Well, the 2013 warm-up period has started. "-" is in the lead on the leaderboard, (and they're also in last place), with 2,049 miles already. (I'm sure it was just used as a test to make sure the new leaderboard is operational.)
But if dash is real, I don't think I'll be able to keep up with him/her.
@Rich - You can stilll record your miles. (It just won't show up on this challenge - but there are other challenges for the Winter.) Just click on Endomondo at the top of this screen. Then, click on New Workouts in the green area of the top of that screen.
For the challenges, one substitute that a lot of us are on for the Winter is: http://www.endomondo.com/challenges/13586751
Been commuting all winter in Madison, Wisconsin - except for one Monday that was way below zero F - and it would nice to record the miles as a perk. But Endomondo stopped allowing any recording since January 1. Too bad. Could be some persuasive evidence that biking is a viable option, even in frigid, icy weather (using studded tires) throughout the year.
Rich Moriarty
@Carl - That's some serious riding!
2013 was a great year on my bike did 12633 miles my goal was 5000 last year started on april 1 did 208 days on my bike with out a day off this year started on jan 9th -16 coldest day i ever rode my bike and it was a good ride got a new bike 4 winter a fat tire bike and i'm loving it rides nice little bit slow but that is ok
Everyone in Wisconsin who is still biking, be sure to sign up for the 2014 Winter Bike Challenge! Winter Bike to Work Daywill be Feb. 4, in honor of the coldest day on record in Wisconsin (-55, Couderay, Feb. 4th,1996).
http://www.endomondo.com/challenges/13577037
Jaime,
Keep up the good work. I have only missed 8 days since July 1, due to my daughters basketball requirements. I also commute 8.6+ miles every day regardless of the weather. So far -18 degrees F. has been the coldest commute. This is my first winter commuting. I also do as much shopping and errand running as possible on my bicycle. I live to cycle.
Just finished my last miles for 2013. Did 2000 more miles this year than last year. I want to do even more for 2014.
i've only missed 8 days since April 23. Those 8 days were October 1-8 when I had the bike in the shop for a tune-up, and I went to Las Vegas to visit my mother.
Jaime: I commend your effort and perseverance in the great outdoors. I just started riding in April '12 and chose to set goals of riding everyday for at least 10 miles. Riding inside allows me to do that with my schedule. I've missed one day of riding since May 1st.
Dave, Benji, and Craig: all of my miles this month have been outside in the cold, snow, salt, and ice. I rode to work this morning. It was so cold that my bike computer thermometer stopped registering a temperature. But I passed a bank that read -7 on its sign.
It looks like the website is experiencing technical difficulty. My mileage isn't totalizing as I log. My points aren't changing on the leaderboard. I noticed this a couple days ago when I had to delete and re-enter them to get my total mileage to change. This makes me wonder how often this has happened in the past.
I'm inside too, on rollers...... Benji and Craig, you are my December nemesis! It's all good!
Benji,
yup I'm spinning inside. Rest assured I'm doing some hammering on the pedals and the HR is way up there and several times a week I'm doing a long ride, but it's all inside.
So I spend 3-4 hours a day pedaling on washboard ice roads covered in greasy snow in teen and single digit temperatures, only to find out Craig is spinning inside?
I managed to log in 3 miles last night despite the sleet and freezing rain. I still have logged in miles everyday in this month. Tommorrow will be a challenge with the upcoming snowstorm!
Rode to work this morning a 0 degrees. It wasn't too bad if you're properly dressed up. I've yet to enter my miles, but I have ridden every day this month at least 1 mile so I qualify to earn 20 points per day. I hope to ride every day this month.
just got a fat tire bike so i will b on it to work
It is funny after a week of ridding with temps below 10 degrees this AM at 19 almost felt like summer. HA.
26.8 miles in blowing snow today. Where have all the other cyclists gone? It's gorgeous out there until the plow comes to pass you...
4 hours on the bike indoors this morning rocking to some tunes. Need about 30 degrees warmer to be outside.
-8F windchill without factoring in the riding speed this morning. Bike commuting just doesn't feel like a smart activity right now.
The weather has been good but the cold is coming-I am off for a little while I think.
Did a 20 mi road ride yesterday, hadn't been on the road bike since late Oct. Hi 30's with a SE wind that was 10 ish mph. Not bad for this time of year.
I rode every day in December so far... hasn't been too bad weatherwise
I ski on Sunday, ride on Monday ;-)
Rode home from work this morning, posted my mileage, checked the leaderboard. So far I am the only person in Wisconsin to ride in December. Looks kinda empty on the leaderboard page and a little spooky.
After not getting to ride for over a month, I finally got to ride a quick 21 miles this morning.
@Steve - It looks like it was beautiful! Very impresive history.
I rented a bike and rode 9 miles last week on top of the ancient city wall of Xi'an China during my trip. http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/shaanxi/xian/citywall.htm
Anyone else going to the Winter Bike Seminar tonight? https://www.facebook.com/bikecollective
Congrats Craig. That's a crazy good number?
Finally realized I hit 10,000 miles for the year several weeks ago. Maybe with indoor riding I can hit 11,000 by Dec 31.
Keep going many great days so far.
Outstanding Jose, well done!
wow Jose that is great i put a lot of miles in to we still got some good days to ride and i sure hope to see that u r back next year
@Jose - Congratulations on the great accomplishments!
At 320lbs I logged in enough miles to take 12th in the corporate challenge in 2013...I bet I can do better next year in both rank and overall miles so fat this year I have 1100 miles and over 600 since I was put on to Endomondo!
Biking Volunteer Help Needed - If anyone is in Milwaukee County or a surrounding area, and you would like to have a good excuse to get a bike ride in, here is your chance. We are looking for another lead biker to help lead a 15K running event on Saturday, October 26th, starting at 9 a.m., at the Italian Community Center, near the lakefront. The riding is pretty easy, as you will average just over 11 miles per hour, and as a benefit, you get a long-sleeved technical shirt, and afterwards, carbonated beverages at the Ale House. It is fun! If interested, please email me at: runmil @ juno.com (without the spaces), and I can give you more specifics. You could do as little as 9.3 miles, as you would be following another lead biker, or ride the course beforehand, to familiarize yourself with all or part of it. The run is the Lakefront Discovery Run, and is sponsored by the Badgerland Striders Running Club. It is a themed event, with many runners in costume, so it is a fun atmosphere.
@Paul - Great point. And to put it in perspective, our 3.559 million came very close to equaling the total of the only other states to make 1 million! Pennsylvania's 1.397 million plus Nebraska's 1.163 and 1.110 for Ohio, only came out to 3.670 million. It took 3 states together to be 3% more than Wisconsin. So, kudos to us!
I realize this is a bit late for this post, but in looking at the "News" feed to the right, I thought it would be worth pointing out that, although WI came in 3rd in pts/citizen, we did come in #1 in the total number of miles ridden by a single state at around 3.5 million. Kudos to all those who helped make that happen! On to the end of 2013 and to a new opportunity in 2014.
Sometimes it is all a head game but ride for the passion and forget the wanna-be's
Hey Jeff Schimpff - Please keep your political ranting to yourself or some other site. This is not the place for such comments. Thanks.
Hey, Mike,
Don't waste time looking at the DNR for cheating at cycling. Some of them ride for 45 minutes at lunch time most every day, in addition to year-'round commutes, weekend rides and pedaling across Madison to go shopping. Take a look instead at the Walker appointees who awarded a half million dollars a year to an unqualified pack of political hacks.
thanks paul & kurt and Kurt i do work we just went back on 10 hr days was riding to and from work 50 a day but now that we r on OT i got to get up at 3 to just ride 8.50 to work and my wife has been great she tells me to get out and ride u knows i like it was a big time runner bad knee so this is the first year i pushed my self in 5 years wanted to see what i still had at 55 happy with what i still could do did a all day ride of 225 miles and 12 days in a row of 100 + miles want to try to hit 12000 by the time the snow gets here and get a little bow hunting in happy biking
I think there needs to be an investigation of the Wisconsin DNR section...looks like major cheating going on.
http://wheelfeverbook.com/
I met these authors last weekend. Their book is about history of bicycles in Wisconsin. Check it out if you get the chance.
I finished the Bike Challenge with just over 5,900 miles/8300 points including 16 - 100+mile rides. Also did 7 races - won 3, placed in age group 2 x. Was a good summer of riding.
Old Guys Rule.
we're #3!
Excellent job Jaime! Glad to hear the bike is getting some TLC.
late-should do this again!
Just made it to Platinum! Looked like a cinch on Thursday, but I had many obstacles thrown in my way for the weekend!
I rode all 153 days in the bike challenge (plus a week before the challenge). This will be my first day off the bike since April 23. I broke 4 spokes on my rear wheel in September including on Sunday when I was attempting to fill the entire passport in the Milwaukee County Parks Oak Leaf Discovery Tour in one day. I rode about 70 miles when the spoke broke as I was crossing Howell on Rawson Ave. in Oak Creek. I managed to get to Falk Park on 20th & Rawson to get the keyword before heading up on a wobbly wheel to 27 & Oklahoma to catch a bus home. I filled 18 out of 24 stamps, missing Boerner Botanical Gardens, Wehr Nature Center, Greenfield, McKinley, Lake and Riverside Parks.
Yesterday I limped my bike 2.3 miles from work to the Brookfield Wheel & Sprocket. I getting a new rear wheel and chain, and my 2nd "annual" tune up this year. I'll be without a bike for a week. But that's ok, I'll be going to in Las Vegas Friday to Tuesday vising my mom.
It looks like I made my "burlap" award of 6666 points for the challenge, which means 3060 points for the days and 3606 milles. When I get my bike back, I hope to get to 10,000 points by the end of the year.
Carl, those are some insane numbers!!! Kudos...do you do anything else but ride? ;-) I am at 4600 (4115 for the NBC) for the year and am aiming at 5000, but you take the cake. If my wife ever complains about my riding, I will have you as a good example of "it could be worse"! Enjoy the rest of the riding year everyone...fall is one of the best times to be on a bike.
Congrats Carl. Your miles were impressive!
what a fun summer i set my goal at 5000 did much better then that i hit 10594 and had a great time riding still not done and made some new friends along the way i will b back next year
@Roddi - Congratulations on Burlap!
Well Done Everyone! Stick around for the last 3 months of the year. You can still log your miles, post messages, and see where you end up.
This being my first year in the challenge I think I did very well. I now have scores to do better for next year. I also made burlap for this year. It has been a very fun Summer I look forward to next years challenge.
Well Done Wally!
@Marty - Thanks, I have made the goals I set at the beginning of the challenge. Woo, Woo, I made burlap.
@Wally - Burlap is very flexible, so it is whatever your individual goal or goals are.
We biked the "400" trail in south eastern WI, and we really enjoyed the trail, the weather was great.
How many points for burlap? I must have missed that post.
Way to go Bob & Kevin. It looks like I'll miss burlap, but only by a little.
Diamond with 2 days to spare!
@bob. Good job, it has been fun chasing you all this summer in Cudahy.
Woo Hoo! with two days left I made Burlap!
Only 2 days left and I am happy to say I met my goals for this year. Averaged just over 27 miles a day and just over 46.6 pts per day for WI. Hopefully the weather will stay nice so we can all ride well into the Fall without having to bundle up too much. Ride safe, have fun.
@Debra - They must have updated it since you posted, since it looks good to me. You had 48 rides for 960 points, and 897 miles, for a total of 1,857 points. That is what they show on the leaderboard for you.
Whats up? Yesterday it updated my points for the month and miles for the week, but did not touch my total points. Anybody else notice that? As of today, still no update on total points.
Very dense fog out in the country this morning! 5.6 miles to the coffee shop in the blind. Return was nice. I will easily get to Platinum, but am running over 100 miles behind last years total.
@Jamie - I wish it were that easy. Luckily, it looks like they will only gain a fraction of a point today, but they are still just under 5 behind with 5 days left. Pretty scary.
@Marty, tell all of those who have signed up for the challenge and have no points to get off their duff and crank out some miles!!
In 5 days time, Nebraska gained 5 points on us, (average of 1 pnt per day), so they are 9 up for the month - but more importantly, they are only 5 points behind us for the entire Challenge, with 6 days to go. (less than 1 point per day)
@Kevin - One reason could be that someone entered some of a month's rides during the following month.
@John A MacDonald do you get more notice in Canada because of your name? Are you related to the first Prime Minister of Canada, Sir John A. MacDonald?
Anyone know why when I add up monthly point totals for May - now they differ (sometimes substantially) from the Challenge Period point totals? I'm talking ~500 point differences...
Ill take the cold as it seems I can ride longer but need more warm-up. Going to ride this weekend in Canada-Logging the miles.
In western Wisconsin is 48F at the bank thermometer this morning, and strong wind out of the south, I took the valley route to work to avoid a head wind, 72F later today for ride home good Autumn ride. The trees are just like just like Nyla talked about in pervious comment.
Perfect Autumn Welcome in my corner of Wisconsin.. blue sky, crisply fragrant air, translucent sunlit greens shifting toward gold and scarlet
Irresistible….Come Out and Pedal…Come Out and Play!
My riding has been severely limited due to the early sunset and all of the school activities that start up for my kids. I was riding alnist every day and now I'm cut doen to a few times per week, if I'm lucky.
I was going to Century at the Maywood Earth ride but a wedding came up. :( See You next year.
Riding the Maywood Earth Ride tomorrow - good for a bunch more miles!
I must be more of a fair weather bike commuter than I thought:
> 60 T-shirt, shorts
50-60 T-shirt, windbreaker, shorts, sweat pants
40-50 T-shirt, sweater, windbreaker(pull hood-up), shorts, sweat pants, light gloves
30-40 T-shirt, sweater, windbreaker(pull both hoods up) , shorts, sweat pants, light gloves, coffee at work
20-30 long sleeve shirt, sweater, windbreaker(pull both hoods up) , shorts, sweat pants, light gloves, coffee at work
< 20 Get a ride to work :-)
I will be doing the Lakes & Leaves ride in Summit WI. on Saturday. I signed up for the 38 mile ride. I hope it will be nice biking weather and that a lot of Challenge riders will be there.
Even though Nebraska is ahead of us for the month by about 4 pts/1,000, we're still ahead (in Second place to Vermont) for the full Challenge by about 13, with only 11 days to go. So, if we could keep the bleeding to a minimum, we'll be ahead of them enough the last day or two of the month, to stay ahead. (We need to be ahead by at least three before the last day, as they tend to have more riders catch-up at the end of a month.)
Wow, you all are committed riders. I'm more of a fair weather bike commuter:
> 60
I like to use an extra head band for covering my face instead of a balaclava or a scarf. I find it is easier to take on and off as needed and like Jamie a hat covering the top of my head is almost always too warm
I found a scarf was too warm for me at 12 degrees this past winter. It was appropriate on the day it was 5 below zero last January. Also wearing a hat under the helmet was too warm at 38 degrees. It needs to be under 30 degrees for a hat. I get warm too easily while riding, so I find it t-shirt weather as low as 50 degrees. Gloves are required at 45 or below.
@Jim & @Mary - Thanks for the nice detailed lists!
I did forget at 20-30 i put on face covering.
On the clothing layering strategy, here's mine. I'll stick with Jim's temperature ranges.
60 and up - T shirt and skirt or rolled up pants (I try to change at work as minimally as possible). Fingerless gloves
50 - 60 T shirt or sleeves, depending on how close to 50. Fingerless gloves
40 - 50 Pants, rolled down, medium weight jacket, fingered gloves
30 - 40 Same as above, add wool base layer shirt
20 - 30 Same as above, add wool socks and beanie hat under helmet
10 - 20 Same as above, Add wind-proof shell over pants and switch to windproof fleece-lined jacket or add second layer of wool, and some toe warmers for the piggies.
Below 10 - add balaclava and ski mask. Switch to insulated lobster mits. Carry coffee...
Now that cold weather is starting I thought I'd share my clothing layering plan
60 and up T shirt and shorts
50-60 Jogging pants, long sleeve t
40-50 Jogging pants, T shirt, windbreaker, head band closer to 40
30-40 Jogging pants, long sleeve, wind breaker, head band
20-30 jogging pants, t shirt, wool socks, under armor, long sleeve, wind breaker
10-20 jogging pants, under armor pants, under armor shirt, long sleeve, sweat shirt
below 10 two pair nice socks one wool, everything above
Due to my diabetes and Raynauds I wear gloves below 50. below 40 I start to layer many gloves.
what do you do?
Mark your calendars for Fair Share CSA's Bike the Barns outside of Madison! We had a fantastic food and farm visits (and we were happy to see some rain!) along with an amazing fundraiser for affordable and the highest quality of food for people that want to make it part of their family's life. more info at http://www.csacoalition.org/our-work/bike-the-barns/
Lake Geneva Cross race was great today as well. What a venue!
The Lake Geneva TriRock was awesome! Personal Best of 28 miles in 1 hr 30 min! Pretty hilly, but fast course
If you haven't been to the national page you should go to see Jerry's photos from the flooding in Colorado. Quite destructive.
Got ya John. Yep it is cool to go down the rail trail "tree tunnels" with the lights. Might try using a headlamp as well to broaden the scope.
Didn't see any bike counters on the Oak Leaf in MKE, but did see some Feds getting ready to shock fish in the Little Menomonee River today by Appleton Ave.
Sand Hill cranes everywhere on this morning's ride out of Delafield - strolling on lawns, flying through the air, calling out in their strange, wonderful vocies. I probably wouldn't ahve seen one of them if I'd been in car and not on a bike.
@Nick - You can read about the Madison Bike Counts on our blog: http://wisconsinbikefed.org/2013/08/27/volunteers-needed-city-wide-bicyclist-and-pedestrian-counts-in-madison/
I encourage you to subscribe to our blog to keep updated on the counts and other Wisconsin bicycling issues!
As I was biking the long way home in Madison yesterday, I kept seeing folks at various intersections with clipboards scribbling things down as cyclists would pass. Finally I stopped and asked one of them what they were doing, it turns out they were volunteers for Wisconsin Bike Fed doing a "bike count." Anybody know any more details, is it just something Bike Fed does every so often to get numbers on how many cyclists there are out there?
@Michael - I have fun riding with lights. You never know what is behind those glowing eyes as you approach them. I saw one cat, one fox and two deer. Thankfully, no skunks.
I ride an old steel Schwinn so I am declaring today Diamonds and Rust day for me. HA 5009 points
@Jaime - Your statistics are all accurate, but i think that the current method - points per 1000 residents is still the most accurate way to compare cities and states of different sizes.
The two big goals of the Challenge are to get a certain number of riders, and have those riders ride at least a certain number of miles. To that end, they gave 20 points per day ridden, to encourage each person to be out there more days than they otherwise would have. (I'm guessing that has gotten you to ride every day so far, and it certainly has gotten me to ride more than I would have otherwise.)
Using miles per rider is only half of the picture. The other half is how good a job the prople in that state were at recruiting riders for the Challenge. So, even though Vermont is a distant 3rd of the 3 states you listed in terms of miles per rider, they have done a much better job comparitively than either Wisconsin or Nebraska at recruitment. In fact, their recruitment rate is almost equal to Wisconsin and Nebraska combined! And, since number of riders is one of the goals, they should be commended (and rewarded) for doing such a great job recruiting such a big percentage of their population.
If the contest were miles per rider, then there would be a tendancy to not invite riders who only rode a little bit, or were new to the sport, as they would drop your state's average.
Using your method, a state like Hawaii could win by a landslide. If the bike shop owners there all talked to each other, they could recruit only those riders who ride lets say 500 miles a month or more. The average miles per rider would be well over 3 or 4,000, so they would win, but we would be much further from both of our goals.
First commute with lights last Sat. Did run into a pack(family) of raccoons on the trail coming home. Quite the scramble!
@Marty, the point system is a stacked deck. Vermont doesn't have many people, so a rider can log 1000 points and it'll weigh 10 times more than a 1000 points from a rider in Wisconsin. Wisconsin has logged 20% of the total miles of the entire challenge compared to 3% for Vermont. A better way to compare how Wisconsin is doing is to divide the total miles by the number of riders participating in each state.
Vermont has 1431 riders logging 509,383 miles for an average of 355.96 miles per rider. Wisconsin has 6997 riders logging 3,154,579 miles for 450.83 miles per rider. Nebraska btw averages 517.58 miles per rider. Now I don't now how many total points each state has, but if it were divided by the number of riders in each state, Wisconsin would not be so far behind.
I don't really care about trying to get Wisconsin to surpass Vermont. It's futile. Even all the riders at Trek, who have 911 riders involved vs 1431 for Vermont, and have 660,000 miles vs 509,000 for Vermont, cannot do anything to help surpass WI over VT. I'm not going to ride any harder nor futher than I have done so far. All I care about is to ride all 153 days in this challenge, and get to 6666 points (my burlap).
@Adam - For the states and communities, the points are based on the total population of that area. If you had a state with 100,000 people in the general population, then if you rode 20 miles and earned a total of 40 points for that day, then your state would earn 0.4 points per 1,000. If your community had 10,000 people in it, they would get 4 points for your efforts that day.
On Wisconsin!!! I still don't get how the point system works, but the have only traveled like a third of wisco! It looks like a good weekend to ride... In Arizona!
@John & @Roddi - That's the spirit!
@ Marty No we can't let that happen peddle on WI. Let's show Nebraska we deserve a 2nd place finish.
Let's go Wisconsin Let it all hang out
Nebraska is starting to make things a bit uncomfortable for us. They are ahead of us by almost 3 pts/1000 this month. If things stay the same, they could pass us by the end of the month for 2nd Place Overall. We can't let that happen!
Door county century today, great ride
Suddenly, my miles aren't counting in the challenge anymore. What is going on? I show zero miles for September, but my profile shows my rides?
@Marlene - Welcome!
If you did any riding beforehand, you can put those in, all of the way back to May 1st, and they will count for your overall points. (They will just not add up in the old months, but will still count to help us compete against Nebraska, our closest competitor for 2nd Place.)
You get one point for every mile you ride, and 20 points for each day that you ride at least 1 mile.
Welcome Marlene. I wish you wind at your back both ways at least.
http://wisconsinbikefed.org/2013/09/04/oak-leaf-discovery-tour-one-day-bike-challenge/
For those waiting for a more official ride than mine to ride the Oak Leaf. Discovery one day tour is above. My ride this year was wonderful. Awesome weather great time only one chain broke. See you next last Saturday in August for my ride next year. :-)
Well, it's the fourth of Sept. and I just joined the challenge. Fun! Wish I could go home from work and ride-pefect cycling weather!
@Steven - More hill training certainly will help, but working on your electrolyte needs will eliminate the cramping/spasms.
Love hill training and it does really work on the distance. This month is going to shatter records as I am going to be biking 6 days a week.
Did the Wright Stuff yesterday, my first century. Unfotunately had some bad cramping/muscle spasms @ about 75 miles so ended up bagging the last "loop" and only doing 85 miles. Note to self - more hill training needed for this.
my polar heart monitor still wont work with my iphone 4S
It use to!
Any suggestions!
It works with my other bike computer!
So upsetting!
Help
The new update
70 in 5 hours and 12 minutes
My first flat tire today in 3,000 miles! Not a simple thing with an internal hub.
Yikes!!!!! Almost got taken out by a Harley on the way home last night while on the Hank Arron. She mis-judged the curve on the bridge over the tracks and hit the curb launching the bike on its side right at me. I was able to swerve and avoid her and her sliding bike. She's got a nasty case of road rash and her bike is pretty busted up. LET'S BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!
@Jim I'm going to be at work on Saturday, so I'll have to miss it.
The links to the Bike Challenge Jersey (Mt. Borah's site) on this website need to be updated.
Mr Carl Morrison we need to ride from Northern Wisconsin to Lacrosse and S.E. Wisconsin and back-October and a 3 day weekend?
OK-Two days off and then two large rides-are you ready lets do this.
https://www.facebook.com/events/322106994572545/
Is my facebook event if you wanna sign up. This is my Endomondo route, which came out to over 70 miles last year when we did it.
@jaime the bike fed was working with Bella Donna's on this but I don't see anything on their site http://thebelladonnas.org/ . We are still planning on meeting at Lakeside Pub Saturday Morning and be on the road around 8:00. Right now I have 4 riders leaving from there. Last year we averaged about 12 MPH, with plenty of sight seeing/watering hole stops. Estabrook Beer garden sucked a lot of time. HA
Yeah, it was hot today!
@Jesse - Yes, see the National message board for the temporary fix.
My uploaded rides are not counting towards the Bike Fed Wisconsin Bike challenge points any longer. Is this happening to anyone else using a Garmin?
I thought I read on this forum earlier this month from Jim Franzen that the Bike Fed was planning a one day Oak Leaf Discovery Tour on September 15. Is this true? I would like to do a ride where I fill out the entire passport of 25 locations in one day. I'd do it this Saturday, but if the Bike Fed is running the ride on the 15th, I'll wait for then.
Depending on which trail you are talking about - Hank Aaron or Oak Leaf, or another, I would suggest reporting it to either the state or Milwaukee County.
I saw a red convertible hot dogging it on the bike trail behind 1st street along the railroad tracks. That's the third time I've seen a civilian vehicle using it like a shortcut. Perhaps some signage is needed.
@Kathy - See my response below, after you asked the same thing on Friday. Another option might be to ask on the National Board, but that won't fix the problem. You are still better off bring the problem to their attention, and having Endomondo fix their issue.
Does anyone have the the polar Bluetooth heart monitor and use with iPhone 4S
Mind stopped working with this app!
It works on my spinner bike so I no it's not the monitor!
Any suggestions???
Very cool, Andy. I think I'll try to talk some others into it next year.
Sarah, this was my 3rd year and every year the ACT ride gets better. Hope you will be back next year.
@Kathy - I would mention this to Endomondo. There was recently an issue with Garmin's not downloading, and that was just fixed. Either go to Toolkit/Support, or (for a much quicker response), email [email protected]
Does anyone have the the polar Bluetooth heart monitor and use with iPhone 4S
Mind stopped working with this app!
It works on my spinner bike so I no it's not the monitor!
Any suggestions???
@Andy Nowak, yes, that was me on the discarded and snatched up Raleigh. Whoa, good guess! I agree, the ACT volunteers were fantastic- both helpful and very friendly. I heart them.
Riding all over the metro Milwaukee area for years, mostly at rush hours, I can honestly say that the drivers are pretty tolerant. That's not to say I haven't had ugly encounters, but by and large it's pretty good. In fact while fixing a flat in Enderis park tonight a person walking their dog asked if I needed any tools. I have though about making a sign for my rack that says "Driver has concealed permit"
I know that well, Marty. When I had to use West Allis main streerts to get to work a few years ago it was like a daily death wish and get-insulted fest. But the residential neighborhoods - as least west of 84th - aren't bad at all. Ride safe!
@Carol - In the 20 years I lived in Wauwatosa, I only encountered one rude driver there. Here, I can easily equal or exceed that amount every day.
Marty, that's why I try to avoid riding in West Allis.
I love my adopted city of West Allis - home to the most bicycle friendly residents in the state.
This morning, at 5:30, an exemplar West Allis driver had to go into the fast lane, because I was using the slow one, (while wearing flashing lights and a reflective vest). So, not only did he have to expend an exorbitant amount of energy to move the steering wheel an inch counterclockwise, and back again, but then he had to use his other arm to bring his index finger to the window button, and hold the button down until his passenger window was also down, therefore assuring none of his words would be lost to the interior of his immediate surroundings.
After this exiguous energy expenditure, causing him to almost reach exhaustion, he felt the exigency to exhort to me exactly what he thought of my exercise choice. Unfortunately, what he yelled out his window opening as he was passing was not the least bit exegesis to me. So, I execrated an excoriate in response, making sure I ended with and exclamation.
(Please excuse all of the ex- prefex words in the above. Every day is an experience in good old West Allis.)
James: Welcome aboard! 20 points/ every day miles are logged + 1 point for every mile ridden. Today I get 30 points: 20 for commuting in 10 miles and no points for going home as I blew out both tires when I was almost to work and my second spare tube has a slow leak so I'm having someone take me home ;-(
Just joined -- hi everyone! See you out there! Are points= miles ridden?
@Bob - Another nice thing about Burlap, is that it is more flexible than the other levels. For me, Burlap is 6,500. For you, it could be 7,500. And, if you reach Burlap at 7,500 with time to spare, you can always change your personal Burlap level to 7,777.
So..... how many points to achieve Burlap? 7500?
Ok, I'm over 6,000 points now what? Guess I'm like Matthew and need a new challenge. Have done 15 rides of 100 miles or over 100 miles this summer and will do another one this weekend.
Burlap is:
More Buoyant than Bronze
Stronger than Silver (When comparing strands of the same weight)
Greener than Gold (Renewable, whereas extracting gold takes an incredible amount of energy and resources)
More Pliable than Platinum
More Darnable than Diamonds (If there is a flaw in a diamond, it can't be fixed, but a burlap sack can be.)
So you see, burlap is better than any of those other levels.
@Matthew - Have you tried going for burlap?
I reached diamond today. :) There needs to be a new point goal. I'll have to come up with something for myself.
Sarah were you the girl riding by herself on the old school bike and finished the entire route?
Sarah, yes it was getting warm, the organizers and volunteers did a very good job with plenty of well stocked rest stops.
@Andy - It was a great ride, indeed. Beautiful day, but it did get a bit hot by the end. At least that's how it felt to me : )
Ahnapee Trail Century today, was a great ride, weather.
I just keep plodding along with my 10.6 mile commute 6 days a week with extra miles when I can. I am still 100 miles behind last year! I hope for a long, warm Fall.
@Brant - Its beautiful up there!
My wife and I had a great evening bike ride yesterday on the Bolder Jct. bike trail. We saw lots of wildlife on this trip.
@CJ - per your request, here is the Sun Prairie to Meno Falls route
It is on MapMyRide
Search under:
2013 Promises to Keep Triumph Tour Leg 2 - Sun Prairie to Menomonee Falls
Head's up Portage WI area riders, County Road F east of town has a 1000 yard or so section being redone over this week, next week, possibly the week after. It's down to gravel road bed now. So, if you formerly liked to loop CX - Currie - Clark - F - 33, you're out of luck or walking your bike in the ditch for the next couple weeks. County says they're paving next week, so at least it will be paved instead of rendered useless until next spring like County O.
Looking forward to riding tomorrow and Friday up in the Manitowoc/Two Rivers Area. If you haven't ridden the Mariner Trail and through Point Beach state park it is really pretty and home to some of the GREAT hamburger places in the Nation. Late's BBQ, Bud WIllmans, and the The Dugout are my three favorite places.
@Nyla - Too bad you don't have any thoughts about the subject. I brought it up with them last year, when the 1st split happened, and again this March and April. They said it couldn't happen, but really, all it would take would be another level with one or a few more lines of code.
Paul is right about the sub-groupings. It is confusing for everyone. In fact, if you look to the right at the 7/3/13 note, Wisconsin Bike Fed even used the wrong numbers when they posted their note. I think the worst part is not being able to post a message to a 1/3 of our fellow Wisconsinites, unless we do it on the National page. And I'm sure those right on the border of the Fox cities area would get the most frustrated, not being able to post a note about a local event for someone only 5 or 10 miles away.
Nyla, there are some groups in WI that have a separate "Local" page. I think there is a Fox Valley one and one at Kimberly-Clark. Those miles go into the national state totals but not the "Local" WI state totals. I know that this is confusing and I am not a big fan of the subgroupings within a state. If you want to know your true state ranking for all of WI, you have to check the state ranking on the national page. But that is how things are organized this year. I hope this makes some sense. And I hope they figure out a better strategy next year.
I'm confused: My Wisconsin home page shows Wisconsin at about 1.7 million miles, with 4388 riders . National leader board shows Wisconsin at 2.5 million with 6928 riders. Why the huge discrepancy?
Wisconsin just passed 2.5 million miles a few hours ago! The second place state, Pennsylvania, will be reaching 1,000,000 in about 5 days.
@ Craig - Very Nice! Would you mind sharing your route from Sun Prairie to Menomonee Falls? That's my home town and I've been looking for a good route to bike there. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
@ Craig... You are my hero! Congrats on the rides.
I did the "Ride With Leinie" bike ride in Land O" Lakes, WI today. I don't race so I did the 40 miles in less than 5 hours. Some of thoes hills were quite the challenge. I am use to a flatter ride so the hills were a big challenge. It was a fun ride and I will do it again.
Am participating in the Triumph Tour - Friday we biked from Ashwaubenon (Green Bay) to Sun Prairie (Madison area) - 144 miles. Today we biked from Sun Prairie to Menomonee Falls - 82 miles. Sunday we bike back to Ashwaubenon - 110 miles. That's 3 long rides with about 50 real fun people.
I will have to say that I am super stoked that I picked up cycling! I never would have thought I would cycle over 2,000 miles or do a 90 mile race! Im Awesome!!!
@Jim... I am seriously considering!
@ Brian... Congrats on the riding this year!
@brian. Great job. Good riding this year.
@Adam 8 AM from Lakeside Pub in Cuday at Layton and Lake Drive.
Well at around 17:30 today August 9th I will have 5000 points, Three days past my goal of hitting this by 8-6. I had three days of non riding on my bike in July it must be related.
Anyone doing the Race around the lake on the 19th?
@Jim... What time are you planning on leaving for your yearly endeavor? Sounds awesome. I will have to see how the legs are feeling after th 18th.
@Ryan - You're welcome! It is amazing how many events are out there.
Jim and Marty, thanks for the touring information. I have found some rides in my area that I might take up.
Debra F--great practices to start up! It is amazing how much you can get done on a bike. You know you have arrived when you start feeling guilty when you drive for short errands! ;-) And log those miles...they do add up!
@Debra - Good going! That's exactly what the NBC is designed for - to expand our biking horizons.
I usually ride only for exercise, but joining this challenge, I find myself taking the bike out for smaller trips to the grocery store, sometimes to grab something to eat, and just small errands.
@Carol, I received an email from the bicycle fed after posting my ride on the Yahoo Group Milw BTW. WisBikeFed haven't released details yet but they are working on it now.
@JIm - sounds terrifc! Is info on Bike Fed web site?
The Bike Fed is planning a Oak Leaf Discovery tour right now for 9/15. The more people that want to join in the better for my ride. We are pretty casual on the ride and make a lot of stops and go off course for interesting things. Last year we ran into a 1800 style baseball league. Got way lost somewhere in Greenfield. Lost one rider with 3 miles to go and had to go back and rescue him. If more people are interested in joining our group I will start off at Lakeside Pub in Cudahy. But you can start anywhere you want on the giant circle.
I may join you Jim! Thanks for the share.
@Jim Franzen I looked at your route. Pretty good, but I was thinking of doing a ride to fill out the entire Oak Leaf Discovery Tour passport in one day, which included many parks that are off of your route.
Hey Jim, want me to join you? I was also planning to ride the Oak leaf challenge in one day.
Last Saturday in August is my annual Oak Leaf Challenge. Ride most of the Oak Leaf in one day. This is my route. http://www.endomondo.com/routes/75750024 I am starting in Cudahy and last year this took us 70 miles to do and it was me and two other friends who went in a pack. Got lost plenty, had the time of our lives. If you are on facebook this is my event page. https://www.facebook.com/events/322106994572545/
@Ryan - Check out this site - http://wisconsinbikefed.org/events/
Steve and everyone, where do you find a list of tours/rides in the area. I am from La Crosse and can't seem to find schedules for tours in Wisconsin/Minnesota. The one you talked about in your post is something that would interest me since it supports a cause. Thanks everyone for your contribution.
Great weekend to bike in Wisconsin, especially as part of the MS Best Dam Bike Ride. Pewaukee to Whitewater, Whitewater to Madison. The weather was great and over 1300 riders raising funds for finding a cure to MS. Enjoyed seeing views on bike, which included some hops fields, tobacco fields and lots of corn. Thanks to all the organizers and volunteers, it was safe and fun.
Jut added my miles from a 2 week tour from Bangor, ME to Palmerton, PA 977 miles and man they got some big steep long hills. Beautiful country side and good folks. If you ever get out there prepare for some serious climbing.
Thank you, Steve, for that comforting reassurance. (-: Don’t recognize “gas pipe” term; but it would seem likely to apply to 1972 steel frame?….Apart from a bit of rust it has been superlatively durable, and has taken me many thousands of miles, holding much sentimental value as well.
Nyla, if it's a lower level "gas Pipe" bike they are usually bomb proof. This was thin wall Reynolds 531 and had rust where a previous owner sweated all over the top tube. I had to cut the stem out of the fork when I got it as it was rusted in so bad. Craqcked about 6" back from the head tube right where the rust had been. 10K miles in my hands pounding on the city streets didn't help. Who knows how much use & abuse it took in it's previous owners hands.
My wife and I biked a "county" bike trail today in central wisconsin, we got 11 miles down the trail and decided to turn back, from now on we are sticking to the beautiful state trails and city trails we have......
That's why I had the inside of my trusty steel Bianchi Volpe treated. These Wisconsin winters are tough on my blue buddy.
Oh Dear, Though the rear wheel on my elderly ten-speed disintegrated a year or so ago, bleeding wheel bearings by the roadside, It had truly never occurred to me that the frame itself might be in age-and-wear related jeopardy. Cherished faithful bike seems suddenly more fragile than I had imagined.
@Steve. I feel your pain. I am so afraid of my old friends wearing out or breaking.
Frame broke on the old '87 Trek today! Guess I'll be on the spare.
Nebraska did beat us by just over 5 p/1000 in July, shrinking our hold on 2nd place.
---
As of right now, Wally Olson and Jeremy Johnson are tied in August for the Wisconsin lead, with 51 points! I hope everyone has a good month.
August is a weekly long haul riding event-it will be cool-hope to run into a few of you in the process-Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois
Thanks suggestions, Ken. I do have some group riding expience as I have ridden several times wtih the Ripon cycling teams. Still, I may try to get in a few rides with some other local groups in the next few weeks.
@paul- it is virtually impossible to be a drag on a fast group, you just fall off the back. but seriously, don't have a 90 mile race be your 1st pack riding experience. do yourself (and everyone with you) a favor, and get in some group riding beforehand.
Thanks for the tip, Marty. I will keep an eye out for other suggestions.
Bridget , Welcome! Keep rolling and Enjoy the Rides!
@Paul - I haven't done it, but based on the comments here from last year, you would probably want to be with the 23 mph group, everything being equal. But because many will sign-up for too fast of a group, make it 24. Let's see what those with experience have to say.
I am thinking about doing the Race Around the Lake this year (around Lake Winnebago) in August. I have never really done a race (or any organized ride, for that matter, apart from a few community rides in our area). Is there anyone out there who has done the Race and has any tips/suggestions for a rookie? I am particularly concerned about having to state an average time when registering. Right now when riding solo, I am in the 19 to 20+ mph range on 50+ mile rides, but I know the few times I have ridden with groups (and behind tractors ;-) ), I can go quite a bit faster. I don't want to get in with a group that is slower than me but I don't want to be a drag on a faster one. Thanks in advance for any suggestions anyone may have.
@Bridget - Welcome aboard, and congratulations on the long ride!
First timer--went on my first bike event and rode 30 miles. Am riding 10 miles three days a week on my lunch hour. My goal is to do the Shuttleguy Mississippi River Weekend tour in October.
Great Job, Jenny Stelzner!
I am just shy of 900 miles during the challenge. Last year, I was just shy of 1000 miles at the end of the challenge (ended at the end of August), so at my current pace, I should easily hit 1000 miles this month, and can probably set my goal for 1500 miles in the challenge this year. I think I pedaled 800 miles in the first year of the challenge, so it is really neat to see how each year is progressing!
Oh,LOL!
@Jenny - I was just joking, but it would be a lofty goal, to ride in the Tour de France. Although I've never heard of a woman rider in it. It has me wondering if women aren't allowed by the TDF, or if the top women are a few percentage points slower than the top men? I know with running, the difference is 8-10% across almost all distances, but I know of several women who have won running ultras outright, so the longer the distance, the more equal we are.
@ Marty, what is that?
I was actually thinking of another ride for this year... I'm not a competitive rider, just like those organized rides with the rest stops and food. gotta eat back those lost calories LOL!
Nice job Jaime and Jenny, my daughter does the RW24 maybe next year I will try. I had to use my mountain bike today. Took the road bike out last night and the back tire started to make a weird noise, looked this AM and I have worn out my second bicycle tire now in my 40 years of riding. Al my other tires suffered dry rot. LOL
@Jenny - How about 2014 TDF?
Thanks! Now I need another biking event to set my eyes on.
@Jenny - Way to go!
@Jaime. Good stuff on your RW total! I was on a team of 6. Probably my last as a resident of Riverwest so I was glad to get signed up.
75 miles in the Giurmet Bike Tour today. Was planning to do 55 but changed my mind at the split
I rode 42 laps for 212 miles in this year's Riverwest 24.
Congrats Roddi! I will have to register for the RW24 next year.
Okay some big questions.... Riding in my first race, do I need to bring my patch kit or spare tires? How does this stuff work? I am doing the Ganther race around the lake.... I need some help with this! lol
Saturdays ride put me over 2500 points. I made it to Platinum.
I'm riding in the Best Friends Gourmet Bike Tour on Sunday. It starts in Neenah. Anyone else riding?
Well to all those who are taking part in the RW24, good luck, I really wish I had signed up I see my points lead disappearing soon to those who are racing it. :-)
Rode my single speed to my Weight Watchers meeting. 9.71 miles in 50 minutes.
Going home will be shorter: downhill all the way!
Riverwest 24 in Milwaukee starts tomorrow night. I'm registered as a solo rider. I hope to add over 200 miles to my total between 7pm Friday to 7pm Saturday.
You're right Gina, Cty road E as well as Military Road wouldn't be bad. I don't have contact info for the bicycling group but I know they meet Wednesday nights at Silver Lake Beach. Taking Hwy 33 to Cty Rd U to Cascade Mtn Road was also recommended to me, but again that is driving a bit on a very busy highway and trying to make a left hand turn! My husband called the county and they said they would be brushing off O in 2 weeks, but I don't believe it will be a very nice road to bike on again until after winter when the snow plow makes a few swipes.
Heather, you're right that we're in a pickle for bike friendly roads around Portage right now w/the Cty O resurfacing. I've heard good things about Cty F and Cty E east of town, but you have to take 33 to get out/back to town. CX out to Currie Road to Clark road etc. isn't bad, but you have to be careful of drivers cutting off the corners and veering into your lane. There's supposed to be a local biking group called the Portage Pedalers that may know more, but I'm having a heck of a time finding current contact information for them.
I need advice for bike friendly roads near Portage. They just put loose gravel down on Cty Rd O for about a 6 mile stretch. I ride the levee path in the early morning, but it gets too busy with walkers in the evening. I tried CX, but it was way too busy and no shoulder. Any tips would be appreciated!
Several places in Door County have bike maps for free - NorDoor Cycle & Sport in Sturgeon Bay & Fish Creek is one. Keep your time on 42/57/"A" to the minimum, especially 42 & 57 - but for short distances to small roads they are OK if careful. The "Ride for Nature" the middle of June is great, fun distances for relaxed riders and 50mi/100K/100mi for more serious riders - and the beer festival is at the end of the ride.
Also re Door County riding...their "Door County" magazine sometimes has the "good bike routes map" (or some kind of map) in it. I have ripped them out for riding use from time to time. The magazine tends to be more available than the bike map but the latter can be found in several locations. FYI.
Re: Bike-friendly roads in Door County... Almost all of them! Even highways 42 and 57 north of Sturgeon Bay are reasonable for short connections between smaller roads. Grab a "Fun Map" from the Chamber of Commerce and just go! For a good intro to DC roads, ride the Door County Century. It's traditionally held on the Sunday after Labor Day.
I just registered for the "Ride with Leinie" ride on Sat. August 10 in Land O' Lakes WI. Any one else doing that ride?
Steve Oreck: Do you have a link to access bike friendly roads in Door County. I'll be there in two weeks and am packing the bike. I will be working the Wright Stuff Century. I hope to see you at the Ridgeway rest stop!
Just finished 40.5 road miles through northern Door County. Not a pretty day but high 60s & cloudy makes for comfortable biking. Yesterday going through Peninsula State Park had my "Honor ride Madison" shirt on, got salutes from group of Harley riders going the other way on road - positive reinforcement! Anyone else doing the "Wright Stuff" this September?
@Mike, I saw the same thing and wondered about a ride, too. That is definitely not a good road to ride on!
I ride the Fox River Trail to downtown Green Bay everyday.
All praise for commuting on rail trails, sound off if you commute on them. Anyhoo, does anyone know about a bike ride going through Fond du Lac Co. today(Sat.)? Counted about 10-12 cyclist on St Rd 23 going east from Ripon in separate groups. If I could help it I sure wouldn't want to be on that road.
I bought a tadepole recumbent and have been taking it on short rides. Wednesday was over a 20 mile ride with it. First commuting trip was last night or I should say this morning, it was 3;00 a.m. I rode it back to work at 11;00 a.m. This will be my commuter until the snow flies, just fun.
They don't have this year's information up yet, all of the info is from last year... please keep us updated on the details!
Thanks guys! I ran into the same problem, did the google search but my place of employment also blocks facebook.
yes thank you Kevin. I called The Antigo Chamber and they put me on there mailing list so as soon as there registration form comes back from the printers they will send it to me.
@Jenny- I did a google search. Summt Lake WI, (near Antigo/langlade county) Sept 21.
They have a facebook page but work blocks me so I can give you more details.
Roddi, where is the Lakes & Leaves bike ride located?
Anybody here riding the Riverwest 24 in Milwaukee next weekend?
It's a little far north for me, Roddi.
I am thinking of doing the Lakes & Leaves Bike Ride in Sept. Has any one done this ride?
2 hour bike sprint workout today - 1.5 gallons of water - hot, insanely hot
@Adam - Sorry for your crash. When others aren't paying attention, they can sure mess it up for us.
It is not easy to ride with a broken thumb!!! And why do old men with no shirts, no helmets, listening to their giant headphones do what ever they feel like? Tough crash!
Great riding NE, a "light" zephyr heading back home.
Yes, it is! Thank goodness biking packs its own breeze!
It is HOT out there today.
I was sweating like a dog on my ride into work today.
@Brian Colon, WOW I did 800+ miles last year in August and that is a lot of riding. You are doing Rockstar! I am hoping for 4K by the end of the year. LOL Nice job.
Team DCSSA 2013 ( doorcountysilentsports.org ) is so proud of our leader Carl Morrison!
http://www.doorcountydailynews.com/news/details.cfm
Well getting 5K by Aug 6th is looking pretty good. I'll have 100+ for the week by lunch time on 7-16. I estimate I'll have around 150 for the week. I keep this up and I'll get it before my deadline
Picked up a yellow swim noodle along hwy B on the ride in this morning. What a great day for a bike commute. Not sure if it's the Culvers or McDonalds customers that litter the most...They're closely followed by the beer can chuckers...It's always interesting riding on the rural roads of South Central WI...
Todays ride put me over 700 miles since I started the challenge on May 6,2013.Todays ride was on the Bearskin trail however I went past the 5 mile marker and went to the 10 mile marker. Doing the Bearskin trail can be more than just a ride if one can take the time to read the historical markers along the way it can also be a history lesson.
To the bay view cycling club folks:
Great job organizing the ride on Saturday. It was a lot of fun!
Carol - thanks so much for your nice comments about the Bay View Classic ride yesterday. As many of you know, it is a LOT of work to put one of these events on and it's comments like this that make it ALL WORTH IT!
@Jon - I think all you have to do is go to Download App on the upper right. (And it turns out you can log any previous rides you missed - but may have to do that manually.)
Does Endomondo have an app for iphone? Having trouble remembering to clock record my miles.
Kudos to the Bay View cycle club for another well-run Lake Country Classic ride! They had to work around a nearby running event, but the ride came off without a hitch. It's a beauty. Next challenge - the Scenic Shore 150 next weekend!
Tried a new route today - nice scenery but some surprising unexpected hills - ouch. But, good for the workout. 30 miles at decent speed considering slowdowns for intersections etc.Goal this year is the Wright Stuff Century 9/1.
Just did a 13 mile ride on a bike trail during dusk. Great trail but the bugs were absolutely terrible. I started the ride with a huge bug smashing in the center of my left eye. I'm still glad I went though!
About done training for the Scenic Shore 150 next weekend. Can't wait for that awesome ride. Will be nice adding 150 mile (maybe 175 if I do the century option on day one) to my totals.
Sounds like a fun trip, Jamie!
My dream has always been to organize a Wisconsin loop. At one time in my life, I actually had this all mapped out, what my destinations would be, how many miles each day that I would do, etc. Had strategically used a camping magazine that helped me find camping areas throughout Wisconsin (and I did all of this long before the internet was available). I never took that trip, though. At the time, I was pretty young, and never had buddies that would want to commit to a bike trip like that! But, I still have the vision of doing the trip, although many of the roads are different, and there are many more opportunities to utilize bike paths that were not in existence in the past. I still don't have any crazy riding buddies that would do it with me, though (well I do have one friend, but I think my DH would object).
http://www.todaystmj4.com/features/youask/215007521.html
There is the bicycle story link. They interview Dave and it seems to be pretty fair despite the awful title
All I know is cars don't see me and are not looking for me. I'm always riding defensively and ignore all moronic comments and gestures. :)
Was anyone else hugely annoyed by channel 4's "bicyclists behaving badly" expose (that's what THEY called it) last night? granted, there are plenty ofg stupid cyclists doing stipid things, but i see one bad bicylist/day and at least 10 dumb-to-outright-agressive drivers. Today's top 2: woman talking on cell phone turns left in front of me, yelling "get out of the street, b____!" Man wanting to turn right on red but prevented from doing so by me cycling past on green catches up to me in his car and yells, "I belong on the street, not you!"
What I'd really love to see on tv is cyclists and drivers working well together on Milwaukee streets; that happens lots too.
@Jamie - I went around Lake Michigan in two stages in 2006. First went south from Brown Deer, through Chicago, around the southern end to Michigan City, Indiana and then north to Ludington. Took ferry back to Manitowoc and rode home. Next I went with my wife, she drove, we camped, starting in Manitowoc, going north around the UP and across the Mackinac and finished in Ludington where we took the ferry back to Wisconsin. Details on this trip, and others, at http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/rfriedel.
The route around the south end of the lake was very good, out in the country. The only "iffy" place was the south end of the Chicago Lakefront Trail where you cross the Calumet River. (?) But even that was good because I stopped just byond there for a "Chicago Dog," and met some nice people.
I'm staying at a hostel in Chicago, and with family and friends in Michigan.
@Jamie - I took the LE a few years ago, to bike in the Muskegon area. One thing I was really impressed with was their composite bike bridges. Usually, I like real things, like wood, but these were very smooth, not bumpy like many of the bike bridges in Milwaukee's parkways.(I'm assuming they are also textured enough for riding in the rain.) I'm assuming you're staying in hotels, as when I looked, there just weren't any campgrounds in the greater Chicago area.
Enjoy the trip!
Tomorrow I take the Lake Express ferry over to Muskegon, where I'll ride around the southern part of Lake Michigan back to Milwaukee. About 300 miles over the course of a week.
What would it take for the City to repair the Oak Leaf Trail (south of the Urban Ecology Center) so it's not constantly flooded? I would chip in!
@Brian -- I believe that they're only paving a portion of that stretch for construction vehicles that are working in the area prepping for the Zoo Interchange reconstruction; they will pave it permanently after that work is done (4 years or so).
the folks at the HAST have also just announced that 94-116 will be paved next week. AWESOME
I found that annoying stretch of gravel on the Hank Aaron trail by the bridge has finally been paved over. And not only that, the extension to Mitchell Park has been paved as well. I got to ride it yesterday.
Oops...Marty "UATWAP" Marlin made the same point below. Have not been following the posts as closesly. Sorry for the duplication. (did not know about the K-C group...an nice further clarification, Marty!)
Slight correction to the Bike Fed post from July 3rd. The totals listed there are for the Wisconsin Bike Fed riders...that is not the total miles for ALL Wisconsin riders. The folks in the Fox Valley have their own "local" group. The only way to see the totals for the entire state is to go to the NBC national page click on Wisconsin in the "state" part of the leader board. As of today, we have over 1.6 million miles for all WI cyclists...and even more impressive total! (One more FYI...to get your rider ranking among ALL WI riders, again click on the state of WI on the "National" Leaderboard. Where you come up on that list will be your actual state ranking...it will typically be somewhat lower than the one on the Bike Fed's local Wisconsin page as the Fox Valley riders are included.)
@Jodi - It is amazing all of the places you can get to by bike. You're probably going a lot further than you thought you would before you bought the bike, and come September, you will really impress yourself. (So much so that you won't want to hang it up at 1,600.) Plus, it gets easier, the more you ride.
Thanks Marty!!! I don't know why I waited so long to start road biking...I'm loving every mile of it!!!
@Wisconsin Bike Fed - (Regarding 7/3 message to right)
When you look at the statistics from this local page, Wisconsin isn't all of Wisconsin. It excludes the Fox Cities area, and Kimberly-Clark employees, who both have their own local pages.
To get Wisconsin's numbers, go to National, then Leaderboard, then States, then Wisconsin.
Right now, we are at: 1,584,887 miles, 36,310,560 cal, 585,320 CO2 saved, and $185,839 saved.
@Jodi - You're doing great! I'm betting you'll get closer to 2,000 miles at the rate you are going.
Just bought my bike in May and reached 600 miles today!!! Only 1,000 to go before I have to hang it up for the winter!! Thanks for pushing me to my goal.
Had a great ride this morning with my best friend and wife Lois and my daughter Julie. The weather was great for bike riding.
Today was such a nice day for a ride. I had the day off again and the bike did not want to turn for home. Todays ride was 30 miles. Bike On every one.
@Ann Ony Muss - Welcome to the National Bike Challenge!
Just joined the team! Looking forward to more sunny days and long rides:)
I had a neat ride tonight riding home with the fire flies. No they were not fire crackers. @ Dale this is my first time also. Ride On!
Just wanted to add this is my first doing the challenge and I love. RIDE ON!
@PaulBouffleur - Thanks for the tip! @BrianJamesColon - I guess I'm glad I'm not the only one - that bird is relentless!
@Richard and @Brian - put sunglasses on the back of your helmet... Sounds weird, but keeps the Red Wing Blackbirds at bay (most of the time anyways)
@Chris- Look up O2 rain gear on the net. They are cheap and they roll up nice and small. I have both the upper and lowers. They don't breath well but they are bright yellow so you have good visiblity on the road.
IRIR today! Anyone got any good suggestions for light, *inexpensive* rain pants. They have to be really wide in the sit-down area....!
Hey Richard R Comp II, ME TO
OK-Heading over to Galena IL and NE Iowa for the week and weekend-Lots of long trips planned
The trails over by Layette have unique challenges
58 degrees here in Cudahy this AM. Sigh, I still have my winter gloves ready to go just in case.
Anyone ride the trail behind the MU practice field along the river (Alternate to Canal Street)? There's a red winged blackbird that has dive-bombed me 4 trips in a row now! Be careful if you go that route, it can be very startling to get hit in the head from behind as you're riding!
all this talk about the Hank has me laughing. I ride it almost every day and the only time I encountered glass problems is the area that goes through and near Miller Park, those tailgaters get a little careless. The official FB page of the trail states that it is closed as of July 1. Didn't go by not wanting to have to double back. The Hank is one of mt favorite trails and I eagerly look forward to the complete paving of it in the near future.
@rachel Great job way to ride!
Congradulations Rachel.
Yay! I hit platinum today!
Yup, same points problem!
Cool, thanks guys.
Yup. Miles show on my Home page but not on the Leaderboard, even though it claims to be updating regularly. Go figure.
David, I often have problems where it doesn't give me points for my miles for some time. Occasionally it will take a day before they get calculated. Not sure why it's so troublesome since it shows my miles being totaled up, it just lags with the points calculation. It's different from how the leaderboards are updated periodically. So it's not just you.
anyone else having issues with mileage/points not updating this afternoon?
I have road the gravel part a lot too with no issues. I also stopped and talked with the yutes along the trail and they seemed like pretty good kids. Just having a lot of fun. Well maybe some skulduggery. LOL
Hopefully it's getting repaved, it was actually open today despite their signage and what the worker said last week. They have in fact repaved the corner leading to the bridge, though, so I'm optimistic.
BTW, I've ridden that section on my road bike last season and this one without issue - I've never noticed glass, but never slowed down to check. I guess ignorance is bliss.
@Jerry - Two years ago, I decided to ride that section, but took the first path off of it that I could find, and then quickly checked my tires.
I figured it was a local hangout for tomfoolery, rabble-rousing, skulduggery, bottle breaking, and other sorts of nefarious behavior and hijinks for years by youngfolk and their like.
Yes, they are waiting until the freeway is rebuilt. They didn't want to have to replace it. Good to know there is so much glass. I have not ridden through there either -
I go the long way around it.
@Chris & @Jerry - It will be nice to finally have that section of the Hank Aaron Trail done. The Western section of it isn't supposed to be paved for 2 or 3 years. (And I won't go on that section until then, as it is about 1/2 gravel, and 1/2 glass pieces.)
@Joe - It was nice to see you after all these years, too. Welcome aboard! It looks like you did everything correctly.
Thanks Marty for the heads up on this site. Nice seeing you again. Wonder if I got all my info logged in?
thanks, Chris Olsen for the heads-up about the Hank Aaron closure - I had planned to use it tomorrow, now know to re-route.
@Chris...Great news. It is just rediculus that they left that section gravel. Same goes for the stretch under/along the zoo interchange. As many times as roads are repaved with what appears to be little advanced planning, they can't relay two miles of an ashalt bike path?
Biked the first Cycle the Sun in Sun Prairie WI today. Nice watching something get off the ground and running like that.
@Craig - I'm glad you live in Wisconsin. We need the points!
In California (Manhattan Beach) on vacation so shipped my bike with me. Thursday rode PCH north thru Malibu, Santa Barbara, then to turnaround at Oxnard and back - 120 miles (a little over 6 hours). Friday rode PCH south to Laguna Beach and back - 100 miles, Saturday (today) did 55 miles in the mountains and pretty much shredded my legs. Got and easy 120 miler to do Sunday ....
Had to work today so got my 10 mile commute in the morning but 36 miles home. 3 cheers for taking the long way home!
I have been lucky with the rain, but it is dampening my opportunity to ride tonight.
Rained on repeatedly while riding that last 2 days!
@Paul, I watched the video and it is nothing like that intersection. It is a rural highway going out of town, the interection is a T intersection. The road that I am turning on just goes one way. And, the traffic is not that heavy.
No offense taken, I appreciate all of the feedback and the concern about safety. I had not really considered that my switching to the other side was a safety issue. I was actually doing it to preserve MY safety.
HANK AARON USERS: The gravel area east of the Brewers stadium is being repaved Monday/Tuesday (7/1-7/2) and will be closed.
On a completely different note, I had to be out in Onalaska this morning for a meeting at church, so I had the opportunity to switch it up from the singlespeed cargo bike, to my road bike. It was like riding a missile! Effortlessly cruising along at 20mph felt awesome! Came back home and got the cargo bike for the 3 miles into work felt WAY slow this morning.
Jenny, is it a four way intersection? If so you could always do a Copenhagen Left turn. http://www.youtube.com/watch. Bikes are vehicles and there for should stay to the right of center, unless in a protected bike lane.
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I just read my other post and it sounded kind of snobbish to me, sorry if it offended anyone - I was just trying to help!
Jenny, I am so glad we could exchange thoughts about traffic here publicly in a positive way. Helps to get all of us thinking. Thanks for taking my thoughts in a good way. Whatever we all do be as safe as you can.
Marty, I don't think that a mirror will help in this situation. I still won't have a clear view of both directions of traffic due to the way the incline is situated. But I have thought about using a mirror in other situations. Thanks!
@Jenny - A mirror could possibly help on that hill.
@Charlie, I could try your suggestion, but not very desirable as my turn happens just over the crest of the hill, and I would have to go down the hill on the other side and then turn around and go back up, losing my momentum in the turn. I rode that same route tonight, and I re-examined it from the top of the hill, and I think I may be able to safely see pretty well on both sides from there. There is a small blind spot on the other side, potentially where a car could be hidden, but I should be able to see it fairly quickly as it would be moving along, or maybe I would hear it.
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To be honest, I guess I really don't understand the whole flow of traffic for bikes. We are taught as pedestrians to walk on the opposite side of the road, against traffic. But on a bike we are supposed to ride with traffic. And, yet, if I had been doing that, and a car came from behind me veering off of the road, I could be clipped off without even realizing what was coming in my direction.
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For the most part, I do ride with the flow of traffic, and the spot that I am worried about is only about a 1/10 mile in length, at most. Thanks for chiming in and giving me your thoughts.
yay! I reached my goal for the month to get to 750 points
@Barb - At least that gave you over a mile! (And 21 points)
back to back 75+ mile rides. I think I am ready for the MS Ride
Thought I could get in a ride before the rain started -- thought wrong ;-)
Only made it just over a half mile out before the skys opened up - that was one wet ride back home
I hate t-storms even more when they interfere with my bike ride. But I still got in 6.1 miles.
@Charlie L, @Chris, and @Jenny When we started the Driftless Region Bike Coalition, I was inundated with all sorts of complaints about bad intersections and negative experiences with both riders and drivers. I discovered that the best way to deal with these situations is to do just what Charlie suggested, think about it from the other road user's point of view. Sounds like Jenny might have had an experience with someone who had a bit of road rage on top of things, but the truth of the matter is that drivers do not expect to see a cyclist moving against traffic on the shoulder. Be predictable out there and you'll likely see less of an issue with drivers. That said, there are always jerks out there - on bikes and in cars.
@Charlie L., I've done just what you suggested on numerous occasions. There are times and places where making a left turn in Kenosha, WI is like asking to be hit by a car. I'd rather ride a ways up the road to where I can make a safe left, then double back and make the right. I *did* learn this the hard way, though. That time that my heart monitor said my heart rate was 197 showed me just how scared I was trying to make that absolutely legal left, and how it just wasn't worth saving a few minutes trying to show drivers that, yes, bikes are vehicles in the state of WI!
Ashley, looked up the Raleigh bike tonight looks like a sweet ride, I had to laugh I had the same problems last year with my Schwinn, I wrote on here I needed a new bike and ended up with a 7500 Trek used from a dude from this web site, it is also a awesome bike, congratulations on your new bike and happy riding.
Todays ride was cut short due to t-storms.
Excellent job, Paul. You are my hero!!! This site/program really helps to motivate somebody to keep piling on the miles.
@ Paul Great Job! I will hit 2K points tonight on the way home barring an accident.
Yesterday I hit some noteworthy (IMHO) milestones. First, I hit platinum this year...on to diamond. But the real interesting one is that I have now logged over 10,000 miles since I first logged my first miles in the WI Bike Challenge on May 18, 2011. I know I have done that many miles a few times over in my many years of biking. But this is the first time I have had such an official and on-going record. So keep on plugging...every mile adds up...to better health, a better environment, and lots of fun!
Jenny, just for matter of conversation, wouldn't you have to admit you were in the wrong place for a bicycle? I mean this from a friendly point of view. Thinking as if I were a car (but riding my bike) could you safely ride past your intersection until you could safely turn left and return to your intersection to turn off, then being a right turn? I know what you mean about the major highway. Just wanted to throw out the idea. Also, not responding negatively to motorists has to be the best solution, but more difficult sometimes.
speaking of negative experiences, I had one tonight involving a car. I was riding out of town and up a hill. This is a state highway with a paved shoulder, and my turn-off (left turn) was just on the other side of the crest of the hill, so as I near the top, it is more difficult to tell if a car is coming from the other side or not, so I usually cruise across the road and ride against traffic (on the shoulder) while I can still see both lanes of traffic pretty well. Tonight, after I had made the cross-over, I was riding on the paved shoulder, and an oncoming car was coming, and started to veer off towards the shoulder in my direction. It caused me to swerve off of the pavement and onto the gravel. As I did this, the driver was pointing at me and making some kind of gesture at me, as if I wasn't supposed to be there. This is one time that I really wanted to make a gesture back at him!!! Thought better of it, because I didn't want to be in a situation in which he might try something else stupid.
I really haven't had too many negative experiences while riding my bike. But last year's dog bite was definitely near the top of the list.
@Jenny - Thanks for being so proactive. It is a shame that bad dogs and bad drivers aren't dealt with more severely, as bicyclists seem to be second class citizens.
My one-year anniversary of being bitten by a dog while riding my bike. The dog lives on, and the dogs owners still have not reimbursed me for my medical expenses. However, on the bright side, the dog is not allowed off leash outside of its "kennel", and the owner of the dog is "required" to carry a $1,000,000 insurance policy on the dog, because it is now classified as a "regulated" dog. Whether any of this is actually happening, I haven't got a clue. But, I have done just about everything that I can think of so that no one else gets bit by that monster dog. Not all dogs are bad, it is the responsibility of the owners of the dog to make sure it behaves. So, really, it is not the dogs fault... it is the fault of the adult who did not take control of the dog. Now, stepping back off of my soap box...
Setting up for a crazy 6 days-Is everyone ready for the big push-Let's show them what we all can really do
@ Brant Yes the Bearskin is a nice trail. Some day I would like to do the round trip.
Sure was a nice day to bike today, I biked the "Bearskin" state trail in Minocqua. I did 36 total miles, beautiful scenery with lots of tressel bridges.
@Adam, We leave SSC at 10:00. This weekend it was Me, Myself and I. We did a nice 45 miles and some hill climbing at Bender Park and at the Power Plant in Oak Creek.
@Adam - The calendar shown when clicking the link shows 10 a.m., so that should give you plenty of time to get there.
@ Matt... I could use some new routes! I am not very familiar with the roads up here!
@ Chris... I too am amazed at what pops up on my rides! However, I think the rabbit hole goes pretty deep! lol
@ Bob... Do you know off hand what time they are leaving in the morning? Working nights puts a damper on early rides. Boo!
Thanks, Jenny. I'm glad I'm not the only one. Hopefully it gets updated. I want my 74 miles in the heat and humidity today to be counted. :)
Well, now my morning ride has calculated. It literally took all day, though.
I was thinking the same thing, I don't think the points updated today.
Is it just me or are the points taking a very long time to update today?
Great job Jim...Good to know a fellow old guy can rack up that kind of mileage.
A few years ago, the challenge monthly prizes were only given out to those who were recording commuting miles. So, I was more careful to record them correctly. But, now that the monthly prizes are given to all, now it is just more of a matter of statistics.
2000 miles so far this year hit on Thursday. The girlfriend went with me on a 7 mile ride at end of the day yesterday. Brother in law borrowed a bicycle for me to use on vacation last week. Life is pretty darn good
RE: Commute vs. Sport....I ride to work frequently. On the way there I take a very direct route, which I record as commuting. On the way home, I have a wide variety of routes I take, for variety, wind direction, mood, time available, etc.. None of them are the same as my morning ride. The shortest ride (longer than my morning ride) I would record as commuting. On the longer ones, I put down my morning distance as commuting, and the remainder as sport, although occasionally I put that down as transport if I am running errands along the way. It sounds complicated, but is easy when using the manual entry system.
Flat tires are never fun.
Tonight's ride was a good opportunity to put my thoughts together, I totally agree that riding (and other forms of activity) helps relieve stress and get the brain to think in more abstract ways.
95 pts away from 2500. Can I do it in one day??
Hey Adam, I live in Franklin. I have found some decent routes if you are interested.
Chris@ - To tell you the truth, I had never heard of either before you mentioned him, and have no clue what a head rock band is. Maybe Uncle Wiggily's stories never got to the Milwaukee area because we didn't have telegraph lines here yet when I was growing up.
@Adam! Ride solo! Did you not know that riding a bike has the same effect on your brain as the showers at whatever that hotel chain is? It allows your brain to delve deeply into the mysteries of the universe and turns you into a genius! I love to "watch" the turnings of my brain while I'm riding. I'm often amazed at what pops up!
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@Marty, serves me right for not double checking the Good Uncle's name! I didn't realize it had that extra i in there!
@Adam They are just starting out a goup ride Sat morning from South Shore Cyclery: http://southshorecyclery.com/about/ssc-events-calendar-pg120.htm
I have come to the conclusion that I need to start riding with a group or at least someone on these longer rides.... too much time to think! lol Does anyone know of any group rides in the Milwaukee area (Franklin)?
Chris(tine)@ - Uncle Wiggly was a 1990's era head rock band.
Now, if you're referring to Uncle Wiggily, he was my nephew, once removed. So, I read TO him, when he was young.
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Cindy - I agree with Chris, Nyla, and Jen. If I have my usual communte route for work or transport route to reach a destination, and I veer from that route to either just add miles, or to go through a park, I count the extra miles as sport.
I would say that Nyla is accurate. They give you the "commute" option, my guess is, to make logging those miles easier since you're commuting to work on a regular basis and likely taking the same route every time. But anytime you bike in a situation you normally would have driven, that constitutes a "transport" ride. Additionally, (and this has been verified by a friend who's a PhD in the public planning field and specializes in self-propelled modes of transportation) I would add that a "trip" is every section of your ride that goes from one point to another. Home to work is one trip, but if I stop at the grocery store between work and home that adds a trip. My entire commute in this case would include three trips.
Wisconsin passed Nebraska (-: Keep Pedaling!
I agree with Chris :
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If I DRIVE to the ice cream shop……the car is transportation…..Why would biking to my destination be categorized differently?
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I don’t know precisely how the NBC folks delineate the differences at this point, but the roots of the challenge involved recognizing and expanding the potential of bicycles as transportation, and promoting that perception by encouraging people to utilize bikes not only for commuting to and from work, but for routine errands and recreational pursuits as well..
If I put my butt in a bicycle seat and pedal to a destination., irrespective of the relative frivolity or necessity involved, (and let’s be very clear, ice cream fits the latter category) I count those miles as transport. If I join an organized ride, or simply pedal down the road and home again for the exercise, I count it as sport. In any case, it’s ALL good, and every mile, for any purpose, Counts. Enjoy the Ride!,
Just ordered the new bike today. I have a new Raleigh with my name on it arriving at the local bike shop next week!
@Marty, you crack me up!
@Cindy and Derek, I prefer to think of it as Sport and TranSport. Riding to get somewhere is transport (or commute) even if it's for ice cream. Riding for the sake of riding, is sport. Endomondo and the NBC may look at it differently for this challenge, but that's my take on it!
@Ashley, I'm sorry, but that is so funny! I know it's not to you, but the way you describe it is a riot! Thanks for a great laugh today.
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@Marty, did you read Uncle Wiggly when you were young?
@Cindy - Commute is your ride to work, sport would be more of a fun ride. Even going to get a scoop of ice cream after work counts as sport cycling.
rookie question as i am new to this - what is the difference between commute miles and sport?
@Nyla - Let's be realistic on this message board. Bicycles don't have altruistic feelings. (Although they do have several altruistic tendencies.) ;-)
Ashley,
It is also posssible that your devoted old bike has simply been struggling for some time, and faithfully hanging in there until it knew you would be supported by a new cycle, finally feeling free to relax and fall apart once it was secure that you would be taken care of.
@Ashley - When you clean and wax your new bike, also wax poetically to it. That may help. (Oh, and give it a beautiful or courageous name, and remember to call it by that name frequently. And apologize to it for riding over glass/wire, etc... if it gets a flat.)
@Marty. That is great! Inanimate objects are spying on me. I hope my new bike has a friendlier disposition.
@Ashley - I think your house looked over your shoulder while you posted your comment the other day, and told your bike. If you are ever in the market for a new house, only tell people either in person, or on your cell phone, away from your house (and not on your bike either, as it may want to return the favor).
So the other day, I posted on here that I was shopping for a new bike. I went to the bike store and rode a few bikes.... and I think my old bike found out ....... Yesterday, my front brake bent and seized (I have no idea how this happened because I didnt crash) and this morning, my pedal came off and I found that the arm was stripped AND my kickstand fell off while I was wheeling it into the driveway to work on it. I've had that old Schwinn for 15 years and I've NEVER done maitnence. It's about time that it caught up with me.
Twice in the past two weeks now I was almost tagged by a driver crossing my path at an intersection! Be carefull out there!
@Carol - Always a bummer when that happens. But you're right, it could have been worse.
first flat tire of 2013 - front tire and only 2 miles from home, so i guess it could be worse. did spoil a lovely ride, though!
I agree with Mike W. The challenge is a personal one which we share with our kindred spirits. At 61, I feel priveliged to be able to bike as much as I do. It has changed from an occasional ride to an almost daily occurence. Encouragement from others is icing on the cake. Everyone, enjoy your journey. I'll think about you on my ride home tonight.
John Quirk: The only real challenge in the NBC is with yourself: Set goals and become a better rider and just keep rolling the miles up.
Saw a huge painted turtle on the trail last night, great breeze out there too.
@John Quirk: All that you state is true! I've been keeping myself in the top 10 in our company without riding a single recreational ride. I'm averaging about 10 commuting miles/day and its keeping me up there! However, it really would be nice to be able to compare apples to apples. I made the suggestion to Endomondo about the ability to filter by transport, sport and mountain bike. Sounds like that is in the works for next years challenge!
I had nice bike ride in seeing 2 deer, a pair of Mallard ducks, a fox, a rabbit and a score or more of geese with a beautiful sunrise over the "big pond" (Lake Superior). I think they were all out sunning themselves in the morning sun since it was a cool 31 degrees.
@Wally - Congratulations on the new PR!
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@Virginia - Good luck this weekend at your race(s). But comeo on now, "They also have a vintage bike show where LOTS of people who used to race in the 80s get together." I didn't bike race in the 80's, but I did a lot of tris and running races. Thanks for making me feel "vintage".
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@Ashley - I would suggest you also post your request on the National message board, as you will have a much better chance of finding more who have experience with those bikes.
I'm looking to purchace a new bike. You would all laugh to see what kinda bike I currently ride. I'm looking at buying a Raleigh Cadent FT1 or FT2... anyone hear much about these models??? I haven't found many reviews online because the 2013 just came out recently.
@Walter...sorry to hear about your bike. Best wishes with the recovery. It may find its way back to you. To give you a bit of hope let me share about a story about another stolen bike. A while ago I saw a story on Huffington Post about a guy to tracked down his stolen bike and developed his own "sting" operation. Here is the link to the story, but the video was taken down (probably because it identified and publicized the offender pretrial in a way that could have been problematic): http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/15/bike-thief-sting-operation_n_1778920.html Here's hoping your process is a bit easier. [As an FYI, my solution to avoiding bike thefts for years was to ride only really clunkerish bikes that no one wanted. In fact, I left my Schwinn Suburban accidentally (absent-mindedly, is more like it) unlocked outside the University of Minnesota's Rec. Center a couple of times and no one ever took it!]
About a month ago, someone asked how a commuter could possibly keep up with a long-distance sport rider in this "competition." Besides trying to avoid thinking of it as a competition, I suggested that consistently making short trips made it possible for short-distance commuters to "keep up" with long-distance sporty-types because of the way the points system works. A month later, here's an illustration - the person in my community who has consistently been one position below me on the leaderboard is now one position above me despite the fact that she has ridden 40% fewer miles than I have over the challenge period. 40%! How is that possible? Easy - every time I take a day off from my long distance sport riding she stays consistent and rides every day, earning 21 points each time she rides just one mile. So take heart, commuters - even though this is NOT a competition, you're not going to get blown away by the average sport rider. Keep on pedaling! :-)
In case anyone is interested in checkingit out (and cheering me on), there's a big BMX race next weekend just across the border in Rockford, IL. They also have a vintage bike show where LOTS of people who used to race in the 80s get together. More info at https://www.usabmx.com/images/data/attachments/0001/8458/2013-MIDWEST.pdf
See you there!
What a great ride!! A personal best average of 17.1 mph for 11.51 miles. Bike riding is awesome.
If I am going to keep riding in the rain? I may have to get new sun glasses with built in wipers.
OK my fellow NBC'ers who's going out this AM to ride in the Tour De Cure. Weather looks dicey now but it seems like it is going to clear. The 100k'ers might get a little to start with but it seems to be clearing quickly. Me I am only doing 50K
Help me find my bike! Click through this link and read the description I posted there, but if you see this Blue 2012 Felt F85 Road bike (it looks exactly as does in picture), please let me know. I have reported it stolen to the police and if you are offered it in a sale, you must report it. I don't want anyone buying a hot bike and then getting in trouble. If you see anyone riding it, please contact the police and tell them you saw someone riding a Felt F85 Blue bike, where you saw it, which way the person was headed, and what the person looked like. My bike has white bottle cages, front and rear LED lights, a mounted lock holder on the seat post, and a small tire pump.
It was stolen from my apartment on the Eastside, so I expect it to be around on the Eastside.
Thanks much! I appreciate any help in retrieving my bike.
http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/bik/3864052067.html
@Paul and Mike - yeah I've seen that bike move video a couple times... Also been a part of bike moves with friends in the cities. Going to help a buddy move into his new house, only a couple blocks from his house this weekend... Some of it will be on the bikes (I'm too lazy to move freezers on a bike now)
@paul: Ithink this is the "apartment move" Paul was refering to: http://www.streetfilms.org/bike-move/
Paul B...sounds like an impressive bike! A year or so ago Bicycling Magazine had an article on creative bikes used for hauling various things. You might want to check it out. (I think it was the 2011-12 year timeframe). One couple was trying to move their house/apartment almost totally by bikes, I think. You can do pretty amazing things with two wheels (and sometimes more wheels as necessary/designed).
@Paul, @Marty, and @Christine: The Xtracycle is an amazing thing. I'm always hauling something since my bike is my car. My wife and I do have a car, but we log most of our miles on bikes. Now that we have kids, I'm adding a new bakfiets to the fleet next year (http://cetmacargo.com/products/largo-cargo-bike). Paul, the xtracycle would definitely handle your groceries. I can carry up to four of the reusable bags per side without being to creative and that still leaves the deck open for more cargo. Lumber? no problem! Put it on the deck and strap it to the top tube! I've got to make a lumber run this weekend for my potato planters I'll try to remember to snap a photo!
so who's doing the Tour De Cure this weekend?
@Paul and @Marty...back in the day when we didn't have a car, I once hauled 90 lbs of manure (for our gardens) from a local nursery to our house. Unfortunately, the five railroad track crossing totally hosed the rear wheel of my Schwinn Suburban. When I moved lumber it often felt like I was jousting. I also got pretty creative hauling groceries (two bags in side baskets, gym bag on back rack, light stuff dangling off bungie cords securing the gym bag, a backpack, and, if I misestimated...bags dangling off the handlebars). I looked like one of those people have all their earthly possessions on the bike. My wife has a picture SOMEWHERE but it will be a LONG time before it is likely to resurface. Here's to creative bike carrying!
If you're into organized rides, put the "Unity Ride" at Oostburg on your ride calendar for next year. Ride money supports the Oostburg Christian School. Great ride support and the weather helped of course.
@Paul, that load is amazing! I doubt I would have been able to move the bike! You should get extra points for that!
I love the way Endo records my rides - heck, all my exercise, including snowshoeing, all year round. I'm an Endo addict.
Well I am thinking of switching to using the Endo App for logging miles. I love my Garmin but in some ways it becomes a chore to hook up to PC and upload miles. Its not hard but since I use a Chromebook I cant auto sync and it does become tedious especially if I forget a day or to. Plus I love getting the kudos live while out.
@Paul - Impressive hauling!
Gregory, thanks for the response. I thought of that, but wasn't sure if that was the case or not?
It seems to default to the current month. Total points will appear when one clicks on the "challenge period" from the drop down menu. Challenge period points equal homepage points.
@RICHARD, is your leaderboard only looking at the month of June?
Someone mentioned we should get more points for hauling cargo... Hauled >110lbs of water/soda to fill our coolers at work today! http://instagram.com/p/abUvi3E5EJ/
Does anyone know why an individuals points listed on the home page does not equal the points listed on the Leaderboard page for that individual?
Freed some of those endorphins and released some adipose, so now I am REALLY tired!
took a day off Sunday, if I miss my goal by 20 pts gonna be disappointed :-)
Gonna take some effort to get rolling this evening. I have had a sick child all weekend, and did not get much sleep last night. Yet, it is such a nice evening, the wind is almost still. Wouldn't want to miss an opportunity like this!
It's Bike and Walk to Work Week in Sheboygan County.
Michael,
Thanks for clearing that up. I missed the rule change.
Wally,
Yes, the team size rules changed this year. I believe there are three team sizes now - up to 10 riders, up to 100, and unlimited. You don't need to do anything to switch between team sizes, that happens automatically.
The speakers came in really handy last week while grinding out those last few miles on my 67 mile ride. Although, the wind did tend to override the sound coming out of them.
Bike Speakers...These are almost exactly the ones I have. They work great. battery life is very good. One pair of AAs lasts me about two to three months, and I rode over 1600 miles last year. Velcro straps make them quick to take off the bike. I use them with an older MP3 player.
http://www.amazon.com/SoundShell-Bicycle-Portable-Speakers-versions/dp/B00439CQKQ/ref=sr_1_1
My question for the day. Did the rules change as to the size of a team? I thought a team was limited to ten members, but I see several teams with 15, 20 or more riders listed. I would appreciate some feedback on this. We have more people at my workplace that wanted to be on the team, as team captain I turned them down after we reached ten.
You must be able to hear what's going around you! It doesn't matter where you are riding. There is never silence. There is always something to hear. Remember that the pedestrians with iPods won't hear your bell or voice.
I am with Christine on this. I listen to the world around me and enjoy God's creation.
I listen to the world around me. I get too distracted if I listen to music. Also, I'm practicing being "comfortable in silence".
@Dan - I second Bob's comments, and check out his link. Please don't wear any earbuds, headphones, etc... while riding. You may feel safe, but there is really nothing between your skin and bones and well over a ton of steel. And in that battle, the bicyclist always comes in second. Use all your senses to keep yourself safe.
I have an old pair of sony speakers that I have bungee-corded onto my bike. I plug my ipod in, and listen to my favorite inspiring tunes as I pedal along. I used to listen to the mp3s on my smartphone, but it drains too much battery power.
If you feel you absolutely must listen to music while riding, I suggest you check out http://www.aftershokz.com/ . I haven't personally used this headphone, but I wear something similar in my day job that requires 2-way radio usage and the ability to hear industrial hazards. It works through ear bone conduction or some such thing. It should give you the best of both worlds.
Dan, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not wear earbuds while riding, You need to hear the traffic and more importantly not get into a "zone" that so often happens. It is suspected that earbuds may have played a role in a young girls death: http://wisconsinbikefed.org/2013/06/04/no-charges-in-fatal-new-berlin-crash/
DAN...I would never suggest headphones for bike riding! Especially urban bike riding. I want to hear everything around me. I have a set of amplified speakers that plug into a headphone jack. They are powered, and put out enough sound to hear music, but not overpower any surrounding sound. I have seen different versions of these, I think some of the newer ones even have IPOD controls built in. I don't think mine are manufactured anymore.
Yesterday, the Endomondo app recorded all three of my rides with max speeds of 40 and 50 mph. Hilarious!
@dan Tesch. I wear Skull Candy 50/50's. They work extremely well for the circumstances IMO
Anyone have a suggestion for headphones that work well with a bike helmet and also muffle traffic noise? I've been using earbuds but they need to be set too loud in order to get over the traffic noise and I don't want to harm my hearing. And the headphone can't completely cancel out surrounding noise because I need to hear sirens and horns etc. I'm hoping there's something out there that is good for urban cycling. Any suggestions?
Looking forward to a great ride Saturday at the Trek 100. Temp is supposed to be about 70 and mostly sunny. Perfect riding weather.
@Adam, I have never done the race around the lake. However, I did ride around Lake Winnebago back when I was something like 21 (in college). Too long ago and the roads have changed so much, but I don't remember the hills being quite as tough as they were on the Birky route. However, the ride around the lake is longer, and I recall starting from Oshkosh, riding south to FDL, then north along the east coast, stopping at High Cliff for lunch, and then riding back down to Oshkosh via Neenah. I had felt like I was doing pretty well until High Cliff, and then I totally lost my energy after relaxing so long!
Another cool,wet, gray day in Northern WI however I got a ride in and saved my points. I don't mind the rain so much as long as it don't turn white.
Just checked the "forecast" (The Weather Channel) for SE WI for the next 10 days: highs between 57F and 72F; lows 47F to 60F. Not bad, if you avoid the thunderstorms, and those are only forecast for 3 of the 10 days. We Wisconsinites have some nice riding weather coming up!
Wow! That's really cool, Mark! My grandson doesn't weigh near that, but I want extra points for carting him around!
Wish we could collect additional points for cargo... I will be pulling 100 lbs of meat home in my Burley tonight from a meat share at work.
I had to log a long ride this week since I am going out of town without my bike :( I think a ride to work and an afternoon ride helped!
@ Jenny.. congrats on the Burke! Just wondering if the route is similar to the race around the lake? @ Brian and everyone else that did the ride for the arts... its good to see so many people biking for a good cause!
@Mike, thanks! Yes, it is for a great cause. The hardest part of the ride was the first part and the last part. The middle is the best, and the most scenic.
@ Thomas and Christine, I do have the auto pause, and it is set to 10 sec. It works 90% of the time, but sometimes it does not pause when I stop, and if I don't hear it say that it paused, I have to stop it manually, but sometimes I just forget to listen for the pause.
Jenny, Also set the autopause to its lowest setting (10 seconds). I still use my bicycle computer to adjust the time and distance from the smart phone gps so that I have the most accurate measure.
Way to hang in there Jenny! Used to ride that area quite abit, throw in the wind and it makes for a long ride. You deserved the jersey. It's for a very noble cause too. Wisconsin has some of the best riding in the USA.
Jenny, you can set it to auto pause. As often as I have to cross streets, I'm not getting dinged for extra seconds! ;-D
I am quite surprised that my butt has not been sore! I took a 6 mile joy ride with my hubby on Sunday, thinking to myself "this is going to hurt" but it didn't!! My legs weren't sore or cramped, either! And its like I have found some kind of inner strength, I was riding well above my average mph last night (only to have it ruined when I stopped to talk to a friend and forgot to pause endomondo).
Jenny, you're my hero! 67 miles?? I rode 14 yesterday and my butt was killing me! About the time I'll be able to ride 50 miles, it will start to snow!
So, I am giving away random prizes at work by randomly selecting a date, and then the people who posted a ride that day will get a prize. I rode my bike almost every day, only missing a few days, so I figure my chances are really good... guess today is not the day to buy a lottery ticket because I selected one of the days that I didn't ride UGH!
Thanks!
Congratulations Jenny keep up the dedication and perseverence.
Congratulations on your finish Jenny!
I rode in the 67 mile Birky Challenge on Saturday. While I completed the entire 67 miles on my cross bike, most of the other riders had finished long before me, and so I was the last one. The wind was a huge factor again, but I actually think that the hills were more of a factor than the wind was. I ride up and down hills all the time, but not nearly as many as what I encountered on this ride!! In any case, they rewarded me with a commemorative jersey for my dedication and perseverence (I was not about to quit and take a ride on the sag wagon!!)
Anxiously waiting to see who won prizes :)
After joking about cutting out early last week, the Fates decided to show me the error of my ways and struck me down with a 3 day migraine that lasted 4.5 days. No Gold in May for me. Definitely in June, though!
It was nice to take a ride been a while due to crappy weather and a lawn that needs to be mowed between rain showers, went for a 20.5 mi ride tonight, nice to able to go again.
Today was just a nice day to ride not too cool or too warm. The bike did not know when to turn for home. I did my longest ride so far @ 26.3. I was enjoying the ride so I just let the bike go where it wanted too go.
in the end I did 86 10 mile to start(stupid MKE streets that go every which way) and 5 back home
I rode to the Start of the UPAF ride, so I did the 50 mil route plus some extra, so I would finish the day with 75. threw in 2 reps of St. Mary's hill at the end just for good measure.
I was there too, Brian and I agree I thought it was a little strange. But my ride to and from my car plus the "75" ended up putting me over an actual 75, so all is well. :)
Jim I was there it was a great ride as always, a little disappointed that the 75 mile was not actually 75 miles
If you haven't signed up for the Ride for the Arts in Milwaukee, Come on down and ride the route anyways. It's crazy the amount of bicycles on the road tomorrow.
I did 17 miles today and the last 2 was in the rain.
Woo I'm in the top 10!!
Have a great ride, Jenny...May the wind be with you!
@Adam, probably not. I am not a racer. I am just hoping to finish the 67 miles today without being the last one out there!!!
@ Jenny... Are you planning on doing the race around the lake? Good luck tomorrow!
@ Don... Well done! Congrats!
I am planning on riding in the Birky Challenge in Fond du lac tomorrow. It is a 67 mile ride. Last year's most memorable moment was the last 20 miles against the prevaiing west winds. So, checking the forcast, the wind is supposed to be 10-20 mph SSW... hmmm, I am hoping more from the south than the west, then I don't have to battle it head on during my last 20 mile leg!
Surprising how often the sun comes out in the midst of a rainy ride when you've resigned yourself to a damp gray day. I like to think of it as our reward for perseverance in the presence of atmospheric adversity (-:
I was at 249 points yesterday which is 1 point away from silver status. We had tremendous thunder storms in the area all night. I had today to get out to make 250 points. It was cloudy and started to sprinkle. Screw it I'm going for a ride whether I get wet or not. Made 289 points. Woohoo! Silver status. BTW, it turned sunny and beautiful during the ride. :)
Garmin CSX60 use and comments for bicyclist... I am a two wheel enthusiast, motorcycle and bicycle. Motorcycle is an on/off road Yamaha WR250r, I bought a handheld Garmin with auto-nav for use with the motorcycle years ago. It works wonderful on a bicycle as well. Tracks all forms of relevant bicycle data except cadence. It also last about 18 hours on 2 AA batteries, and has a quick release mount on the handlebars next to the stem, and is very light and waterproof up to 7m underwater. I can upload routes from my computer for any type of riding, since topo and road maps are compatible for this unit (marine as well). This is a very popular unit for on/off road motorcycles, yet I have not seen one bicycle ever running a similar unit. It can even be hard wired into a dynamo hub I believe (acceptable voltage is 6 to 24 volts DC). I have used mine for Car, motorcycle, bicycle, hiking, and boating for the last 5-6 years... It has survived multiple crashes (on motorcycle off-road) drops, and down pours and only has need a new battery cover during that time. After owning this I always wonder why people buy bicycle computers (exception is cadence, if that is important to you). Phones are great, if you have a signal, and a cheap data plan... try getting a phone to work in rural Ontario Canada, good luck with that..
One memorable mid-ride (halfway up steep hill) broken chain in half a century of riding, and forever-after the spare links and chain tool go along for the ride (-;
@Jim: I kept a few spare links when I put a new chain on my bike and a chain tool in my bike tool kit after this happened to me a few years ago (I only had to walk a 1/2 mile, it's good to be lucky). Since then I've had good juju and have not had a chain failure on a ride.
My chain broke on the way home tonight so I got a nice 5 mile jog pushing my bicycle. Once I got home I became an expert on chain repair and fixed my bicycle and my son's that he bought at a thrift store. We will see how good my repair was tomorrow AM. Good Night peoples
19 points to gold... guess I just have to take a ride tomorrow, no problem!
Today's ride put me into Gold. WoW! I made it to Gold in 4 weeks and it is only the end of the first month with 4 months to go in the Challenge.
If you're tracking miles you ride, read this. Today for the first time, I used a phone mount and had my phone's GPS running. When I got in to work today, the bike computer (which is wired) displayed 2 miles LESS than it normally does. Apparently, the GPS is interfering with the bike computer.
Well my Kona single speed is really fun to ride but soon a shiney Stumpy Comp will take it's place . And let the racing begin !!!
Finish Strong-My last 2 rides are going to be big big big
I'm 44 points shy of gold, so now I just basically need to go out both days and ride a few miles. However, still chasing some of the guys at work, so no slacking off!
Roddi ... me too. Hope I can get one in in the next two days with all the forecast rain. Might just have to go out in the rain on Friday.
Well the next ride will put me into gold.
@Brian. I am hoping to get to 1000 tonight. 40 point divided by 3 days is just 14 extra miles per day you know. You should destroy 5K by 8/6. Think of all the crappy weather we had in May. June/July should be cake.
My goal is to get 5000 by my birthday on 8-6. Can I do it?
it's looking like I may be about 40 pts short of 1500 for the month. Those three no ride days are really looking like bad ideas now :-)
I must say the weather in milwaukee has not been fair to the riders in the area! Go away rain! And how does a 30% chance of rain mean it's going to rain all day? I am getting a little sick of trying to play the percentages of how dry I will be in the morning after work! lol
Nice job Dave!
WTG Dave!
WooHoo! Finally made gold today! Now onto Platinum!!
@ Christine Yup when I try that at work they tell me that I am dreaming again and get back to work. lol
I had to ride three times in the rain this week to do it, but today I earned my gold medal!
I'm with you, Christine! I just got a bad case of something, and I need to go home... although no sun here :-( Hmmm, real sickness put a damper on my riding over the weekend, so now I need to fake sick so that I can get back some miles--LOL!
The sun just poked its face out! I wonder if the boss would believe I've been suddenly stricken with something that makes me HAVE to go home right now??
@Jenny...re snow slowing down Vermont...did you see the last few days of the Giro d'Italia? It sure didn't stop those guys (although it did cancel one day of racing, I think)...I doubt it will slow Vermonters much, either. Regardless, on Wisconsin!!!
This is what I need to do:
Each day riding would be 80 points and an average of 7 miles each day. Easy.
If I miss a day, then I only get 60 points and have to ride 17 miles each day. I can do that, but I don't want to take a chance! Hmmm, not raining now, wish I was not at work!!!
I am hoping to make gold by the end of the month. I can easily do it if I ride each day this week, but if I miss another day, then I am not sure it is an attainable goal. I am feeling much better today, so I will likely ride after work (will have to seriously consider this thing about riding in the rain...)
Rainy and cold today, no ride for me:( But 50 miles this Sudnay with Miller Ride for The Arts:) Come on sun, we need you!!!!
Do you think the snow will slow Vermont down? LOL
Cold, dreary day...not conducive to riding. But it could be worse: we could have gotten the SNOW Vermont got!
My wife and I rode out to Madison for the weekend . Took the Glacial Drumlin Trail there. Heads up to all. The bridge over the Rock River is out right now. Well...Not out completely. You can live out your Indiana Jones fantasy and walk over the cross beams that remain on it. Pretty sketchy though. There's a 4ft gap in the timbers at the west end. You can get around on Jefferson Rd to Hwy B and then over on Hwy N to get back on the trail. It's a 7 mile detour but much easier on your heart than the bridge!
well it looks like I may fall a bit behind in points. It's cold and raining and an off day so unless I've got to get milk or something from the grocery store no ride for me
Feeling better, but not sure I am feeling well enough for a ride today. Lost 4#.
I think Chinese food got me last night... I took a long ride this morning, but really didn't feel well for most of the ride. After about 7-8 miles, I was ready to be done, but since I was out in the country, there was not a good road to take back, besides turning around and going the way I came. Well, it was a very pretty ride, and I will repeat it again once I feel a bit better!
@Brian haha I've done that...great ride though!
74.22 miles today. Soooo tempted to ride around the block a couple of times to get to 75
Is anyone riding in the Birky Challenge next weekend?
@Linda - Impressive!
@Mike & Christine@ - I've had a Saris Bones for maybe 10, 12 years, and they are great! They will work with anything as far as I can tell, except maybe for Linda after this weekend.
@Mike, congrats on Silver and the new rack! I wonder if that one would work on my Fiat Pop?
@Linda! WOW! I'm impressed. You go, Mom!
@Kevin and CJ, I'm jealous. I'd hoped to be at gold by Monday, but I don't think that's going to happen...
@Jim, I have a couple brats you can have...they're in their 30s though. (At what age do they stop asking for money?)
@Nicholas I agree with you. I don't even own a car, so I'm forced to ride a bike to get around. I still will ride a bus to work when it rains, and avoid riding in snow in the winter, as I 've never invested in studded snow tires. But I try to ride as much as I can otherwise.
Buying a Saris Bones rack tonight. Excited!
Will reach Silver this weekend. Loving that I got back on the bike. Feeling better about my life in so many ways.
This weekend I'm giving my car to my daughter to further my commitment to bike commuting. I've been pretending that I have no other option, but as of Monday that will be true. :-) Another day of fresh breezes and I arrived at work feeling energized, as usual. Love this challenge, even though my commute has shrunk from 14.8 miles each way to a little under 3.
Gold status by tomorrow. Would have been this morning but last week had an offsite mtg to far to bike so missed a day of commuting.
Gold status in May!!!! But it came with a price - not one, but two flat tires on the Captiol City Trail last night. Thank you to all who stopped and asked if I needed assistance. Just goes to show you that the biking community is the best! Thanks!!!!!
Grabbed a couple brats on my way to work this morning courtesy of Saris Bike Group at the World's Largest Brat Fest in Madison. Thanks Saris! There may be no finer feeling than pedalling past a long line of cars on a bike....except maybe gettng a free brat for biking to work. :-)
I find after riding in the rain the 2 things the bike needs are chain lube and the brake tracks on the rims cleaned. I can't believe the filth that gets on my rims in the rain. It comes off black with a squirt of the hose then a wipe down.
I think we all ride for different reasons. I ride for pleasure and exercise. I think I would embrace the challenge that weather brings, if I had to. Last year, I rode one day when the wind was so strong t hat I had to lean sideways so that I would not get knocked over. When I was a teen, I rode in the snow all the time delivering papers on my paper route. Been there, done that. Now I ride because I want to, because I enjoy my surroundings.
I ride my bicycle as a form of transportation, not recreation, so I'm on my bike year-round. That little bit of rain yesterday was nothing compared to riding in a blizzard. A waterproof windbreaker and an emergency parka can be your best friend on days like that. On days when you don't want to ride because of the weather, pretend you don't have any other option. You'll ultimately be proud of yourself for riding through the elements and you'll wonder why others are so afraid to do so.
Got to see a beautiful Lake Michigan right before the downpour on the way home yesterday. 20 miles out was sunshine, and there was a bright line of light that lasted about 15 minutes on the horizon. Then a soaking. Today a 20-27 MPH headwind into work and I broke out the head band and insulated gloves again. Hopefully the wind doesn't switch too much for the ride home...
I didn't attempt to "enjoy" the rain yesterday, but if I can get home early today, I will think about "enjoying" the wind. Will pick a northerly route and work those thighs, then enjoy the ride home. Have a girl scout meeting tonight, so probably not a long ride, but the evening light is lasting longer, so there is still some hope out there!
Had a really nice ride in the rain yesterday.
I bet the people who drove past me in their cars thought I was nuts. I was thinking they were right, but that made me enjoy the ride even more.
You will never know the joy of riding in the rain inside of a car.
wow riding in the rain is fun. Not so much when you got a tire going a little flat. Thank god for fix a flat
Jerry J, yes dry it off and you may also want to put chain lube on.
OK, just got completly soaked on the way home. Do I need to do anything for my bike?
I forgot how fun it is to bike in the rain! With last year being so hot and dry, I don't recall riding in the rain once.
@Guy, you can still enter it manually.
Done! Thank you all!
