trike-ab-trike-2019

2019 mileage: 2576.6 It seems like FOREVER since I've been able to ride—we were on vacation beginning July 19, and didn't get home until late Sunday night. We spent a few days  iin London, and then went from there on a weeklong cruise to Norway.  Then I also had to miss the last two days, because of a medical procedure yesterday for which I had to prep Monday. So it was great to get back to it today. Because of the long layoff, I figured I'd better break back in gradually, and planned to just do a round trip to Marsh Park today. But I couldn't even quite do that, as the trail was blocked off near the park -- they're FINALLY completing the trail through to Platt Rd. So I turned around and augmented my ride with loops on Interfirst Dr., Stonebridge, and, at the end, east along Ellsworth to Oak Valley and home that way. So this gave me a ride of 14.6 miles, in 1:39, which I did mid-afternoon as ithe temperature remained tolerable (74° when I began a ...

2019 mileage: 2562.0 We are currently in the midst of a FEROCIOUS stretch of both heat and humidity—the news (both local and national) repeatedly calls it "dangerous"—so I knew I'd have to get my ride done early today. (This was after going to LA Fitness yesterday, just past their 5 a.m. opening, to avoid the showers.) Sunrise today was at 6:14, and I began my ride just a few minutes before 6:00, in conditions that were not YET too humid, with a temperature of 67° (that climbed to 72° by the time I finished). All went well, as I rode another round trip to Baker Rd. The only minor glitch was that MayMyRide shut off inexplicably a couple of times, costing me about half a mile, but I just tacked on a lap inside our complex when I got home. (20.1 miles, in 2:20.) Link to (Relive) video of today's ride

2019 mileage: 2521.9 After taking my rest day on Sunday (a frequent, though not inevitable, event), I then took yesterday off, too, as my back is still tender from my fall against the cement curb last Tuesday. I was glad therefiore, to get back to it today, and went out at 7:00 (71°, up ro 76° when I finished), to ride another round trip to Baker Rd. (20.1 miles in 2:25). Last night the weather forecast was calling for showers during the morning today, so I thought I might have to go to LA Fitness. But when I got up about 4:30, the forecast had changed, with the rain supposed to begin around noon, so I figured I'd chance the ride. As it turned out, though I stayed dry for the majority of the ride, an intermittent light  rain began during the final half hour, but posed no problem at all. Since we are leaving Friday evening on a 10-day vacation trip (in which I won't be able to ride), I was particularly eager to go today. Link to (Relive) video of today's ride

2019 mileage: 2501.8 This morning I chose to stay closer to home, and rode a round trip to Marsh Park (10.1 miles in 1:06). That has been a very infrequent destination for me since resuming trips to Baker Rd. on April 6. Since that time, I've only ridden to Marsh Park 10 times (including today). Today did put me over another mileage milestone, too—2500 miles for the year. It is looking as though I should easily be able to surpass my annual mileage record of 3572.4 (2016), as well as my goal for this year of 4000 miles, although I'm certainly not counting either one as a done deal yet . As well,, I haven't completely given up yet on the possibility of 5000 miles for this year, although I'd have to average 14.61 miles/day for the rest of the year to do it. At least the intense heat has broken! Sunrise today was at 6:10, and I began my ride at 6:15, in extremely comfortable 61° conditions (which climbed to 63° by the time I finished). Link to (Relive) video of toda...

2019 mileage: 2491.7 Today I rode for the first time since my mishap on Tuesday. (After picking up speed on a downhill stretch, I failed to slow sufficiently when trying to negotiate a tricky S-shaped stretch of sidewalk, and rolled the trike, slamming my lower left back into the cement curb.) As it left me quite tender, I took an almost unprecedented two consecutive days off. (I'm feeling OK now to function, though I can sure tell I'm no longer 20 years old!) Leaving at 7 a.m., (in extremely comfortable 56°  cloudy conditions that rose to 66° by the time I was done) I did another round trip to Baker Rd., getting 20.0 miles in 2:20. Link to (Relive) video of today's ride

2019 mileage: 2471.7 Today, for scheduling reasons, I rode early again, leaving at 7:00 a.m. (in 59° conditions that climbed to 74° by the time I finished) to ride another round trip to Baker Rd., which netted me 20.2 miles in 2:29. Two aspects of the ride were worthy of comment. First, about 4 miles into my ride, a little north of the point where Stadium Blvd. turns its westward route from Michigan Stadium into a northwesterly heading, there is one of those dastardly places where the sidewalk does not directly cross a road at an intersection, but instead winds into a sinuous S curve on either side of the road. This happens where Stadium and Suffolk intersect, and it occurs on a downhill stretch of Stadium that allows me to pick up some speed. I've never had a problem there before, but today I evidently failed to slow sufficiently, and rolled the trike, slamming the lower portion of my left rib cage into the cement curb. A passing runner asked in great concern, "Are you OK?...

2019 mileage: 2431.5 This morning, for scheduling reasons I left early again, beginning at 7:00 (in 59* conditions that climbed to 74° by the time I finished), and rode an9ther round trip to Baker Rd., covering 20.2 miles in 2:29. Today's ride had two aspects worthy of comment. First, I experienced another "adventure." About 4 miles into my ride, at a point a little north of where Stadium Boulevard makes a bend, to take it from its westerly heading from Michigan Stadium to a northwest direction, there is a nice downhill stretch that always allows me to pick up some speed. At the intersection of Stadium and Suffolk is one of those dastardly places where, instead of the sidewalk going straight across, they route into it a sinuous S curve just before the intersection, on both sides; I'm tempted to ask, in exasperation, "Why do they do that?" But, upon reflection, I'm sure that the answer is to prevent cyclists or runner from crossing there blindly and wi...

2019 mileage: 2411.7 Yesterday I took my trike to the dealer, Jack's Bicycle in Dearborn, to have them replace the handlebar that was broken during Thursday's ride. The repair worked well for me this morning. The only unfortunate thing is, that they forgot to switch my mirror from the old bar to the new one, and I didn't notice it until this morning. I was able to ride safely without it, but felt almost naked with no mirror! In light of this, I considered loading up the trike and going back for it. But, in the end, rather than hassle with putting the rack on the car, loading up the trike, and driving to Dearborn on consecutive days, I decided to wait until Monday. At any rate, despite the hot, humid conditions even at an early hour (72° when I began at 6:15, and up to 76° when I finished), I rode another round trip to Baker Rd., 20.1 miles in 2:08. Link to (Relive) video of today's ride

2019 mileage: 2371.6 After being out of town for the last 4 days, I was eager to get back to riding today. But it is supposed to be blisteringly hot, and very humid, so I knew I needed to ride early, and thus I began about 6:30, when it was 68° and still quite tolerable. I planned to ride again to Baker Rd. (Dexter). However, the stretch going past Bethlehem Cemetery, on the west side of Ann Arbor (on Jackson Rd., a little west of where I-94 crosses it) is rapidly becoming a sort of Bermuda Triangle of triking for me. That's where my disastrous broken seat bolt occurred a couple of weeks ago (just a few tenths of a mile west of the cemetery). And this morning, about 100 miles east of the cemetery, I came upon a spot where the sidewalk was blocked. It didn't quiet cause what I would call a disaster or a calamity, but it was quite disquieting. Evidently, a car had run off the road during the night and pushed the guardrail into the sidewalk. (I was riding from east to west; th...