride was windy but didn't feel too bad. Had I gone out hard, I would have been in the hurt locker.
vanseggern1
Active Member
Stupid question when figuring out the wind direction for ride planning. Do you just go by feel or do you check online, etc? I had a similar ride yesterday...felt strong climbing at the beginning but ended up suffering the last 20-30 minutes (which was completely flat) with a strong headwind. It probably didn't help that I was riding knobbies too.
BiknBen
Well-Known Member
When I look at the forecast on-line, I notice wind speed and direction as much as temps and precip. While prepping to go out, I use a very scientific method. I look at the branches outside my window. If they are moving more than a little, I may go and confirm wind speed and direction.
During the ride, I'm always looking for flags to get a better understand of what the wind is doing. Hills will dramatically influence the wind. Going by feel can be difficult but I can generally tell where the wind is coming from based on the noise in my ears and how my clothing is moving.
Here is a bonus tip: The wind speed increases as the sun warms the air. That is why I prefer to start rides early. Those truly magical rides are when there is little to no wind for the first half. Then I get a nice push all the way home.
Conversely, wind speed reduces towards dusk. I'll battle a headwind during the first half. The cooling air reduces wind speed and I don't get the tailwind or it is noticeably reduced later in the ride.
I did think a half inch seemed like alot when I marked my seatpost with some electrical tape, yesterday with a half in lower, my hamstring was tight enough that I was still keeping my heel up and it was uncomfortable to drop my heel. It will inch back up after this soreness goes away and especially when I start riding that bike more.
Wind speed and direction is the biggest factor in determine my loops. On my Saturday ride, aside fro the last 2 miles, the last 15 miles had a good tailwind. I have become wise to the tailwind at the start of the ride, that is a leason you learn really quick.
Dusty the Whale
Mr.Chainsaw
I've never thought to look at wind speed and direction before a ride
When it is below 40*, the wind will make a difference in what I wear too.
Yeah, if it is 20+ mph winds out of a certian direction, I will try and taylor my route to avoid open fields where I will be getting that headwind or cross wind.
The Kalmyk
Well-Known Member
Just don't miss Thursday and Friday...
I won't, but I may be riding in the early am. Friday may be the perfect day for a morning and lunch ride.
yeah, no doubt. i'll get out early fo' sho but then have a doctor appointment i have to work around. should find out the dilly with the ankle then.
awesome day today though. 40 and sunny is like a dream after the last month and a half.
and another day off the bike for me. Tomorrow should be back to normal, may do double duty on Thursday and Friday since I have been off 3 days in a row. Already rested 4 days in February, which is the number I planned for only 1, maybe 2 days and now at day 3. Starting to see how people become fat slobs, it is just so damn easy to be lazy. I feel like a bum right now. I would have taken a ride this morning but decide to wait for a 40* morning instead of 20*
Thursday
With warm weather returning to the region everyone and their mother is just busting at the seams to get outside and either drive to the nearest shopping center or in our case, take the bike off of the trainer and actually ride it. This warm weather also supports my theory that not only can Norm bend time, he can also somehow control the weather since it has barely been below freezing since his triumphant return. His kryptonite seems to be in his hairstyle (which I assume is a big FU to mainstream society as they cannot fathom his powers), but that is a topic for another day.
As I had planned, I knew either Thursday or Friday would be a double duty day to celebrate the warm weather. I was also coming off some rest days on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, which quite honestly had me feeling like a piece of crap, but they seemed to help shaking this cold and resting my sore hamstring. So I heading out in the morning for a short ride and then rode into work. Nothing special but higher cadence stuff to spin the webs out of my legs.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/68834740
It was looking like Thursday was the better day for me schedule wise, so I took my own advice to pearl and hit parts of the loop I sent him through Princeton. As expected, roughly 2000% more people were out and about during lunchtime and apparently they all descending on Princeton Pike at one time because it was a solid line of traffic the whole time I was on that road. No big deal but with the shoulder looking like someone dumped a 2 ton load of gravel and debris, it had my riding the white line when I couldn’t take the lane. The fun started when I hit Princeton boro and some lady in a prius was apparently annoyed that I was keeping pace with her and kept speeding up, almost rear ending the car in front of her multiple times, I gave her the “you are a douche” wave and smile when I passed her when she finally got stopped at a stop sign. Nassua street was packed, but the centerline wasn’t, so I cruised that for awhile before merging back into traffic. All was good, but some big ass box truck were going slow and I couldn’t get around, so I had to slow to like 16 mph, booh! I was also stuck behind a mini van going slow and just couldn’t get around him because he was taking up the whole road, fail #2 Fail #3 came when I actually had to stop at a stopped light and unclip, which equaled “total urban riding fail”.
When 27 opened up, I was cruising, enjoying a tail wind. I hit some of the roads I told pearl about and headed back towards my office. I made a few turns to extend my route as it was especially nice out. Rest of the ride was uneventful and I ended up with an hour and a half
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/68834735
Commute home was lovely and rounded out around 55 miles on the day.
Friday
This morning I knew that a full lunch ride wasn’t going to work out, so I hit my morning loop instead. Hamstring was alittle tight this morning but loosened up quickly. Something of a headwind but nothing crazy. Was feeling good until about 20 min in I saw my headlight flicker, which means that the battery is dying, so I changed it to a lower setting and just before a fast downhill, it completely shuts off but I could just barely see the road, so 35 mph+ in the dark was fun. It was about 6:10 and I knew that it would be sketchy to see for another 15 min or so, but I managed. I did turn it on again, but it shut off a few min later. The climb on pleasant valley road was coming up, so that helped since you really don’t need to see while climbing. It got light soon enough and the rest of the ride was just riding. Stopped home and grabbed my bag and headed to work.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/68834729
At lunch I took a slightly extended route to get some lunch and ended up with alittle over a half hour and 11 miles so the commute home will bring me to like 45 miles.