Rats! The Endomondo iPhone app failed to log my morning bike to work :-/
Tracy, been searching for that and thanks to the FAQ Marty linked to:
How do I change/edit my workplace (university)?
When you are on the Home page, click on your picture, select Change Settings link on the right side and you will be taken to the page where you can edit your workplace.
@Michael and Marty-
Do you have any idea of how I can change my workplace? I had already joined UW-Madison and would love to switch to University of Wisconsin - Madison but I can't figure out how.
Happy riding!
Christine: Kids really like to go for a ride: my son-in-law took his 18 month old for his first ride on Saturday and then when they went outside on Sunday, the little guy headed over to the trailer in the garage and said, "Ride? Ride?" as only a toddler can do when they find something they like and a new word that goes along with it. His dad figures he will need to bike more this summer. He was amazed at how visually stimulated his son was during the rides: it's not like looking at the unchanging back seat of a car, his perspective now is there's an ever changing world out there when you are on a bike.
Trying to keep pace with our lead guy at work. Got home and realized that I am short by 1 mile :(
I think he is toying with me, though. Each time I catch up to him, he updates his ride posts.
Well, not too bad for one member of the "last to be picked" club!!
wow! I am almost to 1000 pts already. This is with two days of not riding and possible a third coming up
@Michael - the best way to all be on the same workplace is to go to http://bit.ly/13mDj9K and ask to have them joined together under the first spelling, and have the other ones closed afterwards. Make sure when you do that that you have all of the versions spelled correctly, including hyphens and spaces. (It might be a good idea to ask the others beforehand.)
Hey UW Madison riders please join the workplace "University of Wisconsin - Madison" instead of the other spellings like "University of Wisconsin Madison", "UW Madison", etc. If we are all on the same workplace team perhaps we can beat Northwestern Mutual. Trek looks like they are going to take first but we can get second.
Still dry in SE WI this morning, but it's threatening. I took my (autistic) grandson around the neighborhood a few times yesterday afternoon in one of those kid carriers. I'm amazed at how easy it was to haul him. I expected at his age - 6 - he'd be difficult to pull, but it was smooth and easy going. He LOVED it. Every time I'd slow down, he make GO GO noises. I promised to take him every day if the weather is nice. His mother is fearful, but I told her he means as much to me as he does to her and I'll make sure he's safe. She pulled him around a while, then his dad stepped up to the plate, too. We had a blast doing it! Yet another way to rack up the points! (I am going to be so disappointed when someone knocks me out of first place in Kenosha!)
Bike trail a little soggy and choked with dead fall, but a fantastic morning for a bike ride to work.
Found a new 9 mile loop. Marquette County in central WI is beautiful and quiet!
Note to self: Kenny Chesney concerts put a damper on my commute! There are reasons for DD's!
That would terrify me too! Too comfy on these country roads.
I rode from home to Tenuta's Deli and back. I will NOT do that again! I was so terrified riding on 52nd Street, my heart rate got up to 178. There is a huge difference between riding in neighborhoods and riding on main arteries in Kenosha. I'm going to go have a drink now, thankyouverymuch!
@Raj, thanks for that! Now that calls for an extra level of alertness, you never know when a turtle is going to dart out in front of you!
@Jenny - it's called survival of the fittest. Did you know that over the last 20 some years the average speed of turtles has increased by .5 mph? I share your concern -- though I'm still recovering from the day I tried to "assist" a snapping turtle. Can you tell I'm a city boy?
I just read Nyla's comment on her workout about her turtle rescue, and it made me giggle! GO NYLA! I get so furious when I see those poor turtles squished in the middle of the road. Obviously, they had to be moving SO FAST that the car could not avoid rolling its tire over the poor thing. Must be something to live for 100 years, only to die at the expense of attempting to cross the highway at a snail's pace.
Just saw a guy in aero position wearing bib shorts, no top, rolling fast in a 48 degree downpour. He looked motivated to get home. !
Two brave riders on the Holmen Bike Train.
Well... That was wet
@ Shayne, Paul, and Tony
Thank You so much for your feedback.
Celebrating a thus-far-this season unprecedented 2 DAYS IN A ROW! of pedal perfect Wisconsin weather (-:
Seventies; sunshine; recently frozen lakes and streams suddenly all sparkles and glass; swift insistent proliferation of greenery emphatically reclaiming long-brown fields and trees , and the only significant headwind came from an oncoming semi. As an added delight:…. the irresistibly smooth perfection of recently resurfaced road unspooling ahead of me in gentle hills and curve all the way to town. For those of us genuinely supportive of yet persistently puzzled by cycling cohorts preferring the elusive allure of bone-shaking, helmet rattling, bicycle-battering off-road terrain, new blacktop engenders a particularly giddy and effervescent level of exuberance. May you all revel in rolling through belated Wisconsin springtime over whatever topography tempts you! Carpe Diem, Roll On!...Enjoy!
For us South Siders in Milwaukee:
I stopped at Alterra Coffee and Stone Creek Coffee this AM in Bay View to see about Bijke to Work week specials as I was planning on leading in a group of new riders there in the AM on Friday to stop and take a break before work and take advantage of their specials. I was told that only the Alterra Downtown is doing the commute specials and Stone Creek said they knew about the program and I would need a punch card. The only problem with that was I had to go downtown to get a punch card, So just trying to warn anyone else if they had planned to visit.
@ Paul and Tony
I think the 20 point per day you ride was an attempt to normalize this.
Originally you got 1 point per trip which greatly skewed it toward the people that just rode 2-3 miles several times.
Commitment is variable. In my view if you live ~5 miles from work there's no reason not to commute 365.
To the average non-cyclist I'd argue one daya week of 15+15 miles would be a lot more commitment.
@Tony - that's it exactly! I live in town so that our family can have 1 vehicle that we only use for road trips, or hauling stuff from Menards. I normally have about 4 rides per day of 3-5 miles. The reality is that only one person can actually "win" the challenge, but mine is to make diamond. I feel much better competing against myself!
@Brian, I like your snazzy shirt!
Roddi,
I'd suggest actual number of rides, 'cause that's more commitment (thinking of commuting)... it seems like more commitment for someone who lives 5 miles from work and rides 3 times in a week than is does someone who rides 15 miles from work and only does it once a week.
I have a question. If more than one rider has the same amount of points how is there ranking determend?
The weather was so nice today my bike did not want to go to work. It wanted to go out for another ride. lol
I would like to thank all of the approximately 25 riders who showed up for Wauwatosa's 1st Ride of Silence, particularly those from the NBC, like Brian and about 4 members from the Bella Donna team. The police help was invaluable. We had a priest read the poem and offer a prayer, and then I had a bagpiper play Amazing Grace, as a surprize for everyone, as we stopped at the turnaround at a bandshell for 2 minutes, and the help from John at my LBS, (Johnson's Bike & fitness), was amazing.
Ride of Silence tonight, 12 miles @ 12MPH. I am going to try organizing one in Casco next year.
I am predicting I hit Gold by Friday!
Volunteered at the Urban Ecology Center/Oak Leaf Trail@Riverside Park this a.m. and had 77 folks bike over for a cup of yummy Alterra coffee and bakery. Added 6 extra miles to my commute and it was awesome to spend time with fellow bike commuters.
I had a great tailwind going north on Howell past the airport last night. I was going 25 mph without pedalling! Hid in the tunnel under the airport runway while a brief shower passed by. Despite the traffic, the Oak Creek stretch of Howell is a great road to bike on.
I did it.
La Crosse area bike commuters - join me and others Thu morning and ride the Tour de Java(i.e. drink lots of coffee and bike). Starts 5:30 - 5:50 at Moka on West Ave, but join in at any stage. http://driftlessbicycle.org/biketowork/
@David, I made that suggestion and was told it wouldn't be able to be done this year, but next year it's on the list of changes.
@John, if you want to make suggestions, the challenge is taking them on the comments thread of the Challenge Manual: http://getsatisfaction.com/endomondo/topics/national_bike_challenge_2013_manual
Could the person responsible for the Wisconsin Challenge web page http://www.endomondo.com/campaign/national please delete the ginormous empty space above the "Log Miles" button area? The bottons would be much more easily accessible. (The Schwinn Logo is supposed to display to the right of the other sponsors, but it doesn't in Internet Exploder - it's below them. Just a CSS/layout problem in IE which, unfortunately, a lot of people use.) Thanks!
How can we filter out regular mileage and commute mileage. If possible, I would like to see the leader board with just commute miles verses all miles combined. Can that be done?
John Quirk, well said!
It's Bike to Work week in Milwaukee. Alterra coffee shop in Bay View has free coffee, pastries, and tune-ups for riders this week on the morning commute. Had a blueberry muffin and coffee this morning and a chat with the Milwaukee Bicycle Collective.
Beautiful ride in this morning, picture perfect weather. Now if we could only do somethng about the mother goose's protecting thier goslings along the HAST we'd be in great shape.
What a difference the last three mornings. Monday was 34 degrees at 6 am. Yesterday morning was 57 degrees. This morning 68 degrees. Temperature doubled over two days!!!!! Only in Wisconsin.
But any day riding is a good day.....
@Brian - That would be great! You'll have to tell me the restaurant name when you get there.
Marty I think I may join you on the ride. I was going to ride from W&S in HC but the tosa ride is a LOT closer to where I live and not that far from a great restaurant that supports cycling.
Michael - it's easy for transport riders to "compete" with sport riders. If you ride 1 mile a day 5 days a week you get 105 points for only riding 5 miles. I ride 15 miles a day 3 days a week and I get the same 105 points but I rode 40 miles more than you did. See? The points system is actually slanted toward transport riders who tend to make more short trips rather than sport riders who tend to make fewer long trips (with more rest days in between). At any given time, there are people at the top of the leader board with more points but fewer miles than people farther down the list (for example, the guy who is one step above me right now has ridden 80 miles less than me). So don't think of it as a competition against other riders - just challenge yourself to ride more and have fun with it. If you must compare yourself to other riders, at least look at their profile to see what kind of riding they are doing. Be sure you compare apples to apples.
@Michael, you're kind of right. I think next year they are going to have a leader board for transport riders too. When the challenge first started it was only transport miles. Marty is right though, I'm staying competitive by never driving my car. I get 15 to 20 miles in a day even though I only live about 3 miles from work.
Michael - You can easily fix that by buying a house that is 15 miles away from work.
But seriously, if you ride to work 5 days a week, you willl get more points than the 30+ mile sport rider who rides 2X a week.
I think you should get more points for Cycling for transport than you do for cycling for sport. How can someone who only commutes a few miles each day compete with someone who rides 30+ miles a couple times a week for exercise.
I am in charge of a Ride of Silence in Wauwatosa, this Wednesday night starting at 7 p.m. It would be great to meet some of you. If you can make it, we ask that you arrive no later than 6:40.
If anyone is interested in attending this free event, or any of the other 10 in Wisconsin, please do so.
My ride will be 10.2 miles, and we won't average more than 11 mph., riding it like a funeral procession, in memory of those who died from collisions with vehicles.
We will meet in the parking lot behind Johnson's Bike & Fitness, which is at 6916 W North Avenue, in Wauwatosa.
The WI locations are: Appleton, Brookfield, DePere, Delafield, Fox Point, Hales Corners, Oshkosh, Plymouth, Racine, Waukesha, Wauwatosa.
I had a headwind the whole way in, and now on the way home. All I can say is I bike to work and work to bike! I love my job! Go Team Wisconsin Bike Fed- all of them!
@Adam, there's a great sheet in the League of American Bicyclists Bike Month Guide ( http://bit.ly/128KPUh ) that's about overcoming bicycle commuting concerns that would do really well for your suggestion!
Beautiful ride in -- a stop at the UEC Ride-to-Work stop, then along stunning, shimmering Lake Michigan!
Print out bike to work sheets and stick them on peoples windshields
Great bike ride this morning....glad the weather is finally getting warm Nicholas....As to the large employers have more members...I ride for Aurora Health Care, employees 30,000! There are only 3 on this Challenge :( I think we still would be in last place .
A per capita calculation for teams would be cool. It could be a rank option in addition to total team points.
How about being a bit more fair with the Workplace Leaderboard and taking into account the number of members in relation to the size of the employer. Obviously large employers will have more employees and therefore more cyclists and ergo more points. How about creating a Workplace Leaderboard that reflects the per-capita points, to show the hard work of the not-so-monstrous employers?
Go CH. Welcome to the Challenge
@C H - Welcome! You'll enjoy it.
I just got a road bike and am joining the challenge!
Christine, Yes I was thinking you had a major ride planned for weekend. LOL
Happy Bike to Work Week!
Wow, a few people hit gold today! Nice job, folks!
Christine, maybe we can hit gold by the end of the month!
Extremely windy today! But glad I did it!!!!
Oh. Silver,not gold. I was so excited, I just skipped right over silver. tee hee
It's Officially Sunday in the Midwest - Happy Mother's Day to all!
I went out in the wind earlier to pick up some things at the grocery store. Apparently it was also rummage sale day in town. I rode by a friend's house and she questioned why I would ride on such a nasty morning. I can't really answer that, other to come back with "why would you have a rummage sale on such a nasty morning?" We both laughed. Life happens, enjoy the ride.
Can't believe I put miles on in this wind! If it wasn't for this challenge I wouldn't have even thought about jumping on my bike! What great motivation:)
well the 5.4 miles today was done on a bad tire. Fortunately the awesome people at W&S have already fixed it and I'll be out again after church and mother's day dinner.
Todays mourning ride put me in Silver.
Sitting here listening to the wind rip the aluminum siding off our house...I think I'll stay inside today. Gold will have to wait till tomorrow.
I sure like my new Trek it makes cycling fun.
Well at least the cold and wind have removed the bugs. That 20MPH from the north today was @$$ kicking. Still got in 10 today, fighting the wind, a cold, and my attitude. HA
Oh SILVER!
Beautiful evening for a ride! Saw some deer and sandhill cranes. The cows were also out near the fence and were very interested in the bike riding by.
What a great ride today! Sure the rain and the cold sucked but hey I am from Wisconsin where we get snow in August! I'll admit I didn't take the usual long way home and to work but I still rode.
A good waterproof windbreaker is a bicyclist's best friend-- challenging yourself to ride in weather like today's hopefully proves that you really can ride every single day of the year. Things do get a bit hairy with January and February winds and snow, but it's not impossible!
Boy, do I feel like a wimp. I saw the rain and the temperature and said "I'm not riding today." Where's the wet noodle? I'm ready for my 40 lashes.
@Michele, or a great cup of coffee! Yesterday I felt like a cold, drowned rat on all 5 of my rides. Today, just cold... Amazing how quickly we get used to summer-like conditions.
Hot Coco taste good after that cold, wet ride this morning.
:)
Wet and windy ride in today. Felt good to take a warm shower. Hoping for a little less weather for the ride home. But any day of riding is a good day!!!
rain rain go away come back again in October or only late at night when I am sleeping
:-)
Just realized Gold isn't quite so easy this year. Looking back, I only would've made it one month last year. More motavation for Me!
well if you cant ride outdide do it inside!!!
Love riding!!!
@Kevin - They've already informed us that that won't happen until next year.
Can anyone tell me how to make my team "invite only?" I initially set it as open to anyone, but would like to change it. There is no option for this in the Edit section of the team profile. Help!
Belated Happy Birthday, Jim Post!
Go team Bella Donnas!!! #13 and growing YEAH!
I'm tellin' ya, @Jim! Beekeepers veil! Let's start a trend. http://www.betterbee.com/Products/Veils-Helmets/English-Style-Zippered-Veil Just pop it on over your helmet and away you go! All joking aside, I'm seriously thinking about getting one of these. Weight Watchers doesn't have "points" listed for bugs.
37 points to Silver! Woo hoo! I am having so much fun!! (Simple things keep me so occupied...)
Lots of complaining the last couple days! ;) Just hit 1000 cycling, transport miles for 2013!
One more complaint about the midges currently infesting the lake shore. I don't mind eating them, but I really hate it when I think I am in the clear and take a deep breath and inhale the tiny buggers. From what I can tell from the world wide web they don't go to your lungs but to a web of the bronchial tree, and will in time by coughed up, probably in small particles. YUM.
@Paul - That is because there is a Fox Cities Local Board that those in that area are on. This was the same way last year, (once their board was set-up), and also happens in some other parts of the county, as well. Currently, we have 3,241 participants in the non-Fox Cities portion of Wisconsin, and 5,113 in the entire state, for 1,872 in the Fox Cities area.
I don't think it will help to say hi to Gregg on this board, because correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that everyone just has one local board, so, no one from the Fox Cities area, (other than Rob Gusky), sees this board. So, if you want to say hi to him, you either have to do it on the National Comments board, or go to one of his workouts, and make a comment there.
You're right, it is a pain for it to go back to our place on the leaderboard after looking at a specific area, but I think it was also that way last year, too.
And you're also right about the University or any other subdivision of a category. It will take you to the same page you were on when you were on the full listing, so you have to remember the place number from the full listing when you go to the subdivision, and then page forward until you find it. Extra work. But one good thing about keeping the same place listing is that you can see what place the same type of group team is above or below you, so you know your immediate peer competition when you go back to the full listing.
The best place to let them know about things that don't work the way we all think they should is to go to: http://bit.ly/13mDj9K
Since the start of May, they have been pretty active responding to complaints about glitches in the system. (Sometimes the best they can do is put it on a list for things they want Endomondo to do next year,)
Was nice to see all the bicycles today. At a bridge that was up there was three of us bicycles waiting together for the road to open. After my winter riding it is taking some getting used to everyone on the trails, but it is nice to see. Now to get rid of the Midges that are swarming by Lake Michigan and all will be good.
Jenny, I will try to keep you in the loop re local bike info. I thought you had to be not too far away!
Rob G. There seems to be something odd going on between the "Local" and "National" pages in the NBC. There seem to be more people showing up on the National list we get if we click on "Wisconsin" in the "State" leaderboard. For example, Greg Warning (Hi, Greg) shows up on the national list but not on the Local Wi list. So what is up with that? And a few minor irritations. I hate that once you check a line in a "Leadership" ranking such as workplace, community, team, etc. (on either local or national pages), you then go back to your individual rider status, not the leader catagory you were looking at. I don't think that happened last year. Also, in some leadership catagories, it does not show your place in the rankings. For example, when I try to look at Ripon College's status in the "Colleges and Universities" part of the "Workplace" tab, it puts me somewhere near then end (in the National rankings...I think this is okay on the local page), not at where Ripon is located. I can only find Ripon if I know approximately where we are in the rankings. Don't know if this is idiosycratic with Ripon or a more common problem. Regardless...some early issues for your consideration. Still, the NBC is great. Thanks for your work on it.
@ Paul, keep me posted about any upcoming meetings on that issue. I am a GL county resident and would support the bike trail, as well.
And, honestly, I know the intersection that you are talking about. IMHO, I think that the 45 MPH should be expanded further down the road to the intersection by the bowling alley, as well. That is also an area that school kids often cross. I get the feeling that they just don't want to spend the money to "police" the intersection, so why bother trying to reinforce it?
On the other hand, Rosendale has the right idea. I think that is how the town gets their revenue! They must make tons of money off of speeding tickets over there!
Rode 5 miles to middle school with my 13 yr old Today! Such a GREAT day to ride a bike! Picked up a kringle or two at Fosdal's Home Town Bakery in Stoughton and then rode around the East Side of Lake Kegonsa, through Mcfarland, over the Beltline and along Broadway eventlually arriving at work. 22.44 miles! All this and more to celebrate the 20th anniversary of my 29th Birthday!
HAPPY BIKE TO SCHOOL DAY EVERYONE! we had several schools in MKE have over 100 kids bike today!
Paul, it is very frustrating. They simply don't care whatsoever for any alternative to cars. I had similar experiences during a meeting on the interchange being rebuilt in Wauwatosa. Just the idea of free flow interchanges (next to the major interchange) connecting to local streets in a small town is so backwards thinking. Such rebuilds would be a great chance to make good on mistakes from past (no bike lanes etc) but instead - they make it worse.
Rode my bike to school today (this time as a teacher, not a student) - first time since 1992! It was FANTASTIC!!
Welcome to the GOP DOT
Oops...make that "ride safely." My wife is our English person/copy editor. ;-)
[Hi, fellow WI riders. Just posted this on the "national" part and then realized I probably should have put it here. Anyway...FYI ]
Just got back from a local meeting re a Hwy project connecting Green Lake and Ripon, WI. Current plans do not include a separate bike trail, to the frustration of a significant number of folks attending (maybe even a majority). The DOT's idea of taking care of cyclists and pedestrians is a five foot shoulder...that includes a rumble strip, that makes a good portion of the shoulder unusable for cyclists. Yea, like what responsibe parent will take their kids on a 3-4 foot shoulder with semi-trucks, truckes with boat trailers, etc. buzzing by at 60+ mph? Only serious cyclist might even try, and they would more likely be on the more enjoyable and rigorous local county roads.
What was particular depressing was the seeming disregard for the safety of pedestrians and cyclists. One of the "improvements" was to shrink a 45 mph speed zone putting a popular intersection used by school children, pedestrians, and cyclists into the 55 mph zone with people accelerating out of the 45 zone. Talk about insane planning. Even the county sheriff asked to keep the intersection in the 45 mph zone, but to no avail. "The experts know more about setting speed limits." Hey, I am a professor. I get "experts," but sometimes local practical wisdom is much more prudent. Fortunately, while the plans may be in "wet concrete," there is still some hope for changes, both to the speed limit and the bike trail. But it is depressing when "safety" concerns are more focused on motorists than cyclists and pedestrians, who are MUCH more vulnerable. And that is not even bringing in the fact that the only planet we have needs FEWER motorists and more cyclists. Now THAT is a real "safety" issue.
And on a pedagogical note...I could have populated several days of a logic course with all the faulty and fallacious reasoning evident by the presenters. At least I think I will have work for quite some time (both teaching and advocating for cycling). Ride safe and advocate for bikes (and pedestrians)!
man take an unscheduled day off from riding and I drop from 9th to 92nd! What really sucks is I could have technically rode yesterday. Really wish I did now
If momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy! Females are taught that from infancy and we believe it wholeheartedly! Sorry. :::ducking and running:::
@Christine - If hyour husband is smart, he won't argue with you, about anything. (Males never win.)
@Paul! LOL! That won't happen. He leaves for work before me, so he can't argue with me. If he only knew! Heck, he doesn't even know I'm riding to work now! ;-D
Calling Dr. Bikerider, calling Dr. Bikerider!
@Christine, I work at a hospital, so I could always pick up some masks as well as face shields. That would be a neat picture, riding my bike looking like I am going to surgery!
@Christine and @Virginia keep it up and very soon you'll arguing with your spouse about why you don't want to take the car to work during the raging thunderstorm.
Ok, I just found a pair of Eyedefender glasses that are supposed to keep the pollen out. I'll report back after they arrive and I try them!
@Jenny, in Japan they have the perfect solution to both the pollen and the bugs, but they don't ship to the US. Wah!!!
Thanks, all! I had actually thought about wearing swim goggles under my glasses. I don't care how I look to others, (an overweight, over the hill woman on a bike with fold up baskets in back and a Nantucket basket in front, and stickers all over her bike and helmet *can't* care what other think!) it's more important to keep the pollen out of my eyes.
@Charlie, I'm going to check those!
@Jenny, I'm with you on the bugs! I ate several yesterday! I'm thinking bee keeping veil. I asked my engineer husband to come up with something. His solution was "close your mouth". Thanks, dear!
@Virginia, I completely understand. I did NOT want to ride Sunday, but I forced myself. It was one of the worst rides I've had in a long time. Yesterday, I couldn't wait to get on the trail and had one of the best rides I've ever had. I wonder if my attitude has anything to do with that?? Seriously, the only bad rides are when you're all ready to go and you have a "Murphy's law" ride (traffic, flat tire, dog chasing you, teenagers laughing at you riding up a hill, etc. all in the same ride). Keep at it! We're all here behind you!
@Christine, I haven't tried these and they are expensive but I suspect some type of google like that sold by Hazebuster "Polycarbon Goggle System" would help. I find that a bottle of eye drops at work is helpful.
Way to go Virginia!!
@Christine, I bet it would look funny riding around with goggles, but that would surely work! LOL!
.
I have a pair of sunglasses that sit on top of my regular eyeglasses, and when I wear them, they seem to block out all of the stuff flying around. They are more heavily built around the frame and the temples, so maybe that would be of help. Would be difficult to wear them if you are riding at night, though.
.
I also need some sort of face shield to prevent myself from inhaling those tiny pesky bugs.
Virginia: That's probably the hardest thing when you first start to commute to work: convincing yourself you REALLY want to ride when it's so much easier to find an excuse not to. After five minutes in the saddle, I never consider heading back home. Once you get in the habit, you want to ride everyday when the weather's good and then you might start pushing it until the weather's not quite as pleasant, i.e. last week with the rain/ sleet/ snow potential. Snow and ice is not too bad if you have the right gear and a positive attitude.
I was tormenting myself about riding in this morning... didn't want to change my pedals, didn't want to be clipped in, the wind, my computer bag was too heavy, my hip hurts, I was running too late... and on and on...
but I rode in anyway. it was a slow and tiresome ride this morning, but I'm glad I did it and am looking forward my my ride home!
Does anyone have any suggestions for keeping pollen out of one's eyes?
A beautiful morning for a bike ride. Finally after 8" of Snow on Thursday, in western WI we are back on the road, and dodging downed trees and tree limbs after a heavy wet May snow.
Welcome Spring :)
One point away from bronze! Makes me want to jump on my bike and ride it around the block a few times, but I'm not sure how Father Campbell would react to that. I guess I'll have to wait till my way home from work! Darn!
@Joel, as long as the dogs eat the dogs and leave me alone!! LOL
@Jerry,
I have done that, we do live out in a rural area and so those trips are a bit longer than that, but it is do-able. Thanks!
Wow, what a great weekend it was to get in a few miles. Beautiful sunny days.
Don't forget your sunblock.
@Jenny...When you didn't get a ride in for the day, use your bike to run an errand. The grocery store, bank, go pick up a cofee, something where you are not starting the gas guzzler. One mile, three miles, whatever, you get the miles for the day, the earth gets less carbon dioxide.
Hit the hills today for a short 26 mi ride. Got to get back in shape.
It's a dog-eat-dog world out there.
@Jenny, I could have written both of your posts below! We think a lot alike. I feel very sorry for you! ;-D
Nice night ride on the Ahnapee Trail, I think I am going to try getting in a night ride every weekend. Seems the only time I have to ride.
I had 4200 points I last year's challenge, and I started in June.
I can afford to take a day off once in a while. i'm still shooting for diamond.
I had considered just riding a mile and claiming my 20 points, but it didn't seem right to me. My personal rule of thumb, if I'm taking a ride, then go for at least 30 minutes for the cardiovascular benefit. The onl
Sure is amazing what this challenge does for my motivation. I would not have been motivated to ride in the drizzle yesterday, but with points on the line, there I was!
@Jamie - Yes, they changed the rule for this year's Challenge. Just get a short ride in tonight to augment what you have.
I hats headwinds especially those from the North.
It looks like you need to log at least 1 mile in order to claim 20 points for the day.
I only rode 0.60 miles around the block this morning before the rain fell just so I could claim the 20 points for the day. Otherwise, I'm taking the bus to and from work as it's going to rain all day.
Snow again... Just 2 days ago I was riding dirt trails at Levis Mound. Glad I have a fat bike for riding in the snow.
@Janet: Mayflies, I believe. Should only have to endure them for a few weeks. Pretty bad, though!
10 inches of snow today at our house, going to have to wait till next week to start my rides!!!
what is it with the gnats along the lakefront?
Cold ride this morning, and wet ride this afternoon, but I got my miles in :). I'm sick of waiting for good weather!
Holy crap waited till today to start the challenge and froze my a** off.
Welcome Spring :) 8-10" of Snow here in Western Wisconsin overnight. Time to bring back those Surley Bikes. Enjoy
My first ride of the challenge last evening... was chasing turkeys down the Northwestern bike trail outside of Ripon, and then took pictures of the deer standing in the yard of the church at the edge of town. Definitely saving some gas because I had 2 hours to kill while waiting for my daughter who had an evening class. Got some shopping done, but a bit disappointed that the coffee shop that I was going to spend my last 1/2 hour was closed.
Jaime: My RW24 teammate was in line from 3AM. Needless to say, she got us a spot :)
What a difference between yesterday and today! Yesterday, I sweated all the way to work, today I froze! Don't like the Wisconsin weather? Wait a minute.
Was really cool to connect with a fellow Challenge rider from Briggs on my route home. Lots of good talk, some smiles, and some mutual encouragement... thanks Mark, I'll keep an eye out for you over the rest of the summer.
It should be easy for anyone to get platinum in this challenge. If you ride every day for the 153 days of the challenge period, you can get 3060 points not including miles. Just riding around the block once every single day for 5 months gets you platinum. You then only need 1940 miles in 5 months, or 12.67 miles per day to get diamond.
Anyone here wait in line yesterday to register for the Riverwest 24? Did you get a spot before they sold out?
Great to see team members from Skiers Roll out riding today. I will be back on the bike this weekend to add some miles and points.
Got out for a beautiful ride in the rolling Kettle Moraine this evening. Way to go team! (I'm the only one on the team) lol
The conflation I mentioned below occurs in the "workplace" catagory, BTW.
I agree with Jenny and Bob that team members "reappear" once they log some miles. I guess that is one way to encourage folks to actually do some riding. I had another query for the NBC "powers that be." It seems like they conflated all the classifications for colleges and universities into a single catagory?!? That seems to be going backwards. There is no way my small liberal arts college can compete with a place like UW-Madison (okay, we'll give a try but I seriously doubt our numbers will give us a fighting chance....you could lose our entire student population in one wing of some of the residence halls in Madison).
It seems as users logon or log miles they and their teams reappear. Seems odd and I don't remember it happening that way last year. Thought just the mileage would be reset today and everything else would be intact.
Yes, I am having issues, too. I am "lost" and everyone at my workplace except one rider who logged some miles earlier today is also lost.
Having issues today. Most of our teams and riders have disappeard from our Workplace. Anyone else seeing issues?
The system seams to be bogged down or we just lost 95% of one of our teams.
Will ride at home...hwy is too dangerous.
Go Team!
Rode to work! First day of MANY, God willing!
Great start to the NBC. May have gotten the best out of this day already, clouds are moving in. Calling for snow showers and falling temps in the Wausau area by tomorrow morning.
Logged my first miles this morning - a beautiful day to kick off the challenge. Wisconsin DOT teams are forming now.
Perfect day here in SE WI to start the Bike Challenge. Have to start remembering to bring a water bottle for my commute. Hadn't needed hydration while riding til yesterday. Be Safe Everyone.
What a awesome morning in Wisconsin to ride. Good Luck everyone. Ride safe.
Just after midnight, Wisconsin is in 50th place, tied with everyone else at zero, as they won't update the State rankings until almost an hour after every state is officially in May. (We're in 50th because right now it is in alphabetical order, and Washington D.C. is included.)
Good Luck everyone.
Everyone is tied for first place tonight at Midnight. Great job Nathan. 368 is awesome considering it was pouring rain for about 8 days.
first time doing the challenge and very excited about it !
Made a permanent commitment to riding yesterday. Ready to get going in earnest tomorrow!
Off on vacation next week and then returning home and taking off again. Not starting riding until Bike week.
Hit 368 miles this month on the bikes. 221.1 on the fat bike and 147.3 on the road bike. Also ran 21 miles and did 41 miles of kayaking this month too. I can't wait till the mountain bike trails open up to ride some single track.
Well it all begins tomorrow, of course in typical Wisconsin fashion the weather takes a turn for the worse, but guess what I am still riding. Good Luck fellow Wisconsinites, let win this one after all we ARE the home state where this whole crazy thing began.
Go, Jenny, go! Isn't it amazing what a difference a few degrees can make? I'm sitting at my desk *aching* to go ride my bike!
I doubled last weeks rides in one ride today!
Christine@ - Happy Birthday! (And congratulations on the long week/ride.)
Rode 61 miles this week! Rode my longest ride of the season today: 14.2 miles. Not bad for someone who turned 60 on Friday! Let the games begin!
Heading to Ryan Park in Kewaunee County to try some single track riding
today is the first day 4 shorts what a great am 4 a ride
Finally the snow melted! Finally the morning wind chill isn't so bad. I started my commutes via road bike today!
Yes the headwind going south was brutal. 25 degrees swing in temp made it bearable.
Beast of a headwind on the commute home today.
I am way below my "goal" for the month, partly due to the weather, but also because of the many activities that go on this time of year. However, bowling is now finished, confirmation class (son) is now finished, and I only have to contend with girl scouts (and my daughter and I rode our bikes to the meeting last night). So, now I am losing the excuses and will get to riding again!!!
This weather has been a challenge since February too. Two weeks ago I only had about 90 miles in and I didn't think I would hit my goal this month. After my ride home today I should be at 238, leaving only 62 miles to hit in 4 days. I think I can I think I can.
It must be spring now. I am eating about 1 pound of gnats now on the way to and from work. Going to be a buggy summer if it ever gets here. HA.
Christine, I am not sure the course superintendent would appreaciate the bikes. It could cause golfers to be in a rut.
@Martin - They actually have their own Local Page, that is separate from the full Wisconsin Local Page. If you want to see them, too, just go to the National Page, then Leaderboard, then States, then Wisconsin. There you will see all of the cheeseheads. Right now, there are just over 1,600 participants on our site, just over 2,700 for all of WI, giving 1,100 on the Fox Cities site. I know, it is a little cumbersome to get to the stats, but we are still getting credit for Fox Cities in our competition with Vermont and Nebraska. It's going to be tough. I've been working on recruiting, because that is the only way we will beat VT & Nebraska.
Is that only on my Wisconsin side - or does everyone sees that: I find some significant Wisconsin contributors (employer, community, team) missing on the Wisconsin side, specifically everything related to Appleton and Kimberley? Without them we never beat Vermont &Nebraska.
This is "local" meaning Wisconsin, right? In that case, may I say: WISCONSIN NEEDS A BICYCLING LICENSE PLATE FOR CARS. And, no, person at the DMV, a Harley Davidson plate is NOT the same thing! If I ever win the lottery, first thing I'm doing is plunking down the $24K (???) for a bicycling license plate.
Thomas! Get a trailer for your bike and ride from hole to hole that way instead of in a golf cart. Start a new trend among golfers!
Nathan -- it is definitely a stretch goal for me. I have only 115 miles so far but the weather is turning warmer. But then there is also golf.
@Thomas -- That's a great milage goal! I've been averaging about 250 miles a month, but should be able to increase it now that the weather is starting to get better. I consider myself more of a mountain biker, and put on a lot of miles on the trails in the snow on my fat bike this winter. I've got about 1200 miles on that bike since October. We are lucky in this area to have single track trails that are groomed for the fat bikes in winter.
Nathan -- Sweet. Have fun. I am a recreational rider. My goal is 3,000 miles this year but I am not very fast anymore.
@Thomas - Glad you were able to find a good deal on the Defy. Looks like that model has full Shimano Ultegra and should shift great. My TCR Advanced 1 is a 2008 model, but it has full Dura Ace components and weighs only 16lbs with pedals. I love it! I can't wait to start doing some races with it this year!
All right, Christine! I wimped out - no excuse.
Nathan, I like the more relaxed geometry of the Defy. I tried to order the Defy Advance 1, but Giant is out. It looks like they will be coming out with their new 11-speed Ultegra group and raise the price out of my range. I ordered the Defy Composite 1 instead. They were down to only a few of those left and I was offered a fair deal by my LBS. Thanks for your input. I am glad you find the carbon frame much more comfortable. I will be getting away from an aluminum frame Raleigh.
35 degrees and raining...still I found the will to get a couple of miles in.
Rode 10 miles yesterday. It was great even with the 24 mph headwind on the way home. I felt SO great last night! Slept like a LOG!
@Thomas - I have a TCR Advanced and love it! I rode a Defy last year and prefer the more race oriented geometry of the TCR. It also rides a lot nicer being all carbon vs the Defy I had was aluminum frame and fork.
Glad I got a ride in this morning before the snow
@Thomas - I would suggest posting your request on the National Board. You have about 6X more people on that board, so you might get a few opinions. (And, if you wait another 2 weeks, we might have double that many participants.)
Does anyone riding a Giant Defy, Defy Advanced, or Specialized Roubaix have an opinion on the bikes? Would you buy it again?
Looks like tomorrow might be another narrow window of opportunity to get out and take a ride. Lets hope that the weather pattern changes SOON!
@Kevin - Of all the places to volunteer, that would be a great one. It is fun to visit all times of the year and see the amazing displays. (BTW - Nice hair. Ha ha)
I am pleased with how Goggle Maps finds generally acceptable bike routes. I volunteer in the gardens at Boerner Gardens and plan to ride to that.
@Terri - Welcome to the Challenge, and enjoy your new bike. The Challenge is a lot of fun, plus you learn a lot reading everyone's postings but mine.
Gotta love mountain biking over water crossings....
been taking my bike to work started on April 1st got wet 5 times coming home last year never even 1 time but we do need the rain
I just bought a new bike and am excited to do this challenge.
@Rhonda - That's great to show them by example.
Got to do a small ride w/grandkids.
I didn't get a ride in. Instead, I watched the breaking news. Shortly after I arrived at home, the skies opened up and wept for the stupidity of whomever is responsible for what happened in Boston.
Yeah! Got a ride in!
It's 62F! I can't see any blue sky out my window, but it's bright and not raining. Am I actually going to get to ride this afternoon???? I sure hope so. I need the callouses!
Marty, this is crystal clear and it is the conclusion to which I arrived. Thank you for confirming my understanding.
@Thomas - Perhaps it is just a misunderstanding because of semantics, or definition, or frame of reference. Sorry for any misunderstanding. For my Workplace, since I am self employed, it consists just of me. My fun team consists of people in my running club. When I mentioned a week or so ago, that you can be on two teams, I made sure that I specified that it had to consist of one workplace, and then one for fun. (I consider the Workplace one to be a team, so maybe that is my fault. But my thought is that you have a group of riders who all share something in common, besides riding. In one, you all work at the same place, and for the other, you all belong to one of two ski clubs.) The workplace one can be found under the Workplaces heading, and the other under Teams. My guess based on your first sentence is that you are already on two teams, both affiliated with work? If you would rather have the second team be from your ski club, then you have to appoint someone else as your team for work captain. Then you can drop out of your team for work team, (but not your Workplace one.), and form the ski team.
I'll bet that was clear as mud.
All,
So far, I listed my employer and started a team at work. Some comments stated that you could be a member of a team at your workplace and be a member of another team at the same time. I am also helping to start a team with our two great downhill ski clubs in NE WI, Gelandesprung and the Sly Fox ski club. It appears we could add 20-30 riders from these clubs to help met our local goals. When I went to the page to start the new team, the team buttons were not present any longer. Of course, I have the green arrow showing my membership at work. It does not appear to be true that one can be a member of two teams at the same time. I could be an individual rider with my employer and a team rider with the ski club. If anyone can confirm what is possible, that would be terrific.
@Thomas - To get on a team, (it is different than it was last year) - Scroll up to the top of this page and click on Leaderboard. Then click on Teams. If it brings you to anywhere other than the first page of the Team Leaderboard, you are already on a non-Work Team. (Also, to the right of one of those team's names the arrow will be Green. (You don't have to do anything in this case.) Now, if it brings you to the first page of the Team Leaderboard, and you don't have a green arrow, you can look just above the Official NBC bike jerseys on the right, and it will tell you where to type in the name. It should auto fill after the first few letters.
I saw some comments a while ago that said a person can join two teams this year; one at work and one for fun. How can I go about signing up for the non-work related team (I am already signed up at work)?
Statistically Speaking - With our recent weather, Vermont did just pass us on the Leaderboard. But luckily, not by much. Only 0.2 p/1000, which comes out to our being only about 1,100 points behind where we need to be to overtake them again. Upcoming weather reports look better. A little less water and a little warmer. Here comes Spring!
@David - Welcome to the Challenge! Vermont and Nebraska are our only competitors. So anything you can do, especially starting May 1st, will be great. But the main thing is get out there and enjoy being out there. I'm sure it will mean more to you now than before.
I'm gonna try going for a ride tomorrow. Getting tired of Leslie Sansone.
A year ago had both knees replaced and now I'm back in the saddle, but the slippery roads the past 3 days have scared me off. Next Week! every day Baby!!
@Christopher - Sorry to hear that. I hope you recover quickly, and got the owner's name and info and report it, to make him pay for any medical expenses, or if only to help prevent it from happening again. Last weekend I was chased twice by a collie on the Oak Leaf Trail just south of Warnimont Golf Course. In hindsight, I should have stopped and talked with the owner, but I was helping at a running race at the time.
Saturday should be nice - 40 with a chance of flurries. Only Saturday is the Midwest crane count, so I will be in a marsh north of Portage at 5 AM. Good times! Maybe an afternoon ride. Gotta get ready for the Quadrapedal first Sunday in May.
Was bitten by a bike-chasing dog on the KK River trail in Milwaukee near Bay View today. Owner was letting him roam off-lease while he talked on his bluetooth. Dog looked like a rhodesian ridgeback, but could have been a similar looking breed.
This weather has made an impact in our State standings. We were ahead of Vermont by 3p/1000 about a week ago, pushed that up to 4p/1000, but with the weather the last two+ days, are ahead by less than one. And with the rest of today and tomorrow, there's not much we can do, other than hope they get ahead by less than two, so that we can catch up to them by the end of the Warm-up period. (I think this year, it would be more apropos if it were renamed Chilly, Rainy, Snowy, Icy, Windy period.)
Weather report not looking good for bike riding this week! UGH!
@Chris - That's OK, just as long as you are back and ready to go by May 1st, after recruiting other bicyclists, because we'll need everyone we can get against Vermont and Nebraska.
Sorry guys, on vaca rest of the week. Maybe I can log some cruiser miles.
I know it is early, but just wanted to promote the Green Lake Greenways bike ride coming up at the end of June. The ride is a combination of routes, making it possible to ride 14-65 miles if all routes are combined. The country roads out here are beautiful, and some areas are hilly and challenging, while other areas are fairly flat. Last year, I was unable to ride due to that nasty dog bite, but I plan on riding in it this year. I think that they had about 100 riders and I would love to see some of the FV riders come out this way and enjoy riding in my neck of the woods!!! The event is June 29. I don't see any info online yet, but I just got my entry in the mail, so as soon as I see something posted, I will post the link for you all!
It will come back, Crhistine. Glad to see you back!
Alright Christine! - You just rode your first 380,160 inches for 2013. May you have many millions more. It will all help against Vermont and Nebraska.
OY! First ride of the year...6 miles and I feel every inch! Looking forward to riding 15 and not even realizing it!
@Mike, keep at it and it will get easier! I felt that way on my first ride, I only rode 6 miles and I had to stop 2-3 times! But, I have been working on that same route and have improved my time, and am getting near my "usual" cruising speed. Still feels like a work-out, but it will get easier. The nice thing is that I don't feel like I had to go through that "break in the butt" stage.
So, I have to ask, Where's "El Ambassador" Rob?
It may look like Wisconsin just reached the 1,000 rider mark (above), but that total doesn't include the greater Fox Cities area. Right now, Wisconsin is only 3 shy of 1,500! By far, the most in the country again. In fact, Wisconsin has just over 1/3 of all those signed-up throughout the nation!
@Jaime - Going there to register now. I may not make it to the finish of the 75 by 2, since I'm not a fast rider. You might say I'm half fast.
Jenny, Did the same re turkeys and deer yesterday, as well. I have also seen/heard several sandhill cranes. Many of the animals think spring has sprung. Here's hoping this coming snow/sleet/rain will be winter's last blast.
Day 2. Ride in was uphill the whole way. Saddle was frozen solid. Someone must have filled my bike with cement. 50lb back pack is catching the 30mph head wind. It was also too sunny out. The suffering I do for this team.....
Andrea, I've ridden my bike as my main transportation year round for years in La Crosse. There's nothing wrong with your brain! My commute is about the same as yours. Soon you'll find yourself going out of your way and enjoying your winter ride. THAT's when you can start questioning your sanity!
I was at the Wheel & Sprocket expo last night, and registered for the UPAF Ride For the Arts 75 mile ride. This year I hope to finish it before 2pm, so that I can get to the Summerfest grounds before it closes.
Well, here in WI we need the snow to melt and the roads to get cleared a bit of the ice, sand and mud before we can get outdoors with our bikes... hopefully soon
Let's roll team Gnewuch!
Welcome back Nyla! I always love your posts. (I also wonder how you are able to think so poetically.)
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Welcome Andrea! It doesn't matter how long your commute is, just that you are doing it via bike.
Stirring up the deer and the wild turkeys tonight! LOVE rural Wisconsin!
this is awesome! I rode my first spring ride yesterday - to/from work. It was 23 degrees when I left home. With the promise of warmer temps in the afternoon, I rode again today! My commute is only 7 miles round trip, but I think I can do this! I met a guy a month or so ago who had been riding all winter, and I thought he was crazy - now I'm thinking I'm set for life! I've even ordered rain gear - what's happening to my brain? I must admit that my first job (40 years ago) was at a bike shop. o-my :)
Okay, now I need to get out there.
Sign of incipient spring gracing my Return-to-Cycling-Season ride: Neighbor’s maple trees gift wrapped in bright robin’s egg blue tubing leading to silver-roofed sugaring shack (-:
Carpe Diem..Roll On!
Anybody on the challenge participating in #30daysofbiking? Sign up at 30daysofbiking.org
I wish my mayor here in Milwaukee was as cool as Mayor Ballard in Indianapolis! These bike rides he does (even in the winter) are awesome
http://www.indy.gov/eGov/City/DPW/SustainIndy/Bikeways/Pages/Spring-Fever-Ride.aspx
@Mary Lynn Elizabeth- If you are recording manually, then you just have to record your mileage for each ride, and by type of ride, either commute, transport, sport, or mountain bike trail riding. If you are using the free Endomondo's app on your smart phone, or some others, then you just have to download the data. You can also add comments to your rides if you do it that way.
I've never seen or heard of a robin flock. They must be going to various parts of upper Wisconsin, the UP, or maybe even Minnesota. I've seen monarchs migrate, and that is exciting, too.
So basically I ride my bike and log my hours weekly here,,,,Right
I saw 3 weeks ago 3 trees full of Robins,,,,,,I have a witness,,,,we both had never seen them in a flock,,,,,,they the all flew away together....Spring is sure to come
Saw a sure sign of spring on Thursday - I saw a guy was towing a kayak with his bike and heading for the backwaters of the Mississippi ...
@Steve - Glad to be of help. Now, if your team beats my team, I might think otherwise. ;-)
Thanks Marty, got the team set up for this year!
@Paul, I agree, it is still tricky riding in rural areas. snow is melting, but making the roads wet, and cars are not expecting to see us out there, either. Safe riding to all!
@LaToscia - You can be on up to two teams - At most 1 Workplace team, and at most 1Fun team
Can you be on more than 1 team?
Charlie,
No, there is no limit on team size this year. They have three categories of teams based on team size. One category is like last year, teams with 10 or fewer riders. The next category is up to 100 (I think) riders. The last category is unlimited. You don't have to specify which category your team is, it will automatically switch categories based on the size of your team.
Is there a limit to how many team members a team can have?
Zoo interchange area is indeed challenging and actually, a bit dangerous currently, considering that drivers are still texting while their lanes a shifting into previous lanes mostly used for biking. They certainly did not consider bicycles during construction time whatsoever. I am very curious how the endproduct will look like in regard of bicycle friendliness, particularly at those new freeflow interchanges (eg Watertown Plank)/
I got tired of waiting for the weather to warm up, so I rode my bike into work a couple of times this week. I live near Milwaukee and have to ride thru the zoo interchange area to get to work. On one hand I had to deal with bike paths that are still covered in snow and ice in places, and on the other hand, road construction on all nearby on-street routes. So I get the worst of both winter and summer riding conditions at the same time! At least this weekend it should get warm enough to melt the rest of the snow off the bike paths. I'm looking to put in a lot of miles for the challenge this year!
Jenny, that may be true, but based on some of the piles/drifts of snow I have been biking past around Ripon, it is going to take A LOT more sun to melt it all. We still have drifts 6 to 7 feet tall along some of the rural roads. There are places where the snow is higher than the corn is during the summer. At several intersections, the snow piles are worse that the corn is when it is full height. And it is likely to be a real mess for a while until everthing's gone. But warmer weather...and summer...IS coming!
@Steve - Its different than last year. Go to Leaderboard, then Teams. It is on the upper right.
OK Rob, How do I get my team resigned for this. I was hoping it would automatically just have us in.
Yep, the snow is definitely taking a HIT today!
Was able to eliminate one layer on the ride in today. PROGRESS.
@Christine - All of that exercise really helps! I have some running friends whose HRs are in the upper and lower 40's. Many doctors would get very concerned and immediately want to perform a lot of tests on people like them years ago, thinking they were near death. Thankfully, nowadays, when they go to a new doctor, usually the first thing the doctor asks after seeing the HR is, "Are you a runner?" We're training our medical professionals to understand a new normal.
RHR of 27? One could mistake him for dead if they weren't careful! My RHR is 60, which is much lower than it used to be before I started walking and cycling. If only everyone could understand the benefits of regular exercise. It makes such a difference in body, mind and spirit!
@Christine - I'm looking forward to the trip. I figured November would be a little cooler than I would prefer, and be likely to have more rain, especially for bike camping.
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Also, yes, it is exciting getting a new electronic gadget. I hope you enjoy it. One thing you might want to try that doeswn't involve your new gadget, but is very interesting, nontheless is taking your resting HR, (or basil HR). You have to use the fingers, (avoid thumb, as it has a pulse), on the carotid artery method, and take it before getting out of bed in the morning. But it is worth it. I've found it particularly helpful in judging my conditioning after not doing much exercise for a while, and then after I've ramped it up by biking, or other exercis. Your RHR will go down as your heart and the rest of your cardilovascular system get stronger. Seeing that number go down is a nice reward. Also, if your RHR jumps up by 4-6 bpm one morning, then that means you are either too stressed, your body is either fatigued from too hard of a workout the previous day(s), or you are fighting off an illness. In each case, you should get more rest, if possible, and ease up on the exercise for a day or two. (One can also use HR to check for food allergies.) To get your baseline, you would want to do this at lest 3 or 4 days, just to make sure you get your lowest reading. Make sure you can see a clock, put your hand up to your neck, and wait a few minutes, because just moving your arm will increase your HR. Then cound your beats for an entire minute. Everyone's RHR is different, so don't compare yourself with others, just with yourself. Most people are in the 50's to 70's range, but the lowest I ever hear of was a Frech cyclist who set the WR for 1 hour on a veladrome back in the 70's, 80's?, and his RHR was 27.
Went for ride to grocery store yesterday, and youngest daughter wanted to come along. I was wearing my parka, ski socks, and ski gloves. She came out with just her jacket on, no mittens, and not even any socks! So, I sent her back in the house to put on more stuff, and she came back with anklets on, so she STILL had skin exposed! Sent her back, and she finally put on some longer socks, but still no mittens... sent her back again, finally came back with appropriate attire. OMG--I guess kids are just not as concerned about the cold as we older folks!
So excited! Just found out my bluetooth hrm is "out for delivery". Can't wait to try it with Endomondo!
Marty, the Trace should be a beautiful ride in October. Don't forget your camera.
@Jaime - I was looking at trailers last year and then my sister/Santa bought me a Bob knock-off. I've had it set-up waiting for salt free roads since late January. Its first task all of April will be to haul about 140 22 lb cement blocks 5.5 miles. I figure I can put three in the trailer at a time, so that comes out to 16,940 cement pound miles (if I did my grade or middle school math correctly), plus the return trips. I'm hoping Endomondo has a Challenge for that. Then my last project for the carrier this year is to bike camp the Natchez Trace Parkway in October - hopefully, both ways. I've always used panniers for bike camping, so this will be new to me. Let us know how you like yours.
Just bought a BOB trailer for $120 from a seller on Craigslist this week, complete wth an Rubbermaid Action Packer box bolted onto it. I'm excited about it, and now I plan to take overnight trips with it this year.
I feel safe enough now that some of the snowbanks have lowered so drivers more likely to see me to be riding into work every day now. Cold is not an issue.
Had a couple hundred miles in at this time last year ... will catch up when spring finally arrives. Ride on!
I am all signed up and ready to go, just hoping for better weather! I am happy for the daylight savings time and the extra hour of daylight in the evening, that will make it easier for me to get out. I still have lots of activities after work, like bowling, confirmation class, girl scouts, but as we approach May, then my time will be freeing up, and will be able to take more bike rides.
Hey, Barbara, this time last year it was in the 70s, not the teens! I'm with you not riding in the cold. We create our own wind chill while riding, and when the wind chill is already around 0, I don't need to be colder! Soon, Barbara, soon! The warm weather can't be far off...
Barb, in a few weeks, this wintry weather will be a fond memory. Ride on, plenty of time before the challenge kicks off officially on May 1. Go Wisconsin, let's win this in 2013!
This time last year I rode about 30 miles...this year it's still single digits and I'm too wimpy to ride when it's so cold. Hope joining this encourages me to ride more!
I just joined the challenge. It's been a rough winter, especially the last 2 months. I only have 380 miles since January 1. At this time last year I was at about 700 miles. Of course it was in the 80's this time last year.
Yippee! It's almost time to ride again! I've been *aching* to get back on a bike again!
@Jim - That's great! We'll need everything we can muster this year to try to catch Vermont, and keep Nebraska at bay. Last year, Nebraska came on strong towards the end, and dominated the post-Challenge period. Iowa may get a little closer to us, too.
I just saw the new site and signed up and sent a notice on our company Yammer site. Hopefully we will have a new group soon. We are doing a bike to work week program here and I will get more people to sign up then too. I added 990 points today. :-)
Not a fun start to this year. Had a flat on last Friday (on what was supposed to be a longish ride) that cut through the cords of my tire. The season of road debris. ;-/ Fortunately, a nice person who saw me inspecting my bike came out of his house and offered me a ride back home. You gotta love rural WI. After putting some new tires on my "clunker" Schwinn (too messy for the Cannondale) I did some cleaning. Alas, I must not have tightened the pulley wheels enough when I put them back on. One came off today about 7 miles out. Fortunately, I was able to back track and find all five parts of the pulley (I know, I minor miracle) and a friend came to get me...too cold and muddy for road side mechanical work. I guess I can't complain about having long walks, but I can't wait to have a totally uneventful LONG ride...that is not too cold. Depressing to think I went on a 30 mile ride this week last year...and it was 80! Bring on spring...but I will still try to plug away in the cold until then. On Wisconsin!
Phil Cianciola of the PhilCast show checking on...had Rob on the show today in the 4:00 hour. Podcast version here: http://www.whby.com/index.php/Audio_Vault/Podcasts/Philcast
@Rob - Great! Nice commute distance.
@Charlie - Welcome aboard! Yes. Right now, everything from February 1st will count. But once they correct things, everyone will have their points count from March 1st, to coincide with the warm-up period.
I just joined the warm up period, will my YTD miles be added to Wis?
Marty, I'll be riding to work the rest of the week = 54 more miles and 114 points for Wisconsin
@Rob - That's still amazing! Especially when you consider Wisconsin was in 6th place as of late last night, and we've been mired in that position for at least the last 5 days. Plus, only 9 Wisconsinites signed-up today.
Spoke a bit too soon, Nebraska just surged ahead of us...
I'm ready for some fine Wisconsin spring weather - anyone else? And last I checked, we were in 1st place - way to go team!
I'm excited to get started on this year's challenge. If only we'd get some warm weather! In the meantime, feel free to check out www.tadpole-tales.com to check out our recumbent trikes. They are awesome!
If you are on the 2012 Endomondo website and wondering when it will be updated for 2013, they are just doing everything on another page, so you have to go there. You will have to sign-up again, but it will pull most of your info from 2012 over, except if you were on a team. Those have to be re-created, since they've changed some of the rules for teams. So, join us for the warm-up period. The link is:
http://www.endomondo.com/campaign/nbc2013
UPDATE - They are now giving the 20 points per day for riding. They just have to not include February miles, and we'll all be good to go! (Other than for this next snow storm in the SE corner of the state.)
In case anyone is wondering how they have the point totals they currently have, instead of Points for March, it is Miles for February and March. I'm sure Endomondo will correct this sometime this week.
Welcome back WI riders!! It doesn't look like they are tracking the warm up feature yet. The "warm up period" listed on the drop down gives last year's figures. Here's hoping the Challenge stats this year have more detail than last year's (although given the direction Endomundo had take recently, I am not as hopeful as I once was--hope that is not a problem with participation. It sounds like they lost some disgruntled folks when they added the paying feature for more data.). Bring on 2013! Can we get WI to #1 status this year? Let's go for it...
I XC ski and walk in the winter, I am thinking it should keep track of those also?
I am also thinking of getting a Garmin Edge200. I ride 3 different bikes and like the idea of using the same computer. Seems like it is a basics only model, which I think would be my best option. Looking forward to others input.
Even if there were no challenge, I would still enter all my miles on Endomondo for my own personal record. I've been entering miles from walking and running too. I would enter swimming miles, too, but I have nothing that records how far I swam. :( When you start a fitness training program, this is one of the first things that a fitness trainer will recommend that you do. Log and record all your workouts. I personally like knowing how much riding I am doing for transport and how much is sport and by entering all my miles, I can easily print out a statistical report for any week, month, or year, which shows this information. The little time it takes each day to enter miles will be worth it in the end to help monitor your fitness goals. Every fitness trainer will recommend keeping track of your workouts as a way of helping you to reach your fitness goals. Another thing they recommend that you do is to write down and keep track of EVERYTHING you eat and drink and the time of day that you ate and drank it. When I was in a fitness program at Gold's, this forces you to think about what you are eating and drinking and how much. This may seem like a pain in the ass to do this, but you yourself will become more aware of what you are putting into your mouth every day and whether your nutrition is helping you to reach your goals or is hindering it. If you are not seeing the results you want, having this information written down will enable a fitness trainer to tell you what you are doing wrong and what you should change. . It isn't just what and how much you eat and drink but also when you eat and drink that is important and will have a factor in your results. By entering and keeping track of information like this, this will help you to monitor your progress to see if you are doing all that you can to help reach your fitness goals and what you can perhaps do differently to improve.
I use the Edge 800. Plug it into USB, click 'import workout','import from Garmin'... a couple more clicks... totally easy, I've never had a hangup. Your route map will show, your miles will be logged, and if you use a cadence and heartrate monitor, those will be included in the upload also. There will be a little graph at the bottom of your workout; lateral scale will be distance and with the checkboxes you can chose to diplay any or all of: altitude, cadence and heartrate. Don't like the price, but I love the garmin - glad I got it.
Thanks for help. Does anyone use a Garmin to track mileage? Im thinking of getting the Garmin Edge 200, would be cool if I could plug it into my computer and download my info to Endo. Any experiences?
@Paul Bouffleur: Congrats on becoming a new Dad, that's a great Life Changing Event, enjoy every minute of it. I was down on miles last week as my first grandson came to visit for 5 days, I wanted to go riding at 5:00 AM but it was much nicer to entertain him when he awoke early. Our team members will have to pick up this temporary slack (or Charlie L's team might catch us!)
BTW, I saw the doc and he said I could get back on my bike again! Well, he said "easy" rides, nothing aggressive. I will have to think about whether I can participate in the Best Friends ride later this month, as I had planned on riding the century, but all of this dog bite crap has really put me behind and a bit out of shape. I don't know if I will ride tonight, as we have company coming over, but perhaps I will sneak in one of those easy rides before they come!
Interesting, because I know quite a few people whom participated in the challenge last year, that did not want to participate this year because they didn't want to mess around with entering their miles/trips. They JUST want to ride! For me, the android app makes it effortless (just have to keep it charged).
Some folks just want to ride and don't care much for messin' about on a computer. Last year there were a few that commented that entering miles was too complicated. Hence the 'Log Miles' button and the auto commute mile setting. 2 clicks and done. You don't have to use this and if fact don't even need to enter a commute distance. And if you want to enter something other, click 'log other' and you can then make that either sport or transport. Or if you want to manually enter full detail go to the workouts page as M. O'Keefe suggests. There are a wide variety of people in the challenge, but it's also a challenge to make this site user friendly for all, and overall I think they are doing a good job. Now if it would just allow comments on comments strings, a la facebook.
I noticed the Badgers jersey too. I thought it looked like someone I know, but I'm not sure because he's usually wearing a Tanners/Fat Tire jersey. (Paul R, is that you?)
Congrats, Paul! Enjoy the little one!
@David H - To add workouts, there is a more complete page that makes it easier to input your workout if you go to http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/. So you could try deleting the campaign/national in the url, then type 'workouts' so you have the url above, hit enter, and it should bring up a calendar with your current workouts. Then you can click on 'new workout'. So I have two bookmarks since there doesn't seem to be an easier way to do this, or at least I haven't found it yet.
Hot and dry here in Indiana also as the crops are about done for i think. They calling for rain over the next few day but not looking for much they saying. I get out in the am for my ride when its cooler. Have a great weekend all.
HI all, out this morning with temps in the 70s and lots of other riders.
@ Gregg cool pics of your ride and of the UPS delivery bicycle. We have drought in Missouri as well. They have asked to declare every single county in the state as disaster areas due to bad weather and poor crops etc.
@ Al, I know you can get jerseys on-line. Try searching: cycling jersey, Badgers, & Wisconsin" and you will probably come up with what you want
Keep riding everyone, the less car fumes the better!
It sure is nice not having to worry about rain or storms this summer commuting to work. But the farmers are taking a huge loss in their crops this year and we are going to see the effects of this soon with high milk, dairy, and meat prices around here. Hamburger has already taken a big jump and was adverstised on sale for $3.99/ lb this week at Copp's. That is ridiculous for just hambuger, not even ground chuck.
@ Dave Yeah I rode last night at Cranked. It was a big group.
It definitely will save you money to ride to Lifest in Oshkosh. They are charging $10 for parking a car.
@ Jaime They actually ride in their underwear in Milwaukee? Why not go nude like they do in Madison. haha
@Al Are you talking about the Badger jersey that the guy in the middle is wearing? I'm not sure where he got that from. Probably UW Madison sells them.
Had a great ride to a local tavern. Cold beer is good.
Gregg, nice picture. I want to know where I can get a Wisconsin jersey, though.
Jaime. I think the idea is to record extra miles beyond what is necessary as sport miles. That is how I record mine. I ride 6 miles to work, and anywhere from 8 to 20+ on the way home. A typical ride home would be 17 miles. I record 6 as cummuting and 11 as sport.
The idea is to get a more accurate gauge of money saved. (I would not drive 17miles to get home - only six)
Jaime I am in fact I am working the Beer tents.
Oh no.. my lead on my team is down to under 100 points... Had our first baby on Sunday and he's cutting into my commuting... Somehow, I don't seem to care though!
Anyone here going to the Tour De Fat in Milwaukee?
I'm with David. I don't see why it's necessary to have a commute distance. I don't always go the same route to and from work. I usually take the Menomonee River Parkway, but will occasionally take the Underwood Creek Parkway to the Hank Aaron Trail. Sometimes I"ll go somewhere else after work like Downtown Milwaukee, or the East Side instead of going directly home
Tomorrow is the underwear bike ride in Milwaukee. Here's an opportunity to log 42 miles. 7 for the commute to work. 12 for the ride to Trocadero. 15 for the ride itself and 8 for the ride home.
The drought is very severe and is very devastating in Wisconsin, especially the Madison area, which has not seen any rain all summer. There is no end in sight to this drought and we are still running a whole month ahead in climate and are in August climate now.
I am the guy on the right, climbing the High Cliff hill in the 100 mile century Backdraft Tour sponsored by the Neenah- Menasha Fire Rescue: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7125/7544751226_dc86e9af80_b.jpg
Thanks, Christine! :)
Hot and dry here in the east. Mornings are very pleasant temperatures; hot and sticky in the afternoons. I just keep pedaling in fairly low, comfortable gears. Not a lot of speed up the hills, but it works. Enjoy the rides, everyone.
Fingers crossed for great news, Jenny!
Dr appt tomorrow morning, hopefully will be back out there making up for lost time! HeHe I was thinking yesterday that if I am allowed to return to work without restrictions, then why can't I ride my bike?!?
No rain here in Indiana but we mite get some later in the week. Got out this morning with son and did a 29 mile ride. 10mph wind slowed me down on the way out but a good push on the way back home.
David, I don't know if you can configure two different commute distances, but you could simply report that each leg is 1/2 of the round trip distance. It would be accurate over the course of a day at least.
@David H: Just enter the total miles and enter as 2 trips
@Savanni and @Thomas, same issue here in NC. Rain / Thunder storms yesterday and today. But, I did manage a quick 10 miles last night, in between the storms.
does anyone else hate having to adjust the stupid commute mileage each time you enter your numbers! I have two different mileages to and from work. Is there something simple Im missing?
@Savanni, I have the same issue. The rain storms are rolling in here in South Florida and I got caught last night on the way home from work. Ordered a new rain jacket this morning from Amazon.com, the stuff in my panniers just had to go into the drier when I got home. I didn't ride today as I could see it rolling in on the radar before I left for work this morning and didn't want to get wet a second day in a row.
As much as we need rain here in Texas, it is keeping me off my bike and making me sad.
Oh well. My panniers aren't waterproof, but I'll order the waterproof liners today. And they'll arrive just as the rain stops and we go into drought. ;)
@Timothy, Sounds like me when I am skiing moguls, screaming like an eagle, falling like a rock.
There's nothing like a cool morning ride with the deer and rabbits and seeing the sun rise to appreciate the beauty and wonder of nature.
mm u got good thoughts just drop the 50lbs of sugar and i am in
@Gregg & @Dameon - I like the delivery bikes the way they are - just insulate them, and fill them with Ice Cream!
@Gregg - aw, you rode with Cranked tonight? I with I'd known, I'd have tried to find you and introduce myself - I was the short, fat guy in the Ommegang jersey if that rings a bell. If you come next week, I'm busting out the hammer and sickle (you'll know it if you see it).
gregg might work better w/ a tadpole and trailer?
Thats the spirit David P!
End July in Brussels and plan to use Villo (http://www.brussels.be/artdet.cfm/4359) to get my miles. Next stop is back home to the UK in time for the Olympic Road Race which passes only 25miles from where we will stay so hope to get over to see the riders stream by. Have got reasonable bike access for 2 weeks in UK so should be able to keep the Freeloader scoreboard ticking over - would not be doing this if NBC did not exist! Then it’s back to Wisconsin.
These are the UPS delivery bikes that they will be using during the Olympics: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/ups-cycling-deliveries.pdf
Over 60 riders tonight at Cranked Bike Studio in Neenah.
Back in the saddle today after my crash last week. Flew like Superman, unfortunately didn't land like him. :)
@ EM and Gregg, If he volunteered for the London duty I bet he would have trouble being on the wrong side of the road (or whatever it is called in English). lol How would one signal for turns? So many changes. Then when he returns he would probably go the wrong way around the lake to work the first morning!!
Smoke has cleared and it is time to ride!
Hi all, out this morning and it was even better than yesterday, 72 degrees when I started. A lot of other people felt the same way, about a dozen riders compared to yesterday's three.
Welcome to all the new riders. Remember you can enter miles from previous rides manually if you have them recorded somewhere.
@ Heather, glad you got the light replaced. Enjoy your night riding!
@ Ann glad to hear signs of life from Omaha.
@ Gregg, you should volunteer to take your bike to London & help out with the deliveries. LOL!!
@ Melissa, sorry to hear about the Michigan tragedy. Our thoughts go out to the family & students. RIDE SAFE EVERYONE.
Love this app!!!!!!!!!
Melissa my prayers are going out for the family and Ray good luck in the challenge
Just peeeeedaling in the rain....just peeeeedaling in the rain.....what a glorious feeling with never a complain.......just had to do it...got caught in a most quiet, slow rain the last 3 miles...it was awesome!!!
Just updated the app on my android phone...it looks so cool now!
Just joined the Challenge, ok lets ride.
School teacher and a cyclist from Howell, MI struck by a vehicle yesterday and died. Very sad! <http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article;nclick_check=1>. Ride safe everyone.
nbc'ers next mo. burning man will be here in n. nevada. last year almost 54.000 people attended with many, many, many riding bikes. we [sparks nv kiwanis bike program] will provide 6 to 8 hundred of those. Close to where this event will take place is a ranch known to a few as FLY GEYSER . iMPORTANTANCE , Privt. owned seldom even a plane flying over . look it up on web, because soon the crush of this once a year event may invade this seldon disturded gem as sponsors of burning man are trying to purchuse this land . enough of my ev. rage 4 today go out and beat up some pavement- Dameon
I have to leave for work at 7:10 every morning, but if I get up at 5:45 I can get 3-5 miles in real fast to get my daily points! Then Saturday mornings are great to do 20+ mile trips! Keep up all the great adventures everyone!
@Melinda - hang in there...I know what you mean...I got a bee sting on my lower back and really don't feel like riding, but....remember your personal goals!
@ Troy - thanks for the extra points! ha ha, that would be nice! @ Heather and Chuck-thanks for your encouragement as well. Hang in there everyone...we are getting closer! Enjoy the ride!
Very frustrated. I can't seem to get out on my bike this week. Urgh!
While UPS surely will be busy with Olympic logistical support, it must also attend to its normal London deliveries. With increased congestion in the traffic forecast, UPS will be employing alternatives, such as pedal-powered delivery bikes and delivery on foot.
@Ann - I don't know about that "too cool to be gross" line. Ick. Yesterday, it looked like a peregrine had gotten a pigeon, and left some pigeon bits out in front of the State Office Building here in Lincoln. They're as bad as our teenagers about picking up after themselves!
Riding through downtown Omaha early this morning, I wasn't the only one thinking of breakfast... saw a great big peregrine falcon snacking on a juicy rat... right on the sidewalk, 16th & Howard. It was too cool to be gross.
Yay to Kerry and others starting to cyclommute... that's fantastic!
Stay safe:
1) Ride with lights, front and back (both flashing during the day)
2) Don't sit too close to median line, ride 16"-24" from the line. Otherwise motorist get the impression they can use the full lane to pass... dangerous!
3) Use a backpack, even if not necessary, motorists respect cyclommuters more than recreational riders.
4) The more you ride the same route at the same time the safer it is. You'll find more motorists will watch for and even expect you to be there.
Lastly, ride predictably, for example don't follow the shoulder during right turn lanes... stay in your position in the through lane. From the motorist's perspective it can appear that you are weaving around when sitting in the shoulder.
Put all this together and it means... RIDE LIKE YOU BELONG!
Congratulations to all the new cyclommuters!
@ troy; yup but im not doing 500 miles in a week..yet :D im on a single speed cruiser in the valley of the sun.
@miguel, your miles start back over on sunday. each week it zeroes out, you should have a "monthly total" next to your weekly.
odd that my miles are fluctuating. thought i had hit 500 miles on sunday but appears not.
@Gene, good luck RAAM is awesome!! @Bruce, feel better soon. Leg infections suck. @bruce and EM- I took the light back today and they were really fair at the cycle shop, did an even trade and made sure the second one worked before I left. :)
@ Heather I know what you mean about quality.I strive to buy quality products.If I cant find them I make them or have ppl I know make them.That includes machinery I use in my shop.
was 60 degrees when I went riding early this AM ,,still worked up a sweat but not like the past several days
got an infection in my leg so had to slow down a bit ...Hope to get better soon.
@ E M he was upset becasue your ride is better than his, along with that you were enjoying yourself at the same time.
@GeneConnor, my hat off to you to Ride Across America!! Keep it up and I wish you good luck, nice weather & great ride conditions.
Subaru's don't break down very often and there are lots in Vermont so maybe Wisconsin has a chance?
I think its going to be a great deer season this fall. Im seeing bucks on every evening ride in the Wausau area....some with sizable racks. I couldn't figure out why this one field always had huge bucks in it until I saw the game farm sign barely visible through the brush.
Hello Everyone! I'm 1/4 of the way across the country in my Ride Across America to benefit Sunrise Day Camp. I'm currently in Pagosa Springs, CO and I leave for Del Norte, CO on Wednesday (which means I'll be climbing Wolf Creek Pass) - do any of you Colorado natives have any words of advice about the climb up 160? You can read about my cross country journey at www.connorsarmy.blogspot.com!
Congratulations WI, we should crack 1 1/2 million miles yet tonight or first thing tomorrow.
@Brandi - I forget to mention - Jeff told me in strict confidence about how he was going to pass you in points, so let's just keep the fact that I told you just between you an I, OK?
@Brandi - That is how your dad passed you up in points. (By the way, nice 100 miler!)
@Bruce - I hope your car gets fixed quickly. (Good wishes from everyone in Wisconsin!)
Hi all, out this morning in balmy 77 degree weather. Such a relief after the 90+ temps. Not many other riders out there. Experienced courtesy as one driver let me into the center of the lane and slowed down so I could make a left turn. Later I had a BLAH moment when I was climbing the steep hill near my home. A driver rolled down his window, letting out both cold and hot air as he said "Try the sidewalk". Like Dave and Chuck I was happy not to be in a cage..
BTW: I found Jeff's Thermos Nissan 2465 18-Ounce Stainless-Steel Hydration Bottle at Target. They also had a similar 16 oz bottle.
Congrats on the commute Kerry!
RIDE ON ALL!
I agree with you David I would much rather be on my bike than my car.
Great Job Kerry keep it up. My wife and me are at three weeks of commuteing to work each day and we love. We are now adding an extra 10 miles to our ride.
@Brad -- Thanks so much for making that so clear!! Very much appreciated!
Thanks, Brad!
Riding home from work on my bicycle in 90 degree+ sunshine, humidity in 90s, sunscreen melting into my eyes, stinging, I can't help but feel sorry for all those poor people in their metal, glass and plastic cages with whom I share the road.
Bob Avery - You get 20 points for each day you ride and then 1 point per mile in addition to that. 56 points would account for your ride July 1 (20+36 miles = 56) Going off of your workout calander you have 252 miles in July and you rode 6 days, you should have a total of 372 points (20 x 6days + 252). Did you just recently enter in a bunch of rides? Sometimes it takes awhile for the leaderboard to update. If it's been more than a day I would contact Endomondo support.
Anyone have any idea how the points are accumulated?!? I only have 56 pts this month, but about 215 miles logged. Confused.
Great suggestion, Dean. Wish I woulda thought of it Sunday. Tho it wouldn't have helped - going uphill on a corner and out of the saddle when they came out. Fortunately, they didn't get closer than a foot or so.
What a gorgeous VT morning, cruising along the East slope of Mt Mansfield on RT 100 South. It's probably a blessing that my Suby is in the shop as I'm now committed to a 25 mile work commute until it gets fixed. Great way to add 50 miles on days like this to the Vermont total mileage cause.
Christine, I am with you! I am SO into withdrawal!
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Last winter, I think I had a slower process of reducing my bike riding because of the increase in darkness, colder temps, etc. and so I weaned from it at a slower pace. But, I did find myself riding again in February! Many guys out there were riding all winter long, so they didn't have to go through it.
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But I have basically not been on my bike for 2 weeks (except one day, and my doctor quickly told me not to do that again until he said I could). It is literally driving me crazy! I see people riding all the time, even in the extreme heat. I see cars transporting multiple bikes, and I am always wishing that it was me!
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I hope that you are feeling better, and that you are riding again very soon (I am also hoping to be back out there soon)!!
Between the heat and having some lesions removed from my back, I haven't been riding much. I feel so bad, in so many ways! No one warned me that you got withdrawals from bike riding when you stop! What the heck do you guys do every winter when you can't ride???
All well and good as long as the dog gives you some warning! The one that got me 2 weeks ago did not give me any warning at all. But, I think my schrill scream was the reason that it let go of my leg.
Squirt the dog with your water bottle, while you get one foot unclipped just in case. Happens every now and then on country roads.
I have found whistling at the dog seems to confuse and make them pause enough to let me ride away so far.
First commute to work today! 6 miles, felt great!
i have had a st. bernard come off their property at me. i yelled "BAD DOG" and kept riding and it gave up, but it does seem that "STAY or SIT" might be more effective.
I had a dog come after me today too! I almost hit him as he ran out after me, then he was running next to me barking and growling. I thought for sure he was going to bite my leg! I kept yelling NO to him and was about ready to deploy my pepper spray but then he relented and ran away. I always carry pepper spray but have not had to use it yet!
I got a taste of the wonderful roads in Trempeauleau County on Friday while camping at Perrot State Park. It was wonderful, even in the heat. I had to walk up a few hills - I'm not used to 16% grades but the ride down was a blast!
Your first defense against an aggressive dog is to yell -- with as much authority as you can muster -- "STAY!"... "SIT!." These are words that domesticated dogs have heard often and understand. It will usually give even the most aggressive dog pause and allow you to ride off. The next defense is to stop, dismount, and place your bike between the dog and yourself. If you can scrounge an object from the ground (a substantial rock is good), lob it at the dog while continuing your commands. Lacking a good object to throw, brandish a pump or fist. The mutt will shy away, which will let you gain some distance, remount, and continue your ride. If you have repeated encounters with the same animal, do call the county Sheriff and report the incidents. With luck, a deputy will pay a visit to the address and "suggest" that the owner better control his dog.
I've been riding country roads for forty years, and all of the above have worked for me. Good luck, ride safe!
@ John about bees stings. Go to drug store and look for a thing that looks like a pen and is called AFTERBITE and will take the pain right out of a sting or bite quick.
What would you do? - This morning we were out on a ride from Waupaca through Amherst, Iola, and Scandinavia back to Waupaca and about half way through the ride a large (60lb) dog comes out of a wooded area looking like it may just cross the road to go home and then all of a sudden it flipped out and started running after us.
The property it seemed to "belong" to was in Portage County and I'm just wondering what we should do. Drive over to that home and speak with the home owner, call the Sheriff's office or bring an item of self defense (ie pepper spray or hand gun)?
We don't want to change our route because we love the diversity of the ride but I feel we should do something to protect ourselves.
Yeah 7 millions miles riden so far !!!
"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving." --Albert Einstein
Did a fun 12 mile bicycle poker ride on the Hoddlebug trail in Homer city Pa. this morning. My poker hand was awful but I met some really nice people and had a great time. Rode another 10 miles after then stoppped at the festival the community was having. Music, crafts, food and good people. Got to love these small communities and the people who make this country great. God bless America!
HI all, out again this morning and it was a little cooler thanks to yesterday's storm. I got a mile from home and realized I forgot my water bottle, so I had to backtrack. Lots of people out riding and several cyclists at the outdoor cafe where we had breakfast.
@ Heather thanks, I keep rolling but have limited the miles a little because of the heat. I am lucky to have a great support team here at home and through the NBC site, and that I have been able to borrow my daughter's bike while mine is waiting for parts.
RE: your headlamp: I hope the store will replace it for an even trade with the receipt. If they do, check the next one before you leave the store. It is frustrating to buy something and find out it doesn't work and even worse when you need it and can't get a replacement right away. I heard that there is a company that will make things on a 3-D printer. You send them a model and picture and measurements of what is broken and they will print you a new one. Somebody supposedly got a stroller part that was cheaper than the factory replacement and the 3-D copy was made from a stronger material. So maybe that is where things are going. But of course that would still involve WAITING>>>>. BTW, congrats on making almost 20 miles!!
Keep rollin' everyone !
This is the type of morning I love riding in the Oregon countryside. Sunny and 70. Rode past grass, wheat, oats, and crimson fields. Mint, blue berries, cane berries, corn, and green beans. Cattle, sheep, goats, horses, and deer. Only bad thing, bees. Got stung within the first 5 minutes of the ride. Oh well, the pain went away quick enough.
I just started tracking rides with Strava.I was wondering if any one knows how to delete rides I saved,my storage is getting full.
@ Jenny Glad you are healing so you can ride again.
Back to work this week and then vacation again next week. I still have my pop up camper set up on my camp site because why bother folding it up for just 5 days? I'm on vacation more than I work this month. lol I love blowing 3 weeks vacation in 6 weeks, but I'm not getting much commute miles to work. I'm thinking about sleeping all week in the camper and commuting to Oshkosh from Omro every day. but I'd have to get up 1 1/2 hours earlier every morning.
Getting close to 7 million miles Nice!
Cooler temps are heavenly this weekend, but looks like it will start heating up again by the middle of this week.
Great ride Heather, you are getting better and better - you will be able to get your 20 mile ride in very soon. Definitely do not want to run out of water in this heat. I typically carry 3 water bottles with me and usually stop at least twice on longer rides to refill them. I am well known at many of the convenience stores with 50 miles of home. (Frequently the c-stores will allow you to fill your bottles with ice from their fountain service machine, I always ask and I also buy something to snack on while I'm there.)
@Heather April - congrats on the long ride, that is awesome!!!
I know the feeling of running out of water. Did it a few days ago. About 5 miles (25 minutes) from the house and the temps were crazy hot. Nothing between there and home.
Be careful in the heat everyone!!!
I went out early today and rode 16.5 miles (my longest ride ever). I was trying for 20 but the heat index hit 100 and I ran out of water. I was maxed out. On the way home, I was looking for a store I could buy Gatorade at and I passed a guy out watering a garden. I asked him for water from his garden hose and he actually went and got me a cup of ice water. What a dear. If I am going to be riding that long, I need to get some electrolyte replacement tabs or gels. Great to be back on my bike though!! PS I wore my new Bontrager Jersey for the first time. It's nice!
I think of what the bikes were like 40 plus years ago.. heavy and not much options as to components but people rode for the fun of it and didn't really care to much about what brand or company made it. As long as the bike was sound and got down the road, the adventure is still the same... Heck my first bike was a Murray 24 inch single speed and to me that was like the best thing... I road everywhere i could on roads, dirt trails, even to school everyday 5 miles one way.. So to have a bike today with all its engineering marvel and technology is cool but the the journey is still the same....Pedal one revolution at a time and get down the road.. Good riding everyone !!!
@jason Yeah and short of higher end components all bikes over 2 grand are about the same.
John, so true. Isn't it true that pretty much all bikes under $2000 are all about the same.
@Heather I think quality left in all things manufactered when society as a whole quit complaing and all our big corporations and now smaller companies went overseas. Sad because I dont think we can get enough people to make a stand to make a true difference. Could be wrong though.
Great job Jacque on helping your neighbor in her new adventures of cycling. It sounds like she really enjoyed your help. Great Job and I agree with Troy you should get extra points for helping a new cyclist.
@ Jacque, that is awesome!! @EM, you are a great role model. You never quit! I was planning on a couple of night rides next week, so I checked my new treck head lamp I paid $22 for a couple of weeks ago...broken. Not even used once. I wish I knew why quality items can't be produced anymore. I need to go return it but the shop isn't open until Monday. I hope they don't give me any trouble.
Hi all, out this morning in the 80 degree heat. Over 70 other riders out there! Had breakfast mid-ride, strawberry smoothie, YUM!
At the risk of sounding like an echo chamber: Congrats to Josh on the new bike and to Melinda on the long ride. Also 1000 brownie points to Jacque for bringing in another rider.
Here's crossing my fingers in the hopes that our little thunderstorm & rain will bring a break in the heat! GO BIKE!
@Jacque-I've personally awarded you 100 bonus points for paying it forward and creating another potential enthusiast. Way to do your part!
Logging only 2.68 miles today in not my usual...but I helped my neighbor start biking today. She was excited to do almost 3 miles!! It's a great feeling to 'pay it forward' for others wanting to get healthier by cycling!! GET UP & RIDE!!
@Randy. Thanks. I've come along way from the 2 and 3 miles I was logging mid-May.
@Josh. Three words. Padded Bike Shorts. :D
@ Dean, You're welcome, the Michelins should work just fine - I really believe the secret is having the thorn resistant tubes.
@Melinda, congrats on your longest road ride...
@ Josh, congrats on your new bike!! I've got an 06 Fuji Roubaix... And I love it...
@Bruce, I would love to do RAGBRAI one of these years. Sounds like so much fun. I've heard that it has turned into a real PARTY!! for the whole week.
It's on my list of things to do..
I did the CNC (Cycle North Carolina), my states version of Iowa's. It was a lot of fun... I think I'll do it again this year...(1st week of Oct)
Swelling and redness has improved dramatically from yesterday, looking good for me to get back on my bike soon!
23 miles nice! I just got my first nice bike which is a 2012 Fuji Cross 3, went 9 miles last night, and another 21 this morning. My butt and wrists are gonna be pretty sore, time to lounge around in the pool!
I don't know when, but oh look! I got gold! And I did my longest road ride today at 23 miles. :D
@Daly, @Charlie and @E M, thank you for your input. Now just to make a final plunge.
@Leonard, I tried to get Bontrager hardcase tires, but ended up with Michelin Tracker with Bontrager Thorn resistant/self sealing tubes. If the Michelins don't hold up I'll special order the Bontragers. Thank you.
I joined the platinum club with today's commute.
Gregg, you should stop at Milty Wilty for a cool treat!
many of you in other parts of the country may not hasve heard of RAGBRAI .Its a trek across Iowa every year taking different routes.My town will be hosting an over night for bikers this year.I know each year there are at least 20 k bikers.A couple years ago when I lived in Dubuque Iowa which is a town of many hills they hosted between 18k and 20k bikes who were thoroughly exhausted.I might try a leg this year but I cant go all the way because I cant breathe farm chemicals etc although hog manure doesnt bother me lol.Any way this RABRAI is a lot of fun.
hey Chuck you know what it takes so keep up the good work.Bad habits are hard to break but.....not impossible.always look to the other side!!!!!!
Just wanted to thank everyone for the comments and support. I will post every few days to let everyone know how I am doing. Again thanks
Looking forward to an early morning ride tomorow. Choosing a route that runs north/south along the woods = SHADE.
Chuck, the slow and steady approach works better than fast & furious, so you are doing this the right way and we are all cheering for you!
Chuck , keep it. It will provide years of benefit to you and those who care about you.
@ Chuck- you go! Decide...commit...succeed. Keep the commitment. You've got all of us behind you!!!!
111 degrees ... the average temperature reading on my bike computer on my way home from work today! (at 3:30 pm)
5 days of cold/flu - doh!
Have managed to get out for some very gentle rides in the massive heat and am now looking forward to breaking through the 2000pt barrier in the morning with an early morning ride on the trails with my buddy the Rocket Dog!
It's too hot and dry here for camp fires. A little spark will put the whole campground in flames.
The campground had no hot water on Thursday. I said that is fine with me. A cold shower will be just fine.
Time to leave Mc Donalds and go swimming again. The water is beginning to feel like bath water and not cooling my body much any more.
It will be a nice break this weekend from the heat, but it looks like the heat is coming back by the middle of next week. The only thing you can do outdoors this afternoon in Wautoma is swim. The heat is really getting very intense here and there is an excessive heat warning until 10 pm tonight, when the high temps will begin to moderate, so I am enjoying a little break at Mc Donalds. lol. I did get in a little ride around Silver Lake this morning. But before riding back, I jumped in the lake and did some swimming. I got my tri shorts on, so was good transition training for my next triathlon the first weekend in August.
Greg, Way to be using the most of your time! Stay cool
It's too hot and dry here for camp fires. A little spark will put the whole campground in flames.
It will be a nice break this weekend from the heat, but it looks like the heat is coming back by the middle of next week. The only thing you can do outdoors this afternoon in Wautoma is swim. The heat is really getting very intense here and there is an excessive heat warning until 10 pm tonight, so I am enjoying a little break at Mc Donalds. lol. I did get in a little ride around Silver Lake this morning, but before heading back to camp, I jumped in and cooled off in the lake. I got my tri shorts on, so was good transition training for triathlon.
Thanks Jenny
Thanks Jacque for the support and I hope you reach your 500 mile goal and then some. Like you I am a beginner/intermediate and I'm really enjoying my new life style. Keep on riding.
Chuck, nice job on your weight loss! Keep it going!
Toasty 51 miler today to end my vacation! Nothing better about riding in Nebraska than sweating profusely, drinking Chia Fresca and Goo, feeling a little tired...and then, BAM, a fully loaded cattle or hog truck flies by and provides the sweet aroma to wake you back up!
@Chuck....yes, it was a great ride this morning for me also!! Good for you on your journey - keep going!! My goal is to document at least 500 miles for this campaign! I'm a little more than half way there!! These rollers are a real kicker but a good challenge for me as a beginner/intermediate rider!! RIDE ON Y'ALL!!
@ E M, Thank you for being so considerate of my distaste for a certain four letter word. I realize people must have jobs and I do appreciate your sensitivity for my feelings. :-)
Hello Fox Cities riders - looks like we are in for a break from the heat soon. Wanted to let you know we are having the 1st Appleton Community Bike Ride coming up at 10:30 am Saturday July 21 in downtown Appleton (corner of College and Durkee) during the Farmers Market. Hope you can join us - more details at http://www.facebook.com/events/249921835112632/
Good morning all just finish with a 20 mile rile today and although the temp is 90 with a heat index of 100 I had a good time. I do ament that I wanted to stop a time or two but kept pushing through the negative thoughts. I know the only way for me to lase the weight is to keep at it day in and day out. I started at the weight of 354 pounds there weeks ago and as of today I'm down to 334 pounds. I still have a long ways to go ,but I am taking it one day at a time.
We have lots of bats out here, too. The bugs are spotty, I believe they were much thicker a few weeks ago. We still have mosquitos, but not really too bad. Maybe the bats have already gotten their fill!
Hi all, Out this morning at 7 and by the time I got done at 8:45 the temps. were already hovering around 90. Eventuallly they are supposed to reach 109 with a heat index of 115. Its a good day to sit in my basement office and w**k (no offense Leonard).
@ Dean, I use a Garmin edge 800. Not cheap but I love all the features (temp, time, speed, direction, distance, calories, elevation, ascent, descent). I also love the guy on the bike. You can set a speed and it will tell you if you are going faster or slower than that. But beware: all the extras cost extra. You can add a heart monitor, you can buy a more detailed map, etc. One nice feature is that it lasts all day on a single charge and you can recharge it from your computer, so no expensive batteries.
Nyla, didn't you watch the "Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle" movie? They travel through the internet and come out in 3D. Surely bike parts can manage the same feat!
KEEP 'EM ROLLIN'
Indeed, the best way to beat the heat is to ride early or late. I did 36 miles last night, including about 10 with just the moonlight. Great firefly displays, plenty of deer, one fox and assorted other critters. A bat flew into my torso, but he seemed to fly away fine.
And... virtually no bugs. I passed several marshes where normally I'd get a good coating of gnats, but not this year. It's nice for us, but the bats and swallows must really be suffering.
Had a fantastic ride with my husband very early this morning. Did 20 miles and watched the sun rise!
I like my Garmin 800, was on sale last fall so I made the plunge. It works well. I have replaced the heart sensor twice in the first year. I am disappointed in the mapping features of Garmin when compared to the Endomondo app on my phone. So, when I get lost I often use my phone to pick the best route home. It is amazing that a GPS company is outdone by the free app. Overall, the Garmin is a solid unit that I am pleased with most of the time. I rode all winter with it as well so it seems to handle the weather well.
@Nyla - Perhaps you could get a replacement from either the Time Tunnel or Time Machine?
@Leonard - It seemed a lot more real back then. That might be why I didn't do so well in History classes.
@ Martin, Thanks for the memories, I haven't thought about Mr. Peabody and Sherman for years. Always enjoyed their adventures with the WABAC machine.
Martin, at this point they have not said that any tendons were damaged, but I do believe that the injury was so close to a few tendons that the inflammation is definitely affecting them. Still having trouble with my range of motion in my ankle. I think biking would help it! I guess doc just doesn't want the biking to increase the size of the laceration.
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Kevin, you are right I probably would not be riding in the oppressive heat like today. I probably would have ridden yesterday, though, as it did not seem as humid on Wed evening. And, sounds like tomorrow and the weekend are shaping up, so this is a downer for me.
But Martin, Surely theirs would be two-dimensional?
Got out and rode in the evening air. Did 28+ miles and got to enjoy seeing a few deer plus a fawn. I really do love the sun sets these days. I like to think that I'm the only one that gets to see them because I'm the only one that's on my bike that time of day.
@Nyla - Good luck in your quest for parts. You never know unless you try. I can offer one suggestion, but you probably won't like it (No, its not that you should get a new bike - I have a bike from 1982 that I consider family): Try contacting Mr. Peabody & Sherman, (I don't have their number). They might be able to find one with their WABAC machine.
@Dean: I use a Garmin 500 for my rides and I like it because it's small. If you also run, you may want to consider one of the Garmin watches (I have the Garmin 405CX) which works with the heart rate strap, cadence sensor on the bike and foot pod on your running shoes.
The heat has made me shift gears and I have been spending most of my vacation boating and swimming. The temp soared to 111 degrees this afternoon in the Dells, but felt good in the water. Even the spring fed lake here at Camp Philipp isn't even cold any more. I have never seen the water this warm before and heard those sizzle bugs tonight (Cicada's), which ususally do not come out until August. Does this mean we are going to have cooler September temps in August?
@Joe - yeah, I spent some quality time with my nice cool floor and water bottle. I will definitely admit that it was an ill-advised decision. But hey, currently ranked 18th in the state in the challenge! Woot!
Welcome Rick, good to see Wisconsin is still growing on endomondo.
@Dave - Nice ride . . ehem . . . I mean insane ride today given the heat! Thats what I love about wisconsinites always up for a great challenge. Hope you were able to veg out this afternoon and soak up some much needed H2O.
As far as the heat - I took a spin around Lake Winnebago today; it started REALLY heating up at about 11:30 and it got MISERABLE.
Welcome Rick!
Hi all, out in the heat today (upper 80s) to get my miles in. Back to the regular route with one car cutting it close but otherwise a good ride. Temps reached over 100 later in the day. WHEW!
@ Nyla, I've also got an old bike in the shop at the moment. I told them just to replace the gears with as close as they could come to the orginal. I don't know what you have in your area but down here there is a place called Recycled Cycles: http://www.recycledcycles.net that specializes in fixing up old bikes. Another idea is to type in the exact name and model of your bike, including the year in Google and see what you come up with. GOOD LUCK.
RIDE ON, slowly and carefully in the regular riding direction...
Charlie, thanks for suggesting that I join!
I'm looking to get a gps unit with heart monitor, cadence, etc. at a reasonable price. Leaning towards a Garmin 500. Any suggestions or what do you use?
Took my much loved, long obsolete Azuki 10 speed (17th birthday gift in 1972 (-:) )for a tune-up this week at superlative Sammy’s Bikes in St. Charles, IL. Amid their dazzling array of beautiful, pricey, high-tech bikes and equipment, delightful Sammy and his team of similarly splendid cycling souls welcome my modest elderly bike with enthusiasm, and treat it with great care and respect. Beloved, newly tuned bike is now rolling along swiftly, smoothly and quietly. Unfortunately, due to an entrenched decades-long preference for pedaling in my highest gear, the smallest gear on the rear cassette is badly worn, and the chain slips in that favorite gear. I can replace the rear cassette and chain, but modern available parts would not match the current gear ratio. I love my bike just as it is, so now I’m on a mission to find matching original replacement parts…..convinced this is not an impossible task in our internet-connected find- Anything- Somewhere world…just wondering if anyone out there knows of a good resource for OLD bicycle parts?
Welcome to new challenge rider Rick D supporting our community and Wisconsin too. We have been going back and forth today with Nebraska on the leaderboard.
This gosh darn heat and humidity is putting a hamper on my biking goals!
@ Jenny I am not sure you want to be riding in this heat anyway. I am dreading the ride home from work but plant to take it slow.
II have sung their praises before.. get a couple ‘Thermos Nissan 2465 18-Ounce Stainless-Steel Hydration Bottle’ from amazon. I continue to be amazed at how well these things stand up in the constant 100 degree heat of Austin.
I only had one for a ride the other day and used it with 5 ice cubes. I also took a normal water bottle completely full of ice and I couldn’t stand the normal bottle after 30 or 40 minutes. The thermos was plenty cold two hours later.
Here in Central Florida, completely frozen insulated bottles provide under 30 minutes of cold water! Bummer, cold water for less than half of my cyclommute home...
Getting ready for a hot 98 Deg F ride in Appleton, WI. Oh the simple pleasures of 2 insulated water bottles filled with ice water!
@Jenny - You can't help but be frustrated with the healing process, especially since you want to do something good for yourself. Mend quickly! Did the Doc say if any tendons were affected?
Overall healing up very well. Still quite a hole on my leg just above the ankle, doc does not want me riding my bike yet, so I am NOT happy!
@Heather... got a chance to read some old posts and really like your advocacy posts.
Thanks for letting NBCers know about the next step and attending City Council, Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC), Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) meetings. Most don't understand that local government wants to improve the situation and just need citizens to come out to discuss concerns and support cycling/pedestrian efforts.
@ Mike, it's a "HEY, I GOT A REAL JOB" photo. hehe Welcome back!
Great morning ride. Lots of wildlife and perfect sunrise. And I even got 26 miles in by 6:15!!!!!!!
I used to load UPS trucks in WI (Oak Creek). I recall the summer loading was hot and miserable, but not as bad as the long winter of frozen feet in the steel toed boots. I really enjoyed the upgrade to sorter, but I think that job is automated now, isn’t it?
Hi Heather, I like the graduation photo! LOL
Ho! I hope everyone had a fantastic fourth. I was manning a bike information table at our fireworks celebration. We saw many families on bikes which was pretty awesome! Can you believe this heat in the US? It's going to be 104 Saturday in MD, but down in the 80's next week. Sounds like I can plan to continue to work my way towards Platinum!
@ Bruce the goal is to get out as many days as you can. Once I almost overheated on a ride and had to sit under a bridge to cool off and get rescued by car. Not heat stroke, but closer than I ever care to come to it. So I learned my lesson, now I go slower in the heat and am more careful about drinking and taking a break now and then and not pushing the mileage. This is not a race and it's not about mega miles. It's about being out there and making cyclists visible with good cycling habits. So you are doing it right and can feel proud of what you have accomplished. Please take it easy out there everyone!
cant do as many miles as before cause of my lungs but havent missed a day since I joined 18 May.ust have to slow down ans save my energy by going economy.
That's the spirit!
HI all, my husband & I got out on the Katy Trail this morning about 8 and finished just before 11 am. According to my Garmin the temps were in the low 80s when we started and about 98 in the shade & 102 in the sun by the time we finished our ride. This was dusty fun because we met so many other riders including a couple of guys who were just completing a cross Missouri ride. They had started in Kansas City and today they were on their way to trails end in St. Charles. We saw a family of Asian people who just looked soo happy out on their ride, that it made me feel great. Wildlife sightings included an indigo bunting and a large turtle. The turtle was right out on the trail, being carefully guarded by a couple of bikers. Cyclists are just that kind of people!!! We also spotted a couple of guys on recumbents that looked like large spiders crawling along the ground. They were headed in opposite directions. What were the chances they would pass each other on the trail right in front of us? EVERYONE KNOWS THAT A BIKE MAKES EVERY DAY INDEPENDENCE DAY! Keep cool and enjoy!!
I sure miss the tailwinds we had a couple of weeks ago!
Looking at that pic Gregg posted of me, I should be feeling disappointed someone else has adopted the "Fat Cyclist" handle.
