Looking Back and Forth
Wow, so here it is almost October! That means that if the weather cooperates, we may have seven or eight weeks of good cycling left before snow becomes inevitable.....Bah! I say !! BAH!! It's been a great season though; so far I've logged over 1700 miles and raised almost $4,000 for charity.

This past weekend, Buzz and I did the Granite State Wheelman's 31st annual Tri -Coast Century (Little J Opted for the metric century). The route had a lot in common with Seacoast Safari ride we did in August. It started at Hampton Beach State Park in NH, looped south through Newburyport MA, back through New Hampshire then up through Maine to York Beach before returning to Hampton. This was the second century I've done this year and next Saturday I'm going for three.

This Thursday, the Clones fly west to San Diego to do our last charity ride of the the year, the MS Bay to Bay 150 (see the sponsor me link to the right - yes another shameless plug!). This is a big deal to me for a few different reasons: 1. This is the first time I've been on an airplane since I was eight, so I'm a wee bit nervous 2. This is the first time I've ever been to the west coast 3. I finally get to visit two friends of mine who live in San Diego now but who I grew up with here in New England and 4. It's the last official ride of the year (blah!). After the ride D and I are going to take the rest of the week and explore the city. I'll try to post from Cali but no promises.......

Now I have to start thinking about getting that Cyclops fluid trainer..hmmm........

P.S. New Pics soon.....
 
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Posted by PunkAss at 2:18 PM

  Hike & Bike the Berkshires....Or Not
Well, this past weekend I was supposed to ride in my second "Hike & Bike the Berkshires" for the MS Society but Ivan had other plans. I rained heavily all day so the event got canceled..(sigh)...bummer. So the day turned into "Drink Guinness and watch Winnie the Pooh in the Berkshires" instead (not too shabby actually) . To spite the crappy weather, Clones Herman and Donovan (no, not the singer, the scientist) decided to go out and do the Mountain anyway (hey..that doesn't sound right...they didn't DO the mountain per se....ok..ride the mountain...um......how about....ride UP the mountain....ok..better). I'm still not sure if this makes them super extra ultra hard core or super extra ultra stupid; but, since they returned to us unscathed and smiling I guess I'll go with hard core..they are my heros.

The rest of us ventured out on Sunday once the rain had stopped. But the strong wind and 48F temp quickly had us scampering back to the house with numb extremities.....sometimes you just gotta be lame....It's ok.....really......IMHO,part being a smart ride means knowing when to beat the crap out of yourself and when to drink hot chocolate. Besides, I had a great 52 mile ride through the bowls of eastern Massachusetts Monday to make me feel better :)
 
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Posted by PunkAss at 10:25 AM

  Thoughts from the Shower
I had a series of thoughts while in the shower this morning ( the best place for ideas..trust me) that got me to wondering; it went something like this:

This weekend while out on a training ride in Harvard MA., I hit a nice winding country road with a very slight down grade. I clicked into my very highest gear (52-12) , got down in the drops and just stood on it. This had me streaking along at an awesome 36 MPH and it felt F'ing GREAT! I remember thinking at the time that it reminded me of the days when I had a motorcycle. It kind of got me thinking about owning one again. I honestly haven't been that interested lately since the roads are far more crowded than they used to be and no one looks for bikes (motor or bicycle) on the road; it's really more trouble than it's worth. But, zipping along through the country side sparked an interest again. However, this time I found myself asking, "What will this do to my cycling?" I ask this because back when I was in Jr. High and High School, I used to bike EVERYWHERE. When you don't have your drivers license, that's pretty much your only choice. As, a result, I got to be a pretty strong rider; racing against friends of mine, racing against the clock trying to beat my best time riding home from Adams.

Then, when I was a senior in High School, a friend of mine let me borrow his moped for a weekend. That immediately ended any desire I had to ride a bike. After I gave the moped back , riding a bike became a miserable chore. Three weeks later I convinced my friend to sell me the moped and put down the bike for 12 years.

So, now I wonder, if I get a motorcycle, will I end up cycling less? Granted, I now cycle for enjoyment and personal challenge instead of transportation and that is a big difference.

Well anyway, just thoughts really. I'm not in any position to buy a motorcycle anytime soon so I guess I have nothing to worry about.................
 
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Posted by PunkAss at 2:13 PM

  Mr. Bubble vs. Spermicidal Crazy Foam
If you ever have a hangover, I've found a free cure.......go out and ride a few miles and it will magically get blown out of you...(ahem)....system! Of course you'll have to figure out for yourself what your magic number of miles is; mine is 20 (this is not the same as you sleep number; that's something entirely different). After suffering the effects of way too much chardonnay for the first bit of Saturday's training ride, at the 20 mile mark I started feeling much better and shortly thereafter was once again riding like a rock star.

I would however recommend that you wait 'till you actually stop being drunk to attempt this. Being drunk on a bike come with it's own unique set of problems.

Wise words from Buzz:" Just because Mr. Bubble is pink, doesn't mean you can trust him......always be prepared ."
 
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Posted by PunkAss at 10:45 AM

  Heat Hills & Humidity
Damn it was humid on Saturday!! The Clones and I went out to do some hill training ...we might as well have been breathing cheesecake. Since we will be riding in the MS Society's "Hike & Bike the Berkshires" on September 18th. , I put together a route connecting 12 of the toughest hills in the Andover area. There are a couple of climbs that leave you no choice but to granny up, but with the 90+ temps and rain forrest humidity it was tempting to granny up all the hills. Whining aside, it was actually a good ride. I'm feeling good about doing the Berkshires this year. Were it not for the fact that on the two Saturdays following the event I'm going to be doing consecutive centuries, I'd actually like to do the Mt. Greylock Challenge this year. Oh well, maybe I'll give it a shot next year on my new bike :)
 
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Posted by PunkAss at 1:30 PM