Biking Adventures!

Wolf had to work again on Saturday, so I planned to head out early (he had to start at 7) and get a good 5-6hrs of riding in.

Alas....things do not go as planned most of the time!  My engine light came on last week and a guy at work read the code for me.  It apparently was one of the 02 sensors that needed replacing.   I called around and ended up calling the guy that replace my engine.  He could do it Saturday morning (yay!).  Great, so I made the appt for 8am and figured I'd head down there when Wolf went to work.

The car has also been making a 'clunking' sound in the rear, so I had him look at that also.  Turns out the clunking was the struts and swaybar links.  They need to be replaced.  Great...more money!  Anyway, got the sensor replaced and all was well.  Headed back up to Wolf's (stopping at Dick's Sporting Goods for some t-shirts) and ended up heading out on the bike about 11:30am.

Was riding through Davis Square and realized the back tire was flat.  Wonderful!  So I pulled out my (new!) phone and looked up where the nearest bike shop was.  Half a mile...not so bad.  So I walked over there, got the tire replaced pretty quick and was back on my way by 12 or so.  Learned from the guy at the shop that road bike tires should be checked for air pressure every week and topped off.  Who knew! 

Decided to tackle the Minuteman Bikeway again and had a relatively uneventful ride.  Started playing with the different gears and pedaling in a higher gear while going downhill and on flat ground.  It's amazing the difference it makes!  At one point, the chain fell off the front gear, so I stopped to try to fix it.  I knew it was easy, but wasn't exactly sure how to do it.  A very nice gentleman stopped and asked if everything was fine.  I told him what happened and he showed me how to put the chain back.  It's embarrassingly easy!!!!!  I felt like a dope and said so, lol, but also thanked him for the help.

I was able to ride to the end of the bikeway and back and got all my stuff put away just before Wolf got home.  I ended up doing 26.5 miles and averaged about 10mph!  Yay! 

~Chelle

A Trip to the Store...........

So, I decided yesterday to make macaron's for work today.  Only I had no cocoa powder left (used it all last week), so would need to go to the store to buy some.  No big deal, I could stop after work.  Except I wanted to go for a bike ride after work.  Getting out of work at 5:30 and home by 6, plus changing doesn't leave much time for riding before sunset at 7:45.....especially if  I run to the store first. 

I know, I know.....any amount of riding is better than none - but I prefer to ride at least an hour or more at a time.  So I came up with a brilliant idea!!!  I would ride to the store to buy the cocoa powder!

I went to mapquest, and the store is about 6 miles from my house - no big deal!  So, I got out at 5:30, got home by 6, changed lightening fast and was on the bike by 6:20!  Took me about 35min to ride to the store...much quicker than I rode on Saturday - yay!  Ran in and bought my cocoa powder and another bag of almonds (wouldn't want to run out!), and was back on the bike about 7.  Took another 35min to ride home (plus a few quick breaks on the side of the road) and got home about 7:45....just as it was getting dark.  Nothing like the motivation of the dark to make you ride faster!  I managed to ride just under 12 miles and averaged 10mph!

Probably won't get another chance to ride until Saturday morning.  Taking today off (the butt needs a break!) and am going to a retirement party for Wolf's best friend's dad tomorrow night, then Friday is off to Wolf's for the weekend :)   He's working Saturday morning, so I will probably head out on the bike for a few hours, as long as it's not supposed to rain - otherwise I'll be sleeping, lol.

~Chelle

Finally....a new bike!!!!!!!

Well...not new right now....I got it in May.  I thought I had blogged about it, but apparently not!

So.....what made me decide on a new bike............

Well, the one I rode last season was fine, and I started thinking about a new one by the end of riding season.  My old one is the same one that I got as a teenager (12 or 13, I think) and was woefully too big for me.  I'm short (5 feet...barely) and the bike is a 1985 Men's Benny's special.  It was way too big for me when I got it (had to stand in the front stairs to get on and off of it, lol) and isn't suited any better now.

So, I made a deal with myself at the end of last season.....if I continued riding this season, I'd get a new bike at the end of this season (2013).  That was all fine.....until I got on the bike May 1st to start riding again.  It was painfully (!) obvious how ill-fitting the bike was, and I made the decision to see what was out there for bikes (and what the cost was going to be!).  I knew they wouldn't be inexpensive, but I needed some ideas.

After talking with a colleague at work, I went to Belmont Wheelworks to see what size bike I should be looking at and what types of prices I'm looking at.  I told them upfront that I was looking and seeing what was out there.  Well......since I wasn't ready to plunk down $$$ that day, they didn't want anything to do with me.  They told me what size frame I should be looking at, and showed me one....yes ONE...bike that was over $1000.  Now, I know there are bikes out there less than $1k, so I basically said 'kiss off' to them and decided to go to my local bike shop (Peterson's Bike Shop - Raynham, MA). 