Had a rockin Shady Lane 4th of July ride with the Colorado Springs Cycling Club in Colorado Springs today. Great in the shade,but hot in the sun with tempratures approaching 96 degrees. Hooray for the USA!!
@Gregg-I can't believe UPS is loading trailers by candlelight!
PS - I think we just caught Gregg at a low moment during our recent long stretch of high heat and humidity here in Wisconsin. He is one of our best cheerleaders in the NBC!
Should have read. MOTOBECANE. Cant type well on this tablet.
Hi Gahlord and all Vermont residents. Speaking on behalf of all Wisconsin participants, with the possible exception of Gregg ;), "We shall go on to the end. We shall fight on the bike lanes of Milwaukee, we shall fight along Lake Mendota and the Wisconsin River, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength on the trails of the Northwoods, we shall defend our state, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the Elroy-Sparta, we shall fight along the fields and in the streets of the Fox Cities, we shall fight in the hills of the Southwest; we shall never surrender"
A steamy 50 miler this morning, but I wasn't alone. I saw so many bikes on Hwy A from Neenah to Oshkosh I thought maybe there was an organized ride. Happy 4th everyone!
Thanks to everyone who comiserated! The power is still out at home, and the family fun wagon is still at the garage, which also has no power. (This morning's paper reported that our neighborhood should be back up by Friday, and the garage's on Saturday. The bus drivers are still on strike, too, but at least I don't have to play "bus tag" or smell diesel exhaust - even the hybrid buses smell bad.) Nevertheless, I got on the bike these last three days for my usual 22 mile round trip: mornings have been great, but the afternoon trip home has been VERY sweaty. I've been quite strict with my hydration routine, believe me!
Congratulations to everyone who got prizes!
Sometimes you ride the bike. Sometimes the bike rides you. And on very rare occasions, you are one with the bike and it becomes an extension of you. Welcome "rare occasion"!
Greg, that's not the right attitude at all. Sure, many of us in Vermont have been enjoying giving our cheese nemesis a good trouncing in the NBC, but if you give in then it's not as much fun. VT is small, loves outdoor activity and is decently organized to activate riders -- we're competing with each other as much as at the national level. Plus, the center of our ridership is also our largest population center. Many of our riders are 1-5 miles per day commuter/fun riders. But the NBC really rewards that kind of consistency. --- Are there any groups you can tap into in Milwaukee to get involved/activated etc? Look for a good cross section of geeks (logging miles is really the hardest part of this challenge), alt-culture (hippies, bicycle rights, local pride) and fun lovers. Identify a few leaders to form some teams and keep them focused on competing against each other in the monthly leaderboard. You'll get back in the game I'm sure of it. ---Keep at it! From a friend in VT.
12 miles in 48 min on my 1974 Motebane Grand Touring 10 speed. Brought back memories of riding around Seattle and the U of Washington while I was younger. Need to fix the saddle as it kept tilting back and I think the chain needs more lubrication.
Okay! Something happened this morning! I just looked at my total points and they actually DO include the 200 that I earned on Saturday. Someone went out and fixed that. The monthly totaly is off, but that's as it should be. :D Thanks to the folks at National Bike Challenge for figuring this out. :D
Thanks y'all for trying to solve this. It isn't a big deal. It was just a shame to have a big ride not count because of the strom. I know that this challenge is about much more than 1 ride. :D
We will never catch up to Vermont. :(
I got pics of the Cranked Group ride last night. Check them out here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/greggmichaelphotography/sets/72157630000522147/ There was a smaller group last night because of the heat and also holiday. Many firework shows are being canceled because of extremely dry conditions and the heat. One spark can easily start grass fires.
@Gregg - noice. We were out in Wautoma for their "Freedom Fest" last yr the weekend before the 4th; it was fun, but driving out the thermometer in our car just kept ticking higher...higher...higher. It was about 90 here and just shy of 100 out there.
Early mornings are best times to ride in this heat. But tomorrow is going to be the worst with actual temps where I am camping in Wauotma, WI of 104. Heat indexes will be around 115 and dewpoints over 70 with a heat warning in effect. But Saturday and Sunday look much better with temps in the low 80's. But the cooler air is not going to last with the heat building again by the middle of next week. I drank 64 oz of water at work yesterday and was like hell inside the UPS trailers, but it is even hotter on the twilight shift after the heat of the day builds in the trailers. The trailers have a coating to prevent interior heat, but it still gets hot--hot enough to melt candles and has to be around 120 degrees.
@ Dave Your pic is now posted on the Cranked facebook page under "Heat Makes Cyclists Insane" haha
@ Dave I did get a good shot of you in this pic haha: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8002/7500650462_5f78f395d7_b.jpg
My highest speed on the bike ever was in the Green Bay Tri and averaged 21.7 mph. I was in one of the last waves and passed a lot of riders.
They had wet suit strippers at High Cliff and I didn't know how they do this before, but they put a tarp on the hill and everyone just lays on the tarp on their back and put their legs up and 2 people pull your wet suit off in just seconds. I wondered how they get it off you over your timing chip on your ankle, but most had no problems. Green Bay was my first triathlon and really had fun there and was really shocked when I saw my name as the 2nd place finish in my age group.
I'd love to do the ride around Winnebago Thursday, but Thursday is going to be the hottest day and I will be in Wautoma. I'm going to get up at the crack of dawn and ride over there I think. But the afternoon is going to be unbearable to bike and I will keep cool swimming in the cold spring fed water in Whitet River Mill Pond. It's like a half mile across the lake and I'm going to swim across the lake to train for my Oshkosh Triathlon at Lake Winneconne Park the first Sunday in August. This is better training temps for swimming than biking. :) I won 2nd place in my age group in Green Bay, so maybe I can win an award in Oshkosh, too, but that will be harder than in Green Bay, which was a shallow man made lake that had no waves. I watched the swim leg at High Cliff because was thinking of maybe doing that one next year. I left the park before the swim finished because we left that day for vacation, too, and an ambulance was coming into the park. I was shocked when I got home from vacation and heard about the drowning because he had a heart attack.
@Dave Yeah, that was me. I rode my bike to the corner of Park and Bayview and then realized I didn't have my media card in the camera, so I had to bike back home. Then I thought I was going to miss you guys, so I drove to County A and it didn't look like you had got there yet, so went up to Park Ave. and saw you guys coming down Park. haha I have a couple other shots. Maybe you are in those. I had some packing to do last night because we are leaving today to go camping for the weekend in Wautoma. Otherwise, I would have rode and could have surivived the heat. But in Wautoma tomorrow the actual temp is suppose to be 104. Wautoma is always warmer and that's because their soil is more sandy and creates more heat.
Kathy, it seems like he should be able to do it from the NBC page, too.
@Kathy, With some coaching I wrote up a formal request including sample data and suggestions today for the Challenge team to consider. It included some alternative data rules that would allow rides like Pete's to count towards the "entire period" as a minimum. Even if rides don't count for the monthly drawings they should count for the "entire period". I am optimistic that after some time we will have these rides counted in the challenge. It is already in Endomondo so once they decide how to handle we could see their point total change.
@Kathy: Have Pete try going to his profile on the main Endomondo site. Click on "Workouts," and then "Enter New Workout." I think you can put it in there manually, either with or without a route. If you go manually, you can put in the date, distance, time, etc. From what I've read, the workouts put in there will automatically copy over to the National Bike Challenge.
@Charlie - I wouldn't worry about Nebraska just yet. They are just barely ahead of us for July. When we get some better weather, that should take care of it. We are still over 15% ahead of them for the 2+ months, so they have a long way to catch up. And once their corn crop starts coming in later this month, they'll be too busy husking it to ride a bike.
Welcome Chris!
And one more note - plans are for a ride around Winnebago leaving from Neenah 6:30-7 am on Thursday, should be a fairly relaxed 17-20 mph pace. I'll check in here Thurs night and post the starting point if anyone is interested.
You missed me - I think I'm the guy in the last photo between the dude with the unzipped jersey and the guy in the hivis jersey - look for the orange shoulder and black helmet. ;)
Also, it's a great ride - Pratter (owner of Cranked) is a superb guy, and after the ride you can have beer and bourbon, if that's how you roll.
That was you? Cool, though we were disappointed, we thought we were going to be in the paper under "Heat makes people insane"
Fireworks! Finally found a cooler time of day to ride and am rewarded with fireworks at the end of my ride. Sweet.
Pete Beers rode 178 documented and witnessed miles in near 100 degree heat on Saturday, June 30, but was unable to log them that evening due to widespread power outages in the DC area. I and many others on his and other local teams are very disappointed that The Challenge has not to date made it possible for him to get these hard earned miles logged for the Challenge, either for June or July. Please do something about this.
@Al - You will definitely make Platinum. As of July 4th, we will have 9% reach Platinum, and by the end, maybe 21-22% will be there. (One big help to being in the top 10 for a month is to ride every day, even if it is only a little.)
Congrats Phil and everyone who made platinum so far. As I struggle to stay in the top 10%---and usually don't by the end of the month--it occurs to me that a lot more than the top 10% are on course to make platinum by the end of this thing. Now I've probably motivated enough people with this so that I have no hope of being in the top 10% by the end of July! God bless, keep rolling, and let's have fun while we're at it!
Welcome Chris, glad to have you join us.
I didn't go on the Cranked Bike Studio Group ride tonight because I had packing to do for vacation and it was still 90 degrees at 6 pm. But I did get some nice pics of the group riding on Park Ave. in Neenah tonight. It is about a 28 mile ride:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/greggmichaelphotography/sets/72157630000522147/
Hi all, out on a different trail today. Not too crowded on a weekday. It was in the 80s when I managed to ride. Right now its 99 degrees.
@ John, you are indeed lucky!
@ Burklee & Phil, YEAH, GO NEBRASKA! BTW, Burklee, I fogot to tell you that I saw a turkey crossing the road when I was riding on Sunday. However, it was not attacking anyone, just minding its own business.
@ Heather, a thousand brownie points for making good use of your time!!
Keep rolling YA'All & happy 4th of July tomorrow!!
@ Ray, I didn't even see the typo till you mentioned it - even then I had to reread the comment 3 times before catching it. I think that's called a "Freudian slip". (And yes, I did enjoy my job for over 30 years - I've been retired 17 years now and still remember a lot of very interesting projects that I was involved in.)
Wish I could help! Just wait till I get back on my bike, I will be pedaling to make up for all this lost time.
Wisconsin has slipped to third. We can't let that stand for long. Go for a ride this evening. Bound to be relatively cool compared to mid-day.
@Phil - Way to go! I'm in Lincoln, and yeah, it's just gross outside. I must be getting fairly acclimated because I went for a 4 mile jaunt around Near South last evening around 7, and it really wasn't that bad. Go Nebraska!
Hey, anyone in Northern WiI that can help me out? I'm wondering if there is a trail or bike-friendly road from Tomahawk to Rhinelander? I've done the Tomahawk to Minocqua route; Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
Welcome, Chris! Join in the fun! Wally, we sure cold use some rain around here. Not even a drop in more than 3 weeks. I feel like I'm in AZ again between the dry and the heat! Thanks, Jim! I'm having more fun than should be legal!
Reached Platinum status today, with a very hot and humid 40 miler, here in Omaha, NE. Even early to mid mornings is so sticky, but we ride for our health! Looking to 3,000 points by contest end!
Cheshire is not as flat as you think, when you seek out hills like Rough low at utkinton, its a little monkey , come and try it out with me sometime , and i will supply the oxygen after it phew
@Kate Powlison-Congrats for being on the top of the board! I have good news. While I haven't been cycling, I've been continuing my advocacy. Twenty cyclist of all varieties showed up last night to our city council meeting and helped get a bike lane ordinance passed that has been in discussion since...get this....2005. Yes, we have trouble with grassroots efforts here. But, things are looking up and we continue the fight. We have a group ride planned later in July to show off the first part of a larger bike route plan and we are excited at this small victory. Ride on, friends!
@Leonard, you clearly miss the job, since you "accidentally" used that 4 letter word in place of the word you meant. It is too coincidental to be considered a typo ;)
@John - That makes you a lucky man, in my opinion.
@Leonard - My humblest and most abject apologies for the use of that word. Had I but known it would cause such anxiety, I would never have mentioned it. Sleep well, dear Leonard, and ride an extra 20 for me. :)
@ Burklee, I hope you realize this is supposed to be a family oriented site and yet you are using a four letter work that some of us may find offensive - OK, maybe it's only me but do you have to use words like w#%k, it beings back memories that can result in sleepless nights and I know you don't want to be responsible for causing an old man to lose sleep. If you must mention such things, I find "job" to be a much more acceptable wording. :-)
@ Thomas T, I've heard rumors about a recumbent being in the neighborhood but I haven't even see it yet. He has had it out a few times, I just haven't been around when he's been riding it.
@burkley I am still wanted and needed that much at bhome also
@Bruce & @John - It'd be kinda nice to have the time/ability to just ride and ride, wouldn't it? Work is always getting in the way. I've got a sweetie at home who seems to like me enough to want me around a lot. There are 8-ish hours of volunteering at the Bike Kitchen to be done and chores that never end. And then, there are cats at home to whom I must be a loyal subject. Sometimes it's surprising that I can get out of the house for a ride. It's awfully nice to be wanted, though. :)
Glad to hear you're improving Jenny! Hope you're back on the bike soon!! But on the bright side, just think of all the heat exhaustion conditions you're missing!!!! :)
Hi guys! Brand new here. But not new to biking. Just found this place through Endomondo. Been biking to work with rec rides on the weekends. Nice to see so many folks who enjoy it as much as I do.
All I can say is WOW!! I got just a little wet on the ride this morning. Started out okay then with about 20 miles in and still 6 miles from home the skies just opened up and it poured. Cars were pulling over to the side of the road and motorcycles were hiding under the overpasses. Then there's the crazy guy on his bike just peddling through it. It was another one of those "might as well keep going, I can't get any wetter" mornings. Made it home, grabbed my backpack and continued on to work. Can't wait to see what the rest of the day will bring.
@bruce Yeah it seems like some just keep riding I am stay at home dad and cant even find that much time to ride.
@Leonard...I thought that looked like you with Red in those photos on F'book! Great time to ride with kids that want to learn to ride correctly and well. Have you tried Red's new (old) recumbent yet? I'm on mine every day now that I have new/better tires, and loving the commute to work here at Florida Forest Service...
Thanks to everyone that congratulated me on winning one of the prizes. I received an email from the prize committee yesterday and am looking forward to receiving more information about the Better World Club. I would also like to thank them for offering prizes to the riders in the NBC. Their participation in this program adds a bit of excitement to the challenge.
Thanks for the complement Paul, I've been having some very enjoyable rides the last few days with one of my friends and his grandkids. Not far, not fast but a lot of fun - feels good just to get out and be able to do some fun, relaxed rides with no pressure (self induced) to keep going and going and going.......
Bruce, I'm not riding 24 hours a day. Just any minute I'm not sleeping, eating, or spending with my daughter (since she hasn't figured out pedals yet). I'm about to turn her bike into a fix gear so she's not using the coaster brake as a foot rest.
Way to go, Kate Powlison! It's great to see a woman rider at the top of the monthly leader board! Keep up the great work. Here's hoping you stay there for a good long time.
I'm within a point (mile) of Lenard Wright! I consider that an honor. Lenard must be doing some slacking. ;-) My temporary "success" must be because we are getting FL like weather up here in WI. At one point on my ride this afternoon, my computer gave me a reading of 101!?! Glad I had lots of water, but the riding was hard.
Every day.
wow some of these guys sure must ride like the 24 hours of lemans...just keep going and going and???????
went out riding despite my chronic respiratory prob.Didnt go far but it was nice to get out a bit...even if is hot.
@ Nyla, there was a farily large piece of watermelon in our fridge yesterday, which disappeared today after my ride!
HI all, Was out in the actual heat (90+ degrees) about 10 am this morning. Rode on the trail with a lot of other people. At least the trail has a few trees. Good thing it's a relatively flat trail because my daughter's bike was staging a protest: limited shifting only. I believe I have resolved the conflict and will attempt my regular route tomorrow.
@ Steave, wow what bad luck. I believe that if you have three pieces of bad luck you are due for three pieces of good luck, so you are totally entitled to some good luck. Hope your power is back on soon. In the meantime seek out the nearest swimming pool, library, or someplace you can cool down. Chill & roll everyone!
@ Pete ~ You uploaded your miles from June 30th, on January 1st? I think you mean July 1st, and they should update. I had mine update for me before, not at the end of the month, but when I didn't put in a 62 miler until the next day.
Just out of curiosity. Due to the power outages in the DC area, I wasn't able to enter my June 30 miles until January 1 in the evening. Totally understand that I missed the prize drawing, that is cool with me. I'm not in this for the prizes. I'm curious if my points will be updated at some point though. I rode 178 miles on Saturday, and it would be a shame for those to not get counted. :D Thanks!
Saw doc today, starting to see some improvement. Will see again Thursday and Maybe get back to riding again.
Yay, Nyla!
@Steave-Keep your great attitude! These trials and tribulations are just evolution's way of weeding out the weak. You are strong along with about 28, 272 others on here (give or take a few thousand that seem to think the only challenge is to simply register for the NBC). I hope your power comes back on soon. A cool home would at least make it easier to relax when you need to take a break from fighting the good fight.
@Steave - That all officially adds up to, in technical terms, a total bummer, Dude. Sorry things are rough right now. It'll get better. Eventually.
@ Steve Scott, that sucks! I hope it quickly gets better and warmer for you!!!
Well, I was hoping to post a nice, "let's begin the third month of the Chalenge on a hapy note," but the elements have ben most uncooperative. First, we had a fearsome storm on friday with 80+mph. winds. My house still has no electricity. Then, after icing down the frezer, etc. My wife's car quit, yesterday. My bike is now the only working vehicle the household can call its own - and the city's bus drivers are on strike as of today. This morning, though on my way to work my rear derailleur decided that I realy needed
yet another high gear, and jamed the chain betwen the casete and the frame - at speed. This ort of thing makes life interesting.
I realy have enjoyed the Chalenge so far, and I'm sure I'll enjoy the second half just as much. It's ben intersting to se that just my ordinary utility cycling routine puts me firmly in the 97th percentile of the participants - in points. Keep pedalling, al!l!
@Christine, congrats on moving up a notch. My goal was to be second at my place for work which I hit. The first place guy has a huge commute and I don't think I could ever catch him without giving up sleep. he must be single. LOL
@Joan - Platinum prizes are drawn for once, at the end of the Challenge. The Platinum prizes are a bike trip through CA wine country or a White Rim bike trip. Airfare not included. :( If you click Prizes, you can get a list.
Maybe a silly question--- but are there prizes for platinum level (other than the satisfaction of making platinum and getting more fit as the summer goes on- which is great in and of itself)? I saw the bronze, silver, and gold winners (congratulations!) but none for platinum. Just curious. Keep riding everyone!
My June cycling mileage was hurt by two out-of-town trips and crazy amounts of rain from a hurricane and a tropical storm. July should be much better. All I have to be concerned about now is 100+ degree days and 80-90% humidity. But I'm ready to roll!
Another day of scorching heat and broiling sunshine turning timid headwinds and familiar, minor inclines into torturous, interminable “Are We THERE Yet?!” tests of will. Surely both 1 and 9 are better suited as initial digits in phone numbers rather than temperatures? I seek inspiration for my continuing, Quixotic “Copper Triangle” quest by reminding myself that Lance Armstrong used to drag bricks behind his bike (uphill of course) to train for mountain riding. On the other hand, Lance Armstrong also speaks almost fondly of pain and suffering as an integral part of his world class level of riding, (Mark Lucas must take a similar view?) whereas I strive to avoid actual physical pain when possible (my particular form of masochism being limited to an occasional perversely satisfying wallow in emotional angst (-;) To everyone out rolling in the relentless heat: Stay safe, hydrated and take frequent, replenishing breaks. (I recommend copious quantities of watermelon and ice cream (-:)
Karen, I was notified by e-mail because they needed a shipping address.
@ "el embajador"-nice research on that cycling monster, Mark L. What a brut, I was sure he had committed a double entry error. Can you imagine cycling 210 miles in the high heat and humidity of the East Coast? Well I guess Christopher W. will have to be happy competing for the number one spot of his home state. Both you guys enjoy the ride.
@ Christopher W - Not everyone in the Challenge has access to a GPS. I did a quick check on Mark Lucas and it appears he is a legitimate rider from Connecticut. 10 years ago he was riding 15,000 to 21,000 miles per year. http://articles.courant.com/2002-06-12/news/0206120614_1_enthusiast-cycling-miles
Hey Christopher W., if you rode 900 miles in 24 hrs you would need to average 37.5 mph for the whole day! The Endomondo police will chase down that guys double entry. They caught one of my teammates, who incorrectly made a double entry of a metric century he had ridden. Why not contact Mark L. to get his side of things, perhaps he's not aware of his apparent double entry mistake. Thanks for keeping them honest. Crank it up for that 900 mi. day-LOL!
A friend handed me a Bianchi Cromor, i think that's the model name. It needs new paint and over haul of components. Though I'd like to keep most of the original parts. I'm hoping to have her complete by August for my first charity ride in Sept. Follow me on twitter or Instagram (@eghtown) as i put pix of all my efforts to bring this vehicle back to life!
Have a great ride everyone!
Love the current leaders data (Mark Lucas). Can we see your GPS data from Friday's ride? Two 105 mile rides? Anything is possible with a manual entry. I think I'll ride 900 miles today :)
Hannah, Thanks for the response. Just to be clear, we are talking about the Get Up and Ride Challlenge?
Thanks Christine. Just to be clear, are we talking about the Get up and Ride Challenge?
Despite having fewer points in June than May, I attained my goal by finishing 11th rather than 12th in Lake/Kenosha County Community. Now, to be in the top 10 for July! I'd better get riding.
Yay, Nyla! How exciting! I *know* one of the winners! WooHoo!
Heard all the good things about Gatorskins. So a year ago bought a pair because the brand I was using I couldn't find on sale. Put them on and in the 400 miles I had them on the bike, I had 5-6 flats. So frustrating. Previous brand was getting 5000 miles with maybe a flat... So, took them off and went a different direction. Just wore out the brand I had on the bike... so replaced them this weekend after about 5000 miles.
Check http://www.endomondo.com/campaign/national/winners to see if you are a winner. Excellent progress, more than 6 milion miles at the halfway point. Good luck to everyone in July.
Gatorskins here too ... So far so good ....500 mile and counting and no flats !!!!
Does anyone know if we have to actually check the list or will they notify us that we won something? I didn't see my name in a quick glance but if they don't send you notification I'll look closer. :*)
@Laurie, Gregg is correct. My team leader looked into this last week and Endomondo confirmed that indoor biking does not count towards the challenge.
Gatorskins are on all my bikes and have been very pleased with their performance. Not a single flat in 4 years!
very interested bike ride on Sat AM in Eagle River. Saw a car parked on side of road and a bike in front of it! I thought the worst! Hear to find out a bird was hit and they were trying to help it! Shortly after that I saw a big black bear and then the biggest buck I ever saw! A great morning for a bike ride! Very interested and exciting!
Went to some 'Gatorskin' tires for my Bacchetta Giro commuter bike over the weekend. They seem to roll easier than the cheap tires I had on there before, and are supposed to be a lot more resistant to flats. Hoping that last statement is true as I'm getting really tired of fixing flats on the roadside on the way home from work....
@ Congrats Leonard on the Membership Win ...Awesome !!!
@ Michael I noticed 75% of his rides are transport , Maybe he doesnt want anyone to know his work routes . And he probably has those set to private.
Greg, Oh, I thought indoor biking did count. Are there rules somewhere on this site? I'm still finding my way around. All my miles are road miles. I have to agree with all of you; riding in nature is one of the best parts of biking. As a matter of fact, I am not an "exercise/workout" type of person, but I do enjoy a good ride through the countryside, or even in town. Kind of helps that I live near Devil's Lake.
Michael, this is probably because you are only seeing the public workouts of this guy.
I'm lost!!! I Just put in another 13 miles to beat the #2 guy (for July), but then I looked at his workouts and he hasn't riden since June 26th, and his workouts are sparatic and only a few miles at a time. Is this some weird glitch?
Hey Nyla, you won a specialized water bottle for the June drawing.
@Jenny - I'm glad I didn't bet you. The guy who was in first added 5 more miles later in the day, and lost 419 positions, and counting. And the guy who was in second with 21 points, doubled his mileage for the day, and lost just over 500 places.
We're all cheering you on in your recovery. May it be quick, speedy, fast, and full. And if you are at the top of the leader board on August 1st @ 12:24 a.m., I will report it right here, and you will be immortalized..
hello fellow nbc 'ers maLady now rides my first bent and after fxin a flat I took her for a spin and remembered why I got all bent up in the first place. Its a bike- e w/ 16" f and 20" rear tyres,, add a 3 speed internal hub, a rans style seat w/cane creek shock and your heart will melt ! So heather remember THE BEST BIKE IS THE ONE You WILL RIDE. Ride safe- Same road, same rules. dameon
Saw 2 fawns on the Fox River trail this afternoon near DePere.
One of the best parts of biking is the nature I see. Lots of critters big and small. Had a woodchuck gopher thing come right up to me during one of my many water breaks this afternoon. For all the good things my nature rides bring me I am grateful. But I could do without the sudden blast of pungent death air that tells me that the bunch of crows by the side of the road are there for a reason.
@leonard congrats as well! @travis I think many of us are hoping to win a bike.
Just had to print out the page for Lake County IL/Kenosha County WI community: I'm in third place! I doubt that will last, or ever happen again! LOL! Gotta take what you can, when you can! Woo hoo!
Jim Franzen, you go! Off bp med and soon to be off diabetes med is a wonderful side effect of riding! You should be very proud of yourself! Keep up the great work!
Jenny, sorry for the set back. Take it slow and easy so you don't lose more time, k? Get back to the joy quicker by taking care now!!
HI all, Out early with a plan to get it about 30+ miles. Only made it to 24 because my front shifter went funky on me. So called home & ended up having breakfast in Kirkwood. Bike is now in the shop for a few days waiting for parts. Will have to try riding my daughter's bike tomorrow.
It is dry here like everywhere else so fireworks have been cancelled by some neighborhoods. Heat is scheduled to continue and there are fire warnings everywhere, only we don't get the cool Smokey the Bear ones like they have in Wisc. & MN.
Congrats to Nyla & Leonard on your prizes. You are both part of my prize for participating in this challenge.
@ Bruce way to overcome a challege!
@ Heather, the water is a great choice in this weather!
Stay hydrated, keep cool everyone, & roll when you can!
I wish i could win a bike. i have to save all my money for college now...going to college in key west is going to be expensive!
Heather, thanks for the heads-up (-:….it hadn’t yet occurred to me to check. I can always use another water bottle (like to keep a couple partly filled and frozen for hot days). I’m tickled to win anything…and bicycling has been very good to me in that regard. Outside of bike related ventures, my lifetime “winnings” consist of a quarter for creating the funniest Halloween place mat in fourth grade, a set of long-handled barbecue tools in the seventies, and a table decoration from a conference several years ago. Biking has upset my every-¬ other- decade winning average (-; I won a tune up, water bottle and hat at an employee health fair in 2010, and a fine set of tires in last year’s challenge (delight only slightly mitigated by the fact that the splendid 700x28 tires don’t fit the 27 inch wheels on my bike (-;)…I think of them as aspirational tires for the bike in my future)
Congratulations to ever-inspiring Leonard Wright, and all the other winners!…which, when I consider the most enduring and valuable prizes of this challenge, includes EVERYONE participating (-:
JIm, I agree totally about the joy of riding. My one ride yesterday did wonders for my soul, and will hopefully carry me through until I ride again.
@Nyla, check the challenge prize list yet? ;)
@gregg, I'll admit the heat is killing me. I really can't ride much. The over 100 heat indexes and high humidity fire my asthma up. I hate that it does but I'm tired of stressing out about it. I had 60 miles less in June than May, as the heat rose. I plan to just do what I can. This fall, I'm buying a road bike and will be able to get lots of miles in then as the heat eases off. I'm also in the process of buying a kayak and gear, so this fall will be especially fun!
Last Year’s challenge didn’t finalize totals for preceding month for several days. I regret the change this year…as there must be a number of people each month unable for various reasons (computer glitch, power outage, vacation out of internet range etc. ) to log all miles by midnight. It seems the previous system was more supportive of cycling efforts and more in line with stated intent of the challenge. There should be at least a brief window of opportunity for late entries, and new riders enthusiastic to discover the Challenge (Welcome Wayne Munoz!) should have the opportunity to get credit for June rides.
Frequently traveled route rendered grueling today by heat, humidity and dropping blood pressure. Familiar winding one mile incline required 3 rest stops! Much better after lengthy replenishing midpoint break. Blessing for return journey is that my unincorporated town occupies a lower elevation than most surrounding destinations, so although roads ripple in any direction (I envision traversing the vastly magnified surface of a potato chip) the net effect is generally downhill toward home (-; Roll on cautiously in record-setting heat!
Be careful with the heat. About half of the country, 23 states are in triple digits. It did hit 100 in Wisconsin Dells today and dehydration is the most common health issues. It is so dry here that many counties have burning bans--no open fires , camp fires, burning etc. It is also illegal to ignite fireworks in many places throughout the state. There is very little chance of any rain this week The drought is really getting very serious in much of Wisconsin and prayers in church were offered. Governor Walker already has applied for federal aid for the floods in Superior and a loss of 80% of the cherry crop, which bloomed early and froze this spring and there is also quite a loss of most fruit trees and also maple syrup. And now the drought on other crops is realy taking a toll. The crops in much of the state is really looking horrible at this points and the heat is suppose to continue all week. Very dry here, but Wisconsin Dells area looked really bad. It was really busy and crowded in Wisconsin Dells with traffic and people seeking relief in the all the water parks in the area.
@Laurie Yes, it did have an exercise room with bikes, but indoor bicycling does not count for this challenge, but it would have helped burn all the calories I consumed. But at Stand Rock where we went to see a German Shepherd jump across rock ledges, we had to climb lots of stairs and walk up hills, so that burned a lot. :)
Congratulations to anyone who logged any miles in June. Just get out there and do it! I enjoyed every mile I rode.
I use a cyclometer to track my miles. My battery never dies and I always know my mileage.
It's over 100 degrees here so I only rode 11 miles today. Tomorrow I'll ride at night when it's cooler.
How many of us got short changed because we couldn't log miles from 6/30 before the end of the month because of power outage? I would have 73 more points if I had power last night.
Wayne: location apps that pull in GPS (like Endomondo) drain batteries fast regardless of device--iPhone, Droid whatever. For long rides getting a spare battery case as another commenter suggests or getting a dedicated GPS computer for your bike and then using Endo's upload feature will work better than switching your phone. ...unless you're looking for a good excuse to get a new phone. ;)
Richard: if they have an open team and an open slot (teams max out at ten riders) there's a join button. Otherwise the team leader will have to invite you.
How do iIjoin an already existing group if I am set up as a single rider?
451 miles in June for me. I missed one day of bicycle riding. I wish everyone could know the joy I get from riding and experience the feeling for themselves. I love seeing more and more riders, and I don't even get annoyed anymore by people who offer to throw my bike in their trunk and give me a ride home.
I use an external battery pack built into a case for my iPhone. I don't think it is going to survive my first century. Been looking at the 1 on woot today for $20, think I'll pick it up so I have a spare for the ride.
So, I rode 64 miles today, so if my math is correct that should equal 84 points, 64 + 20 bonus points. So why does my point total only equal 75. Timing of the update perhaps?
Glad I saw this challenge today. I'm currently training for my first century on Aug 11th with the great folks of "Try All by Fire" and what better time to join a challenge like this. I've logged a 72 mile and a 88 mile ride along with my mid week 20 plus rides this month. The only problem is the battery on my phone that I use this great app on doesn't make it as long as I do. I got to check into another source if I continue to do these longer rides. I'm using a droid right now which works great other than the battery issue. Any suggestions? BTW reat job Endomondo, love the job your doing.
Thanks, Gregg.
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Funny, Martin! I bet things spread out a bit more as the day goes on! Hey--I think I will take a midnight ride in August just so I can see my name on top of the leaderboard for once! I am all for contributing to the 3 million mile goal, just need to get mended up here first. I am still planning on a long ride at the end of the month, hopefully I will be back in the saddle long before then.
@ Burklee G: Welcome to PLATINUM!!! Way to go!
Hey Greg, Doesn't that luxury hotel have a fitness room with bikes? ;-)
I'd like to know who would be interested in a wheel and pedal reader that could be transmitted to your smart phone to verify distance & read cadence. If you had access to this information in conjunction with/ or in replacement of your GPS data what would you want improved or added to the Endomodo application? If you also spin, or setup your bike for stationary use, how could it help you, or what would you need from the application or hardware? I figure the hardware will need to read rear wheels for stationary setup bikes.
I did get a quick ride in yesterday before we had to leave to attend a family reunion at
Devil's Lake State Park in Baraboo, WI which is a 2 1/2 hour drive from Neenah. I am only 6 points short of 3,000 points, but plan to exceed that this evening after we get back to Neenah. I was not able to take my bike with me in my mini van because my mother and dad rode with us and with coolers and luggage, there was no room to put the bike in and I don't have a bike carrier. But my mother and dad treated my wife, daughter, and I to a private room and deluxe stay last night at the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center in Baraboo for taking them to Devil's Lake, so I am not lacking any comfort. It is a 5 star luxury hotel that I would have had to work a whole week to pay for myself, so we are enjoying our weekend here. It was very nice to see my older brother from Fox Lake, IL near Chicago who celebrated his 60th birthday on June 29th this year. I don't get to see him and his family much, so it was really nice seeing him yesterday. I have 1 sister, 2 brothers, and my mother and dad will be celebrating 62 years of marriage on August 19, the day that I will be racing in Race the Lake in Fond du Lac, WI, which is a 90 mile bike race around Lake Winnebago and is the largest inland lake in Wisconsin and the race is the largest all citizen timed bike race in the US that travels through 4 different counties. The halfway point is High Cliff State Park with a challenging hill to climb, but I have climbed the hill several times before, so I don't expect to have a heart attack. Our visit in Wisconsin Dells this weekend has been a luxury stay. There is no water park here in the hotel, but a nice indoor pool and hot tub on the 4th floor and a deluxe gourmet complimentary continental breakfast in the Glacier Rock Restaurant. I am going to have to ride a century to burn all the calories I consumed this weekend. We are attending church at 7:30 am at St. John's Lutheran Church in Baraboo and then later this morning, we are taking my mother and dad to see the Witches Gulch on the Upper Dells of the Wisconsin River. It is very hot here in the mid 90's, but there is no lack of water with literally billions of gallons of water flowing both naturally and artificially in this water park capital of the world. I think there are more tourists in this little city of 2,000 people right now than in the entire state of Wisconsin. It's nice and cool at the Witch's Gulch because it is like a cave on all the narrow passageways that take you among some interesting and spooky rock formations on the Upper Dells of the Wisconsin River. It's quite an interesting story about the guy who first explored this area and discovered what is now known as the Witch's Gulch.
I did get a quick ride in yesterday before we had to leave to attend a family reunion at
Devil's Lake State Park in Baraboo, which is a 2 1/2 hour drive from Neenah. I am only 6 points short of 3,000 points, but plan to exceed that this evening after we get back to Neenah. I was not able to take my bike with me in my mini van because my mother and dad rode with us and with coolers and luggage, there was no room to put the bike in and I don't have a bike carrier. But my mother and dad treated my wife, daughter, and I to a private room and deluxe stay last night at the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center in Baraboo for taking them to Devil's Lake, so I am not lacking any comfort. It is a 5 star luxury hotel that I would have had to work a whole week to pay for myself, so we are enjoying our weekend here. It was very nice to see my brother from Illinois that I don't get to see very much. There is no water park here in the hotel, but a nice indoor pool and hot tub on the 4th floor and a deluxe gourmet complimentary continental breakfast in the Glacier Rock Restaurant. I am going to have to ride a century to burn all the calories I consumed this weekend. We are attending church at 7:30 am at St. John's Lutheran Church in Baraboo and then later this morning, we are taking my mother and dad to see the Witches Gulch on the Upper Dells. It's nice and cool there like in a cave on all the narrow passageways that take you among some interesting and spooky rock formations on the Upper Dells. It's quite a story about the guy who first explored this area and discovered what is now known as the Witch's Gulch.
@Jenny Sorry you are on the injured list again. Hope you heal soon. It sounds like you have gone through quite an ordeal that has not been fun.
24 minutes into the new month, Ryan Devine is in the lead with 22 points, followed by Nick Templeton a point behind, and Dan Hinrichs in third with 20. Then 5,755 riders are all tied with zero.
Yeah, it's the international lead time. People who have done there workouts hours ago, but they are just now showing up because it was in July their time and we just entered July.
@Nyla - 3,000,000 miles is definitely a good goal! We ended up with 1,357,476 for the first two months, so would need 1,642,524 for July and August. (We averaged 22,254 miles per day, and with the extra day we would need to average 26,492/day, which is 19% more.) If we can do that, it will at least help us look better against Vermont.
It is 12:01 Central, and Ivailo Karamanolev is leading all 28,196 other riders for July.
Well, maybe it was a premature ride. Now an abscess has formed, had to go to the clinic, and I won't describe what happened after that for those with soft stomachs. Bottom line, wound is packed and I am sidelined again.
How do meet a challenge ? TEAM-Work! Babes where are you?
I just finished the month with a metric century, plus a little, 63.11 miles when I rolled back into my driveway. I took a couple short breaks to cool off a little, as much as one can cool down when it is 90 degrees in the shade. I did see a lot of other cyclists, but there were places where I had the trail to myself for miles at a time. I did stop and snap a picture of this little fella. He (or maybe she) let me ride by the first time, but must have been camera shy because he ran away after I went back to take a picture. https://sites.google.com/site/btd819423fsavr98ddea5/r_IMG_0267.jpg
Great morning of mountain biking at Reforestation Camp in Green Bay.
Nice to be in the woods in the shade!
Way to beat a slump Bruce!
I didnt feel good this AM .Respiratory probs have plagued me for 40 years.I was sitting feeling Whoa is me,then I thought NO get out and ride ....about 3 hours later than I normally do.It was great biking ... very little wind and I had the best avg yet .It felt great!!!!!
@Emily I'm not even on a mission, just riding cross country for vacation, and I count all my miles as transport because I'm biking to transport myself on vacation, to the store, to the campground, to the city park - even to the shower:) Sounds like commuting to me (well, maybe not the shower part).
Cruel irony. I hardly use my truck these days, but I was not able to get out for a long ride today because I had to replace the starter which took longer than expected due to rust and a stripped bolt.
Jenny, Glad to hear you are back in the saddle. Go get your Platinum.
Just hit Gold today!!!!!
made platinum today!!!
Burklee, congrats and welcome to the platinum club. I feel like we should be issued platinum cards good for a free t-shirt or something.
Hi all, got started before 6am to get more miles today and beat the heat. It was in the 70s already and right now its about 102. I know what you mean about the numbers game, sometimes I get back to my neighborhood and think, if I ride up and down a couple of dead end streets I can add two or three more miles. Then I get to my street and go around in circles a few times to round off that last mile. Its kind of silly but fun!!
Had breakfast at a nice cafe in Kirkwood. I have passed it several times before. There is often a bicycle out in front, so I was trying to figure out whose bike it is. Decided it must belong to someone who works there.
@ Emily, you are on a mission, I would count the miles as commuting, esp. if its your only transportation for the entire trip. How far have you gone? What part of the country are you in now? Are you going east to west, or vice versa? If you come through St. Louis let me know, could offer a meal or shelter or something...
@Travis - Ouch! Good luck on getting platinum today.
@H. Joan - Way to go! I can only dream of a near century.
And speaking of platinum... I MADE PLATINUM TODAY!!!! Platinum before July...gooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallll!!!!
Garmin EDGE 200 GPS? Any opinions or review of the GPS trackers. I ride 3 different bikes and it would be nice to have a total miles on all the bikes on one tracker. I am considering the EDGE200, since reasonable priced and only the basics. I do not feel I will need a lot of unnecessary options. Thanks for any feedback.
I'm riding my bike across the country to raise money for my cousin with cancer. Should I be logging my miles as commuting or leisure?
Richard, Wally described everything correctly. I might add some more things I have noticed. The person you want to send a pep talk to has to have options in their settings to allow pep talks. Also, if you have a smartphone you can send the pep talk from your smartphone to theirs. They will hear the message. It is fun to play with!! If I hear it I am usually surprised when my pocket starts talking to me out in the middle of now where.
Way to go Jaime!
I rode my bike at another Patriot Guard Riders event today; one biker among many others, but theirs are motorcycles. Forget buying a motorcycle for being in that (great) group - I like being the only traditional biker ( no motor on mine.)
Jenny: so glad to hear you are rolling along again! Your dog-delayed Platinum status awaits (-:
So I participated on Critical Mass (Houston, TX) last night. I wish i had an image of our first take off. The crowd of cyclist covered over 5 city blocks and all the lanes. Any single car must of felt overwhelmed by the sea of cyclist. Hundreds of people were out in great spirits. It was an amazing experience seeing "strength in numbers" at its true form.
Have a great ride everyone!
I will hit over 125 miles biked this month and 2000 points today once I ride to summerfest. Since the last day in April I have only taken my car to work once and that was because I had a doctor appointment in the middle of the day. Thanks to bike riding I am off my BP medicine and I hope to be off my diabetes medicine in September. GET ON YOUR BIKES AND RIDE!
Glad things are looking up Jenny.
First ride since the dog bite. Was worried that it would be tough on my ankle. Surprisingly not. Was hard to start and stop, Seems like that leg is my usual lead off leg. Hard to climb hills. But just happy to get back out!
The way this challenge is set up, I don't see how anyone could not get anything less than 600 points in any given month. All you have to do is sit on your bike and ride at least around the block to claim 20 points each day. In July I'll try to do just that and get at least 620 points. I'll probably end up with enough miles to claim platinum.
Richard, Your friend has to have the Endomondo App on their smart phone. When they are out riding it will show up on your Endo web page. There will be a "pep talk" option under their info. Click on pep talk and type in a message. Their smart phone will read them the text while they are exercising. Good luck. Hope this helps.
K.. thanks guys
@ travis I will loan you my son's hockey suit if that will help ;)!!!!
yeah it's while they are cycling either on your home home page under where it says the person it out cycling will be the link to peptalk - just clck it and a windo will open that lets you type your message. OR if you look at the workout as it is happening on the map part top left will be a small peptalk link same thing, click it and enter your message.
@ richard send a pep talk to your friend ...lol!!!! when they are out riding and it has peptalk on there status just click that!!!
Could some one please let me know how to send a pep talk to a friend?
Could some one please inform me on how to send a pep talk to a friend?
Jerry Bengtson - I think we can agree that each person has different nutritional requirements. The important thing is to listen to your body - it will tell you what it needs.
Getting caught up in even numbers can be such a head game. I think it's a human foible that we are all suseptible to. On the plus side perhaps thats one of the things that pushes us to go just a little bit further. But regardless; excellent accomplishment Joan!
@Ronald im thinking full downhill gear now!
I'm beginning to think mispronouncing and misspending my name in the media is s conspiracy. LAB just fix their misspelling when the newscaster pronounced it as if French in origin for "the mute" (le-mule). The correct spelling and pronunciation is Lemuel (lem-U-el). Say lemming.. say Emanuel..say Lemuel. A rose by any other name may still be a rose, but if you call it a nose, somebody's going to look at you weird for smelling them. a;)
Crach pads for Travis !!! :))
@ John where did this happen so I can avoid the area ....
to add to my last post i get into alot of crashes too lol
im going for platinum tommorrow even after a really nasty crash mtn biking today. i was catapulted from my bike and slammed my lower back into a tree it was really violent knocked the wind out of me for a few seconds too. its the worst crash ive been in a long time not looking forward to how its gonna feel in the morning. Tomorrows ride is only going to be on the road for sure.
H.Joan Davies a 92 bordeaux thats pedal-lite-ful sleep well tonight D
Hi all, out again this morning about 6:30. Heat rose quickly from 60s to upper 70s. Spotted a dozen other riders including a guy with a crate attached to the rack on the back of his bicycle. (Suppose he was reading this blog??) Later, while it was 105 outside, I took my bike in to get a new cable. The shop confessed that they messed up adjustments when putting in the cable last time and gave me a free cable. But they also decided I needed a new chain: A NEW CHAIN, like I just got one a couple of months ago. The mechanic was suttly trashing the fact that I was riding an old bike. All kinds of complaints like not wrapping my brake cables inside the handlebar tape. Then he gave me a hard time for making minor adjustments myself. Like, I'm gonna stop in the middle of a ride and head for the nearest bike shop to get help. NOOOOOOO
As for miles counted, recreation or not, the most important thing is that we are out there making bicyclists more visible, getting healthy, accomplishing missions, and having a good time. I would totally ride a new bike in the house!!.
@ Joan congrats on the metric century/almost miles century. I think I'm gonna wait for any century attempts until the weather gets a little cooler.
We know we are having more fun than those people at the gym. RIDE ON YA'LL!
@H. Joan - WOW. Great ride!
@H. Joan Davies - that's awesome.... congrats!! Being that close to 100miles, I would of rolled out the few extra to get that century!!
Hmmm…..Over 1.3 million miles before the end of June…two months to go…Shouldn’t we aim for 3 million?
Amazing had a car make a right turn in front of me. Followed him to his drive and he asked what was wrong with that. I told him it was against the law. He ntold me his dad was a cop and said there was nothing wrong with it and chased me down the street. I called 911. The cop showed up and said unless he hit me there was nothing wrong with it unless I could prove it was done with malicious intent. If i would of hit him it would of just been an accident. If i want to change it I have to go to city council for this county county over FDOT. I guess there is no end to the garbage going on these days and i will have to keep my eye out for him. He is the one that would be malicious and run me over given the chance.
Just finished my longest ride ever... 92.80.... Whoo Hoo. @ Brad W: Now I need to find some bordeaux cherry chocolate chunk ice cream-- LOTS of it!!!! .lol :-)
@Brad. Sorry Brad. Wrong ice cream. It needs to be Vanilla Swiss Almond. Much healthier. At least two containers worth so you get the full benefit.
As long as you hydrate and listen to your body, riding in hot weather is not a major issue. It is just not as much fun and riding in cool weather.
Michael Lemeux - you ROCK. I love that you are a part of this challenge. Your such a star! I'm off my bike today and tomorrow as our heat is over 100F. I hope to be back on it Sunday. Have a great weekend everyone and good luck next week (prize drawings)!
I was just 74 points shy of platinum before the dog bite. I would have easily achieved it this past week had I not been sidelined. I will put that on my list of "pain and suffering" items.
Thanks, John!
I seem to now be turning the corner, things seem a bit better today. Probably won't be good enough for the Gear Up Green Lake ride tomorrow that I was signed up for. They asked me if I wanted my fee returned. I really want to wait and see if the next 24 hours makes a difference, perhaps I could still ride a short route. Either way, I want my t-shirt! I may hang out for awhile at the CHN Wellness table, so if anyone is riding in this event, you may find me there. I will be the one with my leg propped up on a pillow.
In regards to Vermont - we are destroying them in total mileage aren't we?
Thanks for the info. The trail closure was at about 7:30 this morning, where they are building a new access point right near the fairgrounds. I was coming from the west and jumped onto main, then bluemound because as mentioned by someone else it was blocked with sandbags all the way across with a sign in front. I didn't try to get back on the trail so I don't know how much was closed. Glad to hear it's not still like that - I prefer not to ride bluemound/main, etc on my way home.
Great idea Brad I've never tried that flover.
@BradLPK - I am SO with you, man.
there are bike racks at both the main gate and the south gate. the main gate is at Chicago Ave. The south gate is at Polk St. I used the racks at the South Gate Wed. they were pretty full, but I managed to find an open spot. Upon leaving at 8PMish there were plenty of bikes locked to the fence next to the racks. There was a security guard standing near the racks when I left, but I don't remeber seeing one when I got there around 4:30 PM.
You have to bring your own lock, and they claim no responsibility.
They also have a bag checking service inside the south gate (I'm pretty sure they offer checking service at all gates.) It costs $2, but I left my saddle bags with helmet attached while inside.
Had a great ride this morning, went out just after 6 am the wind was low and it was nice and cool.Got back just before 9am and rode a nice 35 miles First time been able to ride all week because of the heavy rain and wind.Most of the time it's great living in Flordia.
If you do walking, swimming , running, and other workouts like this, on endomondo, you can enter all your workouts for all sports, not just biking and all your biking miles will automatically get entered into the NBC, too. In the Endomondo site, you can print out a statistical graph and chart or list by year, month, or week for any sport and for all sports and I can also see how many miles I biked for transporation compared to sport. For example my statistical chart and graph on Endomondo shows that currently i n 2012 I have rode a total of 3,245 miles. 2,004 were for transport and 1,241 were sport or recreation. And I can also print out a mileage graph that shows my mileage count for sport and transport for each month and even for each week. I really like the Endomndo site because it includes all sports, not just biking. This is a link to my current Endomondo 2012 cycling statistical graph, comparing mileage for transport and sport by month: http://www.flickr.com/photos/greggmichaelphotography/7467924630/
As a health precaution everyone should eat lots of bordeaux cherry chocolate chunk ice cream.
AT Gregg. There is bike racks at road to main gate to Summerfest. As you come in look at North side of road and there is a big CPS sign and I guy sitting on a chair watching the gate. It is a little weird as you have to get behind the pedestrian fence with your bike but I have used the lot for the past two days with no issues.
@Martin Malin. Even if you enter your miles manually, you can enter the time of your ride to get calories burned and average speed of your ride by clicking "new work out" on the endomondo site directly. The miles will automatically get entered into the bike challenge as well. I just use my bike computer to track miles and time and works great for me. There are certain routes I do regularly (work, grocery store, gym, pool, parent's apartment, and I have favorite routes I do for recreation and sport and I have these drawn on the Endomondo maps and saved and when I ride any of these routes that I have saved on Endomondo, all I have to do is select the route and it automatically enters the miles and then I enter the time of the ride and I have a record of calories burned and average speed of each ride. I like the statistic link on Endomondo because you can get graphs and charts printed by year, month, week etc. and that is really nice for a complete record of every ride you did.
It is very easy to dehydrate when the dew points get this high and you won't even know you are dehydrated until it is too late.
Dogs are my biggest fear when I deliver packages as a driver helper during peak season at Christmas because I often get dropped off on the street and have no place to go for protection, if a dog attacks me. They tell us at work to use the DIAD board as a shield or even hit them in the face with the DIAD board, if we have to to prevent us from getting bit by the dog. The little dogs are the worst.
Does anyone know, if there are any bike racks at Summerfest?
Everyone drink lots, ride in the early morning and use extreme caution when riding in this heat and humidity. Very, VERY dangerous.
Here is our chance to catch-up a little to Vermont - On Saturday night at 9 Central, there will be a leap second added to the atomic clocks. If everyone in Wisconsin makes a point of riding their bikes at that precise moment, we could inch a little closer to Vermont.
@ Michael Lemeux, FANTASTIC interview on the LAB site, great job.
For those that haven't seen the interview, here is the link:
http://blog.bikeleague.org/blog/2012/06/meet-the-1-rider-in-the-national-bike-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-36531
Burklee - Now that sounds like work. I've been entering my total (exercise) time for a day in a spreadsheet for the last 20+ years. I don't think I want to put down each ride's time just so there can be an innacurate calories burned number for my ride. There are way too many factors that affect calories burned, like stops/starts/bike type/etc... As far as heart rate - I'm not that worried about it, unless I go into defib or it approaches or acheives zero.
@Michael - Wow, really great story on the LAB site. I don't know how you do it, man, but keep doing it! You are amazing. Really.
Which section was closed?
Special membership offer for Challenge participants -- join the League of American Bicyclists, and get a Planet Bike tail-light as our way of saying thanks!
Crhis,
When I took the Hank Aaron trail this morning at about 6:30, it was closed with sandbags blocking the path. I turned out to Main street and hopped back on right by the fairgrounds where the path crosses the road. Didn't appear to be anything going on but it did say ROAD CLOSED.
Android phone battery dead?
The Endomondo "pro" mobile app has "lower power mode". Originally, that mode was less accurate, but the latest version (http://gsfn.us/t/2wr0k) claims to have the same accuracy as normal mode.
The pro app costs just a buck for the next few days (regularly 4 bucks).
Chris,
I just went down that stretch of the Hank Aaron trail about 45 minutes ago (around 08:20 to 08:25am), and it wasn't closed then. I ride that trail 2 or 3 times a week and it's never been closed, even when there have been events nearby. Must just be a temporary closing.
My house is small, not enough room to ride, which is why I ran into the door. I was training, trying to adapt to the brakes/shifters on the hoods, yeah, that's what I was doing, nothing worthy of a timeout :D Luckily I didn't bleed all over the white tape on the bars.
Anyone know if the closing of the Hank Aaron trail in Milwaukee near the fairgrounds is normal for when there is an event there or if it is due to trail construction.
I'm suspecting that I had to be rerouted into traffic becuase they don't want people sneaking into the RV show, but I just wanted to check and see if anyone knows.
Riding in the house Ray??? Ain't it cool how bikes tend to release the inner child - but better, because now no one can yell at us - well except for spouses and car pilots... But, hey everyone; don't forget to have fun :-D
@Martin - If you go to the Endomondo home page and click "Workouts" at the top, it will show you a calendar with all your rides denoted by bike icons. If you click on one, it will load that ride, then you can go to the right side of the page, click "Edit" and enter your time, and your heart rate, if you've got a monitor. That will calculate your calories for you.
Like you, I am amazed at full gym parking lots on gorgeous days. I would think people would just go outside and play. I don't know, maybe they're all too dignified for that. I personally have never had that problem. :)
@Ray - Riding the bike in the house? Are you looking for a time out, Mister? And, how big is your house??? Glad you're liking the new wheels, man!
@Travis - 59 points in 2 days? No problem. You got this.
On the subject of GPS, it also has to do with local conditions, interference and the fact that, even if you watch your GPS religiously to see it 'track' that tracking is not really happening. That's the software doing some prediction of your course. Then the next time it checks your position using GPS there will be a correction.
If you need accurate distance measurement, you're probably better off with a bike computer that reads your speed and distance from actual wheel rotations instead of estimating your location based on faint radio signals from objects thousands of miles away.
@Michael-Noone should be worried about which category miles should be logged into. The numbers above for calories burned, and carbon dioxide and money saved are just approximations. For some of us, they might be somewhat accurate, and for others, they are way off.
I don't have a smart phone, so I enter my miles in manually. When I do that, there is no place to put how long it took me to ride. Because of that, my stats show ZERO calories burned. I'm sure there are many others who don't have a smart phone.
Many (including you) have pointed out ways the dollar saved amount is inaccurate. And I agree. I also think that it wouldn't hurt if they also include some type of savings for sport miles. It would be fair to say that most of us are riding at least partly for our health. To get the same amount of aerobic physical activity, most people would belong to a gym. What about all of the money saved by not belonging to a gym. Or, if they are just concerned with money saved by not driving a car, most who go to gyms drive their cars there. And with many of us with multiple bike rides each day, one should count the savings of not driving to the gym several times a day. (As an aside, I've always been amazed at seeing a gym parking lot full on a 70 degree day, as I either would run or bike past. Sometimes, one can even see someone circling the lot, hoping for a spot closer to the door so they don't have to walk as far to the entrance, so they could go inside and wait for a treadmill or stationary bike to be free, on such a beautiful day.)
Great to be back on the bike. Goodbye Tropical Storm Debby! You were a pain in the arse!!!
Thanks, E M. Only 37 miles on the bike so far, but I really like it. I haven't pushed myself too hard yet because of the heat, but can really feel the upgrade in performance. It already bit me though, was screwing around and riding it in the house and slammed my hand into a doorknob, oops :D
Michael, I believe the dollars we're seeing is the money saved because we rode our bikes instead of driving our cars. Granted, if you would normally take the bus or carpool instead, it is overestimated. In principle, though, it's the cost of the gasoline and vehicle wear that we saved by riding instead of driving.
I hate when the phone tries to correct me when I'm right. I DO mean bus FARE not FAIR.
I think endomondo probably way overestimates the cost of riding for me. I spent less than $250/yr to transit anywhere I wanted for the 4 years I had my last bike. That cost included the bike, all accesories, maintenance, and emergency bus fair for foul weather. Bus passes would have cost me 4 times that, and not been availible after 6 or on weekends. I won't even start to compare personal vehicle cost. CO2 should be higher for sport than transit anyway. Compare the fuel cost /mi. of a road vehicle (replacement to transit) to that of a atv, dirt bike, or other motorized "sport" vehicle (replacement to sport). If it's NBC that is concerned with which way a mile should be counted, than shouldn't it be NBC to ask clarifications for their records?
Going to Trikes2Bike in New Frankin tomorrow for pepper spray and other stuff for SAGBRAW ride.
What a great day, just completed our Bike Arlington team meet up and happy hour at Coyote Grille in Fairfax, VA. At least 5 Washington DC area teams were in attendance, great to see so many of my teammates and their families. Congrats Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling, Bike Arlington, and all who helped to put on this fun event.
Christine - congrats on the riding and keep up the good work!
LOL! Thank you, Rob! I can be so dense at times! I had no idea I had that many points CTD (Challenge to Date). I may get to Platinum in July! Woo hoo! Not bad for an old fart who just started riding a year ago! Thanks, again, Rob. (blushing furiously and ducking as I skulk off to bed)
Christine - check and see if those are your June points or your points for the Entire Period
Warm ride home tonight, but a favourable wind made for a decent quick time.
Stopped at the roadside stall for sweet corn,toms and a Canteloupe Melon for supper...
Sweet!
Took out the Rocket Dog for a ride/run later and am seeing a discrepancy on the max speed - according to my trip computer thing-me-jig we were cruisung at 13.9 mph (a pb for the dog) but Endomondo has 11.88mph
Hey ho ...life is good
I hope you are quickly back in the saddle, Jenny. You have us all thinking about dogs a lot more now, and I'll be looking for some pepper spray to carry.
On a ride a few weeks ago I was between New London and Fremont on unfamiliar roads, and I stopped to check my map and was standing at the side of the road straddling the bike when I heard a very menacing growl just a few feet away. I jumped to the other side of the bike before I even saw the two dogs. I started moving to the other side of the road with the bike between me and the dogs, and them continually growling and posturing when I heard a third dog start growling from behind a tree on the other side of the road!
I stayed in the middle of the road, backing slowly the way I had come, trying to watch all three dogs, and keeping my bike betwen me and the two that seemed the most agressive. None of them attacked, but after hearing your story I feel VERY fortunate. I know my heart was beating about 30 bpm faster that it had been pedaling into the wind at 17 mph just a few minutes before. Very scary.
Is there a calculation problem somewhere? The leader board shows I have 511 points, yet on my medal chart (what do you call that thingy?), it shows I have 1118 points. Anyone able to explain the discrepancy?
I second the welcome to Susan - the more the merrier. I would love to see Wisconsin beat Vermont for at least 1 month. I guess we'll see what happens in July and August. How come we can pack Lambeau with 72,928 Cheeseheads and we can't get 10,000 riders out for the Challenge?!?
@Michael Its good that you can ride all day.Commute ,transport Its all good...you still have to crank the pedals.Im semi retired but have a small biz and a garden plus other obligations but Id just as soon be out all day cruising.I can't go at hot rod speeds due to respiratory probs I got from Nam but I set a good cadence and try for 50 to 60 miles per day.I know I could do a lot more.Keep rolling!!!
Another rider joins the ranks logging data to support Wisconsin. Welcome Susan!!
you can do eeet (Arnold Voice)
2 days left for the month and i only need 59 points to platinum. i think i can do it!
Had to join again, I could not remember my user name or pasword.
Hot ride tonight!!
Hi all, Out at 6:30 again while the temps were still in upper 70s and lower 80s (by the time I got done). Right now its about 105 outside. Saw about a dozen other riders this morning.
@ Ray & Ronald: congrats on the new bikes!
@ Tami & Thomas: being off the bike for a few days means you will enjoy it that much more when you get back on.
@ Ernest: College zone = not anti-cycling, that should tell you something about who is smart!!!
Okay, gotta go make an adjustment on my front derailler cable....
Still swollen and painful, but I think the redness is improving. I am losing Hope that I will be riding on Saturday for Gear Up Green Lake, but will see how it goes next 24 hours.
My daily route length using Endo app varies from 13.76 to 13.91, pretty good I think. Using EVO 4G about 1.5 years old.
@Kevin-Most people think that a GPS is 100% accurate. They are not. One of the things I do is measure running courses so their distance can be certified as being accurate. If I'm at the finish line after a race, I will invariably hear comments from Garmin users that the course was long by .xx miles. If several hae different versions of Garmins, they will have different readings. They all think theirs is accurate. They stop thinking their unit is precise when they run 40 laps in the first lane of a track. Looking at the results, they can see how far off GPS sometimes is. The older models were worse, sometimes showing the person in the bleachers for part of their run. GPS is made more innacurate for winding courses, leafed out trees, and with reflections off of skyscrapers.
@Pamela, you can see that information by clicking on the tems icon, found on the leaderboard page.
Once again, ride defensively and stay safe. I read in the paper this morning that a woman was struck by a car in Wausau. She was on the sidewalk when she was struck. The driver was cited for driving after license revocation and not having insurance. She was transported to the hospital with a head injury.
The Leaderboard now shows riders by state but I wonder what the Team rankings are by State.
In case you guys aren't on the email list-the pro version of the tracking app is on sale for $1 right now. :)
Speaking of dogs, you may be able to find something at fireworks stands called 'adult poppers'. These are similar to the snaps you throw on the ground but are LOUD. A team member clued me in on these. I've used them twice (throw them at the ground, not the dog) and they've worked both times.
I've tried everything else and have been bitten twice this year. Suffered a pretty serious fall last year when a dog got under my wheel. You definitely don't want this and good luck getting dog owners to take responsibility. The brand of poppers I use are called 'Pop Pops' and are $2 for a box of 20.
@ Michael Lemuel - For me, I think of "cycling, sport" as being any riding that is for sport, or in other words, just for the fun of it. I believe that "cycling, transport" is only appropriate when you are using a bike to get somewhere, in place of other modes of transportation - car, boat, bus, train, plane, etc.
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I do believe there is some cross-over, as I sometimes bike to the park with my son, and when I take a direct route, I call that "transport" - since the ride is about getting me and my son to the park and back - BUT - I probably wouldn't have gone at all if I didn't want to go for a bike ride - so in that sense it's more "sport" - since getting there isn't really the reason for the ride.
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That being said, I don't personally care which way you log your miles, but you will vastly overestimate your dollars and CO2 saved by selecting "transport" over "sport" and I find these statistics to be enjoyable to see (Helps me justify spending the money on the bike and trailer parts when I get an accurate picture of the savings they generate).
Kevin- my daily commute varies between 9.2 and 9.6 miles using the endo app. I take the same route everytime. I don't think I've had the same distance twice.
Has anyone noticed that if you take the same route everyday the Endomono app on your phone doesn't give the same mileage at the end of your ride?
@Darla-@Troy- Get a small bottle of pepper spray at the bike shop for dogs and you should not have any more trouble with that dog and also report it to the animal shelter also as state law to keep dogs contained from running loose is a state law. I have sprayed one dog and have had no troubles with it sense and it never come slose to road any more. We have called into out local animal shelter and they have gone out and talked to the folks also. If it happens again they can be charged.
Too humid to wear any shirt today. The breeze evaporates the sweat.
Between work and school, there was no time for me to ride yesterday, but I take the test I was studying for tonight, so hopefully a nice, long, relaxing ride after...
@Randy If you log all your transport miles as sport, then none of your transport miles will show any CO2 or dollars saved. I log all my miles in the proper category, so that at the end of the year, I will have an accurate total of how many dollars I have saved by using my bike for transportation. It's one of the major reasons why I bike to work every day because the savings is over $7 per day or about $35/week. The savings from biking to work really adds up over a whole year.
DOGS AND BIKES... Uphill, on the final stretch home after a 30+mi ride, I must have looked pretty hilarious trying to pedal as hard as I could up that hill with one leg while kicking at that German Shepard with the other.
@John Nisbet: Hi John, I freestyled my homebrew LED bike light based on stuff I found on the internet, basically others who have done this. Here are a couple:
http://www.instructables.com/id/High-power-LED-bike-head-light-with-integrated-hea/
http://www.ledsupply.com/docs/700-Lumen-LED-Bike-Light.pdf
Good luck!
@Joe - I've had some real adventures with dogs and bikes, but nothing gets the adrenalin pumpin' like when you've got a large, fast one, with a big mouthful of teeth on your tail and you're going up a steep hill near the end of your ride. Makes me feel so alive!!!
Sure fire way to wake up on your early morning pedal???
Getting chased by a dog!!!!
I really really hate that; but in a strange way like it too!?!?
Is that weird?? Lol
Pedal On!!
Peace
It makes a difference to the National Bike Challenge! They don't count 'sport" miles and "transportation" miles the same in terms of CO2 emissions, money saved by riding, etc.
@Jenny - Get well soon! Dog bites hurt, poor you.
@Michael - Don't sweat the criticism, man. You got some miles! Shoot, I just thought you were retired, or maybe a bike messenger or delivery guy or something. Some days I just wanna take the day off and ride, (not today - heat index will be 105-110,) and I did a couple weeks ago, for everyone else's safety... but I don't, because I'm a good bear. I kind of envy those of you who can ride and ride most days, both because of your endurance, and because you have the time to do so. Ah, well...
Interesting note - Rumor has it a wild turkey has taken up residence along the creek by the Antelope Valley Trail and Lincoln Children's Zoo, and he or she is having quite a good time scaring the bejeezus out of passing bikers and joggers. I love Lincoln!
Yes, I am Platinum!
The calm after the storm. A beautiful day for riding in Florida today.
Finally back on my bike after all most two weeks off. First a minor outpatient procedure that had me off for five days, then problems with my back, and then tropical storm Debbie...this is the first time I have been on the bike since 19 June. Feels great to get in that ride to work as it wakes me up and I'm more productive early in the day after the ride. I was getting a little 'soft' around the middle too, and need to burn the calories.
@ Chamayne Ortegon.... Living near the "Big Air Conditioner" known as Lake Superior, you always carry or wear a jacket because when the wind switches, the temperature can drop as much as 30 degrees in 30 minutes or in 2 blocks. I have actually seen the wall of cold air before hitting it. My glasses even fogged-up.
First ride to work on my new bike. Zoom!
@Michael Lemuel, I don't think it really matters how you log the miles as long as you are out there. I log all my miles as Sport and I commute to work a lot. I'll admit, I'm just too lazy to change the setting back and forth. So just leave it at sport.
I am on my third " day off of riding" and annoyed by it. Initially it was the weather and when i rode Monday I didnt realize we were under tornado warnings and I shouldn't have. Today though the weather is amazing the wind and humidity is nearly nothing but I have work obligations that is requiring m y vehicle later in the day. What would they do and expect if i got rid of my car as having one is not required for my job on hire. Funny the company even put in a bike rack for me whenI asked which is cool but only proves to frustrate me more today!
@ Michael Lemuel, I have no problem with you logging everything as transport - I log everything as sport - I figure we balance each other out since probably half my rides involve transport and I figure half your rides are sport (well OK, maybe not quite balanced out since you are riding many more miles than I am but you get the idea.....).
Back at the end of May this very subject came up and I had commented on the LAB blog about how most of my rides have elements of both transportation and sport involved. The main point is, you are out riding and that is the primary objective of this challenge - to get people out on their bike more often.
@ Bruce, Thanks for a good laugh - I am entitled to laugh because I've been there, done that........
It's usual pretty simple - transport/commute if it has a purpose aside from cycling (getting somewhere to do something, eg shopping, working, eating, playing, swimming, running, visiting etc), and sport if the purpose is mostly cycling (and its benefits and joys) itself. To my understanding sport does not refer to racing here but mostly to "not transport". Of course sometimes this is not clear cut (going for a joy trip and have some lunch during the ride, going on a bike vacation) - in this case just do whatever you feel right -any cycling is great! For me a bicycle is pretty much exclusively a transportation tool (exception might be a fund raiser, or bike vacation) so most of my miles bring me to some place where I need to be to do something.
@Michael - I also have no commute (work at home), I log all my miles as sport. Personally, I think transport should be used for rides in place of driving, whether that is going to the office, running an errand or riding to the store. I'm not racing either, but trying to log a bunch of miles in order to move up in the rankings is a sport to me, even though I know I have no chance of competing with those lucky people that get to ride all day. I do agree that there is lack of clarity with only sport and transport though. My 50 mile ride on Sunday replaced what might have been a "Sunday drive" in my car, is that sport or transport? I didn't go anywhere, just took a very long ride from my house back to my house. From the FAQ: "The Challenge is an exciting new program that encourages people to bike for transportation and recreation." Whether you ride to the office or spend half the day on your bike, you're meeting the goal. When I see your miles, it makes me want to call in sick and just spend the day riding. I got my new bike today (well, yesterday), so now it's time to justify that sticker price with many more miles in less time.
Opps, correction. I don't feel logging my miles in as sport is appropriate.
I'm seeing a rise in complaints that I log in my miles as "transport", and questions about my commute. I DON'T HAVE A COMMUTE! I (un)fortunately can't work
My doctor won't let me. The alternative would be to log my miles as "sport" which I don't feel is appropriate since I'm not a racer at racing speeds, or even with race appropriate equipment. I am however the crazy person who rides all day and leads the nation in miles. So that being said, should I change my miles to "sport" on the sole basis that I don't have to do them and I do more than anybody else?
Got a chance to break in the new bike and it felt really good I have been riding a Mountain bike on the road and finally into a road bike...Awesome !!!!!
@ Gregg Warning..... I can only dream of 70 degree days. But I'll be in Wisconsin at the end of July and ya'all can laugh at the girl from Austin wearing a light jacket! :-)
The shot on the butt was more towards the hip and there is very little pain at this time! Hoping it will kick down the redness and swelling so I cam get back to riding.
@ Jenny, get well soon.
Not trying to be disrespectful, but I'm thinking a shot in the butt might keep me off the bike longer than a bite in the leg!!! :) I'm pretty new to this road bike thing and my "sit bones" are still getting use to that itty bitty seat!!!! And a bruised butt via a shot hurts just thinking about it!!!!
Record breaking temps for this date and dewpoints exceeding 70 are going to make it feel very sticky tomorrow here in Wisconsin. I'm going to need to drink lots of water at work and also on the bike.
Brian, triple points for runners tomorrow, yes. Bikers, no.
Record breaking temps for this date and dewpoints exceeding 70 are going to make it feel very sticky tomorrow here in Wisconsin. I'm going to need to drink lots of water at work and also on the bike.
Lots of great conversation today. Love it!! Jenny we need you back soon so take good care and heal quickly. Others, if you own a dog be responsible and ALWAYS control your pet. On the bungee topic, be very careful with these devices. I have seen people with very serious life changing injuries when the bungee unexpectedly breaks. Keep being creative and design the bungee out of the solution. Finally, I enjoy asking irate drivers to repeat themselves because I can't hear them. They cool off a little the second time around. However, it usually spoils my day or at least half the day. Ride on!!
NOTE TO SELF;Do NOT eat black beans and rice the night before you plan on an early morning long ride.OK go ahead and laugh at my expense.I was on a 25 mile ride this AM and was wheeling along at a pretty good clip thinking all was right with the world when I go about 2 miles from home and suddenly it hit me like a sucker punch to the gut.I drastically slowed my pace until I was like 3 cranks then coast about 300 feet and repeated this slowly agonizing all the way.Well I wheeled in the driveway skidded to a stop ,dismounted faster than I ever have didnt even take off my helmet ,rushed to the bathroom ...fortunately no one was in there. wow close call.lesson learned AMEN.I even made some more miles later...keep on biking folks!!!!Eat beans America needs gas.
if 200 lumens is enough for you you can get the apex rechargable headlamp for 120-150$ depending on where you get it. http://www.princetontec.com/
So, I should be thankful for being alive!
They own a rotweiler, too. My kids are never going to their house again. They understand, they have seen what happens.
Hi all, out early (6:30) but had to rush my ride due to a dentist appointment. Only saw 3 other riders today. Lost a yellow flashing light that was on the back of my bike. GRR. Will replace it with another one but will have to secure it better.
@ Heather, what a grouch that driver was. She was obviously wrong, and as Leonard already pointed out, it is in fact illegal to ride on the sidewalk in some places. It is obvious that driver education is in order here. The Missouri driver's license test book contains an entire page about bicyclists and their rights. I think the problem is that too many drivers haven't read the manual for years. What we need is an advertising blitz to educate drivers: billboards, TV, internet, whatever it takes. Local bicycling organizations and bicycling business need to team up and educate the public. You handled the situation perfectly.
Since we're talking about annoying drivers, I always wave at the ones who honk. My logic is, if they are honking because they are annoyed with a biker, I'm annoying them right back, and if they are honking because they are friendly, well, I'm just being friendly.
As for the turn signals. Nyla is right the old school was to use your left arm and hold it out straight to go left and bend it up to indicate you are turning right. This signalling does in fact go back to the dinosaur days when cars didn't have turn signals or for use in case your turn signal wasn't working. Also the left arm has the advantage that everyone will see it. You can also use your right arm to indicate you are turning right. If you want to make sure they get the message, point your finger in the direction you are turning.
KEEP RIDING EVERYONE
@david Brock. Please post ur flashlight conversion here or on the web. LOTS of us could use an inexpensive alternative to $250 + commercially sold lights.
@Jenny, I sure hope it isn't too serious and you are back on your bike soon.
Hey Jenny, haven't checked in here for a while so just went back and read the history of what happened. Hang in there you've got lots of people sending positive energy your way!!!
I had read a few years ago the breed that bites most often is a dalmatian. While this might still hold true I tried to look that up now and all I found was a table for dog attack fatalities; statistics win out Jenny; you got bit by the number one breed responsible for human bite fatalities (Rottweiler is 2nd). http://www.dogsbite.org/pdf/1979-1998-breeds-dogs-involved-in-fatal-human-attacks-us.pdf
I just made platinum yesterday and did 15 more miles today for 60 miles this week so far.
I am going crazy sitting here at home with my leg up in the air (got bit by a dog the other day as I was finishing my ride home). I am watching the stats grow, and hope to be back in the saddle as soon as I can!
I am overwhelmed by the support and well wishes from everyone! Thank you so much! I will keep you all posted, hopefully my shot in the butt will get me back to my bike soon!
Doing some reading, pitbulls often attack without warning, that is what makes them stand out among breeds and makes them good fighters. I will be carrying around pepper spray from now on, although I had always assumed that my mosquito spray would serve the same purpose, given the situation. However, this dog attacked me without any warning. It is very hard to predict when this type of dog will attack. Best defense is to stay away from them.
Jason; I learned the right angle/left arm signal when I first learned to drive (in the dim distant reaches of dusty antiquity, when dinosaurs roamed the earth)l so it has always beens my ":default setting' for a right turn...but most folks now tend to think I'm only waving at them, so I'm trying to remember to just extend my right arm. I suppose the original arm signals were for early vehicle travel when cars didn't have turn signals, and the left arm was the only one that could easily extend outside of the car...
I used to get worked up with drivers I'd yell, f bombs, the bird. Now I just smile and blow them a kiss. Life is too short.
They always seem to be in a big hurry to get past you, yet always had time to slow down or actually stop to confront you. WTF?
2nd broken spoke in 4 weeks.....ugh. $20 a pop at the local bike repair shop is starting to add up. May be time for some new wheels.
The benefits of cycling as if you weren't already sold on it:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/411797_405211596187082_122293765_o.jpg
It's perfectly acceptable to extend either your right or left arm in the direction you are going. Many motorists don't seem to understand the left arm at a 90 degree angle signal, so I don't do that.
Jenny - It is great to see all of the support and well wishes from your fellow riders. You got a lot of folks thinking and preparing for this. Hopefully all is better real soon and it will be a good day to hear when you are back in the saddle.
I have a question. What do most people use for the right hand turn signal? I use the left arm at a 90 degree angle signal and most drivers seem to be confused by it.
Keep the good news rolling in. Great work team. We know its getting hot out there in many places, stay hydrated, keep cool and ride on!
Got a shot of Rocephin in my butt, now will see what happens in the next day or so.
I apologize for the delay, I'm always a day or two behind reading the comments due to work, life, etc. Really sorry to hear about Jenny's attack!! I'm a huge dog lover, have two of my own, but it sure seems like Pit Bulls have an inordinate amount of attacks compared to other breeds. I know I'll tick off some people, but that's been my experience and I have 29 years in Law Enforcement. Especilally when it comes to the severity of the wound/s!! i don't have any easy solution, but pepper spray is a pretty good deterent, if you can deploy it in time!!!!!! Hope you heal quickly!!!!!!!
@Nyla: in the figure-it-out department of making do: for night commuting, I really wanted a great headlight, but didn't want to pay the $500 or so for one of the super lighting systems. I home-brewed a super high-powered LED headlight: ordered the LED and electrical components, mounted them using a copper pipe fitting inside an aluminum flashlight housing. Came in at less than $100!
With the NBC almost 1/2 over, approximately 3/4 of registered riders have gotten us over 3/5 of the way to our goal. This report courtesy of the Division of Numbers. We now return you to your daily ride.
Nyla, I'm pleased to hear that even bugees with a higher sense of adventure are seeking you out. You'll do them proud.
Travis, fit and feel should be primary - but you gotta love how it looks. I love the Fuji and I'm happy to find a fellow compatriot. And yeah, you're right; you can't edit your comments, but you can delete your own and have a re-do.
I rode with a friend on 2 x-country trips and ran into lots of dogs. Worst were in Mississippi. Two ambbushed me from in front. Used Halt for the first time. The "stealth" dogs are bad. You are riding along and all of a sudden you hear the clicking of paws on the pavement. Your speed clicks in. I remember once a bunch of dogs were running along a fence paralleling the road. We said, "good dogs." Then we found out that there was no side fence. My partner dropped her Halt. After a while I went back and picked it up. Early on, back about 1980, I was pulling my kid in a trailer up a hill at the end of a 70 mile day. Saw a dog in a garage that had a screened garage door. Thought, "how nice." Then the dog came out through the trap door. Again, got fast quick. Never have been bitten in 38 years of adult cycling and maybe 240,000 mniles. Knock on wood; slower now.
I really haven't had any issues with aggressive drivers, just the occasional morons that like to make stupid comments. Almost every time I pass a police officer when I'm on the road, I get a friendly wave, makes me feel like they'll be on my side in a fight with a crazed road rager.
Burklee, I applaud your adaptability motto and appreciate your milk-crate hose-clamp strategy for permanency and heavy cargo. Hose clamps are also on my list of favorite items for secure, versatile connections..I keep a box of different sizes in the house, a zip-locked assortment in the car, and ideally at least a couple with my bike tools. I relish the challenge of coming up with inexpensive practical alternatives for much pricier gear.(-: I wonder what other strategies and inventions creative “shoestring” cyclists have utilized in the bungee, hose-clamp, duct-tape and determination- to figure-it-out department.......?
@Heather Carry a boat horn and tune her out next time. Sux that people can be so bitter to others.
Oddly, if I travel in my hood, many are unhappy with a bike on there path of motion. Closer to the universitys and downtown, people give us the right of way. Would be nice if education and awareness of cyclist could be a part of earning a driver's license.
You're very smart to get to the doctor! My MIL almost lost the use of her right hand after her own cat attacked her. She just washed it and put an antibiotic ointment on it. Three days later, she had to have surgery to clean it out. MD said if she'd waited much longer, she might have lost the hand or...died. Yikes!
wish you could edit your own post but @brad i might get the 2.0 its about the same price as the team replica. the team replica looks cooler i like the green on it.
@ Brad (LPK) thanks ill prob get the altamira whether i get the team replica or the 3.0 depends on what i can find in my size lol
@Cynthia - If you've got a milk crate lying around unused, you can attach that to your rack. I attached mine with 4 hose clamps. The hose clamps are extremely secure. Small ones cost around a dollar each. I clamped one crate on top of my bike rack, but I suspect there may be a way to attach a crate to each side with the clamps, provided it gives you enough heel room. I found the clamps to be far more secure than bungees for this application. When our van wasn't running, I attached one crate to my rack with clamps, then clamped a second crate to the first crate, and was able to haul off the recycling in fewer trips. I just carried empty plastic containers in the second crate, because it wasn't attached to the rack, but the hose clamps held firm. Adapt, improvise, and overcome!!!
THANKS again for the awesome support! I thought things were going well yesterday, seemed like it was better as the day went on. However, today it is more swollen again and much more painful. Will be hobbling to the doctor this afternoon. I am fearing that there is infection breeding. I have been taking antibiotics.
I am doing more road riding and had a couple encounters with dogs. None got close enough to bike, but it sure gets the heart pounding. Some are more bark than bite. I just never know which one it is going to be. I will be getting some pepper spray.
Cynthia: there are all sorts of splendid panniers available, some conveniently “grocery sack” sized and made to easily lift off for use while shopping. Definitely appealing when affordable, but as a particularly parsimonious pedaler I enjoy bungees also..they work extremely well with some creativity…(versatile as duct tape…thought the watermelon was a significant challenge (-;). Recently I’ve been riding with a simple, open cardboard box about the same length and slighter wider than my rack, bungeed securely for holding groceries and such. It provides more stable transport than the basic bungee-bag-rack combo ...I’ll be checking thrift shops and yard sales for a similarly sized wicker basket. As a bonus, most of the bungees have been rescued from the roadside, having clearly abandoned their previous posts in search of greater adventure (- ;) I often turn a regular reusable grocery bag into an impromptu backpack. (My standard approach for transporting unwieldy impulse purchases from Trader Joe’s (-;) Neither attractive nor aerodynamic, but functional, cheap, lightweight and readily available. (-: Stay hydrated and Enjoy the Ride!
@Heather, I'm sorry to hear of your experience and yes, I think community education on bicycle laws is one of the keys to our safety out on the roads. Where I live (population less than 450,000), I'd say the majority of the drivers are courteous of bicyclists maybe out of empathy because they probably ride or run on the roads or know someone who does. I try to spread my love of cycling because the more people who are out there on two wheels - the better!!
@ Heather, Sad to hear about your experience with the driver of the car. Unfortunately many of us have had similar experiences, you did a very good job handling it. (Side note: In many areas it is illegal to ride a bike on the sidewalk, at least around here.) We need to have some type of MAJOR driver's education program relating to the rights of others on the roads - i.e., cyclists!!!
Jenny: I’m so sorry to hear about your encounter with dangerous dog and clueless, irresponsible owner. I hope the pain and swelling is much less today. I’ve been bitten only once in many years of riding… small bite but dangerous situation with young litter of dogs running loose, chasing in a group down quiet country road…(homeowner’s adult son was raising them) Homeowner very apologetic, but I was concerned that it could easily have been a child riding by. Called the county, and dogs were impounded for two weeks, to make sure none had rabies. Can’t remember the fine involved, but owner was responsible for cost of their care, had to put up fencing before they were returned. Can’t understand why your attacking canine was still able to be out biting after previous attacks. May you be up and riding safely again soon. I will be carrying my pepper spray in the future.
Hey everybody on the National comment board: Today is Bike-to-Work Day here in the Denver region. (We schedule it later in the year here than the regular "national" one to ensure we're out of the snow.) So, I'm wondering if the Colorado stats will spike today. However, we're in the midst of record heat (all time high temps, and consecutive 100+ day records in Denver), and lots of bad fires all over the state, so I'm guessing we'll have a lower turnout than usual...
@Heather: yes, very unfortunate. I don't know where you live, but here in Colorado, I believe there is a hotline phone number specifically for reporting aggressive drivers. I don't know what exactly happens when you use it --- but who knows, even getting a phone call from the State Patrol *might* at least set her straight a little...
Jenny, may you heal quickly, completely and well! I've been bitten 3 times by dogs that "never bit anyone else before". The first time, I don't remember: I was a child in a stroller. The second time, I was riding my bike to work (before I got my driver's license) and a yappy dog ran out of its yard and attached itself to my right forearm. The third time it was my fiance's family dog. I was just standing there in the garden and it roared up to me and tore a gash in my leg that required umpty-bazillion stitches to close. It seems dogs dislike me in a big way. I give them very wide berth whenever I am able. On a trail, that's not always possible! I get very upset when owners have their dogs off-leash. I had one guy tell me "Oh, he's fine! He wouldn't hurt a flea! Plus he is very obedient." Yeah, right. I refused to ride past till he put the dog back on the leash. He called me a nasty name as I rode by. I shrugged and said, "You never, ever know what your dog will do in any given situation!"
@John - Thanks for the update. It's good to know my options, and what to expect from them. I appreciate the info. Glad you're feeling better.
@Heather - How rude of that woman. Way to keep your head. I suspect it may have been that she was late, and as we all know, poor planning on her part should definitely have been treated as an emergency on your part. *eye roll*
@E M - I think you are absolutely right about our messing up the planet. I really think we've all got to stop being so nearsighted and short term oriented. We all have to do whatever we can, however small, to reduce the damage. Biking to get to work or run errands is one ot those small things. Just like rain drops that make up floods (sorry Florida), little things add up, both to damage and to restore. Now, if we could just get Congress around to think like that...
Travis, I have had the Altamara 2.0 since last fall and I'm still glad I chose it. I also rode the 3.0 and it's awfully close for less $. I chose the 2.0 for the Ultgra shifting, carbon/alum aero wheels and some component upgrades over the 3.0 - but I could easily live with the 3 without feeling shortchanged at all. I would call it a great value. Incidentally, I like the flat finishes they came out with this year, but I love last years gloss over carbon even more - it really shows off the distinct swirling patterns of the unidirectional carbon. If you get a chance, see if there are any last year models to look at, if so you might even get a good discount. Sorry, I am not familiar with the SST.
@Burkley I havent changed pedals yet either.
@Burkley I havent had any major pain from neuroma since injection. It is smaller as I can actually feel it moving now. Might need one more injection as Doctor also said. It only hurt real bad for about 36 hours after the injection.
Another beautiful morning commute! My friend joined me today, she is on a mission to lose weight. She has 2 more miles to commute than I do. I encouraged her to join the NBC. I am getting very good a bunjeeing (sp) groceries on my bike, although its a little awkward. Think I need to invest in a pannier or some type of bag that is made for shopping and that will easily attach to my rack. Have a wonderful day out there everyone and happy commuting!!
@Heather, what a horrible experience. Its so frustrating that there is such a lack of respect.
Sorry to hear abou the bite. Hang in there. Good thing you went to the ER also. I was bitten for the first time in my life in April of 2011 while running. It was a wiemaraner on a leash no less that the owner wasn't controlling. I was going one way and they were going the other and as I passed the dog leapt up from behind and caught me on my upper left thigh. Two awesome puncture wounds and a huge scrape and a fantastic looking bruise later on. These are dogs that bite too and they had a small child. The mom was more concerned about my swearing in front of her child then the fact their dog bit me!!! I really haven't been the same around dogs since. Way less trust now.
@Heather Yes I agree and the biggest and first rule is that a car is a priveledge to drive a car and not a right. I am not that old and that is what I was taught. Wish I knew what happened to that rule. I have at least one encounter a month like that here. Sad when it happens with a grown up driving and a teen sitting in the passenger seat.
I had trouble in traffic yesterday afternoon. A woman tried to aggressively pass me on the left in a major intersection when there was no room. I would have been hit or knocked over so I put my arm out like I was turning to secure my space and that pi**ed her off. She barrelled up on me and revved until the next light where she started yelling at me "Get your bike on the sidewalk where it belongs" and "You shouldn't drive in the road if you can't go as fast as a car." The intersections were a block apart. I was not going majorly slow-just following the flow of traffic. I thought she was going to get out and hit me. With things like this happening, it's frustrating. It sure would be a deterrant to a new rider. What if this happened to a rider on thier first or second day out? I can understand why so many people fall into the "interested, but concerned" category as the League of Bicycilsts calls it. Our communities need some real education on the rules of the road.
Ironic, isn't it? She's crying because she can't stop being a dumbass.
@Travis-I would buy the Fuji.
I cant decide on a road bike im stuck between a fuji altamira team replica, or a fuji SST 3.0 or a fuji altamira 3.0. Any suggestions?
If my bike had doors, they would have been blown off earlier. I was riding down a trail when two bikes suddenly appeared in my mirror. There was no courtesy "on your left," (not that I heard at least) they were just there, then beside me, then past me and gone as fast as they appeared. I don't know how fast they were moving, but I was doing 16.5mph at the time and they passed me like I was standing still. The rider in the back had her front tire about an inch from her partner's rear tire. While it was impressive to see them fly by, it was also a little insane. There were 5 or 6 other people in front of me they had to pass too, one of which was weaving all over the trail. The woman in back was on a road bike, couldn't tell what the man in front of her was riding, but his tires were pretty wide. Usually when someone passes me, I try to keep them in sight, but there was no way I was going to keep up with those two. I was at close to 38 miles into a 50 mile run, that's my excuse for not trying :D
No dogs on my normal route, but the divebombing blackbirds are out in force and seemingly meaner than ever. Luckily the bird rage was offset a moment later by a four point in velvet munching peacefully next to the ditch.
Jenny, sorry to hear about the dog bite. I hope your recovery goes smoothly and you're back on your bike in no time.
If the people who owned the dog also own a house, they likely have homeowners insurance as a requirement of their mortgage. If they are renters, they may have renters insurance, but that is more rare. Take a look at Wisconsin Statute 174.02 and call a good lawyer if these people do not want to make good on the harm they have caused.
I have to agree with Steve. I've dealt with countless dogs/owners on EMS and fire calls. The dog's behavior always reflects the owners attitude. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
I've found most dog problems are generally really owner problems.
We sure could use some rain in the Fox Valley area of Wisconsin. Everywhere else in the state they get rain and even floods asnd we get nothing. It is so dry and crops are not doing well here.
LOL Gregg!
Yep, I believe that 3 strikes against the dog is the rule here, too. I don't believe that the owner is very happy right now. She actually went hysteric after the incident. Imagine me sitting in her driveway bleeding, and she is crying because her dog is going to be destroyed.
Sometimes bears are less of a threat than dogs. :)
Dog bites are the biggest cause of injury to UPS drivers and cost the company millions of dollars. These incidents are reported to authoirties and a report is made. After a dog has bitten people 3 times, the authorities will come with a warrant to the owner to take the dog into custody to be put to sleep.
@Jenny-Sometimes, dog owners are irresponsible. I love dogs, but that dog shouldbe put down.
I have a runner friend who was training during the winter in Iowa, maybe about 8 years ago now, and two rotweilers attacked her. As they were dragging her along the road, with her in the fetal position, a man in a pick-up saw the two dogs, at first thought they were dragging a bag of trash, (she was wearing a solid blue running suit), but when he realized it was a person, fended off the dogs and carried her into the cab of the pick-up. As he was lifting her in, the dogs almost attacked him. My friend needed over 100 stitches and several weeks in the hospital, plus several follow-up visits.
The dog owner agreed to put down one dog, but refused the judge's ruling on the second dog, claiming that how can they prove it was his dogs that attacked her.
Jenny bummer! I've never had trouble in the city with dogs except for leashes across the MUP. Don't know if I'd use this on the dog or the owner!
http://www.amazon.com/Mounts-Holster-Handlebar-Mount-RAM-B-149Z-GUN1/dp/B0036G97EA
commute to work was windy. i had a strong headwind for the whole 12 mile trip. it only took me about 15 mins longer than usual.
HI all, out a little later this morning but didn't notice much difference in the traffic. I'm getting better at taking the lane to make left turns and when getting out of the right turn lane completely in some spots. Sure don't want to get hit by someone going around me to make a turn. Saw 18 other riders today. Lotsa joggers and dog walkers saying "Hi". Temps. still cool enough today, but the next couple of days we are supposed to hit 100, so I'll try to ride early.
Sorry to hear about all the bad weather around the country. Wish some of that Florida & NW coast rain could fall in Colorado, etc. to put out those terrible fires. I'm convinced we've messed up the planet and it needs all the help we can give it, so KEEP RIDING EVERYONE!!
Thanks everyone for the support!
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I was just getting back on my bike and didn't even realize that the dog was making an aggressive move towards me. I could not have been fast enough to have grabbed pepper spray. At least if it had given me some warning, I could have defended myself.
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This was reported to the police, and the owners will be held responsible. However, I highly doubt that they have any insurance. This was the dog's third offense (yes, THIRD). And, these people have KIDS! Can you believe that they actually have a dog in their home with young kids that has bitten 2 times before this? The police had commented last night that they may have to call child protective services.
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Still a lot of swelling today, but not as painful as yesterday, and I am going to try to manage without crutches now.
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I was hoping to ride this weekend in the Gear Up Green Lake ride, but now not sure if I will be able to. Will see what happens in the next few days.
Jenny, best wishes on a speedy recovery.
@Bill Miller . You may want to look around at other bike shops. Do you need a whole new wheel? I had the hubs replaced last year on my bike. The shop reused the rims and I think the spokes too. As I remember the hubs were cheap.
Thanks everyone for the suggestions.
No headache today, but I changed a few things.
Rested under a tree halfway home and drank a gatorade. (Regular - I don't like the artificial sweetners)
Went a little slower, not much, just a little
I noticed even with sunglasses I do squint some for various reasons. I tried to keep my eyes fully open more.
I like the idea of trying one thing at a time to try to issolate the problem more.
Jenny - I carry pepper spray for those dogs with attitudes and it works wonders.
Hope everyone if Florida is faring OK with all the rain. Just a reminder, I don't think you get 20 points for the backstroke... Good luck in riding it out.
Wish I could send some of the rain to Colorado.Tropical Storm Debby has cut into my miles,here in Naples Fla.Just starting to clear this afternoon.We had a good four days of rain here.
Rode a few miles during lunch -- it is BEAUTIFUL out today!!!
@Jenny - Sorry to hear that. Get well soon, and report the dog and owner to the police.
Get well soon Jenny!
Jenny - this is a major bummer to hear this. You have been a big contributor to the Challenge, thanks for your positive and encouraging comments. I hope that you fully recover and can be back on the road soon.
Jenny, so sorry this happened to you. I hope the damage is minimal. Keep the faith and let us know how your doing.
Jenny - So sorry to hear, I hope that the wound isn't too bad. And I absolutely hope the owner is being held responsible for not having thier dog on a leash and under control. I have been chased a couple of times and have given thought to having some pepper spray within reach, but I haven't done that yet.
My biking season is on hold. Got bit by a dog and now I can't even walk on my leg. Went to er and got bandaged up. Don't know yet what damage was done. It was a pit bull so I guess I should feel fortunate that he didn't rip my ankle off of me.
Brice Prairie time trials this Saturday, Sunday is the Y 30 mile race. Come and join us in SW Wisconsin. It is going to be fun!! http://www.briceprairiebikerace.org/
Lanny, Send some of that Puget weather to Colorado. We have been in the 100's for a week now and with this High Park fire at 83,000 acres and not even 50% contained the smoke is keeping us from commuting to work let alone training to race. Send us rain.
TDF on deck.. Wiggo, Evans, Gesink, hum I think the sprints are going to be the most exciting with Cav and Sagan. Safe ridin all.
Well, ALRIGHT! Glad Rhode Island's Woonasquatucket River Watershed bike folks provided a link to this challenge. Count me in to try to put those 10M miles SAFELY in our third-eyes.. "Let's be CAREFUL out there...," said the guy who, last month, wasn't quite as careful as he knows he needs to be...
The National Bike Challenge set a new daily mileage record with 233,965 miles entered the past 24 hours. Keep up the great work everyone. As we approach the halfway mark with 2 months remaining, remember to enjoy each day and ride safely.
FYI for those of you who have edured with the heat this month. Up here in the Puget Sound region (Wa) we have had 5 days with temps above 70 and not in a row mind you. Six and Seven are to come tomorrow and Friday (fingers crossed). Also, we have had 2" of rain this month. Looking forward to putting up my winter/early spring clothing for the next two months and not cleaning the gunk off my bike every two days from riding in damp conditions. Keep Pedalin'!
@ Mike - Thanks for the heads up on the bike stamps. I'm out of stamps and going to the post office today,so I'll get some.
@Jerry - Maybe you've already done this or the headaches only come on in the heat, but have you had a bike fit done? I got one,and got rid of my old ill-fitting bike. I was able to buy a used custom-fit bike from a lady who has almost the same measuerments as me. Headaches and other problems are gone.
If TS Debbie doesn't leave pretty soon, I am going to put my bike in the car and just start driving north until I find some sunshine!
Hi Ben,
Do you need a wheel set or just 1 wheel? If you only need 1 wheel, you may be able to have your shop build you one (I really haven't priced road gear in a while) for that cost. If not, you could buy a machine built wheel or wheel set and pay to have the wheel trued/spokes tightened and stress relieved. It shouldn't cost much and will make your wheel much better as a result.
@Jerry J - I have a suggestion that might help you pin down which of the suggestions is your problem. You'll have to allow yourself a headache or two, though. After one ride, simply drink water. If dehydration is your problem, that will solve it and the headache will be gone. If not, try Kool-Aid or some other sugary drink (not caffeinated), which will help if low blood sugar is your issue. If those don't do it, try a G2 or Powerade Zero, which have electrolytes, but no carbs. Try them on successive days to help you figure out which is the problem. It's not foolproof, but could work. I'd guess an electrolyte imbalance; specifically sodium. I rode my bike to an early doctor appointment a few months ago, then home. I drank probably three or four 20 oz. bottles of water. They checked my blood and urine. Later that day, we went to the park for a very long walk. All day I had a headache - not bad, but annoying. I was drinking plenty. The next day, my doctor's nurse called with test results, and she said my sodium was way low. She recommended G2 or Powerade Zero, since I'm diabetic. I don't have the headache since I stopped drinking just water on rides. Not sure that's what's up with you, but that's my two cents.
I wish TS Debbie would get on about her business so I can get out and do some riding.
That is a good one Laurie. There must be another saying that covers the three wheel trike?
@Mike, I saw those. The commuter one is weird because she has front and rear panniers. She must have a hardcore commute :) also if you have it check out the heel strike on her rear panniers. That said I think those are cool stamps and I plan on getting a sheet for display
Why wouldn't the bicycle stand up? Because it was two tired. :-)
Not relevant to any discussion thread, but I just noticed that the U.S. Post Office came out with Cycling Stamps. I know some of you must be as crazy about cycling as me, so you might want to stock up. They are forever stamps, so I got enough to last a while.
@Jerry- It's more than likely your blood sugar levels causing your lightheartedness. After all, the only source of energy for your brain is...glucose. Careful not to drink too much water. This can dilute the sodium concentration in your system and cause hyponatremia. I doubt it's your electrolyte levels. You lose very little electrolytes through sweating and researchers have found that the concentration of electrolytes is actually greater in your body after a marathon.
@Jerry, I do think your having sodium and electrolyte issues. It's not hydration in general if your drinking that much water. If you don't want to drink gatorade, you can get tablets and gels to use along your ride as well. You can get that gatorade in a powder and mix it into one of your drinks (the towards the end bottle) and see if that helps while your still on the bike. Some of the more experienced riders will give thier advice too. Good Luck!