Weekend
Not really sure what is in store for this weekend. I am sure I will ride at some point, but don’t have any plans for anything special. Looks to get cold again, so I will probably bail on a morning ride and maybe doing something in the afternoon. Have dinner with one of my wife’s friends and husband, and coincidently I used to date the other girl, so my dinner with be all fake conversation and smiling. Fun.
With warm weather returning to the region everyone and their mother is just busting at the seams to get outside and either drive to the nearest shopping center or in our case, take the bike off of the trainer and actually ride it. This warm weather also supports my theory that not only can Norm bend time, he can also somehow control the weather since it has barely been below freezing since his triumphant return. His kryptonite seems to be in his hairstyle (which I assume is a big FU to mainstream society as they cannot fathom his powers), but that is a topic for another day.
As I had planned, I knew either Thursday or Friday would be a double duty day to celebrate the warm weather. I was also coming off some rest days on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, which quite honestly had me feeling like a piece of crap, but they seemed to help shaking this cold and resting my sore hamstring. So I heading out in the morning for a short ride and then rode into work. Nothing special but higher cadence stuff to spin the webs out of my legs.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/68834740
It was looking like Thursday was the better day for me schedule wise, so I took my own advice to pearl and hit parts of the loop I sent him through Princeton. As expected, roughly 2000% more people were out and about during lunchtime and apparently they all descending on Princeton Pike at one time because it was a solid line of traffic the whole time I was on that road. No big deal but with the shoulder looking like someone dumped a 2 ton load of gravel and debris, it had my riding the white line when I couldn’t take the lane. The fun started when I hit Princeton boro and some lady in a prius was apparently annoyed that I was keeping pace with her and kept speeding up, almost rear ending the car in front of her multiple times, I gave her the “you are a douche” wave and smile when I passed her when she finally got stopped at a stop sign. Nassua street was packed, but the centerline wasn’t, so I cruised that for awhile before merging back into traffic. All was good, but some big ass box truck were going slow and I couldn’t get around, so I had to slow to like 16 mph, booh! I was also stuck behind a mini van going slow and just couldn’t get around him because he was taking up the whole road, fail #2 Fail #3 came when I actually had to stop at a stopped light and unclip, which equaled “total urban riding fail”.
When 27 opened up, I was cruising, enjoying a tail wind. I hit some of the roads I told pearl about and headed back towards my office. I made a few turns to extend my route as it was especially nice out. Rest of the ride was uneventful and I ended up with an hour and a half
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/68834735
Commute home was lovely and rounded out around 55 miles on the day.
Friday
This morning I knew that a full lunch ride wasn’t going to work out, so I hit my morning loop instead. Hamstring was alittle tight this morning but loosened up quickly. Something of a headwind but nothing crazy. Was feeling good until about 20 min in I saw my headlight flicker, which means that the battery is dying, so I changed it to a lower setting and just before a fast downhill, it completely shuts off but I could just barely see the road, so 35 mph+ in the dark was fun. It was about 6:10 and I knew that it would be sketchy to see for another 15 min or so, but I managed. I did turn it on again, but it shut off a few min later. The climb on pleasant valley road was coming up, so that helped since you really don’t need to see while climbing. It got light soon enough and the rest of the ride was just riding. Stopped home and grabbed my bag and headed to work.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/68834729
At lunch I took a slightly extended route to get some lunch and ended up with alittle over a half hour and 11 miles so the commute home will bring me to like 45 miles.
Weekend
Not really sure what is in store for this weekend. I am sure I will ride at some point, but don’t have any plans for anything special. Looks to get cold again, so I will probably bail on a morning ride and maybe doing something in the afternoon. Have dinner with one of my wife’s friends and husband, and coincidently I used to date the other girl, so my dinner with be all fake conversation and smiling. Fun.
BiknBen
Well-Known Member
That is an interesting arrangement of words. It is your Ex and your wife's friend? I'd like to hear more. She Hot?
Ditch the guy, make it a threesome?
nice work on the doubles. most of my doubles have been ride am/gym at lunch. speaking of, i'm hungry.
anyway, i got out a little earlier today as i noticed...there was actually LIGHT at 6:30. this was a strange concept to me but i went with it. i stuck the little red blinky on the back and away i went. i don't have a viable front light...just two P-Tec commuter lights that don't really throw a whole lot of it. i'll be free of those soon enough. but after this weekend it looks like another round of snow/cold/bleh. but damn, doesn't the 30* stuff feel great? i mean, going from riding in the single digits and negatives to this? it's like freaking tropical!
do you ride with one of those walz caps? i have been looking at those but are they a solid option for the 30-40s with the ear flaps? the are super pimp-tastic. well, as super pimp-tastic as a ghey cycling hat can be, anyway.
oh, ankle surgery next thursday. w00t!! eh, not so much.
i'm in negotiations with my doctor to see if he can just do a local so i can post in the "most useless thread" while it's going on. i'm guessing ahead of time i'm going to lose that battle. so, recovery pending, i may start talking about cross season REAL soon. chainsaw may get his first SSaP victory on me. by default. 🙂
That is an interesting arrangement of words. It is your Ex and your wife's friend? I'd like to hear more. She Hot?
Yes, it is my wife's friend and also my "ex". We weren't really serious but we did our share of "fooling around". The ex was better looking before, she has since pushed out two kids and the extra weight just stayed, but that all goes out the door in the case of a threesome. But I ain't gonna lead you on, it ain't happening.