So, the following week Wolf and I went to Peterson's and look at bikes.  I told the guy there that I was just looking at my options, etc...  He was so NICE!!!!!   He recognized me, since I've been bringing my bike there for tune-ups for quite a few years now.  He went through all the brands of bikes they carry, explained the differences in the price-points and recommended a few brands/styles for me (since I'm short and all, lol).  His main recommendation was a Lexa Trek bike, women's specific design. 

After going through all the price-points, I opted for the least expensive one (I had an amount in mind that I could spend before walking in, and it fit in my price range).  He didn't bat an eye, and went through all the options for the bike with me.  When we were finally done, I had decided to buy the bike and told him as much.  He fitted me for the bike again (he had done so before looking at the bikes), and I ordered a new bike!!  It was going to take a week or so to come in, so I had to be patient.  If you know me...I HATE to be patient! 

He called about a week later that the bike was in, so I made an appointment to go in and have it fitted specifically to me.  The guy was great!  He adjusted the seat height, the handlebars, and adjusted a bunch of other stuff for me (I don't remember it all).  Out I walked with a brand new bike!!!!  and it only cost be about $750!

I took it for a ride shortly afterwards (one morning before work) and snapped this pic after I got back home from riding:

I love it!!  It's black, purple and white.  The seat is my own seat that I already had, as is the bag on back.

Here are some pictures that Wolf took of me on the bike (not really riding it, therefore not helmet):

 

So, I love my new bike like you can't imagine!  I've put just about 100 miles on it since I got it - and plan on putting a lot more on it in the coming weeks!  I've ridden it around home a bit, and also taken it out by the Charles in Boston, and most recently along the Minuteman Bikeway.  Heading out riding this weekend again....maybe the Charles again....maybe the Minuteman again....we'll have to wait and see!

~Chelle

Charity Bike Rides

Last year I signed up for and rode in a charity bike ride on Martha's Vineyard on Columbus Day weekend.  It was 62 miles long....a hard 62miles (20mph headwind ALL DAY).  I finished, but was exhausted at the end.  Anyway, this year I have signed up for another one - this time to benefit Buzzard's Bay Watershed.  It's a 75mile ride started in Westport, MA and ending in Woods Hole, MA.  It's a one-day ride. 

Since it's been about 8weeks since I got on the bike, I figured I need to get my butt back on it if I want to be able to ride 75miles in a day.  So, this weekend I got back out on the bike.  I tackled the Minuteman Bikeway stretching from Cambridge to Bedford (about 10 miles).  There are a few off-shoots in Bedford...one to Billerica and one to Concord.  All total I had figured my ride would be about 40 miles (I started a few miles from Cambridge). 

There weren't many pictures along the Bikeway like I had hoped, but found this in Arlington Center:

It was a very nice ride.  The Bikeway starts in Cambridge, at Alewife station and winds it's way through Cambridge, Arlington and Lexington before ending in Bedford.  I got to Bedford a lot sooner than I expected.  The end of the line in Bedford is at an old railroad depot:



From here, there are two spurs...one to Billerica and one to Concord.  I attempted the one to Billerica, only to find out it is not paved.  That was ok as it seemed to be packed dirt...then my tires started slipping and I was afraid I'd fall.  So I turned around and was going to head off to Concord, but first I stopped in to the building above to see what there as to see.  It was mostly a gift shop type of place, but I was talking to the man working and asked if he knew if the path to Concord was paved.  It wasn't, and it was getting sort of late (5-ish I think), so I decided to head back to Cambridge.  Plus, I passed a Trader Joe's on the bikeway and wanted to stop for bananas and corn on the cob.

I ended up riding about 45minutes in between rest breaks, which is up from 30minutes last year.  I also packed trail mix to eat on the bike...preferring real food to energy bars.  I think I might add some more dried fruits to it for more carbs next time.  I failed to note on my map where the TJ's was, and ended up skipping a rest stop because I kept thinking TJ's was just up ahead.  I was never so happy to see this sign up ahead!!!

So, by the time I got to TJ's my legs and me were pooped.  There's a convenient bike rack just off the Bikeway, and stairs up to TJ's.  It's still amazing to me that I could continue biking, but can't walk up or down a flight of stairs after riding.  So I locked up my bike, took my valuables with (bike computer, wallet, phone, helmet) and off I went to TJ's. 

I bought a few bananas and a couple ears of corn.  Stashed them in my Camelbak and proceeded to unlock my bike.  My first mistake was not putting the wallet and phone away first thing.  I set my helmet (which had the phone in it) on my bike seat and went to unlock the bike.  Can you see where this is going????   Yup.........the helmet fell off the bike seat, and the phone landed face down on the concrete.  I am now the proud owner of a cracked phone screen!!!  (it's not nearly as exciting as it sounds).  Getting a new phone next weekend.

I got back on the bike and continued on my way back to where I started.  All told, I rode about 30 miles in about 3.5 hours.  It's quite a bit slower than I used to ride, but today's goal was about time in the saddle (or TITS as one of my friends calls it - awesome!) not about speed.  Gotta get the butt used to the seat again - how quickly it forgets!!!