Took the day off and rode to Nenno, West Bend, and Cedarburg. Logged 114.83 miles today.
I have to deal with 100*+ temps daily here in AZ/ I fill my Camelback with ice and water. I wear a "cool" bandana and also have a small ice pack under my helmet. I also take 2 bottled waters that I freezed the night before. That water starts thawing within minutes and I use it to pour on my head thru the helmet vents.
In that case it sounds like the heat is the guilty party. Jerry B's suggestions are likely to help.
One way I deal with the heat we are having is to mix half my drinks the night before and freeze them. Before I leave I add the rest of my drink to my water bottles. It helps keep the water cooler longer than ice cubes.
Jerry. Along with your water make sure you are putting electrolytes in your water. There are several options out there for your electrolytes. From pills you take to powder or tablets you put in your water. The hotter it is the more electrolytes you need.
I do wear sunglasses amd have a small visor on my helmet. I good part of my afternoon ride is in shade too, so sun might not be the problem.
Jerry, bright sunlight can also add to the headache effect. Stop and get out of the sun once in a while if you can. Also wearing sunglasses and a helmet visor can help. Light colored clothing (especially on your back) will help keep you cooler.
Thanks Gregg. Gave up soda years ago. I drink at least 100oz of water a day, including 20oz on the way home (17+ miles - 1hr 20min avg) I have been getting headaches near the end. Drinking gatorade when I get home clears them up. I am not sure if its the liquid or the sugar in the gatorade that fixes me up.
YO Betsy, welcome to the platinum club. You rock!!
Headaches are often a sign of dehydration. Make sure you are drinking at least a bottle of water every hour while riding on long distances and also need something to eat for energy. Soda is a bad thing to drink because it draws water out of the body and will increase your risk of dehydration.
Suppose to get hot and humid in Wisconsin too this week. I drink about 64 oz of water in a 4 hour shift unloading packages from UPS trailers. We have an ice machine and I fill my water jug with ice every day, The trailers are coated to prevent interior heat, but they are still a sweat box inside and it gets really awful. I work early mornings and not as bad as the night shift after the heat of the day has built up inside the trailers.
What causes the slight headaches I get on long rides? Lack of water? Loss of blood sugar?
Any sugestions for combating them?
Thursdays and Fridays are the *best* days to ride. Because I get to stop at the Old Sugar Mill for a tasty beverage on my way home.
Been biking for 6 weeks now. 158 miles. Finally can sprint up some small hills. Feels good to get back into shape. Now, when I can make it up the Waldo Hill without walking, I will have really accomplished something. Is anyone else noticing more endurance, etc?
Been doing lots of walking since my bike was in the shop ,now will do my best to get those KM going one more big week of work and then cycle time.
I think we ought to put in a petition that anyone who rides Thursday gets tripple points. 102! Yikes!
Came up on a walker today while riding on the outside of town. He was wearing a long shirt, long pants, carrying a big bag. He sat down in the shade of the stop sign. He looked about 19-20 years old. He was shaking. Gave him one of my water bottles 'cause he had none and called the local police to help him. It was 102-degrees. He was walking from Casper to Gillette. STAY HYDRATED everyone.
If I remember correctly, our total for last year's challenge from May 16 through Sept. 30 was just over 1.2 million miles. We'll reach that in less than half the time this year. (As well as having more than 20% of ALL the miles logged for the entire Challenge ! )CONGRATULATIONS AND ROLL ON, WISCONSIN!
I'm only able to log so many miles because of my job: a bicycling oriented day camp based in the Milwaukee area, called Bike Kids Wisconsin. the web site is here: www.bikekidswi.com
Wow it was HOT today. 100+ here in Texas. It was so hot my iPhone overheated twice while in its case on my ride and lost some data. I filled it back in though. Hope yall's weather is nicer where you are and you are staying cool. Keep pedaling!
Wisconsin is already over a million miles before the end of June. Amazing! Last year it took us until the end of August.
@Betsy - You rock, Miz Betsy!!! I look forward to being Platinum by Saturday - Friday if I roust myself out of bed early a couple mornings this week. GO!!!
Whoot! Whoot! Today I are platinum! Not bad for a little old lady who only rides her bike to work - 3 miles each way- to church, also 3 miles ( this sounds like a used car pitch) and modest recreational rides on the weekend. Its not so very much riding to be sure-but its an everyday thing for me so the miles and points keep adding up.
I found out there is a triathlon on Clear Lake near Minocqua on Saturday, August 11 in the State Forest there. I won't be able to do it this year, because I am signed up for the Oshkosh Triathlon the weekend before, but I'm going to plan my vacation around it next year. I checked out the campground on Clear Lake and looks really nice with hot shower facilities. There are a couple of sites that I really like that have lake frontage on a hill with a gorgeous view of the lake and beach below and there is a path from the camp site that goes down the hill to the beach. The earliest you can reserve is 11 months ahead, so in September, I am going to try and reserve one of these. But the triathlon is not held at the state park beach, but across the lake at another park and beach on J. These are the distances:
Sprint •Swim: 500m
•Bike: 20km (12.4 miles)
•Run: 5km (3.1 miles)
Olympic •Swim: 1500m (.93 miles)
•Bike: 40km (24.8 miles)
•Run 10km (6.2 miles)
The bike and run courses are really wooded on back roads and hiking trails in the forest..
@Karen & Ronald - Thinking of Debbie blowing through your area... hearing the music played for the Wicked Witch of the West in "The Wizard of Oz"... Dunnanananana, dunnanananana. Of course, I often hear that while I'm pedaling... not sure what that says about me.
Amen Ronald...I wish she would blow on by! Don't expect to log much this week. I
@Troy & @EM - Thanks. The ride to Cortland was nice. I wouldn't do it in that heat again, but on a day when it's in the 70's or low 80's, that would be a really terrific ride. I just read in the Great Plains Trails Network newsletter that the connection from Cortland to Pickrell is almost done, so you will be able to get all the way to Beatrice on the trail. I probably could never do that one, but it will be nice for those who can. I wouldn't want to try riding Hwy. 77 at all with all the truck traffic. So, if I can do 45 and a half miles on the trail, maybe I can do 25 on the highway (with serious, nasty hills) in the Cornhusker State Games.
What a great ride this morning! I'd love it if the weather were like this all year round! Who am I kidding? I lived in AZ where it almost never rains - to the point where we'd stand there like a bunch of fools watching it rain when it did - and I really missed the changing weather! Still it was a great morning for a ride!
TS DEBBIE keeping the riding in FL to a minimum ...PLS move on DEBBIE 10 inches of rain,High winds and Tornado warnings ...enough of it already !!!!
Hi all, rode this morning. Keep tweaking my ride a little to keep it interesting. Saw about 10 other riders.
@ you people in California, please tell Senator Boxer to keep the funding for local control over safe biking and walking projects.
@ Burklee, man I am so proud of you. Way to go!! Now I need to add Cortland to my list of places to ride when I get to Lincoln!
My bike mechanic says my rear wheel is going to need to be replaced. Does anyone have recommendations of wheel sets for under $200. This is for my road bike, which I ride on weekends. I'm a tad under 200# and 6'. Thanks
Is anyone else thinking about doing this ride through the fingerlakes region of NY? Please help in reaching my goal, thank you for all you rhelp in advance. http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/davidjclifton/red-ribbon-bike-ride
I was happy to have that 100oz Camelbak while I was out for a 50 mile ride yesterday afternoon. Even though I opted for the black pack, after close to 4 hours in the sun and 85+ temps (plus my body heat), the water was still cold when I got back home. Anyone have an insulated drinking tube? Does it actually help any?
I biked around Iowa City and Cedar Rapids this week. Especially enjoyed the trail from Ely to Cedar Rapids. Both cities were fun to bike around. I saw a lot of cyclists out and wondered if they were in the NBC. Anyone from either of those areas?
@Burklee-Good ride! I haven't been brave enough to attempt the trip to Cortland and back, yet, but I really like the Jamaica/Homestead trails. It WAS a hot one yesterday. Good thing you beat the heat with a "fill up" at the turnaround point.
We should hit our first 100 degree day of the year this week. If I had to choose between 40 degrees and 100 degrees I'd take 100.
I rode down to Cortland on the Jamaica North and Homestead trails yesterday. It's 45.65 miles roundtrip from my house. Much of the Jamaica North trail parallels and runs through Wilderness Park, which makes for a nicely scenic, shady ride. I had no idea when I left at about 8 a.m. that there would be a heat advisory for our area. I brought plenty of Powerade and a pear. At the Sinclair station in Cortland I bought two 32 oz. Gatorades. I drank one and ate my pear, put most of the other one in my emptied bottle. I stayed hydrated, which is good, cuz it was hot. I was done there at the end. Remembered to work on cadence, Martin, so I made it most of the way without pain in my knee. At the end though, I was pretty sore...especially my butt. Oy. The worst, though, was my neck and deltoids. But, a shower, taking it easy for the rest of the evening, and some ice on my knees really helped. By 10 o'clock last night I was recovered enough to help a young woman with a baby change her flat car tire. I wasn't sure I could do it, but I made it all the way to Cortland and back. I did it!
Picked up a Surly Disk trucker this weekend. So much more comfortable riding our crappy roads on the steel frame than the Trek 1.2 aluminum bike I was riding. :)
Gregg, gas is falling here in Maryland too. When we started this challenge, I noticed it was in the $3.80 range and now it's $3.20. Last week, I just bought my first tank since the challenge started. btw, Marylanders we moved up this month! :)
I did crop the pic to bring her more in view because I was too far away with a 55 mm lense.
@ David I only had my 55 mm lense with me, so he was really too close for comfort as she walked arcross the gravel road into the woods with her cubs following behind her. I was not being too smart to get off my bike and lay it down beside the road and take out my camera from my back pack. I could no longer see them from the paved road on BB that I was biking on and walked down the gravel road a little ways when I then saw the mother bear just 10 yards from the gravel road below the tree, coaxing one of the cubs to climb up the tree. As soon as I saw her again, I stopped and aimed the camera at her as she was staring at me. I took a few steps backwards and she stood up with her paws on the tree growling at her cubs to climb higher, I snapped a couple pics and then slowly walked backwards to my bike along the paved roads and left. I really wasn't too smart to walk down the gravel road to see where they went, She could have charged out of the woods at me and I may not have gotten to my bike in time before she caught up to me.
Porcupines are doing very well up north, but they are not biker friendly at all. lol .
The Big Manitou Falls was really something to see after the rain and floods this past week: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8160/7430002810_8f224af5c7_b.jpg
Biking is prohibited on all trails in the park because it is very dangerous. Climbing into the gorge is also prohibited with severe fines if you are caught. But if you talk to residents of the area, they remember the days as kids of exploring and climbing into the gorge and they said there are interesting caves in the gorge.
@David - I think you're right about the cycling transport. Plus, I think I would rather ride around that stage than back and forth in a driveway. You keep your momentum going, and you get paid a few million.
Great pics Gregg - trust that was a very long lense you were using with Mother bear....
Just remembered this vid of Peter Gabriel taking advantage of 20pts/day rule - this probably counts as cycling transport?
Get up and Ride!
Next weekend is a family reunion in Wisconsin Dells at Devil's Lake State Park in Baraboo. If you ever come to the Dells here, the most popular and scenic place to camp is Devil's Lake, which is just a short drive south of the Dells. However, this campground fills up quickly, especially on weekends. But overflow camping is also available at scenic Mirror Lake State Park and also Rocky Arbor State Park.. You will never pay more than $20 for a Wisconsin State Park campsite with electric hook ups and hot shower facilities. But if you camp at one of the hundreds of other private campgrounds in the Dells area, it is not uncommon to pay over $50 per night for a camp site. There are also hundreds of motels in the Dells area and are very expensive and can range anywheres from $100/night for budget motels to over several hundred dollars per night in indoor waterparks and theme resorts. Wisconsin Dells has more waterparks than any other place in the world and more are being built in this city of only about 2,600 residents as these indoor waterpark resorts attract guests from all over even in the cold winter. The price of these waterpark resorts are much lower in the winter.
Our riding is really paying off in $ just like I knew it would. The low demand for fuel is causing the gas prices to fall and may fall below $3/gallon by fall here, if the demand for fuel continues to slump.
The "Little" Manitou Falls at Pattison State Park near Superior became really big after 10 inches of rain last Wednesday and this pic was taken on Friday and by then the water had receded considerably, but was still a thunderous raging river crashing violently over the falls with a cooling mist: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7117/7436852798_6b110e9522_b.jpg
The only biking I did yesteday was a round trip ride of a half mile to the restroom at the beach in the park because they were cleaning the campground restrooms and showers and my bowels could not wait. The 1/4 mile ride back to the camp site felt much better lol Yesterday was quite boring and uneventful for me driving 6 hours home from Superior. Looking forward to riding to work tomorrow after a week off. Only 7 days of work and then off again camping for another 5 days at Camp Philipp in Wautoma, WI, only an hours drive away. But since I will be towing my pop up camper again, my bike will ride in my van with me.
Hi all, out early this morning to beat the heat. Lots of other people with the same idea, I'd say at least 60 or so. Its hard to count the large groups of cyclists.
There was a birthday party & ride for the Chain of Rocks Bridge in downtown St. Louis but I had too many other things going on to be able to go to that. Mabye someone else in this area went & can tell us more.
@ Gregg, nice bear pics
@ Richard -- keep your head down LOL
@ Eric AWWWWsome
@ Mike H - hope they are recording those miles ! YAY LINCOLN!!!
Biking along the pine tree lined shores of Trout Lake near Boulder Junction, WI on the Crystal Lake paved bike trail was a very scenic relaxing ride and a great place to stop for a rest. I wanted to bottle the clean air and forest smells here: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8023/7436600088_5b0c7e36a1_b.jpg
Biking on the Crystal Lake trail by the shores of Trout Lake to Boulder Junction: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8023/7436600088_5b0c7e36a1_b.jpg
@Michael L. I have the perfect solution for breathing and eye protection.I use a helmet in my wood shop that has a self contained ffan unit and a full face shield.It blows filter air over your head and down ur face like an air wash.The helmet looks like Darth Vader and you may get a stiff nech cause its much heavier than a safety helmet for a cyclist but hey,,,,,it works.I need this because I damaged my lungs and airway in VN 40 years ago.I like bicycling because I can regulate my speed etc without overdoing it and trying to breath into my mouth when I over work.I cant go fast for very long but in my mind I sure want to...just dont have the lung capacity Bruce
Great week. After being gone to wedding out east until Monday, rode every day commuting/etc Tues-Sat for over 75 miles. Topped off the week with 40 at the dedication ride for North Eastern State Rail-Trail on Saturday. Over 200 people showed up to ride and share lunch. Great trail! Part of it runs along east side of Mullet Lake and Aloha State Park. 70 miles in length from Cheboygan to Alpena. Trail will be a great asset for N. Michigan and sunrise side of state. Thanks to DNR, Trails Council and all government representatives, agencies and entities that came together to make it a reality! And I turned 57 (can I really be 57?) last week on the day we broke 5 million mile mark. Great job @Jerry, @Mike, @Eric and all. Keep riding!
@Eric, but a great daddy at that!
Kind of fired up.....I put 1,516 miles on my bike in the past 2 months! Hope I can keep up this pace!!
Well, all that talk about flats kind of got to me. My front tire was showing signs of wear, and there was a new spot showing where the tread had come off. I was thinking, one sharp stone and I am done. So, I changed my tire and went for a ride. Blew out 2 miles down the road! Back home, I changed my innertube. Needless to say, I am getting good at changing tires now!
When I rode the Boulder Sunrise Century yesterday I made sure I left in the first bunch of riders so I would have a chance of finishing in the top 95%. I think I made it. At least 40 riders finished after me.
Over 1,500 riders this morning in Lincoln, NE for the 10th annual Trail Trek event. Rides from 10-miles to 40-miles in length. WAY TO GO LINCOLN!
8.3 miles pullin a 4 year old and a 2 year old after way too long off the bike makes for a very tired daddy.
Safety glasses work great to keep bugs out of the eyes. One of my teammates uses a hospital mask to prevent bugs in his mouth. I find that solution to prevent easy use of my hydration pack, too restictive in air flow, and just looks well creepy or sick. I've thought of mosquito netting but haven't had time to make one and test it out. I also have to decide if the netting will be loose, or have a "pocket" for the straw on my hydration pack. Any thoughts?
@Gregg, great pictures, can't believe you got that close to them.
@Richard Dont forget about amount of good protien you ingested also
@Gregg, great photos! Can't believe you went TOWARD that momma bear!
Last night I rode at dusk. Big mistake. Lots and lots of gnats. It reminded me of that old joke....How can you tell if a bicyclist is happy? The number of bugs in their teeth!
@ Gregg, Beautiful pictures, thank you for posting the link to these photos. Sounds like you and your family had a wonderful vacation. Glad you were able to have the time to get out and enjoy nature.
Yay me, I'll be getting a Jersey next month for my B-Day. Ride Organizers, a matching shorts option would be nice. Granted, people are particular about their padding options (I don't even want a pad), but having a base design to order from should be doable. Myself, I would also like the option to add my name (for both top and bottoms) and personal/team logos. I'd think some company teams would appreciate a logo location to. This way Jerseies could be personalized, but have a standard layout.
This is the link to the bear pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/greggmichaelphotography/sets/72157630258205298/. The flooding in Superior was really devastating. This is how the Big Manitou Falls looked on Thursday evening after the floods: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8160/7430002810_8f224af5c7_b.jpg
If you like mountain biking, there is also the Razorback Ridge with lots of mountain bike trails and also the Escanaba Trails. This forest and area is as bike friendly as you will ever find. Even the Corner Store with ice cream has bikes and bike decorations all over the walls in the little game room and the old fashion hard dipped ice cream with lots of flavors is worth the stop there on the trail.
We spent 5 night on Crystal Lake in the Northern Highland American Legion State Forest and 2 nights at Pattison. We had a beach front camp site on Crystal Lake, which is so beautiful: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7120/7430136848_a200cb4e06_z.jpg This pic was taken early in the morning. We camped in a pop up camper. There is no hook ups, but there is a nice hot shower house in the Crystal Lake Campground and the paved bike trail passes right through the campground from Boulder Junction and continues to St ,Germain.. I got up about 5 am every morning and took a walk or ran barefoot on the beach around the entire lake which is a little over a mile and then biked on the 30 miles of paved trails from Crystal Lake.. From the Crystal Lake Campground you can bike on off road paved trails through the woods and along the shores of Trout Lake to Boulder Junction which is about 12 miles. Then to the other direction you can bike another 18 miles on paved off road trails via the Plum Lake bike trail and the St. Germain trail for another 18 miles. All these trails are connected and are very nice wooded trails through the forest. So you can get from Boulder Junction to St. Germain on off road paved trails for 30 miles, so 60 miles round trip through the forest. Riding the trail is like a roller coaster ride on a bike in many places because without even pedaling your descent down is so fast fast that it propels you up the next rolling hill. But you really have to watch out for deer in the trail, especially early morning and evenings because sometimes when you go around a curve or down a hiill there is a deer standing in the trail and the deer and you don't have a lot of time to react. They freeze and get scared and if you can't stop in time,, you will hit them.
This is a pic of the Big Manitou Falls in Pattison State Park taken on Thursday evening: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8160/7430002810_8f224af5c7_b.jpg after the floods on Wednesday. We could hear the thunderous raging falls from our camp site over a mile away. Many roads were closed in Superior and Duluth because they were washed out.
We also went to Amnicon Falls which is also near Superior and the river was also raging from the 10 inches of rain and the woman in the state park office said the river had already dropped a foot. We were worried that our camp site at Pattison would be flooded out, but it was on high ground, so it was fine accept for water in the woods. This is a pic of me at the brink of the falls at Amnicon: http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5032/7429915992_b0422df64c_c.jpg
I have all the black bear pics on my flickr photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/greggmichaelphotography/sets/72157630258205298/
This is the pic where the mother bear was growling at one of her cubs to climb higher: https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/468905_432483440116842_563411330_o.jpg
Here is the link on facebook of 4 pics I took of the mother black bear and one of the cubs you can see climbing the tree: https://www.facebook.com/gregg.michael1#!/media/set/?set=a.432483090116877.99924.109336665764856&type=1
. She started to growl not at me but at the cubs because she wanted them to climb higher for safety. I think if I had tried to come any closer she would have attacked me . She kept her eye on me the whole time I took pics and I have to admit I was scared she would start charging at me. I laid my bike down out on BB, so I carefully and slowly walked backwards to my bike and pedaled quickly out of there.
Just finished my first road race ever in Laramie- Citizens leg of the Dead Dog. My goal was to keep finish and not fall- lol. DONE! Also logged in my fasted mph ever. Wind was 20-30 with gusts to 40. We raced down first and then back up. Of course the wind was coming down the canyon so the the second half of the race was with a strong head wind. BUT, we finished. Whew! What a ride.
Greg, Sounds like an incredible trip. I think I found my next camping destination in WI!
Superior is my home and it has natural beauty all around. I had a few days off of biking due to the 10 inches of rain Gregg W. mentioned and the spectacular view of it all going over the Falls at Pattison State Park. Instead I have been working to clean up the flood damage in my basement. I took a break today and took my kids out for a bike ride - 4miles- not bad for having one still on training wheels.
Holy crap Greg W. are you a professional writer! Wow, you should write a book. That part of the state is awesome, I agree.
Just got back from our vacation at Crystal Lake in the Northern Highland American Legion State Forest and at Pattison State Park near Superior and Duluth where they had 10 inches of rain last Wednesday and massive flooding causing over 10 million dollars of damage.. Entire roads and bridges were washed away there. We like hiking around the Black River and Manitou Falls. The river was violently flowing over the falls and was very different from last year. The Black River begins its winding journey about 22 miles southwest of the park at Black Lake on the Wisconsin-Minnesota border. As it passes through Pattison State Park, it drops 31 feet over Little Manitou Falls, forms Interfalls Lake, and then reaches the spectatcular Big Manitou Falls. After leaving the Pattison State Park gorge, the river meanders another 5 miles to the Nemadji River, which it joins for the final 10 mile journey to Lake Superior. The short watershed means rapid changes in the character of the falls, from the thundering cataracts of spring to the more placid tumble of early autumn. Because of the 10 inches of rain on Wednesday and all the flooding, we saw a spectactuar view of the falls with water violently thundering over the falls which this generation has never seen before. The water was gushing over the falls so violently that there was even a mist just like there is at Niagara Falls. I captured some beautiful pics with even rainbows. The 165 feet vertical drop at Big Manitou Falls is the highest in Wisconsin and the 4th highest east of the Rocky Mountains. For 3,000 years, humans have lived and worked along the Black River. Now, people from around the world come to see Big Manitou Falls and right now it is a very thundering and violent fall. I will post some pics soon and give you the links to see them. On our vacation I biked on a lot of beautful paved bike trails and back paved roads through the forest around hundreds of lakes in the Northern Highland American Legion Forest, which is such a beautiful place for biking with rollers. Usually I didn't even see a single car while biking on the roads there. It is so quiet with only the sounds of nature while riding. Last evening about 7:30 pm as I was biking on BB near Pattison State Park, I past Susan Rd, which is a gravel road and I saw a mother black bear with 3 cubs trailing behind. The mother bear made the cubs climb high up a tree as she kept her eye on me. I had my camera with me in my back pack and slowly and quietly pulled it out and took pictures of her and got one of the cubs climbing the tree. I went just a little closer to her, but did not want her to come running towards me. lol When I took a few steps closer to her, she stood up with her front paws up on the tree and growled at her cubs to climb higher. I took a couple more pics and then got out of there because I was afraid she might come and attack me. I will also post some of these pics and give links to them. We had a lot of rain and storms almost every day on our vacation for 2-3 hours each day, but then would clear up and the sun would come out and get really warm and humid. It was really hard to know when it was safe to bike because these storms would violently pop up at unpredictable times.
I got a lot of miles to post from this week because we were camping and I was biking in areas where there was not any cell or internet connections.
I rode 50 miles this week - my best week yet! Also I am excited... ordered my HP Velotechnik Gekko fx recumbent tadpole trike today - get it in a week!
Just got back from our vacation at Crystal Lake in the Northern Highland American Legion State Forest and at Pattison State Park near Superior and Duluth where they had 10 inches of rain last Wednesday and massive flooding causing over 10 million dollars of damage.. Entire roads and bridges were washed away there. We like hiking around the Black River and Manitou Falls. The river was violently flowing over the falls and was very different from last year. The Black River begins its winding journey about 22 miles southwest of the park at Black Lake on the Wisconsin-Minnesota border. As it passes through Pattison State Park, it drops 31 feet over Little Manitou Falls, forms Interfalls Lake, and then reaches the spectatcular Big Manitou Falls. After leaving the Pattison State Park gorge, the river meanders another 5 miles to the Nemadji River, which it joins for the final 10 mile journey to Lake Superior. The short watershed means rapid changes in the character of the falls, from the thundering cataracts of spring to the more placid tumble of early autumn. Because of the 10 inches of rain on Wednesday and all the flooding, we saw a spectactuar view of the falls with water violently thundering over the falls which this generation has never seen before. The water was gushing over the falls so violently that there was even a mist just like there is at Niagara Falls. I captured some beautiful pics with even rainbows. The 165 feet vertical drop at Big Manitou Falls is the highest in Wisconsin and the 4th highest east of the Rocky Mountains. For 3,000 years, humans have lived and worked along the Black River. Now, people from around the world come to see Big Manitou Falls and right now it is a very thundering and violent fall. I will post some pics soon and give you the links to see them. On our vacation I biked on a lot of beautful paved bike trails and back paved roads through the forest around hundreds of lakes in the Northern Highland American Legion Forest, which is such a beautiful place for biking with rollers. Usually I didn't even see a single car while biking on the roads there. It is so quiet with only the sounds of nature while riding. Last evening about 7:30 pm as I was biking on BB near Pattison State Park, I past Susan Rd, which is a gravel road and I saw a mother black bear with 3 cubs trailing behind. The mother bear made the cubs climb high up a tree as she kept her eye on me. I had my camera with me in my back pack and slowly and quietly pulled it out and took pictures of her and got one of the cubs climbing the tree. I went just a little closer to her, but did not want her to come running towards me. lol When I took a few steps closer to her, she stood up with her front paws up on the tree and growled at her cubs to climb higher. I took a couple more pics and then got out of there because I was afraid she might come and attack me. I will also post some of these pics and give links to them. We had a lot of rain and storms almost every day on our vacation for 2-3 hours each day, but then would clear up and the sun would come out and get really warm and humid. It was really hard to know when it was safe to bike because these storms would violently pop up at unpredictable times.
@George Denys. Fantastic! Way to stick with it!
Riden 100 plus miles each of the last 3 Saturdays.
Just signed my wife up on Endomondo. One more rider for WI. We took a nice 6.67 mile ride and added her to the bike challenge.
Steve, thanks for all the great information! The wisdom of experience is always welcome!
Susan, Glad to hear your ok! I was in a similar incendent a few weeks ago, thankfully I only lost my fork and a few small scrapes and bruises. Then just week ago, I was passed by a guy that must have had a bad day, be missed side swipping me by inches and then quickly cut me off, again thankfully I was not injured here. I am glad that as of late the state finally made it a law that motorists must give us cyclists at least 3 feet or they can be fined . . . now how to spread the word about this law. Again glad to see you were ok and what a great ride today! ALL: BE SAFE OUT THERE!
Today was the closest I've ever come to being hit by a car! A lady pulled out from an intersection right in front of me! It was raining so it was slippery, I swerved and skidded and thought for sure I was going to lay the bike down but somehow managed not to! You really have to bike defensively out there! Was still a great ride, managed 70.3 miles and the rain was refreshing! Be careful out there everyone!!
I never leave home without tire levers, tube and a pump.
Rare that they get used, but so worth it when they are needed.
Only one flat in the last couple of seasons (I was late that evening ... :( ), expected more flats with all the poorly maintained railway crossings we hit at speed every day!
The omnipotent Rob 'da man' Gusky took care of the railroad crossing - it was fixed within a month - how did he do that?
BTF
@Steve +1 on Schwalbe Marathon Plus - well worth the investment for me
George Denys
Great riding this week.Went up to Hilton Head S. C. Logged 176 miles for the week .Best week I have had since I was hit on my bike and almost killed.
@Joe - I ride a Trek Navigator 2.0.
Nice morning ride today in the fog along Lake Michigan had to turn on my blinkies. Than 1/4 Marathon over the Hoan bridge and back, than home via the Farmers market. A most excellent morning!
Early ride today and tried a new loop. Didn't like it because I had to go through a bad intersection with cars getting on and off the interstate. There are a lot of those around here, so I try to find the best alternatives. Spotted 24 other riders.
To the bike shoppers out there. You can always ask for different components before you buy the bike. Like if you have a favorite saddle or something. The bike shop can adjust the price accordingly so you get more of the bike you want!
Keep em rollin' !
Proper diet is complex but look around and you can see the effect of a high carb diet on the general public. The key is to get protien, fat and carbs from the right source and I good balance. I recommend reading "Paleo Diet for Athletes". It explains the benefits of the Paleo diet but with some modifications for fueling muscles for endurance sports.
My two bikes, at present, are a Specialized Cross Roads (trail) hybrid and a Ross Professional Gran Tour 10 speed. The Specialized is genearlly my bike of all work. I got her from one of our local bike co-ops for the astronomical sum of $15.00 (I had a lot of volunteer hours on the books at the time, so I got the full 75% members' discount.) I have since spent a little over $100.00 on new handlebars, a new saddle, and folding Wald baskets. About a week later someone donated two all carbon Cannondale road bikes, so I've been cursing my bad luck ever since: we have a very strict rule that co-op members can only buy one bike a year. I got the hybrid specifically to be a snow bike, since there are studded tires for 700c wheels but not for the old school 27". I have named her Hsüeh Mei-ling since she's from Taiwan. That translates, "Belle of the Snow." She's not likely to win any races, but she's a great grocery hauler, and she gets me to and from work reliably.
The Ross was from a garage sale about twenty years ago. It dates from the early 'eighties, when Ross attempted, without success, to avoid bankruptcy by actually making good bikes, instead of discount store cheapies. I call that bike my "old warhorse" (Ross, in German is a warhorse as opposed to any other kind of equine.)
Speaking of diet, a good "moderate" approach is the Zone Diet. It is a good approach to "smart carb" living. It isn't a severe carb restriction, but the carb choices are very important. The concept behind it is to change your body from a carb-burning machine into a fat-burning machine, focusing on controlling your insulin levels so that there are no blood sugar spikes or valleys.
I should have said mount your tires so the stem hole and label line up. Then the tube is a known orientation to the tire to check for debris in the tire.
@Steve - Thanks for the great tips!!!
My main workhorse is a Reynolds steel framed '87 Trek 400 Elance but updated with new 10 spd Ultegra and wheels. Putter around (<30m) on my '68 Raleigh internal hub 5 spd Sprite, '02 Raleigh hybrid (rain commuter) hardly moves since I fendered the Trek. '84 Raleigh Gran Prix that rarely comes out since I built the Trek. I'd really miss the STI's & SPD!
Some flat tips from an urban debris filled roadway rider.
Good flat protection tires - Schwalbe Marathon, Specialized Armadillo, Bontrager hardcase, Continental Gatorskin. You'll pay more but worth it.
Find a shady/dry spot to fix it, take your time.
Carry a spare tube, throw it in, fix the old tube later in the comfort of home.
Carry tire levers - flat protection tires seem to be stiffer and harder to get on/off.
Carry a patch kit - Murphy says more than 1 flat happens.
Pump or CO2 to refill it. Pumps never run out of cartridges - CO2 people don't throw your spent cartridges on the ground. Most pumps will fill both presta and schroeder valves - know how yours works. practice at home. Dont try to fill your tire to the max with a hand pump - get enough in to get you rolling again.
Find what caused the flat. Line up your stem with the label of the tire. find the hole in the tube and correlate it to the tire and look for the offending article which may remain in the tire. I carry a cotton ball to swab the inside of the tire. I've found some very thin wires when the cotton caught it.
Patching - rough up the surface of the tire, smear the glue - LET THE GLUE DRY - install the patch and press it on well. I trim square patches so there aren't any sharp corners to peel up. I also use a deep socket to roll them down when doing it at home, any hard round object will work.
If you get a cut in the tire on the road and the tube is bulging through, slip a dollar bill in between the tire & the tube to keep it in place. A piece of Tyvek "housewrap" carried works well for this too.
I would encourage anyone thinking about changing their diet to something like one mentioned below to consult their physician first, as they aren't for everyone. Your body burns fuel in several ways. Most of those ways involve glycogen. Glycogen is stored in the muscle. If you don't take in adequate amounts of good carbohydrates, there is nothing to resupply the muscle, and you end up losing muscle mass. In the short term, one can lose weight on a diet like this. But when one loses enough muscle, their metabolism slows down, and the weight loss reverses.
Not only that, but your heart happens to be a muscle. If you lose some of it, how can that be good?
Also, when I mentioned that it wasn't for everyone, my brother is a good case in point. He was on this diet for about 3 years, his cholesterol levels shot up, and he ended up needing 9 stents and a double bypass over the course of 1 1/2 years. So, hereditarily, this may be the worst thing for you. But I don't believe there is a way of testing beforehand. I don't think it is worth the risk to take that chance, just for a temporary weight loss.
There are better and safer ways to reduce weight on a permanent basis.
At the encouragement of my riding partner I have switched to a high fat, low-carb, moderate protein diet. Since March 1, 2012 I have lost 40 pounds. We ride for hours without hunger or hitting any walls, because when we burn fat there aren't any walls.
I encourage all bikers to take a serious look at the science behind this phenomenon by reading Gary Taubes' "Good Calories, Bad Calories" and his follow up "" Why We Get Fat". Dr. William Davis, a preventive cardiologist, wrote "Wheat Belly" in which he further explains the devastating effects of carbs to our physiology. One more source addressing bicyclists is Drs. Phinney and Volek's "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance" .
Fuji Altimara just last year. I love the feel and fit of it AND it shows the naked unidirctional carbon, which to me looks like the swirling patterns of burled wood - I also find it beautiful. I feel light and fast on it. It damps out road shock somewhat and on smooth blacktop, it feels like I'm floating. However that being said I was very surprised recently that my friends Waterford 'wrought iron' bike weighs about the same as mine!!! My previous road bike is a Trek 1500, which I rode for over 20 years and has now become my cottage bike. A Trek 4300 MTB for trails and my foul weather bike. And an older Raleigh M45 MTB with Nokian studded tires for ice and snow (excellent on ice, however when the snow gets to 2" or more it does start 'floating' around). I wasn't so sure about those fat tire bikes at first - now from what I've heard I'd love to try one in the snow.
I was riding a 1999 Raleigh M-50 Mountain Sport for a long time prior to it being stolen recently :( It was a heavy, all-steel beast,with 2" tires, 26" Weinman 519's, old-school rat trap pedals (shins beware)l, profile handlebar extensions and a newish Trek saddle (the original was not too comfy). Now I'm riding a Jamis Ventura Comp I picked up used but for a good price. I put a few bucks into it and had it tuned up and enjoy it a lot. Don't know much about it besides it's aluminum with carbon fiber forks and is light as hell, big difference from the Raleigh and this is my first road bike. I have to say I've enjoyed my commute and errand running a little more the past couple weeks.
For now, I ride either an '07 Trek 7100 hybrid or '01 Trek 4500 mountain. Next Wednesday I'll be rolling on a Spec Allez, couldn't convince myself that I needed the Tarmac.
@ Joe - A Viner Shark - I think it's an an old Italian mountain bike. Bought it used, and had it completly rebuilt for commuting. New hubs, new gearing, 26x1.25 street slicks. I love it.
I ride a Giant "cross" bike, which I bought in the mid-90's. Prior to that bike, I had a junky Huffy 10-speed and it was not fun nor comfortable to ride. I had a friend who got me interested in doing a bike trip to LaCrosse, and so I bought a new bike and SO glad that I did! Have ha it now for about 20 years.
@Joe- I ride a Giant TCX2 cyclocross bike with 700x35c tires for my commute. Chose it for the different kinds roads I have to travel. I breeze past the mountain bikes, but, the road bikes breeze past me. I just wish my tires would pump themselves up to 120 lbs. when I hit pavement, and yes, I would buy this bike again... maybe upgrade to the TCX1 or TCX0. This bike is light years ahead of my old bike of 13 years, 25 years ago, an American Eagle 10 speed in which my top speed was 52mph (No gloves, no helmet, after I got off the bike, thought about what could've happened, especially going over a cattle guard, didn't ride for 2 weeks).
@Joe - When you said a Surly Pugsley with 4" tires, I was picturing 4" diameter tires and thinking of how could one put serious miles on for the NBC with tires that small. Little did I know they were 4" wide. That really changes my mental image.
hi'ya joe i ride a short and long bent the swb uss vision r42 is taking me along on a 61.25 treck tomorrow sporting my first ever clipless peds. remember the best bike is THE ONE YOU WILL RIDE. go forth stumper and ride. Dameon
@Joe - I have three road bikes.
My sentimental favorite is a Trek 720 touring model bought new in 1982. I've logged about 40,000 miles on it, including about 10 bike camping trips solo or with one other person.
My Schwinn Fastback is 6 years old. I've been riding that a majority of the time this year.
And then my sister bought me a Trek 5000 two years ago for driving to VA from WI numerous time to work on her house, It is by far the nicest and fastest bike I own - but I haven't ridden it yet because I don't feel I deserve it yet. A few more trips to VA, and getting faster would do it.
When Leonard says he bikes at a pedestrian pace, well, I bike at a snailinian pace.
And then I have a 30 year old Tunturi stationary bike that I've logged 16,300 whatevers on during the winter. (The best I can figure is that they are the equivalent of half-kilometers.)
@Joe ...I ride a FUJI 2011 Crosstown 2.0.with 26" tires. Its a very confortable ride for me here in Scottsdale, Az. Just wish the weather would cool down a little so I could ride more.
Well I odn't feel so bad about the flat now, seems it's a pretty common occurence!! :) And BTW I guess if you're from the Illinois/Wisconisn Line the Dells could be considered Up North. But its pretty much mid-state here in WI!! But, I will tell ya this much, there are a LOT more hills here than in the Waukesha area!!!!!!!!!!! (Guess that's why they call it the Dells!!!) So much for all those good times I was getting riding down "south!!" Quite a humbling experience!!!!!!!! Think I'm gonna have to give the Ride the Rockies trip A LOT more thought!!!!
The guys at the Wild Side Adventure were awesome and sold me a new tire that's a bit more puncture resistent than OEM!! It's a tad heavier, so that's what I'm gonna blame my slow times on, Ha!!!
HI all, Rode this morning when it was wonderfully cool outside, in the 60s. Saw about 8 other riders. Did some extra miles since I got out so early: it felt great!
To answer Joe's question, I ride a Cannondale ST 600 that I bought in December of 1987. Its a hybrid road/touring bike. Its PURPLE, made in USA, & I love it, just need to figure out how to get some touch-up paint. So yeah, a bike is a way better investment than a car, how many people keep their cars for 20+ years and only spend a few bucks a year to keep it going? I wouldn't know what to get if I was going to get a new bike, but it would definitely be a road bike of some kind. Also, I would advise anybody getting a new bike to keep the old saddle if its more comfortable for you!!
RIDE ON PEOPLE!
Ok, here's a question I've been thinking about for awhile.
What's everybody pedaling?
Mind you, I could care less if you pedal a walmart special, just as long as you are pedaling.
I don't care where ya pedal; your bike will explain that question.
I'll go 1st..... lol
A Surly Pugsley, 4" tires and all.
Peace, Joe
I am getting paranoid reading about the flats!
I got a flat last week, easily the most unusual I've had. I was on my single speed commuter with the cheap Tektro calipers and even cheaper original brake pads. Applying the brakes on the steep downhill, I hear a pop and hissing air from the front tire. I managed to get to the bottom of the grade and into my destination parking lot staying upright. My destination is only a couple of K from home so I lock the bike and go about my work and walk it back. I replaced the tube doing the normal checks for puncture and snakebite. There was a single slit in the tube at just the limit of the sidewall of the tire, but I didn't see anything in the tire. I put a new tube in; the air held, except the next morning it was flat again. The tube was blown-out with a fairly big hole in the same place as before. Several days later when I had time to inspect the tire, I found a wear track etched into the side, just above the bead. At one point the tire was worn through. It took some looking to find.
The Tektro brake pads that came on the bike were soft even when the bike was new. I never liked the squishy feel. Well they had finally worn down enough to cause problems though it was not evident from a static inspection. It looked like there was still enough material above the max wear line. Yet because they were so soft the shoe would compress down to the surface of the tire and was wearing tracks in the sidewalls. In one little place, the sidewall finally wore through and the tube bubbled into the hole and blew.
So if you have squishy brake pads, replace them before you think you need to.
Liability waiver statements should never be required.
I really liked the Allez last night, and the Tarmac is lovable, but I just don't know if I'll still love the riding position in 10 years. At this point I'm 95% certain I'm going to get the Allez Comp 105. I plan to do my 25 mile loop later this afternoon as a comparison to my hybrid and if all feels well at the end, I think I'll have the final 5% of the puzzle.
Just like many here I often go further than I intended. Sometimes you never know what you are going to find. Last week I saw a full scale fiberglass F16 fighter jet in a farmers yard. Last year I accidentally stumbled upon the grave of a wonderful, kindly bishop from my youth (one of the good ones). Sometimes I find myself thinking; I've never been through that town before... I wonder what's down that road? Never stop exploring.
Helmets should not be required, ever!
Ray - If you think you are going to stick with it, buy the bike you love - you will never regret it. I rode my last road bike for over 20 years, I figure the new one I bought this past year will last me for as long as I'm able to keep pedaling.
Not sure how to "reply" to an earlier post, but I rally enjoyed Philip Hinkle's video. The images are fun, but it's the combination of images and music that really makes it! Philip, where did you find the music?
Yesterday must have been Wisconsin Bicycle Tire Flat day! I got my first one, too. The streets of Kenosha (especially the "gutter" areas) are littered with all sorts of debris. I sure wish the street sweeper operators were bicycle riders! I hit a screw and foolishly pulled it out (hey, that's what I'd do on my car tires!). Fsssssss! Had to push the bike the rest of the way to work, then to the bike shop to get it fixed.
I know, I know. I need to learn to do that myself. DH plans a "how to fix a flat by yourself, because you cost me way too much money when the bike shop fixes it, talks you into street rather than mountain bike tires, and you have to kill an hour and could only think of shopping" lesson for this weekend. I did have the necessary equipment to fix it and *would have at least tried* had it been on the front wheel, but there were too many things attached to the rear tire and I was afraid I'd have to walk the entire way home. The walking home, fine; it's less than 2 miles. The pushing the bike with a flat tire or no rear wheel at home, not so much.
@Dave Bushey, perineum. I'll remember that. But "sit down" is much easier to remember and to spell. Plus it doesn't make me blush as much.
@Cynthia - which Bike MS do you ride? I lead Team HP Omaha (27 cyclists so far) in the Nebraska MS ride (Sept 8/9 2012). We have 6 HP Bike MS teams around the countyr as well (265 riders total).
@Phillip, that was a great video! Thanks for letting us go on your ride with you.
@Phillip - Nice video. All I could think while watching that is "Wow, Wisconsin is flat." Y'all have some really nice roads for riding there. Thanks for posting that, it was fun to watch.
@Phillip: I just watched the video, too, and enjoyed it immensely. Thank you for sharing!
I have been thinking of doing something similar for my commute to work and my commute home, just to give friends and family a feel for that aspect of my life.
Cora, I too have had the experirnce of finding that my LBS knew nothing of this. I left some info with the owner. Also, I did the same for our two local bike co-ops, my favorite cyber café, and our local pizza place (which now boasts wonderful bike parking - six U racks protected by a parking block and spring post!)
With this year's challenge nearly half over, I think it might be time to start thinking of 2013 and encouraging the local coordinating organizations to make strenuous publicity efforts; a charity kegger at a local bar to pay for printing can generate an awful lot of fliers, and there should be no shortage of people willing to spend an afternoon pedaling them around to local places.
@Jerry - I hear ya'. Some days it is like dragging yourself to the bike, but then you get out, and you practically have to drag yourself off the bike. Or maybe somebody else has to do it for you... *ring ring* "Hello?" "Where are you? It's time to come home." "Sorry, Honey, I'm just on the trail, and the ride is so easy today..." Like that. Good luck on that Century tomorrow!
@Philip: That was a great video! I saw a guy with a GoPro mounted on his bike just this morning!
I planned on only a short ride today just to keep loosened up as I am riding in the Boulder Sunrise Century tomorrow. http://www.bikerpelli.com/boulder-sunrise-century.html . Which will a a hard ride for me. The climb out of Lyons to Peak to Peak Highway to a hard climb. But when I got up I did not want to get on my bike. I had to force myself out the door to ride. But as soon as I was on my bike I did not want to stop. I had to force myself to keep the ride short as I planned. But it was hard to stop.
Thanks for the review, Lanny. The rental has the thumb shifters, I also found them to be unusable from the drops. The model I'm eyeing has 105 components. I really like that Tarmac, but I just can't bring myself to spend that kind of money on a "first" bike, especially one that costs more than all the other bikes I own (or have owned) combined.
I have seen flyers for the challenge in some of my local bike shops, but one of the shops that had the flyers wasn't even aware of it! Next time I find some flyers, I'm going to bring them with, to hand out to riders I pass on the roads and trails. I told a couple people I met at the park (I ride to the park with my son, and then we stop to play), but it would have been easier if I had something to give them.
We are nearing the halfway point of the Challenge - a little more than 2 months left. The number of riders joining the Challenge has slowed to less than 100 per day - at that rate we will not achieve 50,000 riders by August 31. We have tried press releases, but the most recent one did not provide a signficant increase in riders. One simple ideas is this - if every rider successfully encouraged one other person to join the NBC, we could achieve 50,000 easily. What other ideas do you have? Better yet, just do it. Although the Challenge is providing motivation for lots of people, it would be fun to achieve both 10 million miles and 50,000 riders.
@Rob-yea, how bout those points?? Very motivational. I do ride on the weekends and I participate in two organized rides per year, one local ride that benefits adults with disabilites and an MS 150.
5 for 5 - nice going Cynthia. I find the NBC to be that extra motivation that is helpful sometimes. My riding has increased due to it. Used to strictly commute to work during the week, never rode on weekends. Now I don't want to miss the 20 pts per day!
I have been commuting for a couple years now, and I have to say the National Bike Challenge has been a great inspiration to keep going. I met my goal this week of riding 5 out of 5 work days! You just see and take in so many beautiful things that you can't see in a car. I saved $30.00 in gas. Peddling was good for my mind and body and the scenary and freedom was good for my heart and soul. My work week was so much easier and less stressful. Commuting by bike has now become a lifestyle and I will never stop. I also ran errands, it's not that hard to bunjee a 16lb bag of cat food to the back rack. LOL. The biggest bonus yet is a friend joined me on her commute this morning, and she loves it...hopefully she will catch the bug too. No doubt there are alot of you all out there who can relate to this!!! Well, off to start my 9 to 5! Happy day to all!
@phillip Your video is beyond awesome. I'm such a geek. ha! Now, everyone will want a gopro!
@Ray. Two years ago I bought two bikes. Trek FX 7.3 hybird and a Specialized Allez. I had been out of the sport awhile and thought the FX would do for some commuting and light riding. However, I caught the bug and wanted to ride further. My budget allowed me to buy the Allez Sport Triple. I love it and have over 4,000 miles on it. The only drawback I didn't like was that the Allez was equipped w/Sora shifters (thumb shifters). IMO these are somewhat useless when your start to ride more aggressive in the drops. I recently upgraded to Tiagra shifters and I love them. So, if the Allez is equipped w/Tiagra shifters or 105's or even a SRAM package, and you want to save a litte cash for other items, you can't go wrong w/the Allez. The Taramc is a sweet bike and one I have my eye on, but I'm glad I didn't jump on it while transitioning back into the sport. I'm sure if I did, something would've happened and $2,500 would be sitting in my garage unused. Keeo us informed on your purchase.
@David - Congratulation!
I almost made the decision to buy a Specialized Tarmac, but wanted to take a road bike out for a test ride first. The LBS sent me home with a Spec Allez (not sure which model) and I just put 15.75 miles on it. It is a big switch from my Trek 7100 hybrid, but was a fun ride. I was a bit wobbly and not as confident in the turns, but it was a fast ride, and a lot more of a workout. I'm going to try to get in 25 more miles tomorrow after work before returning the rental. The saddle was a bit harsh, but the bumps didn't bother me at all. My neck was a bit stiff, but no other complaints. Now I'm torn, do the smart thing and get an up-level Allez as a starter road bike, or pay a lot more money for a souped up Tarmac? The Secteur could also be an alternative, it didn't feel very impressive on the test ride last week, but I went straight from the full carbon Tarmac to that aluminum Secteur, so it didn't get a fair deal. Decisions, decisions.
Steve, last year I was getting flats in pairs and it seemed like once a week. I put new rim tape (cloth) on and that seemed to fix the problem. One the upside I got really good at changing tires. This year I have a new bike so instead of spare tubes, I grab the spare bike.
Here's a little fun for some to enjoy. My 44.5 mile ride today in a 6 minute timelapse with 9,999 pics. Shot with the GoPro mounted on my aero bars. Enjoy the WI countryside.https://vimeo.com/44492389
If anyone was in any doubt about the benefits of cycling, I just had my 2 yearly check up at the health centre. % body fat down 30%, blood pressure of a teenager, cardiovascular, strength,flexibility,blood works all top notch. The report told me ny body age was 14 years below my chronological which is a huge plus as a I tear up the aarp mailer!
Get up and ride!
BTF
Found a new tire for my trailer, thank you Appleton Bicycle and Fitness! Made some minor adjustments to the new bike, and took it out for a spin, and it was amazing! Can't wait until I have time to go for a real ride!
Well, I got my first flat while out biking today!! And five minutes later I got my 2nd flat!!!!!!!! Note to self - wear holes in tires equal instantaneous flats!!!!!!!!! On the positive side - those CO2 shooters work awesome!!!!!!!!!
Hey Appleton! That was Madison that just passed us. Grab a friend to join the Challenge and lets go. This thing ain't even half over yet...
My bike is finally fixed now i can finallly get more riding in!!
Kate, I don't think so, so you're OK. More like an amusment park! Tell Emily I'll see her tomorrow.
@ Jenny, I was going to have my husband identify your bird, but I couldn't get the link (not public maybe??) Sorry
Congratulations: Mike Staten! The first Platinum is the hardest.
IMO anything north of Hwy 29 and even just a little bit south of there could be considered the Northwoods. Therefore, the Dells wouldn't be the Northwoods.
@Kate B - speaking as someone from the UP, I consider the Dells to be more "out West" than "Up Nort"
@Christine S - the technical term for that area is the "perineum"
Made Silver a while back without even knowing it. Should hit Gold soon!
I've only worn sun sleeves by Pearl Izumi (I like them because they are long) to keep the sun off my arms but they really didn't do much to keep me cool when I lived in Vegas unless I soak them (and keep them soaked with water during my rides). I have medium to dark skin and tan easily and I always slather on sunscreen (SPF 50 or 70 when I can find it) except for on my forehead to avoid the burn when sweat drips suncreen into my eyes (a sweat Gutr headband is handy). Sunscreen helps with the bib tan lines on my back because the sunlight does go through my jersey. One tip I learned is to flip the bottom of my shorts up every few rides to smooth out the severe tan lines across the thighs. Congrats to those who made Platinum - that's AWESOME!!
If anyone who lives in the Milwaukee area is free Wednesday night the 27th, I could use one more person to help out as a lead bicyclist for a 5K running race. If you've never done it before, it is a lot of fun! I've done it close to 100 times for various races. The other person who normally does it with me had to drop out. t is in Lake Park, which is on Milwaukee's East Side, on the East end of Newberry Blvd., which is East of Downer Ave. by several blocks.
Leading a running race is pretty easy, so anyone who averages 12 mph for 3 miles would be fine. The only difficult part is that there is one hill called Snake Hill just after mile 1.
If you can make it, post here, and I will tell you where to meet me at 6:15 or 6:30 p.m.
Thanks in advance.
@ Savanni: I wear regular spandex cycling shorts and cycling jerseys. There is a very well defined tan line on my legs from the shorts and my upper torso hasn't gotten any amount of sun to speak of through the cycling jerseys. (My wife says she can see a faint white line across my back from the heart rate monitor strap so I do gt a little sun through the cycling jerseys but not very much.) Even riding a diamond frame bike, my legs still get a LOT of sun - not as bad as my arms were getting but enough I can tell when I over do it. Probably your best bet for your legs would be sunblock (if you can find one that doesn't run all over when you sweat).
How about other clothing? What kind of UV protection does spandex provide, like cycling jerseys and running shorts? Because of the heat intensity here in Austin, I'm only out in the mornings and evenings, but I should probably be considering some options for protection. One problem being that on a 'bent, I'll need leg protection as well, and I'm not really sure I want the extra heat capturing.
Thing I hate of the day: People who live on busy streets and mow the outer edge of their property so that all the grass and gravel gets blasted into traffic. And me. I came real close to losing control.
@ Mike Grote - I started using the "sun sleeves" a month or so ago. So far I have been pleased with them. Living in south central Florida the sun is very intense this time of the year. I have a good base tan year-around but I've been out a lot later in the day than usual so I tried the "sun sleeves" (the ones I have are supposed to be "arm coolers" - they don't do much cooling in Florida's heat and humidity but they do block the sun). They definitely make a difference, my arms aren't as tan as they were a few weeks ago - and they are not getting burned anymore!!!!
I haven't had any problems with fit or with them sliding down my arm (I had the same question as Ray about how they would fit and if they would stay in place). All in all, I would say they are worth it for stopping sunburned arms, as far as "cooling", not so good in Florida's humidity (I can feel some cooling effects when I hit 20+ mph - problem is I seldom reach that speed.....).
I haven't tried the sun sleeves, but I wear UV blocking beanies under my helmet to protect my scalp, they seem to work, no burns yet. Columbia Sportswear makes some that are very thin and you barely notice you are wearing them. As an added perk, they keep the bugs from sticking to my head. I have some compression and lightweight base layer shirts which also claim to block UV and so far they have kept my arms from frying and don't seem to hold in too much heat. As for the sleeves, I have to wonder how well they would stay up, especially for someone with skinny arms, like me. I assume they would either slide down, or be so tight they would be uncomfortable, like socks. Then again, sunblock lotion is not all that comfortable either.
@Steve - is the Dells considered the Northwoods?
My Tattoo says "JESUS DIDN'T TAP" MMA tapping the mat means you give up. Jesus didn't Give up He ran the race and so am I.
Hi all, out early again. Weatherpeople are promising rain & thundershowers this afternoon. It was in the 70s again this morning and not as humid as yesterday. Seven riders spotted today.
@ Russel, sorry you didn't get a chance to rent a bike in DC.
While I was riding this morning, this popped into my head:
>>Don't need stress management, or pills, or drugs,
Just give me a bicycle, helmet, and gloves.<<
RIDE ON EVERYONE, HAPPY 5 MILLION MILES!
Hooray I made Platinum!!!
I haven't had the Wisconsin (Local) option since May 10th. It is nice to be back, but I have a lot of reading to do. Hope everyone is doing well. @Jude - Sorry for your knee.
John, I'm no expert, but when I started riding last year, I sort of started slow. First time: 1.7 miles; next time 9.2 miles. Did the 9.2 3-4 times, then went up to 14 and, which is my usual "long" ride. It takes a while to get your....uhhhh....sitdown conditioned. You'll be sore the first month or so. Make sure you sit on your sitbones! That helps a lot. Do what you're comfortable with, make sure you stay hydrated (especially in hot weather), and get those kids out with you.
That's my experience riding. I'm 59, 2 kids and one grand. Haven't had this much fun since I was 9!
1 point per mile
20 points per day that you ride at least 1 mile.
How do the points work? 1 point = what?
Does anyone else use strava? mine crashed during a century (at mile 95....) and I can't get it to work again. I can't get my stats AND I can't record any other rides. Any suggestions?
With all the sun exposure from massive amounts of riding, I've decided to try some of the "sun sleeves" that have hit the market from many of the cycle clothing manufacturers. I haven't seen anyone else around my area with them. Just wondering if any of you have tried them and what you opinion/experience has been.
So glad all my riding friends are still doing good this week despite the heat, etc. Congrats on the longer rides and new bikes! I am a little under the weather mid-week with a stomach bug so I'm off my bike in these 100f days. I go away this weekend but I plan to join you all again next week. I am stoked that like someone else said with 60% of the expected riders in this challenge, we are kicking ass!!
Today I've hit my 5,000th mile and 4th Platinum. Whew! I want to thank all of the challenge coordinators for inspiring me to do this. I'm trying for one more before we hit July. I have no doubt we'll hit our goal of 10,000,000 miles despite only having >60% of the riders. Here's to everybody for setting goals and blowing them all away. Let's show the public what we can do, and don't forget to get every rider to sign up. I still find riders who never heard of the NBC and bicycle everyday. Try to get your local media to run a story. While we ride as individuals, we also ride as teams, workplaces, communities, states, and as a community of CYCLIST (which we all belong) and we all have something to be proud of even if none of our stats are on the "leaderboard".
Mike L.
Not to Platinum yet , but more miles than last year and well on my way to my personal goal of 1500 miles.
I have identified my bird... it is a muskovy duck!
It was a gatorade ride to work and back today for sure. A little toasty out there!!!! Congrats to all hanging in there on these...be sure to stay hydrated everyone!!
Whoa! Back in the saddle again after 6 days off for a visit to DC and a wedding in Deleware. So wish I had my bike. Both Washington DC and Lewes, Deleware seemed to be quite bicycle-friendly. Would have been alot easier on my feet, too. Back at the commute yesterday and today. Very hot, humid at high of 96 today. But cooler for rest of week, in high 70's. I'm paying for the time away from the bike. And congrats, we hit 5 million miles. Big ride this Saturday. Dedication of Northeast rail trail. Should be fun. Keep riding everyone!
I saw this bird on my ride tonight, and I have no idea what it is. Its about the size of a goose or turkey, Any ideas? Here's the link to the picture on FB:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php;set=a.2327341824523.139506.1279013837&type=1&theater¬if_t=photo_comment
I saw this bird on my ride tonight, and I have no idea what it is. Its about the size of a goose or turkey, Any ideas? Here's the link to the picture on FB:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php;set=a.2327341824523.139506.1279013837&type=1&theater¬if_t=photo_comment
cadence cadence cadence this 15 to 25 MPH wind will definitely test it when you ride into it but its soooooo fun turning around after 10 miles or so and ride like the wind!!!!!!! wooooohooo
Jason, very cool video about Davis, California. Amazing - no school buses! I love that everyone bikes to school! It helps that the greatest distance in town is no more than 5 miles, there are no hills, and no snow. The bike sensors that change the stoplights are impressive. An amazing story. More towns should follow your example.
@Burklee - This was nothing compared to a few months ago, just before moving. I had the perfect amount of water to pressure cook a mixture of chickpeas and garbanzo beans for 20 minutes. I absentmindedly left, and when I got back about 2 hours later, the pressure cooker must have pressure cooked the burnt smell into the paint (no carpet/curtains). The place smelled like burnt marshmallows for at least a month.
Platinum today! Saw 2 cranes resting in the shade on my way home. I know what they were thinking - 'those 2-wheeled creatures are crazy for being outside in this weather!'
So my evening cycling will consist of visiting Dynamo Stadium just to experience the crowd. Our city is doing a demo of B Cycles program. A city (Houston TX) bicycle rental program with Trek cycles and help from Bike Barn. Which comes with a promise of slice of pizza! And if it's not to late, go watch a summer solstice ceremony. Taiko drums!
Nothing better than riding a bicycle to absorb these experiences!
Thanks for reading!
Hi everyone. I was out early again to beat the heat. It was in the 70s and ok as long as there was a breeze, but already humid when the wind was standing still. About 9 other riders on the road..
@Burklee, what an inspiring story. Man, I would never want to be the judge for picking the best story from this bike challenge. But yours is up among the top stories for sure.
Here's my tale of the day. I was looking for something in the UNL student newspaper and I discovered that Bike UNL has plans to apply to make UNL a Bike Friendly Campus. Your story and that news just totally made my day. Wish I had time to go out and take an extra ride...
7 kids John? You need to spend more time out on your bike.
@Burklee- Yes it is amazing how a bike ride clears out your head. After i start out in the spring and get my riding legs under me with a few short rides and if not really windy i will take of and just ride and ride. Its amazing how many miles you can ride when you don't think about it and its fun also. :) Keep on riding.
@Martin - Mmmmm... blackened greens. :) Don't you love the way the smell of burnt food lingers for a few days? As a bonus, there's the extra calories you burn scrubbing the pan afterwards. I have much experience burning food.
I love this site. You guys are awesome!!
Welcome John. Perfect timing to replace Jude on the monthly leaderboard. lol
@Burklee - Glad you had such a positive mood altering time riding. I thought of your cooking prowess the other day when I decided to steam some greens. While they were steaming, I thought I would get onto this site for just a minute to look at the comments... It had been a while since I made Cajun greens. Finally scrubbed the pan.
@ Burklee, You got it, a bicycle can be better than anything a doctor can prescribe when you are feeling stressed out and mad at the world. There is something about being on a bicycle and going for a nice easy ride that sooths the mind and causes many of your frustrations to evaporate. Glad to know you are feeling better. { Isn't it amazing how an easy 2 mile ride can turn into a 15 mile ride that turns out to be so enjoyable!! }
Jaime - If you know when and how far you rode, you can add those past workouts manually, and they will still count, just not for the May drawing, since that was already held.
Bummed out that I didn't register for this challenge until this month. Otherwise I would've been able to log in another 1000 points I had in May (520 miles plus 480 points for the 24 days I rode). I wanted to register before May 1, but thought you had to have a smartphone to participate. Someone at the Bike Fed of Wisconsin told me I could just manually enter my miles. So as of today I would be at 1878 points had I registered sooner.
Cora, one other thing. For all tires (and 16 inch tires in particular), make sure you order the correct inner tire diameter. This link explains ETRTO and why this is important. I learned the hard way that all 16 inch tires are not the same. http://www.schwalbetires.com/tech_info/size_markings
@Cora - I bought some tires here for a BOB trailer last year, worked out well. Good luck! http://www.biketrailershop.com/bike-trailer-tires-c-255.html
@Cora - Congratulatins on the new bike! I'm sure you'll like it.
Equipment failures are one of the things we all could do without. Its frustrating when you want to ride, but can't. (In your case, when you want your son to be able to go along with you, but he can't.) Maybe take your trailer with you to the LBS.
had to take car in yesterday and by time I got home it was 97 degrees and very high humidity, and gone last night. So added a little to today's ride...14.28 miles. I will try to add to every day to make up for yesterday. Going to be another scorcher today so glad ride is over.
I took the day off of work yesterday for the safety of all my coworkers. I've been all stressed out, ready to rip people's heads off simply because they exist. I rode out on an errand yesterday. It should have been a >2 mile round trip. I got where I was going and thought I'd just go a bit farther to make it a nice even number of miles. Then I got to Sheridan Boulevard. I've never ridden on Sheridan and it's a very nice street, so I thought I'd go to 33rd, then turn around and go home. But at 33rd, well, it's really close to the Rock Island trail, so I rode down and got on that, cuz I could get home on that. But then I could just ride up to the Bob Devaney Sports Center, cuz that's a nice trail. And at the Sports Center, well they've taken a lot of buildings out of State Fair Park, I should ride through here and see what they've done. It turned into 15.2 miles. It was ridiculously hot and windy, but I'm back at work today, and my coworkers are safe once again. :) A good bike ride costs less than a doctor visit and a prescription, works immediately, and the only negative side effects can be remedied easily by a shower, a change of clothes, and a bottle of chocolate milk. I feel much better.
First time I've been on a bike in 27 years. I've biked this week the two hottest days so fair. Do I strat off slow no it's from home to work 7.56 miles and back again I'm 45 year's old 7 children, brain surgery, I must be crazy
Bought a new bike last night... a Schwinn - so far only took it for a test ride around the block, but think I'm really going to like it. I'll have my husband tighten and adjust everything so that it is ready for a bit longer trip after class tonight.
.
Also discovered that the reason for both of the flats on my trailer was due to the steel belts coming thru the inside of the tire. Sure would have thought the local-bike-shop-that-shall-remain-nameless that fixed it the first time would have noticed that! So now I need to replace the tire... but so far no luck locating a 16 x 1.75 tire that will fit the wheel. Only one I found that said it was that size was a BMX tire, and the wheel went right thru the middle of it without touching, so I don't think that will work!
Sure hope I can find one soon, it makes my heart break to have to say no when my son, Josh, asks if we can go for a bike ride...
Welp, that's it for me for 4-6 weeks. Doctor says I've got bursitis in my right knee.
I've given you over 1400 miles since 5/1/12, Wisconsin riders. You guys & gals are gonna have to soldier on without me for a while.
Dammit.
@Jeanie - So far, 20,113 of 27,553 have logged some miles. (7,440 haven't logged any yet.)
As of last night, altogether we are averaging 183 miles per registered rider, and 251 miles on average for anyone who has logged any miles.
Just curious . . . Any way to know how many of our 27,000+ riders are actually logging miles?
with temps forecasted in the mid to high nineties today and tomorrow, and 7 straight days of rides....I think its time for a rest day or two. Let''s see if I can sit still that long
"When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking."
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
I stopped on the way in this morning to remove 3 small dead racoons from the yellow line on Hwy B. I figured they would be in a lot worse shape by this afternoon's return trip. :-) That's one more plus to riding a bike...it's just about impossible to kill multiple small furry critters all at once with your bike...Enjoy the ride TODAY! Summer Solstice occurs @ 8:09 pm (CDT)
Wow! 5 million miles! Is that so cool or what? Great going for everyone out there! Hopefully when the challenge is over we will continue to challenge ourselves and ride and commute!
something tells me it's going to be a long day so -blue skys, tailewinds and green lights to everyone, everywhere - Dameon
@patrick I thought you could view my maps cause I rode with the gps on. I always have it on though. Phone is smarter then me takes to long to figure out how to turn it on and off. I shut off the Endomondo app everytime though.
1 million miles in 10 days, with only 27000+ riders, way to go all.
@john jay, GPS must be on because I can view the map after each ride. Is it because I have the "pro" upgrade? I wouldn't think that should make a difference.
Bruce, don't let good humor leave a bad taste in your mouth! Sorry, I just couldn't resist.
i know this is the national section but there was a bike stolen from a shop in New York a very expensive bike. http://www.9wsyr.com/news/local/story/Rare-bicycle-valued-at-5-500-stolen-from-bike/4c3M6YgRvkiIafBpCtSTKg.cspx#.T-FSPh-UdTB.facebook
check out the pic of the guy who stole it and the bike.
If anyone wants some inspiraion... Below is a link to one of a series called "Raising an Olympian". This one is about Chris Hoy, who has 3 Gold Medals in bike track racing over two Olympics.
http://shine.yahoo.com/team-mom/video/chris-hoy-raising-an-olympian-29441984.html#crsl=%252Fteam-mom%252Fvideo%252Fchris-hoy-raising-an-olympian-29441984.html
(You havwe to copy all three lines.)
I just watched several.
Also, to get you warmed up for theTour de France, the USA Track & Field trials will be on TV 6 times from this Friday until next Friday. (Only 2x if you don't have cable.) (Yes, I know it's running, but we're all kindred spirits.)
@ Vonn and E M: Thanks for the tips. Will do.
Wow, I made Platinum today. Tomorrow I will have biked more miles this year as I did all of last year.
got my new shimano slx 9 speed cassette on today! But now i have to replace 8 of my spokes tomorrow at least i do the work myself.
I m come back, ready to log miles, we have a lot of rain, but its funny to ride offroad!!!
The Good Humor ice cream man turned to sharp in front of me from right to left when I was coming up to a stop sign.There was quite a drop off on the right hand side and I nearly had to bail.I maintained my balance but it left a bad taste in my mouth .LOL
@ Cora, My wife and I spent a couple weeks pressing our hands on his feet to help him pedal. It started to show slow progress until he "got it". Our hands were placed on the top of his feet during this training and we were behind him. As you may guess our backs were a bit stiff for a few days ; > !
@Patrick, Is your GPS on. mine only loads the time if I forget.
Jason,
Thanks for sharing that, sure would be nice to have that more around here. Funny thing is that WI is supposed to be the best in the nation for the racing scene yet every where in WI I have lived has seemed hostile to bikes. Guess I havent lived in Madison yet, have heard it is pretty decent there. And on the opposite hand I have heard that the Cali race scene is fairly dead in comparison yet seems like some cities are pretty welcoming to bikers. I know Portland seems to have trails and paths nearly everywhere, last time I was out there it seemed you couldnt drive a mile with out seeing a biker and that was in February!
I only ride in sandals and my spd pedals work really well. This has cured many foot complaints. My summer tour starts tomorrow so loging on will be infrequent for a month. Good rides to everyone.
Jason, thanks for sharing that video--awesome!
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Phillip, thanks--I was thinking the same thing! I am achy but we did get right back on our bikes yesterday and rode together again.
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My idea of camping is probably similar, but I am a little more lax about bringing technology along. For instance, I do like having my cell phone along for emergencies, smartphone access to radar so that I know if a storm is approaching before I leave for a long ride or hike, and to record my bike ride on my endomondo app so that I don't have to remember to enter it later. I grew up with NONE of the technology and I would prefer to camp like Brad stated, but I will compromise a little bit in order to get my less-than-enthusiastic camping family to come out with me. We camp in a pop-up but without any electric. I consider showers and flushies as OK. I draw the line on TV and microwaves!
H. Joan, another cause of foot discomfort as you ride longer is shoes that are tied/velcroed to tightly. Loosen them up a bit and see if it helps.
@ H. Joan, I wiggle my toes every once in a while to loosen them up. You can do this on the flats or mild downhill when you don't have to pedal so hard or when you are at a stop. I also take my hands of the handlebars (one at a time) to stretch my arm and shake out or wiggle my fingers. Hope this helps.
HI all, out this morning for 19+. Temps. were already in the upper 70s and it was humid. A little wind too, but nothing like what you guys are getting out west.
@ Rob what an awesome ride, and to top it off with a popcycle. Those are the kinds of days we live for.
@ Ronald & Stephen, welcome to the platinum club!
RE the kids: I agree with Leonard, sign these kids up and record their mileage. After all the idea is to get more riders out there and what better way than to inspire the next generation. My son got his first bike when he was three and he figured out how to ride right away. What really got our attention was his "BRAKING." He practiced that a lot. Where did he learn braking? From Thomas the Tank Engine. They will all get the hang of it. In the meantime, look out Flintstones, here comes Cora's son.
AS for Charlie and the Mountain Dew can rescue: that's just legendary, dude.
FIVE MILLION AND TICKING.... RIde on!
@ Stephen S. Congrats on Platinum! General question for any and all... My toes start to get numb as I am increasing my distances. I've been in my same shoes for a little over a year. I'm trying to do more pulling on the "up" to get stronger and get more out of each pedal stroke. Any suggestions? Thanks.
Together, we've ridden 5 million miles! Great riding, everyone.
Stupid question. I thought my ride work out automatically uploaded from my endomondo pro app, right? I'm having to manually enter the data each time. I must be doing something wrong?
Any other questions Heather? lol
Steve Brengosz - I definately would agree; leave the computer and the TV at home, and the iPod too for that matter. For me, some occasional quite time is rejuvinating and necessary. Hear the wind in the trees? What does a hot field of thistle smell like? When you get away from artifice you feel the natural rhythms again; when it gets dark out you get tired; when the sun comes up you wake up. Listen to the birds. What does the morning smell like?
Wondering if that three miles is going to tick over to 5 million before I get out of here in another hour. How exciting is it to be halfway to our miles goal already???
Wish Neenah could become like this.
http://cityofdavis.org/bicycles/streetfilms.cfm
Awesome video Phil. I wish Neenah could become more like Davis.
I made Platinum today! Woohoo!
Thought it good to revisit Davis, CA, a platinum Bike City...no school buses, more bikes than people! Decades of committment and planning, so great to see.
http://cityofdavis.org/bicycles/streetfilms.cfm
@Randi: Congratulations!! That is awesome. I didn't learn to ride a bike until I was in high school. My sister taught me and I remember running into a tree, LOL!!
My 5 yr old is now officially off training wheels! He loves riding his 2-wheeler. He also loves the trail-a-bike so he can go on longer (or faster) rides!
Got out with my son Gary and we got in a 23+ mile ride. Had a good head wind going out but nice tail wind pushing us back home. Son hauls his 3 yr old daughter out with him a lot. He got her a bike a while back and they walk her around the neighborhood as she pedals it on her own. She has grown up watching dad pedel in front of her. Woin't be long befor she can ride the tag-a-long he has also. I am up to 1117.5 on my log book now for the year.
I think I am recovered from Sunday's ride. I did the Denver Century. The first part of the ride was great. Rding through downtown Denver than over to Golden, up Lookout Mountain. As we got further north we hit high temperatures, 50 mph crosswinds. Several people who were planning the century made a right turn for the 60-85 route instead of the left turn for the 100 mile route. Many people were walking up the hill to the turn. Though I think walking up a hill is harder than riding up the hill. I just plodded my way up until I could make my left turn. Than we had the headwind. The last 25 miles were brutal with temperatures getting up to 115 degrees. The last two aid stations had ice for our water which was a real lifesaver. Then just a short 20 miles yesterday due to high temps and wind. Got out earlier today to avoid the high temperatures.
@Charlie - Thanks for making a different in the Mt. Dew can's life today. There's a special place in aluminum heaven for you.
@Joe - I've seen that Hemingway quote before. I just have a hard time imagining him on a bicycle, but I'm sure that's probably how he got around Europe much of the time.
It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. –Ernest Hemingway
@Jenny - glad you're not too hurt, but thank you for sharing the sweet story. It's always a good idea to try to laugh off the not-so-serious injuries. If nothing else, the endorphins reduce perceived pain!
@ Tami & John, I think your young one is picking up the desire to ride from both of you. There is nothing better you can do for your children than teach them to live a healthy lifestyle, it's something they will have all their lives.
@ Cora, Keep taking you young one for rides, he will figure it out before long and then you will not be able to stop him.
These are our future cyclists, there is no such thing as starting them too soon. Children learn best by example, you keep riding and they will want to ride also. I can tell I will have a lot of competition in the coming years, I can think of nothing that would make me happier. (I think it would be wonderful to see a 3 or 4 year old win one of the bikes - that is something they would remember throughout their life and they would never leave cycling.....)
@Tami - That is awesome that your little one is starting to ride already. My son is 3 and 1/2 and has not yet figured out how to pedal. I keep hoping that if he watches me pedal from the trailer enough times that eventually it will just click - but he still refuses to put his feet on the pedals. He'll go the full 1/4 mile to the corner and back just scooting along with his feet on the ground.
Yea @Ronald, Congrats and welcome! ;-)
Beautiful day here today. At least for the morning ride. Lots of people out early because of the heat. Rescued a Mt Dew can from the top ledge of the bridge over the river today. I think it was lost and was going to jump into the water far below. At first I simply rode by but as I got aways past I had to return and help it out. I carefully stored it in my empty water bottle rack and was going to take it to my work. However, as I past the blue recycle bin on campus it wanted to go there. That's why I think it was lost, desperate and ready to jump off the bridge. Glad I didn't leave it behind.
@Tami that is so awesome and look at your little one. He is adorable on his bike!
@Heather - the way out was a challenge, but the way back, well it was a breeze.
@Tami - Sign him up for the NBC. He would probably be the youngest, and would already have 20.5 points - well on the way to Bronze! @Leonard had better watch out for him in a year or two.
@ Tami I am very proud of him also must get it from you
I took my little 2year old out on his bike this weekend. He just learned how to pedal but cant steer well. He managed to go ~1/4 mile and see daddy helping the neighbor. He then played a bit and rode back home. I dont push him to be this active I am proud of him and I am concerned about where he will end up when he gets older. Who knows maybe the Tour De France awaits him!
@Ronald GO YOU! @Rob-what a day. You are a better rider than I because I could not tolerate a wind that high. Summer starts tomorrow and were already expecting 100 degrees on Weds here in the mid-atlantic. I am probably going to regret my goal this week. haha
@ Rob, That is the joy of riding - those are the kinds of rides you will remember the rest of your life. Glad you were able to have such a wonderful ride.
Almost 5 million miles... NICE!
@ Rob- what a great day you had!
@Daly- thanks for the encouragement. Sounds like we both need a calm day. Good for YOU getting saddle time! It feeds the need for sure.
Got my Platinum Points Yeahawwww !!!!
I'm sorry, but the internet while camping in the Northwoods is just wrong
Rode from Iowa City to Kalona, IA and back through Hills, IA today. Total 45 miles with south wind gusting 30 to 40 mph, gravel roads, hills and temps of 95 (but it was a dry heat). I left Iowa City at 9 am and didn't return until 6 pm. Several stops including an Amish grocery (Stringtown Grocery) where I enjoyed their homemade, spicy jerky, grape spritzer, and an orange. Had a nice lunch at Kalona Bakery. Stopped to cross a gravel road and an Amish guy stopped his wagon also and we chatted about how hot it was. At one point, in the middle of Iowa farmland, I took a break under a shady tree in a cemetery. A woman stopped her pick-up and asked if I was ok. I told her I was just cooling off and getting out of the sun. She comes up to me and offers a popsicle, she must have been coming back from shopping. She told me her kids were in the truck and they suggested I might enjoy a popsicle. Boy, did I! That was the top highlight from a fun adventure. I'm tired and looking forward to a good nights rest.
HI all, Out this morning. Temps in the 70s and humidity creeping back in. There was real heat this afternoon in the 90s, so glad I wasn't riding then. Saw 10 other cyclists this morning.
@ Heather, the kayak is fun, but I get tired of sitting in one position, so I think I prefer a canoe. Its great weather for being on the water!
Four million miles people: RIDE ON!!!!
Seyboro Cycle Club, Goldsboro, NC offered a wonderful double century last weekend.
My first.
@Jeanie: You're welcome :-)
@H. Joan: It's also very windy here in Reno so I drove part of the way to work and rode my bike. Still, the wind kept pushing me onto the narrow road. I knew it would be a gusty day but I needed to get in the saddle today. It's what makes me happy. Good for you for getting in the miles!!
Glad to hear you are having a nice time, Gregg! Stay safe in the weather! I hate pop-ups in severe storms.
I am having a great time vacationing and also biking in the Northern Highland American Legion State Forest near Sayner, Plum Lake, Boulder Junction, and Minocqua, WI. This is a road and mountain biker's paradise. It is very hot and humid and storms and tornados are popping up all around us. We have a pop up camper on a lake front camp site on the beautiful beaches on Crystal Lake. The entire lake is a designated beach and you can walk around the whole lake on the beach, which is about 1 1/4 miles around, so it is a small lake. Hopefully , no storms or tornados blow in off the lake because we are sleeping only about 75 yards from the lake. I also found a group here in Minocqua that rides for 55-60 miles every Sunday morning at 7 am on the rural woodsy roads around here that have nice rolling hills around hundreds of lakes and streams. It is really nice biking here with no traffic and very scenic. I had a really nice time biking with them and they were very happy to have me join them. Nice to bike with someone who is familiar and knows all the nice back roads.
I am having a great time vacationing and also biking in the Northern Highland American Legion State Forest near Sayner, Plum Lake, Boulder Junction, and Minocqua, WI. This is a road and mountain biker's paradise. It is very hot and humid and storms and tornados are popping up all around us. We have a pop up camper on a lake front camp site on the beautiful beaches on Crystal Lake. The entire lake is a designated beach and you can walk around the whole lake on the beach, which is about 1 1/4 miles around, so it is a small lake. Hopefully , no storms or tornados blow in off the lake because we are sleeping only about 75 yards from the lake. I also found a group here in Minocqua that rides for 55-60 miles every Sunday morning at 7 am on the rural woodsy roads around here that have nice rolling hills around hundreds of lakes and streams. It is really nice biking here with no traffic and very scenic. I had a really nice time biking with them and they were very happy to have me join them. Nice to bike with someone who is familiar and knows all the nice back roads.
Rain stopped, went for 2.2 miles and turned around because of the rain ahead. If I had a motorcycle I wouldn't have gotten wet. But I did beat the heavy rain with a lot of thunder! Only 4.4 miles and 20 points, but who is counting.
@Jeanie West-that is an amazing goal. Will also definitley check out hte Reve Tour.
Did my vacation in Oklahoma doing the OK Freewheel bike tour. Love my extra 517 miles and it was a beautiful state.
At my hometown is raining, we were waiting for that, tomorow we can ride!!!
@Christine- "The Block" out in the wooded country is very nice except for the many hills. The last 4.2 miles was 80% up grade, steeper grade to another hill. The last"killing" part was a 8mph head wind. At least I won over the wind! Still waiting for the rain to stop so I can ride. Its 3:50 PM Eastern Time here. Happy and safe riding.
Took a nice leisurely ride with my youngest daughter yesterday on the Apple Creek trail. We both had a nice time. However, we did have a mishap--she thought that we were turning at the "next" intersection and ended up turning right into my path. I had to swerve and brake hard to avoid her, which I of course promptly went flying off my bike and landed on my right knee and elbow. I wanted to cry but quickly realized that if I did, then she would, too! So, I ended up laughing, and then she started laughing! We were both sitting on the trail laughing at each other! We dusted each other off and rode back to our starting point. Needless to say, I am a bit sore today, and this is my first skinned knee since I was probably HER age!
@Daly, thanks for the heads up on the Reve Tour. How awesome and inspiring! I'll definitely be following them as they ride.
Had all intentions of a 50 mile day. Started out fine. About 26 miles in the wind kicked in- Geesh! Had to push into it on the down. When when my bike stared to wobble off the shoulder I thought I'd better get home. Checked current wind speed in Casper 25mph. It was a good workout for the legs, but didn't reach my goal. :-( Maybe tomorrow? I hope so.
Got out this morning with Gary and Phil and rode to town and back. Was nice going in as we had a tail wind. Coming back home was another matter. I got home and checked the Weather channel for my location and it says the wind was ssw at 16mph. No wonder i was on the small sprocket most of the way home. :) Got in a tic over 27miles today.
@Jeanie: What a wonderful goal!! You've inspired me to set a goal for myself, and that is to commute to work by bike or take a liesurely ride on the non-rest days of the Tour. Did you hear about the six women who are bicycling the entire Tour de France route called the Rêve Tour? http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/women_and_bicycling
Cora - I usually replace a tube, then patch an old one and use it for a spare. Some patches, especially the self adhesive ones will leak a bit.
Well, my awesome tour-de-rummage sales on Saturday got cut short by approaching storms, which I failed to outrun! Ended up seeking shelter at my in-law's house, drenched from head-to-toe. Also found that the while the cover of my trailer is quite waterproof, the underside is not. So while my son Josh did not get rained on, he did end up with a wet behind, from the tires kicking water up thru the seat.
-
Then, on Sunday, Josh asked me to go for a bike ride (and how could I say no!?), and I discovered that one of the tires on the trailer had developed a slow leak. I'm thinking it was from running over a metal rod racing home on Saturday - I had swerved to avoid it, but wasn't able to get out far enough to clear the back tire on the trailer. It was slow enough that I was able to air it up and ride to the park with the bike pump, and then air it up to ride back. With a leak that slow, I'm thinking I should try to patch the tube, but I've never done that - any suggestions?
After a 10 day layoff from riding due to our family vacation I finally got a chance to ride again this morning. Five miles into the ride I broke a spoke. Must be Monday.
@Ian, well said!
awesome duathlon event at the YMCA - Weston on Saturday. My (reluctant) son and I teamed up for a relay....he ran I biked.....quote from him afterward..."Dad that was awesome ; we need to do another one". Sweet pre-Father's Day day.
@Jeanie - I've had that same goal for several years. Haven't quite done it yet, but this year... I always love their rest days. They give me a chance to catch up.
@Larry - It is only the miles you ride outside going somewhere. It gives one the opportunity to find time between doing everything else to get out there and enjoy the outdoors. And the best way is to incorporate it into everything else.
Question? Does the mileage from a stationary bike count in the National Bike Challenge?
@Andrew The Tour de Bago was a ride put together by a guy in Neenah. There was about 30 of us total. Casual ride with beer afterward. The weather was perfect.
@Cynthia: My next goal is to ride 25% of the Tour de France miles over the same 23 days of the Tour, which starts on June 30. 25% will be 539 miles.
Tour da Bago sounds like a carefree fun day of biking. Anybody know the 2013 date yet?
Yeesh. Stay cool out there this week, peeps.
I am greatly impressed by all the contributers to this wonderful web site. It is a chapter in world history that so many people of all ages are living examples of the health and happieness we share. I am not surprised that many of us also swim, run, kayak, SCUBA, etc. Competitveness can be utilized to achieve so much more than just individual rewards. We are all brothers & sisters on 2 wheels riding to save our planet and lead by example. Thank you all for taking a giant pull at the front. Ian
@Heather and all. Oh yes, Kayaking is on the list to try. It will be so very awesome if we hit 5 million miles. When you think about it, that in itself is a great goal to crush. Shows how united people can be and what good things can be accomplished.
@Cynthia! Way to go. Setting goals and crushing them is pretty fun. I didn't ride much this past weekend but I did kayak and really enjoyed that. My goal is to commute as much as possible Mon-Friday this week. I hope everyone had a great Fathers day. We are probably going to hit 5 million miles this week!
Mondays are never bad when you start it on 2 wheels! No such thing as the Monday morning blues here! My goal this week is bike 5 out of 5 days. I am averaging 3 to 4. Anyone else out there have a goal to set? It can be hard when life gets in the way....
Nice to be back on the bike today for a commute to/from work. Been off the bike the last five days after a minor outpatient procedure last Wednesday afternoon. My day starts a lot better when I'm starting it on my bike!
30 miles on the 400 trail on Saturday. Reedsburg to Wonewoc. Nice bike shop in Wonewoc. You guys ROCK! 83 miles! 18.3! 65!
Great ride in Iowa City tonight - rode out to Hills and back!
Can I just say, I love my bike, and I love riding.
@E M Matteson Yeah our bike shop is out of cassettes right now haha. hopefully more come in tues.
HI all, out early and rode a couple of loops. Ended up with 28 miles, which is about the same number of riders I saw. One rider per mile, that's pretty good. Only some areas have significantly more riders than others.
@ Peggy, nice not to have to pay attention to the calories etc. But for many people 5-10 pounds can be the difference between healthy and not so healthy....
@ Travis sorry about the casette, I'd give you mine, but we got rid of them after we sold the last car that had a cassette deck. LOL But seriously, I hope you & Dameon get repairs soon so you can get back to the serious (FUN) business of riding.
Happy father's day to all the riding dads out there!
Just did a 65 miler today -- Friday's ride was cut short due to a flat tire -- today was really a nice day to be out there riding
broken spokes on my 700c rim fixed w/ 26" running a k-kross w/ no rear brake as I use v,s on a lwb bent not my best day will pick-up spokes [ as in more then one tomorrow . ride with joy and remember the best bike is the one you will RIDE
Happy Father's Day to all. Met a friend for a ride and had a delightful 20 mile jaunt up the towpath. Had no guilt at all when I ate my lunch as I worked off pretty much everything I took in. Beautiful weather, 72 for a high, slight breeze, clouds off and on. Couldn't ask for a better day. Keep on cycling!!!!
Really enjoying the challenge again this year, just wish the sun will come out soon , never mind hope to get some riding in august when me and my son visit California, so look out Lance.
Completed the 83 mile Tour de Bago ride around lake Winnebago yesterday. Fought the wind from Neenah to Fond du Lac but the stretch from Fondy back to Neenah was great with the tail wind. First time around the lake.
I finally made Platinum! I'm the fourth person on our team to make Platinum. Keep riding.
Was supposed to use today to rest and recover, woke up and rode 20 miles instead.
That's some block!
Where are these 12 riders who are not local but still live in Topeka?
Question: How is it that our city (Topeka, KS) has 114 riders but there are only 102 that show up on "local" statistics?
Peter J Feyen
in the UP by my dauther and just rode around the block to get 20 points . But it was only 18.3 miles! Just less time with family on Father's Day.
Happy Father's Day!
@Nick - I certainly think I should get some sort of bonus when I lug my kids around in the bike trailer, those little f'ers are getting HEAVY.
Congratulations Wisconsin. I see we passed the million mile mark on the local web page.
For those of us who scare another generation by having a child ... Happy Father's Day. To all our kids who say "Daddy watch this!!!", thanks for the cardiovascular checkup.
Mike L.
@Nick: hills, gravel, dirt or snow, a mile's a mile. Nice try, pal.
Anybody else thinking that the Horribly Hilly should count as double points?
well my riding is hindered now. i need a new cassette and maybe a freehub :(
Hi all, rode from Creve Coeur Lake into St. Charles to have lunch, about 18 miles round trip, some of it on the Katy Trail. Temps in the 90s, so slower riding. Lots of people out raising money for cancer.
@ Randi, good for you. I think its a good idea even for experienced riders to take smart cycling classes, and to become trained instructors so we can generate even more riders.... Ride on people!!
@Dorian, Lanesboro is a small treasure in the middle of now where. I feel like when the trail opens up into the village it is like you were instantly transported into a bustling city. Last year was my first opportunity to explore the area. Really enjoy the entire trail.
Hey ya'll - I just participated in a Smart Cycling 101 class presented by the League of American Bicyclists - I highly recommend it - especially for those of us rather new to riding.
35 miles through some brutal hillage in Anaheim Hills today. Time for ride #2. Probably another 20 or so
3.76 more miles today! Woo hoo! I didn't want to stop. (Fuddy duddy hubby.) :)
Ah, but we can't all be you, Peggy!
Really - who cares about weight and calories burned. I haven't weighed myself in 13 years and I don't count calories. And cheeseburgers? You really needn't be concerned about how many cheeseburgers you "burn." (Do hold the bun, however). Don't you all know that "calories in, calories out" is bunk?
Lanesboro is beautiful this time of year. Davis and I rode 61 miles in two outings on the roads and Root River Trail today. That is a new one-day personal best for Davis. He had more in him.
put 16 miles on the today going to and from work, hate to work on saturday, but it was federal over-time, yahoo.
It was a great day for a ride in Onalaska today, Minds in Motion. Lots of fun in spite of the rainy spots. Great support too.
@Troy - Yep you're right! Biked this morning to go pay the Kohl's bill. Went to Sam's to get an industrial roll of aluminum foil! Check the back pack before I left the house to be sure it would fit. Totally didn't take into account how much more a full roll weighs! ;-) Now waiting for it to cool down before I go outside again and do a little maintenance on my bike.
@ EM - thanks for the term 'rollers'! You are right about having just enough power to get back up the next roller!! It's a fanny kicker, but fun!! I'll be out for a week as I'm going fishing on Lake Gaston in VA-NC area. Back on the bike after a week!! Ride 'em y'all!!
Thanks for the input! :) I'll go by the lower estimates, and if it's more than that, simply a bonus.
Congratulations to all riders, together we have saved over $1 million by choosing to bike rather than use a vehicle. Keep up the good work and ride safe!
Thought the wind was pushing hard this morning, then I made my turn for home and had a tail wind. Still not going very fast and I'm thinking, "Man, I must be having an off day, my legs just won't get going". Then about 30 miles into the ride the front fork starts to feel spongy. Sure enough, sometime after I left work this morning I got a slow leak in my front tire. I had been riding on a soft tire for most of the ride. Time to pay John at Sprocketz a visit.
Have fun Gregg. We camp at Firefly and always enjoy the bike trails.
@EM there are a lot of rollers along the highway trail hereI think they are a lot of fun you go dowm 1 hillabout 25MPH and then encounter another hill and get down to about 7MPH then down again lol.Otherwise most of the trails around here are pretty much flat as a pancake ...steady speed.Where I come from there are plenty of hills.
What to do after completing the distance of 2 Tour de France in 46 days? Remind your friend they said they'd buy dinner and do another one faster.
I love rollers. They have a lot of those on the bike trail from Crystal Lake to Boulder Junction in Wisconsin.
Leaving for a week's vacation tomorrow camping on the beach at Crystal Lake in the Northern Highland- American Legion State Forest. Vilas County has over 1,300 lakes and lots of trails and back roads in the forest for biking.
Leaving for a week's vacation tomorrow camping on the beach at Crystal Lake in the Northen Highland- American Legion Forest. Vilas County has over 1,600 lakes and lots of trails and back roads in the forest for biking.
Hi all, rode this morning with temps in 70s and spotted 9 other riders.
@ Jacque, I think your hills are what I call "rollers" you go down one and almost have enough power to get up the next one. Enjoy!!
@Jim - Go to the top of the page, click Prizes, Winners, and the dropdown to switch June to May.
does anyone know who the winners where for may?
It was a great day for riding here, too. 49 when I left the house this morning. Four miles from home, I turn, and the scenery there makes me glad that I got up and riding in the morning. This afternoon was a warm ride home. Now, if we could just educate the drivers of motor vehicles to slow down and move over instead of seeing how close they can come to my most leftward protruding body part or handlebar....
1 Million miles for Wisconsin in 1.5 months! (On the national page - on Wisconsin page still 14400 missing).
Minds In Motion fundraiser ride for the schools Saturday in Onalaska. Come one and all!!
@Astrid - Based on what I've seen, the lower number is probably a closer estimate of how many calories you are burning. Having said that, they are all just estimates. There are way too many factors involved to be totally accurate. Besides the weight, distance, and time, there are dozens of other factors that play into calories burned: Net elevation change, stops and starts, how quickly one accelerates after a stop, wind direction, your speed (someone biking 20 miles in one hour will burn more calories than someone biking 20 miles in 2 hours, all other things being equal, (The wind resistance increases in a geometric progression the faster one rides.), and then there are all of the bike factors. The total weight of the bike is a factor, but not as large of a factor as the weight of the ends of the moving parts, like the tires, (sew ups, clinchers, inner tubes, thorn guards, etc...), wheels, pedals, spokes, shoes, and lower legs. The smaller the ratio of these to overall weight, the better. Riding position and attire also play a part with wind resistance. I could go on with more, but I will leave you with one final one - how efficiently your muscle cells function versus the efficiency with someone else the same height/weight, etc... The only way to find a very accfurate estimate for yourself is to volunteer for a study in an Exercise Physiology lab.
Anyone else doing the Fat Tire Tour of Milwaukee tomorrow?
@ Ray. I ride a Tarmac and love it, but my gut tells me the Roubaix may be the better choice for you. Despite your not feeling much of a difference, it should better on the roads that you describe, and a little more comfortable for long rides. I don't have a problem on long rides with my Tarmac, but on paper its built a bit more for speed and the Roubaix for rough roads and comfort. This is from last year but take a look: http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/road/product/review-specialized-roubaix-comp-sl2-11-42319
Uh-oh Chamayne. You are now at serious risk of never driving your car to the train station again. Way to go! My 'addiction' began when I couldn't keep my car out of the shop and couldn't hack the 90 minute trek to work via bus. I've never looked back!
Today I was on a bike path (part of the Ohio to Erie Trial) with heavy vegetation on both sides when I came upon a deer and her fawn. They ran off ahead of me and with the mother darting back and forth across the trail, I dared not try to pass so I slowed to allow them to run ahead. While she could have easily jumped the vegetation, the fawn could not, so she choose to stay on the trail. After a few hundred feet, the trail crossed a creek, and they were able to go off. Definitely more personal than seeing a deer from a car!
I finally did it! Left the vehicle in the driveway today! Rode to the train and then to work!
I have done extensive Google searching of calories burned by cycling. The best estimate I came up with was .28 calories/pound/mile at a moderate intensity level. Just round that off to .25 calories and it's easy to do the math. A 160 pound person would burn 40 calories/mile. 200 pound person 50 calories/mile.
My own experience with religiously tracking calorie intake, exercise, and weight loss showed the .28 calorie estimate to be very accurate.
I'd love it if Endomondo is right. ;)
It's FitDay.com
@Astrid
Can You give me link to this site? I'd like to check this out :)
Astrid - Does the other site use the distance, or just the duration? If it is just the duration, then Endo would be more accurate - clearly you would burn more claories in 49 minutes riding 10.5 miles than, say 7.3 miles, which would be closer to my pace. If the other site does not use distance and duration, they may be underestimating how hard you are working.
I have found Endo to be very accurate - I work out on Wii, and it gives me a calories burned based on my performance, and the Endo number for the activity is normally almost the same.
Since I'm very curious now - what is the other site?
That's the funny thing - both sites have the same information. Age, height, weight, and how long it's taking me to finish my ride. I guess it's just frustrating that the two estimates are so different!
@Kim - I love rummage sale-ing - but every time we drive around town to them, I think about how much gas we are wasting, since all the stop and start driving causes our gas mileage to plummet. I always feel like any money I saved buying rummage stuff, I have wasted on gas. This way will be MUCH better!
Cora, sounds like a perfect way to get a ride in!
Jude, are you looking only at points for June? The leaderboard defaults to the current month. Go to the drop down list and select 'entire period', hopefully this will make you feel better.
Astrid - Calories burned are based on your height, weight, gender and exertion level. The more accurate the information used to measure these, the more accurate the calorie calculation will be. If you are entering information manually, Endo uses your distance and duration to estimate your exertion level, and uses the data you have entered for height, weight and gender to calculate your calories. The more information the system has to calulate exertion level, the more accurate it will be. If you add heart rate data and/or use the Endo app to track your rides, you will get more accurate results.
So - to answer your question - whichever site is using the most accurate and complete data will produce the most accurate calculation.
Just used Google Maps to route a lovely 23 mile tour-de-rummage-sales for tomorrow, which will include a nice trip thru Telulah park on the last half, so I might have to plan a picnic lunch for Josh (my 3 year old) and I . That should make up for taking last night off. I was so tired and sore after class that I didn't even want to think about getting on my bike. But I still would have if Josh had asked to go for a ride. Lucky for me, he wanted to read a book instead.
Jude, Don't stress about reaching Platinum. The Platinum level is for prizes at the end of the challenge. You have until the end of August to rack up points. Good luck and have fun.
Astrid, I'm no expert but there are calories burned and then there are net calories burned. That could be part of the difference in the calculation. Probably the other website is telling you how many additional (net) calories you burned because of exercising besides the calories you already burn during normal activities. It's also possible that this website is factoring in your weight, speed and time to come up with a more accurate estimate of the effort level required which may result in the higher numbers you see here. However, I couldn't actually tell you which one is right.
Astrid, My thought is it always find a number of sources, and use whatever one is the lowest. If you keep accurate track of your food intake, over time you will know how accurate it is. But going with worst case scenarios are always safe.
For my 11.5 mile ride this morning garmin says 450, the Journal of Sports Sciences calculations gives me 625 and endomondo gives 453. I use 450.
One more thing, he did a quick fitting on that Tarmac before I went out and then matched up the other two bikes to same saddle height/angle, saddle to bar distance, etc before he turned over the keys to them.
I have a question about calories burned while riding. According to Endomondo, my 10.5 mile, 49 minute commute burned 630 calories. Another website I'm using to track food and exercise says that the same ride burned 398 calories. Which one do you think is closer to accurate? It's such a huge difference, makes me wonder...
They do make it hard to get that platinum badge, don't they? It's halfway through the month, and I'm only at about 720 points.
Around 14 000 or 30 000 miles missing to 1 million miles for Wisconsin - depending whether you look at the national or the Wisconsin leader board.
Thanks for all the encouraging words!! I live in the Hill Country so all my rides are on what I call short hills. For every up, there is a great reward of down!! I figure if I can ride about 22 miles in about 2 hours, then on a flat road I should be doing really good. But...no flat roads around here!! So I get a great workout riding the hills. Onward!!
Thanks for all the feedback so far. It's a lot of money, so a big decision. I'm definitely going to rent for a long ride first, just to try to get past the awkward stage before deciding. Going from 700x35c tires on a "heavy" hybrid to the 23c on that very light Tarmac (it was a SL3 Expert model) was like taking off training wheels for the first time. The Roubaix had basic wheels and was noticeably heavier, and the Secteur was aluminum, so those two were closer in feel to my hybrid. I have purchased a couple bikes from that shop and get a lot of accessories from them. I talked with the owner at first and then worked with the general manager who has spent a lot of time answering questions, explaining the details, understanding my concerns, etc. He rides a high end Tarmac and may be a bit biased, but says he has put 120 miles a day on it before, so that says something. I'll hit a couple other local stores to get some more opinions.
Another great Wisconsin morning. No wind, great temp, and just a little light rain for a portion of the ride. This is my kind of weather. I was able to average 15.7 MPH for my ride which may not be spectacular for those of you with road bikes, but for me it's a personal best. Ride safe and let's hit that million mile mark.
Ray, it sounds like you're on the right track, I just went through the same thing last year. I agree with Jerry and would say that the fit is just as important as what bike you choose. I would ride a bunch of bikes from a few different shops, don't be shy, I rode my last bike for over 20 years, I wanted to be sure that this next one was the best possible choice. In testing bikes you are also feelng out the shops, and if it's one you are considering seriously go back 2 or 3 times and chat them up to see if you feel confident in thier knowledge and future support. As you are trying bikes you probably will eventualy find 1 or 2 that just feel right (for me it came down to Fuji and Ridley, and I ended up with the Fuji because I also loved how it looked - the unidirectional carbon reminds me of burled wood). But as mentioned fit is critical, and that starts with the frame size, and that is something you can't change later. So as you look, pay attention the what size frame you are testing and how it feels, and ask each shop what size they think you should be on. So after you narrow it down to the bike and size then there is still all the fine adjustments in every axis for the seat and handlebar, and that's where the shop guy works his magic. As Jerry inferred, sometimes a small change can make a substatial difference in how comfortable it is. I am happy to say this has all worked out perfectly for me, and I've never ridden a more comfortable (or faster) bike, although I'm still working on finding some better shoes that will keep my feet from getting tingly (and eventually numb) on longer rides. Oh, and also I think you will find that carbon takes some of the shock out of road bumps - but you will still feel them. As far as rough roads: my skinny tires have done pretty well on the urban roads in Wisconsin, but I always try to steer the clearest course. Although just last week I ran over a very large stone i didn't see - but I felt it and heard my tire spit it out the side - ka-ping - which did lead to a flat, but my first due to road conditions. And I also was skeptical of the Zertz inserts; maybe they help a little, but I don't know... and I question wither they might weaken the frame at that point. Good luck. Fun and exciting stuff. Never stop exploring.
@Michael that is a rough day!! Ronald - congrats. :) All these platinums in one week is pretty awesome!
@Michael...Such is Life !!!
@ Michael L. - Some days you just can't win :-)
Yesterday was a "there'll be days like this" day. I get in a solid 96 miles day with more planned after I open the shop (Topeka Community Cycle Project) for a couple hours. Then, I'm taking a quick brake when I hear my back tire blow. Okay, It's a hot day maybe the heat got to it. So I pull it off buy one of our tubes air it up and remember I had some trueing to do anyway from the spoke that broke a couple days ago. POP... Another tube flat. The sidewall in the tire had developed a hole. Okay, time to replace the tire, but before I get that on may as well do the trueing right with the tire off. PING... another spoke. !#$% &5%$4 3#€;_- &%$!!!! Start heading home because I have an early appointment today and replacement spokes at home, I see thunderstorms toward home (6 miles away). Yay, for 4 hours sleep and riding my 3 speed until maintence is completed (29er is needing some work to).
79 points to Platinium !! Yahoo!!!
But if I moved south, I'd have to watch out for alligators and snakes ;) At least up here, where we only have winter and construction season, there are plenty or orange barrels to light the way. Then again, I do ride along the Cuyahoga River all the time, that has been known to burn before and who knows what Godzilla type creatures are lurking in that water.
@ Charlie & Martin, I was going to suggest using packing materials, like bubble wrap or some other wrap and duck tape (it comes in colors so you can get fancy).
@Ray - To answer your one big concern - There are probably several states you can move to that have smoother roads. I would think that most of the southern ones would be better, because they don't have to deal with frost heave and road salt.
(Sorry @Ray and @Charlie - I just felt in the mood to say some stupid comments.)
@Charlie - Thanks for the tip. I'll try it. But I do have one question. If I cut a section out of my inner tube, what do I use to keep the tire from going flat?
Hey, look at Wisconsin! We are getting close to 1 million miles already!
I stayed in town and rode around instead of venturing out into the country--was easier to deal with the shifting wind. Not that I am a weenie about the wind, but I am just tired of dealing with it! I like my peaceful, calm evening rides!
Our WI & National are exactly the difference in team points our one MN rider has, so it's working for us.
@Martin, I was also very annoyed by the rattle of my stain less bottle. I cut a cross section from an inner tube about an inch and a half long. Then I slid it onto the bottle to the area where the cage contacted the bottle. Next I carefully wrapped the tube and bottle in that area with electrical tape. I also added a couple sections of tube to the top and bottom of the cage. It has been quiet for years.
Looks like it is going to be potentially very stormy on my vacation next week when we are camping in a pop up camper. :) Chance of isolated thunderstorms every day next week and Monday and Tuesday it says the storms could be very severe.
@Ray. I also had a bike fit when I bought the bike. The little adjustments mean a lot. I went back for a second fitting because on long uphill rides in the mountains my left knee would start to bother me after 50-60 miles. The second fit solved the issue. And the adjustment was a very small adjustment but it made a world of difference. And solved the problem.
Tail wind both ways? I don't know if I'd literally sell my soul for that, but I'd be willing to rent it out for awhile.
Plastered with more lake flys this morning. I thought I was done with those things, but I went through thick clouds of them pelting me all over and kept my mouth shut. They said another big bumper crop hatched yesterday. Now,I suppose I will have a couple more weeks of them again. Are we ever going to get any rain? It's nice for riding, but this drought is really getting serious with farmers.
@Ray. A carbon fiber frame will give you a smoother ride. When I bought my road bike last year, I switched from a Trek Hybrid bike. One thing I was looking for was a bike that was not a racing bike, but a frame that would let me ride more upright. Bikes I test rode were the Madone 5.2 H2 fit, A Cervelo bike, I don't remember the model, A Specialezed Roubaix, and a Cannondale Synapse Ultegra. I test rode each bike about 20 miles. All were great bikes, but the Cannondale Synapse was the bike I choose. For me it stood out above the rest of the bikes.
@Jemny The wind has been shifting this week and I have been trying to figure it out, too. But unlike you, I have been having a tail wind both ways.
@Brad Residents of Wisconsin are cheeseheads.
@Jason, Try a recument...I never have a sore butt, unless I crash. :-(
Just got back from the LBS and some Specialized test riding. Took out a Tarmac, a Roubaix and a Secteur. First time on a road bike since a Schwinn Sprint 20 years ago, if you want to call that a road bike. Going from a mountain bike and a hybrid (both Trek) to a high end road bike is a huge difference. First spin on the Tarmac was uncomfortable, bars way too low. Next out was the Roubaix which was much more comfortable due to the handlebars being higher, but I really didn't think the Roubaix was any smoother with its "Zertz inserts," the bumps felt pretty much the same. They flipped the headset on the Tarmac and that made a huge difference on the second ride. I only put a couple miles on each, not a lot of time, but enough to get a basic feel. I took the Secteur last just for comparison (much less expensive) and it really didn't feel any different than my hybrid. So, I'm leaning towards a mid-level Tarmac, but it's a lot of money, and a big change in riding style, so can't decide. I'm going back next week for a better test ride and plan to rent a similar bike for a long ride before I make a decision. I will keep my two Treks, so the road bike would be just for the road and paved trails, no errands or shopping trips. I'm basically looking for a road bike for longer runs on the road, higher speeds, quicker launch from a stop, better hill climbing. I have done 40+ miles a few times on both my mountain and my hybrid. My one big concern, other than the price tag, is the terrible roads in Ohio. Any thoughts? Comments?
@Martin and Ronald, thanks for the words of encouragement. Just went out today and got a Garmin Edge 200. My other mileage counter sucked and this one seems a lot easier to use. I have a ride scheduled for tomorrow. Should be good weather, I hope. I enjoy riding along the D&R canal towpath. Relatively flat and most of it is smooth. Scenery is wonderful as are the scents in the air. Lots of honeysuckle around at this time of the year. Looking forward to my ride and seeing how my Garmin works. Cheers!!!
HI all. Morning ride again with temps in the 60s. Spotted six other riders. Had to bang on the back of a guy's truck to get him going at a stoplight. It was a left turn and he wasn't paying attention. When he heard the bang he opened his door and looked at me. I yelled "its green" and he took off. I, however, had to wait out the next cycle of the light. GRRRR!!!
Looked at my map and found a couple of new places to ride through a neighborhood instead of the main road. It was much nicer than the main road with traffic & a non-existent shoulder.
RE: Water bottles. Most of our bottles for bicycling are still Nalgene (BPA free) or the Polar brand ones. I have never noticed any bad taste even though 90% of the time we drink water. I just stick them in the dishwasher (top shelf) to clean them. I will try the stainless steel next time I'm buying bottles. Sounds like a great idea for hot weather.
@ Gregg, your sunrise sounds gorgeous. Its nice to be that far north in the summer!
@ Rob, Sorry to hear about the fires out west. This is another reason we need to get more people on bikes. The planet needs all the help it can get. Feel proud of what you are doing to make the planet a better place!!
Yippeeee!!!! I have officially made platinum.
RIDE ON EVERYONE!!!!
@Savanni - It looks like many Camelback water bottles are BPA free. Check out your model online, and see if it is. I used to use the standard squeeze type water bottles, and just leaving plain water in them for a relatively short time would give an off taste. And forget about anythiing left in the bottle from the day before. (Now as far as a regular Camelback with the backpack and pouch - I don't know. I have one, but haven't used it for years.)
Woo hoo. Only 100pts to go to make platinum. Why is it always a headwind going home from work?
Please tell me more about water bottle brands. I once tried out a supposedly stainless steel water bottle and even after cleaning it many times it would taint the water within minutes. For the last few years I've been using a plastic camelback water bottle. Not unhappy with it, but people are frequently telling me about chemicals. Are camelbacks maybe safer?
I'm also in Austin, and... yeah. The heat. It's intense.
Hey, David "Billy the Fish" Powling, how about a "mooch of freeloaders"?
Don't take Jason so seriously - none of us do. He's mostly harmless. Mostly.
This forest fire is making it hard! Time to bandana it up again! For everyone else enjoy the fresh air!
@Jason, Cora suggested a nose-less saddle. My experience (serious biking for about 20 yrs) is that you need to first make sure that you have a decent saddle and that it's properly adjusted - height, fore/aft position, angle - then you just need to put in enough riding time. Once you've established a good internal "callous" (it's not *REALLY* a callous...) on your ischia - the so-called "sit bones" - you'll be good to go, and even after a winter w/o riding, it'll take just a few days next year to be comfortable again.
@Jason - I had the same issue, until I got a nose-less saddle, otherwise known as a granny seat. The ridicule I face from family and friends is well worth the vastly more comfortable ride.
@Jeff - We don't have it anywhere near as bad with heat in Wisconsin, but a few years ago, I switched from a regular water bottle (with BPA) to a BPA Free one. But one thing I noticed with both of them is that even if the temperature is only in the 70s and definitely in the 80s, is that after an hour or so, the water tastes bad. Chemicals still have to be leaching from the plastic - just different ones. I wouldn't notice the off taste with a sports drink in there, but I'm sure it is just being masked.
So, I've gone exclusively to stainless steel. (I just use a non-insulated one, since its not as hot here.) There is no bad taste, even with temperatures in the 90s. Although I've found two minor disadvantages - 1) It is a little more cumbersome to get the water out. 2) Sometimes for larger bumps, either I get my (metal) cage rattled, or my cage rattles my bottle. Both of these I can live with, knowing that what I drink has fewer chemicals.
@Joshua Congrats and have fun
Hi all, this is my first challange on endomundo and my first challange ever. I just got myself a road bike too.
If my butt was fatter, maybe it wouldnt hurt so much when I ride my bicycle... I need more asspadding. Any ideas on how to get my butt fatter? Stupid excersize.
@Jenny, yeah, the wind has been pretty unpredictable the last couple of days. And unfriendly.
@Kim - I love rummage sale-ing - but every time we drive around town to them, I think about how much gas we are wasting, since all the stop and start driving causes our gas mileage to plummet. I always feel like any money I saved buying rummage stuff, I have wasted on gas. This way will be MUCH better!
Another thing about gear: water bottles. I bike in Austin, and we had 90 days of 100+ heat last summer. At some point I tried out a ‘Thermos Nissan 2465 18-Ounce Stainless-Steel Hydration Bottle’ and will never go back to a normal bike bottle. My old good bottles would be annoyingly warm after 30 minutes. Now I have to be careful not to add too much ice or they will not melt. I normally only add 3 cubes to my fridge-chilled water. I have bought 5 or 6 of these bottles now to outfit all my bikes, plus one at work just to use at my desk.
Case in point, on Monday I put 8ish ice cubes into a room temperature bottle and filled it with water from the sink and closed it up and put it on my bike. Left the house at 7 am and it was about 75 degrees outside. Left the bike outside at work where it proceeded to get to around 100 when I left around 5pm. So 10 hours later, I opened it up and took a big pull and while the ice cubes had melted ( I expect they were half melted before I left the house), the water was still quite cold.
Cora, sounds like a perfect way to get a ride in!
It also depends on what you are going to do with the bag and cargo. If you are using the bike mostly for groceries, something like an Axiom's Hunter Shopper Bag works great for dropping bags right into it, but doesn’t work as smoothly on a Topeak rack vs a ‘normal’ rack.
I also have a ‘Pacific Outdoor Equipment Chilli COOP Pannier Rear UNIVERSAL Bike Cooler Pannier’ that is huge, and somewhat insulated that I use for cold or larger stuff.
Just used Google Maps to route a lovely 23 mile tour-de-rummage-sales for tomorrow, which will include a nice trip thru Telulah park on the last half, so I might have to plan a picnic lunch for Josh (my 3 year old) and I . That should make up for taking last night off. I was so tired and sore after class that I didn't even want to think about getting on my bike. But I still would have if Josh had asked to go for a ride. Lucky for me, he wanted to read a book instead.
Jude, Don't stress about reaching Platinum. The Platinum level is for prizes at the end of the challenge. You have until the end of August to rack up points. Good luck and have fun.
@Brad, thanks for feedback. Looks like my theory about new participants is not correct in this case. I contacted support as well and got a nice but not extremely helpful response (link to general instructions, request to check zip code, asked to make screenshots even though all informations including names were provided, send copy of sign up emails etc (which one person I asked didn't have anymore). It looks pretty straight forward that some kind of mistake exists). I am sure they are overwhelmed with many questions and particularly since it looks like this is for free I understand they can't solve every problem. Not a big deal - I just prefer to look at the Wisconsin page over the National one as our ranking is better here ;-) .
Overall I am very happy - my employer allowed this year to advertise the challenge officially, we had a "bike to work" informational event at a central location on Tuesday (maps+route planing, equipment+technical advise together with Wheel&Sprocket, general discussion) and everything seemed to be well received. There will be also an internal "bike to work challenge" on 4 Fridays in June and July.
Madison's school zones were eerily quiet this morning. Too quiet.
Topeak MTX Trunk Bag DX with Side Panniers with the Topeak rack is the way to go. The bag slides into and out of the rack so easy.
@Karlin Warner – ‘Hi, I am looking for recommendations on panniers. ‘
Like Dean, I use a Topeak MTX Trunk Bag DX with Side Panniers with the Topeak rack. The Topeak racks have quick release and the bag slides right in and out and I remove the bag most everywhere I go. I rarely use the side panniers so far, but the trunk bag holds quite a lot of stuff.
Plus with the trunk bag, I don’t have weight off to one side. Quite frequently, I would carry more weight in the pannier than the weight of the bike.
@ Wayne Thats Awesome !!!.. ditto on the Coffee :))
They do make it hard to get that platinum badge, don't they? It's halfway through the month, and I'm only at about 720 points.
Around 14 000 or 30 000 miles missing to 1 million miles for Wisconsin - depending whether you look at the national or the Wisconsin leader board.
Oh I almost forgot I had my cholesterol checked the beginning of May. My overall cholesterol dropped over 60 points!
@Ron, Martin, Back in the beginning of January I started really watching what I ate. I actually started a vegetarian (almost vegan) diet. I also almost drink nothing but water, except for my mandatory cup of coffee in the morning. The pounds really started coming off when I started my cycling routing, since I started I've lost 30 lbs. controlling the two factors; what’s going into the stomach, and your exercise routine has a profound effect on the weight!
@ Martin your right about loosing the weight slowly.. its easier for your body to adjust too and it stays off Inisitally i was loosing 2 lbs a week and now its abot 1lb a week and I hope will continue until i hit my target I some of the weight lose will convert to muscle building which helps for the pushes up the bridges and mountains.
@ Beth Your doing the right things to change who you are and Most important of all is the inprovement in everyones health when they ride!!! Ride safe and Have fun and the Benefits will be rewarded.. Believe it !!
Another great Wisconsin morning. No wind, great temp, and just a little light rain for a portion of the ride. This is my kind of weather. I was able to average 15.7 MPH for my ride which may not be spectacular for those of you with road bikes, but for me it's a personal best. Ride safe and let's hit that million mile mark.
Martin, we have some sort of similar oddity showing up on our team. Our team points for the WI challenge are different than for the National challenge - and the difference happens to be exactly what one of our members has. We have checked his profile and his zip code and location are listed correctly, but in our case he is not new, he was on the team last year also. We contacted support a several times over the past few weeks but so far have heard nothing, and the discrepacy continues.
Did anyone else notice differences between national and Wisconsin leaderboard? If you look for communities usually national has significantly more compared to Wisconsin ones (I checked for Madison and Milwaukee, as well as a few employers). I think the reason for that is that newly signed up members are only counted nationally not on Wisconin leader list. We had some kind of bike event at work and quite a few people signed up for the challenge but from what I can see are "only" counted nationally.
Gregg, since we as residents of Wisconsin are sometimes referred to as badgers, does that description apply to us as well?
NBC Jerseys have been moved to the following page;
http://mtborah.com/our-products/re-order/national-bike-challenge/
I still can't afford one, but if you can, get them before they're gone for good.
I picked up a set of Bontrager basic panniers last month, nothing special, but they do the job for what I need. Easy on & off and decent sized. If I was commuting with my laptop (well, my company's laptop), I think I'd look for something custom designed for a laptop. Rugged, padded, waterproof, and somewhat difficult to remove so someone couldn't just swipe it and run at a red light.
@Karlin- I have TOPEAK bag with drop down panniers, hooks to it's rack. Nice big openings, expandable. Has a dovetail to slide on rack and it is easy on & off. Have had others but this is the best one I came across.
@Beth - I too was last a LAB when it was LAW. Losing weight at between 1/2 a 1 lb a week is probably the best and healthiest way to do it. Any weight you take off slowly will be more likely to stay off. When you get frustrated with the slow process, just keep in mind how long it took to put the weight on.
I don'ty know if you've ever watchedthem, but the Biggest Loser type shows are motivational and exciting, but they aren't very realistic in the real world, as they raise our expectations of ourselves. Who in the real world can lose 8, 10, 12 lbs a week, for several weeks?
But you are correct in adding exercise to help with your cholesterol levels.
Good luck, and let us know periodically how it is going, or if you have any questions along the way.
@Melinda - Having a DH with the same interest as you is extremely helpful. You can encourage each other to ride, and because of that, you will keep on finding more time to bike.
Well, I'm pretty much a roadie so I do have a strong aversion to gravel and/or dirt.
@karlin I'm looking at basil panniers. They fit on the classic bike rack and come in some cool colors and patterns. @Ryan We don't have showers where I work but we do have two bathrooms and a closet so I make do by freshening up (before everyone else arrives) with travel size toiletries and hang my cycling clothes in the closet every day. One thing that really helps are "wet ones". I buy the value sized bag of singles at the store. This requires me to carry a backpack of work clothes and stuff every day but I make do. Like Charlie, people in my office are used to me and my routines.
I love it. My ride this afternoon was harder than before, but a lot of fun. I love challenging myself to keep going.
Thanks, Elizabeth, Brian and Paul! All very helpful!
@Ryan, others have mentioned one of my favorites for your situation, the wipes used for little person cleanup. I also found a bathroom i use. I store a washcloth and small hand towel at my desk. During the day they dry out pretty good. Folks nearby are used to my stuff spread out in the office. Also, my wife says you need one really good friend to honestly tell you if you smell too much. lol
OK, I am on with this challenge. I have been trying to loose weight since the first of the year and it has been slow going since I haven't really been doing any exercise. With that said, I am down about 10lbs or so since Jan. 1 but I got the bad news my cholesterol is up when I had my physical this month. So it's time to get serious with the exercise. I used to belong to LAB way back when it was LAW. I always enjoyed the bike rides and am now looking forward to getting back into it again. Beth
Karlin, my biggest recommendation is to make sure you get a rack that supports your panniers correctly. There are lots of different combos out there, but if you get a rack that doesn't support the panniers correctly, you end up with your panniers smacking against your spokes as you ride. Everyone always screams Ortlieb (and yes they are great) but there are plenty of other great options out there. I have panniers by Seattle Sports (totally waterproof), Axiom (super cute flowery design) and a set by Racktime (very easy to take on/off the bike). If possible, try out some different types to see what you like. If you're buying online, read the reviews (I found all my panniers with the lovely helpful reviews of others).
What is up with the wind? seemed like it was shifting all over the place, I never had it on my back for my ride this evening! lol
Dave, thanks for that. I will keep that in mind. I like trying out the bike trails, so I thought the Friendship trail would be a neat option, but definitely will stick to the road next time.
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Thanks all for the suggestions!!
K-C Health center was real busy with riders from The Freeloaders tonight ...any suggestions for the collective noun for more than one Freeloader?
I have a 9 mile (14km) ride to work. I enjoy the ride but I have nowhere to clean up when I arrive sweaty. What do you do in this case?
Anyone have a good site for comparing bike styles and prices?
@Jenny - FWIW all the roads out west of Neenah aside from Highway 76 and maybe county GG are pretty lightly traveled and bike-friendly - I know of at least 3 group rides per week that head out that way, so the cars seem used to and considerate of cyclists (in my experience, anyway). So I wouldn't feel obligated to take the Friendship Trail - I'd say you're just as well off taking Fairview/Jacobsen Road.
Karlin, I adore my Ortlieb Back Roller Classics. They're waterproof easy to put on/take off, and can be found for about $70 a pair new.
Yes it has been a beautiful ride the past few days but funny not seeing as many on the bike trail. I would be enjoying this while it last.
What a beautiful day for riding a bike here in Wisconsin! We are really getting spoiled with this dry cooler weather in the low 70's. But it's going to heat back up to near 90 by the weekend again. I saw this beautiful orange glow at 4:20 am this morning as the sun was beginning to rise over Lake Winnebago on my ride to work this morning: https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/229929_427027263995793_1483680141_n.jpg. How can you not like to ride with views like this along the lakeshore? I love the fact that it is getting light out already at 4:15 am when I ride to work. But it won't last because in a few more days, it will start getting darker again.
Hi, Karlin. I am afraid I don't have a recommendation for the kind of panniers you are looking for, but several years ago when I started bike communiting in the Twin Cities (my wife and I went 11 years there without a car), I found some great metal collapsable baskets that you could mount on a rear rack. They were perfectly sized for a paper grocery bag, which really helped with shopping. I mounted one on each side and still have them on my classic Schwinn Suburban "commuter bike" that I use for errands around town. I don't know if they still make these, but they may be of interest to some of you other urban/commuter riders. One warning...they are not the lightest things in the world...but then neither is the Suburban. ;-)
Hi, I am looking for recommendations on panniers. Thus far I have been commuting with a small backpack to carry my change of clothes and lunch to work. I have had enough of the sweaty back and am looking into putting a rear rack on my mountain bike and buying some nice panniers. It looks like there are lots and lots of styles of panniers, so I would appreciate recommendations... What type/brand are you using? What do you like or dislike? Thanks in advance!
What a beautiful day for riding a bike here in Wisconsin! We are really getting spoiled with this dry cooler weather in the low 70's. But it's going to heat back up to near 90 by the weekend again. I saw this beautiful orange glow at 4:20 am this morning as the sun was beginning to rise over Lake Winnebago on my ride to work this morning: https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/229929_427027263995793_1483680141_n.jpg. How can you not like to ride with views like this along the lakeshore? I love the fact that it is getting light out already at 4:15 am when I ride to work. But it won't last because in a few more days, it will start getting darker again.
Because Badgers are dumb and like to wander in the road.
Couldn't agree more!! It is a vicious 'cycle'! LOL. Its like a bug bite that gets infected and contagious sooner or later your family and friends get infected!!
Wisconsin is the Badger State -Why is it that I only ever see them as roadkill?
Cora, thanks for sending the link. I actually did that route except I started at Breezewood Lane. On my return trip, I did CB to JJ to Breezewood.
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I enjoyed the Wiouwash trail, but I did not think highly of this section of the Friendship trail. The "packed" gravel is very loose in sections, making for difficult climbs and dangerous descents.
Rear derailler fail on my way home from work today :-(
@Melinda and Jacque - Thanks for sharing your excitement with us all. Whether you ride a little or a lot, you're welcome company in this group. It keeps us all revved up and motivated. Beware, though, that the more you ride the easier it gets, and that usually leads to more riding. ;-) It's a vicious 'cycle.'
Hi all, Out really early this morning and surprized to see so many other riders out so early (10 others). Temps. in the 50s when I started and the 60s by the time I got done.
@ Mike on a Bike, thanks for telling us about all the great ways you are pointing out safety hazards and taking steps to make corrections. There is a traffic light around here that is almost too short for cars to cross. There is another one where the walk light button seems to have no effect, so some documenting is in order. My gripe is grates so I was thinking of taking pictures and rating them: great grate, good grate, bad grate, bicycle eating grate....
@ Burklee, seriously none of us should ever miss our bike.
@ Jackie, way to ride.
RIDE ON EVERYBODY!!!
@Jay - Thanks, good luck, and speedy healing to you!
@Jacque-I'm with Leonard, fifty miles a week is no joke for a new rider! Your doing great. @Melinda, I am excited for you! Enjoy that Trek all you can. I forgot to mention that today I saw another novice commuter out early this a.m., probably the first I have seen in six weeks. That was exciting!
@burklee I actually developed the neuroma after switching to the graphite LOOK KEO Before that I had the small spd which I never had any problems. Sometimes they come back. Took my shoes in to the doctor and he noticed that the one screw into the shoe sits right under the metetarsal that developed the neuroma. I will keep all informed on how well the cortisone works and the desolving of the neuroma as expense of new pedals will have to wait a little while.
I'm so excited. The last time I rode actively was around 17 years ago when I was in college. My DH and I are becoming avid cyclers now. I may not be the fastest, or the strongest, but I sure am loving it. The only trouble I have is finding the time to ride. I'm going to squeeze another ride in tonight before church. And I will say that having the right bike is a whole lot better than a cheap Wal-Mart bike. I like my Trek Navigator. :D
@ Jacque, WAY TO GO!!! You have every right to feel proud. I'm glad to see you are riding and enjoying it. I think this challenge has been very beneficial for many new riders. The more people we can get riding bikes, the better it will be for everyone.
Holy cow Jacque, a "newbie" averaging 50 miles a week is pretty incredible! Don't hurt yourself, still 2.5 months to go...
Ride like you belong!
@Jacque - Great job! You should be proud of youself. That is what this challnge is all about, to get more people out riding so we can collectively not only be healthier, but also raise awareness of just how much fun it is, and that we belong on the roads.
@Jay - Tell me if it helps. I have one in my left foot and one may be forming in my right. I've put arch supports in my shoes because I read that flat feet, which I have, more easily form Morton's neuromas, and have a callus cushion (the little donut-shaped foam pad) over the neuroma in my left foot. My doctor said it's best to put off any surgical treatment because recovery takes a long time, which would put me off the bike. I have heard mixed reviews on cortisone injections in various body parts, but never for Morton's neuromas. What kind of pedals did you have, and to what kind will you be changing?
Being a newbie in riding my new hybrid over 250 miles starting May 1st is very satisfying!! I'm glad to be a part of this challenge....and I'm pretty proud of myself!!
Good luck to Marie W on her half Ironman this weekend!
I know I am going to have to do some serious catching up now.
Smile John, at least you'll be well rested for the weekend rides!
I should take advantage of this "inside information" and put on some heavy miles to pull you back. haha
No riding today or tomorrow just had a cortisone injection to the foot for a mortons neuroma. Have to change my pedals and cleats also.
Oh yea, I also want to say "Thank you" with a video clip from yesterday's morning cyclommute, showing an intersection with a new lengthened yellow light that the BPAC help instigate. It felt a lot safer, not having to worry about cross traffic! one intersection down, xxx more to go!
Ride like you belong!
Working in San Diego this week -- a few good bike routes, not nearly as bike-friendly as Wisconsin. The main "bike path" along the harbor is more like a slalom course for the urban olympics.
No cyclommute today since BPAC starts @ 5:30 in Tampa.
I'll be showing 3 video clips which show hazards to cyclists in the bike lane.
1) A community watering so heavily that the water runs off in "streams" across the road. This causes a loss of braking and increases the risk of getting a flat.
2) A construction project on a 4 lane road w/bike lanes where they directed all traffic into the left lane with construction barrels on the line forcing a cyclist into a dangerous position. All for patching holes on a cross street!
3) Debris in the bike lane. In Florida cyclists are required to ride in the lane if provided. We are allowed to leave the lane for obstacles but that makes us look unpredictable to motorists who can't see the debris so just see cyclists as weaving. When calling Public Works I was told that Hillsborough County no longer maintains the bike lane. I believe that If cyclists have to ride in the bike lane, then they should be well maintained.
My objective is to build awareness on cyclist's needs. Perhaps water bills can include verbiage about over-watering. Road construction companies can make minor changes to protect cyclists.
My objectives to posting it are: Show that when we become more involved changes will be made. Hopefully influence others to run with the baton. Does your area have a BPAC or BAC or MPO? Find out! Attend meetings and if possible get others to attend. After all, these are our streets as well.
@Jessica - Good for you. I don't bother buying a pass anymore either. By riding my bike, I can leave my house 20 minutes later than if I rode the bus, and get to work in plenty of time. Even on hot days when I have to take clothes and change before work, I can leave 10 minutes later. And, if I'm running a bit late, I never have to worry about missing the bike!
I didn't buy a monthly bus pass this month because I am now officially faster than the bus! I wouldn't be if they ran on time haha.
@ Mike fabulous way to put that woman in her place. I like your style!
Mike - glad you were able to maintain control and not go down! When it happened, where were you positioned in the lane?
This is the perfect scenario where video taken to the authorities could make a difference.
Ride like you belong!
I like these new triple wall tires I thought one of my brakes was dragging so when I got home I looked at my tires etc.My back tire had a narrow crown staple on the outer edge and my pressure was down to 35 PSI.they are usually 80 PSI max.I think I had been riding for a couple days like this.I aired up the tire and took off again.It was like flying.It was a good training experience LOL
Charlie - The mount is Velcro'd to my helmet so it always points forward. In Florida, vehicles don't have front license plates so I'm not sure if there would be much advantage. A second camera mounted on the frame facing rearward would be a good way to go.
My videos are used to document the rides so I'd love a rear camera but my guess is it might cause legal challenges as the timestamps would vary. Hopefully, technology will improve and get cheaper so I can get another... then I'd use the Drift facing back.
I have a (creative) friend who mounted a camera on the handlebar and a second on a custom bracket facing back. As I remember, the rear was used more to provide multiple angles than any other reason.
BTW, another use... I've had problems with short yellow signals making crossing intersections very dangerous. I took video clips to the local BPAC and showed them several occurrences of me entering intersections legally (on yellow) and before I left the intersection, I turned my head to capture the cross traffic getting a green signal! Hmmm, what do you think those motorists thought as the cyclist went across after the light turned green?? Most of these events happened when I was moving around 23mph, a cyclist traveling around 16mph would lose the signal before being halfway across.
On this morning's cyclommute it happened again at a previously documented intersection. However this time I had cleared the intersection before it had turned red! Wow, I documented a problem for cyclists, took it to a public meeting and its been fixed!! Tomorrow, I plan to show debris in the bike lanes which I refuse to ride though. Perhaps public works will resume maintaining the lanes after being cut back due to the economy...
Ride like you belong!
I used to ride my bike thru the drive thru back in college, was never an issue. One time, I even got an entire bucket of chicken strips for free, because it was almost closing time and they made too many. Haven't done it recently though.
Mike, I'm glad it wasn't more serious. I got about the same thing from a pick-up in March, just when I was proud of myself for getting out on a cold day. I got off the pavement quickly yesterday when a sewer pumper truck passed me and I didn't have any idea how he cleared me when I saw how close he was to the white line. We have a 4-foot law in PA now. It says the motor vehicles are to clear us by a minimum of 4 feet and pass at a "prudent and cautious speed." The general public and drivers of big sewer pumping trucks need a lot of education on the law.
Thanks Christine! We are happy! In fact, Josh asked me to go for a bike ride tonight! And we met 2 cyclists at the park who did not know about the bike challenge, and they are going to check it out!
Rain, rain, rain...
@Mike - Glad you're OK. I would have done the same thing after her non-apology.
HI all, out early this morning with temps in the 60s. Spotted 9 other riders including one guy who passed me with cheerful greetings and conversation. Thats the way to start the day!! This evening I saw a group of 24 riders, but I wasn't riding at the time. I will have to figure out where they came from because as far as I know that street is a dead end....
@ Mike McD -wow, ouch, glad you were okay. Way to make the drivers aware that you are out there. A car came close to me today and they had a rack with bikes on it on the back! I stuck my arm out and waved it a little to try and indicate to the next car how far away they should stay.
RE: Fast food, yeah the best plan is probably to skip it altogether. But they shouldn't be giving us dirty looks or a hard time. Our money is just as good as everyone elses. Bicycles are vehicles and we have every right to use the drive up window. Maybe the best plan is to take another bicyclist or two with you when you go. And if the weather is good, look for a place with outdoor tables. If enough of us snub the businesses that don't like our bikes (see examples below) maybe some of them will get the message...
Strange sites, no I never saw a guy on a mountain bike hauling a canoe, but I have been canoeing and even the kevlar ones are heavy. But there was a guy on the BRAN who hauled 2 kids in a trailer the whole ride.
got "nudged" from a side mirror on the way to work this AM. Fortunately, it was low speed. When I caught up to the car at the next red light, the women didn't even realize that she had hit me. She also didn't apologize but said I shouldn't be riding on the side of the road so I rode the rest of the way in the middle of the lane in front of her going the speed limit.
Cora, I've been sans computer for the last week and just looked back to see what the outcome of your trailer dilemma was. I'm SO HAPPY that you were able to find the right hitch and are riding with your son in tow again. I'll bet both of you are happier now, too! Yay!!
Jenny - this should link to the route I was thinking of. I am assuming there is a place to park at the nature area.
http://goo.gl/maps/lf0Z
@Michael, do you always ride with the helmet cam pointing forwards? Or, do you sometimes set it pointing to the rear? Thoughts?
I rode in the rain last night, I think about 100 drops hit me and that was it. It looked like it wanted to open up at any second, but it never did. As buggy as it is with the drought, I can't imagine how bad it will be if it ever rains. It has been nice being able to ride almost every day and my lawn doesn't need much attention, but some rain to knock down the dust on the towpath and help clean up the roads would be nice.
Really loving this dry weather in Wisconsin biking, but we are really having a severe drought and the crops are really showing signs of dry and heat stress. My lawn is brown and burnt out and the cracks are getting huge. The strawberries in the fields are small this year and they are drying up, so I have a feeling the season is going to end quickly. But it cooled off into the 60's today, which is nice temps again for biking, but very windy. Our climate is still running a whole month ahead, which is kind of freaky because we are now in a typical July weather pattern with more heat coming by this weekend and there is little chance for any rain. We will be on vacation next week camping up north with our pop up camper and I don't want rain then, but we are very badly in need of some rain soon to salvage any crops here. It is getting very dusty and dry and crops looks really bad.
My wife and I took a vacation for a week. Had one good ride while I was gone. We were in Chama, NM to ride the train. The Cumbres & Toltec. On the day of the ride we chased the train up the road in our van until we could not follow it anymore. Drove back down the mountain and had lunch. I gave the train a 2 1/2 hour head start before I started my ride from Chama, NM to Antonito, CO. I beat the train in by 1 1/2 hours. Beautiful ride over the passes. And than a descent in the high desert country. It is good to be back home in Colorado, though the smoke from the fire up here is strong this morning. When I went out for today's ride, I got out of the smoke as I rode west. Just a short ride up in the foothills today.
Was just noticing that I cross the 1000 point mark with my commute to/from work today. I have been loading the info, but not paying a lot of attention to the points for the last few weeks. Guess I'll be in the drawing for the bikes at the end of the summer.
Tractor Tom in Okeechobee
@Cynthia, raining like mad here too today. I don't see me having time or energy to deal with it tonight but the rest of the week looks promising. I'm two days behind where I usually am at this point-going to have to work harder!
BTW - Anyone in the market for a helmet camera? The Drift Stealth (1080p) is my first attempt and I'm mostly happy with it. The camera captures vehicle license plates if needed later.
My biggest grip is that the timestamp is lost when changing batteries. To be legal in court the timestamp should be visible and accurate (per a couple of attorneys I checked).
The Drift uses a LION battery which lasts approx 2hrs... on long rides it must be swapped and then the date/time reentered (a pain to see the LCD panel in the daylight)
Perhaps others using different helmet cams can relay their experiences. Do any helmet cams retain the date/time?
It's raining in sheets....hopefully it will subside some by 5pm. Riding in rain isnt too bad, it can sometime be quite refreshing, but, this is crazy. Been coming down all day for what seems like the last two weeks. I am not going to let that stop me for my love of riding to work, or riding period. Just have to gear up and go with the elements.
I'm hooked on century rides now after my first one last weekend. I'm doing another one on July 29 at the Best Friends Gourmet Bike Tour here in Neenah. I did the 55 mile route last last year, but I signed up for the century one this year, so this will be my second century. This one also has lots of bakery and food at the rest stops and a nice picnic afterwards. I am getting spoiled with these gourmet bike tours and it seems like I can eat like a horse and still not gain any weight. We aren't going to get all this food at Race the Lake in August and the pace is going to be a little faster there with a lot less stops and rest, so that will be a bit more challenging, but it is 10 miles shorter than a century, which is when I started to feel like I rode enough in 1 day.
I've had no problems walking my bike in Publix, Wal Mart, and Target. Best Buy said no, so I left, walked my bike over to Office Depot and purchased my big external drive so I could keep all my ride videos. (I record rides using a Drift Stealth helmet camera.)
Thanks, Cora. I didn't know about using Google maps in bike mode... will definitely try that out!
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Otherwise, I am thinking I could just start at the park, and do a round trip using CB, Oakridge road, out to the Wiouwash trail, then ride that over to the Hwy 10 trail, and then back to CB where I can get either continue on and do the Trestle trail, or go back to the park and watch the game.
Jenny - you might try to Google Map it. In Bike mode, you can enter a destination, and then right click on the map where you want to start, or vice versa. I have found some great trails I didn't know about using Google Maps Bike routes.
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I don't know how far you wanted to ride... but if you started at Oshkosh-Larsen nature area, on Cnty Road G - you could take trails from there to O'Hauser - that would be 11.7 miles, accorging to Google Maps.
@Micheal - I got the same dirty look from one customer at my local grocery store when I walked my bike through the store. What I found more interesting than the one dirty look, was that there were no quizzical ones. Everyone else acted as if this were perfectly normal, and something they see everyday. Even at the check out, they didn't mention the bike, until after I said "Gosh, it sure would be nice if they'd bring back the bike rack." (As there used to be one right outside the door). They then said "Oh yeah, I wonder waht happened to it" and promised to ask the manager.
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The bike rack is still not back, so now I lock my bike to the cart corral, since there is a no parking zone next to it.
Thanks, Paul. I know my way around II and the CB trail, I know where the park is from there (my mom used to live in apartments that are close by the park). And, not interested in riding all the way from Berlin to Neenah tonight (didn't bring the right shorts for the ride), so I am looking for a good spot to park and ride from a closer distance, but still far enough to get in a decent ride. Or, maybe just park the car at the park and then do a loop? I could do the Hwy 10 trail but I don't know how far outwest that goes. I like the Trestle Trail bridge, but where do you go on the east side of it?
Jenny - you might try to Google Map it. In Bike mode, you can enter a destination, and then right click on the map where you want to start, or vice versa. I have found some great trails I didn't know about using Google Maps Bike routes.
Thanks for that, Michael. Almost forgot about the farmer's market today at one of the parks I normally ride through. I think I'll slap the bags on my bike and pedal over there after work. I don't know what is in season, but I'd love some fresh asparagus or zucchini or yellow squash or green beans. There is one neighborhood where the trail runs between some backyards and a few have small gardens, it's cool to see how things grow day by day, I'm hoping to see some people sitting out out selling veggies this summer.
I had a moment of weakness yesterday on the ride into work as I passed the local Micky-D's.... No racks to speak of, hostility from the drive through people, and as I started to awkwardly walk my bike in, there was nothing but dirty looks from everybody inside mowing down on McDisasters. I learned the error of my ways and picked up some fruit......
Ray - its all good. I have heard a lot of good things about the Garmin for the type of riding you are doing. My daily commute is 8 miles each way - the farthest I have gone this year in one trip is not more than 20 miles. I admire what you and other sport riders are able to do when you set your mind to it. Keep up the good work!
Good point, el embajador. If I am just out commuting or doing errands, watching the data really isn't that important and in those cases, I'll probably just use my iPhone. But for 25, 40, 50 mile rides, without having that data right in front of me, I tend to get lazy. I need to do more transport riding, to replace those hops in the car to grab food after a sport ride, but I can't hit a drive-thru on a bike and most places don't have anywhere to lock up. I know there is a rack in front of Five Guys, but that's just a little too far away to try to ride home from after refueling. I don't know if I should be complaining about missing bike racks at fast food places, or accepting the fact that I should just stay home and eat something healthy.
Cora. My issue with the manual entry is that when you pick a point on the road, and then pick another point a mile or two away, it draws a straight line no matter what curvature is happening in the road. So to get an accurate ride distance, I have to sit there and draw an extremely detailed path around whatever roads i traveled. The "Map my Ride" system automatically follows the curvature of the road between two points making it easier for me at least. No matter, the mobile app works for me and to each their own. It's a good issue to need solving because it means we're riding.
I love the smartphone app, started using it when I lost my cycle computer a few years ago. I've been using it ever since. But I must agree with Ray, it kills the battery life of my phone. So far I've been ok, and not had the need for the phone after spending the day on the bike. But if I'm going on longer rides it is my biggest concern. Did a week long bike ride across North Carolina and couldn't run the app, just killed the battery and didn't have a whole lot of places to charge up for the next day. This is were a Garmin would be great.
Hi Ray - a different perspective here from Wisconsin. I use the smartphone app and like the convenience of simply hitting the start/stop buttons. I put the Iphone in my panniers, then go about enjoying my ride, which is generally commuting or transport. I especially like the Endmondon app for transport, as I may go different ways to different places and its nice to know that my mileage is being accounted for. Good luck in the Challenge and enjoy your summer!
The smartphone apps are good, but if you like to see the data while you are riding, not very convenient. Part of my motivation (since headphones are out) is watching the distance increase, keeping an eye on my pace, seeing heart rate and with all the talk of cadence recently, I added a cadence sensor too. I am using a Garmin Edge 500, which has great battery life and a lot of storage space. The smartphones can do all the same, with adapters and same accessories, but again, you can't watch the numbers very easily (safely) while riding. A basic bike computer can provide most of the same real-time data at a fraction of the cost, and coupled with the smartphone app, you still get the fancy mapping data, but I like the all-in-one device. Plus, I don't have to worry about finding myself in need of help with a cool phone and a dead battery.
Michael - I wonder why you do not find the mapping to be intuitive? If your route is not one you will repeat frequently you can just enter a workout and select "Draw map for this workout" - then you simply click on the map to draw the route. If you take the same route frequently, you can enter and save it as a route so that you only need to draw it once. I have not tried map my ride, but I only use manual entry, as I have no GPS or smart phone, and I find it to be very user friendly.
I've found the smart phone app to be the best way o logging even though I usually forgot to turn the darn thing on and off at the beginning and ends of rides. Logging the routes manually isnt very intuitive on here (unlike a site like "map my ride") and I usually vary a little everyday with my rides so I wouldnt want to make generic routes. The garmen GPS sound interesting though. May have to start saving my pennys.
Les - If I had been you, I would have gone to find the parents. If you had been in a car that little girl would likely not be alive today. As a mom, I would want to know about something like that happening. Clearly, the boy throwing the shoe into the street was very dangerous.
Persistence and consistency count! Even if you only commute a couple miles per day, the points add up! Keep pedaling and logging, short-commuters :_)
What's the strangest biking you have seen recently? On Sunday when it was 90F out, there was a guy on a mountain bike towing his Wenonah kevlar canoe with a portage cart leaving a backwaters area of the Mississippi River. He was at least 2 miles from anywhere he could have put into the water and had at least a mile before he was near any residential area. Talk about a hard core biking enthusiast.
A workout can be edited, but it is very tricky!! And not very intuitive.
Basically save the workout as a "route". Search the "route" and edit it. Got to workout and add as "route".. update data ,because once edited it strips all the gps data out. Then probably should go back and delete the "route"..
Like I said, tricky!
To get calories to calculate, you need to have entered a height and weight in your Endo profile, and then enter the duration of your ride. If you are logging manually from NBC, you will need to edit the workout to enter the time. I log my rides from the Workouts tab in endomondo, as this makes it easier to enter the correct start time, duration and route. Mine should all be public, so fell free to check out how I'm doing it.
You can also log in more detail by going to your profile and clicking on the workouts tab. From there you can log your start time, distance, elapsed time, etc. You can even import directly from a Garmin device or from a file for other devices.
Yesterday I was riding in my neighborhood and a little girl around 2 years old was suddenly in my path because she ran out from behind a large garbage can at the end of her driveway. I am so glad my brakes were in great condition because I locked the wheels and stopped right in front of her. I was ending a long ride and not going very fast either. I have grandkids this age. When I looked for her parents, they were not outside. She was playing with her brother who had thrown her flip flop into the street.
@Mona - you can't delete part - but you can delete all, and then re-enter manually.
Little baby killdeer ran across the road just in front of me last night in the Weston area. Cool sight. Much much better than the real baby deer that have been lurking just off of the ditches, jumping out toward me as I pass by.
Hi Everyone-I wanted to share a link to a site that has all sorts of outdoor activites in the Upper Midwest it's: http://www.midwestweekends.com/plan_a_trip/outdoors_recreations/bicycling/weekend_bicycle_trips.html
Have fun and enjoy!
Thanks for your help out there! Yea, how do you get your calories burned to show up. I have worked to figure that out with no success.
Cynthia -- I think it is set up so each leg of your commute counts as a trip. That's why it has numbers in the dropdown menu, so you can add trips. So a total round trip commute would be two trips.
How do you get your calories burned to show up?
I've seen it both ways... 2 one-way entries or 1 two-way entry...
I keep them separate... manually I see the mileage with "2" next to it I click the "-" and change it to "1" ((one way). So just be consistent! I'm off to change, bye.
Question: when logging your miles for commuting, is the total "trip" considered one way in or to work and then home?
I took my bike for a service and someone picked me up by car. Unfortunately I forgot to stop Endomondo. Now I have a speed for more then 60km/hr :)
Can I delete a part of the ride?
@ Russell...about calories...I also think you have to give data on your height and weight to get a number to register. FYI.
Jenny, If you are ever interested in biking from Berlin to Neenah, there is a pretty nice route. I have done the ride between Ripon and Appleton a few times. You do have to take some "back roads"(west of 116) to avoid the stretch of 116 between Omro and Winneconne (no shoulders and LOTS of traffic). Taking II to the west (from Neenah) is a nice stretch. Nice shoulders, IMHO. It also connects with CB. Some thoughts...I'll let the Neenah folks get you from II/CB into the park. I have no idea where it is. Happy riding.
@Burklee Green
I am also a diabetic. I use Hammer Products for my food source on my rides. For shorter rides I use Hammer Gel. For longer rides I use the gel and Perpetuem. I also use the Endurolytes Fizz in my water.
@cheryl zadrazil
A good general rule to increase your milage is to increase it by about 10% a week.
"I am looking at increasing my cycling distance. I am wondering if there is a general rule regarding the amount of miles I should add on weekly inorder to increase my miles"
I've been riding so much that when I drive I want to brake with my hands. lol
I've been riding so much that when I drive, I want to brake with my hands. lol
2 rides on the trails with our Border Terrier called Finn (Rocket Dog) .
Met a turtle this monring and a doe with fawn taking its first steps in the creek to stay cool this evening
The cool things you see on your bike!
HI everybody, I got in a ride early this morning. Saw about ten other riders. Some joggers are even saying hi these days. I have a Trailnet shirt that says "walk, bike, run." We are all in this together. Had to cut the ride short because of predicted thunderstorms. Barely got back from my ride and got the lawn mowed when it started pouring.
@ Cheryl, ditto the other comments, just get out and ride when you can. I think 3 days/wk minimum is what doctors recommend for exercise in general. And now some of the bicycling magazines have been recommending some "recovery time" before a big ride. So the rule seems to be mix it up a little different lengths of rides and different intensity is good. Basically once you feel like you can go out and ride about 30-35 miles easily you will be ready for fifty. However, note that weather conditions can be a factor. I can ride a lot more miles when the temps are under 80 than when they are over 80 degrees. Also, humidity is a factor. If the humidity is high, I ride better in lower temps. and if the humidity is low I can ride in hotter weather.
RE: food, I'm really glad everyone is chiming in. We are all different with our food needs and you have to experiment and figure out what works for you. Bottom line, you need food and water & electrolytes.
RE: Driving. I ride from my house most days, but once in a while its nice to ride with other people. Riding my bike to the ride start is often impractical because of the distance to the starting point. If I never drove I would have to skip some rides altogether. And some places are just not safe to ride through to get to the ride start. So I say mix it up a little. If you do end up driving to the ride start, maybe you can find some other riders to carpool to the ride start with. Although it can be a game of 3-d tetrus getting all those bikes on a rack. In fact we used to have a picture of the way we got 4 bikes on our rack so we could do it faster the next time. Then some of us got different bikes and we had to start all over. .. LOL
Happy trails everyone!
Hey Neenah riders, I was wondering if you have any suggestions on a bike ride to/from O'Hauser Park? I am driving in for my niece's softball game, and would like to park my car and ride to the park. I know I can incorporate the CB trail into my route, but do you have any other suggestions? I am coming from Berlin, so I could come up from Oshkosh or I go across to Winneconne and come in that way.
@Bruce, sometimes it takes a half-hour or more for the points to get caught up. I think totals are carried over from one computer system to another on a scheduled basis. The "local" numbers seem to take the longest.
@Russell, you have to enter your start time and duration. Are you using a cycling computer?
Hey, how do I get calories burned to show up?
So, where does DNR stand compared to DOT? I heard they challenged us. Any way to find out what the status is?
Thunderstorms and heavy rain limited my commute to one way today. But, managed to get short ride in before work and at lunch. Will try same tomorrow, then schedule and wedding this weekend will make any further riding impossible this week. Oh well, will have to make it up next week. Weekend of 23rd is dedication ride for Northeast rail trail at Cheboygan. I'll probably ride 25-35 miles that day. Should be fun. Michigan Mountain Mayhem went well last weekend. 1500 riders and only the third year. Keep riding everyone!
I cannot wait till we hit that magic 1 million dollars saved. I dont think that there is any better way of telliing big oil and the auto industry that they are on their way out. I hope people are looking at that number and thinking about how much money could be saved if we had every one of the 200+ million liscenced drivers in this country on bikes.
Im not sure how they figure points here.Am I biking backwards?
Got my wheels back! Also, the LBS showed me a sweet Trek Lexa in my price range. I'm going to wait until later this summer to buy another bike but that gives me something to look forward to. I also bought my first real Jersey. :-D
I drove to work today for the first time since back in April, it made for a very strange commute. Everyone thought that i was out sick when they didn't see my bike in the rack.
A rear axel failure four damaged balls that i change, but i found a damage mace too, i will change it on next payment, now i will lose miles, grrr!!!
I have ridden every day for the last seven days. I haven't used my car at all (but I did ride with my housemate to two different events that she was going to, anyway). Tonight, I shall drive. But do I remember how? What was that third pedal for, again?
Burklee-thanks for the advice,I do like Powerade Zero. I guess I'll have to take it with me along with my water.
Well, class begins for me again tonight. I haven't missed a day yet this month and I am hoping to keep up with my riding. Sometimes with working full time, going to school part time and being a wife and mom there are just not enough hours in the day. Thankfully I have a trailer again, so I can take my son with me when I ride. Perhaps we shall start riding to the library...
@George - It's just smart to know what you need to keep yourself from getting sick on a ride and doing it. I rode down to Southpointe Mall once, which is a hilly, twisty ride. I didn't take along any food 'cause I thought I'd be fine. I'm diabetic and ended up making it to Scheel's before I passed out from low blood sugar. I bought a gel pack thing there. That was the worst tasting thing I've ever had in my life, and I'm a bad cook, so that's saying something. I prefer Powerade Zero and some fruit, but whatever you like that keeps you going, take it along.
well I commute 1 mile/ 4-6 times a day (home/work, work/home, home/work, work/home...)so therefore, i do the same ride like 4-6 times a day... not much to fix if it actually happens...
Whenever I ride 30 or more miles I tend to get sick.My last two rides I added two G U gels to my ride in addition to my usual harvest bar.My ride is usually between 30 and forty miles. These last rides I did not get sick. My rides last between1:45 and three hours depending on miles.I'm open to any comments.
I like the thought of using the bike instead of the car to get to your "starting point" of the ride. However, we do need to take some things into consideration. Using myself as an example, I am a busy working mom of 3 children and most days I only have a small window of opportunity to get my ride in. Most of my rides start from my house, but it is a good 15 miles to the nearest trail, and if I want to add interest to my rides, I would rather load up my bike and drive to my starting point, otherwise I would burn up all of my riding time in getting there and getting home. Also, my kids don't have the same endurance as I do, and not the same quality bike, so their ability to ride longer distances is quite limited.
I ride from the house 90% of the time, takes too long to get the rack on the car, the bike loaded up, etc, etc, that's time which could be spent riding. I work at home, so I don't get to commute to/from the office, so I make up for it by commuting to/from the trail instead. --- That RAAM looks pretty cool, I think I'd rather be on the bike than in the car coasting at 15mph. Well, maybe for a few hours at least, then I think I'd rather be in the car.
@Mike_on_Bike, totally agree about not using gas to go for a bike ride. Wonderful touring group that rides around here but my petrophobia almost always keeps me from driving to their start points. Turn the cranks, not the key.
@ Karen, Yes there are RAAM teams (up to 8 riders) but only one rider is on the course at a time (not like the drafting teams in the TdF). Kind of like passing a batton from one rider to another - when one rider stops another starts from the same place. (Team riders start Saturday the 16th.)
Wow, starting to see some people enter the same ride like 4 to 8 times in some groups for miles. Not really what this challenge is about, hope people fix this.
@ Michael oB, No, I've never even qualified for RAAM (too slow...). The closest thing to "live coverage" for RAAM is their leaderboard/tracking system. There are no video broadcasts that I am aware of although some of the individual crews may web-cast parts of their rides.
When ever I do a ride with others I try to ride to the ride. I only use the car if absolutley unavoidable. Seems odd to take your car to a ride that you could ride your bike to and from.
Ray, good advice about parking in the middle! Riding from the house can also provide the same advantage. I avoid using the car for local rides for two reasons... 1) Won't get back in car with wet riding gear (can lead to saddle sores). When traveling by car, I use a water gallon bottle to rinse myself (and bike) down and clean change of clothes. 2) My problem, but somehow seems wrong to use gas to go for a bike ride!
Yep, just ride. When I started riding this year, I was doing 5-20 miles, then one day decided to go for a long ride and went 40. I did 50 on Saturday in less time than it took to do that 40 the first time. I have no specific training regimen, some days I ride a long way, some days short, usually depends on when I can get out. One tip I read somewhere was to park in the middle and then go from there. So if you want to ride 40 miles, park (or leave home) and go 10 miles out, 10 miles back and then based on how you feel, either turn around and do it again, or go 10 miles out the other direction. Don't ride 20 miles from your car/house and then kick yourself when you realize you have to ride 20 miles back and don't have the energy or desire. (been there, done that)
Cheryl....just ride and enjoy yourself. You don't have to track your miles and do scheduled increases....just ride til your not having fun any more and stop. Eventually, you will have ridden 50 miles and your won't even know it. I used to think my 15 miles commute was a big deal. Now I don't even count it as a work out.
@Cheryl that is an interesting question and one I have had before. Thanks for asking it. @Michael, you are the man with the links! Awesome. I love watching the Tours on t.v., always have. I'll never aspire to be a racer but I love to watch racing -in track & field, cars, bikes, skaters, etc.
Leonard - there are teams for RAAM. I know a couple folks who are on one and racing...I think it starts before or after the individuals tho....
I have found that increasing my miles is a combination of incremental increase and keepijng the fun in it. I have over time increased my miles to about 40 per day. When I take a break, lower my mileage on a tour or trip or for whatever reason reduce ride miles then I do the following.
I start with a ride the combines 20 minutes of warm up to sweating (spinninng), then 1'40" of harmmer down. I monitor heart rate and cadence to get 80 rpms and about 140 average bpm. This gives me an idea of where to start to get back to my target daily fitness level
I ride for fitness so I am looking to ride at 16mph over 40 miles as a daily target, more or less ;-)
Two things I have learned with this. Building back speed and increasing distance can be done at the same time through increases in increments of no more than 10 % in a five day stretch. Also, this is for a 60 year old clydesdale with the wring body type for cycling. The last key is to have fun.
Leonard have you done RAAM? It's on my bucket list... I'll let you know when I head out to Sebring to qualify. I understand the qualification is for 2 years, so hopefully within the next year or so...
There's no live coverage of RAAM is there? I'd love to watch some... I remember some video of (last year's) RAAM where riders used Duct Tape to hold their heads up! I can only imagine what RAAM must be like since my neck is usually the last thing I'm concerned about on double-centuries!
Congrats Cheryl! Here is a good site (http://RoadBikeRider.com, sign up for the weekly newsletter. It may not answer all your questions but should help!
Start a slow increase in weekly miles, there's no rush you have lots of time. Knowing when you're ready is more subjective. I knew I was ready for my first century (100 miles) when i could do 70 miles without "blowing up".
Stay positive, you'll make it!
@ Michael on Bicycle - Good points about watching bicycle races. I would like to mention the toughest bicycle race in the world. The TdF is an interesting little ride made up of professional teams (kind of short, only 2185 miles in 23 days).
If you want to follow real people (i.e., folks like most of the people in this challenge that have regular 9 to 5 jobs), follow the Race Across AMerica (RAAM). It starts tomorrow in Oceanside CA and ends 12 days later in Annapolis MD. It covers 2989.5 miles (over 800 miles longer than the TdF and finished in half the time) - the winner usually finishes in about 9 days.
BTW, this is a SOLO race, not a team drafting race (no pelotons, NO drafting allowed). It is all individual effort. Once the clock starts tomorrow, it doesn't stop till the rider arrives in MD. NO scheduled breaks, NO rest days, NO multi-million dollar teams, just determined individuals doing something we all like, riding their bikes.
To follow the action, go to:
http://www.raceacrossamerica.org/raam/raam.php
I am looking at increasing my cycling distance. I am wondering if there is a link, website or a general rule regarding the amount of miles I should add on weekly inorder to increase my miles and how I should vary my rides during the week (ie) long vs short. Also, I am planning to bike 50 miles in the Door County Century come September, so how do I determine if I"m ready? The websites I've found seem more geared toward competative bikers. I'm just your average, overweight, middle-aged women striving for fitness. Any help would be so appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Since the NBC started I haven't lost any weight, but lately noticed all my clothes fit so much looser! Thank you National Bike Challenge!!! Ride on and happy Monday!
Went out Sunday to do hill work. .....Not. Too hot and brought only one water bottle. Althought didn't accomplish that task, still rode for 25 miles.
Now that you're enjoying cycling again... have you watched any bike races?
There's lots to learn by watching the pros and listening to the commentators. Besides, now you've seen how even a 5mph headwind feels you'll the appreciate the effort they are making and how cycling truly is a team sport.
Universal Sports and NBC Sports (formally Vs.) cover cycling and on your computer try http://www.steepHill.tv for coverage of all the races. Definitely try to catch the Tour de France starting July 1st to see the best of the best. Don't worry about getting all the rider's names and teams, that comes with time! Enjoy!
Ride like you belong!
A few years ago I was 210+ pounds and 5'8". I bike a lot, but I found one also has to monitor food input. There are some nice apps that help you do that--enter the food & quantity as well as enter your exercise. That way you monitor calories in and calories out. (Lance was notorious for doing this--actually weighing everything to be accurate.) Now I'm a little under 150, and I feel like I have a lot more energy than I used to and probably in the best physical condition of my life. Most importantly is the "bella in sella" factor (Italian for actually "looking good in lycra"). You need to eat some carbs on long rides because your body won't burn fat unless there are carbs available; just don't overdo it.
Don't beat yourselves up! Weight loss in the beginning is hard to measure because you are building muscles which is 3X heavier than fat. It will come fast however when you keep up with the rides. As Leonard has pointed out... if you don't go to fast your body will consume fat... push too hard and the body switches gears and won't burn fat. If your commute to work is less than one hour don't eat much more than normal.
My commute is 1.25 hours and I drink only water... when I arrive at work I'll have a big glass of choc. milk (if I push hard otherwise a Yoohoo) and a banana... For lunch I'll have high protein, like P&J or Tuna fish on dense bread (like Arnolds). Throughout the day I'll munch on pretzels with peanut butter, grapes and lots of tea & water.
Ride like you belong!
Nice morning for a ride. Fireflies were blinking in the low areas along the road when I started out. Managed to miss most of the rain, although a little lightning off to the southeast is a great motivator and I finished my ride with my best pace yet.
@Russell, I think alot of us are feeling stronger but not seeing on the scale yet. I saw a couple of pounds drop off, but am hoping for more. I'm thinking about registering for my first tour this fall @ the 30ish mile level. @Michael L - Congrats!! I see how hard you've been working.
CONGRATULATIONS to Michael Lemuel for capturing first place overall. Michael, you have worked hard and really applied yourself to reach first. You've earned the position and respect of everyone participating in this challenge. You are an excellent example of what this challenge is all about. FANTASTIC riding, you are one awesome person. Keep the pedals spinning and be safe - enjoy your rides.
@Martin singing cadences out loud insures that you are also breathing deeply.
@Al - If that is true, then I must have a lot of muscle in my cranium, at least that is what people keep on telling me.
@Russell: There have been some really inspiring stories on here. Keep pedaling and working at it. I like to measure progress in the waist line and feeling good, instead of weight; muscle is more dense than fat.
Hey, I like the waist line idea. And I am feeling better, stronger. 3-4 years ago I dropped to 168 lbs. Felt good and climbing was alot easier, but, felt it was too light a weight for me. Thanks for the perspective.
Hot day, 92 degrees or better. Thank goodness humidity was fairly low and wind was blowing, until tonight. Graduation open house today so only time for short ride just before dark. Still motivated. Over 4 million miles for the entire group is a motivator, too. Feeling stronger, but, weight not changing much. Hoped to drop a few more pounds as of now. Will keep cycling. Goal 180 lbs by end of August!
This Challenge is great. Enjoying all the comments and learning a lot. It's June, with longer hours of daylight as we approach summer. A good time for me to get up earlier and enjoy more miles on the way to work. I'm itching to get more miles in as time permits. Would like to get a 40 or 50 miler or two in soon, with my sights on a 100-miler my wife and I can do on our tandem in August. I love the discussion about putting in the calories immediately after the ride, but I'll take ice cream instead of the beer.
After platinum, you just have to move to the leaderboard category. I should hit platinum tomorrow, from there I'll just keep riding to be one more bike on the road and to keep my name near the top. I went bike shopping today, went in look for an slightly better than entry level road bike, walked out ready to buy one 3 times what I intended to spend. I figure might as well spend a bit more for a much better one that will last a long time, rather than get a "cheap" one only to end up buying a better one next year. They had to order what I think I want, but no commitment to buy if I don't like it. If I do buy one, I'm going to have to ride a few centuries to justify the price to myself.
just did another 6.2 I feeeel good...maybe 100 miles per day by end of season!!!!
Cadence is a wonderful thing - I am never going to be the fastest but I can keep going and going! Echo comments about riding with earbuds; you become oblivious to things going on around You. I felt like today was ride with no hands day...did I miss the memo? You have to shout pretty loud to be heard when passing dudes changing tracks or adjusting their ithings with no hands on the bars. Almost as bad as driving with no hands on the wheel on the beltway.
@Bruce - Right on! Making it instinctive like you are doing means you don't really have to think about it, and you will find that you will actually end up being able to go the same speed as before for a lot longer distance, recover quicker, and will want to ride farther the next day than you normally would have. Then the miles and points will really start adding up.
My butt also started feeling like it had enough riding for today at about mile 90. So Race the Lake, which is only 90 miles will be a piece of cake because I hardly doubt it will be as hot as it was today because by the end of August we will be be having September weather with the way our climate is going. However, I doubt whether wave 7 (20 mph) will stop much at rest stops, because it is a race and it may be more difficult to sustain energy continuously for 90 miles without ever getting off the bike.
I didn't pass out in the heat today on my first 100 mile century route sponsored by the Neenah/Menasha Fire Rescue. at Jefferson Park because they fed and hydrated me at rest stops like a king on a procession. And I survived the heat today without taking my national bike jersey off. lol You should be proud of me, Charlie. haha The only discomfort I had for awhile was a hot left foot at about the 80 mile marker. I must put more pressure on the left foot than the right. But I unclipped my left shoe out of the pedal while we were riding for several miles and put pressure on a different area of my foot and my hot foot went away and I could clip back in and pedal again with both shoes clipped in .
been working on my cadence.I have found that boosting my cadence makes me less tired and my average time running the same route even in a strong head wind was only .3 off my regular pace.No more paying attn to ground speed.I just shift down when I feel the pull.After 30 miles dont hurt at all.Two years ago I was ready to heve knees replaced LOL.
@karen no, just shirt less (my user picture). HPD wouldn't like that so much. But some spots allowed the naturalist to run free for several minutes before we hit the public trails.
A good thing to do next year is to perhaps reset personal miles and points each month, so that each month becomes so to speak a new challenge, starting at zero. Everyone's miles could still accumulate as a group and on teams etc,, but, but on an individual basis each month our miles could be reset to 0. That's the goal I made up myself this month anyways and that is to reach a 2nd platinum of 1,500 points this month, so that I will have a total of 3,000 points by the end of June. reaching platinum level 2. :)
@John Henry - We're all learning from each other. I've already learned several things from others. If I can save even a few knees as part of this...
@Michael L Congratulations on taking over 1st place! Those are some impressive mileages this month. You had to do that much to pass Leonard.
AboutCadence - @Michael L mentioned the method I use for cadence, and that is playing a tune in your head, (or singing out loud, but quietly), that is the right cadence. I didn't mention it in my earlier posts, because some might think that it would be a good idea to download several songs with the right beat, and just play them while riding. But that is just too unsafe. (There are several websites for getting song lists that are 90 beat per minute songs, just look up "90 beat songs". Some even say they are for the proper cadence for biking or running. I recommend getting to know some of these songs, and then doing like @Michael L does, and play them non-electronically.)
I've volunteered for a lot of running races as the lead biker, and runners who think they have the volume turned down low on their earbuds, thinking they can still hear everything around them, will not hear me even if I am shouting at the top of my lungs less than 5 feet behind them or 10 feet in front of them, (the first is for more than one distance race after the races converge, and I'm trying to clear a path for the lead runners in the longer race, and the second is when the race is out and back on a bike path and I'm bringing the lead runner back). I finally have to tap the former ones on their shoulder and hope they jump away from me, not into my bike.
To think of having earbuds while biking, you simply cannot hear all of the traffic noises with them in. And now with all of the electric cars, it is even more difficult to hear them normally, let alone with a distraction.
And this part is particularly for women - One can never be too careful nowadays, as some with bad intent in a desolate area could come from behind cars or bushes, and knock you down. You want to have as early a warning as possible. It is also a good idea to not always ride at the same time of day along the same route, establishing a routine that someone can detect, particularly if that route has infrequent traffic.
Please everyone - be safe.
@Jenny, I agree, we need a level beyond the 1500 mile mark, given the fact many are at 1500 points or nearly there. I find the point system seriously motivating. What about Iron, Titanium, or Zinc? What about extending the Get Up and Bike Challenge thru the fall?
I didn't pass out in the heat today on my first 100 mile century route sponsored by the Neenah/Menasha Fire Rescue. at Jefferson Park today because they fed and hydrated me at rest stops like a king on a procession. And I survived the heat today without taking my national bike jersey off. lol You should be proud of me, Charlie. haha
Knock, knock.... Leonard!!! Your a hard man to catch, but here I am. It's been exhausting! Endomondo, Kimberly-Clark, League of American Bicyclist; Thank you for inspiring me to see what I could do. I haven't felt this confident in myself since I got out of the army. Leonard, a special thanks to you for being a awesome person with a great personallity. You didn't take it easy on me, yet you always had words of encouragement. I look forword to these last 2 1/2 months. I hope we get a chance to meet.
Plutonium? At 5,000 points. Yes please
I think they need a level above platinum....what do we have to work towards after we get there?
Earnest...did you do it naked?
Just finished two metric centuries in the Tulsa Tough. Phew; I'm tired.
Just wanted to mention I partook in my first social bike ride. It happened to be yesterday's World Naked Bike Ride (Houston). It took cycling to a level i didn't expect. We in circled several versatile neighborhoods, radio station, universitys, parks and several diverse watering holes. 20miles or so, 7pm-1am, with several shuttles at stops in case someone had to go back to start. An interesting experience to say the least. Met one NBC member and encouraged several!
If your curious, my twitter feed semi NSFW Instagrams.
https://mobile.twitter.com/EGHtown/status/211611427558002689
Have a safe ride everyone. Thanks for reading. :)
@ Gregg, congrats on the century. I hope I'll be able to get one in before this challenge is over. Its been a long time since I tried one.
Hi all, out early this morning and did part of my ride in reverse just for fun. Temps in the 70s but noticeably more humid than yesterday. Spotted 45 other riders.
RE: The water bottles. I just stick mine on the top shelf in the dishwasher to clean them. I mainly drink water. I don't like the sugar either, but at least the G2 has less than the regular Gatorade. There are probably other drinks with electrolytes...
My best food tip is bananas (anything with potassium helps with the joints). I also read that if you don't eat and go ride for an hour you will be burning fat instead of what you just ate. Of couse, you don't want to ride any longer than that on empty, we don't want people passing out. Maybe you could test what you can tolerate as far as eating and riding by using an exercise bike. I'm not a doctor, so DISCLAIMER HERE.
@ Leonard, thats the best way to go: enjoy both the riding and the eating. No way you can do that driving...
@ Jenny, I have to agree with you. My bike is a road/touring hybrid. My front tire is a little wider than my rear tire because I have concerns about grates. The neighborhoods around here have grates at the bottom of steep hills and the grates go all the way across the street. So if its wet, I am inclined to detour briefly across the sidewalk. I'm sure I could go faster with a strictly road bike or even a different front tire, but safety trumps speed. And some bike paths are gravel, so the hybrid is good for that too. Besides my bike is purple...
@ Heather, sorry to hear your wheels are out of comission. Since your knee is bothering you, you might have the bike shop help you adjust your seat height when you pick it up.
@ Ron, I am 159 away from platinum, so lets see who gets there first!
I survived the Neenah/Menasha Fire Rescue Backdraft 100 mile century tour in this hot windy weather from the south without a flat and they didn't need to rescue me. haha This was my first century ride. Our group of about 30 riders had just 1 flat.. The Neenah/Menasha Fre Rescue gave us great support with subs, fruit, bagels, cookies, baked goods and other snacks at 4 rest stops, plus plenty of ice and water and gatorade. Plus we had a spagetti dinner with salad and more fruit, and desserts, including dairy queen treats at Jefferson Park when we got back. I really enjoyed the 100 mile tour even in this 90 degree heat--looking forward to doing this tour again next year--great route!
@ Michael Cranked Bike Studio roadies in Neenah here always top off their Tuesday night rides with brew.
Bikes, which bike to buy next for my commuting and long rides? I am leaning towards a drop handle bar commuter style bike. One that you can load up with gear, reasonable tires for both gravel trails, streets, snow and still drop down out of the wind. Maybe even a steel frame for comfort. I may still need a light fast bike to ride on the pure speed trips but I can keep my old aluminum frame that I am riding now for that purpose. Put on smaller tires, etc. Take your time and think about what you want to spend most of your time doing. Go to bike stores and try a few. Then go home and dream for several days. Only after waiting, then go back and make a purchase. Used is probably a great route if you can find the size and model you want. New if you are in a limited used market, small town area. Just my opinions....
244 points to Platinum !!! This is going to be an interesting week !!!
You've really done it now Jenny... better carry a spare tube or patch kit on your next ride! LOL
BTW - If you eat quickly after your ride (in your "glycogen window") you can almost eat anything without it landing on your hips. On some long rides you'll see roadies with coolers filled with beer waiting for their return... hey they're high in carbs! :)
Eric, your post sounds like me... I am burning a lot of calories, but I am also eating a lot to compensate. I wish I could just turn off the hunger and eat the same way, but I just don't seem to be able to do it. I eat a pretty clean diet, however. I sometimes blow it in the evening, so that is where I should concentrate on.
Heather, I am kind of torn between the hybrid that I ride now and the thought of getting a newer bike-a road bike. I ride a lot, and I am envious of the speed that some others can pick up on a road bike, yet I do like the flexibility of the hybrid that I have now, I can go on various road surfaces without worrying too much about my tires. I have yet to get a flat tire (Knock on wood). Nothing really wrong with my old bike, except that it is "old". I think it fits me just fine, and I don't think I would know the difference if it didn't. BTW congrats on your story!
Welcome Jeanie! I was up in Gainesville last week with members of the Gainesville Cycling Club ( http://gccfla.org ). They are very active in the area and have rides you might enjoy joining!
I also carry extra nutrients in powder form on long rides. I no longer use Gatorade however, because of the high sugar content, it damaged my back teeth.
Hearing about the lights you've added brings a smile to my face!! Hopefully you're noticing an increased "safety zone" around your bike. Sounds like you're well on your way, enjoy...
Ride like you belong!
-michael
This is my first time to post, but I wanted to thank Michael L for the good tip about taking pre-measured Gade powder on rides. I use a baby bottle brush and plenty of hot water to keep my Gade water bottle from getting stinky. And thanks to Michael in Tampa for earlier posts about lights on your bike. I now have two rear flashers and one front. BTW, I'm up in Gainesville FL.
@ eric b.n. - I don't think it's a matter so much of what I eat (I have HORRIBLE eating habits) but the fact that I spend most of my riding time with my heart rate right in the middle of the fat burning range. I have well over 9,000 miles so far for the year, that burns a LOT of calories no matter how you look at it..... I kind of laugh at the fact this challenge is tracking money saved, if I were to use the money I spend on all the extra food I eat to buy gas, I could afford to drive a big motorhome to Alaska and back (from Florida) for a summer vacation.....
well went on a test ride without fixing the tire. it was small enough that the self sealing aspect of it works!
Bike is in the shop for a few days. :-( also, they measured my bike and said its too short for me by a couple of inches. I knew my legs were crunched because a knee has really been bugging me. I have a crazy long inseam for height. I kind of want a road bike with drops-am looking at used ones but I wish I understood fit and sizes a little more
Yesterday we passed 150 miles per NBC registrant. If we had 50,000 registrants, we would only need to average 200 miles to reach our 10,000,000 mile goal. But as it is, we will need a little over 300 per person, but should get well over 400. (That is counting all of the 7,000 - 8,000 or so who haven't logged in any miles yet.)
I'm jealous. I have been trying to get back to those kind of fat numbers for 10 years. I had them when I was a serious triathlete in the early 90"s, but haven't been able to push away from my wife's excellent cooking - and everything in between :) What do you eat (or not eat) that gives you those numbers at your age??? I would be interested in giving it a try... I have a ruptured disc in L4-5 that is slow to heal and arthritic knees that are painful if not continually stretched... Weight is a concern. More miles seems to just lead to more food to compensate and I make no progress of the fat ratio. I would like to be in the 190 range (at 6-3) but cannot get much below 210... would be interested in your take....
@ Michael L, You ride your cadence the same way I do - I'm not usually paying that much attention to the cadence monitor while I ride - I just like to look at the data after the ride to see what went on (I'm an information junkie....).
What are you doing up at 1:00am?? Don't you know it's bedtime??? With all the riding you've been doing, you need your sleep - lots and lots of sleep. :-)
{ If I didn't waste so much time on this darn computer I'd be able to ride more miles. }
@ Gregg, Just for reference information - my body fat consistently measures around 11-12%. Cycling does burn fat.... By the end of the summer, I expect to see my body fat to be somewhere around 7-8%. (Last year it ended up about 8%, I spent much of the winter building it back up to about 15% knowing I would be burning it off this summer - that was even before I heard about the NBC.)
@ Michael, Ditto on the Garmin Edge 305 - it's an older model Garmin but it works great for my type of riding. I like to be able to review my rides and this gives me the information to see both the strong points and when I was having problems. Great little gadget.
Cadence...I've never had a computer for cadence. Really, I just listen to or sing a song with a strong cadence. I'm not sure using a computer is as good. I use a fast cadence down a hill, or early in the day. Up a steep hill or once I'm tired I'll switch to a slow cadence to just keep going. I'll listen to my cadence to get a better idea of how much I can give in order to reach my destination in the quickest time (self psychology).
@ Len, My average "speed" for my century rides is around 14.3 - not very fast compared to when most of the riders around here are doing but it is a speed I can maintain for hours at a time and repeat day after day. I may be old and slow but I can go on and on for a long time. :-)
@ John Henry, I spent almost a year working out with a cadence of 95-100. It got me used to turning the pedals at a higher rate. I've since backed off to around 85. (You can tell the days when I'm really tired - my cadence drops down to the upper 70's.)
I buy my G2 in the big can and fill 3 old script bottles with a water bottle's worth of G2 powder for the day. It saves a lot of weight since I can get water almost anywhere and the bottles are just the right size for pouring through the small water bottle cap. I use old NOS or Gatorade bottles for G2 because I don't want the G2 making my actual "Water" bottles stink.
@Len, Just an idea if you are tired of moving your magnet on the crank arm for the cadence sensor. Someone shared with me the idea of a magnet placed in the hole opposite the pedal. At the local hardware store look for "rare earth magnet". Buy a circular disk magnet just the right diameter for your crank threaded hole (where the pedal threads in. The magnet will stick to the end of the pedal shaft. Then align the cadence sensor with the new magnet. Works really well and stays put. In my case it is 1/2 inch diameter.
Yep, the FTTM way more fun than any century ride!
Obesity: A Big Fat Problem For America’s Future:
http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/the-exchange/obesity-big-fat-problem-america-future-193852066.html
Let's face it. Our technology has made America into couch potatoes and fat ,which has resulted in a national health crisis of epidemic proportions. Solution? "Get Up And Ride"
Obesity: A Big Fat Problem For America’s Future:
http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/the-exchange/obesity-big-fat-problem-america-future-193852066.html
Let's face it. Our technology has made America into couch potatoes and fat ,which has resulted in a national health crisis of epidemic proportions. Solution? "Get Up And Ride"
Hi all, drove over to Illinois today to do an organized ride. Somewhere along the way I missed a turn and ended up riding half of the ride by myself. Between the Garmin, the ride map, and a map on a bike path, I got back on the "real ride" and ended up with 60.49 miles. I was concerned about the heat since the temps. were into the 90s by the end of the ride. I drank one water bottle of G2 on the way to the ride, followed by a bottle of water, then another G2 (the ride had water stops so I was able to fill up with cold water and only took 2 water bottles with me, the G2 was powder) and then another bottle of water to finish off the ride. After the ride I found a grocery store and chugged a single serving of chocolate milk, since milk is supposed to help your muscles recover after riding. As for the chocolate: well, I earned it!! Also ate a couple of bananas, nuts, and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for this ride. Despite the heat I did not get a headache, I think all the liquid helped with that. Guess I'll find out tomorrow how the old muscles are fairing.
@ John yeah I was checking out your path today as the stormed rolled around you. Glad you made it back there never fun to have flat especially when its storming !!!
crap! Hit a nail thank goodness for green slime tires, but not ride tonight after all :-(
I am so tired of flats. Changing a flat as the storms roll in all cause the LBS had no kevlar tires.
Congrats on the century!!
Did a "half century" this afternoon. I had two 24oz bottles in frame cages and 6 (yes 6) 20oz bottles in small softside coolers on my rear rack. (1 on each side) All that water weight was quite noticeable. I drained the two 24oz before the halfway mark and nursed a couple of the others on the last half, so my plan to sweat all that weight away didn't go too well. Now where are those ice packs for my knees?
I use a Garmin edge 500 with the speed/cadence sensor. Every so often you have to readjust the magnet on the crank arm.
Niee job, EJC! a century is quite a feat!
@Michael
Thanks a lot Michael! I'll have to buy one and check this out.
I use a Garmin Edge 305 cyclometer but there are many cyclometers with cadence. They usually use a magnet on the crank arm and a sensor on the bicycle frame so each pedal stroke is counted as the arms go around. On inexpensive models the sensor is connected by wire, it is now more common to be wireless.
Oh my knees!!!
How are you checking your cadence? Counting on your own or do you have any program to do that? I think my cadence is also not correct so that's why I am asking :)
just road in my first century(trek 100), quite sore and one point shy of the platinum
Looking forward to the Fat Tire Tour of Milwaukee next weekend. A pub crawl by bicycle, always fun.
Martin thanks for the advice I need it.
Because of me reading some of these posts here, I think I might try a higher cadence ride today. My usual cadence is anywhere between 75-85 on average. I think I need to try a ride where its closer to the 90+ range. So its off to ride I go... Oh and my rides are 30+ miles most of the time. Not the longest but not the shortest either. My main problem is stamina. My last ride I averaged 17 MPH in the first hour, then it just dropped, and I only had a 15.8 MPH average....
Nice write-up Heather!
My gearing... In general on my cyclommutes my goal is 100rpm. That said, sometimes I want to work my legs - lower rpm (around 90) (but listen to your knees!) and other times my cardio system (high rpm, maybe 105). Oher factors, traffic signals - small ring (front) and fairly easy cog in back (if starting requires lots of power, your chain won't last as long); Headwind - higher rpm; Uphill - small ring, high rpm; Downhill - large ring and medium rpm for more control.
Experienced users will remind you not to shift when applying power to the pedals, instead, light pedal while shifting then put the hammer down!
This cadence thing is new thinking to me also. My husband has been trying to coach me on it as I go into the highest gears and of course don't last. Thanks for backing him up. I will cont.inue to try and remember to start counting.
Cumulatively, almost half way to Platinum! Riding in Louisville is waaaay different than riding in Wisconsin. There are HILLS here. BIG hills! I did almost 12 miles in my in-laws neighborhood. Not an easy task when there are city-wide yard sales going on. Dodging cars and pedestrians all over the place. I think "stop" is just a suggestion in this neighborhood.
I took a day off. I only did two miles yesterday instead of my normal 25 mile commute. Wow... I feel *good* today!
So I typically use my bike to commute to work or for exercise. Last night, I got off my speedy touring bike and hopped on an old fashioned heavy upright and went for a joy ride around the city with a friend, with no particular destination in mind. I felt like I was 8 years old! What a feeling to ride purely for pleasure. Note to self: do this more often!
Is it just me, or does it seem silly that my Endomondo phone app always wants me to rate Endomondo when I log on to start a ride? Why doesn't it ask me when I get done?
@gregg good luck tomorrow in your centurybut I know you'll smash it!@Leonard & Nyla thanks! I was honored to share a little more about myself. I realized yesterday after five weeks, I don't feel quite the newbie I did although I have a long way to go! I'm more confident now. I'm excited for riders like Cora who are also breaking stereotypes and getting euphoric highs while cycling. Going out in a couple of hours for my weekend ride. Have great ones today. Celebrate 4 million miles!
for you prople seeing turtles layng eggs on the sides of the roadways and trails, watch those spots a few days later and you will see that a raccoon or opossum has dug them up and eaten them. there will be shell casings lying around the area where the eggs were laid.
@john henry, @E M, @Nyla - If your cadence is a little slow, don't try to change it overnight. Instead, several times each ride, when you think of it, go for a slightly faster cadence, maybe only 5 or 6 counts per minute. After a few weeks, you will find that that cadence is feeling more natural. When you can sustain that, then try for an even faster cadence. Once you are comfortable with a faster cadence, you will find that you can bike longer than before, you won't be as fatigued afterwards, and you won't experience DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness).
My cadence is also slow around 65.I just got a computer for this challenge,it sure has shown me alot.I have been trying to up my cadence at 75-80 I burn out real fast. It's like learning to ride all over again.At 65 I can ride all day.I am 60 years old and when I heard Leonards cadence was 80 to 85,I found I need much improvement.
A quality head got me here. My quality head will see it through.
Just got back from a night/light ride. The last stretch of my ride was a country road so I turned my front light off and enjoyed the blinking of a million lightening bugs in the ditches making me a runway to following.
Only 8 more riders, and we will have 500 riders surpassing Platinum level and 1,500+ points.
( >2,000 @ 1,000+, >6,900 @ 500+ for Gold)
( >100 @ 2,000+, one more for 10 @ 3,000+, and 2 @ 4,000+)
Hi all, got started before 7 am today. Temps in the 60s. Dropped my chain on the way up a hill. Yay wet wipes! Spotted 7 other riders today.
@ Bob D. The BRAN, yes I went once (BRAN 5) and have every intention of doing it again. Next year is a real possibility since both kids will be in college there. Nebraska is ranked 41 for bike friendliness by the League of American Bicyclists. But Lincoln and Omaha both have bronze bicycle friendly ratings and the third largest city is a stadium so no riding there. The state just passed a 3 ft. passing law and most roads have nice wide shoulders. So I say phooey to the ratings, Nebraska is a great place to ride. And BTW Lincoln is kicking you know what in the NBC ratings. So enjoy whats left of the BRAN and maybe I'll see you there in a year or two.
@ Nyla, I have to confess that I never paid the slightest attention to cadence. I used to ride the same stretch of road and put it in the hardest gear possible and push as hard as I could for as long as I could. It was just a blast. Nowdays I do pay more attention to shifting, that's what happens when you live around hills, but I'm not a big fan of spinning. The easiest gears are the last resort.
6 million miles to go. Let's get busy,
Long prior to the persuasively specific science recently generously shared by Martin pertaining to the importance of a proper (90 or so) pedaling cadence, I’ve known for many years that my cadence is “wrong”, involving an overwhelming, entrenched preference for high gear barring strong headwinds or steep inclines. I haven’t actually counted but suspect it is closer to 60 than 90. In light of the clearly extensive research involved, particularly regarding injury incidence reports, I certainly wouldn’t recommend my approach to anyone, but I do find myself wondering if I’m the only closet cadence anarchist in the crowd? High gear is persistently most comfortable and enjoyable for me, in contrast to “spinning”, which I find both swiftly fatiguing and outright painful. It also invariably conjures up cartoon imagery of Wyle E. Coyote racing of a cliff in pursuit of the roadrunner…legs paddling furiously in midair…going nowhere. I’ve assumed it must be a matter of needing practice, and employing different muscle groups or fibers (fast-twitch vs. slow twitch, perhaps?). Likely a matter of pure luck, but apart from a unilateral bout with bursitis 27 years ago,(when I rode far less but weighed considerably more) my renegade style hasn’t seemed to cause problems, and I’ve rationalized that I’m simply incorporating strength and weight training into the process. I know I’ll need to make a major adjustment at least in the short run if I intend to continue my “Copper Triangle” quest. I much appreciate recent suggestions regarding core training as well. I‘ve been making a conscious effort to downshift more consistently on inclines (in part because my front hybrid derailleur was rusted into immobility from lack of use at my last tuneup, and the teeth on my smallest gear are worn to the point where the new chain slips off, rendering highest gear inaccessible on that bike)
In the end it always comes down to the fact that I ride first and foremost for enjoyment, and not only don’t enjoy the higher cadence..I actively loathe spinning. I’ve often thought that if I were obliged to maintain that cadence, I would be inclined to stop riding altogether. Is it just me?
I was thinking about riding the Backdraft, but if I do, I will probably just ride 50 miles. The 67 miles last weekend was a huge challenge against the wind.
@David Just got our 2 year old first bike so he can ride with me during the day when it is nice. I try to squeeze a ride in between the radar loops but lately there has been no let ups until midnight.
@Gregg, I love your suggestion to bike part way to work. Right now, my commute is 13.5 miles on the Erie Canal Path and I love it. But I've often considered what I might have to do differently if I had to work a longer distance from home. That's a great idea I will consider if and when the time comes.
John Jay Mcnall's comment "These afternoon storms are killing me" reminded me of a commuting hint I wanted to share. Here in Denver, this time of year, we often have a chance of thunderstorms, usually in the afternoon. In the past, that meant that I would often miss days of commuting when the morning's forecast called for a chance of afternoon thunderstorms. What I've started doing is a "reverse commute": I drive in to work with my bike (and my gear). In the afternoon, I can just take a look at the sky (and maybe the radar loop), and decide to the ride home. Since mornings are rarely stormy, it is no problem to commute back in the next morning. It's really made a difference in the amount of commuting I do!
doing the 50 at the backdraft tour, I have to catch the timber rattlers at 1:05.
@Martin - Thanks for the info. You are a storehouse of knowledge, sir.
@Gregg - Good luck on that century this weekend. I am officiating my first wedding this weekend... a little easier than your impending enterprise. Have fun.
Anyone else here doing the 100 mile Backdraft tour on Sunday at Jefferson Park in Menasha? http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/63745680
I wish we were riding earlier, but we aren't starting until 7 am. It's suppose to get in the 90's, so I hope we get back before it gets too hot. There will be 5 rest stops with an optional additional one at the Harrison Town Hall. I don't want to waste too much time at the rest stops because it will get hot in the afternoon.
If you aren't up to doing a century, there are also 16, 30, 50, and 75 mile routes.
I'm doing my first century ride this Sunday and it is suppose to be in the 90's. But we are going on the ride early at 6 am and should be done no later than noon before it gets really hot. So I don't think the heat will bother me too much, if I drink enough water. I'm also bringing some energy bars with me.
Bob,glad you have enjoyed BRAN. I have done it several times in past years though not for several. Nebraska is a beautiful state with varied terrain despite all the "flyover" jokes. Most communities are filled with dedicated gracoius people. Glad you enjoyed my native state.
@Burklee - It was probably a teacher. A lot of times, 90 is an 'A', or at least an 'A-'.
I don't know who thought of it, but I am sure it was just by observation. Someone counting the cadence of their runners, making a note of it as an interesting but useless fact, and then at the end of the season seeing that those with the slower leg turnover got injured more. When you are watching the next Olympics, check out some of their cadences using the method below. Anyone over 800 meters will be at almost exactly 90 rpm. The difference in speed for the faster runners and the shorter distances all has to do with stride length. (Anyone not close to 90 will most likely have a much longer injury resume than the others.) (Also, if you see them warming up or doing a warm-down, they will still have the same cadence, just a much shorter stride length.)
While biking, you are also effectively changing your stride length by changing the gear you are in. Also, sometimes, bikers will spin by going at just over 100 RPMs for a short time, which helps revitalize their legs, as you are pushing against almost no resistance.
When some of my runners have a slow turnover rate, if they also have a bike, I tell them to us that and spin. The muscle memory from biking will carry over to their running.
The worst case I ever saw was someone doing 50 RPM biking up a minor incline. It made my knees sore just watching them.
@ Laura, Perhaps you could ride part way to work, if you can find a good place to park and you got a means to transport your bike with you. Even, if you ride only 5 miles and drive the other 35, you are saving 10 miles of fuel every day. That is always an option people have who live real far from work. Most businesses will allow you to park in their lot for the day, if you let them know you want to bike part way to work. Sometimes, there are even park and ride lots for people who car pool. But these lots also work good for people who ride a bike part way to work. One of our drivers at UPS does this and drives part way to work and then rides his bike the rest of the way which is about 7 miles. That gives him 14 miles every day commuting part way to work with his bike and 34 points in the challenge. A package car driver usually works 10 hour days Monday-Friday (50 hours/week)
I think the turtles are laying their eggs right now and is why you are seeing so many turtles.
@Martin - Thanks. I was hoping you would come back at me with a method for measuring cadence, and here you've given me three. I think I'll go with the watch method. :) So who determined that 90 RPM is a good cadence?
@ Rob, can we include A&W in Neenah on our moon light ride tonight? :) They are open until 11 pm.
@Jerry J it's better now has some pavement there is still the water problem after heavy rains and of course attack birds
Whooo hooo just entered my miles for the week as I'm doing BRAN; Bike Ride Across Nebraska. 400 miles in the past 6 days and they'll be another 55 tomorrow! NE is really a beautiful state when seen from a saddle.
Wishfull thinking on my part. Rain coming down sideways. Maybe later.
Gorgeous bike photos: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2012/06/pedal_power.html
Anyone see this gem: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2012/06/pedal_power.html
I thought it was pretty specatcular.
@Burklee - You don't need a cadence meter to determine your cadence. If you have a watch, it is pretty easy. And all you need is 10 seconds to do it. When you are not in heavy traffic, look at your watch. When the time (the seconds) ends in a zero or a 5, (using those numbers tends to be easier to remember, especially if you have a watch with a dial), whichever foot is down, that is the foot you will use to count up to 15. The next time that foot is down, that is one. When you get up to 15, simulatneously look at your watch to see if the second time ends in either zero or 5. If it ends in a 1 or a 6, you are pedalling way too slowly. One would think that only one second doesn't make much of a difference, but it does. If it takes you 11 seconds to get 15 revolutions, that is less than 82 rpm, and you are putting too much strain on your tendons and ligaments, particularly in the knee. It would be a good idea to occasionally do that on both level and uphill surfaces, to see if you are getting into the proper gear.
Now, if you don't have a watch, you will have to use one of your ice cubes, (I hope you don't have a 5 lb. block of ice, as that could take a while), measure its weight and surface area, plug that into a formula along with the temperature and humidity, to determine how long it will take to melt, in minutes. Then count how many revolutions it took and divide by the time in minutes.
If you've used up all of your ice on your knee, then use a sundial, and count your revolutions for an hour. (I have two suggestions - 1) Buying as light a sundial as possible, as some of those cement ones can get pretty heavy. 2) Make sure you are facng the same direction at the end of the hour as at the start.)
@ Heather, Excellent article Heather, you did a fantastic interview!!! Your riding and your involvement in the cycling community has been an inspiration to all of us, keep up the wonderful job you are doing getting others involved in cycling.
@Brian. Or anyone who rides along the stretch between the soccer fields and the river, the one time I rode that stretch the path was muddy, and maybee even a little water standing in the area behind the City maintenance yard west of the soccer fields. Is it always like that?
Another hour until wife gets home. Looks like I might be able to sneak in a ride before bad weather hits. Did not get lucky yesterday. These afternoon storms are killing me.
Wow got to ride in the Twin Cities yesterday. What a great trail system! Truely amazing.
We were on the 400 Trail a few years ago, early in the morning, before 6. Lots of rabbits. I was sure we were going to slice and dice a few in our spokes.
Craig - that little fella is growing up, thanks for sharing.! Do they mind you taking photos? They seem fairly uninterested.
There is a very cute sandhill chick on my commute -- pics @ http://beeline.org/endo/crane.html
Does anyone know anything about Dorado brand bikes, and if so, could you direct me to a place with more information on them?
Heather: Cheers and Hurrah....What a wonderful interview. You are a perfect "Poster Person" for the Challenge...You beautifully exemplify and articulate all that is positive, joyous, inspiring and inviting about participation in this Challenge.
Congratulations and Keep Rolling!
Back in the 1970s, my Dad resorted to carrying a tennis racket in his basket to fend off a particularly aggressive strain of blackbirds that haunted an area along his bike commute route near Lindsay Park in Davenport, IA...many years later I read an article in the local paper about people getting bloodied by dive-bombing blackbirds on a bike path in the same vicinity...They can be pretty fierce. Good luck! :-)
Happy to report I have not experienced any bird attacks in the Fox Cities, however, during May, you do need to watch the geese at the Trestle Trail VERY closely. They will attack if you get near their young. I did see a turtle on a dead carp in the same place again this morning. Hard to say if it was the same turtle or carp, they all look the same to me.
Watch out for those cranes on 400 state trail they think they own the bike trail.
@ Burklee - I find that what helps me feel better is to do a short warm-up, then a 20 minute or so yoga routine, followed by some more standard stretches. I do my yoga with my WII, but you can do it anywhere. A good sequence would be
1. left side warrior 1, warrior 2, triangle, twisted triangle
2 right side warrior 1, warrior 2, triangle, twisted triangle
3. downward dog
4. Crescent pose left
5. downward dog
6. crescent pose right
These poses are all good for stretching your entire body, and your legs especially. I will generally end with runner's and hamstring streches, as well as quad stretches.
http://blog.bikeleague.org/blog/2012/06/challenge-recap-week-6-why-i-ride/
@Brian My wife has had an "attack" every day for the past couple days, between the soccer field and the river. They've not made physical contact, but fluttered overhead and made unhappy noises. It's NOT just you.
Well, check out Heather on the News from National Bike Challenge Week 6 Challenge Update. She's famous!!