The plan is to ride an hour or so after work each night.  Next weekend I'll be out again, and I think I'm going to work on speed this time.  Planning to head out early in the am, rather than the afternoon like this time.  Might even tackle the Bikeway twice if I'm up to it!

Energy bars...activity....nutrition.......

I'm pretty sure I posted about this some time ago (probably last year) when I was looking at energy/nutrition bars for cycling.  What prompted me to write again about it?   A new product I happened to see mentioned in comments on an on-line article.  It was a Yahoo article about energy bars, and someone mentioned a bar by Active Health Foods.  Never one to take someone else's word regarding anything, I went and checked them out myself. 

They are called ActiveX Bars, and they sound and look great.  They come in four flavors: Almond Chocolate Delight, Cashew Berry Dream, Coconut Cocoa Passion, and Peanut Butter Chocolate Joy.  They are also all-natural, non-gmo, soy-free, organic, vegan, kosher, gluten-free and raw.  Some of those attributes matter more to me than others, but wanted to list them all anyway. 

I'm kind of excited about them and am going to order a variety pack from the website linked above.  They don't seem too much different than the other assorted bars that I was eating last season.  And, truthfully...I think I was starting to get a little bored of the same ones over and over last year.

Here are the bars that I was eating last year: ProBar Meal, Bonk Breaker, and That'sIt! Fruit bars.  I used them in a variety of situations as I felt my they met my needs while cycling.  Like everyone, I have my favorite flavors of each brand.  I also read the labels everytime...some of the ProBar's have soy and some don't, so I only buy the ones that don't.  I am also considering keeping them in the refrigerator this summer (or just not buying so many ahead)...towards the end of the riding season I was finding that some were on their way to going bad when I opened the package. 

I'll have to figure out how many a week I'll be eating and tailor my purchasing around that.  To start I'm going to get a small variety of all of them.  I received almost $32 in REI Dividends Bucks so that will go a good way towards the initial purchase.  I am hoping to find stores to buy them all in, in order to avoid ordering them online.  The fruit bars were getting tough to find last fall, but had the best luck with Whole Foods.  I was able to find the ProBars and Bonk bars at REI and Whole Foods.  Hopefully I'll be able to find the ActiveX in stores too.  There are some 'health food' stores around my area that I can call and see if they carry them.

I put a little comparison chart together comparing the different brands and thought I'd share it.  I didn't compare the Fruit bars, because those are basically just pure carbs, and I mostly use them at the beginning of a ride and when I need a carb boost.

	ActiveX	ProBar	Bonk Bar
Calories	240	390	250
Fat (g)	12	22	9
Carbs (g)	24	43	35
Protein (g)	8	10	8

~Chelle

It's getting to be that time of year again......

..........biking and camping season!

Here in New England we have been teased with some nice weather on and off the last week or two.  Just enough to make me wish spring/summer were here to stay.  It also makes me want to go camping and biking :)

I have been thinking about the biking the last few days and started making a list of what I need to get done to be able to go riding.  I was looking at a sunrise/sunset time table yesterday and it appears as though it will be light enough in the morning to start riding before work again around the end of April.  That may be good or bad, lol.  To start with I'll only have about a half hour to ride before I have to shower and get to work.  That's probably good, since my plan of doing the elliptical all winter kind of fizzled after about a week or so.  It's just more fun to ride outside!

Today, during my lunch break, I wrote up a to-do list to get things ready:

• Get the bike tuned-up
• Check the condition of my Camelbak pack (it sat in the garage all winter - oops)
• Find and buy a flashing red light for my helmet
• Purchase a reflective vest at IKEA to wear over my pack and me
• Wash ALL the biking clothes, since I'm not sure what did and didn't get washed at the end of last year (again....oops!)
• Order a decent supply of Emergen-C Electro Mix
• Purchase a variety of Pro Bars and ThatsIt! Fruit bars

That might be everything, but I may have forgotten some stuff too.  I'm sure I'll find out when I start doing it all :)  If you're wondering about the red flashing light and the reflective vest.....my plans are to start out riding just before sunrise in order to maximize the amount of time I can ride before work.  I noticed last year that it was light enough to ride approximately 15min before the published sunrise time, so that's the time I am planning to head out in the morning.  The light and vest are so that cars can see me and not hit me, lol.

My goals for the riding season are to ride Tues-Friday mornings, and at least one longer ride on the weekend.  I have been staying at Wolf's on the weekends, so riding Monday morning just isn't practical.  He sometimes works on Saturdays, so I plan to go riding when he does.  If he's not working, we'll see what our plans look like.  There's a bike shop not far from where he lives, and I think they sponsor rides....so I'm going to go check that out too and see what they have for a map of bike paths/streets in the area, since I don't normally ride up there.  There's a great path that is fairly long, I'm just not sure how to get to it from Wolf's place, lol. 

See you on the road!