No access to a WII, no cadence meter. I do have ice though! :) Mainly just using ice and rest. Pain started after taking some hilly streets this weekend. It didn't hurt after the ride to work this morning, which is uphill, but the tendon does still feel a bit swollen. I could stand to stretch after rides. So, no ibuprofen, lower gears on hills. Gotcha.
@Martin - What do you do for a living?
The blackbird and I are still having "discussions" when I ride by his nesting area. I have been watching when I go by his area and have been able to avoid being hit by him. As far a turtles go, they are all over the place by the Wisconsin River in downtown Wausau. Saw one one the trail and a second one hung up on the railroad tracks this morning. Poor thing had managed to climb up onto the rail and got balanced. It's legs were too short to get it over the rest of the way. I stopped and nudged it over with my toe. Not sure if she was happy about it or not. (These are pretty good sized snapping turtles that I have been seeing.
@Brian: Are they Red Wing Black Birds? They often attack cyclists near their nests, it gets pretty bad sometimes around La Crosse. Pretty sure it doesn't really work, but I know several people that swear if they put sunglasses on the back of their helmet, that it stops the attacks. I think it just makes them look a little stupid ;) But you could test that theory for us!
Good morning Fox Cities riders. Tonight is the June Moonlight ride - we will be gathering at Shattuck Park in Neenah, next to the library, at 9 pm. Bring helmets and lights - hope to see you there. Latest forecast: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 66. Southwest wind between 10 and 13 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.
I've gotten two responses no bird attacks. It must be something about me maybe the "bird calls" album i listen on my android device :-)
@Leonard - You're welcome! I've already learned quite a bit from everyone else on here, and am looking forward to what I will learn in the next almost 3 months. This NBC has really been fun and helpful to me. Tips and inspiration from those putting in mega mileage, like you, and how you respond to everyone who comments on your rides, make me feel like I can become not only a better rider, but a better person, too. And the excitement from those who've just taken up biking and have reached a new distance milestone, including @Stephan's son going back and forth in a driveway, or have felt incredible like @Cora, has been infectious! I wish there was a way to measure the energy we all receive from those posts.
@ Martin, Thank you for the information (I know you were helping Burklee, but I found your information useful). For a long time I used a cadence of around 90 rpm. The last couple years I have found a cadence around 80-85 feels more comfortable and efficient for me. Now I know why.... (I also appreciate the information on NSAIDS - never knew that....)
One of the nice things about this challenge, when a person posts a comment they never know who may benefit from what they say. The more we interact with each other, the better it is for everyone.
@ Cora, YOU GOT IT!!! - I think the description of your ride is exactly why I ride the mileage I do day after day. I find cycling to be euphoric, it's a feeling I can't seem to get enough of. I can see you now, finding ways to get out and ride every chance you get. Never lose that feeling, it's a life changer......
@Gregg - I definitely agree about core strengthening. I have all of my runners do it. We start out doing a core workout after their three hardest workouts 3X a week. Each core workout aways includes planks. 20 seconds prone, 20 on a side, 20 supine, and then 20 on the other side. The key on the prone ones is to be as straight as possible and not have your butt up. After three weeks, they do 40 seconds of planks each side 3x a week, and add the easier routine the other 4 days of the week. After another 3 weeks, the planks are changed from a timed routine to doing 10 leg raises with one leg. Killers, but effective.
HI all, Rode this morning again. Nice and cool in the 60s. Spotted 3 other riders. Two joggers said hi today. Yesterday a driver measured my uphill speed at 4 mph. I just laughed and said it was steep right there.
@ Gregg, I saw Minnesota from the air on the way back from helping the kids & car get to camp. Man, tons of lakes down there. I thought, its like when you look down on some place with a lot of swimming pools, but they just have bigger ones and they are natural!
@ Burklee, good luck stretching out & strengthening those muscles. If you have access to a WII FIT, some of those exercises might help. I just turn off the annoying "coach" and play music or something instead.
@ Laura, you are out riding and that is what counts. Nevermind that the work commute is too long. Mine is too short cause I work at home. But hey just enjoy riding when you can and think about the gas & energy you save when you make those errand trips.
@ Cora, you are hooked for life, this is not a bad thing.
Happy trails everybody
Almost 4 million miles.
Let's ride folks & reach 4 million by the end of the week.
If we each ride 4 or 5 miles, we'll be there.
Yeah, I rode that stretch often, if not daily, with no bird-related issues. Maybe the birds just like you Brian.
I've always heard about "runner's high" but thanks to bad knees, I've never really enjoyed running, and never felt that. But tonight, on my bike, I think I experienced that. I'm still a novice when it comes to biking, but my ride tonight was not just fun, it was absolutely euphoric! And if not for the NBC, I would not have been out there tonight. So thank you NBC, and thank you fellow riders, I feel amazing!
@Brian. Ride the Hank Aaron trail almost every day. I think I went on the loop around the soccer field once. I did not get attacked by birds. I have never been attacked by birds on the trail along Canal Street either. But that is not a very scientific sample of probability of bird attacks by the river.
Perfect day. High about 80 with low humidity. Never really felt hot. Day off today and got a good 25 miles in. Great riding on days like today. Will commute to work rest of the week. Probably won't have much opportunity to ride next week.
Only problem I have is I live 40 miles away from work. Plus, I work a 12 hour shift.. wish I could ride to work but in my case it isn't practical....
I really enjoy riding my bicycle .What a nice way to work out and to meet new ppl.I know I wont give up my truck as I cant haul 1000 bd feet of white oak or walnut on my bike but for all the errands and short trips plus going back and forth to work the bike is the way to go .The old gas guzzler can sit until needed.
Gregg, that's a very good post on saving energy. I started biking to work (22 mi. round trip) four years ago when gas prices went through the roof. In the couple of weeks I spent getting in shape for that, I found there's very little I can't do on my bike as well as I could in the car. After a year, we went from being a two car to a one car household, and that REALLY saves a lot of money. Keeping a car on the road costs an average of about $8,000 per year, according to AAA. I once shared my tire pump with a guy in his twenties who told me, "I hate cars. Every time I get a car I wind up broke!"
So is anyone out here from the Milwaukee area. I am wondering if you've had the same "problem" I've had. Every time I ride the Hank Arron State Trail River Loop near Marquette Valley field of being attacked by birds. 3 times now it's happened, I've actually thought about taken a slightly different route to avoid it, I loose about 2 miles off my trip but it's better than the bird attacks.
I haven't seen any turtles, but I did have some X-rated human activity on the trail yesterday. That was a first! I did have my camera but decided that probably wasn't a good idea!
@ Martin All of your advice is very good. One thing I would add is strengthen your core with exercises. There are many exercises on line that will strengthen your core. Biking itself doesn't do much to strengthen your core. The stronger core you have, the more miles you will be able to bike pain free and with a lot of enjoyment because biking depends heavily on your core muscles.
"Americans Rank Saving Energy Ahead of Vacations: http://news.yahoo.com/americans-rank-saving-energy-ahead-vacations-151120223.html One of the best ways to save energy is riding a bike to work and for other transportation needs. I have never regretted the decision to ride my bike to work. It's the best decision I have made in my life. I actually look forward to getting up in the the morning and riding 9 miles to work. It only takes me 15 minutes longer than by car and I only have to get up 15 minutes earlier than I did when I drove. I'm also going to ride my bike on vacation on some beautiful paved bike trails in the forest and around some beautiful lakes. The air is so refreshing there.
a few metal specks and a staple caused a flat tire. Put in a new inner tube and home before dark clouds and a possible thunder storm thru the Grace of God.
Hey! It must be turtle time. I spotted10 turtles stretching their necks above the water line during my morning ride along the Apple Creek Trail. The turtles and I were all facing the rising sun as it rose accross the creek.
Great job and great cause Charlie L!
@Burklee - The latest scientific research has shown that there is no inflammation of the affected area when the've examined at tissue under a microscope. So all ...itis's are really ...osis's. Which means that the pain is caused by a degeneration of the tendon, not an inflammation. If your doctor recommended NSAIDS, don't take them, as he/she is behind the times. NSAIDS cause a degeneration of tendons and ligaments, the exact opposite of what you want. Ice is good, followed by any activity that doesn't cause any pain. They also make patellar tendon straps, which could help with your rehab. My guess is that you have done a combination of building up your biking miles too quickly, in conjunction with being in too high of a gear. Ideally, you want to have a cadence of 90 RPMs. This is the same for running, where they want to have 180 steps per minute (That holds true from 800 meters to ultramarathoners at any level. 400 meters and under they have fastr leg turnover. I think I remember clocking Usain Bolt's turnover at somewhere around 220.) So, use your shift levers even for small hills and just before you get to a stop light/sign. The quicker you can get to 90 RPM the better. (Now, there is an exception for those on this board who are putting in mega mileage. They've strengthened their tendons and ligaments over several years of riding, so they can actually be efficient in the mid-lower 80's.) Good luck! Once you are pain free, start doing strengthening exercises, so that you work the front of the knee area, first starting out with light weights, nice and slow, and then gradually building up.
Had a great 116 mile ride to support the Special Olympics. Might have a couple more riders for the challenge too. It was a great day!!
LEts go!
Gah, patellar tendonitis. Dang it. Ow.
Hi there! We've posted a "I'm in the National Bike Challenge because __________." post on the Challenge's Facebook page. The conversations on this homepage are great, and I'd love to see how you fill in the blank! Just go to www.facebook.com/nationalbikechallenge to post the reason *you* ride in the challenge!
Hello Alleyne, a MTB-ker from South Africa. Also do road racing!!
Saw something in Little Lake Buttes de Morts this morning I would have missed if in my car. As I crossed the Trestle Trail in Menasha, saw a big dead carp floating in the water. Getting closer I could see something on the carp, a turtle. Then another one swimming towards it and climbing on. Must be like a drive-thru window for turtles or a nice place to get some sun. Never saw that before. Hope you all had a good ride this morning.
If you are looking for a great place to vacation in Wisconsin with some really nice bike and hiking trails and great fishing, Vilas County in northern Wisconsin is really nice. There is a campground on Crystal Lake with your own sandy beach site on the lake, which is really nice for family swimming.. These are usually full with reservations on weekends, but you can get weekday sites yet. They are only $15/night and are in the American Legion State Forest near Minocqua and Boulder Junction, WI. Since it is a state park, you will also need a park sticker. You can use any camping unit you want on these sites from tents, pop ups, and trailers etc and there are paved biking trails from the campground that connect with Boulder Junction, Sayner, and St. Germain. You will not find any better paved biking trails in the whole state than in this county. The trails go through the forest, so it is mostly shady and there there are literally thousands of lakes and streams along these biking trails. There are also some of the best mountain biking trails in the state in Vilas County. The world's first snowmobile was invented in Sayner, WI And Sayner is home to the Plum Lake Golf Club. Founded in 1912, Plum Lake Golf Club is the oldest 9 hole golf course in Wisconsin. And if you also like fishing, Boulder Junction is known as the "Musky Capital of the World." Vilas County offers 248,389 acres of public forest. In 2005, over 1 million board feet of lumber were harvested, enough to build 100 single family homes. The forest you see is second growth forest and comprises 85% of the county. The entire county has only 21,966 primary residents, but the population increases on average by 60,000 people per week in the summer. Vilas County itself has over 1,000 lakes and neighboring Oneida County has an additional 1,200 lakes and 53 miles of streams. The basis for air quality in the state of Wisconsin comes from air samples at the DNR Trout Lake Headquarters in Boulder Junction. There is no lack of clean air here and is a perfect vacation area that is quiet and has every kind of outdoor recreation here. We are vacationing at the Crystal Lake campground for a whole week beginning Father's Day weekend. I can wait to camp there and of course bring my bike and also an inflatable 4 man raft for navigating some of the small remote lakes for some great fishing. The shops in "downtown" Boulder Junction are very old and unique.
Chesla, To remove a team member (1) click on the team name (by your points on this page) (2) Click "See profile on Endomondo" (3) Click on the "Members" tab. (4) Click "Remove" to remove the rider from your team.
Somebody please tell me how to delete/remove a rider on my team. I'm the captain and we have a ghost rider. Someone signed up and is not logging miles and no identification.
Beautiful ride this morning in Dale, WI ...I did surprise 2 Bucks and 1 Doe...the horns were all velvet! Nice jumpy jumpies.
Hi SJ riders:
Remember to go to Team Bike Challenge (May) and note your trips there. Go back here and transfer (manually) your stats. If you enter your weight, it will calculate the calories burned more accurately. If you have other friends to invite, please do so.
Hoang
Hello. Any mountain bikers out there?
Gene Connor - good on you for your cross country ride. I'm in Wisconsin, so won't be able to join you on your starting leg. I assume you will be taking the southern route, but let me know if your plans include Wisconsin. Bon Voyage!
I think were going to hit 4,000,000 miles this weekend. Very cool Also congrats to the 1000 points people this week. You rock!
Woohooo! 1000 points last night (but not logged until this morning)!
I'm going to put this out there again in the hopes that someone will read it. Are there any cyclists in the San Diego area who might be willing to join me for a 20+ ride on Sunday, June 24th? I'm heading out on a cross country ride to raise money for Sunrise Day Camp (the only dedicated day camp in the country for children with cancer) and I'd love some folks to join me the first way - especially if they know the area. If you can join me, e-mail me at [email protected] and let's ride together!
First time riding in the early morning. I love it.
Pic of me on the bike course at the Green Bay Triathlon by John Cooper Photography: http://www.flickr.com/photos/greggmichaelphotography/7161848277/
More pics here: http://www.backprint.com/go.asp
Endomondo team - Thanks for adding the Rider Leaderboard to States! Feel free to add teams anytime you'd like. ;-)
HI all, out this morning in 60+ weather for a ride. Spotted 11 other riders, about half of them were women and two were teenagers! Also commuted to the drive up window at the bank (yeah the one that has the sign about no bikes in the parking lot).
Forgot to mention that I was trying to recruit the park ranger at Itaska for this challenge. She said she has been commuting 25 miles each way for years. But then she wasn't sure if she qualified because she uses electronic assist. I told her she should sign up anyway, its better than driving around in a couple of thousand pounds of steel...
@ Nyla, I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt riding in the drizzle in Minnesota. But I was having so much fun I didn't care that it was a little cool.
@ Cora How exciting that Josh is getting into the riding and map reading. This is an endangered skill since we have all the electronic mapping devices
@ David -- hi back
@ Heather -- Bicycle Friendly, this is indeed important. We all should get involved any way we can
@ Gene, no the 1000+ points is my grand total for the challenge.
Keep rolling everyone
@Mike ended up with the cheaper rubino today. As luck would have the LBS was out of teh kevlar tires and the pro slicks Had to go to next town over to find the one I got and picked up the last 2 tubes. I guess there have been a lot of flats lately. Rain washing all the little debri into the bike lanes I think.
Jenny: Perfectly expressed sentiment! Driving or cycling, a frequent spring rite is the roadside pause for facilitated turtle crossing. As is characteristic of varied turtle species, gratitude is typically expressed with projectile peeing, and attempts to amputate a finger or thumb (-;
ATTENTION ALL DRIVERS OF CARS: Mr. Turtle does not DART out in front of you. You have enough time to react without driving your car over him, smashing him to bits. Please be respectful of Mr. Turtle!
My first day at a new job. Itll be a 12 mile commute to work all downhill on the way there .
a riding friend once told me "there is no bad weather- just bad clothing ". I try to get my gear before I need it .
I have a ten-mile commute to work on rural roads, with the pinnacle of the commute about 4 miles from work. As go over it, I am going west. Sometimes, there are ominous clouds on the horizon, and even lightning. I tuck down on my bike, pedal like crazy, and think, "Well, the race is on now." Some things, we just have to be out there to experience. How much stuff have you seen on a bike that you've never seen out a car window?
Brief downpour between sunlit spans of bright blue…wringing stickily suspended moisture from the atmosphere, simultaneously rinsing away dust and pollen and leaving behind exquisitely fresh, clear, cool, irresistibly fragrant air. Optimal evening ride…..gifted with two outsized turtle sightings…..one lakeside, scuttling into the reeds at a speed challenging standard slow-motion stereotypes; and the other huge, moss-covered and hunkered down improbably at the end of local sand and gravel driveway.. intently excavating backwards to deposit leathery eggs. (-:
@Nyla, that is when I decided to never own a car again. It was my first day on a bike in nearly 5 years, I realized I missed my connecting bus to get to work and raining. I look at my bike look back in the direction the bus should come from, then to the direction of work and decided to hop on my bike and see when I'd get there rather than guaranteeing at least an hour of tardiness. About a mile in when I would assume most people to start complaining about needing a car, all I could think was "I need rain gear!" Got to work 30 minutes late and my co-workers were looking at me all drenched to which I just responded "What? It'll dry!"
@Nyla-Well said, well said. I think the years of commuting regardless of the ambient conditions, just ended up making me pretty nonchalant about riding in thunderstorms and whatever else nature could throw at me. My inner child always comes out when I'm racing a few yards ahead of those first big fat raindrops before the deluge hits. It makes no difference if I win or lose, the fun is in the challenge.
@John Jay: I had problems with the Vittoria Rubino Pro Slick, but the Rubino (less expensive, tread and wire bead) has worn like iron. It is a little heavier, but for training it's worth not having to stop to repair a flat.
I said earlier today that I had not had a flat in years running Vittoria and jinxed my luck. Got a felt today! Not due to the tire, however, but to a stem which suddenly tore away from the tube.
@ MOB At my age you stay dry when you can Lol !!!!
My wife was giggling at me cause she squeezed a quick "normal" ride in and got to work with a light misting parked was getting into the door of work as the downpour came!
Anyone else ever find yourself riding alone in objectively ridiculous weather (facing icy splinters of water hurled horizontally by gale force headwinds; losing race against sudden torrential summer drenching; *insert regionally appropriate meteorological mischief here) and laughing out loud with sheer exhilaration? I might attribute this perversely gratifying phenomenon to some primal, atavistically hard-wired visceral response to triumphant elemental confrontation, but I suspect it has more in common with the defiant glee of a two-old successfully engaging in behavior to which any responsible grown-up would put an immediate and unequivocal STOP! Cheers to all “mature” souls with unruly children abiding within…consistently choosing to Come Out and Play ANYWAY(-;
Looks like it will be another great night for a ride to Heesaker park!
That is a great target. It just so happens that I pass 600 miles today as well.
Since tomorrow is 6-6, I added a few extra miles to my ride tonight so I could hit 600. Right on the nose. :)
Rode to the polls with my wife. Fun.
Pedaled to local town hall to vote,,,handlebar tape unfurling into a festvie streamer on downhill route. Another beautiful day for a ride (-:
Goodness, I've busted 2 spokes in 2 weeks on my commuter bike. How unfortunate!
They should get an extra 20 point bonus for riding nude. haha
Late notice for those having batterys going dead, get a Powerock that gives you twice the time. About 3oz.
It surprises me that Madison allows this World Naked Bike Ride every year, but on June 18 last year there were over 100 nude men and women on this nude ride: http://host.madison.com/vmix_10c0f6a8-99dc-11e0-bace-001cc4c002e0.html
I'm not sure what day they are doing it this year because I'm not planning on joining them. lol
@Charlie Looks like something I would like, as long as they let me ride without a shirt. lol , I do like riding without a shirt to get the maximum cooling effect on my body. Riding shirtlessin in the hot summer feels great and I love feeling the breeze on my body and keeps me cooler and less sweaty. It's really a comfort issue and I just find wearing any shirt at all very uncomfortable in warm weather. When I worked for McVey Tent and Expo for 2 summers putting up tents for Country USA and other festivals in the Fox Valley area, the majority of the guys wore no shirts cause it was just too uncomfortable working in the hot sun with a shirt on and it was considered acceptable working attire for us guys to be shirtless when working outside in the hot sun and heat of the day. The only restriction was that proper footwear was required, except when washing tents at the shop. We were never allowed to walk on any of his tents with shoes on. Greek men use to compete in the Olympics nude. I won't bike nude as a group does in a nude bike ride in Madison every year, but I do enjoy riding shirtless in the summer being cooled by the breeze. :)
Steve: thanks for the headbadge.com reference, looks like a great site!
Way to go Charlie L! We are gaining on VT...
@Gregg, you should check out this time trial event, http://www.briceprairiebikerace.org/
I think you might like one or both of these events. Didn't you need a reason to travel to this side of the state? Come join me!! The time trial route is flat, all out speed, a little bumpy is the only negative. I didn't check the rules to see if you have to wear a shirt or not. lol
I am riding to support Special Olympics on Thursday. 120 miles from Madison to Point. I think there about 10 in my group. After listening to me talk about the challenge for a number of hours they will all have to be in the challenge just to get me to shut up. Some are already signed up.
You paramount guys need to check out this site and register your bikes.
Thanks Gregg - sounds like a great deal. Mine is a 1988, love the feel of the light steel frame.
This coming weekend is the Backdraft Bike tour on Sunday. Anyone doing this event?
http://www.nmfire.org/backdraft-bike-tour/
I think there is a ride coming up June 16th in Door County. And, at the end of the month is the Green Lake Greenways-not a huge ride, but this is my "home" area and it is a beautiful and sometimes challenging course!
Well, let's assume the Miller Lite Ride miles are now in. Although many riders came in from out of town and therefore counted in their home communities, Milwaukee did move up from #10 to #8. I think the bump is visible even in the state total, where Wisconsin is now close to #1 Vermont. That's the scale of event that it takes to move the numbers for a large population base. Any other really big events coming up? It would be great if the momentum continued.
Gregg, thanks for sharing the link to the Birky pics. I don't see any pics of me (I would be easy to spot, wearing bright pink). I was right behind the tandem bike for portions of the ride.
@ John Not sure what year. I bought it used from one of the Neenah UPS drivers. It's been working great for me. It's the first bike I ever owned with SPD pedals.
Just back from our evening ride with the dog through the trails in Combined Locks and we were treated to the bluest bird in the world - the Indigo Bunting!
Thrilled with that. The dog was pulling pretty good and managed a top speed of 8.71mph
Life is good
Yo Wisconsin, check out the state rankings for June. We are right behind Vermont and it looks like they have lost their momentum. Now is the time to strike - pass the word and grab a buddy or two and lets do this!
Gregg: What year is your Paramount? (just curious)
Congrats Gregg on the Birky!! Your hard work pays off. Keep it between the ditches.
Gregg, Congratulations on your triathlon. Keep up the great work and stay healthy.
Oakridge Farms in Neenah on the CB Trail has pick your own strawberries beginning today. What a beautiful day to go biking and pick some strawberries. This is the earliest pick dayever. Bring your cargo carrier. I'm biking out there now. I love their strawberries and they usually are about $1.35 lb.
Pics from the Birky Challenge Saturday: http://www.wisconsinoutdoorfun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery;Date=20120602&Category=FON01&ArtNo=206020805&Ref=PH&Item=7
Gregg! Way to go! I appreciate your sharing the ups and downs of the training for your triathion. It just keeps it all real. Congradulations!
I was in the Green Bay Triathlon yesterday and this was my first triathlon ever and I am still shocked. I won the 2nd place award trophy in the men's sprint division in my 50-54 age group out of 14 men. I finished 30 overall out of 429 sprint participants and 25 out of 163 in the men's sprint division. The sprint was a 400 yard swim in the man made lake at Ashwaubomay Park, then 16.5 mile bike, and finished with a 5k run (3.1 miles). I broke a personal bike speed record in races and averaged 21.6 mph on my Schwinn Paramount. Out of 163 men in the sprint division I had the 20th best bike time. My fnish time for the entire event was 1:18:52.4. Tim Petrie (33) from Fond du Lac was the overall men's winner with a time of 1:04:55.4 and Jessica Sigl (25) from Green Bay was the overall winner in the women's division with a time of 1:13:47.9
The weather today is so nice for biking to work or wherever.
Don I can't ride to work here in WI cause I work at home but I will enjoy this perfect day on a nice 20-30 miler in a little while. Great day to live in WI...at least for biking in WI. :-)
@Tomislav It absolutely WAS gorgeous. This morning too! Great days to be outside!
Over the Hoan Bridge yesterday morning was gorgeous. And they solved last year's crossing-the-streams problem by routing first south on the northbound lane, and then north on the southbound lane. Miller Lite Ride was fantastic except for that headwind the first 40 miles.
Don - couldn't agree with you more. These are the days that make living in Wisconsin and biking to work memorable!
What a glorious Monday morning for biking to work! If those driving motor vehicles to work only knew what they were missing…
Beautiful day today, but tough riding into the wind. Even so, rode to Cheesefest and back with my son, Josh, in the trailer.
Well, barring a major catastrophe, I'll hit 1,000 miles early this week. Wheeee!
Nyla, I was thinking that ice cream would be just the thing, but I was too tired to go get it.
Brian, I was riding on the county roads just southeast of the Wausau/Weston area. It's a conspiracy I tell you!! The birds are plotting a revolution.
Wally this will freak you out but I got attacked to. My was a little starling, scared the bajibies out of me. Was it by chance on the Hank Arron near Marqutte Valley Field?
If you are in Appleton today and looking for a fun, relaxing time - consider joining us at Jaycee Park from 1 to 4 for the Family Friendly Cycling Festival. There is also free food while it lasts...This event is sponsored by FCCA - Fox Cities Cycling Association.
Jenny - inspiring, may have to try that ride someday.
Cora.: simply Hurrah!..HappyTrails to you and Josh. (-:! Jenny….we have a similar approach to organized rides. As neither bike nor body was built for speed, my principle competition Is former me: easily stalled by daunting wind, weather or distance. You own a newly expanded perception of your own determination, strength, endurance and possibilities. YOU WON! ..so Celebrate…treat yourself to a sunlit, leisurely, ideally downwind ride (and some chocolate (-:)
Wally, thought you meant you saw Alfred :-) He always briefly appeared in all of his movies.... I once broadsided a Canada goose that just took flight on the path in Riverside park Neenah.
Had a little Alfred Hitchcock experience on my ride this morning. I heard a whoosh and then got hit in the back of the head. I looked around just in time to see a redwing blackbird making another dive at me. This is my usual route and I haven't been attacked before so I'm guessing that it has a nest with new hatchlings. Always an adventure.
What a great experience riding the Birky Challenge yesterday! The ride started out a bit later--8 am planned start, but basically didn't start riding until closer to 8:30. Felt a little funny as all of the road bikes passed me by (I ride a "cross bike" or hybrid). Once they all got out of the way and ahead of me, I felt more comfortable, not like a race! The rest stops were all fully stocked with bananas, sliced oranges, granola bars, cookies, and lots of water (gatorade ran out by the time I arrived). There was on site mechanical support to fix flats and such, and a car that kept riding up and down the course to make sure everyone was ok.
I was one of the last finishers, but was happy to say that I wasn't THE last one! LOL. They still had some dinner left upon my return, and still folks out there to cheer every finisher at the end. Was really nice!
So, next time, I just need to have a chat with God before I ride again, please turn off the fan upstairs! The last 20 miles was directly into the wind and was the most grueling experience I have ever had. I was not sure that I was going to finish, but each time the sag wagon came along to ask if I was OK, I said YES! And, since I am still here posting on the website, I guess everything is just fine!
@ Chesla: I think that the captain can remove someone on the team.
Looks like great weather for the Ride For The Arts tomorrow. Have a nice day everyone.
We've got a ghost rider on our team. Don't know who it is - not identified. this person has not logged any miles since the beginning of the challenge. How can we have them removed?
Yay Cora! On the road again!
I GOT MY TRAILER BACK!!!!!! The Michelin Avenir axle mount hitch was a PERFECT replacement for the old hitch on my Safety First trailer, and now I don't have to worry about the bracket sliding off the frame rail! It was as simple as old bolt out, new bolt in! Could not have worked better!
So excited to have it back that I took my son and my nephew down to the Cheesefest parade in Little Chute on the bike, and it was perfect! (Except for the part when we were leaving and the pedal fell off my bike! WTH?)
Thanks again to everyone who offered support and suggestions! But watch out, because now that Josh and I can go riding again, we are going to start racking up the miles!
So happy to have the trailer back!
Go Appleton - ranked 2nd place in the USA!!
Gregg - here is a link to recent Post Crescent article about the NBC http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article Have a fun trip this weekend.
They had the "Birky Challenge" on the news this morning.
When we went to Crystal Lake last year, we just went in the middle of the week and we were able to get in right on the lake on an unreserved site. Maybe we were just lucky! We have also been up to Pattison, it is beautiful!
After 5 nights at Crystal Lake, then we are going another 3 hours north to Patterson State Park near Superior and stay 2 nights there and Big Manitou Falls is at this park. It is the largest waterfall in Wisconsin and is so beautiful and there is nice hiking trails in the park: http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3466/5844047823_d5217d3936_z.jpg There is also Little Manitou Falls there and Amnicon State Park is also not too far from there and also has some beautiful falls. We also want to spend some time in Superior, too.
I always have to make my reservation 11 months ahead to get a water and beach front camp site, which is the earliest you can reserve ahead and even then I had difficulty getting a site that was open for at least 5 nights, but the one we have is next to the one we had last year and is also a very nice site on the beach. I only wish they had electric there because we are use to having that with our pop up camper, but we make do with the gas stove or cook over the fire. They have flush toilets with hot showers which is nice. There is a little lake way back in the woods that we take our blow up raft to and we paddle it to the other side of the lake and we can fish off of shore there by this beaver house and there are always lots of blue gills there and would be a great place to take kids fishing because they will have a blast catching blue gills there. It's called Day Lake and not a lot of people even know about it, so it is not fished very much.
@ Gregg, I talked my family into camping there last summer after you posted how wonderful it was! It has also become our favorite family camping destination. The ice cream at Plum Lake is awesome, definitely worth the trip. We did not ride the entire route to Boulder Junction (my youngest was struggling), but I would like to do this trip again. We only spent a few days, and I am hoping to spend an entire week there this summer.
@Verge: Had to chuckle; I'm a bit older than you. Any of you folks ever show up around GE Healthcare in Waukesha?
I'm taking a vacation again the middle of June this year in the Boulder Junction area and camping with my pop up camper at my favorite campground on Crystal Lake and we have a campsite reserved there with our own private lake frontage and beach. The entire lake shore is a beach and one of my favorite things to do early in the morning when I get up is to jog around the entire lake barefoot on the beach. It's a couple miles around the entire lake on the beach. Then there is a really nice 11 mile paved bike trail that connects the Crystal Lake Campground with Firefly Campground and goes to Boulder Junction. Every Tuesday Boulder Junction has a really nice flea market and it is right on the bike trail, so you can't miss it. And there are also paved bike trails to St. Germain with a famous ice cream shop in the Plum Lake area with old fashion real hard ice cream . This area is a bicycling and hiking paradise with lots of mountain bike trails, too.
Sunday from 1-4 pm. is also the Family Friendly Cycling Festival at Jaycee Park in Appleton. Lots of food, fun, and fellowship and of course bike rides. There are going to be 3 different rides--a family one, intermediate, and hard core. You can get more info at the Wisconsin Bike Fed: http://bfw.org/events/event/family-friendly-cycling-festival/
There is also a 67 mile ride near Fond du lac, the "Birky Challenge". It is a benefit ride in honor of the fallen police officer, Craig Birkholtz. Is anyone else here riding in that?
We're having a lot of fun with this at GE Healthcare in Madison. Our facility is outside of town, so no-one lives very close by, but we still have a great group of regular commuters. The Bike Challenge has been keeping us motivated, for sure, which isn't easy considering none of us are exactly young, and most of us ride over 20 miles round trip to work!
None of us are too high up in the standings (well, alright, our team leader Mike Gregor is doing pretty well), but it's still nice to know that logging the miles can help with lobbying for better biking infrastructure, etc...
Keeping an old man in shape! Thanks to the organizers!
It will be interesting to see if there is a bump in the Milwaukee-Waukesha-WestAllis number (and Wisconsin in general) for June after 5-10 thousand riders are in the Miller Lite Ride on Sunday.
I love it! A new target to shoot for! Such motivation! I ended May 12th in all riders in our "community" group. I'd like to end June in the top 10. And it would be so cool to be in the top 500 in WI. That would mean almost 200 points more than May, based on May stats. I wonder if I could do that? It's worth trying, right?? Maybe top 750 is more realistic?
I'm doing the Green Bay Triathlon on Sunday. I've done duathlons before, but never a triathlon, so this will be my first time. I like swimming. It's just not one of my strengths, but I hope to become a more competitive and stronger swimmer by doing triathlons. Since this is my first time, I'm doing the shorter sprint courses--400 yard swim, 15 mile bike, and 3.1 mile run. The lake is a shallow man made lake at Ashwaubomay Park, so it should not be rough or choppy, except what is created by the swimmers themselves, so this is a good triathlon for beginners like me. I just have to swim 1 lap around this small lake. I have a wet suit and am planning to wear it because I think the water is going to be quite cold because they just filled the lake 2 weeks ago with cold fire hydrant water and it has not had much chance to warm up. I'm sure the cold weather this week with the nights in the 40's has made the water very cold. The air temp on Sunday at race time is only going to be in the upper 50's, so pretty cold to go swimming in a triathlon. But my wet suit should help a lot with keeping my muscles warm, so I don't cramp up. I tend to cramp real easy in cold water.
I wonder how long it would take me to ride my bike to Louisville, Ky? The better part of a week, I'm sure. Hmmmm. That would enable me to get there for the graduation party and not have to spend the entire week with the MIL. Hmmmm. Wonder if I should try it? (BTW, I have a dry sense of humor and the previous is just me kidding around. I AM taking my bike with me though. That way I can sneak off and hide when it gets too intense for me.)
The mileage and points reset at the beginning of each month according to Greenwich Mean Time I think...you can still see your total mileage by adjusting the period drop down on the leaderboard page. Due to this monthly reset and the fact that I ride 17 miles to work early in the morning and get 54 pts for the round trip, I am No.1 in WI and in the TOP 10 on the National page. Woo Hoo! That won't Last. :-) I continue to be amazed by the riders in this Challenge! Great Job One and ALL!
My points are all good now. I am riding more because of the challenge, and that is what matters most to me. I am not far enough in the standings to worry about my position, I just want to do this for my health and enjoy the ride. I have my own set of personal stats and goals that I have set, one being to ride 1000 miles this year (I only did 800 or so miles last year). At the pace I am going at, I should have no problem. Another goal of mine is to do a century ride--and at the speed I ride now, I am hopeful to get started and finished before nightfall! Anyway, this experience has been great for me, as I have been transformed out of being sedentary into a fairly active person, and that will definitely have a positive impact on my health.
Endomondo has an accurate record of my workouts and mileage. The problem appears to be with the transfer of data to the challenge website. The competitive streak in me wants to see it fixed but in the end it's all about the ride. I'm enjoying the exercise and like Greg said, I'm riding more because of the challenge. It's because of Greg and the guys at Greenheck that I've been pushing myself to try and keep the Wausau Fire team ahead in the Wausau area. I hope the Greenheck teams are plotting a strategy to try and catch us.
Obviously there is a problem with the web site. I had a late softball game and got home at 11:30. Went to log my miles and everyone on the local site is at zero for points/mileage. Hopefully it will be corrected by morning.
I have ridden more because of the challenge. I did not take my car to work once this month. As the month progressed I rode more. My co-works have helped by logging miles that made me ride more to stay ahead of them. As the month progressed I rode more and more. I road in the rain, major wind, the cold and near one small tornado (I did not know it). Then I realized I could hit 1500 point so I started upping the miles. I am sure many people have had the same thing happen. I really don't care about the prizes. I already won and have not bought gas since April.
wow... do people really wait 'til the end of the month to log miles? I dropped about 4000 places in the ranking today. I have a lot of faith in the honor system, but maybe too much where prizes are concerned. I'm happy with the effect the point incentive has had on my riding. Having a goal to work towards, however meaningless or synthetic, has pushed me to take the bike over the car many times in the last month. I love this challenge and the extra pedaling it is encouraging!!!
Endomondo recorded my ride, but the challenge hasn't updated yet. Will give it some time.
@Jason...I noticed this, as well. I think there are places in the team section where the rankings are based on transport miles only, and no sport miles. I am in a similar situation on my team. But the listings are inconsistent. In some places, I am at the top of my team. I think the issue is more with weekly rankings on the actual team pages. Hope this helps...and doesn't muddy the water, so to speak.
Somehow or other my ride today didn't show up at all. I rode every day this month for 620 points. On my profile page it shows 912 miles. Should be 1532. It is at 1491 because today wasn't counted, 20x30 days is 600 and Wisconsin has me at 891 miles for 1491 total. I did 21 miles today, rounded up. Shows on my national page. I'm using the Endomondo app.
@ Greg You should have a daily record of all your workouts on Endomondo.
This realy sucks. I trusted Endomondo's app. and did not keep track on paper or any other means. I think I have over 1500 points but don't know for sure. If I end up short by a few points I will be realy disapointed.
If anyone is interested in a very good road bike, my daughter is selling her '98 Klein Stage 55 cm road bike. It was gently used and is in very good condition. It is red, has a Shimano 105 rear deraileur, triple chain ring for hills and a Shimano RSX front deraileur. You can reach Melissa at [email protected].
My points add up correctly, but my last 9 mile commute home from work this morning has not been updated yet--not sure if the site is really busy today or what.
Wanna see weird results? Lookit this:
#1 Teammate 711 p. km = 513 workouts 45
#2 Teammate 584 p. km = 169 workouts 53
#3 Me 543 p. km = 607 workouts 63
#4 Teammate 195 p. km = 25 workouts 17
#5 Teammate 182 p. km = 132 workouts 8
#6 Teammate 0 p. km = 0 workouts 0
I have more distance and more workouts in May than anyone else on the team by not a little, yet somehow I'm in 3rd.
I think the updates are slow today because it is the end of the month. My ride from today has not been credited yet, maybe 1 1/2 hours after finishing.
I rode alot today and no change in total mies or points . WHAT GIVES! Are they going to someone else!
31 days in the month. I rode every day...31 x 20 = 620 pts. My total milage in the month 872 miles, 620 + 872 = 1492 pts. Yet I have only 1457 pts per Endomondo? What gives
The CPU on my bike died on the way home from work this morning. Stopped in to see John at Sprocketz in Weston. Got a new CPU and John installed it in no time and I'm back on the road. Great place to get my bike repairs done, always great service. Thanks John.
I just checked mine and it has calculated correctly for me. I initially thought that perhaps I was off by 40 points, but I miscalculated the number of times I can count the workout (daily, not per workout!).
Check your point totals. Mine is off by 35 points. Not sure why but short 35 points none the less.
@Cora, great to hear, I hope it works!
@ Nicki, If you have a park and ride lot or a place of business where you can park closer to your work, you can consider riding part way.
thanks for th support Charlie L and Craig! love the lunch bike idea. i will definitely do that next time. thankfully, it was 48F this AM in WI for the early ride in. i have already gotten another co-worker to sign up this morning. we'll hit 50,000 riders!
I wish I could ride bike to work, but one way is 50 miles.
The Travel Wisconsin Biking Guide has a lot of helpful information, maps, and biking routes that you can download here: http://www.travelwisconsin.com/pdf/2008_biking_guide.pdf
Only my trip to work updated, not the return trip, but I'm sure it will update sooner or later.
I'm sure the system is very busy with people entering miles for month end, so it may take longer to update.
points, points, where are my points for today?!?!? I hope they update soon.
Wally: I noticed that also
Anbody else notice that the miles/points are not updating this morning?
So I rode to Mount Horeb and back again this morning. I'm gonna get that silly platinum badge or die trying.
Congrats Margaret!! Now you know you can do it. Fun.
Congratulations, Margaret!
Now that you've conquered the logistics (clothes/showers/etc), short lunch rides are also an option. Those might be easier and more frequent than your marathon commute!
For those that have been following my ongoing trailer saga... I have found a replacement hitch system on Amazon that I 'think' will work. *Fingers Crossed* I got a free shipping upgrade, so I will have it on Saturday... so we'll see!
Good to hear it Bob, I'll be hitting RAGBRAI this July too - 470 across Iowa in 7 days too. Been training since Feb... Biking outside in WI in Feb - who'd've thought?
Just completed my first ever ride into work - 18.3 miles! i feel like i have just accomplished a major milestone and am so glad i chose to do this once per month for a start. i had my riding buddy Casey Farina leading the way - thanks Casey! i know i slowed him down severely but we did it!
Good to hear miles stay in WI no matter where you bike. Next week I will be doing BRAN; 455 miles across Nebraska in 7 days. Summer vacation! Wooo Hooo
I cannot wait for summer to get here. Biked in this morning with the melted frost and a beautiful sunrise. The fox did not appreciate me ruining its hunt of goose chicks near the Nemadji River.
@Jenny...about last year's # of riders in the WI Challenge...I think it was around 4300ish, but I am not sure how may of those actually logged miles. FYI. Maybe someone at the BFW (or is it WBF these days?) could give you a more specific total.
@Jenny, we've only used it a few times, but the "trail gator" worked pretty well (google it). It lets your child ride their regular 12/16/20" bike and, when they get tired, you connect it to yours like a trail-a-bike. $80 at nashbar.com
But a 9-year old is/will be pushing the load limit of any trail-a-bike. You might have to go for a real tandem. Or resort to bribery (Bieber tickets on sale June 2!)
Here is a great, thought-provoking article that discusses how rule-breaking bicyclists undermine public acceptance of bicycling infrastructure projects. At the end of the article, there is a link to a superb archived NPR broadcast on a similar topic, featuring Tom Vanderbilt, author of the New York Times bestseller "Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do." - http://www.bicycling.com/print/60136
I still believe we are going to see our first accumulating snowfall in July this year.
From George Graphos WBAY Green Bay: "There is a frost advisory tonight for Langlade, Marinette, Forest and Florence counties in WI, and Menominee County in MI. Brrrr...... 80's in March and frost the last day in May--what is going on with our weather and climate this year?
@Jenny. I have a 6 yr old that loves our Co-pilot (brand name) trailer. It was less$ than a Trail a Bike. I would also worry that a 9 yr old may be too big for the trail bike. Ours has 20" wheels so I would consider her size also before purchasing.
@ Christine All your miles count in Wisconsin where you are a resident, not the state you are riding in.
@Christine - Right!!! Some folks on our team are traveling all the time and renting or borrowing bikes to get the miles in for our "home" locations. In a few weeks I'll be riding from my parents house to our HQ near Atlanta on my Dad's bike... In January when I did the same thing, it took me half as long to go 2 miles as all the cars that were sitting still! Might be a little sweatier at the end of the day in June, but that's efficient commuting!!!
@Cora, thanks for the advice! I hadn't thought about how she would feel riding on it. She does not have gear options on her bike, so she has to pedal, pedal, pedal. We have a lot of hills here, not too big but they are a lot more difficult for her than for me. And, as for distance, she is only good for a few miles, then she is tired out.
@Christine, I would assume your miles are good for Wisconsin. Since the idea is "get up and ride", and you are a Wisconsin resident, I would hate to see another state benefit (especially if it were Vermont LOL). Good luck at WW!
About to get on the road for the afternoon. Bike shop (pick up rain jacket, multitool, spare innertube, and tirepulleroffthingies, and something to put them all in), then Weight Watchers (where I WILL have gone down, not up!), then home to make dinner and start packing for the trip to Louisville. Hey, my miles still count for Wisconsin even while I'm riding in Lousiville, right??? ;-D
@Jenny - The trailer at Goodwill was a Master something... It was missing the hitch piece, so I would have been in nearly the same spot I'm in now if I'd bought that one!
So, still looking!
Regarding the trail-a-bike - I think you should ask your daughter. 9 is old enough that she should be able to tell you if she likes the idea or not. If you approach her the same way you've approached us - telling her you want her to enjoy riding with the family without feeling left behind - she should be receptive. They didn't exist when I was a kid, but I think I would have been embarassed by it at that age. She may just need more gear ratio options on her bike to be able to keep up. I know when I started going on bike rides with my parents that I had to pedal twice as fast on my little single speed bike just to keep up with them on their 10-speed.
Does anyone have an opinion on how to engage my 9 year old daughter in riding? She has a bike of her own, but is unable to keep up with the rest of the riders in the family. I am leaning towards getting a "trail-a-bike" attachment so that she can ride with me and not feel like she is being left behind. I wondered what everyone thinks of these attachments, whether or not it is worth the investment?
Just curious, but how does Wisconsin compare to last year, in terms of # of riders? I know we got an earlier start, but only by like 2 weeks. Being more than 1/2 way to a million miles is awesome!
Cora, I hope it is! For the life of me, I can't remember the brand name of the trailer. If you get it, please let us all know. We want you back on the road with your son!
At our current rate, a million miles a week, we could be at 16 million+ miles by the end of August. Holy banana seats, Batman, that's a lot of miles!
@Brad There are over 7,000 riders registered in the challenge who have not logged any miles yet. Perhaps the NBC can email them and encourage them to ride and log some miles before the end of May and if they can ride today and tomorrow for at least 10 miles total for the 2 days, they will have enough points to be in the bronze drawing for prizes this month.
Savanni - I have experienced the same thing. If you take a day or two off, many people will pass you by. I enjoy the challenge of trying to move ahead. Thanks everyone for adding an extra level of fun to my daily riding.
23 more miles and I will reach platinum. I am riding to Scheels at the Fox River Mall, which is about 11.5 miles, so this transport ride will do it.
Wow, if I go one day without cycling I slip on the leaderboards. If I go two days, I *plummet*. You people are tough competition, and I'm just shooting to stay in the top 1500!
Here on Lake Erie's shore we often get a "lake breeze" that kicks up in the afternoon. It cools everything down with both temp and wind chill. It also give us the chance for a westerly breeze in the morning and an easterly breeze in the afternoon. Translation, commute was up hill both ways.
My car has moved "maybe" 10 times in the last 3 weeks and most of the time it did move, my bike was in the back to ride somewhere else. Anybody else having to dust off the keys?
Gregg, my husband suggested that "the gales of November" had come really early yesterday. Or late for last year, maybe. It has been amazingly windy here less than a mile from the lake shore! Thanks for the heads up about the temps tomorrow. I was about to tuck my thermals away for the season. I'll give it another day or two.
2012 Bike-To-Work Day #50 today. My goal is 112, or 50% of my total work days.
You achieved the first million miles in 14 days. The second million was accomplished in 9 days. The third million miles only took 7 days. There is no stopping us now! Keep up the great momentum and ride safe. We are also looking forward to the May prize drawing and announcing the winners in early June. Stay tuned!!
Wisconsin DOT has a good general description of our bicycle laws and the Wisconsin Bike Fed lists the state statutes.
http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/safety/vehicle/bicycle/rules.htm
http://bfw.org/2011/09/16/what-is-the-law-anyway/
Are the state rankings per 1000 persons registered for the challenge, or of the general population? If it is based on the challenge participants we need to encourage all those people who are registered and have 0 miles to get a ride or two in. They must have thought it was a good idea when they signed on, it shouldn't take too much additional motivation.
Kudos to WI riders this year. In only one month, we have hit the half-way mark to the total miles we logges in last year's challenge...for the entire four and a half month period! At this rate, we'll be at about 2.5 million by the end of August. Keep up the good work...hey, we about have 20% of the national total. That's got to give us some bragging rights, even given VT's per citizen totals.
My quest to repair or replace my trailer continues... Wheel and Sprocket was great, but the retrofit option they came up with would cost over $50, and that trailer is not worth sinking that kind of money into...
@ Jenny Stelzner - I called around to the area Goodwill stores, and they have a trailer at the one by the mall in Appleton - Might be yours! I'm going to go tomorrow to check it out.
There sure has been a lot of wind this year. Winds have been usually over 12 mph every day here with many days exceeding 20 mph. May and June in Wisconsin tend to be windy because of the transition to summer with wild swings in temperture changes from cool to hot days. But once we get into July and August, we typically get into what is called the dog days of summer with hot humid calm days when our lakes our like glass and we wish there was just a little breeze to cool our sweat laden bodies.
Not the greatest speed, but a good workout tonight!
At last a decent tailwind heading home...,personal best by 3minutes without trying... Life is Good
Needing the wind to switch 180degrees for 6am and life will be even better!
hmm. With all this wind I think I'm not going to take the scenic route along the Oak Leaf Trail today. I'll stick to the streets. Check this out - Woman injured by falling tree branch in Oconomowoc. http://ow.ly/befH2 I hope the lady is okay.
I hope the wind calms down before our group ride tonight at Cranked Bike Studio.
Cranked Bike Studio in Neenah is hosting a Beginner/New Road Rider Clinic on June 8 & 15 from 5:30-8 pm.
Session 1 June 8 Learn how to ride in a group, to draft, proper group ride etiquette. Go out for 45 minute ride to practice riding in a group.
Session 2 June 15 Tips on proper cycling form. Learn basic bike maintenance and how to change flat tire. 12 mile road ride to practice riding in group.
Cost is $5 for both sessions. You will receive a free tube, bottle of lube, and a set of tire levers. Sign up at Cranked Bike Studio in Neenah, 200 Main St. Ph. 720-0800. Bring riding clothing, bike, and a smile.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/536381_428586753825687_1763235516_n.jpg
The wind was strong and on my way back from riding 11 miles and to do 11 more to get back home I rode against the wind I am pretty sure I burned more calories than what the GPS says.
Has anyone else notice the GPS distiance and time is off? I used mapmyrun to measure a mile but when I ran or bike the Endomondo results were always shorter. I took a measuring wheel out this weekend and actually measured and Map my run was only off about 20 feet but the Endomondo Results were off by a whole block.
@Cora. In just went through the whole comment thread about your trailer. I am sorry the bike shop did that. The manager of that shop is not the sharpest tool in the shed. I worked for him for a couple years and unfortunately I have seen him treat many customers disrespectfully as well as his employees. His knowledge of the cycling community is pretty bad. I dont reccomend anyone go there after the consistant poor treatment i have seen from the management. I feel bad for my friend who still works there. I might actually have a coupler laying around. I would have to see it and look around in my old parts boxes. My friend steve at recyclist is great. Other than that, I wouldnt trust anyone there. Oh, by the way, Recyclist just bought Gear N Up bike shop in neenah, so expect the same treatment if you go there as well.
Here is a neat website for us riders. http://hint.fm/wind/ shout out to Jessie Ritka from TMJ4 for sharing. Looks like my ride home will be pretty fast
Thanks for the feedback, Richard. Gary Goggans had previously recommended Wheel and Sprocket, but I had gone to another shop, based solely on peddling distance. Had they had the tube I needed in stock that first night, the other shop would have been a great choice, and a great experience, but the loss of the trailer mounting bracket has turned this into a nightmare.
@Cora, Wheel and Sprocket is GREAT. They have always been very helpful every time I go in there. Often I have just the vaguest idea what I need and they somehow understand my gibberish.
All I can say is WOW!! What a wind, some of the gust felt like they would blow the bike right out from under me. Hope it calms down by tomorrow.
@Jason&Brian - Yeah surprisingly I am actually doing pretty darn good, some minor flesh wounds, but the worst was that both wrists swelled up the next morning but as of today they are probably at 95% or better. Guess through bmx, motocross, mountain biking, etc I have become a pretty good crasher! . . . . . parts ordered from nashbar and should be here this week!
After 4 weeks, NBC is now halfway to the goal of 50,000 riders. Hope everyone in the USA enjoyed your Memorial Day weekend and that the weather in your area is great for biking. Keep up the good work and safe riding.
Thanks for the help and support regarding the trailer everyone. We were out of town for the weekend, so I am first reading your comments today. I have not given up. I even rode the ancient single speed cruiser around the lake a few times!
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The trailer for sale in Germantown on craigs list is the exact one that I have, and love, but too far away. I had not thought to check Goodwill, but I will do that, and will keep checking area rummage sales. I love rummage sales, so that's not a hradship!
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The bike shop that lost the bracket seems to have some really awesome people, and some not so awesome people. The people who were there when I dropped off the trailer were great, but not so much when I went back to get it. The people there when I went to pick it up acted like they didn't believe I had left the bracket there. (Like, Really? I'm going to bike in to pick up the trailer, and pretend you lost my bracket?!? ) I had already paid for the tire repair, and when I said I did not feel comfortable paying for the repair if I could not take the trailer, they acted like it was hassle to give me my money back.
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I called another bike shop, Wheel and Sprocket, last week, and told them about the lost bracket, and my desire to see if there may be a way to retrofit a new hitch. They seemed like they understood exactly what I was wanting, and seemed very willing to try to help. The bike shop the trailer is at currently did not seem to understand what I wanted when I asked if they might have an alternate option. So, my plan tonight is to take my truck to pick up the trailer from the first bike shop and bring it in to Wheel and Sprocket. We'll see how that goes...
Hope you're ok Joe.
Joe, hopefully you are OK.
Thursday night a car ran out in front of me . . . . I lost that one! (though thankfully it looks like only a front fork)
Sunday 2 deer ran out in front of me. If I hadn't slowed down for the 1st one, I could have easily nailed the 2nd. But I think I would have lost that fight.
@ Michael Brat's give us some fresh fat to burn. lol Probably better than eating a 5 quart pail of ice cream this weekend. Well, I didn't eat the whole pail. My wife and daughter helped me. haha
I should have hit the chicken and I could have had a nice chicken dinner tonight. :)
@Them birds are dangerous. A chicken almost became road kill for me today near Wautoma. lol
out on ride today was attacked by one of those really big grey cranes. knocked me over at least the wife got a good laugh.
Beautiful morning to ride to downtown Appleton to watch the Memorial day parade.
@Rob Gusky - just one? If I were at Brat Fest, people would think I was Kobayashi.
Beautiful day for a ride! Just rode 14 miles to Racine and back. Damn, I feel GOOD!
Biking to and from Grant Golf Course 10 out of the next 12 days! Hit the road at 4:25AM and work 5AM to 12PM. Great way to start and end the day.
When at Brat Fest, you've got to eat at least one. Enjoy the rest if your holiday weekend.
Celebrated our annual Brat Fest with a big ole brat today. Convinced myself it was a reward after a good week of commuting to and from work. Is it so wrong to consume all the calories and fat for a month in one meal? It's once a year, right? Help me feel better about this! Have a great holiday weekend everyone!!
Nice ride with my wife, this afternoon, Alterras for coffee, Milwaukee Brewing for beer and Groppi's groceries for salads 13 miles and we get both get to add to our points. LIFE IS GOOD!
Rain be damned. It was a Dane County Planet Trek kind of day.
Rode to Riverview Gardens in Appleton this morning with my daugther. We helped plant raspberry canes with other community members. This is a very cool concept - looking forward to doing it again. http://riverviewgardens.org/
Mountain biking at Reforestation Camp in Suamico yesterday. First time for the season at RC. Pleasant surprise of additional section of single track ( some fun logs and log ramps added) and more to be built! Direction of riding different this year too- reverse route. A good afternoon in the woods. Today-Group road ride this morning - 50 miles. Traffic minimal.
Cora, I agree with Steve...From your earlier comments about the bike shop, it sounds like a good, reputable business..Have you asked them how they intend to rectify the loss of the part, and your subsequent inability to utilize equipment you entrusted to their care, and for which they were responsible? I like to believe in the fundamental inegrity and goodwill of bike shops as well as bike riders(-:
Stay safe everyone this Memorial weekend. Seemed to be a lot of inattentive people out this A.M. Drivers and pedestrians. I still can't get over the number of people who walk on the wrong side of the road especially with their dogs and those useless retractable leashes. I can't seem to understand those things. Almost had an incident where the woman couldn't reel Fluffy in to get out of my way. Of course they were on the wrong side of the road. I don't believe it is the proper way to train your dog to walk.
Chilly and rainy in SE Wisconsin this morning. I think my bike will stay in the garage till it clears up. Need to check the weekend weather reports. I was really hoping to clock some miles these three days!
Cora here's one in Milwaukee. Seems to me the shop who lost your parts (How?) needs to make you whole!
http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/bik/3029985086.html
Nyla, I have 2 side pedals so I can also just hop on the bike in my Tevas when I want. Of course I also have a "fleet" of trusty steeds and some will never be anything but platform pedals. A few people I know talk about training - I say training for what? to ride my bike to work or around the neighborhood? I'm training to eat more ice cream is about it!!
Under the "You Never Know How You're Ride Will Be" category. When I headed out this morning I was a little worried about the dark clouds off to the SW. But the sky looked good overhead and to the east so off I went. About 5:15 the sun came up and it made a fantastic rainbow on the clouds. It really was a positve start to the day and I made it to work before the clouds got to Wausau.
My wife found a trailer on E-Bay last Christmas for $68. It was new in the box and has been working well for me. (No kids anymore but I use it to haul my gear between fire stations). Keep looking, the deals are out there.
@CORA I went for a run and saw a bike cart at a rummage sale in Appleton on Lindbergh a few blocks west of Richmond street. I could't see the price on it though. You might be able to find one at a rummage sale too.
Here is something in Kaukauna on Craigslist - $75 http://appleton.craigslist.org/bik/3033786824.html
Here is another - check out the product reviews. The bike shop should be willing to help you out with this.
Cora - I'm checking, this article has some initial ideas
We have to do whatever we can to help Cora with her trailer connection problem. Let's accept the challenge. There has to be a reasonable solution.
Cora: reading your posts and picturing your travels with your son has created some of the brightest images of this year’s challenge. You describe experiences I always envisioned sharing with my own children. You are living a splendid example of healthy, responsible choices and passing your cycling enthusiasm along. You have irreplaceable opportunities for exploring your community together with time to notice, share and celebrate everyday wonders and seasonal scents and sights close at hand. DON’T GIVE UP……I am certain there is either a different trailer meant for you, or someone with the skill and resources to fabricate or adapt another bracket for your old one. You are destined to keep pedaling with son in tow....enjoy the journeys (-:
Gregg, do you have any routes planned out this weekend? I am about 20 miles south of Wautoma, would be cool to meet up!
Cora,
My hubby donated ours to Goodwill just a few weeks ago, otherwise I would try to get mine to you somehow. He took it to Oshkosh, so maybe it has stayed in the area???
Ahhh. Got the whole week off work. Let's see if I can make 850 miles for the month. WOOOOOOOO!
@CORA. how old is your son? Is he big enough to pedal? If so look at the Copilot trailer bike at Dunhams. About $75. You attach to your bike and he can peddle along. My 6yr old loves it. Otherwise I would hit the garage sales/thrift stores in the area.
Christine - Your positive vibes are so much appreciated. I don't want to quit, but I am so bummed out about not having the trailer that I've lost all motivation.
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I brought my son with me to the doctor last night, and he asked if we were going to take the bike, and I nearly started crying when I had to telll him no, that we had to take the car because we don't have a trailer anymore. And he was so dissapointed, it was heartbreaking.
I can't help, Cora, but I will encourage you to not quit. I'm sure your son misses riding as well! I'm sending positive vibes for Cosmic Supply to send a child bike trailer to you and your son immediately! Be positive; Cosmic Supply always comes through!
Does anyone in the Appleton / Oshkosh / Green Bay area have a trailer for a child that they are not using currently that they would be willing to loan to me for the summer or sell at a reasonable price? I had one that I was using nearly every day, but it got a flat tire, and when I brought it in to get the tire fixed the bike shop lost the bracket.
My trailer was a Safety First trailer, and apparently they stopped selling them in the US about 10 years ago, so they are unable to provide a replacement bracket. I think it may be possible to retrofit my trailer with a different mounting system, but the bike shop that the trailer is at said they couldn't get the parts that would be needed.
I am really depressed without the trailer, and thinking of quitting altogether, since I don't really have time to ride if I can't bring my son with me. I've ridden bikes since I was a kid, but really don't know anything about them, and I was using this challenge as motivation to get back in shape to be able to ride to work eventually.
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Can anyone help me to get a new trailer I can use or help me make the one I have usable again?
Set up camp here near Wautoma yesterday and it was hot (94 degrees) and windy at 28 mph from the south. But storms rolled through last night and drop the temps 40 degrees. Very nice day today for riding here.
Steve B; re: “ Kool-Aid and clip-ins”…. very apt indeed (-; While distinctly envious of lighter, faster bikes and aware of a vast array of performance/enjoyment enhancing options, I’ve been highly resistant to the notion that specialized gear is actually necessary for enjoyable riding, even over significant distances. I love the fundamental accessibility of cycling as a pleasure that can be affordable for anyone who wants to ride. With helmet added, I’ve cherished the same “just get on the bike and go” fun and freedom of childhood rides. (I acknowledge certain Luddite tendencies…. acquisition of microwave, computer and answering machine all involved initially entrenched wariness and distinct ambivalence as well(-;). It is particularly reassuring to read so many specific, positive “clip-in” insights and options from cycling souls of a similar vintage. Even if I cling to my t-shirt and Tevas approach for many rides, I will definitely gratefully utilize information generously shared to find whatever technical options I can adapt to and afford for “Copper Triangle” training aspirations (-: THANKS!.
Had the storm yesterday so couple of trees were in my way almost ran into a snapping turtle laying their eggs. But otherwise good day road 21 miles today. Did not hit gold but one more week to go will see. I lost one week due I was in school yet.
Minor surgery on my toe last night, so my ride was only across the driveway, but that was hard enough! Healing well though, so I hope to be able to ride over the weekend.
Finally! Got gold for May! 142 miles so far in May and the month's not over yet. Not bad for an old fart who's been riding less than a year! I'm so grateful for this challenge to really motivate me to get up and ride. (I don't know how much my co-workers appreciate all the sweat till I get cooled down, but ... oh, well!)
Commuting and running errands by bike matters, in the Challenge and in life. . .Carolyn pledges to recruit some friends to ride. How about you?
Passed 3 sets of kids riding bikes to school - 2 with Dad's - yay. Plus Stephen, going the long way to get more points... ;-)
Biked to the Brat-thru at Brat Fest in Madison this morning to pick up my free brat from Saris Bike Group. @ 6am I was the 3rd biker. It doesn't get much better than riding your bike past a long line of cars and getting a free brat. Plus, it added 2 miles (2pts) to my usual commute. I agree that wind outta the South was tough. Going downhill with a cross wind on Hwy B it seemed my bike was starting to float alittle so I slowed down to avoid being blown into traffic. At about 10 miles into my 17 mile SE commute I got off my bike and walked for awhile. I've never even considered that before but I was whipped. Tailwind felt good this am though! Ride ON!
@Jenny - I was going to blow off my ride today, but I said screw it rode straight into the wind for 8.5 miles, which wasn't as bad as I thought. Ride home was fun, though.
Holy smokes was it a surreal afternoon/evening, or what?! Lots of debris, but you felt like Superman if you had the wind at your back. I averaged 23 mph through the UW arboretum without even trying. (the poor folks going the other way were doing about 7!)
The wind was a tough battle, I had no reason to deal with it except that i just wanted to see how tough it was. My first 2 miles were against the wind, which was tough! But, I didn't realize how tough it would be traveling sideways to the wind, I actually had to lean into the wind in order to keep myself from being knocked over. A short ride, only put in 8 miles, but these 8 miles were tougher than the 18 that I did the other day.
Nyla I drank the Kool aid last year on SPD and love it even commuting in the big city. A little twist of the foot is all it takes and I have been able to pull out in emergency situations. I do not have them cranked down real tight though.
Here's a little info on it.
http://drivemybike.wordpress.com/2009/05/04/understanding-clipless-pedals-two-common-systems/
Here is also something to replace the Tevas.
http://www.keenfootwear.com/us/en/product/ss12/shoes/women/pedal/arroyo%20pedal/brindle!nectarine
http://www.sears.com/shimano-sd66-cycling-sandals/p-SP101A14777S3548247002
@Brian, its a dry heat LOL
@Nyla- SPD is a Shimano pedal system and Look is a different pedal system( there may be more but those are the two I have seen). I believe they are incompatilbe like VHS/BETA. You can get pedals that clip on one side and you can use your TEVA's on the other. I have a set myself that I purchased online from Nashbar. They weren't the most expensive but these were my first exploration into clipless pedals and I did not want to commit. I love them now. Mine require the SPD style clips on my shoes. I use a Shimano MTB shoe that I can walk in more normally than a lot of road shoes but since I am using a hybrid it works fine for me. I also like the two way pedals for when I am riding in town and have a lot of stop lights/signs that may hold me up I just don't clip in until I am free of the stop/go of trafic.
Nyla, the ones I am most familiar with and have been using for 2-3 years, are the SPD (Shimano Pedaling Dynamics) that were originally marketed for mountain biking, but now it seems are used for either. What I really like is that the cleat sits in a recess in the shoe, so except for the stiffness it's almost like walking in a normal shoe. But as I said earlier, I question wither the small cleat/support area contributes to foot numbness. The Look style cleat covers a larger area but it surface mounts to your shoe, sticking out about 1/2" or so. If you walk on them it's like inverted high heels with an 'acorn' under the ball of each foot. I don't know much about Speedplay except a biking freind whose opinion I trust, loves them. Although someone else warned me that the cleat utilizes a wire bail that is easily damaged (by walking on them?).
And one more observation - in the winter when I started going cleatless, I initially had a very uneasy, insecure feeling NOT being clipped in.
If anyone else would like to elaborate further, I would like other opinions as well.
@Ron, @Tim - seems like everytime I install an update for the Endo app it reverts to default settings - under Settings in the app, turn Auto Pause off (it's very annoying). I suppose if someone wanted elapsed time and they had a lot of traffic lights to wait at it might provide some usefulness...
90 DEGREES and 40 MPH winds. Fun!
Re: endomondo app, I have it loaded on my HTC Desire, and I can get the app to work just fine for GPS tracking and for playing the music, when I ride my bike. Sometimes I get the "pause" if I am going slower, or if for some reason I lose a satellite signal. I have tried it with walking and it is not as effective. But, generally really nice for biking.
@ Wally Olson. It's realy sad. She was a very skilled road rider/racer. I doubt it was an error on her part. The realy tragic thing is her first husband was killed about two miles away on the same road. Sad day, I can't get it out of my head.
On my commuter, I use mountain bike uncleated shoes and "half-clips". These are basically hooks over my toes without the straps of the old toe clips. I've been hit several times over the years, and was propelled in a different direction than my bike. In one case, I think I would have been killed if I had been dragging my bike along with me over the top of the car. High cycling performance is not my first priority in commuting.
Many thanks to all who have taken time to weigh in with information, experience, and detailed descriptions of some of the technicalities regarding clip-in pedal systems! I’m a “comfortable rut” sort of soul, but I know my ancient Teva sandals won’t get me up a mountain if I follow through with my “Copper Triangle” quest. I’ll need any help I can get. The seat belt analogy makes comforting sense to me (though the commonly occurring phrase “locked In” exacerbates my claustrophobia…and evokes unpleasant memories of my only prior related experience with the obsolete, old style “toe clip” straps). It helps to see such a consensus among those who now wouldn’t consider anything else. People are definitely underestimating the level of klutziness involved, the likelihood of mangling myself and bike, and the accompanying anticipatory anxiety, so I especially appreciate the details regarding how the different systems work, and which might be the easiest to get in and most critically- OUT of. I am QUITE ignorant, and have a great deal to learn. I find myself wondering; SPD- MTB…are those specific systems or brands (like VHS and BETA? Apple or PC?… or Verizon and T-Mobile ?) or do the letters create acronyms for descriptive phrases? Are there some pedals which will work with regular footwear on leisurely rides when I might WANT my Tevas? Which systems involve the “acorn underfoot” shoes? THANKS! for providing the push I need to consider potentially more appropriate gear (-:
The other day my Endo app also did the "time paused/resumed" while i was riding a longer stretch in the shade. Thats the only time its done that. As far as the music goes, I use Pandora. The Endo lady with your times will chime in over the music so you will still get the updates and lap times if you want them.
@Greg Falk - let Endo know about your app problem on their FB page; they are good at getting bugs fixed. I run a separate app for music rather than launching from within Endo and it works great...
My experience with the Endomondo app is that it sometimes doesn't work. You have a good GPS signal, you start the app, and the media "lady" keeps on saying, "time paused" and "time resumed." You look at the display, when you are in shade, and see that the miles are not being counted. So if you are in the challenge, use your bike computer and zero it each day. Rebooting my Android phone by removing the battery seems to bring back the app to work properly.
Sad news in the Wausau area. The Wausau paper reports that a woman was killed in a bike-car crash between Wausau and Mosinee. This happened just after 11 yesterday morning. Please ride safe and always watch for traffic whether you have the right of way or not.
Hear, hear, Jude, and Amen, too! My eyes teared the whole way to work today.
Four points away from gold! Woo hoo! And a new seat is making all the difference in how I feel this morning!
Clip in shoes and pedals are the way to go. Once you use them you’ll never go back. I started with SPD pedals and MTB style shoes on my road bike. I didn’t want to spend a ton of money and I wasn’t sure if I would like them. Well I love being locked in into my bike. It makes you feel like your one with your bike. You would be surprised how much your feet actually move around on your pedals when you’re not locked in. It’s just more efficient to be locked in.
This year I upgraded to Speedplay Zeros for my pedals and a pair of Sidi road bike shoes. Here again I would never go back to SPD pedals and MTB bike shoes on my road bike. Speedplay pedals gives you the power and efficiency of a standard LOOK style road bike pedal, but also the ease of getting in and out of SPD pedal. It’s the best of both worlds.
Speedplay X style pedals have 20° of “float”. What that means is once your locked in you can move your heal 10° out and 10° in. This is great for people with Knee problems. Some people like a lot of float others like a little or even no float at all. The Speedplay Zero pedals allow you to adjust the float to where ever you want it. From all the way open (most you can get) to none.
What I would do is go to a bike shop and talk to someone. If you live in or close to Appleton to go Chain Reaction. Nikki has the best price on Speedplay pedals in the area. She is even cheaper than Amazon. If you buy them from her she’ll mount them for you too.
Nina Stadler
Most of the people on Team Slider Erv get our work done at Appleton Bike & Fitness. They do a really nice job. The people there have been around bikes for a long time. If your not on a team. We have room for more.
Nina - I bought one last year at Chain Reaction on Superior St. in Appleton. Nickie is great and has a wide variety of styles available at fair prices. I bought a Fuji which is a great bike and a great value (although there are others available). She is great at fitting the bike to you - this is the most comfotable bike I've ever ridden, I can go for hours (other than my feet/shoes).
The Endomondo free app. does not work when you try to listen to music on the same device. I start Endomondo the tap the music note, start my music and the app stops after 11 seconds. Touch resume it runs for another 11 seconds and pauses. I'm getting a exelent GPS signal so I just don't get why this keeps happening. I have a samsung galaxy and using the player that came with the device.
I am new to riding and realized I need a new bike one more for street biking! Does anyone have any suggestions as to go to find one in the Fox Cities?
I'll chime in, @Nyla - I have SPD clip-ins and mountain bike style shoes. The shoes are comfortable enough and subtle that I *can* wear them in the office if I need to. I've had a couple of tip-overs, but I've found myself unclipping unconsciously in some "OMGPUTMYFOOTDOWN!" moments. A few times I've been without the shoes, and I find I have that "driving without my seatbelt" feeling - I just like having my feet secured to the pedals.
This wind is ridiculous.
So I am in need of a good street bike all these miles are killing me! Does anyone have any good suggestions where to go in the Fox Cities! I am very Frugal and am looking to spend no more than $150?
Wicked wind this afternoon in central Wisconsin again today. Planned my ride into the wind with fresh legs and with the wind on the way home. It was Awsome!! I was able to maintain 27 mph with the wind, which is pretty good for an old guy on a hybrid bike.
Your feet should not be sliding around in your shoes, but at the same time, they should not be so tigh that they are pinching your toes. That's when you will get numbing of your toes. Every brand is different and everyone's foot is different. Going to a reputable bike shop who will give you an honest opinion about shoe fit, will be helpful. I went to Gear N'Up and he told me as much as I would like to sell you a pair of shoes, none of my shoes fit your feet. He told me I have a very narrow foot wih long toes and recommended that I go to the Cranked Bike Studio. And the shoe that fit my feet the best there were Scott shoes. They are a perfect fit and my feet feel best in them without socks. If I wear socks, I wear a very thin dri wick sock.
I struggled the first couple weeks clipping in and clipping out of my SPD pedals, but I wouldn't want to bike any other way now. My shoes clip in nicely on the bikes at Experience Fitness, too, so that is nice. They give me so much more power, especially on hills and against wind and keep your feet straight and legs straight moving in a smooth push and lift motion like you are scraping gum off your shoes. I honestly don't have to even think about clipping out when I stop. It's just a natural habit now, but the first couple weeks was a different story.
Hi Nyla, Once you've tried clip ins, you'll wonder why you waited. I use the moutain bike variety, seems to provide more support for my wide feet. Also, you can set the clip- in tension fairly loose, so as to accomodate the multi-tasking challenge (ie) signaling, stopping, and the unexpected. We are the same age, I think, and yes it does require a conscious effort to remember to clip- out. But the benefits far out way the cost of the unexpected, once a year, tip overs at stop signs. Alas, I've learned to rebound from these embarrassing moments. Truely, the wear and tear on my joints is less, my peddal stroke is smoother, and uphill climb is stronger.My moutain bike shoes have lasted forever and provide great support for my feet. Keep biking by the way, your my inspiration.
@Nyla, I also experienced a very similar finding last weekend which involved a flock of goslings and a testy goose who was spitting at me. They were crossing the path, and I did find it very cute and managed to catch a picture on my camera before the spitting occurred.
@Brad, last year I had experienced some foot numbness and found that a stiffer shoe seemed to help a lot. I don't wear special bike shoes.
I had 2 deer jump out in front of me last night. Had I been going faster, it could have been an interesting story.
Deer do cause a lot of accidents in Wisconsin especially up north. My parents lived up north in deer country and their car insurance rate on their vehicles in the rural area there was higher than here in the Fox Vally with all the traffic and the insurance company said that this was because of so many more deer up there in their county.
Hey Greg W., I almost hit 2 dear since I started riding.
I use clip ins for my road bike, but not my mountainbike since a horrible wreck where I couldnt pull my feet out and tore my acromioclavicular ligaments
Just got done with a sweet ride through the western Wisconsin bluffs. A stop for sandwich/beer made it that much better.
@Nyla, you might want to consider the clip ins. Cost wise, I learned that I spent more money on tennis shoes than I ever spent on clip ins. I was wearing out tennis shoes every 2,000 miles. I have been wearing my SPD clip in Mountain bike shoes for about 16,000 miles. Much cheaper per mile. Also, the mountain bike variety of shoe helps a little with the "acorn" walk. For what it is worth....
Visiting Dad in Illinois: Spectacular calm, sunlit fragrant morning for pedaling the Fox River trail…despite an understandably harried and disgruntled goose herding an entire flock of wayward goslings (far more than she could possibly have hatched) across the trail…who spit at me as I threaded through them, or the clouds of gnats by the bridges rendering customary self-pep talks inadvisable. Brad: though I could certainly use the extra boost from power throughout each pedal stroke, the uncomfortable imagery of “acorns underfoot” is one of the reasons I have avoided clip-in pedal systems (well…that and the fact the shoe/pedal combos cost more than my bike, and the overriding certainty I lack sufficient coordination to reliably manage clip-in/clip out maneuvers adequately to avoid tipping over…frequently (-;)
I use to have some foot numbness on longer riders, but isn't a problem anymore. I think the more you go on longer rides and get use to longer rides, it will go away because I don't get any numbness anymore and haven't changed a thing with my shoes or pedals.
Several seagulls on the Menomonie Park trail in Oshkosh almost became trail kill. Stupid birds!
I spent some time having a staring contest with two does a few days ago. Less than 20 feet apart. So amazing! I also was stunned to see an owl just sitting on a post, not even moving a feather as someone whizzed by. Duh. It was a plastic owl. I need new glasses!
Wildlife on the bike trips sure is fun and interesting isn't it? On my trip home yesterday, I passed within a foot of a red winged blackbird that was in the grass next to the trail. He just looked at me as I went past. Then on the next trail, I "chased" 2 turkeys, who saw me coming and started running down the trail away from me. It wasn't until I had almost caught up with them that one turned and ran into the brush and the other took flight to a nearby tree top. That part was pretty neat, becuse I had heard that turkeys can fly, but I'd never actually seen it. Only wish my son could have been there to see it... Man I miss my trailer!
Carp spawning in the lake today - quite a sight to behold at 6.30am. Life is good
I chased a baby fox or kit out of the road this morning. The little guy was playing with some bugs rolling around. I was worried about the little-green-eyed-wonder getting run over so stopped and chased the fuzzy mess off the road.
A nice way to start the day.
This morning's 5-10 mile an hour tail wind assisted in a record commute time, but does nothing to make-up for the forecasted 15-20 head wind that I face at the end of the day.
@Brad - when I bike longer distances with running shoes untied, I experience the same issue. I discovered that loose shoes allow your feet to push forward in the shoe, cramming in the front and making things numb (imagine a ballerina). When I tie the shoes so they are snug, or wear tighter ones, the pressure is more evenly distributed and then: no problem. Hope this helps
@Brad: Foot numbness by the toes or ball of your foot? I had this a while back and resolved it by loosening the shoe strings up by the toes so I had more room to wiggle the toes. I think wiggling them regularly on the ride improved blood flow circulation which made the numbness go away but I'm no health professional by any means so YMMV.
John T.- check to see that the clip is positioned correctly. You may have to move it forward/back a little. At least that is what I have read. You might try going into a shop to see if you have it fitted correctly as another alternative.
The National Bike Challenge achieved another Triple Crown yesterday, with 2 million miles, 24,000 riders plus a new daily mileage record of 126,067 miles. Keep a smile on your face and ride safe!
There is nothing refreshing as a cold rain on the bike in to work. I did have my fastest time to work though.
I've been struggling with foot numbness. At about 30 miles the front half of my foot gets tingly, 40 and above it progresses into numbness. I'm using SPD and I wonder if this is inherent in SPD, or if I just need better stiffer shoes? It could be foot flexing or it could be caused by vibration. I see there are some SPD pedals that have a wider frame around the perimeter that might offer more support (my pedals are just the bare SPD clip) I really am hoping to avoid switching to a new system because I absolutely hate walking aroung with acorns under my feet. Thoughts??
@Thomas, I've been very happy with SIDI. They are comfortable and durable. These are not carbon, but very stiff. I have Shimanos, the 105s I think. Take your time and find the right ones.
@Thomas, I've just upgraded to a pair of zeros (and road shoes) and they seem to be okay, I like the ablity to not have to worry about which side the pedal is on as I do a lot of city riding. What kinda sucks is that you can't get a lot of miles to test them (or the shoes). They were quite a step up from the SPD's that I had for the last 10 years, I don't seem to be getting the sore spot on the ball of my foot anymore. I carry a pair of slippers so I don't have to walk around in them much either, which is probably the biggest change for me as I was use to doing just about anything in the mtn bike type shoes.
Happy shopping!
Yeah me! I beat my personal best 10 mile time by 10 seconds!!!
Congrats to everyone who hit 500 points today.
Things don't last like they used to. I have to replace my 20 year old pedals and shoes on my road bike to get rid of continuous clicking. I am considering Speedplay and Shimano Ultegra pedals. Are there any strong recommendations out there?
There is a no drop group ride of about 28 miles at the Cranked Bike Studio in Neenah at 6 pm tonight on the corner of Main and Doty, if anyone in the Fox Valley area wants to join us. It's going to be a nice evening for a group ride.
Riding to work this morning, a kid in a school bus attempted to hit me with a bottle of water. Fortunately they (maybe deliberately?) missed. I wish that bus had hit a red light on the next intersection. I would have loved to knock on the door and introduce myself.
@Cora: Thanks!
Does anyone here know anyone from Lynyrd Skynyrd? Or know if any of them are bike riders? Every time someone crowds me on the road, I hear their "Gimme Three Steps" in my head, only it's "Gimme three feet, gimme three feet, driver, gimme three feet on the road!" I wonder if they'd allow us to "borrow" it for a safety campaign?? ;-D (Posted on the national board, too. Hey, a girl can dream, eh?)
Vicki, did you check the "communities" on the leader board? I've found some names I recognize from the community that way...
Im in Hillsboro is anybody biking in the Challenge this way? Love to know how fellow neighbors are doing ?
@Gregg, I plan to alert my team Oshkosh-Neenah has Appleton in their sight...good luck...Appleton
@ Jude - yes - The leaderboard when you are on the Local page will be Wisconsin.
So is there some sort of leaderboard for everyone who's riding in Wisconsin? I'm curious as to where I fit in out of 5,047 people.
Just signed up our team The Dragon Dashers. We also have a team for Scenic Shore 150. And The Dragon Dash is 5K Run/Walk at the end of September to benefit Maple Dale Indian Hill Schools.
@Julie - Nice Job!!
Nice job, Oshkosh-Neenah. We are gaining ground on Appleton.
All good stuff - LOVE BIKE MONTH!!!
I love the visual satisfaction I get logging my miles ... visual as in seeing it online and on the scale. I've shed 13 pounds.
Chris: Mountain biking miles are "sport riding", just like other recreational riding, whether road bike or cruiser. There is a "cycling, sport" selection you can make for it. Now, if you are riding a mountain bike to get to work, pick up groceries or the like, just report it as "cycling, transport." All bike miles should count.
Hey everyone,
This has been a terrific challenge and I want to give a shout out to all the organizers and sponsors for this National Bike Challenge. I'm curious as to what the statistics are for the number of men vs women bikers participating in the Challenge. This challenges is such an equalizer, I'm wondering why more women are not signed up. My Hope is for at least one women to be in the top ten nationally- go Kristen, Emily, Cindy!
I just told my husband (in an email) that I had less than 100 points to reach gold. His response: "Go, my easy rider, go! Go for the gold!" It is so wonderful being married to my best friend, who supports me in whatever endeavor I attempt! Ain't love grand??
Chris, you mean in the green "this week" and "today" boxes on the challenge home page? Noticed that too. My MTB miles are in my totals when looking at my stats, so they appear to be getting counted there but not for those two boxes.
Why doesn't mountain biking count for miles? It doesn't seem to add them to my total.
Keep riding. We are causing gas prices to continue to fall when normally they rise the week before Memorial Day.
I am on track to reaching the platinum level this month. I have been averaging 30 miles per day and 50 points per day. Since I ride to work every day, I only need to ride an additional 12 miles per day on work days. Since I average a pace of 3.5 minutes per mile, this is only 42 additional minutes of riding per day and that is not too much for me to do.
@Jenny, If your hubby is riding with some frequency we should collect the data. It will help the cause. If he bought the bike we are here to help encourage its use. Go for it.
Georgena Terry has been making great womens bikes for a long time and they have some collectability to them also. There is Terry Mt bike on craigslist right now. This one on ebay seems a tad over priced though.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-WOMENS-TERRY-PRECISION-VINTAGE-COLLECTORS-BICYCLE-ROAD-BIKE-/230663308500;hash=item35b49ac4d4
I haven't entered my husband into the challenge yet. He just got a new bike last summer, but before that he had not ridden a bike since high school. I was inspired to ride because of the challenge last year, and all of my riding had inspired him to get a new bike. I told him that he should join the challenge, but he does not like to bother with entering his stats (he doesn't have a smartphone like me haha). As much as I find myself on the website, I certainly could enter his stats for him.
The Wilderness Lakes Trail people have just completed a great 40 mile loop from Land O' Lakes into the UP (around the Sylvania Wilderness near Watersmeet, MI,) and back to Land O'. They are eager to show it off and plan a big Ride with Leinie's event on August 11, including a raffle to win a Leinkugels' signature canoe! Details at http://www.wildernesslakestrails.org/2012%20Biking%20Leinie.html.
Ann and I biked up to Land O yesterday from Eagle River to check out the trail - 80's and gusty, a beautiful day for a ride!
Gregg, I'm doing the Backdraft tour. It will be my first organized ride of the season. I'm planning on doing the 70 mi. My goal is a century but the distance intimidates me a bit. I have a new, lighter bike this year so maybe that will give me more confidence. For those women (sorry guys, they don't make mens bikes) on the extreme ends of height, Terry makes XXS and XL women specific bikes. I was wavering between 2 models and posted a question on their website (www.terrybicycles.com) and Georgena Terry, the president and founder of the company called me on the phone!!! We spent a good deal of time discussing my needs/wants and she followed up with a e-mailed "worksheet" of measurements which my engineer husband performed down to the millimeter. She sent me back some drawings with angles and measurements which resembled plans for a spaceship. I had no clue what they meant so I took them to Niki (Chain Reaction Cyclery) and she said "oh, you need......." I got my new Terry Symmetry around Easter. I had to wait for the pedals (on backorder) so I could only "visit" it at the shop until they came in. Any shorter woomen out there (I'm 4ft 11in on a good day) who wants to try it out let me know. There is a bike for you that is not a kids bike.
We need 21 more riders for 5,000 riders in Wisconsin. If we all nationally recruit just 1 more rider , we will have 50,000 riders nationally. Dallas Britt has recruited another driver at UPS in Oshkosh, so we are making substantial progress of getting more riders at work. I was planning to go on the UPS sponsored group ride at Scheels at the Fox River Mall at 4 pm yesterday, but I chickened out because I just rode over 20 miles in Ashwaubenon and I didn't hydrate nor fuel my body enough in the heat and I was wilting. I was even at Scheels and there was a small group there and they said they were thinking of riding to High Cliff and my body was telling me it was not sufficently hydrated nor fueled for such a long ride, so I sadly told them, I will have to wait for another Saturday and will learn drink more water when it gets so hot like this. They are having lots more water this year at the Green Bay Marathon and are warning athletes to drink more water than they have in the past for the Marathon. This is not a normal year and we are still a whole month ahead in climate around here and are heading into a summer end of June weather pattern. I hope this doesn't mean that fall will be earlier this year with leaves changing color in September and our first snowfall in October. That would really suck! But the June bugs are already out and we will probably be picking strawberries at Oakridge Farms in Neenah. They have pick your own strawberries there and they are conveniently located on the CB Trail. Last year they were charging $1.35 lb. and they laughed at me when I came there with my bike and loaded up my cargo trailer with strawberries. After the strawberry season, they also have pick your own rasberries and I went again with my bike and filled up my cargo trailer with some rasberries and then transported some on my bike on the CB trail to my mother and dad's apartment in Appleton. They live off of Mayflower Dr. near the airport, where we rode on the Ride of Silence last Wednesday. I am going on a ride now before it gets too hot again. I liked our 60 and 70 degree temps better. I just need to drink more in heat like this. I'm not looking forward to unloading packages inside hot sweaty UPS trailers tomorrow. It says inside the trailers that they are coated with some special stuff to prevent interior heat. But they need some more coating. lol No place is hotter on earth than inside a UPS trailer. It competes right up there with hell. They definitely need to install some fans that can move some air in there, so we don't pass out. Work itself is a lot more challenging in the summer than biking to work. At least last year I was on vacation when we had the hottest week of the summer with heat indexes over 120 degrees. Everyone at work said it was awful and they were wringing the sweat at break time out of their shirts. I wear dry wick t-shirts at work in the summer, which helps rather than cotton.
We only need 25 more riders for 5,000. Will we make it tonight yet?
Now that the hot sun is down, great riding weather. I really fried myself this afternoon on the roads in Ashwaubenon. I didn't know it was suppose to be in the 90' s today. The sun and UV rays were really intense today. I already got cyclist tan legs and tan line butt because I had no shirt on either. But I did have sunscreen on, so I didn't get any more sunburned. I hadn't developed enough tan yet yesterday to protect my skin. But after today I am getting really tanned--the earliest tan I can remember in my life.
Head wind in every direction here in Green bay today. But still a nice ride along the bay.
I wish I would have rode early this morning because it was really hot (92) and windy (20 mph winds) from the south), where I biked in Ashwaubenon on the sprint course for the Green Bay Triathlon. The course is only 15 miles, but Packerland Rd. was absolutely horrible with large cracks and the asphalt was all busted up with huge potholes for my whole wheel to fall in. I can't imagine why they have this road on the bike course for the triathlon because that road is really dangerous, especially for a race. It is the worst rode I have ever ridden on. I had a nice 20 moh tail wind that I could have sprinted on that road, but it was impossible to bike very fast without shaking up my bowels and wiping out and wrecking my bike. Because I was trying to dodge all the potholes, I missed the turn on Glory Rd, which really was glorious after biking on Packerland. But after I realized I was off course, I tried to get back on course, but ended up gettting more off course. Did you ever bike on roads not having a clue where you are? lol Well that was me today and that's what happens when you don't have any GPS. The more I tried to get on course, the more I got off course. And don't ask anybody in Ashwaubenon for directions because they don't have a clue where anything is in their town or how to get there. What was suppose to be a 15 mile bike course, suddenly turned into a 21.5 mile bike tour of Ashwaubenon. I found an off road bike trail through woods that I decided to take and figured it might be a short cut to the park where my van was parked, but it came out to Glory Rd.. lol So then I knew where I was and found my way back to the park.
Was an awesome morning for a bike ride. Went 14.9 miles today and every other day I climb a little bit more.
@ Tami - I first rode in a Bike MS event in 1989. I now captain a local Bike MS team (Team HP Omaha) to support those living with MS. Several people close to me have been greatly affected by MS. To ride with MS is indeed inspirational!
I encourage everyone to consider riding their local Bike MS event, among the many organized rides out there.
your welcome keep up the good work.
@Tami - you are a great inspiration! Just keep up the fantastic work you are doing :-)
@Tami- there are no little miles! Good for you and John!
You know I am proud of my little miles... I was diagnosed with MS about 6 years ago and I rode then very leisurely. I try to ride now to continue to remind my legs of the movements they are supposed to make as I had many leasions in my brain. My husband is absolutely wonderful and enable me to take longer rides as the heat really limits me he will let me ride to what I can do and pick me up when the wind is too tough coupled with the heat. Then the other day I got a flat and he arrived with all to change my tire or take me home cause both of my wrists are mildly sprained. I may only do a four measly miles on most days that I am lucky but they feel like a century and I have an amazing husband backing me. Thank You JOHN!!!
@liz the app already has that capability. I've been having my Facebook and twitter auto update all along.
Do I get bonus points if I bike all my miles while hauling two kids in a trailer and go uphill most of the time? ;-)
@Gregg, I'm sure you can figure out a way to fix or replace the zipper. Give it a try. It is a challenge.
i ride to school a lot of week days on my shwinn pixie and i ride my bike to friends.
What an awesome day. Maybe Wisconsin is finally done with winter. Only bad part is that I have to be at work. I did manage to get a few miles in by doing laps around the fire station. Very boring!!! But I'm still trying to make Platinum by the end of the month.
What an awesome day. Maybe Wisconsin is finally done with winter. Only bad part is that I have to be at work. I did manage to get a few miles in by doing laps around the fire station. Very boring!!! but I'm still trying to make Platinum by the end of the month.
iowa has great weather today
@ Phillip, I know that feeling of flustration - I've had 4 flats during one ride (I now use much better tires and tubes). You will have a great day tomorrow, enjoy your ride.
Hey Endomondo -- Any chance you can update app so that we can comment when we share a workout on Facebook? Also, allow the app to share to Twitter? Would help us to spread the word (see: NBC wants you!!)
Today just wasn't my day. I went to go for a group ride, and before I even left the parking lot, something happened and I got a flat in my rear tire. I went into the bike store so that they could fix it up really quick, but it ended up taking about 20 minutes. I headed out anyway to try to catch up with the group, but to no avail (very windy here today). So I turned around and started to head back. About a mile from where I started, I hit a pot hole and blew out my front tire. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better experience. Ever have one of those days?
Rode my bike to work on Wednesday. It was 14+ miles. Took me 70 minutes. On the way home discovered the joy of very sore muscles and very agressive drivers passing on the left and one very big dog. Luckily, no other problems. It felt good to park the car for the day, but I am still recovering. I hope to get a bike ride to work once a week while the weather isn't too bad and ride the bus on other days.
35 mile ride on the Green Bay area bike trails. Gotta get the old road bike ride able again. Darn head winds. Trick will be replacing the deraillier with a modern one. Or to I bite the bullet and buy a bee bike.
Jenny - I just made gold as well. Congrats!
I did not have a good day yesterday. I took my aluminum pontoon boat over to Camp Phillip in Wautoma, WI yesterday where we are camping next weekend for Memorial Day weekend because next weekend I have to tow my pop up camper and I can't tow both. It's about an hour's drive away and I stopped at the quarry in Redgranite on the way to do some swim training for my first ever triathlon in Green Bay in 2 weeks. I am a pro in duathlons now and can bike and run great, but this tri has me getting nervous. I've been swimming in a warm indoor pool, but this is not the same as open water swimming in cold water where you have no black line on the bottom to site. It's been kind of hard lately to find days to swim in a lake around here because although our air temps have been pretty warm during the day, the night temps have been dropping into the low 40's and needless to say the water is VERY COLD. When I went swimming at the beach in Winneconne during our heat wave in March, the lake water was warmer then it is now. We had 2 weeks of really hot weather in March that broke temp records every day that caused our walleyes to spawn in March rather than in April this year. This has never occured ever in the history of Wisconsin and apparently also caused even a mild earth quake in Clintonville, WI, which has never experienced an earthquake before and was really freaking out the residents there when they didn't know what what was the loud banging noises that woke the whole town up every night from the aftershocks..
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I'm getting nervous now because I've been doing all my swim training with a sleeveless Xterra wet suit that I bought last October and was getting use to the feel of swimming in a wet suit and really love it and yesterday when I came to use it, I found out the zipper is broke on it. I wanted to be able to train with it Memorial Day weekend at Camp Phillip in Wautoma, where we are camping. They have a beach there on White River Mill Pond. But that water is always cold because it is a deep spring fed lake, but I thought I would be able to swim Memorial Day weekend there in my sleeveless wet suit that protects most of my body from the cold water. But now I might end up having to swim in just tri shorts unless I can get it fixed before the triathlon in 2 weeks. But I'm afraid the water at Camp Phillip is going to be cold next weekend yet to be able to swim in it without my wet suit and the cold water in just my tri shorts will make me struggle too much. I know the man made lake at Ashwaubomay Park in Green Bay is shallow and is suppose to be warm, but all the lakes I have been trying to swim in around here have really ice cold water and has been quite uncomfortable even with my sleeveless wet suit and I figure that the water may be quite cold in Green Bay for the triathlon. I maybe made a big mistake to choose an early triathlon for my first triathlon when I can't swim very good in cold water. However, today is going to be really warm in the upper 80's and if this warm weather today continues, the water in all the wisconsin lakes should warm up considerably in 2 weeks. But last weekend in Lake Winnebago in Neenah here, the water was even too cold in my sleeveless wet suit to be abe to swim train. When I was at the quarry in Redgranite yesterday and was going to do some training with my wet suit there, that's when I found out the zipper was broke. :( It must have broke this last week when I took it off at Lake Winneconne Park when I was swimming there. I was getting confident and comfortable swimming in my new wet suit and now I am freaking out without it because the water is still so cold to swim without it and I don't know how I am going to train or swim the race without it and in just my tri shorts. I had a river tube at the quarry and just had my feet in the ice cold water and was going to put my wet suit on when a gust of wind came and blew my tube in the quarry and I was forced to jump in the quarry with JUST MY TRI SHORTS on to retrieve my tube from blowing all the way across the quarry. I think I need wind blowing my tube across the lake to force me to swim after it in cold water at the triathlon. lol But I almost went into cardiac arrest from the cold water on my privates swimming after my tube. It was really cold and my privates and toes were going numb. But I managed to catch up to the tube about 200 yards from shore, but it was still really cold on my whole body. But at least I found out that if I have to I can swim at least 400 yards in just tri shorts in really cold water, even though it is torture to my privates. lol When I got back to shore I didn't have the guts to put my body through any more torture like that. The warm sun on the quarry rocks on shore felt so good on my body that I layed down on the rocks and fell alseep for over an hour and woke up with a sunburned body, so now the cold water REALLY feels cold on my sunburn. It was not a good day! :( So now I have to bike and run today with a sunburn. The sunburn is not too bad because I have naturally dark skin and tan very well, but my body hasn't had much sun on it yet and the UV rays are starting to get more intense as we get closer to June 21 when the sun is highest in the sky and has the most UV rays here in Wisconsin..
Woo hoo gold!
Usually doesn't take me close to 3 hours to get home from work on the bike - especially on Bike to Work Day. Here's what happened: went to get my commuter bike - flat tire (hole in valve stem). Grabbed the "beater" bike instead. Not much of a problem heading to work - even stopped at a couple yard sales. Later: Left the office late - about 8:00 PM (combination of lots of extra work & wanting to miss the 100+ heat). Stopped at a park, and saw a girl & her brothers trying to put the chain back on her cruiser. Helped them out by putting the chain back on, and went back to my bike - which now had a flat rear tire. Pulled apart the tire & tube, & found out a disintegrating plastic tire liner had sliced the tube. Swapped tubes & found out the backup toolkit I had grabbed that morning had a pump only capable of low pressure. Put all I could in the tire & headed toward the wind (slowly) trying not to bottom out the new tube. When I was almost home, was persuaded to divert an extra mile or so to grab a late dinner for the family. But it sure tasted good.
@Joses - I'll second Charlie's comments, and add that you should keep your wrists straight (In the neutral position). Having them cocked back will definitely lead to carpal tunnel syndrome. That is also why anyone who works on a keyboard a lot should have a padded wrist rest. On my road bike, I use a gel wrap below the regular handlebar wrap, and also change positions frequently. For a mountain bike, you can attach MTB bar ends on the end of your handlebars. This will give you another position or two.
Thanks Charlie L, I think I will eventually get a road bike so I can change hand positions. For now, I will try your advice and see if it helps.
I was told today's daily ride points would be double for "Bike to Work Day". Oh, well but it would have been nice for those of us who are either riding more consistantly, or who recognized the event.
@Joses, I am sure others will have better comments. I also like long rides. Several years ago I had what felt like I guess carpal tunnel might feel like. I got scared and started talking to others and reading. Maybe the most important suggestion was riding relaxed. No straight arms. Have to bend the elbows. Loosen the grips on the bars. I have a road bike. I added padding and double wrap on the handle bars. I always wear gel padded gloves. Finally, I move my hands a lot, at least every 15 minutes. Problem went away after time and hasn't returned. Keep riding!!
Exactly! I think staying positive and being professional while more of the public are exposed to bicycles is important. There are so many people I see riding the wrong way down sidewalks, darting out in traffic, etc. We need to keep a high profile and make sure people see that some bicyclists obey the rules of the road and are predictable. Also, I'm kind of new to long distance biking and think I have carpal tunnel in my hands! Anyone else ever had this, and if so, is there any way to prevent it? I have a Scott Sportster 10 with mountain bike-style handlebars (beating myself up because I really want a road bike now, but I can still cruise pretty fast and love riding it!). Could this be the reason?
Exactly Greg. When you"re stopped at a light or a stop sign and your going to go straight be in the lane. Also use left turn lanes when you become more comfortable riding in traffic and ride in the middle of the lane. If you ride off to the left or just to the right of a lane you're giving drivers the opportunity to try to squeeze by you and that creates a dangerous situation. Once you've made the turn or have gone straight through the intersection then move to the right so traffic can pass and you can continue in the bike lane or as far to the right that is safe.
Helped work an information table at a local bike to work event party tonight. I really enjoyed the times I got to explain this Challenge. Gave out a bunch of Challenge information cards. Should be a few more Wisconsin riders soon.
EVERYONE - We are now on pace to collectively break 11,000,000 miles by the end of August. You may recall that it was only four days ago that we passed the pace needed to log 10 million miles. Monday so far tends to be our best day of the week, and the weekends are our worst. Let's change that trend this weekend!
@Travis - They fixed the mountain bike issue they had the first week. Sometimes, it may take a few hours to update as the number of participants is slowing things down. Report it if it still hasn't updated in another hour or so.
@ Joses. I take up the whole lane, too, when going through a roundabout. Motorists don't need to be upset because I can bike faster through a roundabout then motor vehicles can. I have to do this, otherwise they may try to pass me in a roundabout and hook me going out of it. I do the same thing in a right or left turning lane and take up the whole lane, so no one tries to pull up side of me. They give me the evil eye, too, like I have no buisness there, but it's much more safer that way.
Who here is riding in the Backdraft Bike Tour?. I'm looking forward to this and will be my first century.
@ Stephen Are you going to ride in the Backdraft Bike Tour and are you doing the century?
Doing some bike maintainence tonight and discovered a broken spoke. Hopefully this not a sign of 2 yrs ago where I ended up buying a new rear wheel. A trip to the Bike Hub is in store for me tomorrow. There goes my morning ride unless I "borrow" my wife's wheel ( she has an identical bike)
Stopped by the local bike shop to have my Body bracket replaced. While waiting I noticed a guy picking up his new bike. I saw a smart phone on his belt so I asked if he had heard of Endomondo. After showing him the app on my phone he seemed pretty excited, so hopefully we have a new rider soon.
Crazy, suicidal bunnies are taking over the bike path here! I guess it does make the ride a little more exciting.
Cheryl - glad to here your husband is more or less OK. I live in Appleton also and have biked around the mall and know the area. Please send him my best. I have been biking to work the past 4 years from Appleton to Neenah. I have learned its best to wear my safety vest and use my front headlight and rear Planet Bike Superflash all the time, even during the day. Good luck to you with the Challenge and if you are interested in helping make the Fox Cities a better place for cyclists, I invite you to join us at FCCA.
its not counting my mtn bike miles today.
yeah that is what i thought just surprised at new faces and points. Noticed three and four rides a day thought maybe that explained it. All good thank you i will do a 24 endurance ride to get some good points before month is over.
Nice job @Joses, riding like you belong punctuated with a wave... Bet that guy was thinking about you all the way home!
Check out the rules under the toolkit tab at the top of the web page.
The way I understand it is 20 points per day, not per ride. Example: 5 rides of 5 miles each in one day equals the same points as one ride of 25 miles in a day, (45 points). Hope this helps.
I was riding with the flow of traffic today in a bike lane. The lane was interrupted by a right turn lane so after signaling left, I safely merged into the center lane with traffic. I took the entire lane so as not to be run over and a young guy in a pickup came behind me blasting his horn and yelling. I kept my lane and politely moved back to the bike lane once I cleared the intersection. Also, gave the driver a smile and a wave as he drove past yelling. At least he saw me and I wasn't hit! hahaha
not 60 if you ride three times
Yes, 20 points every day you ride + 1 point a mile.
I am confused with some of the totals here. Do you get twenty points everytime you get on your bike? If so that takes away all confusion.
Be careful out there. My husband was struck by a car while bike riding along the Paper Trail out by the Fox River Mall in Appleton WI. The car was leaving a place of business and merging into traffic. The driver did not see him, although there was adequate daylight and he was wearing a bright yellow biking jacket. Luckily the car was moving slow enough he sustained facial laceration. The Emergency Room doctor who sewed him up, stated the research demonstrates cars are looking for other vehicals, not bikers or people. So bike defensively....
Be careful out there! My husband was struck by a car last evening while biking along the Paper Trail at the Fox River Mall. A car exited a business and did not see him on the trail. There was plenty of daylight and he was wearing a bright yellow jacket. Luckily, the car was merging onto the road slow enough that he sustained only facial lacerations. The Emergency Room doctor who put in six sutures, indicated the research demonstrates drivers are looking for other cars, not bikes or people. So, bike defensively.
As long as we're plugging rides. My daughter and i like this one for the Riveredge Nature center. Great routes and super rest stops(what she likes), ice cream at the end. http://www.riveredge.us/default.aspx
Got attacked by a goose on a loose gravel road. then a flat exiting the gravel section. Epic.
Thanks Robert. Yes, the Backdraft Bike Tour has routes for all abilities and starts in Jefferson Park in Menasha on June 10.
http://www.nmfire.org/backdraft-bike-tour/
Proceeds for this ride will go to Wisconsin Alliance for Fire Safety, whose mission is to "promote, encourage and foster fire safety, burn prevention and public fire safety education". They support burn survivors of all ages in addition to sponsorship of the Summer Camp for Burn Injured Youth.
@ travis :( that sucks.
Difficult question @Troy, a situation that many victims no doubt wrestle with. How will you feel if you don't report it and later find out that he did it again and hit someone? Just thinking...
@Troy - You're a good sport, fella.
Well my mtn bike ride was great but i had to cut it short after my chain broke. I had less than 500 miles on it too.
http://blog.bikeleague.org/blog/2012/05/week-3-challenge-recap-sooooo-many-donuts/
@Burklee and Martin - I'll get my payback by eating TWO GALLONS of UNL Dairy Store ice cream at the Bike to Work event this afternoon! Seriously, though, I was a bit peeved this morning and had to vent, but I also have a hard time passing judgement. My wife hit a cyclist a few years ago (no serious injuries) while pulling out of the driveway at the medical practice she works at here in Lincoln. Needless to say, being a nurse and wife of a dedicated cyclocommuter, she felt absolutely awful and it made her a lot more watchful after that. I try not to be an a** when this happens 'cause I don't want to give our lot a bad reputation. There's already plenty of bad cyclists out there without me adding to the group by flipping somebody the bird or making a scene.
If anyone is looking a ride, on June 10th the Neenah Menasha Fire and Rescue is sponsering a tour to support burn victims. There will be a 16 mile family rounte or 30, 50, 75, and 100 mile routes.
@Nyla - Road construction is no fun! I almost wiped out last evening because of a patch of VERY loose gravel on the paved CE bike trail. Very unsafe - hope they fix it, or at least pack it down and fill it in soon!
As part of the Florida Bike Summit, we tried to gain support for a cell phone ban while driving. I was plainly told by a Legislative aide that our representatives would never vote to ban cell phones because they (the representatives) get too much work done on cell phones while driving. Apparently it's not even common procedure to check cell phone records as part of accident investigations (in Florida). A friend was hit by a car, another vehicle turned around and reported to the police that the person was on the cell phone. They then investigated and the motorist got a ticket for distracted driving...
After hitting a dog and breaking my back last year, the dog owner said I didn't hit his dog. I now record and save all my rides on 1080p HD, otherwise it's just your word against theirs.
Encountered one of my least favorite cycling surprises on this beautiful breezy May morning: Bright orange “road Construction” sign preceding miles of soft sand and gravel where a familiar paved road existed yesterday along regularly traveled route )-: Low flying hawk joining me against headwinds on detour home offset fleeting frustration. (-; Fine day for pedaling North…enjoy the ride!
@Troy - I live in Lincoln - I'm tempted to call it in myself. We don't need that stuff. Actually, nobody does, bikers or other drivers. How hard is it to just drive? Aren't you SUPPOSED to pay attention while you're driving? The guy who almost hit me yesterday was driving an SUV and talking on his cell phone. Glad you're alright.
@Tony... I second the motion to report the incident!
We are giving away free University of Nebraska-Lincoln Dairy Store ice cream sundaes to all bike riders today at the Jayne Snyder Trails Center in Lincoln, NE (while supply lasts)...ride on by and join us!
More lake flys are hatching with the warm weather. Lovely! :(
@Troy - Glad you're OK! If you haven't done it already, I would suggest reporting him to UNL. Too many drivers think that they can remain totally aware of their surroundings while being distracted by cell phones, texing, shaving, etc... And, little incidents (to him) like this may cause a driver to be more cautious for a few days, or even a week or two, but they tend to revert back to their old habits quickly. But if their employer tells them to not use a cell phone while driving, that will help reinforce the lesson, and make it last longer. We don't need to have you or anyone else on a bike become another statistic (or part of a movie with a much worse ending).
Yes, loved the coffee and snacks the last two days. I even went the long way to work to get my fill! Nice friendly people, except for the ranting mechanic that is - but maybe he did not have coffee yet.
Made Golden on Bike to Work day! Woohoo! Love this challenge!
@Michael, I saw one bike on the way to work but they weren't going to work. I never see any other "real" commuters. I live in a small area though. Our bike movement is really new. I rode to work twice today because I left something home. A true blonde moment. Happy Bike to work Day!
Travis, that's the joy from Mt. Biking though- caked in mud. :) I prefer it to road biking.
Finally, shoulder is getting back to normal and I am back on my bike! Just in time for Bike to Work Day!
Thanks to all the folks at the Urban Ecology Center for the coffee and bagels this week!
Happy National Bike to Work Day!
Unfortunately I only saw one other rider on my 23 mile commute. :-( It's a bit depressing in a large community like Tampa Bay. I'm being harsh however in an area where there have been around 10 cyclist deaths this year in the tri-county area. Apparently law enforcement and local government doesn't care... the signals are still stacked against cyclists and pedestrians and there's been no public outcry for change. I feel like Rambo... expendable!
Please be safe and ride like you belong!
It looks like a great day for mtn biking! I have about a 4 mile ride on the road to get to highland forest where i bike then its all uphill to the trails haha. Hopefully the trails dried out some i dont like biking home caked in mud.
My cyclocommute this morning was momentarily interrupted by a film I was forced to watch by a University of Nebraska-Lincoln employee (who will remain anonymous - license plate #12913). This feature was produced and directed by the same driver as he simulataneously attempted to direct his taxpayer provided utility van through a stop sign at an intersection while talking on his cell phone in an effort to start my weekend off with a bang and an ambulance ride. The movie was an autobiography about me, starring me, and ended with a poignant "sorry" mouthed by the producer and director through the passenger window of his van as he rolled to a stop. As in "sorry, please don't call my employer and tell them I was driving the company van while distracted by my cell phone." Luckily, I escaped with only a slightly more elevated heart rate. Grrrr!
"It doesn't get easier, you just go faster". - Greg Lemond
@Mike - Thanks. I actually went in to The Recyclist bike shop last night, and they were very friendly. They did not have the correct size tube for my trailer, so they are keeping ithe trailer and will try to get the tube today or Monday. They felt so bad about not having the tube in stock, that they checked over my bike and adjusted the derailer and brakes as a courtesy. I would for sure go back in the future, and since it's only a 4 mile ride and they are right off the CE trail it is very convenient.
brisk blue sky morning a great start to a Friday
60 degrees for my 18 mile trip to work 19.2 mph avg was nice but going home has more uphill so I will slow down on My Bacchetta Corsa recumbent. Hope you enjoy your ride to work!
Happy Bike to Work Day everyone! Enjoy the ride!
Relative to rides, several Wisconsin communities help kick off the Special Olympics with a ride. Many ride to Stevens Point as a destination. Help support the Special Olympics if your community is riding and meet you in Stevens Point, June 7.
Happy Bike to Work morning, everyone! In about fifteen minutes I'm going to go out and hit a couple of the meeting locations we have scattered around Austin.
Not out to win, just out to ride. Enjoy it while I can.
@ Cora, The Recyclist has been a good bike shop for me. Although I haven't stopped in this year (I like to patronize various LBS), in the past they've been helpful.
Thanks Jeff, I'm not out to kick anyone's butt, I just enjoy riding. At 66 I figure I'm not doing too bad. If I can ride like this at my age, so can anyone else - IF they truly have the desire to do so. Locally I'm known as the first one to be dropped from group rides (usually within the first 1/2 mile). I may be old and slow but I just keep plodding along and enjoying the ride.
Leonard Wright is kicking some butt on the Endomondo National Bike Challenge he is doing (at least)80 miles a day, everyday, since it started. Way to go!!!!
Sunny warm air in the 80's is pushing into Wisconsin for the weekend, but with the heat will come also strong winds from the south at nearly 20 mph and on Sunday it may become a very stormy day.
wish i was back in wisconsin Gregg. The ticket you get her is a whopping 78 dollar failure to yield. No manslaughter charges either. I remember growing up there and we were taught it was a priviledege to get a drivers license. Down here in florida they take the test in a parking lot and it is considedered a right to have a drivers license. How said it is sometimes. And with to kids and a wife i have learned to zip it, occasionally i still catch one at a red light and take a pic of their plate and let them know how stupid they are. Sad part is a lot have a teenager or younger in car they are teaching we have no rights as a cyclist. Istill get out ever day and so does my wife just to let them know they will not win. Just got our younger son at 2 his first bike and helmet.
Also coming up is "Gear Up Green Lake" on June 30, a variety of routes to choose from. I rode this one last year, and looks like they have expanded some of the routes, although I don't see a map yet. http://www.greenlakegreenways.org/
I doubt whether UPS would provide any funding for bike commuting to work, even though the government has this program. We even got our turkey taken away at Christmas when the recession hit, so I'm sure they are going to say they have no money for this, even though everyone knows they are still making lots of money yet. I've never had a payroll check bounce yet. lol
@John
Good idea to sneak in a mile or so to get the 20 points. Alas, my commute day is good for 64 points, so bad weather tomorrow will still drop me probably 100 or more spots on the rankings. Oh well.
Danny, ride around the block a few times when there is a break in the rain. It's worth 20 points + a mile or two if you can get it in :) Then do your hard miles on the trainer.
Hello all i live in Pa, its great to meet all the participants in this exciting contest. I'm wondering if any in this challenge knows about this new goverment perk for cyclists, and if anyone has been able to get their company to offer it? Thanks for any or all feed back.
Good news for bicycle commuters. As of January 1st, 2009, you can collect a twenty dollar per month tax credit if you bike to work at least three days a week. This was all part of the stimulus bill that passed last Fall.
The credit is available through your employer. (That is if your employer contracts a commuter benefit provider.) If you employer does not have or offer a commuter credit program, talk to you employer about initiating a commuter benefits program. Get your fellow bicycle commuters to back you up on this. Your employer can benefit through tax breaks.
Many complain that $20 dollars a month isn't enough money to interest them in the program. And others state that the paperwork is more time consuming than it's worth.
Last year the leader board let you jump between different units like miles and trips. Looks like this year points is the only option.
@ Danny This challenge is only outdoor cycling.
Ride of Silence was a 12 mph ride where no one talks, but remembers all the cyclist deaths on the roadways last year. At our ride in Appleton, WI I believe they said that there were 68 cyclist deaths on Wisconsin roadways last year.. Any cyclist death is too many but 68 is way too many for any state. So just like our drunk driving laws where you can have your license revoked and if you kill someone, you can even be charged with manslaughter, they are going to do the same thing with drivers who hit pedestrians or cyclists due to inattentive driving or breaking the rules of the road. There will be severe penalties, including losing your license and in the case of a cyclist death even charges of manslaugher may be filed against a motorist.
Another opportunity coming up is the "Ride for Nature" which is on June 16 starting from Bailey's Harbor in Door County. There is a century ride, a "metric" century ride, 50 mile, 25 mile, and a 15 mile family ride. http://www.ridefornature.com/about/
Friday is normally a bike commute day for me, but the weather says we are going to have lots of rain and thunderstorms tomorrow. I usually do a trainer ride at home to still get some time on the bike during days like that. I imagine however that we aren't supposed to count trainer ride miles for this challenge. Anybody know for sure?
Go, Heather!!
12.73 today! Woo. Having issues though-rear brake pads rubbing the wheel.
I had to go to Monkey Wrench Bike Shop at lunch, and almost got hit by - wait for it - a guy driving an SUV talking on his cell phone. You're shocked and probably skeptical I know, but it's true. I'm in my lane, his lane is ending due to construction, so he cuts into my lane. I braked pretty hard and he continued merrily along. Glad I didn't impede his very important progess or anything. Sheesh. (Insert eye roll here.) But I have spokes for my future bike. Yea!
Today, i rode 29.31 miles doing arrands. In boise,idaho i use the green belt and side streets through neighborhoods to avoid high traffic streets. :)
If anyone else is looking to register for race the lake let me know befor you do we are looking for 3 more people to register as a team so we can save alot of money.
@Carrie - http://RideOfSilence.org
The ride of silence was organised by a great group of people in Singapore who promote bicycles and a non automitive transportation approach. We in otherwords they cycle. Which makes sense on a relatively small island with electronic road pricing that is very high.
yo
Jenn, what is the Ride of Silence?
I did the Ride of Silence last night. Great ride for a sobering cause....
All registered for Race the Lake! This will be my 4th year doing it and yes it is a super fun, extremely well organized event! Can't wait!
Training for my fourth RAGBRAI this summer!
Points in the challenge keep accumuating throughout the challenge and once you achieve a certain level, you won't lose that level at the end of the month, but you have the opportunity the next month to go up another level. The drawing for gold at the end of the month will be first and all those riders who have reached the gold level will be in that drawing. If you do not win a prize in gold, then you will have a chance to win in the silver level, and if you don't win in the silver level, you will also be in the bronze level drawing. So, if you reach gold level, you will have a chance to win in each level each month. It is possible for a rider to win a prize every month, but only 1 prize per month. If you win a prize in the gold level that month, you will not be elgible for any other prize in the lower levels. However, even though points keep accumulating throughout the challenge for prizes, there is a link to see what points you have by month. Even, if you did not do so well on the leaderboard this month, next month in June you have an opportunity to see if you can get higher up on the board for June. You will be able to see your total points for the challenge as well as for each month. In the Wisconsin Challenge last year, I tried to get more points in the next month compared to the previous and this way you are challenging yourself to do more each month. It's really a great motivater for me because honestly, I don't think I would be biking as many miles as I do, if it wasn't for this challenge. That's why I love this challenge and would love to see it continue year around. Arizona has a disadvantage with the challenge in the summer and if there was one in the winter,, the disadvanatage would swtich to Wisconsin, unless we have a spring winter like we did this last winter. I was biking even in January because it was so unseasonably warm for us. It was so warm that the ice was not even safe to walk on in many places and one day 150 cars took a bath on the lake. lol
Thanks Gregg for the helpful information, I check in with them.
@ Rob, Midwest Sports would have email addresses of everyone who has ever registered for any of their events and they send out mass emails periodically to all these people, letting them know about their upcoming events. They would probably be willing to add publicity of the National Bike Challenge in their emails, if the National Bike Challenge would be willing to promote their events in their publicty. That way both are benefiting from networking with each other. Perhaps, maybe you should email Gloria West and let her know what publicity the National Bike Challenge could give Midwest Sports and their events in exchange for their publicy of the National Bike Challenge through their contacts. You can email her at [email protected]
The National Bike Challenge is asking your help to share the word about this free and fun event with friends, family and co-workers. We are approaching 23,000 riders, but the daily registrations rate has slowed from a peak of 1500 per day to yesterday's 250 per day. We could easily DOUBLE the number of riders if everyone just recruited one more person to register. At the end of the Challenge, it would be great if we could make a powerful statement by demonstrating we achieved not only our mileage goal but also our participation goal. Thanks for your help in making the National Bike Challenge a success and gaining more support to improve cycling conditons for everyone!!
Gregg - do you have any ideas on how Midwest Sports could help get the word out at their Wisconsin events about the National Bike Challenge ?
Midwest Sports said they are expecting a record participation this year around 2,000 riders for Race the Lake. I helped Midwest Sports for 5 hours by tearing down swim course and transition at the Oshkosh Triathlon last summer and earned a free event, so I didn't have to pay for the Neenah Duathlon this year. They have a great bunch of paid staff that does a great job or organizing all their events. So, if you want to earn a free event, just volunteer 5 hours of your help.. Maybe I can get them to promote the National Bike Challenge because they have email addresses of everyone who has ever registered for one of their events. If they have 2,000 riders this year, that is 220,000 points just for Race the Lake, if they all register. My wife opened up the garage sale again today and will also be open tomorrow and lots of people are stopping by on bikes, but they didn't know about the challenge. A guy came today with a recummba bike and he's going to join. So our garage sale is becoming a great tool to recruit more riders for the challenge.
Scott Williams, thanks for answering my question - knowing that I don't lose my gold status at the end of the month makes me happy - and I guess I'm well on my way to platinum since points don't reset at the end of the month. Good thing - I was doing the math - I'd have to be seriuosly cool in order to go platinum in one month - 50 points a day is a lot of riding. Ahh, dreaming - how would it be to ride that much! I'll have to ask Leonard Wright ;)
Congrats, Emily! Way to go!
Glad to be back to my 5 mile commute after 2 days of 15 miles each way!
@Gregg - I just wanted to second your Race The Lake post. I did it last year for the first time and it was awesome! One of the most fun things I’ve ever done on a bike, or off a bike for that matter. If anyone is thinking about doing it I would highly recommend it. My profile pic was taken right after we finished.
3 of us were wearing our “Team X” bike jerseys that our work gave us for participating in Get Up and Ride. One of the coolest things happened the next when I walked into Cranked Bike Shop in Neenah the next day. One of bike mechanics there saw me wearing my Team X jersey. He said “Team X, you guys were in Race The Lake. You guys pull really hard”. Than we had about a half hour conversation about how much fun we had.
So yeah, it’s a fun time, great event, well run, and well supported.
Anyone have any experience with "The Recyclist" bike shop in Kaukauna? My trailer has a flat, and seems to need the whole wheel replaced, and I need to get a mounting bracket that fits my frame better, and they are the only shop I am aware of that is close enough to me to tow my trailer in, with the flat. We don't have a large enough vehicle to drive both the bike and trailer anywhere to get it checked out, so I need to be able to drag the trailer with the flat tire...
I hit the gold today! Feels so good!
Is there anyone else riding from Oshkosh or JLG in Australia????
That's awesome, Lauren. Points are 20 points for each day that you ride, +1 point for each mile that you ride.
Hello everyone! I wouldn't have ridden today except for this :) I have a doctor's appointment mid-day around 6 miles from work (a hilly 6 miles!) and I almost decided to drive.
One question- how are points deterined?
@Timothy...actually we have hit 1M miles on less than the listed 22K registered riders...only a little more than half of all of the registered riders have recorded mileage, an impressive feat, but i agree with you, lets get more riders and lets get more riders recording mileage (something I am guilty of)
Still raining so bailed out of cyclommute this morning, will try for a ride on the beach after work.
@James, glad you are here. This challenge is motivating many of us! Keep checking in and let us know how you are doing as you move along. Have a great day!
@James, Welcome to the challenge. It is motivating to read posts like yours. I often mention posts like this as I am explaining the challenge to prospective riders. Enjoy the fun and share your thoughts with everyone you know so we can hit that 50,000 number of riders.
Wow, just realized the goal is 50,000 riders, and we're only at 22,000+. Need to talk it up with our friends and get them riding too. 10 Million miles, we're already over 1 million, is very doable.
I have not ridden in 15 years and this is a new meaning to working hard. I used to race and would get in about 35 miles a day for training, now that I took 30 years off and went into the military and all I did was run, this seems like torture. I am glad that I can still do it even with all of my physical issues. Thanks for doing this it gets me motivated!
spent morning 2day & yesterday riding with middle school riders giving tips on safety.
same road same rules ! also vol for the loca kawanis bike prog. here in reno nv . bent
on miles of smiles d
.
Cleaning my bike after the rainy ROS... Just wanted to relay that the "Danger Zone" taillight is totally dry inside! All my Superflashes would show water intrusion with the type of rain we rode through. (read yesterday's thread on safe bicycle lighting)
I'd better hurry, I'm exhusted but want to cyclommute tomorrow. one last thing...
Thanks to all that participated in the Ride of Silence!
Hi all, just an itsy bitsy short ride today. Work intervenes with fun. Temp around 80 again but humidity is starting to attack.
Nice to hear the safety discussion. Getting hit is no fun. I taught my kids to drive defensively: that is just assume that everyone else on the road is an idiot! That goes double for cyclists (not that we are idiots, but that we have to assume all the drivers on the road are). Drivers just don't seem to see cyclists. No surprise when you consider that they don't see motorcycles or even construction workers. Missouri has had a real problem with construction workers getting killed on the job.
So yeah, be careful everyone.
A lot going on here with graduation and all so have a great weekend everyone!
@Gregg - Waukesha ROS looked like about 50 riders. Some kids too. Speed varied 5-15mph, depending on the police escort. I rode home-to-work, work-to-Waukesha, ROS, Waukesha-to-home, so the 5 mile ride itself was only a fraction of the event for me.
@Phillip - I pedaled like a madman with the storm on my back, and pulled into my garage about 2 minutes before it hit here in Pewaukee Tuesday.
Ganther Race the Lake, which is the 90 mile bike race around Lake Winnebago in Fond du Lac on August 19 is quickly filling up. There is a maximum of 150 per wave and wave 7 (20 mph), which is the wave I am registered for, is 90% full with 135 athletes as of May 16 and is expected to sell out before the end of May. Waves 2 (25 mph) and wave 10 (17 mph) are 75% full and all the othe waves are over 50% full. So if you would like to participate, register soon. You can register online at this link:
http://www.active.com/cycling/fond-du-lac-wi/ganther-race-the-lake---bike-event-2012
Or you can download and print a registration brochure at this link:
http://www.midwestsportsevents.com/PDFs/12%20RTL.pdf
You must arrive at High Cliff State Park by 10:00 a.m. to continue the second half. You must complete the entire event within 7 hours 40 minutes, a pace of approximately 12.7 mph.
Ganther Race the Lake, which is the 90 mile bike race around Lake Winnebago in Fond du Lac on August 19 is quickly filling up. There is a maximum of 150 per wave and wave 7 (20 mph), which is the wave I am registered for, is 90% full with 135 athletes as of May 16 and is expected to sell out before the end of May. Waves 2 (25 mph) and wave 10 (17 mph) are 75% full and all the othe waves are over 50% full. So if you would like to participate, register soon. You can register online at this link:
http://www.active.com/cycling/fond-du-lac-wi/ganther-race-the-lake---bike-event-2012
Or you can download and print a registration brochure at this link:
http://www.midwestsportsevents.com/PDFs/12%20RTL.pdf
Jerry, I'm in good shape for a flat-lander but I'm pretty sure my legs would have been cramping like crazy in last few miles of those rolling hills!
We rode 7.65 miles tonight at a pace of 12 mph at Wheel & Sprocket in Appleton, Wisconsin for the "Ride of Silence", remembering those who died or were injured on bikes. There was a group of about 15 riders. The weather was perfect for this.
Michael, it was a fun ride. Except for the headwinds on the way home. It is rolling hills with 8% grades. Add the headwinds to that, and plus it is at the end of the ride makes it tough.
We had about 10 riders in the rain for Palm Harbor's @RideOfSilence. Add to that, the police escort canceled. Several cars honked (in support) as they went by and almost all vehicles were well behaved.
@Jerry - Sounds awful, I wish I was with you!
Lisa, we are having the same problem. Our workplace has 13 but our team only has 8. Our 9th member cannot join as well.
Cross roads are also bad on off road road trails because motorists never look to see if anyone is coming and they have a habit of stopping right in front of the trail and I end up having to stop more often as cars block your way.
Just got back from the "Ride of Silence" in Appleton and had a nice group of 15. We rode in silence for 7.5 miles and we were suppose to keep a pace of no more than 12 mph, but with a tail wind and drafting that was hard to do, so the ride was only a half hour, which is more than 12 mph. I didn't have to pedal a lot to maintain 12 mph.
I don't always like off road trails that are shared by pedestrians because some wander on both sides of the trail or they walk double leaving no room for a bike to pass.
My team only has 8 people but it's not letting my new 9th member join, it's saying the team is full. I thought teams were 10 people. Anybody know what's going on?
Nyla, Steven and James, thank you all! If I encounter the runner again, I plan to ask her (very nicely, of course) why she did what she did and hopefully explain what she should do. Again, thank you!
Agony in the Switchbacks - My first century.
Ride up to Estes Park, CO. High winds as I left Glen Haven. Bummer to have headwinds while climbing to and in the switchbacks. High winds in Estes Park and the canyon during the descent. And than headwinds all the way home.
The climb out of Glen Haven to the switchbacks is 10-13%. Than 15% in the switchbacks. Tough climb for me.
Christine,
my blog has all the Wisconsin Statute info of cyclists. You may have to scroll to some older posts, but it is all on there.
http://spokesconnectingthebikingandlegalhubs.blogspot.com/
I was going for a short ride today but it was so nice and cool I ended up riding 30 miles instead. I had to work off the fish and chips I had at lunch at Applebee's anyway.
Does anyone know of a good Tri shop in the Twin Cities area?
Who here in the Milwaukee-ish part of the state got caught in the thunderstorm yesterday (Tuesday) evening? I did, that's for sure. Eventually I took a breather under a pedestrian overpass on the Hank Aaron state trail by Miller Park, just to catch my breath. An exhilarating ride, that's for sure!
Christine, Wisconsin State Statutes address the issue of walking and biking on both roads and trails. On roads, pedestrians are to walk against traffic, which would be to the left, with the exception of oneway streets :) Bicyclists flow with traffic. On trails everyone is to stay to the right. I'm getting ready to head out for a ride. When I get back I'll add the statutory references. :)
Points don't reset each month - you don't need to get to Platinum each month. After each month, we'll hold prize drawings for the Bronze, Silver, and Gold level prizes. If you're a Gold by the end of May, you'll be part of all three drawings, and you'll continue to be so for the following three months. Platinum prizes are drawn for once, at the end.
The Ride of Silence has many locations, but all events are at 7pm. I'll be riding in Waukesha. See rideofsilence.org if you are interested in joining one near you.
So our points - do they reset to zero at the end of the month, ie, do we have till the end of the month to get to platinum or till the end of the challenge? 'Cause call me crazy, but I don' t think I'll be getting 30 miles in each day all month...day jobs, you know...
@michael Good Luck. I feel for you. Your commute in rain is much longer than mine. Everyone, have fun on the ROS tonight. There isn't one within hours of here but I'll be thinking of you!
Every Bike to Work Day I talk to lots of new riders who have come out because of the support and the hype. The Challenge is a great opportunity to keep these riders on their bikes, and change their commuting habits for good! Use the opportunity to recruit your friends and co-workers for the challenge. There are graphics and ready-to-print flyers here: http://nationalbikechallenge.org/ao/graphics.html
The League is running a Bike to Work Day membership special -- join and get some Sock Guy League of American Bicyclists socks! Use this link: http://www.bikeleague.org/join/bike_to_work_day_special.php
Weather's turning bad fast... I'm going to leave early and bring bike to Ride of Silence by car so I don't get caught riding home in rain after ROS...
Anybody got any experiences riding a Stratus XP?
whats up with Team Hungary? what company/team are they part of thats u.s. based??
Christine, I don’t know the legalities, but suspect rules vary between roads and trails. I mostly ride on splendid smoothly paved, sparsely traveled secondary roads around home, but when I visit Illinois or Minnesota, and travel the beautiful, busy trails along the Fox or Mississippi rivers, pedestrians and pedalers travel in either direction, while seeming to stay to the right as on roads. I sometimes encounter signs indicating that walkers should stay to the far right…and standard etiquette involves letting people ahead know that you will be passing ..via bell or warning of “on your left”. As Jason noted, the choices your runner made were simply odd..also careless and treacherously inconsiderate. The overwhelming majority of people I’ve encountered are quite conscientious…..sadly we have little control over those who are clearly irresponsible, other than remaining alert, defensive, visible and vocal. I’m sure there are Challenge participants with more specific information regarding trail usage rules. I’m glad both you and your bike avoided serious harm and that the disruptive incident apparently hasn’t deterred your pedaling pleasure or intentions…It is FINE day for a ride (- :
A new daily mileage record of 121,643 miles was set for the past 24 hours. Keep up the good work!
I knew some Guskys in Mass when I was a kid. I grew up in North Jersey, about 30 minutes from NYC! (Small world; I'd hate to have to paint it.)
That's an interesting question Christine. Walkers should walk on the left but when it comes to trails I have wondered that too. More often than not I find walkers on the wrong side of the road more often than on the correct side. That is strange as to why she moved to the left side when she saw you and then moved back.
The roads are pretty safe where i am because i live out in the country in the middle of nowhere haha. Though the mtn biking is dangerous the other day i was coming around a corner doing 15-20mph and hit a big hole and bottomed out and just went right over the handle bars and the bike came with me(gotta love clip ins) Amazingly i was alright except for being sore.
Hi Christine, earlier you asked if I was from Mass. I grew up in NJ.
A runner was coming toward me on my left as I rode on the right side of the bike trail. About 20 feet in front of me, she suddenly crossed the trail and started running on the same side I'm biking on. In order to avoid hitting her, I had to swerve hard to the left and ended up dumping my bike and cartwheeling off the trail. (Luckily, I wasn't hurt, nor was my bike.) Nary a word, she just kept going. I turned to see her again cross the trail to run on (her) right on the trail. My question: should she not have stayed where she was? I know they tell walkers/runners to walk/run *against* traffic, but does that count on trails/paths? What does one do in a situation such as that? To say that my heart rate was elevated is putting it mildly.
Gregg, I can't make it to Appleton, but I will do my ride(s) today in silence in solidarity.
Hope to see some of you Fox Valley riders at the "Ride of Silence" tonight at 7 pm at Wheel & Sprocket in Appleton.
From Wautoma, a ride to Redgranite is always fun, too, with cooling off in the famous free quarry that brings hundreds of visitors every day in the summer, who jump and dive off high cliifs and rocks.
I am going to be camping Memorial Day weekend at Camp Phillip about 4 miles from Wautoma off of County C and Buttercup Ave. The campground with 45 campsites on a little no wake lake called White River Mill Pond with excellent bluegill and bass fishing and also northerns and crappies and there is a nice beach there with free use of canoes, kayak, paddle boats, and row boats with oars and life jackets for anyone camping there.. I will also have my pontoon boat on the lake front there and can give pontoon rides on Sunday and Monday to any bikers who might be in the area. Saturday we are spending the day at Mt Olympus in the Dells. You will be able to board the pontoon with your bikes at the public boat launch on Lake St. and I can give you a ride around the lake and ferry you and your bikes across the lake to the beach and camp and and show you what the campground is like in case you would like to camp there sometime. Just let me know a time you would like to come. Ice and camp fire wood is always readily available for a small charge on the honor system. And there is 2 very nice flush toillet buildings with hot showers in each. It's my little heaven on earth and the camp and campground is affiliated with our church body and provides a camp setting for any youth in cabins and campground sitesfor families. There are pull through sites with water and electric and also more remote tent sites in the woods with no hook ups. Every Sunday morning at 9:30 am there is a Christian contemporary camp style worship service with come as you are attire (shorts, t-shirt, flips) conducted by the camp director and pastor of the camp who plays all music on his accordian. I would be interested in going on some rides with other bikers on Sunday and Monday, if there will be any bikers in the area. There are some nice road routes in the area, including a hilly ride to Mt. Morris and also flat roads around Silver Lake.
My headlight handband with 3 AAA batteries has a low, medium, and high beam and I can not use it on the high beam when a oncoming car approaches because it will blind them. So I use it on the medium setting and is bright enough and the batteries last over a month at this setting, using the light about a half hour every trip to work.
I had a headlight once that was mounted on the handle bars, but I hated that thing. It was bright when it was working, but over a bump, it would go dim. Then I'd have to give it a wack and it would go bright again, until the next bump. lol And this went on during my whole commute trip. I was about ready to smash the sucker. What's funny is that the tail light I use, is the one that came as a packgae with the headlight. And all the reviews of this light say the same thing that the tail light is great, but they all said the headlight goes dim over bumps and you have to give a wack to get it to go bright again.
My headlight is so bright that oncoming cars flash their lights at me wanting me to dim my light because I am blinding them. lol I try to remember this and tilt my head down more when there is an oncoming car so they aren't blinded. But another one of my pet peeves are motorists who don't think they need to dim their lights for a biker. But, bikers are also blinded by oncoming motorists who do not dim their lights. I can flash my light at them , too. lol I just noticed this morning that it is already starting to get light out before I get to work. There is at least 1 week in the summer when I don't even need to use any lights on my commute work because it is light out the whole commute to work. I love that week, but it unfortunately lasts only 1 week.
Christine, this is a great place to ask questions, share experiences, and find folks who can direct you to additional resources- either local, in print or online. For me, one of the biggest pleasures of the challenge has been the sense of community and the chance to connect with and learn from other cyclists. For broader feedback possibilities, you might also consider posting comments on the National Challenge page instead of or in addition to the Local Challenge page (-:
@Michael...i agree except I ride even further out sometimes depending on the width of the lane...I prefer measuring from the center line... making sure that there's not enough room for the motorist to THINK they can squeeze in between me and the center line. I rarely get honked at and I don't seem to impede traffic. Of course, there is always the fine person who would wait til the last minute to change lanes for a slower moving vehicle that gets upset. I always say ' failure to plan on your part doesn't make it my problem, etc. etc.
Cycle Saavy teaches this method. I like it....I like it a lot!
I also commute to work at about 4:10 am. I hate too much stuff mounted on my bike like tire pumps, lights, etc. that rattle and make noise and that people love to steal when you have your bike parked somewhere. Unless you are going to take all this stuff off every time you park your bike, you are inviting thieves to steal this stuff. For a headlight I use a really bright headlight headband and have a spare with good batteries with me in my road repair kit. I use these headband type lights for everything from camping, fishing, and biking. You are able to direct the light anywhere you want or need it to shine by tilting your head, leaving both hands free. If you hear an animal on the side of the road, by just tilting your head. you can direct the light at the noise to see what it is. For a tailight I have a red flashing light that is mounted to the seat post (and doesn't rattle lol) and people at work have told me it is very visible from at least a mile away. In fact they still can't get over how fast I must be going because they said it takes them so long to catch up to me, lol, but I told them it's only 18-20 mph. The traffic is so light at this time of the morning that I feel more safe in the dark, than I do during broad daylight when the traffic is so heavy. There is usually less than 5 cars that pass me the whole 9 miles to work and a couple of them are people from Neenah who work at UPS, too. . Also, it seems that drivers are much more alert at this time of the morning, watching out for deer and bike commuters lol and they are not as distracted by such things as cell phones, eating, and all the hustle and bustle that is going on around them during the day. In fact it is much more safer for me to be out biking at this time of the morning on County A where the speed limit is 45, than on the highway 41 and 441 race track with my car with people speeding at 75+ mph and fixing their hair, putting on makeup, shaving, eating, texting and talking on the phone etc.. I am much safer on county A any day with my bike than any day on the hwy. 41 and 441 race tracks. Those highways have become nothing but a death highway and now the speed across the polish connection will even increase some more because they are going to expand the lanes on the bridge from 4 to 6 lanes. Then they can fly across the lake in record time. lol
With the hotshot in the back, I can see it reflect off signs at least 4 blocks away, and I bet it could go farther if I could find a better spot to test it. :)
Christine, Not sure where you live, but a bicycle shop might be a good start?
I ride with a Magic Shine headlight....believe me....nobody misses it! Check it out!
I'm new to bike riding as an adult. I had a strange situation yesterday and can't figure out where to go to get feedback on it. Plus I have a question about gears and riding in wind. May I post these here? Or can you direct me to somewhere a novice rider can get some help? Thanks!!
@ Michael, I agree totally with your lighting set-up. I also use dual headlights and dual tail-lights. Again, rechargeable batteries are wonderful but having the ability to switch to "standard" AA (or AAA) can be a real advantage on longer rides or if the rechargeable didn't get a full charge for some reason (I carry spare AA and AAA batteries with me, can't always find a C-store open at 5am).
The reflector strips are also a must, anything you can do to make yourself more visible will help.
I think your most important comment is keeping the lights properly adjusted. I've seen way to many cyclists with lights pointing in every direction but where they need to be. Your idea of using a post-it note is excellent - if the lights are not properly aimed they are WORSE than useless (you think you have lights that can be seen but they are totally useless from more than 20 feet away).
@timothy Dude, my biggest fear is another driver's poor decision making. Im happy you were able to continue on. Take care and safe cycling everyone!
The safest riding position on busy roads can be attained by mentally dividing the road in half and then dividing the right section in half and riding that position (about 2 feet away from the right median). Some motorists may not like that position and will honk, but most cars will change lanes far behind you allowing vehicles behind them to see you!
I have been starting my commute at 4am so I
figure everyone is half asleep like me. I use 2
tail lights with different flash patterns, 2 lights
on the handlebars, a red/white flashing helmet
light, 1 red 1 blue valve stem lights, and day
glow vest with reflective stripes. A mirror also
helps see what's coming.
Timothy, Glad to hear you are alright (bruised is much better than broken). I've had similar occurrences over the years - drivers just don't see cyclists or, if they do, they expect us to stop so they can make their turn. Drivers have no concept of just how fast the average cyclist rides these days, if they think at all, they remember riding as a kid at 8 or 10 mph, NOT the 15 to 20 mph many riders are doing today.
ALWAYS wear a helmet (I've shattered two of them) and ALWAYS expect a car to do the worst possible thing at the worst possible time. You've all heard of defensive driving, riding a bicycle means defensive cycling 10 times over!!!
Everyone needs to be extra careful out there, we are the ones that will suffer in an incident with a car - the last thing anyone wants is to be dead right!!
Stopped by Stone Creek at the Grand Ave Mall and got a free coffee today on my way in - yay!
Thanks everyone for the advice. I definitely use lights when riding at night, and the reflective vest is a really good idea for daytime riding. I was wearing dull colors yesterday, because I just hopped onto my bike to run an errand really quick. I have a bright yellow cycling jersey and a bright orange road vest. I will always wear one of the two from now on! Also @Jeff, taking the entire lane is a good idea...hopefully the oncoming vehicles will slow down and pass appropriately.
@Timothy LaBauve (& most anyone) - if there is more than one lane and the road does not have a dedicated bike lane , you should be able to take the entire lane, if the law allows. Whole lot less people will try to buzz you or turn in front of you when you ride like a motorcycle would.
Read your cities bicycle laws. If you can, print them out and stash them somewhere. Even the cops don’t always know the laws.
I do wear the dayglow yellow jerseys, but you can’t have too many lights. I use a MiNewt up front, a Bicycle Spoke LED Light, a Hotshot in the back, plus a pair of Reelights that never need batteries. A great taillight review. http://bicycles.blogoverflow.com/2012/03/tail-light-review/
Danielle, thanks for asking... here is the link for the Palm Harbor Ride Of Silence (http://suncoastcycling.com/rideofsilence.html). http://RideOfSilence.org will direct you to your local ride!
I don't know @Charlie, the new hi-vis Orange Jerseys are pretty bright! ;-)
I work in a courthouse and have been approached by several Bailiffs about my lights. One said when he saw me come around a bend behind him, he thought it was a motorcycle cop at first. Co-workers have told me that when i was behind them (within a couple of blocks) my lights were very "annoying"... (music to my ears, it's hard to ignore something that annoys you!)
Ride like you belong!
Adding to Michael on Bicycle great comments about lights and reflective items. I am a firm believer in "Screaming Yellow" type of colors when riding roads. I have had truck drivers with dirty windshields on sunny days stop and say they never would have seen me if it hadn't been for the bright colored shirt/jacket. This past winter I also added a "Bike Glow" safety light to the frame. It is pretty if nothing else. Not real bright but good in the really dark nights for side visibility. It is a 10 foot long tiny rope light that you can wrap around the frame, as if you were in a night parade.
Good advice on the lights Michael. The more the better.
My rule of thumb is, as a cyclist, I'm invisible! And need to be aware the entire time I'm out there. I even wear a safety vest I picked up for $10. Can't go out without my mirror, drives me crazy not knowing what is behind me.
Michael, try to stay dry on your way to work the rain is definitely coming. Where is the local event for the RIDE of Silence taking place. I live here in Pinellas County. Be safe!
Boy, I hope those storms (showing on radar) stay off the coast until I get to work! ;-)
Don't forget to join your local RIDE OF SILENCE ( http://RideOfSilence.org ) at 7pm tonight. This is a global event to remember those killled on bicycles and bring awareness about cyclists
Wow @Joses, 2 near misses in one day that must have shaken you! If you stick to your route at the same time you will find that vehicles get better as they get used to you. All available routes take me on major 6 lane roads, but I find them safer than alternative routes that I use infrequently where because thely pass much closer.
You didn't mention headlights, my experience is that my headlights have eliminated the creeping car at intersections and driveways (see earlier post). If anything they stop too soon and inch up but still don't enter the right-of-way.
Unfortunately you'll always have jerks who don't want bikes on the road and have no understanding of how scary it is when they act carelessly (or purposely pass close to teach cyclists a lesson).
Please be safe everyone! Glad you're ok Jones!!
Hey guys - can we change our community if we are riding solo - I'm under the Oshkosh corporation banner but in the JLG Industries side of the division..........Its definetely not under settings.
Wow Timothy, glad you're not seriously hurt! I also had two near misses today! I was turning left, signaling and everything, when a truck that was originally about 500m behind me, came within INCHES of hitting me! He had two other lanes to choose from, but instead decided to try and run me off the road! I yelled, threw my hands up, and he pulled into the street where I was turning. He said, "What did you want me to do, slam on my brakes?" Of course I replied, "Yes, or changing lanes ahead of time would have been more efficient for you." Mind you, this was 5 p.m. traffic on a pretty busy road, the guy was probably in a hurry and not paying attention. The other near miss was a driver that thought he was gonna inch out for a "right on red" when he saw me coming down the bike lane with the flow of traffic at the last minute. He screeched to a stop, and luckily I had already premeditated just that. Pretty much, people don't look for bikes and have no idea that we have rights to the road...what hand signals are...or know what common courtesy is. I will try and not ride at that time of the day on THAT road again. I'm a firefighter, a veteran of Iraq/Afghanistan, and a new dad. I see far too often bicyclists and pedestrians hit by dumb drivers. I don't want to die now while just trying to exercise! I really wish bike paths could be safer...
For those commuting at a more reasonable "commuting" pace (12-15mph) , dual Fenix may be overkill. Check out something like a pair of Planet Bike's LED headlights. I like dual lights since one can be flashing while the other lights your way! I personally would suggest staying away from lights with a built-in rechargeable battery. Using your own AA rechargeables will save you down time when the batteries die.
At slower speeds the rear lights are even more important since vehicle closing rates are faster.
That should read "problems" after 'had'
Janis, I know others have had logging Mt. Bike miles so when I went Mt. Biking Monday, I just entered mine as Sport and didn't even bother trying to log MB.
Glad you're OK Timothy, that's very scary!!!
If like me you're cyclommuting in the dark, please have lots of lighting! Yes, emergency vehicles with lights have been hit so nothing is perfect but I go out of my way to stand out like a Christmas tree. These are just friendly suggestions based on my cyclommuting experience over many years in different locations.
Here are my current lights:
Front - a pair of Fenix LD22 ( https://www.fenix-store.com/product_info.php;products_id=2883 ) In the dark, 1 is on steady mode and the other "Strobe" mode (150-200 flashes/min). During the day, both are on strobe mode.
Motorists do not perform "left crosses" when these lights are on! (Left Cross = On-coming vehicle turning left in front of you.)
Something else I love, they take standard AA batteries. The best batteries I've found are the PowerEx NiMH 2700 mAh rechargeables ( http://www.mahaenergy.com/store/viewitem.asp )
I charge them before each commute, but if I ever run out of power I can stop at any convenience store for some Alkalines! I use PowerEx's charger and each set of batteries last around 8 months before needed replacement (under $20 for 4).
Rear:
1) "DangerZone" LED Flasher - before this I swore for Planet Bike's "SuperFlash". DangerZone by Portland Design Works is brighter and has a more distinctive flash pattern. (uses 2 AAA NiMH rechargeables)
2) "Beacon" by Trek - on my handlebar ends. They make a pair for road bikes and a set for mountain bikes. I use the left (closest to traffic) in blink mode and the right side steady. (uses 1 AAA each)
3) Blackburn "Flea" on my helmet. During Night steady mode and flashing during the day. (built-in rechargeable uses USB and optional solar panel to recharge)
In addition to the lights, I've also applied the "brightest" reflectors I could find. You know the alternating white/red reflectors around trailers "18 wheelers", and how far they're visible... You can get them at truck stops (in 8-10' strips). I cut them up and place them strategically (and stylishly) on the bike.
Does all this mean I will never get hit? Of couse not but they do make me more visible and usually the first vehicle in an approaching group will react from further away and 'telegraph' my existence to the vehicles behind them.
With each step I've taken I've watched the vehicles behind me for results and I'm confident I've make BIG improvements. How do I watch? With a rear view mirror, of course! :-) I've been told by other roadies that my DangerZone is visible from about 1/2 mile duing at 12pm in the Florida Sun!
BTW - lights must be adjusted level or they're not visible from far. I adjust by getting close to wall marking light with post-it note and moving away from wall... center of light should hit the post-it note from any distance!
Everyone please have fun but be careful and take all the steps possible to be visible. I haven't even mentioned cummuting jerseys or backpack with extra reflective beading that I always wear when cyclommuting. -michael
A question for mountain bikers- has anyone had any difficulties with mountain bike miles being accredited to their account after logging in under the Mountain Bike category? This past Sunday I had logged in 16 miles and Monday 10 miles under the Mountain Bike category but it is not accounted for in my weekly total on my home page nor in my total for the challenge. My weekly total is short 26 miles. This weeks total should read 63.94 and not the 37.94 that is listed. Sent a message into the Endomondo support this morning. I am wondering if it is better just to log Mountain Biking miles under the Sport category? Thoughts?
Great Job Timothy for finishing your commute! I recommend you for" tough guy of the week award." We all have to be brave to do what we are doing! We must take a stand! Don't stop! Riding into work this morning at 4:30am I'm seeing more and more riders out there.
@Timothy. :( What a terrible story. I am glad your okay and I hope you can still move around okay tomorrow. I would have been terrified!
Timothy - thanks for sharing and glad you are OK after today's incident. I hope everything heals up quickly. And you are right, this challenge about getting better bike accomodations to make it safer for all cyclists. I would like to remind everyone to be safe out there. Here is one of the better articles I have read about car interactions and some things to be thinking about. http://bicyclesafe.com/
Got hit by a car on my morning commute today. I was on the shoulder of a divided roadway, three lanes on each side. The car came along side me and attempted to turn into a gas station and turned into me instead! Took the mirror clean off, and I got away with a badly bruised left arm and and a sore bottom. Thanks to the EMT who happened to be nearby for checking me out. The driver was cited (I didn't ask what for) and I was able to finish my commute just fine. If feel pretty lucky. I'm currently looking for a better route, but Baton Rouge is not the most bike friendly city, and every route from my house to work includes some kind of construction. I suppose the best way to convince the city we need better infrastructure is by getting out there and riding - showing that there is a need. That's part of what this challenge is about, right!
Be safe out there - always wear a helmet!
This challenge is going to kill me...hahaha... Trying SO hard to stay in the top 500... but it's proving to be very hard.
@Daniel 5°C is 41°F... a bit chilly!! Skipped an AM ride due to those temps and no cold weather gear, just last week
Rode in this morning and just a chilly 5 degrees Celcius not sure what that is in F - but absolute freezing wind chill factor!!!!!!!!!
Tough ride to Winneconne Lake Park to do some open water training for a triathlon I am doing in Green Bay June 3. Not only did I fight the wind amd ascending in elevation on the ride there, but then I fought white caps on the lake--not the best day for training on the bike or swimming in the lake. But the water was refreshing and not too cold. I enjoyed the ride home downhill and tailwind. If there was any more tail wind, I think I would have lifted off the ground in flight--fun!
@Cora - Don't forget to pick your son up. He's probably getting worried by now. ;)
@John, I love racing the rain!!! ... What a motivation for doing sprints! haha. I've managed to out ride a few of them... but have also got caught in many.
Rode into the storm until I felt rain. Weather man said it was moving about 17 to 21 miles an hour. Felt the first drop and turned around. Felt like a kid again trying to beat the rain. The rain was faster then weather man said it caught me. I was soaked. It was fun trying though.
Rob, you aren't originally from Massachusetts, are you?
@ Rob and Paul--nice links . UPS did rent my cargo carrier for Air Venture last year, but then it was dry enough for them to drive in the campground and they never used it. It's unbelievabe how many packages arrive for delivery for Camp Scholler.. That week they have a route just for the campground. The campground becomes a city of itself with over 40,000 people, twice the size of the city of Neenah.
Gregg - some more links for you. Expect to see you on one of these soon!
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/19/latest-ups-fuel-saving-strategies-leg-muscles-and-hydraulics/
http://www.youtube.com/watch
http://cargocycling.org/2007/03/ups-using-cargo-tricycles-in-germany.html
@gregg thanks for the core exercises.
I am totally envious of those of you that have fully supportive bike communities in place!
Early afternoon ride. For once I shared a turning lane with another rider! It was great to have a few words and then ride on. Saw two other riders later. I am now GOLD. Woo hoo. But I won't buy a shirt yet. I'm crossing my fingers that I will win one.
@ Christine, nice that you are seeing some live wildlife, too much of the stuff I see is road kill and it smells funky.
Speaking of funky I was having trouble catching sattelites yesterday so my Garmin said that I rode at 2:45AM and it didn't record a map. I am happy to report that it was back on track today so the time and miles were correct and it recorded my route. The only thing it can't do is tell the temparature. It said it was 90+ degrees, happily the actual temperature was closer to 80!
@ Gregg, nice to remind everybody about the gas prices. Just so they don't go down too far so people think, hey gas went down, so why am I riding? Just think how much more fun it is to buy ice cream at the convenience store and then go burn those calories on your bike than it is to buy gas.
RE: riding in the rain, yeah, you gotta be careful. Brake gently every once in a while to dry off your brakes. Sometimes it can be fun to ride in the rain when it is hot outside. Its a great way to cool off. Once on a Wisconsin ride it started pouring buckets but I decided what the heck, I only had a few miles left and a warm shower awaited me at the end. So I just RODE ON! Happy trails everybody!!
Gregg - sounds like you need this atwork: http://t.co/LuFEIiyU
@Gregg, thanks for attending the @RideOfSilence in Appleton!
I'll be attending the ROS in Palm Harbor Florida designated as "sweep", with the goal of keeping everyone together and directing vehicles around us. Many ROS' (like Palm Harbor) also have a police escort for the entire ride to keep everyone safe.
Your bulging quads and razor-cut calves are the envy of your pack, and you start every ride strong. As the ride progresses, though, your hips seesaw in the saddle, your lower back aches, and you slow in corners. The problem? Your core cries uncle long before your legs wear out. Although a cyclist's legs provide the most tangible source of power, the abs and lower back are the vital foundation from which all movement, including the pedal stroke, stems. Here are 8 core exercises for cyclists: http://www.active.com/cycling/Articles/8-Core-Exercises-for-Cyclists.htm
The Fox Valley area is having a "Ride of Silence" tomorrow (Wednesday) from 7-9 pm at Wheel & Sprocket in Appleton. Everyone is encouraged to join cyclists worldwide in a silent slow-paced ride (max. 12 MPH) in honor of those who have been injured or killed while cycling on public roadways. Please plan to arrive 15-30 minutes early. Helmet required. Lights strongly encouraged. No registration necessary. Call Wheel & Sprocket Appleton with questions (920) 997-9300 .
Wow, there are at least 14 RIDE OF SILENCE (ROS) rides in Wisconsin and 12 in Vermont tomorrow!
To show support and make a statement that's easy to reference, please use @RideOfSilence in all comments referencing the ROS. -michael
@Michael I'm planning on going tomorrow to the one in Appleton at Wheel & Sprocket from 7-9pm. They want everyone to arrive 15-30 minutes early. Helmet required. Lights strongly encouraged. No registration necessary. Call Wheel & Sprocket Appleton with questions (920) 997-9300 .
David Brock: Thank You! for crucial and vastly reassuring clarification. It is definitely the Copper Triangle I’m aiming for. (Triple Bypass confusion apparently just a misunderstanding during information relay to/from Colorado by another friend) I’m delighted to learn of your “heavy commuter bike” experience. I can go out a few days early to acclimate a bit to the altitude, and I’ll be regularly attacking..(or more accurately wobbling up) those #2 hills near home with (psychologically) unswerving determination (-; while increasing daily/weekly mileage totals. Thanks!
Great ride yesterday! Almost 15 miles and saw: a hawk, lots of rabbits, birds and squirrels, a plastic owl (it looked real even when I was 5 feet away and standing still - old eyes, what can I say), and two deer. I was less than 20 feet from the deer! We just stood and stared at each other for a few minutes, then they turned and bounded into the woods. Don't see that too often from your speeding car! They were talking about thunderstorms this afternoon, but if I can get home before they start, I might get a few miles in today!
For those not aware, tomorrow (May 16th) is the RIDE OF SILENCE.
The Ride Of Silence is to remember those killed while riding their bikes. The Ride Of Silence happens across the globe and there should be one near you. To find a ride close to you, check http://rideofsilence.org/main.php. The rides are short and slow (like a funeral procession) so any riding level is welcome.
Please join a ride to show that cyclists belong and killing cyclists is unacceptable!
Team UPS I assure you I rode more than 4.3 miles today. My gps signal was excellent the entire ride. Maybe I just went faster than the signal.....yea....I doubt it. Beautiful day in Nashville none-the-less.
Here is good article on "How to Overcome 5 Bike-to-Work Challenges": http://www.active.com/cycling/Articles/How-to-Overcome-Bike-to-Work-Challenges.htm
At Media Research Center on facebook they were complaining about the high gas prices: https://www.facebook.com/mediaresearchcenter
I told them to start biking to work and use a bike more for transportation and join the National Bike Challenge and I could guarantee them that they will see gas prices fall. It's already working here in Wisconsin. Earlier this spring they were forecasting that gas prices would be over $5/gallon by Memorial Day weekend. However, because of all the biking we are doing to work and for transportation in Wisconsin, we are forcing the gas companies to lower their prices due to an oversupply in the market. And that is exactly what is happening at the gas pumps here. Gas prices are beginning to fall rather than go up as originally forecast. Gas has fallen in the Fox Valley area to $3.72. and my wife said when she was in Winona, MN last weekend, gas had fallen to $3.57 and with a 4 cents off coupon at Fleet Farm, she paid $3.53. It's working guys, keep pedaling!
@ Kyle, Experience and dedication - no animals involved :-)
Thanks Frank, I was thinking I still had 100 miles to go, forgot about the bonus points - maybe something to do with old age and memory (or the lack of it).
@ Joshua, I like your attitude, you can do platnum every month - forget about the drawing, just enjoy the riding. Riding in the rain is alright as long as cars aren't passing you, throwing mud and wet sand in your face :-)
This challenge is really pushing me to just get out and ride. On Sunday, I took a trip around the block, just to get out there (Big block though, since the route ended up being over 1/2 a mile!) after spending the day walking around the Milwaukee County Zoo. I made up for the short ride though, by riding over 20 miles yesterday - all with the cart, and with a flat on the cart on the way back. Had to put my bags on, and skip picking up my son on the way back. One of these days, I'm actually going to go out prepared to deal with flats and the cart falling off...
I feel for you riders who are in a rainy spell. We had it here in Wisconsin this spring when the heavens opened up and I had to do a triathlon to bike to work. There were 3 different places that were flooded over really deep on the way to work.. But now the weather gods are pouring their blessings on the Badger State with dry and early summer weather in the upper 70's and even in the 80's yesterday. It's a very dry heat, which is nice on the bike. Ever since that heat wave in March and the earth quake in Clintonville that tipped chairs over lol, our weather patterns are screwed up. Our weather continues to be a month ahead. We are are now having June weather patterns in May and if this continues, June will be more like July with hot humid days and nights.
After I was done with work at the UPS Center in Oshkosh last year, the driver that delivers to the businesses in downtown Neenah would race me on the bike. I usually got out of the center before he did because bikes our faster in package car traffic. haha But he eventually caught up to me on the road and passed me like he was on the way to a fire because he has over 200 stops to make in 10 hours or get yelled at when he gets back to the center. lol I had to pedal home fast, too so I could eat a little something and change into my browns and then meet him at the Neenah School Administration building at 9:30 am. He then had my help for 2-4 hours, depending on the number of stops he had to make that day. While I was running packages to a business, he was running packages to another business nearby. When we are in a residential area, he often drops me off on a street with a cart full of packages, and I walk the neighborhood delivering all the packages in the neighborhood while he delivers packages in a nearby neighborhood and when he thinks I am done delivering the packages he gave me, he comes back and picks me up. I told UPS they should let me use my bike with my cargo carrier and I could have them all delivered in half the time of walking it. But they are afraid of bike accidents. The driver is not allowed to use me for more than a total of 8 hours per day, including the hours I worked in the center unloading trailers in the preload.. In some areas of the country, though, UPS does deliver packages on bikes. For Air Venture week in Oshkosh, they sometimes have to deliver packages to the campground by either walking it or using bikes with cargo trailers because the ground is sometimes too wet and soft for the package cars to drive in the campground.
Go, @Heather, Go! (but take it slow in the wet, and turn your lights on)
@Heather, congratulations on the mileage/points!!
Jason: very cool, Serotta's are great bikes!
@ Jenny Nice, we need your miles in Oshkosh-Neenah to catch up to Appleton. If anyone lives too far from work to commute by bike, they can perhaps commute part way from wherever they can find a good place to park their vehicle. This can be a park and ride lot or a place of business that will allow you to park it there, while you ride the rest of the way to work. If you live 20 miles from work and drive 15 miles and ride 5 miles, this will give you a total of 10 miles of transport riding to work every day. We have a UPS driver who is doing this from Fond du Lac to the UPS center in Oshkosh. He drives part of the way and rides in to work the rest of the way and this way he still gets exercise biking to work. Most businesses will allow you to park a car on their lot, if you explain to them what you are doing and you won't be leaving it there overnight. They know you may patronize their business when you come and park there every day. When UPS uses driver helpers during the peak season in November and December, they recruit helpers for each driver from the area where the driver is delivering. The helper meets the driver at a designated time and location (usually a place of business that is on the route where the driver delivers. So when I am a driver helper I have parked my cars at gas stations, fast food places, strips malls, hospitals, churches, etc. and all of them are more than kind to let you park there, if they know why you are parking there. Always get permission from the place of business first and you will never have a problem doing this. If it is a place of business that is signed up for the bike challenge, this is all the more better because they will love you to death for parking in their lot and biking the rest of the way to work.
Encouraging bike riding is not an easy sell out by where I live, because many are commuting long distances to go to work. I commute 20 miles one way, and others commute even further. I am glad that the challenge is more supportive this year of sport riders, because that is basically what we have going on out in my area.
BTW, I changed my community setting to "oshkosh" even though I live 35 miles away. I grew up there, and my biking miles were not currently crediting ANY community since I live in a rural area, so I changed it so that I am supporting my home community, even if I don't currently live there.
Rob - take away their cars
John, I love my old Serotta steel frame. Almost 20 years old now.
and I want to make gold every month too! I'm almost halfway there now.
@travis. I am so sick of rain in the mid atlantic. I shake my fists at the weather gods all the time. I'm about to go out in it again. It's supposed to pour today and it's raining at a good clip right now. Entirely frustrating.
Brian, Tom and Brad - Good analysis and I agree 100%. Anyone have any ideas on how to encourage more riders to ride?
@Michael & @Phillip I should have continued all of the way through the explanation, as Phillip did. Sorry. I just got too excited!
@ Michael 81,301 x 14 (days since challenge began) = 1,138,211.38 mi. needed to be on target.
Nice fuzzy math Martin. 10,000,000/123 ≈ 81,301
Vermont has less than 1000 riders. Of those most are logging miles. Wisconsin has 4649 riders of those 2900 are logging miles. If the rest of those would start logging miles we could catch Vermont. Zeros do not help when consider averages. We need to start encouraging everyone that signed up start logging their biking miles.
We are finally on target to surpass 10,000,000 miles by the end of the challenge, as we only needed to reach 1,138,212 miles by the end ot the day today (10,000,000 miles/123 days), and we are already over 1,155,000 miles.
With nicer weather coming, and at least another 10,000 riders by the end of the challenge, we should easily exceed 15,000,000 miles, and maybe get close to 20,000,000.
This new program is inspiring riders across the US and the world to do incredible things. We are on our way to achieve our goals and today set a new mileage record with 119,752 miles in a 24 hour period. Amazing! Keep up the great work and enjoy your rides this week.
no riding for me today and its supposed to rain and thunderstorm for the next 2 days. At least i made it to gold already, im hoping to make it to platinum by the end of august but if not its fine cause im riding to stay in shape.
@ scott I just checked my standing and you were on my screen but then I logged my miles for to day so I will be moving up another 24 points I am sure I will keep seeing you around though.
It would be great to be able to sort the leader board by cycling transportation and cycling sport...
Leonard - Congratulations on making Platinum!
@ Phililip I am looking for platnum every month even though I know its a one time drawing at the end. Don't let the rain stop you. Riding in the rain is my favorite time to ride. The air is cool and the rain spray is like a free spa treatment. Just remember to lube your chain when you get home.
Nice ride this evening on the North Augusta Greeneway - what a great place to ride!
Having fun monitoring my ranking as I move up and down the leaderboard.
How in the world are guys racking up 700, 800, 1000 miles in the last 14 days? You guys are animals!
Welcome aboard, John. Welcome to a place where you're not considered "weird" if you bike to work.
Hi Everyone! I bike to work everyday, however I just got around to uploading my miles. Looking forward to participating :-)
I'm going for gold every month!
Its really frustrating that I haven't been able to ride very much in the past week or so, because of all the rain. Although I can't complain too much, because we have been in need of the rain for quite a while now. I'm just ready to get back in the saddle again.
@Nyla:kudos for thinking about one of the challenging rides in Colorado. One big note: The Copper Triangle and The Triple Bypass are two different rides. The Copper Triangle is 70-80 miles and maybe 6000 feet of climbing, the Triple Bypass is 110-120 miles and maybe 12000 feet of climbing. So make sure you know which one you're thinking about and/or that you sign up for the right one (if doing it with the organized ride).
I found the Copper Triangle very doable on my big heavy commuter bike, but it was certainly a goal I worked toward. Do as much climbing as you can! If you're from low altitude, consider getting there early to help acclimate to the lighter air!
But it is definitely achievable by us "mere mortals"! Go for it!
@Heather - It's fun to ride with your sweetie! Mine can't go as far at one time as I can, so we go a ways, take a rest, go a ways... If I want to do a fitness ride, I just get up early and go by myself. I need more of those. I love the quiet and alone time. And I got into my not fat pants today, and got them zipped. Yeehaa!
@E M - Thanks, chick. And, yeah, come see us at the Bike Kitchen, 15th & Sumner, Sundays, 12-4, Mondays 5-9. We'd love to see you. You'll probably find me out back in the garden. My sweetie is in charge back there, I'm the head lackey. I got in 5 miles in 30 minutes at lunch today. That was on a flat-ish trail. I have tomorrow off work for a doctor visit. I'll ride to that since it's right on the trail. Then we may just continue on down the trail. A bad day riding is better than the best day at work!
@Burklee...you might be my cycling twin. Round and slow, but steady as we go! My commute is 1.78 but I often stretch it up to 4. I need to start recreational riding if I really want to get any miles in. I have been studying maps and routes as to where I might do this at places that are more enjoyable than my commute. P.S. Getting my guy his bike today after work!
Hi everybodeee, I added 20 miles to my total today and am getting close to gold. I only saw two other riders, which is a new low. Its a gorgeous daywith temps in the 70s, so I can only think that people are trying to catch up after a busy weekend.
@ Christine, welcome to the cycling brigade! You will be riding with your son & grandson before you know it!
@Burklee. You just made my day. Lincoln a bronze level bike friendly community. See, I knew it, that's just fantastic. I'm gonna check out this "bike kitchen" when I get back to Lincoln.
Before you know it you are gonna work your way up to riding those 25 miles. You are gonna love riding Nebraska highways. The good news is that most of them have nice wide shoulders and not a lot of debris. You will do great. Just remember to drink enough water and eat a banana now and then. Also, you will be surprised how a stop of a few minutes will refresh you after you have ridden a few miles and you will be ready to ride a few more miles. Work your way up to the challenge by riding a few miles any time you can manage it. Then you will be ready for that 25 mile challenge. And as a bonus those pounds will start to disappear. YOU GO GIRL!!
@Christine, Oh to be young again - congratulations on your weight loss, not an easy thing to do as we get older. I fit the "old and slow" part of your comments but age and speed don't matter - what's important is getting out and ENJOYING a ride. Doesn't need to be far or fast, just FUN!!! Have a wonderful time during your rides, keep us posted on what you are doing.
Welcome Christine! Always delightful to encounter another enthusiastic rider among the AARP eligible, double X chromosome contingent- particularly one who shares the revived childhood sense of uncomplicated JOY in going for a ride...while discovering what aging but vastly capable muscles can accomplish, and Celebrating along the way. What Fun Indeed! Carpe Diem and Roll On (-:
@Christine - Good for you!! Way to go. Glad you joined up. I'm fat and slow, but love riding. My commute is only 2.2 miles roundtrip, so it's a good thing you get 20 points just for riding. That's the only reason I'm in the top ten percent here.
I didn't get to ride much this weekend... to the store, to the bike kitchen, to return a movie. I was gonna go for a big ride Saturday a.m., but we ended up going to the Henry Doorly Zoo, so I didn't have time. Won't have time tonight or tomorrow, since we have to be at the bike kitchen both nights. I'm gonna head out for a lunch ride in a few minutes, though, because it's sunny and 73° here. I'm giving serious thought to entering a non-competitive event in the Cornhusker State Games; a 25-mile ride on a hilly Nebraska highway in the middle of July. Scary, but I think I can do it. I'm adopting a Trek 7300 Multitrack from the Lincoln Bike Kitchen. The ride might be easier on that than my Roadmaster mountain bike.
We're over a million miles. Way to go, everybody! Go Lincoln, a new Bronze-level Bike Friendly Community!
The ranking is points / population. States, communities, and employers with small populations can have their ranking leveraged by a small committed number of active cyclists. For a more direct comparison, you might consider states, communities, and employers of comparable size. For example, Milwaukee does not seem to be doing well on the Wisconsin community board, but it is far and away in first place among cities over 1,000,000.
But Vermont!!! and they are only showing 2 communities in the top 40 - why can't we catch 'em?
Congrats @Christine!! Keep up the good work, you'll be young(ish) before you realize it! ;-) -michael
Wisconsin is biking more miles this year than last year. We are already almost 1/4 of the way to a million miles.
Took my 25 year old 'Waterford' Paramount for a ride into the country yesterday. Sure makes a case for a light steel frame - it performed really well... as good as my carbon fiber frames (though my carbon bikes are older also).
Greg - Any battle I can walk (or limp) away from is a win. And I'm almost sure I moved one of 'em once. But the easiest ones are the pickups because you just end up laying in the box.
Ive usually got fresh road rash, so Ill be the guy bleeding.
I identify myself to my fellow team members by wearing brown bike shorts instead of black. :)
I think UPS is beginning to see the value of bicycling among their employees and the positive impact that bicycling can have on the success of their company. UPS is now sponsoring bike rides in the Fox Valley area for all levels at Scheels at the Fox River Mall in Appleton every Saturday at 4 pm. There is no cost or fees. Meet in the front parking lot. There will be refreshments after the ride.
@ Brad Who wins the battle? You or the parked cars? lol
I'm a 59 year old woman who has dropped 75 pounds in the last three years (my son wants his son to have a grandmother for more years than he had his grandfather) and recently taken up bicycle riding in addition to walking for health. I now own the first bike I've ever owned with more than a single speed and coaster brakes and am riding to work (less than 2 miles) almost daily. I also put in about 15 miles on trails a couple times a week. I had forgotten how joyful bicycling can be. I may be old(ish) and slow, but I'm enjoying the heck out of riding a bike again...and this challenge! What fun!
@Jason. Your words are right on, "Challenging". There you have it another challenge for this creative and ambitious group.
The Tour of the Scioto River Valley was this past weekend. 105 miles from Columbus OH to Portsmouth on Sat and back on Sunday. Or the Half TOS from Chillicothe to Portsmouth. Beautiful weather on Sat. the usual TOSRV rain on Sunday. I did the Half TOS, total 112 miles, and offer my sincere respect and congratulations to those who cycled the century back to Columbus in Sunday's rain.
To identify myself to my fellow pirate teammates I wear an eyepatch. However I have learned not to wear it on the right side as it can lead to considerable damage doing battle with parked cars :-))
Ysidoro - thanks for participating in the challenge. We have a team at work and it is fun to give and receive encouragement. Good luck and stay cool during the summer.
Right there with you Michael Lemuel. I've been playing with the GPS app for a couple days now and it works flawlessly half the time but if there are errors I delete the workout and add it in manually from the bike challenge home page. Hopefully nobody is fabricating miles but I don't see how there is anything to gain by lying. This competition has become a serious point of pride in myself as I went from a very casual weekend rider last year to a full blown morning - commute - night rider and staying in the top 50 nationally would be an amazing accomplishment for me. My legs have been sore every since may began but they feel great when I'm riding....
Finding some sort of indicator that is at once easily noticeable, has negligible drag, is convenient to display and accurately informs would be challenging.
Like Jenny, I often wonder about other riders, so I ask when I get the chance. We need something we can put on the bike that won't slow us down so others know we are participating. Last year we could just use paper products...lol
There are four employees in our department that are riding at least twice a week. We travel to a trail in Brownsville Texas and spend the evening riding various trails with different levels of difficulty. We participated in the annual Jalapeno 100 bicycle ride in Harlingen Texas. Just recently we completed the Pedal to Padre Bicycle ride.
I was in River Falls Wisconsin for a nephew's graduation this weekend without my bike. He really got my curiosity up telling me about the local Whitetail Ridge Trail singletrack. Since I had no bike along he genourously let me use his mountain bike to give it a try. I have no experience of offical MTB trails so it was all new to me, but all the different sections were rated for difficulty and a couple had the highest 'double black diamond', and wow - I had never done anything like this - knarly dude! Most of the trails were a fairly narrow obstacle course threading around trees rocks and stumps, and sometimes OVER rocks, boulders and logs. And bridges across gullys (one bridge was very narrow - maybe 10" wide - but that one had an alternate route down through the gully) The toughest one for me was a steep drop into a hairpin/switchbck turn followed by more turns wrapping around a couple of trees, my second time I made it through without touching ground by hitting both brakes and slide/skidding around the curves. And that section was followed by an endless climb with a little more climbing, and some more after that, and I think there was a bend in the middle of all that too, at least once I lost my momentum and with no chance of restarting on the ascent had to be a pansy and walk it a bit. And the times I did make it there were a couple of points that I was standing on the pedal and just barely moving (cadence of 1?) Also there was a cool plank run that was a banked turn that exited back to the dirt with a fairly good descent. A memorable weekend to be sure. It also gets me primed up thinking about the possibilities for the mountain bike park that's being discussed for Art Lecker Park on JJ in Grand Chute (WI).
I could see a <.49 mile or simply starting and stopping a workout doing that. Just another example of spurious data that currups the system. Personnally I'm not worried about the points. If you ride A mile a day for the course of the challenge you'll get Platinum. In the top 20 however, this challenge is a point of local pride. I'm the #1 rider of the #1 team, #1 workplace (unseen directly including), #1 city in my state, and I represent myself and these communities to the best of my ability. Nationally I'm in 11th place, #5 team, ≈180 workplace, ≈25 city, of 10th place State. We have a lot to be proud of. Especially considering our team is a non-profit organization, our "workplace" consist of two people,and our city has 2 teams in the top 1%. We're not racing for prizes (but I'd love to finally have a Jersey or brand new upper end bike because my upper end bike was 8 yrs old when I got it and the only new bike I've ever gotten was from Wally World), we're out there because we like cycling and we're extreme endurance athletes.
I prefer to log with GPS but sometimes it doesn't start right, has satelite issues, or like today where it "lost" a whole trip, then I correct with my bike computer. I don't like routes because I don't think people actually follow them as often as they think, or simple say they did a route despite not doing it for whatever reason (excuse). My system my have errors, but I do my best to iron them out, and I would hope others would to. In the milage logged early example, does anybody think the guy would bother to delete the workout is he were get extreme whether. I don't, simply for the same reason he posted it early, he's more concerned with rank then pride.
To Michael Lemuel: I saw a rider today get 20 points. How do you get just 20 points? sit on your bike, get off of it and then enter zero miles and get 20 points for not riding.
Casper, WY had a beautiful day today- with just a little wind. Only did 21 miles today but 10.5 was up the mountain. Whew what a work out. But the "coast" down was amazing. Any safety suggestions on coming downhill ? All suggestions will be seriously considered.lol. I'll be glad when school gets out so there will be more time to get more miles in. Hope weather cooperates for everyone this week.
I saw a lot of riders, I often wonder when I see other riders, if they are participating in the challenge!
I took a break from riding today, but I sure did miss it.
WHOA! Some people (reporting to be in U.S.) are already claiming milage for tomorrow (5-14). Can somebody do checks at least in the top riders for impossible ride reports (such as reported befor they happen, multiple entry, and conflicting times. If nothing else a message to those riders on how to correct errors you think happened (in case the information is correct but looks off because of some error).
I know i wont be hitting 1500 by the end of the month but i will by august. Im going to be mtn biking alot now but i do ride from my house to the place i go mtn biking at too.
We hit 1 million miles--9 million to go.
I hope to get to 1500 before the end of the month.
Hi all. Did a downtown ride today sponsored by Missouri Bike & Pedestrian Federation. Even met Brent Hugh who made the Dutchtown Classic ride a freebee with free food. It doesn't get any better! My husband & I talked a couple of our friends into riding with us. We figured all the teenagers would be sleeping late after the prom yesterday. We were surprised that both their daughter and our daughter were up before we even got home in the early afternoon! Man, it has been a long time since I've done such city riding with soooo many stop signs and traffic lights. I'll look forward to getting back to our regular route tomorrow.
@Leonard, you have proved yourself an inspiration in more ways than one: riding all those miles and then helping all those kids. That's fantastic.
@Gregg, I was planning to reward myself with one of the jersey's when I get to the gold level. Of course, I wouldn't mind winning one. Made in USA is an even bigger incentive to make me determined to get one. And then to have it delivered by a company that is beginning to use bicycles in a big way to make some of their deliveries. That is just so awesome.
Now that I'm alomst done with high school (my daughter will graduate on Friday), my plan is to trade in a couple of the organizations I have been volunteering for and picking up a couple of new ones. One of the new activities will be to promote cycling in any way I can. I have been in love with bicycling for as far back as I can remember, which includes riding my brother's bike until I got my own at age 5. I want to help make conditions better so nobody will have to give up bicycling because they think its too dangerous.
Oh, before I forget we met a man on our ride today who was doing the fourteen mile loop. He told us that for health reasons, he couldn't cycle longer distances. He said he is on a fixed income and can't afford a car. He bicycles everywhere and when he needs groceries, he takes a trailer with him. Another inspiration for all of us!
CYCLING MY WAY TO GOLD......
Lot of bike traffic today.
Congrats to Leonard!! First to the 1500 point marker. You are an inspiration.
No search feature yet.
During my ride today visited with another couple riders that sounded like they might be interested in joining the challenge. Continuing to pass the message. There are lots of riders not yet involved.
Great ride today! I live in Golden Gate Fl. about 7 miles east of Naples.The residential neighborhood I live in has no side walks and no bike lanes posted 25 mph.The average speed is 50 plus,thats no exageration,There's lots of children there,and cyclists.It's unfortunate that you have to fear for your life and that of the kids who play around there.There are no police patrolling the back streets,I have writen letters to the editor about this issue and the sheriffs office responded by putting a radar machine on my land lords front lawn which made it dangerous for him getting out because he couldn't see.Some times you just can't win,I just keep trying.
It is so nice I decided to go for a second ride today
Martin, Thanks much for most welcome encouragement, advice, and taking time to comment (-: If my info is correct, the Copper Triangle takes place on paved roads, and road bikes are recommended. Mine certainly qualifies as one of those ‘rode/road” (R2?) bikes referred to in some recent posts. I know my limits…..I’ve a preference for smoothly paved (mostly level, alas) sparsely traveled secondary roads which seldom require shock absorption beyond regrettably built-in padding. I can face wind and hills….wouldn’t be prepared to deal with jouncing along treacherous off-road terrain (particularly in light of that precipice-perching aspect (-;)
Rainig all day today in Knoxville, TN...sigh no ride today, maybe it will break tomorrow and I can commute to work. Heck Knoxville needs all the riders it can get at this point...lol
@Nyla - I really loved reading your post! So, I just had to comment, even though I am from a flatter part of the same state. I'm sure you will get several responses, and my guess is that they will say that the money you spend trying to retrofit your Azuki so that it is trail worthy, would be better off spent just buying a mountain bike. You can have the chainrings replaced on your old bike to something smaller, and also your cluster to give you better gearing, but you will still be very uncomfortable without a shock absorbing seat/stem that a mountain bike offers. Other than that, and unless you hear otherwise from westerners, I would say, go for the adventure! You will remember it for the rest of your life. (But make sure you get a fair amount of trail riding in between when you get a mountain bike, and then. There is no substitute for having the trail experience, especially if you can drive somewhere on weekends for more technical trails.)
Is there a "search" feature so I can find friends on other teams and how they are doing>?
Enticed by the chance to visit family in the area, and inspired by a Wisconsin teammate already registered, I’ve begun toying with the notion of attempting Colorado’s “Copper Triangle” in August. A serious mountain biking contact in Salida has already shared the catchy “Triple Bypass” nickname for the event, daunting info now added to Jerry Bengtson’s decidedly disheartening post describing common 40 mph mountain headwinds….sigh. I’m seeking input/advice/warnings regarding success (or at least survival) prospects for an aging lowland baby-boomer from previous participants and other vertically inclined cyclists: Anything from “Go for it” to “Not unless you have a death wish” (I don’t). A few pertinent facts: bike in question is a beloved long-obsolete Azuki ten-speed rolling through its fortieth year. I would definitely need to adjust my attitude and approach (historic antipathy and avoidance) to steep ascents. I suspect the rolling hills around home would barely constitute speed bumps by mountain standards. … even those I regard as the leg-breaking, lung-bursting variety (lb. squared or #2 in which “#” does double duty, representing both lb. and the profanity sometimes accompanying such ascents) My typical aim on these climbs is to simply maintain sufficient forward momentum to avoid tipping over. I am frankly intimidated by the prospect of being surrounded by scarily intense, uber-fit, shinily- skintight -garbed people pedaling fiercely in a pelaton. (Though pelaton is a lovely melodic word, I’ve avoided the actuality with the same determination and for the same reason; see “death wish”- lack thereof; that I avoid driving, let alone cycling, in urban rush hour traffic.) Also, though prepared for “grueling”, as I was clearly napping in another room when the thrill-seeking genes were distributed, I could easily be deterred by descriptive phrases along the lines of “hair-raising, high-velocity descents down precipice-perching hairpin turns”
On the plus side: there is time to train, though certainly NO athlete I’m scarcely feeble, and I’ve got “stubborn” going for me. So the question is…. Might there by room/hope for a determined tortoise amid a multitude of mountain-conquering hares? With apologies for monopolizing so much “comment” space today- THANKS! in advance for any insights offered. (-;
What a beautiful day to be in the saddle. Went with the Bombay crowd to Gibraltar rock.
@EVERYONE - Had a wonderful time this morning working with a kids triathlon event. Kids ages 5 to 16 participated in the triathlon. The Rock'n Heartland Youth Tri Series issued a separate challenge to the public schools of Highlands County: The schools entering the most participants throughout the series will receive a traveling trophy and bragging rights for the school year -- elementary competing against elementary; middle against middle; and high school against high school.
This is a challenge that needs to be presented to schools throughout the country. We have over 21,000 riders participating in the National Bike Challenge. Imagine the impact we can have on our communities if we can get this type of program into schools throughout the country Kimberly-Clark started the Bike Challenge for their employees a few years ago, now it is a national event. Imagine what we can do for our children if we can get schools to encourage participation in a kids triathlon series.
We have over 7,000 workplaces listed as active in the NBC, imagine the impact 7,000 businesses can have backing this type of program. I'm issuing a personal challenge to all 21,000+ riders in the NBC - get active in your community and challenge businesses and the schools to get the kids active in summer programs. Kids love to swim, ride bikes and run - develop programs in your area to give kids a challenging activity this summer.
For more information, check out the article in our local newspaper: http://archive.newssun.com/archive_detail.php;start=0&numPer=20&keyword=youth+tri+series§ionSearch=&begindate=1%2F1%2F2001&enddate=5%2F13%2F2012&authorSearch=&IncludeStories=1&pubsection=&page=&IncludePages=1&IncludeImages=1&mode=allwords&archive_pubname=News-Sun%0A%09%09%09
Cycling into the wind helps to train your mental cyclist. Really hot summers in Florida are a great mental trainer, too.
Started building up today for the Race the Lake. Plan is to gradually do more and more to Get used to the distance.
I see there is going to be 7 bikes given away in the gold level drawing. Does anyone know how many of these bikes will be given away at the end of May and which ones? We will be half way though the first month of the challenge on Wednesday this week with only 2 more weeks to go. Many of you have already reached the gold level and others of you are very close and will reach it before the end of the month, giving you a chance to win one of the bikes or one of the other gold level prizes such as a Mt. Borah official national bike challenge jersey. I bought one of these jerseys and they are really nice. I like it. They are really light weight and keep me dry and really comfortable with a full front zipper and 3 nice pockets in the back for your cell phone, wallet, energy bars etc and are quality made here in Wisconsin by Badger cheese heads. haha They are $70, plus $4.23 sales tax if you live in Wisconsin, and the shipping is $6.95 to any state in the country by the world's best carrier, UPS. :) We work at racing speeds to get your packages delivered on time. So, if you win one of these jerseys, you are going to really like it. The 1 year supply of tp is a nice prize to win, too. It's nice and soft and the best tp you will ever use. You will never run out for a whole year. haha
I am on track for reaching the platinum level this month, but I am going to have to end the month strong to do it. I can do it, if we don't get any more floods or earthquakes in Clintonville. They woke up every night in March during the heatwave with loud noises and took them more than a week to find out it was an earthquake and aftershocks. lol They were scared to death and people were ready to move out of town , if they couldn't figure out what was causing these loud noises. I think some did move out after they were told it was a small earthquake with aftershocks.
Short ride this morning. Have to work an extra short shift at the FD today and only had time to commute between stations. Can't believe I agreed to work on such a great day. Hopefully the weather will still be good for the ride home this afternoon.
Hope to get in a good week of riding before next weekends Tour de Cure. Besides road riding with my Specialized picked up a Trek District 3 for the trails.
Early ride today. Took a couple of my loops backwards just for fun. Spotted 40+ riders, or maybe it was 50+. I may have seen one group of people twice. Lots of garage sales today.
@ Heidi, glad you are enjoying the posts. You will enjoy a road bike. My daughter and her boyfriend were riding on a trail a few days ago and they switched bikes for a while. He has a mountain bike and she has a road bike. He couldn't believe how much faster he was going all of a sudden. It was even better when my son was riding a comfort bike a few years ago and I switched bikes with him because he was getting tired from riding in the wind. He took off like a rocket and I chased him for a couple of miles before he gave me my bike back. It wasn't too long after that, that we bought him a used Schwinn road bike at a swap meet at a local sports store. You will encounter sticker shock when you look at new bikes. But its true that it doesn't have to be new to be good. I'm still riding a hybrid road/touring Cannondale that I bought in 1987!
@ Heather, Way to get out there and inspire!!
The Florida wind got me today. Thought i was headed into the wind on my way out and when i turned around to come home it hit me. The cross wind was more of a head wind slowest ride in awhile. Should make me faster the next time.
The more I can ride the less I have to spend on gas. The less gas I use the less we have to import, and the more I can spend on other things. The old saying is true the worse day of running and biking is still better than the best day of work.
I'm a daily commuter on a hybrid, carrying a lot of stuff. So this weekend, when I got out my road bike and blew downwind for about 35 miles, I felt like a bird. Of course, then I had to grind my way back upwind to get home. I could have used somebody to draft with. Anyway, one recommended destination for those in the Milwaukee area is the Nature Conservancy preserve at Lulu Lake (Walworth County). Pretty cool rolling hills in the Kettle Moraine.
Jenny, if you are comfortable drafting in a pack, a 100 mile ride will not be as strenuous as a 50 mile ride solo. The first time I did the group ride, I couldn't believe how much less energy it took. I've been told it's 30% less. That 30 mile ride didn't even make me break a sweat and I took my turns pulling against the wind in the front. But, it's scary the first time because you are all so close to each other and I was afraid of someone making an unpredictable move.
@Wally I like the 1/4 mile track field here because whatever distance I need to train for in a duathlon, I just run the appropriate laps around the track field and then jump on the bike for whatever distance the bike course is and then come back and do the last run.
I would like to get more involved in some of the sponsored rides this year. Only did 2 rides last year, and I talked with an elderly lady while we were showering after the Best Friends bike ride last summer--I rode 50 and she rode 100. After talking to her, I decided it had to be my goal!
Looks like we are in for some great biking weather this weekend and all next week. Come on Neenah-Oshkosh, we are falling behind.
Winds are no fun. My ride up to Ward, Colorado last week started off with a headwind for most of the climb up to Ward. You know you're in trouble when the flags are standing straight out from the flagpole when you start your ride. Then crosswinds during the descent in the canyon. The only tailwind I had was for the last 10 miles coming home. At least it was not as bad as some earlier rides I had this year. I've had too many rides up the mountains this year with 40-50mph winds.
I think when I retire, I can go motor vehicle free and bike wherever I need to go, especiallky if I retire in a warmer climate than Wisconsin. I'm probably going to be a snowbird and live south in the winter and Wisconsin in the summer. I would miss Wisconsin summers, if I didn't come back here. I love this great state and the people and all the lakes, biking, fishing, hiking swimming, and other outdoor activities.
I've also gotten a tailwind on the same day to and from work and love that when it switches in my favor.
@Thomas That much wind can be tough, just like climbing a hill. I've often had to do that on my 9 mile commute to or from work, but I treat it just like a hill and ride in a lower gear. I also keep body low and head down. Then it's always nice to get the tailwind as a reward, except when the wind switches at work and I get hammered both ways. lol
Just back from a 21+ mile ride in the high winds that are covering South Florida today and for the rest of the weekend. Must have been blowing 15-20mph on the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail this afternoon. Was managing 14-15 into the wind, and 21-24 on the way home. Glad I went out and burned the calories so I can eat this evening. Thats five days in a row I have been on my bike...not a record but nice considering the way the weather has been this past week. Tractor Tom in Okeechobee.
Kinda had to start riding my bike since I lost my license... Talk about motivation! :D
Just finished Cap2Cap (Williamsburg, Virginia) I was supposed to do just 50 miles but I got lost so now I earned 11 bonus miles. Keep quiet though I may have to pay for them.
New Hampshire is totally like being in a salt mine.
Glad to see our Wisconsin page back from unsporting cybergremlin Limbo, but the week of comments from May 3 through May 10 seems to have disappeared....)-:
@Heather, You are an AWESOME inspiration to those around you - you are doing a FANTASTIC job of getting others involved in cycling - I believe that's what this challenge is all about, getting as many people involved in cycling as we can. The more people involved in cycling, the better it will be for everyone.
Time for some car maintenance - taking the bike with me so I can ride home and back and get some more miles in. Beautiful day here in Appleton!
Cracked the 500 point mark on the way in to work this morning. Having fun with the challenge. In the Wausau area we (Wausau Fire 2) and Greenheck Fan Team 2 keep trading off the lead. My goal is to move Wausau ahead of Stevens Point (you guys should take a day off, you deserve the rest). :) Great motivation!!
Heading out shortly. My goal is at least 47 miles which will put me at 500 points! Looks like awesome weather for the next 5 days!!
@Andy, let's continue that thought... the more motorists that rediscover cycling, the more motorists that will "share the road" better when they (have to) drive! I like it!
@Heather spreads the word, you go girl!
Your excitment and commitment continue to inspire all of us...
Sounds like a great time to be in ohaha! May it spread like a wave across the country.
Gregg, had an "It's a small world" moment when I saw your rummage sale post. My wife grew up in the 900 block of Higgins Ave, just across the street from the school. Her dad was on Neenah FD until he retired. Ride safe and let's catch Vermont.
That's awesome Heather!
I think really, that is the main goal of this challenge. Get more people on bikes, and get people riding more.
I think that it gives people a chance to discover how joyful bicycling really is and show them the perspective of the biker rather than the driver.
I ride solo also but, my boyfriend is going out searching for a bike tomorrow. I have two other girlfriends who have been inspired by my riding committment and have doubled thier daily miles and a third who is going to try her first ride to work today! I am so excited to see so many people around me interested in bikes this summer.
The Neenah-Menasha Fire Rescue is hosting the 1st Annual Backdraft Bike Tour on Sunday, June 10 at Jefferson Park in Menasha. There are routes for all levels from 16 miles to the 100 mile century route. I signed up for the century route, which leaves at 7 am. I have never done a century. The most miles I have ever rode at one time is 85 miles solo. So 100 miles in a group should be a lot easier for me. Is there anyone here doing the century or any of the other routes that day? The century route is actually 98.65 miles and you can get more information on this route and all the other routes and register here: http://www.nmfire.org/backdraft-bike-tour/event-fees.html
Fees up until May 18, 2012: $25 per individual. This includes a dry wick t-shirt and a meal after the ride. Children under 16 are free.
Fees after May 18, 2012: $30 per individual. This includes a meal after the ride. Children under 16 are free.
Family Fees (for up to 5 members in your family, including adults) up until May 18, 2012: $40.00. This includes a dry wick t-shirt and a meal after the ride. Children 15 and under, who pre-register, will receive a free cotton t-shirt.
Family Route Fees after May 18, 2012: $50.00. This includes a meal after the ride for all participants.
There are two ways to register for this event. You can register and pay online through active.com or you can print out the brochure and mail it in with your payment.
Maybe if it gets over 100 this summer in Vermont, we can catch up. :)
Hey, we are back. We didn't fall off the planet.
Scott: Recruit more people to simply get on their bike once daily.
I took part in the Mayor's Ride today. It was a great turnout and I am also impressed in the steps Omaha is taking to be a more bike friendly community. I think we have a great cycling community. Joining together and making our voices heard is making a difference.
The mayor of Omaha had a ride your bike to work day today. Hundreds of bikers leaving the Missouri River basin westbound out of Omaha. Really cool to see. I was driving one of our city buses going the other way so it did not effect my time points,but one of those Kodak moments. Omaha has come a long way and is becoming rather progressive! I love the direction my town is going.
Doing what I can to move NY up from 45th position! :)
Thanks team UPS now out will more fun even when I am alone.
If you ever need me to drop out...just ask. Thanks again.
Contrary to popular belief traffic loop sensors do not need magnetic metal to trip them.
Here's a pretty good article.
http://www.humantransport.org/bicycledriving/library/signals/detection.htm
If there is a cross walk they should have the button you can push. I personally just go when it's clear on the loops I know don't detect me
Heidi, I just did 34.2 miles for my job on a definite rode bike. I earned it via volunteer hours at my local community bicycle shop. It's a 20+ yr old road bike that is the fastest of my 6 bikes. You don't have to spend a fortune to find a faster ride. There are plenty of alternatives. And as a bonus, my old rode/road bike gets lots of compliments ;)
Did Vermont really steal all our comments? (endomondo: "Some initial evidence indicates a potential cyber attack by a rogue band of Vermont bicycle renegades"). Time to strike back with a lot of biking the next few days......
@Gary: that's what I can afford, a well rode bike (darn predictive spelling on my "smart" phone)! :-)
@Heidi - is a rode bike a severely used one? Like rode hard and put away... haha... (it's Friday...)
The rains subsided today, so I was able to be back to work. The real work. Commuting to/from work as well as the lunch ride. Loved the rain, but love the road more.
Despite having a monster head cold still ridding. The cool thing is the ride seems to help clear things up, its only now when sitting behind a desk that my head feels like a crushed watermellon
@E M: You are awesome! Love reading your posts. I commute to work on my tractor (aka, my mountain bike) and get passed by 10-20 Lances each way! Saving up for a rode bike and looking forward to the day I can be a Lance!
Team me, myself, & I rode this morning. Only spotted 2 other riders. That's gotta be the fewest riders I have seen. 60+ degrees when I started and 70+ when I quit. When I was climbing one of my last steep hills somebody yelled out the car window as they passed me: "GO LANCE GO!" I raised a fist in salute and laughed the rest of the way home. HA HA!
@Michael, Thanks for the information, I will look into it since I am still using Garmin Connect.
Karen, Keep those wheels rolling, Florida needs all the riders we can get!!!
@Leonard, are you using Garmin Connect? I'm convert my 305 data to a gpx (via SportTracks) and then upload the file. If you're not using SportTracks, I highly recommend it! Like the Garmin Training Center, all data is kept on your computer but it's much better. (http://www.zonefivesoftware.com/sporttracks/)
@Gregg, 90% of my riding is solo - I can't find anyone that rides as slow as I do so I end up riding alone......
@Christopher, Stay active and keep going, by the time you are my age you will be able to make what I am doing look like child's play.
As far as all the information logged with my workouts. I use a Garmin Edge 305 GPS (it's so old they quit making them years ago but it works for me). It has a heart rate monitor and cadence monitor. Everything is recorded during the ride and all I do is plug the GPS into my computer, go to the Endomondo site and directly download the information from the GPS - I make no entries (other than maybe a comment) or modifications to the information, what you see is what happened during my ride.
Thanks Micheal and Burklee!!!!
@Karen - Yeah you do!!!
@ Ronnie We have 1 vacant spot on our UPS team and we would love to have you on our team. Here's the link where you can join: http://www.endomondo.com/teams/gLhI9I-FBTo
@Robbie
Thanks. Good to know
@Danny - They update the "points" once a day. Check back towards the end of the day and they should be there.
See the ALERT in the NEWS if you live in Wisconsin or California
Yay Karen, you rock in Tallahassee! -michael (Tampa Bay)
So I just joined, and I have logged all my miles so far, but it hasn't awarded me points. Am I missing something? I should be around 475 right now.
I hope this doesn't sound "clingy" but would anyone be interested in picking me up for their team? I will try to help as much as I can.
If you live in Wisconsin or California, your local challenge sites are currently not visible. Endomondo is working on this issue, but we don't yet have an estimated time of resolution. You can still log your miles and they will all be saved. Some initial evidence indicates a potential cyber attack by a rogue band of Vermont bicycle renegades, but this evidence is circumstantial at this point and has not been confirmed. We will update you as more information is available.
Hey! I'm #430 in the country out of 20K! I rock! LOL!
awk! Where's the local challenge?!?!?
This morning one of the best reasons to live in Wisconsin!
Beautiful morning! This morning I took that route that I'll be using next week with my co-workers for our annual Bike to Work Day. Can't wait!
al.groth - I believe that is a funtion of manually logging miles. The time is when the ride was entered into Endomondo, and the miles are automatically split into 2 rides, each being half of the total, logging it as 2 seperate trips.
As the new National Bike Challenge website was rolled out, some glitches were discovered. Endomondo has worked hard to address these. However, if you do encounter any issues, please help us help you most efficiently by reporting them at the support site http://www.endomondo.com/campaign/national/support. Thanks and enjoy your ride everyone!
"get on the sidewalk!" on the way in today. it's rare.
My one and only bike is in the shop. Hoping that it's fixed by Monday...
while trying to see how far people are riding during there workouts noticed that some record 2 rides at same time and distance. Is this 2 different rides or one recorded twice? Ride on...Have a event free and wonderful ride...
Cora, thanks for the encouragement. I'll be out every day I can. As for the riding question, I mainly ride solo unless I can talk one of my kids or my husband into coming. School will be over soon, so I think I'll be able to get my daughter out more. YAY! RIDE ON EVERYBODY!!
Thomas, Thanks, I try to be a good rider but I know there are some laws that are almost impossible to follow.
This national challenge has been a godsend for me. Riding is all I think about. I'm so proud of myself for doing what I've done in these past 10 days and can't wait to see where the next few months.
Hi Kim - if you have a Wisconsin zip code, welcome to the team! You are automatically on the state team based on your zip code. Good luck and have fun!
How can I join team Wisconsin? I just signed up.
@ E M - If you ride just 1 mile a day, 24 days out of the month, you will make Gold. If you can't get out 24 out of 31 days, you'll need to ride 20 miles for every day you miss.
Jason,
I don't believe putting a foot down is required for a stop. But you are required to stop, according to the law,
Man, I so wanna make gold by the end of the month. Gotta cram in as much as I can since a lot of things are coming up, including a graduation. Burklee, no worries, I will be in Lincoln plenty in the fall since my daughter will be a freshman at UNL!
Hi everyone
Solo Always.
But it wasn't always like this.
Hammer away!!
Good luck Gregg. Vermont's been raining all week. This is how we roll. :)
We have dry and 70 degree temps coming for the next 10 days. We need to take advantage of this and catch up to Vermont. It won't be long and it will be hot and humid and a sweatbox with dewpoints over 70.
@Gregg When commuting I'm always solo. Few people seem to bike commute where I live and those that do are usually headed downtown and I work out on the edge of town. When I'm riding for sport on the weekend I am usually in a small group of 3 to 10 riders. I still tend to get dropped on the hills and end up riding solo. :)
@Gregg Ive always ridden solo.
Nice weather in wisconsin today and cyclsts were everywhere--packs of them. I like riding in packs because you can hammer out a lot of miles and not get as tired as when you ride alone. Do most of you ride solo or in packs?
Hey Charlie - I still want to be #1 state in the USA. We could do it in 1 day if all the Wisconsin riders invited just 1 person to join the challenge. Any other ideas - I can't take this sitting down. We are working to get things going here in the Fox Cities. Not sure what else to do, but I know there are at least 4000 other great ideas out there!
In Wisconsin, if you wait at a red light for 45 seconds or more, feel that the light is sensor controled and the road is clear you can legally proceed. Not quite Idaho but you can still keep it legal without having to wait for a car to pull up. I've found that Most stoplights are on 30 second timiing.
Regarding the sensored lights - They are based on a magnetic field, and cars interrupt these, casuing a signal to be sent to the light. They are not weight related. Most bikes simply do not have enough magnetic material on them. A strong magnet or a chunk of iron will both help to disrupt the field. If you are riding a bike that has no iron or steel in it, you have no hope of setting these off.
I think we just passed the number of riders we had at the end of the Scott challenge last year (4,391). Way to go Wisconsin!!
Exciting ride tonight... Went for a longer ride with my son behind me on the rickshaw, and going up a hill halfway home the clamp slid off, the safety chain failed, and I nearly went over the handle bars from trying to stop so fast. Evidently by front brakes work better than the rears. Luckily we were riding in a residential neighborhood, and I was able to get help from a very nice elderly couple. I think it may be time to go to a bike shop to get a clamp that is better suited to my frame. And from now on, I ride with a wrench set in the back if the rickshaw!
@ Christopher regarding your question about the pace kcals and all that stuff. I have mine all logged because i use the endomondo app for android. it keeps track of everything while i ride and when im done it automatically uploads it to the site.
Excited that the end of the semester is near for me so I can really start to ride.
@Leonard Wright - I take my hat off to you for all the riding your doing! I only dream of being able to do what your doing when I get your age sir!!! Your a mark I aspire to be.
Question to all...
How do I get the site to start logging kcal, ave speed, ave pace, etc?
I just checked out Leonard Wrights profile w/ all his statistics logged and wonder is that a function of this site to keep track or is it something he logs himself?
Now granted I've only logged 3 rides so far, but ave pace, ave speed, kcal's, etc are all still listed as zero for me. How can I get that to change?
@Gregg Warning, I'll be there easily. I'm at 210 pts but am doing a "Ride the Rocky's" traiing program I saw in the March issue of Outside magazine. one word for it - BRUTAL!!
It rained here in Colorado on Monday. But I finally got out to ride. It is supposed to rain again on Friday and Saturday. Hopefully there will be breaks in the rain so I can ride without getting soaked. It is unusual for it to rain all day in Colorado. It is a nice break from what we normally have. And we need the rain. But it makes it hard to ride. But if I have too, I will ride in the rain.
19 riders in Wisconsin have already reached the gold level. I am only 14 points away from gold and going out riding now on this beautiful afternoon. I should reach it in about an hour.
@Gregg ill be hitting gold soon i need 93 points. i only got 8.44 miles done today it was so cold and windy and it rained too. I usually do 30 or more miles a day.
96 riders have already made it to the gold level for prizes and many more are almost there. I have 14 more points to go and going out riding now and should reach it in less than an hour. Anyone want to take a guess how many riders will reach gold before the end of May?
We have 14 riders in the national challenge for UPS now. Go brown! :) I read in our employee newsletter that in some places UPS is using bikes to deliver packages. I think it is a great concept. Got to have brown painted bikes, though. haha I would love to be a package bike rider.
Yes, the wind in Nebraska can be a challenge...or a great training partner depending on which way you're going.
OK - this is an error. Sorry folks, I'll try to "undo"
The boys bike sold. All we got left is a girl's bike.
I'm promoting the challenge at our rummage sale and should have more joining. I had to wear my thermal long bike pants and thermal bike jersey, hat and gloves to work this morning because it was only 42 degrees at 4 am. It was a very enjoyable ride with the moon reflecting over the calm water of Lake Winnebago. I think the lake flys are done this year. tI warmed up nicely on my commute home from work this morning and was too warm with thermal bike pants and jersey. It was so nice that I took a long ride home for 30 miles.
I wish I had leonards energy at three in the morning though. Around here the wind hasn't picked up or the storm clouds havn't formed yet. All the nature has gone into the shade or hiding before the afternoon storms. My goal is to try and keep up with him to the best of my ability.
HI all, got my ride in this morning instead of in the afternoon. Perfect weather, temps. in the 60s and a sunny blue sky with a handfull of cotton clouds. I spotted 4 other riders and plenty of joggers. One of the riders got off the sidewalk and was coming straight at me. Luckliy nobody was behind me so when I moved further into the lane, I didn't get clobbered. Cyclists are traffic, so we go the same way as cars, joggers and walkers go against the traffic. THANK YOU to the jogger who stepped up on to the grass as I went by so I didn't get clobbered!
Jason, your sandstorm reminds me of one ride we did in western Nebraska. Winds were 50 mph and gusts were as much as 75. We had been dropped of the day before to start our ride and did not have a support vehicle. Luckly some people with a pickup truck came by and gave both us and our bikes a ride to the next town (over 30 miles).
RE: the actuating lights. WE have plenty of them around here and only about half have the pedestrian button in the right direction and place to make use of it. I read up on this on the internet and apparently it has something to do with how much metal there is in your bike. Even small motorcycles have a problem, and they tend to resort to some kind of magnet to solve it (apparently they sell the magnets on the back of some motorcycling magazines). Otherwise, I saw a video on how to place your bike across the circle that triggers the light. Only our lights don't have circles, they have rectangles. I was proud of myself for managing to trigger a light that had a diamond shaped trigger by leaning my bike sideways to give maximum metal to the trigger. I was so startled when all the cars on the crossroad started stopping that I almost forgot to go!! LOL
Devon, chalk one up for the YOOPERS!!
Happy riding everybody!!
i will do an extra twenty to make up for it. I like the extra twenty to get out and ride but going to the end of the driveway to me would not be fair to myself. I did toss it around a lot though.
I sold my Wal-Mart Roadmaster 15 speed Mountain Bike for $20 this afternoon at our rummage sale. I cleaned it up and degreased the chain and relubed it and all the gears and derailer work like a brand new bike. I gave him a card about the challenge and we may have a new rider in the challenge.. My relatives brought 2 other kids bike to sell for $20 each--a boys bike and a girls bike and are still in good condition, if anyone is interested. 1130 Higgins Ave., Neenah We will be open until 5 pm and tomorrow from 8 am-5 pm and Saturday 8 am-noon.
Steel bikes...riding in the rain...y'all are talking my language. Had my first flat in months yesterday and wouldn't you know it was a day I HAD to be somewhere on time! Thank goodness for the bus/bike rack combo that got me the last couple of miles to the office. Gave the bus driver quite a shock by effecting an almost complete change of clothes while waiting at the bus stop for him to circle around and pick me up at the end/start of his route...
@Gahlord: Too funny! I was just thinking the same thing. How on earth could you make up those miles? Unless of course, your name is Leonard Wright! One of my goals is to ride everyday during this challenge, rain or shine!
Leonard is lucky Ferdinand didn't enter... Yet ;)
I chuckle when I read the comments of peeps saying it's raining and they'll "make it up tomorrow." The system gives you 20 points just for getting on your bike and driving to the end of the driveway and back. Are you really going to do an extra 20 miles tomorrow to make up that difference? ;)
Everywhere counts.
Another day of non stop rain. If it lets up i might be able to get a few miles in today if im lucky. This weather sucks.
is this only for biking to work or biking everywhere?
@Burklee, Thanks for the laugh - I'm just an old man having a little fun riding his bike.
Found a new path a couple day ago in Wausau along the kayak course. Love biking along the river whenever I can. Plan on biking to work tomorrow.
Question... I have looked at the prize list. Will the total prizes listed for bronze, silver, and gold be given away each month, i.e. 80 Trek H20 bottles for May, 80 Trek H20 Bottles for June, etc., or is that list the total; 80 Trek H20 bottles awarded over the 4 month span, 20 per month? Of course, we're all just in it for the bragging rights (to see who can finish closest to Leonard), but the prizes are nice. :)
And @Jack Green - Yeah, it's sad that you can't win a prize, but go anyway, brother! You're doing great just by getting on your bike!
@David Quade - Howdy, fellow Lincolnite! Will I see you at the rally tomorrow?
@ E.M. Matteson - Didn't mean to make you homesick :P You come on back here anytime!!
#actuating lights, all that is needed is a steel ride. Since I started commuting on a touring bike the lights change for me with no problems.
After having 80-90 temps we had a heavy rainstorm with hail/slush in the afternoon that I ended up riding in. Very cold and since it has been so warm I did not have any warm stuff with me. Spring can be rather unfriendly sometimes.
Nice ride last night. I had to put my mittens on before I made it home but the sunset was a beautiful sight along with wildlife spottings of sandhill cranes and deer .... a dead opposum too.
Mountain Biking Miles logged aren't translating into points. Is this a bug?
Cop was behind me yesterday as I did a slow and go through a stop sign( didn't know he was there). I looked both ways then went. He cruised by me, didn't seem to care. Does anyone actually stop at stop signs and put a foot down anymore?
for actuating lights, I hear a magnet will help.
I keep meaning to put one on a string to plop down onto the wires, but I keep forgetting to. I have a strong magnet on my pedal crank for the cadence sensor that I lean towards them now, works 2/3rds of the time. I only have one or two lights I worry about, and they have a safe time in their cycle for me to go, or I push the pedestrian button.
Is going to ride the Green Circle today! Super Excited!
Primarily do hiking and backpacking - My bike is a death-trap $70 monster from Kmart purchased 10 years ago. It has 2 gears and weighs a ton. As I move from petroleum dependence to "other" biking will be added to the mix. I'll work to build the habit over the next 90 days, mixing it with hiking as well. I only have ~4 1/2 miles to work so I can deal with the bike's limitations. The ride is the key. Its generally quite enjoyable.
I have not had issues with my water bottle, other than having trouble putting it back into its cage after I have used it--have dropped it a few times doing that. So, to avoid this problem, I usually just pull to the side of the road and take a quick stop for my water breaks, usually about every 15 minutes.
Oh what a beautiful morning for a bike ride! No wind. :-)
This week is annoying me so much with the inability to find time to ride. Too many out of town work committments and then I am going away this weekend too. :(
@ Dean I wondered what that number of active riders was. Thanks for figuring it out.
@Jason, you are tough. I would have been in tears if that happened to me. I probably am not cut out for Pheonix weather. haha
Big shoutout to the 20,000+ riders who have signed up to this site since its inception!!!
40% signed in little over a week. AWESOME!!!!
Jason - I was out there too, but after the rain started up. SOAKED. Luckily I was headed the right direction, made great time on my commute home :-) Those of you who don't live in a desert will surely be unimpressed... but a surprise downpour in May is just one of those things that does not happen here! Crazy stuff.
I love this talk of stoplights. I just tried riding over the tar line today and it worked.
I had a great time riding with Wheel and Sprocket tonight. There were about 18 of us. We hit a pretty big patch of gravel with a bump heading into it. Someone’s water bottle fell out of their cage and I hit it with my front tire. I’m sure glad at the last second I decided to square up my bike and just take it head on rather than trying to swerve and risk the bottle kicking my front tire out if I hit anyway. This is the second ride I’ve been on where someone’s water bottle has come out of their cage. Mine fit nice and tight on my bike. To me this is a safety issue. That could have easily taken me or someone else out. I really don’t want to crash going about 20mph because of a bottle…. But I still had a great time!
me and 3 others headed out today for a 24 mile ride here in the Phoenix area. Bad idea. 5 miles in we were caught in one of those huge Arizona dust storms. The temperature dropped 25 degrees, wind gusting to 65 MPH and a solid downpour of rain. Riding through the dust storm it was like being sandbalsted. Luckily, we all made it back alive and averaged about 15mph into a solid 20mph headwind, thank you adrenaline!
So, Gregg, about actuating lights...last year when I was test riding what eventually became my new bike ( a Cannondale Synapse 6 which now has 4000 miles on it), I pulled up to a light near the Fox Valley Mall. It did not change for the longest time. I waved up the truck behind me. It then changed. As the truck and I made the turn, the passenger yelled out the window to me, "Eat more burgers!" Alas, I have been mainly burning them, according to Endomondo. A cyclist's dilemma...the more we ride, the less visible we bcome to the light actuators. ;-)
Hey all! Awesome event, helping Houghton MI get on the map with 20 miles today!
Green Circle is a combination of streets and paved or crushed granite multi-use paths. It's a wonderful loop! Don't forget to take a swing through Schmeeckle Reserve!
Only 53% of the 20226 registered riders are logging their miles. I thought it would be a lot higher percentage.
Rode about 20 miles today. Only spotted 4 other riders. It was get out of school time, and I passed one school as they were getting out. Unfortunately, a long line of cars was there to pick up the kids, instead of a bunch of bikers. I did see a guy riding a mountain bike and carrying another bike. Was he picking up a kid from school, I wonder? A few miles later I spotted a kid on his bike, who looked like he was on his way home from school.
Gahlord, yeah, I claimed the blame for the accident, but I still maintain that bikers should get off the road when they have mechanical problems, no matter how empty the roads are. And if its a big, busy ride, its a good idea to go over to the other side of the road and pull out of the traffic. In any case, I learned my lesson. I don't answer the phone while riding anymore. I pull off and call them back.
yeah this weather has been horrible for riding its either insanely windy or pouring rain. i was lucky enough to get a ride in today i wanted to go out after dinner for a quick ride like i usually do but it started raining.
The weather men was off by an hour in a half. I will have to make it up tomorrow.
Question about big bumps -
Do you pedal over them, coast standing, coast sitting with legs tense, or coast with both legs flexed?
Just another thirty minutes of rain nand then I think I can squeeze in a ride
Jack Green: Don't sweat the prizes. Most of us are in this for glory. (Though a year's supply of TP would be great too).
At Bob deCamp, I tried everything just as you said, to get it to turn, and I think we all would still be waiting for a green arrow, because it skips the green arrow, if it thinks there is no car there. Until I told the driver behind me to pull up to me closer, it would never have given us a green arrow, :(
@Rob, the intersection I am talking about with the actuated lights are at Harrison and Winneconne. The traffic is so steady on Winneconne, that it is next to impossible to cross on a bike without the light turning green for me. The traffic is usually very heavy there. So I end up waiting for a car to come up on Harrison, to actuate it. It gets frustrating. Another time at a different actuated light, I was looking to turn left, so I was properly in the left turning lane and positioned myself in tthe center of that lane, so all the cars behind me have to wait for me to turn left and so we sat there for 2 signal changes with no green arrow and so I figured out that this is another actuated traffic light and we would all be still stiting there waiting for our green arrow because we would never get a green arrow because it wasn't detecting my bike and the cars were backing up behind me in the turning lane. So I had to motion for the driver behind me to pull up closer to me, so we could get a green arrow. He was being nice and giving me space, but where he was, we would still be waiting for a green arrow. Needless to say, we all were mad, when we weren't getting any green arrow. They obviosly don't think of bikes when they install those type of traffic lights.
Is the Green Circle all paved trails?
I rode the Green Circle once last year, thoroughly enjoyed it!
Had a cement mixer truck that was over the white line on JJ around 9:30 am this morning just outside of Neenah and came dangerously close to me as he passed. There wasn't much traffic when this happened and there wasn't any need to be over the white line, so not sure if he was distracted by texting, but still shook up a little.
I use my phone too much while biking at least theres never any cars around where i ride. I usually see a couple cars every ten miles i bike depending on where i ride.
Then I'm in good company...
After just finishing my first Six-Gap in Georgia ( http://dahlonega.org/index.php/six-gap/three-gap-bike-ride.html ) my phone rang. Approaching my car I tried slowing with one hand, guess what happened... yep, wheel pitches and I go down on a rough chip-and-stone surface, NEXT TO my car!!!
At times going 48mph+ downhill without incident, I pick up the phone @ 11mph and crash! That was 3 years ago; needless to say I no longer keep a phone accessible when riding.
i like this bike challenge but its bad for me as i dont live in the US so i cant win any prizes :(
Tsk, Tsk...I’ve painfully concluded that phone use when cycling is no wiser than when driving. Once answered a call from work while pedaling….started to lose my signal so aimed for a hilltop stop. Phone in right hand, reached for brakes with left….predictably, as only FRONT wheel ceased moving I promptly sailed over the handlebars and landed on my forehead, thus at least fortuitously creating a cushion for beleaguered bicycle’s subsequent swift pinwheeling descent. I had also made the ever so clever choice to remove my helmet briefly to savor summer breeze on deserted rural road. OUCH!..Bloody, embarrassing (bloody embarrassing!) Luckily no lasting harm apart from well-earned ego damage. It was, in every sense of the phrase, A BAD CALL (-;
Too wet to ride today on the Eastern Shore of MD and I had to go out of town for a conference anyway. Missing those wheels!
Thanks Leonard that is a good story, sounds like that ride made a big impact of her. The finishers metal will be one of those cherished memories. One of my wishes is to have my daughter do the Bike Ride Accross Iowa with me. We will see if our recent rides together could be that spark that leads to that.
Take care
Rick-I had that same kind of luck a couple years back. My bike commute takes me through downtown Milwaukee and I swear I found every nail/screw there was that spring!
Lol EM, you were not both to blame. You were answering your cell phone and you rear ended the other biker. Hilarious, yes. Both to blame I don't think so.
Here is the scoop on red lights in Wisconsin http://bfw.org/2011/09/16/what-is-the-law-anyway/
The Bike Fed recently had the law changed in Wisconsin so it is now legal for bicycles to ride through red lights after stopping and waiting for 45 seconds if they suspect the light is actuated but is not tuned to detect bicycles.
Wisconsin statute 346.37(1)(c)(4) outlines the one exception to general rule of stopping for red lights for operators of bicycles, motorcycles, mopeds and motorbikes. The exception is for intersections where the lights are controlled by vehicle-actuated sensors – that is, the light will only change when it senses that a vehicle is present. Some sensors do not pick up smaller vehicles, such as bicycles and motorcycles, and therefore will not change no matter how long the operator waits at the light. If you are on a bicycle and have waited at least 45 seconds at a red light, and you believe the light only changes color when it senses the presence of a motor vehicle, you may proceed through the intersection if it is safe to do s.o
Here’s exactly what the statute says:
“a motorcycle, moped, motor bicycle, or bicycle facing a red signal at an intersection may, after stopping as required under subd. 1. for not less than 45 seconds, proceed cautiously through the intersection before the signal turns green if no other vehicles are present at the intersection to actuate the signal and the operator of the motorcycle, moped, motor bicycle, or bicycle reasonably believes the signal is vehicle actuated. The operator of a motorcycle, moped, motor bicycle, or bicycle proceeding through a red signal under this subdivision shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicular traffic, pedestrian, bicyclist, or rider of an electric personal assistive mobility device proceeding through a green signal at the intersection or lawfully within a crosswalk or using the intersection.”
That was officially my wettest bike commute yet. Hoping the gear will be dried out a little before the ride home. (Cape Cod)
Rode Stevens Point's Green Circle yesterday - great trails through the woods, on boardwalk, near UW-SP, in neighborhoods.
Two flats within seven days and on the back wheel AGAIN! Not a happy biker this morning!
Burklee & Heather, re: shopping. There are tons of places on-line with discounted bikewear. Once you know the size and style you can look at all the usual bike stores. You can also look at sports stores. Sierra Trading Post isn't a sports store per se, but they have a lot of discounted sports & cycling clothing. Sports clothing for other sports like running is good: anything that wicks moisture away from your skin and is otherwise designed to be worn outdoors. Bright colors & refelective gear are great. I wear cycling shorts underneath a pair of cargo shorts. A little nerdy maybe, but I like having my cell phone in my pocket.
BEWARE, however, I once answered my cell phone while riding. There was no traffice in front of me other than one rider who was moving at a pretty good clip. So I answered the phone, and BAM, I crashed right into him. We were both to blame, since he stopped in the middle of the road instead of pulling off, and I answered the phone without looking. Needless to say I was a little dazed for a while, but I managed to finish the ride.
I usually go up on the sidewalk and push the pedestrian crossing button to trip the light (assuming they are there, i am fortunate to live in an area with lots of crosswalks and bike lanes).
Most traffic signals I encounter usually have a lot of traffic and the ones that don't, well if there's nobody coming, I don't wait.
This bike challenge is great! Last night on my ride home from work, I missed the turn I needed to take to get to the town hall to vote. So I continued on my usual route home and then doubled back to the town hall. It was an additional 5 points for the day. SCORE! :-)
@Mike, Best fever you can pass on to your kids. Friend of mine was invited by this grand-daughter to ride in a charity event, half was through the ride the weather turned nasty. He was going to stop so the kids could take shelter - they said no, they wanted to keep going. They finished the ride and he learned that his grand-daughter wore her finishers medal to bed that night. Got ourselves another cyclist!!!
@Ernest, Congratulations on achieving a healthy lifestyle. Cycling will do that for you and the spirit of adventure is an added bonus. Keep the wheels rolling and enjoy the photography (bet you get some great pictures).
Having trouble with traffic lights not changing?
Read this:
http://www.humantransport.org/bicycledriving/library/signals/green.htm
Gregg, check your state laws. In Arizona those lights are considered inoperable and can be treated as stop signs.
Gregg, at many traffic signals you can see a line cut into the pavement and covered with tar. The sensor wire is under the tar, and many times you can stop your wheel on the tar line and it will detect you. I usually put my front wheel directly on the tar, and, while stopped, shift as much weight as I can onto the front wheel. Doesn't always work, but probably works 75-80% of the time.
I don't like those traffic signals that won't turn green with my bike. :(
Looks like some nice dry weather coming for the weekend and temps in the 70's all next week.
Mike Bonhan, There is nothing like the feeling of getting your kids to ride with you. YOU GO DADDY!
Gregg, I read about this somewhere: increasing the numbers of cyclists actually increases the numbers of jobs. Unlike more cars, more bikes create more jobs. Bike makers are branching out: in addition to city bikes, road bikes, and mountain bkes, there are companies in the US that are making bikes you can use to transport heavy objects. People use them to move people, and even furniture. And somebody has to sell and maintain these bikes. Some places are even installing showers and bike parking garages due to increasing numbers of riders. Then there are those racks that go on the bueses. Small food businesses and bike rental places are a couple of types of businesses that have been springing along bike and walking trails. And as far as that gas station is concerned, they make more profit (%) off of the drinks and ice cream you buy when you ride than they do off the gas. So move auto industry its time for more Americans to roll on two wheels!
Riding bikes makes us all feel like kids again! It's fun isn't it? My daughter even started riding with me on one of my commute trips. I was going at a pretty good pace and I thought I better slow up so I turned to see how for back she was and "she was right on my tail " she rode close to 20 miles that day. She's got the fever!!
Elliot - enjoy your trip and all the miles. They will all be valid. Ride on!
I have a question.. I am going on a bicycle-tour vacation for 10 days next week. These miles are still valid for the purposes of the WI bike challenge, right??
Great job Earnest - keep it going! I love your mention of adventure and exploring.When I was a kid I was always exploring - wanting to know what was down that road (or path). Going further than my mom ever knew. Now I've rediscovered that sense of adventure but with even greater horizons - finding out where this road leads... or what a town is like that I've never been to before... or accidentally coming across a gravestone of someone I knew years ago that I never knew was there in a town I've never been to before. There is so much more out there, more than we will ever know, even in a lifetime. I hope we are all able to keep that sense of adventure alive. It's what keeps us young.
Burklee, hello from another Lincolnite! I agree, Lincoln is doing well nationally. Keep it up!
Took my bike in last week for a tune up since we were having heavy rain for days. Picked it up yesterday & was so happy to be back on the saddle. Looking forward to biking in beautiful weather the rest of the week.
@Ernesto that is a great story! I am glad you have done so well with cycling and I hope your bruises heal fast :(
Made it back to Riverwest in time to vote. Hope all took some time out from their day to do the same.
@Ernest: Kudos to you! What a great story. I'm with you, the sharing on here is great and makes me feel "united" with all the cyclists participating in the National Bike Challenge!
Also, I have to share: Since April 30th my car has been parked in the driveway and hasn't moved. I've been bike commuting everywhere, including doing a large grocery shopping trip last weekend!
Got a flatty on the way into work this morning 1 km from workshop - kept riding made it some what slower than usual!!!!!!
So many great thoughts, so many brilliant individuals, and I'm a Fan of you'all!
I'm recovering from my handlebar/gutcheck i had a week ago. It hasn't stopped me from biking, but the bruises do look knarly, as it heals. I'm sort of proud of my battle scar.
Just to share my story:
According to my Dr and Wiifit I was obese, peaked at 245lbs. High cholesterol forced my change of eating habits. Obesity forced me to exercise.
4 years later, i dropped to a mere 220 and continued my diet.
I was sold a 'hand me down' mtn bike w/slicks, at the start of the year, as work relocated me less than a mile from home.
Im so happy.
Today i scaled at 185. Cycling has done wonders for my health. And my photography, since I find myself adventuring around my town. Finding new paths and trails every free day i get.
And i dont have to budget for gas! An average of $80 a paycheck back in my pocket!
And im just getting started to settle into a urban cycling lifestyle.
It wasn't as painful as i thought,aside my recent accident. It's always fun to pull up to a friend's house 10miles across town and shock them at what I've accomplished for myself.
That's my story, thanks for reading it. :)
i was gonna for a ride but it is raining,,, Atleast the commute was fun
P.S. I wish there was a "like" button. You guys are making so many great points!!
Burklee, you make me want to turn around and go right back to Lincoln. Its such a great city. I don't know why they haven't tried to become an official bicycle friendly city in the League of American Bicyclists program. They can't let Omaha have all the honors. I grew up in Lincoln and I used to ride everywhere. Lots of connected streets including side streets. Its just so easy. I even rode in the winter in the snow a couple of times. It was faster than taking the bus or looking for a parking space!!
In a perfect world, there would be a Drive Your Car to Work Week
@Heather - Thanks, I was looking there. I have to have plus size stuff and I think I saw some. I often wonder how bad I look from the back on my bike. On the plus side, I think that might keep people from hitting me... I might be big enough to break the car. LOL. And kudos to you for getting on your bike and riding. You go, girl!
@Gregg - Wow, Fox Cities (where are they?) has a lot of stuff going on next week. In Lincoln, NE, we've just got a kickoff rally this Friday and an ice cream social next Friday evening. Folks are encouraged to meet up at one of 3 bike shops in town & ride to the rally together. The social is at our brand spankin new Jane Snyder Trails Center just outside downtown. Should be a nice place once it opens. I think you'll be able to rent bikes there, get your bike adjusted, have a snack or drink, socialize, etc. Lincoln's got a really good trail system. You can see a good map of it at www.gptn.org. There's a bit of a disconnect between the west and east sides of town, but they're working on it. And you could knock me over with a feather when I see how well Lincoln and Nebraska are doing nationally. I never woulda guessed.
@Cora-I love your attitude! I am slow also but I don't give up. We all have obstacles in our way, some bigger than others but just the same. I love that your keeping with a route in your neighborhood for the time being. You rock!
@Burklee - I have my eye on some clothes over at the team estrogen website. For now, I wear the same things I would to the gym. I do okay because I have a larger saddle on my bike. It was a very beautiful day to ride in Maryland!
I finally uncovered the mystery about the bike accident in Sunday's duathlon in Neenah. The reason my dentist and his wife did not finish the race is because Dr. Wubben, who is an orthopedic doctor and who is the father-in-law of my dentist is the one who got hurt in the bike accident, so my dentist and his wife could not finish the race and went to the hospital with him. Dr, Wubben is doing fine. He just had a cut on his head and his shoulder and is sore.
Delete Brad (LPK) Waldoch
One minute ago
I bought and returned a bunch of shorts last year. Pearl Izumi In-R-Cool PRO bibs are the ones I kept - they felt the best on me (the PI Elite was almost as good- also bibs, I can't stand a waitband). They were on sale for about $100, I would have loved to find some cheaper ones that worked well, but they were all pretty poor. There might be other good ones out there, but these are the best that I tried.
@Jason - Thanks for the bike shorts link!
@Greg - How you feelin' after sprinting to work this a.m.? BTW, yer lookin' spiffy in that NBC jersey. :)
Next week is bike to work week and Fox Cities Greenways Inc. has put together a list of activities happening during the week in the Fox Cities: http://www.focol.org/greenways/biketowork/2012BikeWeekPoster.pdf
Sunday 13
May Mother's Day
BIKE WEEK - Bike to Worship
Bike to church, then got out for brunch
Monday 14
May BIKE WEEK - Get Up & Ride
Join the "Get Up & Ride Challenge". http://www.endomondo.com/join/national
Tuesday 15
May BIKE WEEK - Trail Day
Enjoy the day by biking one of the local trails. http://bfw.org/for-your-ride/maps/
Wednesday 16
May BIKE WEEK - Ride of Silence
Date/Time
Wednesday May 16th, 2012, from 7:00 - 9:00 pm
Location
Wheel & Sprocket Appleton, 3939 W College Ave, Appleton, WI
Details
Everyone is encouraged to join cyclists worldwide in a silent slow-paced ride (max. 12 MPH) in honor of those who have been injured or killed while cycling on public roadways. Please plan to arrive 15-30 minutes early. Helmet required. Lights strongly encouraged. No registration necessary. Call Wheel & Sprocket Appleton with questions (920) 997-9300.
For information on other rides in your area, visit: http://bfw.org/events/
Thursday 17
May BIKE WEEK - Bike Safety Day
Fox Cities Greenways Trails for Tomorrow Conference
Trails for Tomorrow Conference
Want to learn more about creating a more sustainable & healthly Fox Valley? Join us for a day of learning at the meeting facilities at Miron Construction. For more information, visit our homepage http://www.foxcitiesgreenways.org
Bike Safety Day
Keeping safe will keep riding fun! Learn more about the Share & Be Aware Program
http://bfw.org/for-your-ride/safety-share-and-be-aware/
Help your children learn bicycle safety by finding many resources at Safe Kids USA:
http://www.safekids.org/safety-basics/safety-resources-by-risk-area/bicycling-and-skating/
Stop by the Building for Kids in Appleton, WI at 4:30 for a kids helmet event.
Friday 18
May BIKE WEEK - Bike to Work Day
Save gas and enjoy the commute. Shower facilities at YMCAs throughout the Fox Citie are free to Bike to Work participants.
Saturday 19
May Fox Cities Greenways 2nd Annual Happy Trails
Join Fox Cities Greenways in a family-friendly 5k walk/run or 10 mile bike ride event at Telulah Park in Appleton. Kickoff and registration at 7:30 AM. 8 AM is the 5k start, 8:45 is the bike start. For more information, visit our homepage at http://www.foxcitiesgreenways.com
Heather, at least your shopping center has one bike rack. I hate that our grocery store does not have one. A couple of times I took my bike inside where the shopping carts are. I was waiting for someone to challenge me and I would say "Well, I couldn't find your bike rack." But nobody asked. Once I had the idea that a bunch of cyclists should ride to the store at the same time and protest that there was no bike rack.
At least there is one mission I can do on my bike, and that is go to the drive-up window at the bank. Recently I noticed that there is a sign on the other side of the bank that says "no bikes or skateboards" or something like that. I'm pretty sure they mean that they don't want kids aimlessly hanging around in the parking lot. But I'm waiting for someone to challege me about it. Then I could say "Well, do you really want me to close all our accounts at your bank???" LOL
Almost 20 miles today and a flat tire. Spotted 9 other riders. The weather is perfect, in the 70s but a little windy.
Ride on everybody!!
@ Risshan, my last vacation I found a bike shop and rented a bike. It was one of the best features of my 10 day vacation. Check it out locally...
I almost couldn't ride to work this morning because I couldn't find my flashing red tail light, which I had taken off Sunday for the duathlon and was buried in the garage with all my wife's rummage sale stuff. But I found it and left several minutes later than I usually do and beginning today we were told to be in 10 minutes earlier because of the increase of packages this week due to Mother's Day on Sunday. So I left on the bike really late and had to do a sprint to get there on time. :)
As we all know the automotive industry was and is still being hit hard in the recession and the ferderal government bailed them out on borrowed money. Most people can't afford to buy a new car every couple years as many people were doing before the recesssion. A new car salesman has a rough job because people are really price shopping more than ever when it comes to buying a car. Business is slow because people are not trading out of their cars as often as they did before and are hanging on to their vehicles a lot longer because they can't afford the payments on a new vehicle. Car mechanics are in greater demand today than car salesmen. More people are also using their bikes more for transportation, which has also really slowed business in the automotive industry. I think many politicians don't want to see more people using bikes for transportation because they fear another meltdown in the automotive industry and losing jobs and sending more automotive workers to the unemployment lines. I think they want people to be sick with chronic illnesse and, diseases because it creates more jobs in the health industry taking care of all these sick people. I know this sounds stupid, but that is their thinking. They don't really care about people, just want their own record as a politician to look great to protect their own income, investements ,and assets. That's why its like pulling teeth to get funding for some bike lanes and bike paths because they really don't want to see more people riding bikes. They see bikes as a threat to their own wealth and to their own survival.
On vacation without my bike and watcing my miles get away from me
Bike commuting does not allow me to be car free - for this the infrastructure in this state in regard of public transport is way to bad. That would be only feasible through car sharing or renting once you have to go somewhere where it is to far to bike. But bike commute allows my 3-person family easily to live with one car (and one bike trailer for the kid) instead of 2 which is a big saving.
Heather&david I agree I live two miles from the Y and I ride A cupple extra miles just to get wormed up. I think some peoples problem is that they are afraid to ride to ride on the street becouse it's not safe. Maybe we can encurage people to ride (being that it's national bike month) we can talk to the people at the gym and get them to put up A flier.If you go to the league of American Bicyclists site they have one you can print.
Burklee, I bought these shorts. They look like regular shorts but they have the spandex inside and good padding.
http://www.bellwetherclothing.com/bellwether/mens/shorts-tights/baggy-shorts/ultralight.html
We own 2 old vehicles in our household, which are debt free and are used by 3 of us. . The 2000 Chrysler mini van has over 160,000 miles with new tires and is still running like the energizer bunny. The 2002 Buick Century is approaching 150,000 miles and is also like the energizer bunny. By biking 18 miles round trip to work every day, I hope to be car payment free for a long time yet. Bergstrom Automotive in Neenah, WI here hates my bike. lol
But if people can get over that intimidation and just get up and ride, they probably will see the fat melt off in a couple years and will want to go out and by some new lycra and spandex shorts to show off their hot fit body. :)
@ Lenoard. I agree that biking clothing adds to my comfort on the bike and allows me to bike a lot more and for longer distances than I otherwise could. But part of the reason that many people will never buy or ride a bike is not because they don't want to or don't like biking, but because they are intimidated by the spandex clothed cyclists. Because they are overweight and don't have a cyclist body, they wouldn't be caught dead wearing bike shorts and skin tight jerseys that show every inch of their fat. But they do make other bike shorts and other biking clothing for people who are overweight and very self conscious about their bodies and wouldn't want to be caught dead wearing the spandex bike shorts and skin tight jerseys that many of us do.
Both the vehicles I own are debt free and by biking to work I hope to be car payment free for many more years. As I said before Bergstrom Automotive hates bikes. lol
@ Bouffleur You are correct that the savings in riding a bike has a huge variable factor depending on a lot of different things. If you are one that buys a new car every couple of years, the savings in riding a bike is huge. Our vehicles will probably die on the highway before buying a new one. lol I assume that most of us still own and have to maintain some kind of motor vehicle. It would be an interesting survey and I wonder if we could do this among all the riders nationwide here and find out how many do still own and maintain a motor vehicle. I'm sure it's at least 90% or greater. If you are able to be completlely motor vehicle free, this would give you the largest savings because by owning a motor vehicle, even if you don't drive it very much, costs a lot of money today with depreciation, insurance etc. Your vehicle is depreciating a lot every year, even if you don't drive it a single mile. It depreciates thousands of dollars every year the first few years of owning a new vehicle, even if you don't drive it much. If you are going to drive your vehicle even just once in a month, you have to by law carry at least liability insurance. And as far as I know there isn't any insurance company that will insure your vehicle by the number of days you drive it. If you want to drive your vehicle just once that month, you have to pay for the entire month. You can't pay just by the number of days you drive it. I wish they could prorate my 6 month insurance premium and only charged me for the number of days that I drive it because there are many days in a month now that my 2000 Chrysler minivan doesn't leave the driveway at all. But they can not bill me any less than by the month and its cheaper to do it by 6 month premiums. I can't sell it because it is the only vehicle that will tow my pop up camper and a small 16 ft. aluminum pontoon boat, which are a major source of recreation for me in the spring, summer, and fall. I also own a 2002 Buick Century that my wife drives 30 miles round trip Monday-Thursday to the north side of Appleton and there is no way I will ever get her on a bike. My daughter also needs to get to work in Appleton and doesn't own her own car yet and she says she can not bike to work that far every day, but there is the possibility of her getting public transportation. Her schedule changes daily and weekly all the time, so that makes public transportation more difficut and it also doesn't run sometimes when she has to work late. Going vehicle free is very possible when you are single, but when everyone in the family isn't able to bike to work and school because of distance or other factors, it become much more difficult to go vehicle free when you are part of a family. My goal is to reduce the number of vehicles we have in our family from 2 to 1 and that would save a lot of money But that means I would have to bike to work every day year around even in blizzards and -40 degree windchills and I don't think I could do that. However, there is another woman who lives near me, who works the same preload shift as I do, whom I could probably ride to work with on days when it is too nasty to bike and pay her, but my wife may not like me riding to work alone with another woman. lol My commuting to work every day is allowing me to delay the purchase of a newer vehicle right now because I have 160,000 miles on the mini van and every day that I bike is giving me another day to delay purchasing a new vehicle and that is a big savings for me. The mini van is debt free. A newer one is going to cost me several hundred dollars every month. The longer I can delay this, the more money I save every day. Bergstrom hates my bike and so that;s why I am surprised they were so nice to me and took me to Wheel N Sprocket, but it;s called customer relations and they are hoping to see me back looking at their new vehicles. Little did they realize that with my bike, they are going to be waiting a long time. lol
@Burklee, Find a local bike shop with knowledgeable employees, they should be able to help you find the right cycling shorts. You don't need to spend a boatload of money but do plan to get a GOOD pair of shorts that fit properly - if you need to spend a little more than you planned to it will be worth it. I rode for years in regular shorts and a t-shirt. Proper cycling clothing does make a BIG difference and is worth the expense if you ride any distance.
@Cora, You are off to a great start. It takes time to build up endurance but you are on the right track. Biking to the store, park, library is a perfect way to increase your endurance. Before you know it you will be commuting to work (and teaching your son the value of getting out on a bike in place of going everywhere in a car).
@Heather, I'm in Sebring, FL, definitely a small town. We have a very active bike club and are working to improve cycling throughout the area. It take time and effort but it is worth it. Every mile you ride is more exposure for cycling not to mention better for your health. Have a wonderful day and a safe ride.
@travis, Been there, know the feeling. Keep riding and your ability to do longer distance will improve. It took me years to reach the level I'm at now - stick with it, you can do it!!!
Keep up the great work everyone. We are on track to accomplish our goals of 50,000 riders and 10 million miles by August 31. Remember this is a long challenge of 4 months, so pace yourself and have fun! Don't keep it all to yourself, share the challenge with a friend, family member or co-worker today! www.nationalbikechallenge.org
I have a question. I'm thinking of getting some bike shorts, but haven't the slightest idea what to look for. Does anyone have any suggestions? I don't want to spend a boatload of money, but long rides can be painful sometimes.
Voted by bike today. No bike racks at Pewaukee City Hall. Had to take up one car space in the small lot.
Glad to be part of the challenge.....
I need technical help. I created a team (am captain) and we have 10 riders on it. But the team is not registered for this challenge (campaign). Somehow this challenge thinks that I am riding solo. The team is called LGC Bikers Ohio EPA. My workplace shows up on this challenge, as do I, and most (all?) of the other riders on my team as well.
@richard and gregg
AAA just updated their cost of owning and operating a midsize sedan to an average of $.59/mile. Looks like the cost savings calculator is factoring off of the $.45/mile, which is the cost of owning a compact sedan. This is a bit skewed as there are costs involved with riding a bike.
I've seen a few calculators that figure riding a bike saves $.30/mile and some that figure the $.30/mile for the first 2 miles and then $.18 for each additional mile. Thing is that it all depends on what you ride, and whether you are buying accessories and bikes a lot.
For me, I figure that by selling my car a few years ago that I'm saving approximately $10,000 a year, including my old car payment. But, I have reinvested some of that money into my bike...
I'm stoked on this site too. I've always been curious about the miles I put on in a year. Pretty simple so far. Ride was nice into work this morning. These cool sunny mornings are the best.
JD, I really enjoy the endomondo app! I have not tried other apps, but this one works well for me. And, yesterday evening I received a really nice message from Gregg while I was riding, he said "enjoy the evening ride". He must have used the pep talk function, and as I was riding, I was able to hear the message!
THANKS GREGG! That was nice :)
Has anyone ever noticed that when you go to the Y, everyone parks as closely as they can to the door?!? So, if you have to drive to the Y, what is the the big deal about parking? (other than when it is 20 below zero LOL). Personally, I take every opportunity to get those extra steps in by parking further away. It also helps to park far away because it is easier to get in and get out, thereby avoiding the traffic close to the facility!
For me, this challenge is providing the motivation I need to get in shape to be able to commute to work. Because I have to bring my son to day care along the way, my 11.5 mile commute would need to be completed within 1 hour. So far I'm averaging about 9 mph - so that won't cut it. But I'm getting out and riding every day, with my son, and trying to improve my pace and speed with every ride. Right now I have a great 2.4 mile route mapped out thru our neighborhood that I've been doing every evening, and I hope to increase that until I reach my goal of commuting to work.
- - - -
Without the points and competition as motivation to get out and ride, and get back into biking shape, I don't think I would ever be able to bike to work. And in the mean time, I'm choosing to bike instead of drive to the gorcery store, the park, the library, etc...
Looking forward to logging the time and miles. Have been trying many apps over the years to track and report progress. Hoping this is the summit of all apps that might actually work.
@Leonard, I live three miles from my Y and I have cycled it. The majority of other cyclist there are teenagers. The parking lot is always packed with cars and I feel just like you. I live in a very small community and many of us are within easy commute by bike. At least the Y has bike racks because as I commute more often I am realizing our town is ill prepared for cyclist and it’s not just bike lanes that are the issue. I was at the mall Sunday and realized our entire shopping complex has one bike rack . It's a little discouraging but I am hoping the new bike lane initiative in my town gets it done. Well I better be off, it's a decent morning out there! Happy Trails.
Leonard, that does sum it all up!
Can't do the commute thing due to the layout of the roads and trails in the area but I hope that I can contribute overall.
David, I live 5 miles from the "Y" and ride by almost every day. The parking lot is almost always full. While I applaud these people for going to the "Y" to workout I'm also certain at least 80% of them live within 5 miles of the "Y". Bill Nye, the Science Guy once said "There's something wrong with a society that drives a car to workout in a gym." That comment sums it all up .
Several years ago, my cholesterol was off the charts. I Didn't want to take pills or drastically change my eating habits so I thought I'd start with getting more exercise. Started rcommuting by bike every day, rain, snow or shine and have the cholesterol under control. Biking is an easy way to fit basic exercise into a daily routine. Gives me a few extra minutes in the day to clear my mind before and after work.
Know someone who lives 1/2 mile from their YMCA and they DRIVE to their daily workout. We are lazy people.
There is costs to riding a bike, too, so some of your savings gets spent on maintenance and clothing for riding your bike and there is also depreciation on your bike as well.. But the costs of riding a bike are substantially lower.
Depreciation also is a major cost, especially on a newer vehicle. Every mile you drive your vehicle depreciates it's value. So the cost of driving a newer vehicle is much greater than an older one.
@Richard It costs a lot more than just gas to run a car. Upkeep and maintenance are also major costs. Not even including insurance, it costs about .45/mile for an average motor vehicle.
@Brian, I am sure you do and so does everyone else that sees it. It just takes some time for the erroneous data to become apparent to the rider. That is okay in my mind. Looking at some of the data makes it appear others are working to fix it too. Time fixes all!!
Charlie L, I know I had that same multiple entry problem, too. At times it seems like Endomondo is not responding when entering miles, but it is. I will always double check to make sure I did not double or triple enter.
does any one know how the figure out the money saved data? i rode my bike 29 miles and it said i saved $13. gas doesnt cost that much
Same for WI leader board. Might be related to all the comments riders are making about the problems they have logging miles. That might be the cause for the extra entries?
WHEEEEEEE! I More than 19,000 riders already, over 1.5 million miles since the “Pre Challenge warm-up” began and rising hourly; cross-generational, cross-cycling disciplines, cross-country (and global…Welcome Australia!) discourse and pedaling participation. As I found to my delight last year, Challenge riders create a community which is not only overwhelmingly civil but also consistently welcoming, supportive and inspiring. Regardless of what, where, when or Why we ride, These are circumstances and souls to celebrate (-:!
Wow, have you guys and gals been checking out the National Leader Board "Leaders"? Some of the leaders have been racking up a ton of miles in one day. Like 22 mile entries 12 times a day. I think they forgot to bring their grocery list with them to the store ;) I think Endomondo needs to install a filter that will delete duplicate mileage to time entries. I hope you understand what I mean. Yes / No?
I echo the fit of the bike! I usually don't get any numbness until I am in the saddle for atleast a few hours. I had the problem with the hands but I use gloves now. I also change positions more frequently. The first time it happened for me I didn't recognize it and after riding straight out for about an hour I tried to brake and didn't have the feeling in my hands. That was a tad scary.
@ Rob Race the Lake has become a national bike race and there are riders from many states across the country--perhaps even Vermont. It is the longest and I also think the largest all citizen timed bike race in the US. But I think I am correct in assuming that the majority of riders are from Wisconsin and from neighboring states (i.e. Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan
I find that biking gloves do help with numbness in the hands. If your feet and toes go numb, this may be a sign that you aren't fitted properly on the bike. I had this problem when I rode long distance on a 26'' 10 speed Huffy bike, which was way too small of a frame for my body and long legs and as a department store bike it also did not have good components for the many miles I was riding. I have no problems now with numbness in hands or feet because my Schwinn Paramount fits my body well and delivers a smooth pedal stroke consistently mile after mile on long distances and I have to warn walkers because they can't hear me coming from behind because it is so quiet. I have never owned a better bike than this one, even though there are much better and more expensive bikes on the market now.
Hi everybody! I was out for a shorter ride today (10 miles) because it was rainy. Luckily for me, I managed to get home right before a big downpoor. Didn't see any other riders, probably because of the rain & the time of day (early afternoon).
RE: the discussion about recreational riders versus commuters. Well, I happen to work from home, so I really can't commute to work unless you mean going from by back door to my front door or my garage. So I can only count going to the bank, post office, library, or some similar errand as commuting. Otherwise my miles have to be "recreational." And yes, the bike challange has inspired me to ride more. Every day I think "its the National bike challenge," I need to ride every day. Just one bike on the road can raise other people's awareness. That is me. I go out there get counted. I think, well at least I'm leaving from my house and riding as many days as I can and I'm not driving somewhere to start my ride, so I'm saving gas that way.
The more bikes on the road the safer it will be for all riders. Just seeing another rider makes me feel good. And in some areas around here (greater St. Louis area in Kirkwood and on Clayton Road) I get inspired by seeing those other riders. It makes me think: HEY we belong here. Slow down you drivers, give us some space. I want to shout: HEY THREE FEET, give us three feet!!!
I hope everybody will read more about what is really happening around the country. Check out the League of American Bicyclists web site to learn about the bicycle friendly community/ school/ business/ state program. Check out books like Robert Hurst's "The Cyclist's Manifesto" and Jeff Mapes "Pedaling Ravolution" and all the great bicycling magazines out there.
Ok, I hope I will inspire someone else to get started or increase their riding, or to get their friends and family out riding. JUST RIDE. IT'S FUN!
@ Ike, I have that problem occasionally my feet/toes go numb. Also some trouble with my hands/fingers. With my hands, I just try to change positions more frequently. As for the feet, I don't wear bike shoes, and have found that softer-fitting shoes actually make it worse, and something with a more supportive and harder sole actually works better to prevent it. I had not thought about the seat, so that could be another issue...
I find that biking gloves do help with numbness in the hands. If your feet and toes go numb, this may be a sign that you aren't fitted properly on the bike. I had this problem when I rode long distance on a 26'' 10 speed Huffy bike, which was way too small of a frame for my body and long legs and as a department store bike it also did not have good components for the many miles I was riding. I have no problems now with numbness in hands or feet because my Schwinn Paramount fits my body well.
@Gregg - tell Gloria about the Challenge and see what she says. That's the kind of thinking we need if we are going to beat Vermont. Of course, the best way would be if all riders just got one other person to join, preferably someone who hasn't biked since they were a kid.
@Leonard you are awesome! i have yet to do 100 miles in one day i did do 52 yesterday but i was so sore and tired afterwards my left hand is still a little numb too dont even want to get into how my rear end feels haha. I dont think a mountain bike was meant for this but at least i can go over anything in the road.
Race the Lake is getting bigger and bigger every year. I think they are expecting close to 2,000 riders this year. If all of them would join the challenge, this would log 180,000 miles for the challenge just from that event.
Leonard, I hope I can still bike just half the miles you do when I am your age. You amaze me.
@ Tim The challenge here is only outdoor miles.
my manually logged miles/trips are not showing any points?
@Dallas, sign up for the 20 mph wave, if there is still room in that wave because that's the wave I am signed up for and I'd like to ride with you guys. There is a maximum of 150 per wave. I would sign up as soon as possible because I talked to Gloria at the Neenah Duathlon and she said everything is filling up really fast and they are going to have the most registrations ever this year.
is there any way to convert stationary cycling and other athletic club activities to miles or does this only count for outddooor miles?
Nice Fresh Morning in South Australia - just put my first 28.8 kms(17.9 miles) on the board. :-)
SENIOR CITIZENS ROCK!!!!!
Hey Leonard - for just a bunch of retirees, you all have assembled quite a formidible Workplace. Retired is currently the #3 ranked Workplace in the Challenge out of over 6500 Workplaces. A big shout out from me to all the retirees - very inspiring! Keep up the great work.
It could also be your seat if you're riding longer distances. Also, if you are getting a lot of vibration in your feet this can happen. I get numb hands if I ride in one position too long.
got a proper fitting for my road bike yesterday. i cant wait to put some serious miles on it!
Shoes too tight and/or narrow?
Anybody else's toes fall asleep or go numb while riding?
Nyla, I was almost one of those with "massive health problems". Five years ago I weighed 250 pounds, had sever hypertension (210/120), stage 4 kidney failure (doctor told me I would need to go on dialysis before long) and a host of other medical issues. I firmly believe riding a bicycle saved my life, my weight is in the "normal" range, my body fat is around 12% and I have the ability to go for 100 miles rides day after day (when I first got on the bike I couldn't even ride a 1/4 mile....). If people can learn about what I have been through and it inspires them to develop a more active lifestyle, then everyone wins.
My goal in this challenge is to help inspire others to get out and ride. I feel many people will look at what I am doing and say to themselves "If that crazy old man can do it, then so can I".
If this motive upsets others, I feel sorry for them. Saving fuel and cutting CO2 emissions is important but the most important issue in this country is health. If a person is healthy, they don't need a car to go 2 blocks to the store - if they need an oxygen tank to make it from their front door to the car, they will never be able to ride a bike.
I agree with Michael on a Bicycle on many of his points. I only use a car if someone else is going somewhere with me - if I'm going alone, I ride.
{ As you can tell, this hit a hot button for me - I was not going to say anything but retirees have rights too - when I registered I put "retired" as my "workplace". Since then 131 other riders have joined as "retired". It's not about building up points or winning prizes - it's about getting people involved and i feel i may have just been able to help inspire 131 other "retirees" to become active in this challenge. }
Michael on Bicycle; Leonard’s post reminded me of one comment you made with which I do take issue.. about “focusing on retirees for spending their days on bicycles”. We are in the midst of a rising tidal wave of aging baby boomers (me among them). I work in a hospital where I am confronted daily with people my age and much younger immobilized with massive health problems caused or exacerbated by sedentary existence, with attendant staggeringly expensive medical bills for dealing with such things as morbid obesity, diabetes, congestive heart failure, COPD etc. Ultimately WE ALL pay for those health care costs.
More people choosing to GET UP and MOVE throughout life, and inspiring others by their examples, have an impact (economic and otherwise) far beyond improvements in their own health.
Or if they make adult carriers, I'll put her in there. lol
I'm going to have to get one of those 2 saddle and 2 pedal bikes and pick her up and then she can help me pedal home.
@Gregg, Liked your comment about "Sunday drivers" - guess I must be a "Sunday rider". I begin my rides at 3:00-4:00am so I can get well away from populated areas and enjoy some stargazing and watching the wildlife in the area. Deer, fox, bobcats and numerous small critters make a ride so much more interesting than fighting traffic hour after hour. I've been riding around Lake Istokpoga for years just to watch the sunrise (typically a 100 mile ride) - if I wasn't riding on a paved road the area is much as I imagine it would have been 150 years ago. These are things a person just cannot see from a car. Maybe we need to coin a new term "cycle-tourist". {BTW, do you know what they call bicyclists in the Florida Everglades National Park?? They are known as "meals-on-wheels". Alligators can reach speeds of 30 mph in a quick dash.) I log all my rides as "recreational" even though there is a very large element of "transport" to the ride if it is looked at from a "tourist" standpoint.
I was given strict orders that I can not ride this afternoon because I have to pick my daughter up from work at 2:30 pm.. lol That is cruel!
It helps if your spouse or significant other and your kids ride, too, so you are able to ride more often for transport. Because my wife doesn't ride, I can't always ride when we need to go somewhere's together. I would rather ride through Kettle Morraine Forest to see it, but in order for my wife to see it too, we drive. We had a party to go to in Neenah last Saturday and I rode to the party and she drove to the party, so that didn't save us any money at all. lol She gets mad at me when we need to go somehere together and I say I want to ride and she has to drive herself. lol My daughter rides because she has no car of her own yet and it's the only way she is going to get to where she needs to go because Dad won't give her the keys to the car and Dad knows she has the ability and can easily ride there. Why waste my gas, when she can just as well ride? lol But she doesn't have the strength to ride as far as I do, so I got to pick her up now from work in Appleton and waste my gas because she isn't able to ride that far yet. I'm still training her. haha Her work isn't any farther than mine and is 9 miles, but she says it's too far for her. lol
Lovely point about “tourism” Gregg. Despite compelling health, economic and ecological advantages, my principle reason for bicycling remains an abiding basic childhood response to nature’s implicit, ever-present, irresistible invitation to just “COME OUT AND PLAY!”
It can take a few minutes for the points to calculate -- I think you'll get your other 40 points soon.
I just entered my wife Karen into the Bike Challenge. Saturday she road 13.6 miles and on Sunday 12 miles. So she should have 65 points.
Saturday 20 points + 13 points
Sunday 20 points + 12 points
But she only shows 25 points.
Her info is enter manually at this time. That should not make a difference should it?
@John There are many people who just drive around for no other purpose then to look at people, lol, houses, scenery, landscapes, natural wonders, buildings, fall color, birds, animals, architecture, sunsets, sunrises, lakes, rivers, bridges, lighthouses etc. It's called tourism. I do these things myself. One day last fall we took a drive through the Kettle Morraine Forest, just because it is beautiful to drive through the forest in the fall. We went with no specific destination in mind. I just drove wherevere the spirt of my wife led me. lol We don't do this as much because of the price of gas. Now I do it more with my bike, so it is still transport. If I take my bike instead of a car to see how many fish they are catching down by the lake, that is still transport because I did it by means of my bike rather than a car. Any time I ride, when otherwise I would have used the car to accomplish the same purpose, I log it as transport. When I was a kid and gas was .19 cents /gallon,, a lot of people just took a drive out in the country on Sunday afternoon for no other purpose orher than a Sunday afternoon drive. That's where we got the terrm "Sunday driver", which now means any slow driver on any day of the week. lol
If you think about it just because we don't commute does not mean we don't save money. We could be out driving a car to do stuff to avoid cabin fever. We should get at least half credit for co2.
Michael; You make your case articulately and with sincere commitment. This challenge should provide a supportive format for strongly held cycling viewpoints, and while I don’t disagree with your points or your perceptions, there other considerations involved. Last year’s Wisconsin Challenge divided ‘transport” and “sport” miles more decisively…with only “transport” miles counting toward potential prizes. It seemed to create an unnecessary sense of inequity and divisiveness among cyclists involved, and inadvertently devalued the myriad benefits of other types of cycling.
Cyclists are a broad and varied group, but still tiny relative to drivers. There is undoubtedly strength in numbers in regard to legislation and raising community awareness. We need to support one another in whatever realm we ride. Cycling benefits extend beyond reduced gas consumption. As with any regular exercise…those who cycle consistently for whatever reason are going to be a healthier group overall than those who do NOT exercise, which ultimately translates to lower health care costs within communities. Exercise provides psychological advantages as well, and it is my bias that exercise in the open air enhances those advantages. (not to mention gas saved by those who get on a bike and ride as opposed to driving to a gym, or other recreational destination). Additionally, hundreds of thousands of dollars for various charities are raised by “sport” riders. Money spent, visibility gained and connections made by people pedaling within communities are considerations as well.
My work involves 10 to 12 hour night shifts nearly 40 miles from home. My effort to balance that egregiously large carbon footprint and save money on gas has been to utilize bicycling as my default non-work transport setting. I’ve been doing that for years, but the Challenge inspired me to vastly expand my range and frequency. I traveled farther and far more often than would have been the case had I been paying for gas. I’m healthier, happier, spend more money with local merchants and have an expanded sense of possibilities and strength, even on days when I’m just riding for air and exercise (-;
This year I think the Challenge organizers endeavored to address previous inequities by supporting all cyclists in regard to both riding regularly and miles traveled, providing extra incentive for simply riding OFTEN, and still separating transportation rides from other cycling. Surely all of the information regarding the sheer number of people pedaling has potential impact with legislators, and that info can be broken down to reflect specific Co2 savings when necessary. Cyclists VOTE, and the more awareness we can raise in regard to all aspects of cycling, the more effective our voices will be.
Thank You for expressing yourself so clearly and opening up such a valuable discussion. I hope you lend you eloquence to communication with your legislators and that other voices raised here will be raised with local and national legislators as well.
I’m delighted to see that so many share in recognition and appreciation of Heather’s inspiration and enthusiasm. Those miles are indeed of exceptional value (-:
@ Michael on Bicycle This challenge rewards people with 20 points per day for just riding anywheres, which is a generous reward and will allow even low mileage riders to have an equal chance of winning prizes here as the century per day riders. In fact last year in the Wisconsin challenge the majority of the winners of prizes were people with low mileage because prizes are given away through a random drawing, not strictly mileage. Yet at the same time, this challenge doesn't exclude sport and elite athletes who want to hammer a century ride every weekend or even every day. I think this challenge embraces ALL RIDERS no matter what reason they ride and no matter how good or how far they can physically ride. Some may never reach an ability to ride every day to work. But maybe they can ride every other day or just once a week. Whenever they ride and for whatever reason they ride, good things do happen.
michael- I am a stay at home dad and a studen In college. I have logged almost three hundred miles and feel that is just as important as those who commute to work. Look at the challenge as a way for our society to change its ever growing rate of obesity. Icould easily just sit at home and do nothing. I enjoy riding however and my present job is to care for our son.
Coming from Lincoln, NE and a public health perspective...I love the Challenge for a first year effort! You try something new the first time, you look at it when it is over, keep what worked, tinker with new stuff and try it again the next year in a different way. Let's get all the way through to August THEN weigh in on how to improve it. Omaha has done a Challenge for 6 years and they are trying this new way of approaching it. I am curious to hear what they think of it, once September comes around!
@J. Hugh I love your quote "Fill the streets and trails while leaving the couches empty." I think that for people like me, that's exactly true! I am the average overweight person who is looking for the right path to better health. I find cycling much more fun than the gym. Also, this challenge is full of great riders who are so knowledgeable and inspiring to the beginner trying to increase their abilities.
I am always much more afraid of getting hurt in a motor vehicle, than I am on my bike because of the much higher speeds by which we travel in a motor vehicle and the busier roads that we usually travel in a motor vehicle. Although you always need to be attentive whenever you are on a bike, you need to be even more attentive when you are driving a motor vehicle. My blood pressure substantially rises every time I go up the ramp to Hwy. 41 or 441 in a motor vehicle. And if I am the passenger in a motor vehicle going up the ramp to 41 or 441, then my blood pressure goes up even some more because now I am at the mercy of the driver and 100's of other drivers around him and me. :( One of the reasons I bike rather than drive is because it is SAFER. Yes, it is safer. I can't ride as fast as a car and I don't travel roads as busy as I do with a car. So riding a bike is most often safer for me. The 2 reasons I hear the most why people don't ride bikes is that it is too dangerous and they don't have time. The most danger comes when you drive or ride in a motor vehicle. No other daily activity is more dangerous than this. And as far as I know nobody has more time than anyone else. Everyone is given 24 hours per day--no more and no less. When people say that they don't have time, this simply means that biking is not a priority to them and other things are more important in their lives. Everyone has to prioritize their life for what is best for them and accept the consequences that result from the way that they proritize their time. It's always good every now and then to ask yourself, "Am I prioritizing my time the best that I can to keep myself healthy. Because let's face it. This has to be the most important priority of everyone's life. Because if you let yourself get unhealthy by unhealthy habits, you will be no good to yourself, nor will you be of any help to anyone else. Living a lifestyle that helps you be the healthiest that you can be should be a priority of everyone. That doesn't mean everyone has to ride bikes to be healthy and have fun, but it is one way that can create a healthy lifestyle for many people and it is fun to ride. Try it. You never know if you like something until you try it.
Also if anybody is interested in entering the race the lake Kevin K from UPS and myself are looking for 3 more people to enter as a team so we get the discount. if your interested email me at [email protected].
Thanks, Gregg. Just after you posted, my points for last week appeared.
Michael on a Bicycle - I agree whole-heartedly with you on the bicycling issues in America. While the internet is a great place to start connecting and speaking out, I think it is just as important to be involved in your community. Equally important is having a positive impact on others by "setting the example" or encouraging friends to try something new. It's a shame that so many people have excuses as to why they drive a car instead of bike/other. I admire you and everyone on here for being an active part of this website and caring about the direction of this country's transportation infrastructure. Keep on speaking your mind off the road and let your presence be shown on the road. Go bicycles!
I like your thoughts on the challenge, Andrew. I try to look at all the different ways I can use a bike and besides commuting to work, recreationl , fitness and other sport activities, I use it as a means of transportation for everything I possibly can, so I can reduce the amount of miles on my other vehicles, which allows me to spend money on other things I want. In many respects I look at biking as a fun job that helps pays the bills. Usually anytime I am on a bike (except when I am wet and soggy from rain,floods, and thunderstorms lol), I am more relaxed and less stressful, energetic, and very happy. When I am stressed out, I just put my helmet on, get on my bike, and let the breeze on my face and body,blow it all away and it usually works. It's a great stress and anger management tool for me. I can get rid of stress and anger by hammering the pedals hard. :)
More people, more miles, more days of the week by as many different kind of riders as possible will strengthen cycling. I ride 270 per week, my wife does 60 and her riding is a great thing. Zero to 6o miles is huge increase. She is riding 6 days a week. Terrific! I walk every one to ride every way. Fill the streets and trails while leaving the couches empty.
@ Chris
Fill in the form at http://www.endomondo.com/campaign/national/support and make sure you select ‘National Bike Challenge Support’.
@Michael: No flaming here. I think you have good points. I think commuting on bike is important. I wish we could get more people on bikes to get to work. I can also understand why some people don't. I live a mile away from work. That mile to work is uphill almost all the way. I'm a fat girl riding a mountain bike, and in the summer, even in the morning, I'm a sweaty mess when I get to work. I can wear fairly casual clothes at work, which I have to pack along. I have to change my entire set of clothes before I get to my cube because I'm icky. There's really not any place to do that here, except the handicapped stall, since I'm not a contortionist and don't want to drop my clothes in the toilet. And there's only one real handicapped stall in the building, where probably at least 300 women work. I can bring a towel and some wet wipes, but I still feel icky. Trust me, I've suggested small locker rooms more than once. I think we are all aware that business really runs this country... they're the only ones political leaders listen to. It has to start with businesses making it just a little easier for people to bike to work, even if it's just making a dedicated changing room for each gender. Until business really looks at it and sees the benefits, I don't see government being all that concerned.
I think there is value in counting rides that aren't to work. Riding your bike for errands produces the same CO2 and dollar savings as commuting. Anytime you ride rather than drive, you're saving. I think that should be counted. And maybe some people are just using this as motivation to get healthier and lose weight. If they are, good for them! Perhaps they should make some kind of other challenge for that. But I think you have to start somewhere. I think your points are valid, but I think this is a good place to start.
Michael on a Bicycle, while I totally agree with what you think the Challenge should be promoting, I disagree with your statement: I think that the Challenge actually IS promoting bike commuting much more than recreational riding. Just look for example at how the points are counted for the leaderboards etc: 20 points per day ridden vs only one point per mile ridden. In other words, if you ride 2 miles back and forth every day to get to work like I do, you get (2x2x5)+(20x5)=120 points. If you don't bike commute, to earn as many points, you'd have to either ride a century on a weekend day (100+20) or 40 miles two days (40x2)+(20x2). Not flaming here, just pointing out that the way the Challenge has been set up most definitely already has a very pro-commuter "bias" (which I am ok with)
Anyone know how to get my miles and points to actually appear? I've logged in numerous trips and my mileage and it still shows I have zero points.
Michael - I totally get what you are saying. To me, however, one of the great things about the bike challenge is that it doesn't matter why you ride. As my colleague Tim Blumenthal says, when people ride bikes, great things happen. And I think its important that we don't segment ourselves so much - we are all in this together! From a practical standpoint, the challenge does try to address that balance issue by assigning 20 points per day just for riding, regardles of distance or purpose. Hopefully that provides some incentive to the regular, everyday rain and shine riders who don't put in a bunch of miles on the weekend...if it's nice weather.
As for Heather, who is inspiring us all, my hope is that the challenge is working well for her: she can track her miles and only she knows just what is an accomplishment for her. It sure sounds like she is challenging herself each day/week, and that's fantastic. It's fun to see who is riding the furthest...I think of it as who has the most time on their hands!...but I think for me and a lot of people the challenge is personal or about a rivalry with people/teams/workplaces you know.
I'm probably going to be flamed but I'm going to speak my mind, perhaps others feel the same…
This challenge is missing the mark from my standpoint.
My standpoint is as someone who has committed to making a difference for cyclists and has been cyclommuting in the Tampa Bay area for the last 4+ years amassing over 12,200 miles. Over this time the number of "roadies" cyclommuting has stayed consistent while many more of the working poor have joined the ranks. This shouldn't be a revelation, as gas prices raise more and more poor are forced leave their cars and cyclommute instead. If you work for minimum wage, higher weekly gas bills may become out of reach.
Surprisingly (or not) over the last couple of years Tampa Bay car vs. bicycle injuries/fatalities have stopped their many year (decades?) decline and are increasing rapidly, leading the Country as one of the most dangerous areas to ride. Since January there have been 7 deaths just in Hillsborough County, one of several Counties making up the Tampa Bay Area. At the same time funding for bicycle facilities are under attack in the United States Congress.
The National Bike Challenge is important to show legislators that cycling is an important mix in transportation for this country. As impressive as the Challenge's mileage is, if we expect anything to change because of recreational riders we are kidding ourselves. No one can argue CO2 savings when exercising on a bike. CO2 savings can only come from a conscience decision to ride, walk or use public transportation instead of driving.
This challenge should go out of its way to promote and show the impact of riding and walking as alternative transportation! Focusing on just the riders with the highest mileage misses the point, isn't necessarily news worthy and will not lead to a long term solution.
Showing savings in dollars and CO2 via cycling as an alternative to getting in a motorized vehicle is important to show legislators that we (American Citizens) are searching for other commuting options. I have nothing against recreational riders but Instead of focusing on retirees for spending their days on a bicycle; more focus should be placed on riders like Matt Smith who's lost 17 lbs and Heather April who was inspired by this Challenge to try cyclommuting over the week instead of using her car! In my book, her 23 miles are more important than 700+ miles of recreational riding.
Legislators should understand that there are other ways to improve the commuting quality of Americans than more drilling. I'm in a cycling club with over 260 members of which probably less than ten cyclommute even a couple times a week! These riders put upwards to 200 miles on their bikes during weekends and evenings… Why don't they Cyclommute? For most I've spoken to, it's perceived as too dangerous. Perhaps, instead of treating the weakest of the road users as a problem, Government should work with local Bike Clubs to figure out how to improve facilities for cyclists and get more cyclommuting.
If you want this challenge to have a long lasting impact, cut back on your weekend mileage and cyclommute to work!
Has anyone heard anymore about the bike accident in the duathlon in Neenah? I still haven't heard anything about who it was or what happened. I still think it may be my dentist, Brandon Roth, or his wife Jessica or both because they only have a time through transition 1 and that's it. Neither one of them finished the bike leg nor the last 2 mile run. I was expecting to see something in the Post Crescent today because they usually have something in the paper about the duathlon and they announce the overall winner and include the results. But there is nothing in the paper today about it at all. I didn't ride to work today because the forecast called for more showers and thunderstorms this morning from 3 am until 11 am this morning and the last thing I wanted was to ride in another storm and get soaked. I am still drying out and recovery from yesterday. My bike and running shoes are still soaking wet and my biking rain jacket is damp. Although there hasn't been any rain yet, it sure looks like it could rain and storm at any time. It is very damp again today with all the standing water and the ground is really saturated with water and muddy. There is suppose to be even more rain tomorrow prompting more flood warnings with many rivers in the area expected to be at flood stage today and peak by tomorrow morning before receding. Most park fields in the Valley have been closed to all athletic events due to flooding, water, and very wet and satuated ground conditions.
Way to go Matt! That's a real success story. Good Job
Have also had to change all my mountain bike miles to sport. Never logs mountain bike miles.
Finally got some riding in! Got wet and muddy on the Greenbush trails yesterday. A freind and I got out there about 1pm yesterday and had the place to ourselves. Had to take it easy in parts(wet slippery rocks and roots) but had a great time. We were lucky enough to have a couple hours between the rain. Those trails are great.
Lost over 17lbs in the past month and a half now by commuting a minimum of 4 days a week. Haven't missed a day commuting since the beginning of the month! Loving this life!
Happy week Heather and everyone!!
Question on the point totals. You get 20 pts/day if you cycle-transport, cycle-sport, or mountain bike for any distance plus one point/mile, correct? Are day periods tracked per your zip code or 24 hrs since your last ride. If there is a discrepancy on points who do you contact?
Well made the mistake of taking the entire weekend off from riding. Not only am I behind in points but I felt it this morning. A ride that usually takes me about 45 mins, took close to an hour. From now on only shorter ride days.
@Michael. Thanks, I am pushing forward. I logged a commute I did yesterday because I won't be in on Friday. I have a meeting an hour or so north so I'll have to drive that day. Happy week two everyone!
Regarding the logging issue... Has anyone been considering Time zone differences? I'm not seeing a problem but that's the first place I'd look!
Converted all my placeholders to uploaded routes. (I only upload from work, my PC is down, but given a choice of a new computer or Tires/Chains/Cassettes/Bearings/ etc... well you get the idea)
Congrats Heather... looks like you're on your second full week of cyclommutes! I believe I have a BPAC meeting on Wednesday so I'll probably only get 4 days.
You all have wonderful day, need to finish drying the bike and get to the showers!
Still not logging mtb miles today had to change to cycle sport
Same problem as you Mark
Biking in AZ is the greatest right now!
Mark, Yes A few of us are having the same problem
Grats @Travis! What an accomplishment!
Why is the software moving all my loggings to the previous day as soon as I hit "log"? It's been doing this since Friday. Anybody else having this problem?
The timing is so dumb on this, It is way to hot here from may to aug and one would die doing this.
So cool that they awarded 'Early Bird' prizes.
Thanks Velma O. looks like ill be wearing long sleeve tomorrow and not doing 50 miles tomorrow either.
Oh man! I wish I wouldv'e won an Early Bird Prize! :-)
Congratulations Travis M.!! So sorry about the burn. :o(
Yes its frustrating
Is anyone else still having problems logging their miles. I just logged mine for today which is Mya 6th, and it went on Yesterday' date
Did my first 50 mile today new personal record. forgot sunscreen and got burned did it all on my mtn bike too.
Well say what you want, but in my locality, bike lanes are much appreciated. Everywhere bike lanes are made I see more bikers.
Pics at the Neenah Duathlon that my wife took today: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/;type=1#!/media/set/?set=a.3255468548895.2131571.1332518363&type=1
She did not get any pics on the bike that were not blurry because she said I was going too fast. I had to go fast because I knew Stephen Powers was not very far behind me and the storms were coming. lol
What a battle for the top spot in the Team category. The top 2 teams, Riders Against Bike Lanes and the Breakfast Club of Sebring are separated by only 3 points at the present time. Good luck to both of them, we've still got a lot of miles to go yet!
@Gregg, Sounds like you got lucky with the weather. Looks like you did a great job - thanks for letting us know. (It always bad when someone gets hurt during these events, us let know if you find out anything. Will be keeping the injured rider in my thoughts.)
I don't ever like riding in rain, not so much because it's not as comfortable, but mostly because the risk of accidents and injury is greatly increased, especially in a race like the duathlon today with the high speeds. The overall winner averaged 26.4 mph and even I was at 21.3. Those are dangerous speeds with skinny tires and no tread when you are riding in rain, wind, and stormy weather conditions like today. That was my biggest concern today, but since I was in an early wave, I did not have a lot of other bikes around me. I hope whoever was hurt is ok, because that could have been any one of us in the duathlon. It was dangerous and doubly so with the later waves.
Beautiful, sunny riding weather in Vermont this weekend!
Rolled by the Paper Du accident as the first police squad was arriving...lots of people surrounding the rider plus a car stopped to provide more blocking...good things, as nobody (yet?) was making it their mission to warn oncoming riders of what was going on and at least wave us further to the right or give the universal "slow down". Hope it doesn't end up being too serious or your dentist, Gregg.
Wave 10 here. Felt a drop or two after 5mi or so but it didn't really open up and get soggy until somewhere between 10-15mi for me...with the crosswinds on the northeast-bound return trip my left shoe was positively drowning from the road spray. Slingshot passes were inadvisable due to the spray as well. 11th OA 1st in AG, but the latter only because the going-away AG star pulled up lame inside the last half mile. Get Well Corey (if you're listening)...it's not supposed to go down this way.
Greater St. L area, second ride today, mostly flat terrain. Considerably hotter than earlier, 90+. Most of it was on a bike path in a park. About 8 other riders spotted (I wasn't really counting this time). But yay for the guy with his kids on bikes! Take it easy in the heat people. Drink appropriate liquids: water + electrolytes.
To Mike H, I love Lincoln!
Hello Gregg! Thanks for sharing the milestones of your event. I'm so sorry about that person's accident, I hope they're ok. Congratulations on your placement today!! I'm really enjoying the cycling challenge!! :o)
@Christopher. I'm sure we will get 50,000 riders here to join, but just joining doesn't help us reach 10 million miles. If you look at the leadeboard over 18,000 riders have joined, but less than half of those riders have done any riding. The good news is that over 5,000 riders have already reached bromze level. But, we have to increase our average daily miles because we won't make 10 million miles at our current daily rate. But I believe our daily current mileage will substantially increase in the summer with warmer and HOPEFULLY drier conditions. At the moment many big riding localities in Wisconsin are not riding, but are floating away in floods and this is a biking challenge, not a swimming or canoe challenge. Right now a canoe is a better means of transport than a bike. lol
Did The Neenah Paper Duathlon today. Started in last wave so by the time we started it was already raining. So be it . I feel that I did good considering i can not run for crud. It was a fun day even with the rain. Got held up at one point because ambulance had to pick up a fallen rider then a little later got held up by a train. still finished in under 2 hours so im happy.
Hope your dentist is ok. I've been caught by a train on GG before. I've often wondered if that would ever happen during the duathlon. How annoying that must be. Congrats to all the finishers today.
We had a duathlon this morning at 7:30 am in Neenah, Wisconsin with over 600 participants. The distance was a 2 mile run, 19 mile flat bike course, and another 2 mile run. It was a very cold (50 degrees) wet, stormy duathlon and at least 1 serious bike accident who was carried away by ambulance. I hope it was not my dentist, Brandon Roth, because I didn't see him come back and his name wasn't on the sheet of the first 175 finishers and he usually does really great.
I and those in earlier waves definitely had an advantage. For me in wave 2 it was dry on the 1st 2 mile run and had dry roads on the bike course to about mile 9 and then the rain came and conditions rapidly deteriated after that as rain and winds picked up with thunderstorms moving in. It was tough on County GG and A with the rain and winds picking up, but I pedaled as fast as I could to beat the storm. When I got back to transition, my running shoes were soaked, so I took my wet bike shoes and soggy socks off and slipped into my wet running shoes barefoot. My wave's bike racks were on the paved walking path, so that was really nice for us. But everyone else's bike was on the wet, flooded, soggy, and muddy grass. I did really great because I finished before it got real nasty. I finished 5th in my age division and was just a couple minutes behind from receiving an award in my age division. My 2nd 2 mile run was about 2 minutes longer than the 1st 2 mile run, so I got to work on keeping my endurance and pace up in the 2nd run and also need to shave some seconds off in my transition time and I also need to win the new $3,200 bike this summer in the National Bike Challlenge and put aero bars on it lol and then next year I will win an award. :) I did very well this year and my total time for the whole duathlon was only 1:26.34.3. and placed 64 overall. I just beat another Neenah guy by 11 seconds who finished 65. I did cross the finish line before 9 am, but the rain came early. :( Steven Powers from Kimberly Clark in the challenge here was also in my wave and I passed him on the 1st run and he never caught up to me, but he did great, too, and finished only a few minutes after me.
I am very worried about my dentist, Brandon Roth. He was not on the sheet for the first 175 finishers and I didn't see him get back at all and he usually does very well. He was in a later wave and some guys said there was a bike accident and the guy was taken to the hospital by ambulance. I hope it was not him. The bike accident caused a delay for some in the duathlon and some riders also got caught by a train on GG. After I finished the race, the weather really got nasty with bad thundersrtorms, lightning, wind, and heavy downpours. We have another flood warning for the Fox River and more rain is on the way for tomorrow and Tuesday before it is suppose to dry out on Wednesday. We badly need to dry out because after having a very dry winter with little snow and a dry warm spring, we are drowning in water. This is really detering Wisconsin riders from going out and riding and it's really hurting Wisconsin in the challenge right now. But we will come back strong, once we dry out, so watch out. :)
@kristin, I love the early morning rides, been fortunate enough to see deer that last 4 days - not to mention a bobcat, fox, and too many smaller critters to mention. Also got to watch a beautiful full moon set this morning followed shortly thereafter by an even more beautiful sunrise. Makes getting up early well worth the effort.
Paper Discovery Duathlon Report and Results:
It was a very wet duathlon and at least 1 serious bike accident who was carried away by ambulance and I hope it was not my dentist, Brandon Roth, because I didn't see him come back at all and wasn't on the sheet of the first 175 finishers and he usually does really great.
I and those in earlier waves definitely had an advantage in the duathlon this morning. For me in wave 2 it was dry on the 1st 2 mile run and had dry roads on the bike course to about mile 9 and then the rain came and conditions rapidly deteriated after that as rain and winds picked up with thunderstorms moving in. It was tough on GG and A with the rain and winds picking up, but I pedaled as fast as I could to beat the storm. When I got back to transition, my running shoes were soaked, so I took my wet bike shoes and soggy socks off and slipped into my wet running shoes barefoot. My wave's bike racks were on the paved walking path, so that was really nice for us. But everyone else's bike was on the wet, soggy, and muddy grass. I did really great because I finished before it got real nasty. I finished 5th in my age division and was just a couple minutes behind from receiving an award in my age division. My 2nd run was about 2 minutes longer than the 1st run, so I got to work on keeping my endurance and pace up in the 2nd run and also need to shave some seconds off in my transition time and I also need to win the new $3,200 bike this summer in the National Bike Challlenge and put aero bars on it lol and then next year I will win an award. :) I did very well this year and my total time for the whole duathlon was only 1:26.34.3. and placed 64 overall. I just beat another Neenah guy by 11 seconds who finished 65. I did cross the finish line before 9 am, but the rain came early. :( Steven Powers from Kimberly Clark in the challenge here was in my wave and I passed him on the 1st run and he never caught up to me, but he did great, too, and finished only a few minutes after me.
I am very worried about my dentist, Brandon Roth. He was not on the sheet for the first 175 finishers and I didn't see him get back at all and he usually does very well. He was in a later wave and some guys said someone wiped out on the bike course and was hauled away in an ambulance. I hope it was not him. The bike accident caused a delay for some riders and some riders also got caught by a train on GG. After I finished the race, the weather really got nasty with bad thundersrtorms, lightning, wind, and heavy downpours. There is a flood warning for the Fox River and more rain is on the way for tomorrow and Tuesday before it dries out on Wednesday. We badly need to dry out because this is really detering riders from going out and riding and it's really hurting Wisconsin in the challenge right now. But we will come back strong, once we dry out.
@Kevin, Glad you were able to go with your friend for his first century. I've always enjoyed being with someone when they ride their first century, that is a major accomplishment in anyone's life.
Had a great ride this morning in Knoxville TN....38 miles and perfect weather. Metric Century next weekend for the Tour De Blount. Good luck everyone and keep the rubber on the pavement ;-)
Morning ride in Greater St. Louis area, 26+ miles. Spotted 60+ other riders (I think 66, but one group was 30+, hard to count them all at once). Good to get out before the heat. Way to roll everybody!!!!
Beautiful morning ride at Rillito Park. I saw a Coyote, 3 Bunnys and all sorts of birds. Very noisy for early morning!
100.2 yesterday. Went with a friend who wanted to do his first century ride on his 50th birthday. Perfect weather. Rare day in central Illinois with no wind..... yes, no wind. Was a great day and a great ride.
@Ernest - hope you heal up soon. Have a good week.
Gregg,
Have a great race today!
The whole northwest part of the state is in green and yellow right now and ocassional rain and storms is expected by 9 am. I should be finshed by then, but it is moving in this direction.
10 million miles sounds like a ton of riding until you do the math. 50,000 riders signed up is only 200 miles each rider for these 4 months - which further breaks down to 50 miles each month per rider.. That sould be an easy mark to reach... Heck, my goal is over 1200+ miles for these 4 months myself. Summer heat be damned! Here I come fluids loaded for bear and ready to burn rubber. :)
So a few days back i had a spill on my bike. I somehow allowed my handle bars to gut check me. Ouch is the least I said. Honestly, I was upset with myself due to the injury.
So with one day of recovery, I'm out in this humid 90 day/85 evening weather. It's actually perfect "summer" weather for Houston, TX. This is my first year cycling,in any level. I made this change for my health and I needed a hobby. Now,I bike to work every day.
Just wanted to share a Thank You. Endomondo, all those behind this challenge and the posts from You, this community, adds just the right amount of encouragement, knowledge and competitiveness to keep me on board! Keep posting and most important, keep cycling!
Thanks. :)
Ride safe you'all!
Good luck, Gregg!
During a slow-poke ride today, I checked out work that Fayetteville, Ark., is doing on its latest bicycle trail, the Meadow Valley Trail, which when finished will run from the existing Scull Creek Trail west underneath Garland Avenue (Highway 112), through the University of Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station and then connect to the bicycle lanes on Mount Comfort Road, Temperatures were in the 90s but still a nice ride before the full moon crept out at perigee.
Duathlon tomorrow at 7:30 am. My bib number is 97, so I will be in the 2nd wave starting at 7:31. There will be at least 12 waves this year with around 600 participants. Chance of rain and thunderstorms, so could be a very wet run and ride. :( Winds will be ESE at 12 mph.
Hi everyone! Glad to see so many other riders jumping on board with the challenge. I took today off to rest but I will be back to commutting tomorrow. Gotta give a shout out to all of you that log 20+ hours a day - you are a real inspiration. Next week is going to be a bigger challenge for me because I have several work comittments that I can't cycle to so I'll have to work in some sport rides on the side. Have a great weekend!
My miles, logged today for a ride today, come up as happening yesterday. This happened to someone else who posted a few days ago. Is it fixed? (My ride was great. My wife and I rode from Oregon, IL, to Mount Morris, IL, and back through the amazingly beautiful and fertile rolling farm country around here. Country smells both sweet and not so sweet, perfect temp (65-ish).)
Rain seems to be targeting Wisconsin cyclists this season with the unswerving accuracy of cigarette smoke locating nonsmokers. Being discomfited by a rising return to previously vanquished tendency to avoid rain, I prepared for a trip to town against a determined drizzle. Contact lenses; sockless (having found basic wet feet preferable to sodden socks); recently ripped turquoise plastic poncho mended with festive slash of peppermint-striped duct tape…with red piping on thrift shop nylon Nike “wind pants” echoing that attractive fashion accent (-;. By the time I finished donning this fetching ensemble the rain had stopped. It didn’t return until the last quarter mile of my trip home…thus providing unfortunate inappropriate positive reinforcement for my initial procrastination. Though the sun only appeared as a brighter orb of cloudiness, it softened the air and cast a brief bike shadow on the road along what turned out to be a very enjoyable ride. No matter….forecast assures me of another opportunity to test my rainy day resolve tomorrow. Cheers to Gregg and all others rolling through yet another wet Midwestern weekend. (-;
thanks for the continuous updatesfrom the Paper Du race site Gregg Warning, here's hoping things stay rain and bug free for us.
Finally got my broken toe back into a clip shoe!
Chris - I put an alarm clock on the bicycle... That way when I wake up I have to go and see the bike before I get back to sleep. This always shames me into a ride.
HTH,
Jay
Aside from a sharp jolt of caffine, how does anybody here get motivation for a morning ride when you get off work at 1am and are planning a ride some 4 hours later...?
I wanted to but just couldn't muster enough gumption to get up for a morning ride so I just got an intense interval workout done on my stationary bike.
overcast and about 65 degrees in Northern Illinois. Perfect weather for a ride... :)
@ E M Matteson...THANK YOU for the shout out to Lincoln, NE
9°C Overcast and showers in the UK today , frost tonight only insulation we'll need will be to keep warm !!
95 in Austin today. it's official, insulated bottles for the rest of the summer.
And a thank you goes out to the idiot at Lake Travis who right hooked me at 40mph on 620. Fortunately my trust Madone knew what to do.
I saw a cool biodiesel bus in Lincoln, NE yesterday. It had a bike rack on the front. Today was a new record for my regular ride in the greater St. Louis area: I counted 80+ cyclists out riding (some groups were too large for me to count everybody) but everybody counts. So get out and ride!!!!
I'm not competitive. I've never been competitive. I have no interest whatsoever in racing. Wait... is racing what I'm doing?
There's more rain coming this afternoon in the Fox Valley and also tomorrow after 9 am and also on Monday, so the flood warning for the Fox River has been extended to Monday. The duathlon tomorrow starts at 7:30 am and I should be in an early wave and crossing the finish line tomorrow before 9 am, so hopefully the whole race will be dry for me. I don't want to wipe out on wet roads, but lately I have had a lot of experience on wet roads and my bike rides very well in wet conditions.
I just joined and haven't yet tried logging but I wonder if there is a time zone problem. Glogalization, don't you know?
I'm having the same problem as others logging miles. Trying logging for today and they go on yesterdays totals. Log them for tomorrow and they show up on todays totals.
Over 18,000 riders now!
Combined we are doing about 50,000 miles per day. In order to reach 10 million miles, we will need to do more than that. But with warmer weather and summer coming and more riders joining every day, I believe it won't be long and we will be up to 100,000 miles per day.
Best of the best for you tomorrow Gregg!!
A Question from Ohio: Hey Byan--encountered a glitch with endomondo--for some statistics it's cutting my miles in half. Any idea what I did wrong? Tried the help feature and got nowhere. Please respond asap: [email protected]. Thanks!
off the heart monitor today and still feel bad but I at least got a mile in for the day on my station bike.
I had problems getting todays miles to stay on today. It went on yesterdays instead. I found that if I put the miles on for tomorrow, it stayed in today's slot. Weird, but it worked.
I'm trying to manually log my miles for today, and it keeps posting them to yesterday (May 3). What's up with that? (I've been trying in vain to report this problem directly to Endomondo, but their feedback mechanisms aren't working either.)
Nyla, I agree with you. Whether you are a seasoned veteran or just getting up and riding for the first time again since you were a kid, it's great to see so many of you enjoy riding a bicycle. I enjoy reading about everyone's rides and adventures because this is FUN
I'm having problems logging miles too. Pedaled my @!$%^ all week and the program used to track miles is giving goofy figures.
I'll just "keep riding" and keep track on my own and try the program later.
I think we are making up for all the lack of precipitation we had this past winter--at least we don't have to shovel it.
There is a lot of water in the upper Fox, coming your way.
I seem to be having problems logging miles. Noting sticks for daily miles today.My weekly miles changed,not sure it's acurate.
More rain is on the way for tomorrow. There is a Fox River Flood Warning from 1 am Saturdtay until 7 am Sunday. There is also a chance of rain and thunderstorms Sunday morning. Hopefully, the rain will hold off until after the duathlon.
Burklee,
There are clearly some elite athletes in this challenge, and no doubt many dazzling bikes as well, but the centerpiece of this event is People Choosing To Pedal. Regardless of age, experience, equipment, fitness level, distances traveled, or individual riding inclinations, we are All in that class together. One of my favorite things about bicycling is how accessible it is. There are all sorts of fascinating, enticing, pricey, high-tech enhancements available to refine the experience, but none are essential. Most of my miles happen on the bike I received for my 17th birthday… in 1972! It still rolls very nicely (-; Bicycling is excellent exercise, saves money on gas, and is ecologically responsible, but first and foremost it is simply FUN. Splendid views are available from any bike, along with the pure wind-in-your face exhilaration of a great downhill glide. I appreciate and benefit from the wealth of experience and information other participants have to share, but I believe the most valuable offerings from this splendid cycling community come in the form of encouragement, support and inspiration. Today, in that regard, YOU join the head of our class. Thanks for sharing your enthusiasm and spirit (-:!
7 weeks ago, I started a year-long commitment to commute by bike (24 mile round-trip) 3-4 times a week and bike to all personal errands within two miles. Almost 700 miles later, it's been great and I've been genuinely surprised by how courteous (most) drivers have been! I hope this challenge inspires others to discover the joys of commuting as well!
I went for a ride with my youngest son and his friend around our neighborhood. My son just recently discovered the joys of riding. They hung with me for 5 miles then I dropped them off at home and went for 10 more miles before dinner.
Appleton riders, getting ready to head down to City Park shortly for the Moonlight ride. We'll start at 9, very easy pace to check out Appleton's new bike lanes and bike routes - total of about 4 miles. http://www.facebook.com/events/263777990381985/
You know, I completely forgot it was National Bike Month. I've been riding with wings all week and I couldn't figure out why. It must be that I'm in good company.
yay, 4 days straight cyclommuting, first time at this gig... (But my legs are fried)
Have a good weekend all, I'm just going to do minor spinning and recover. (And hit my "honey-do" list)
@Cora - Tim repairs bikes and is also an Appleton firefighter and he may be able to help. Very reasonable. http://www.affordablebikerepair.com/
@Cora - I checked out Tim's site and this is what it might cost you - Replace a shift or brake cable, $6-8 labor and $2-$4 for the cable.
Booo! MTB miles are not counted?
Cora, one of the best places to go for on line repair help for the DIYer is Park Tools. Give it a try and then if you can't fix it yourself take it in. Is there exposed Inner (shiney) cable between the shifter & derailler. If so pull on it and see if the derailler moves(if you're not already on the big ring).
Cora is the cable loose? When you click the the shifter move in/out. I had similar issue and the nut/screw that held the cable tight loosened up and it wouldn't move the shifter.
Great story Heather!
@Heather - Way to go!!
I'm thinking of putting tire liners in our tires. I have a Slime tube on my back wheel & a regular tube (I think) on the front. We're usually just on the street or paved or crushed limestone trails. I have a Roadmaster that I bought at Wal-Mart 5 years ago... I know, I know, but I bought it with my own money, it made me feel good to do that, and it gets me where I'm going just fine. It doesn't put me in the same class as the other riders here, but I am loving this challenge! Should be sunny and warm here tomorrow, so I'll probably drag my sweetie out for a ride. Have a great weekend, everybody!
Can anyone keep up with Leonard Wright? That was the question at the end of the pre-season for the National Bike Challenge. Read more on Week 1 at http://blog.bikeleague.org/blog/2012/05/week-1-recap-whos-leading-in-the-national-bike-challenge/
Friday afternoon commute was short. Annoyed by rude and inconsiderate drivers-
Apparently one foot or five seconds respect is too much to ask. On the plus side, I wrapped the week at 28 miles and that's a record for me.
@Gary - It seems to be a lack of communication between the shifter and the derailer. When you turn it to switch gears, absolutely nothing happens.
The gears on the wheel are shifting fine, it is only the 3 on the pedals that don't shift.
@Leonard - It's not the weight that's my problem, I agree, my own weight varies each week more than the tire/tube weight. The problem I have is it's rotational weight. While riding in groups it will take more effort to spin up and match accelerations. In some of the groups I ride with that could be enough to get you dropped. On commutes, I've been guilty of treating them like time trials, and I definitely feel the difference in my legs after the many signals on my cyclommutes (something over 25). That's why I like the Conti GP 4000, it's very puncture proof but lighter than thorn resistant tires.
I've cyclommuted in Tallahassee and Fort Myers as well as Tampa Bay, they are smaller communities and didn't cause nearly as much puncture problems as in Tampa Bay. In those areas I had similar a experience as you with longevity and punctures.
@Gregg, I ride a 2011 Trek Madone designed for road racing (I don't race, I just ride). I use Kevlar lined tires (700-23c) with OVERSIZE (28/32) thorn resistant tubes. The combination is heavier than most but since I don't race the weight penalty is worth it. I had 2 flats one morning while riding in a swampy area (read a LOT of BIG mosquitoes) and told myself NEVER AGAIN!!! Went to the new tire/tube combination and have had very few problems - just looked, 1 flat in 26 months. Inch long sheet metal screw in an aluminum strip, took a screwdriver to get it out. The Kevlar stops a lot of punctures, the heavy tubes can handle most things that get past the Kevlar. For me, going for years without a flat is worth the extra weight (my body weight varies more each week than the tire/tubes weigh).
Otherwise, use Wheel & Sprocket - the big one on College and 441 - mention Rob's name or mine - they have some ex-K-C folks there, and we know the manager pretty well.
@ Kiel I'll have to try that.
@Kiel - Neat tip, I'll have to try that sometime! These days most gas stations have the pay Air-Pumps that don't hit the pressure that tire repair shops use. In the old days most gas stations used the same large compressor units and could pop a tube in under 8 secs. I'm not sure if the new pay air-pumps could even reach 70 psi and probably won't be able to pop bicycle tube.
@ Leonard It was a sharp piece of glass that put a little pin hole in the tube. My bike is not really a road bike or commuter. It's a racing bike, but besides racing, I use it as a road bike for commuting and touring, etc.. But the structure of the bike is really meant for racing.
@Gregg, here's a tip: you can cut the top off of the presta valve cap, flip it around, and put it over the presta valve (open) and it will pump like a Schrader.
@Gregg Flat tires??? Why??? 3,500 miles on a tire??? NO!! NO!! NO!! I haven't had a flat in almost a year (at least not until tomorrow now that I've opened my big mouth). I typically get 16,000+ miles with my front tire and 6-7,000 miles from the rear. Once went over 35,000 miles WITHOUT A FLAT. Cyclists worry to much about a few ounces here and there (if you're really worried about weight, go on a diet - much more effective than using "light weight" tires.....). My tires and tubes do weigh more than most but I am willing to take the penalty of a few extra ounces to get 16,000+ miles from a tire and be able to go for a year or more without a flat (typical year being 20,000+ miles).
@Heather, I think you only need to acheive 500pts once to be in the gold drawing for each monrth. Not that you should start slcking once you have hit that mark!
You guys are sharp. I made notes. btw, just had a look at the prize list. I need to try for 500 points every month. :)
Can anyone recommend a bike repair shop in the Fox Cities with reasonable rates? My gear shift is broken, so I can only use 7 of 21 gears. I don't know what's wrong or how to figure that out, or I'd fix it myself.
@Cora - maybe we can help you diagnose here online. You can only use one of the three front sprockets on the pedal crank? Does it feel like the shifter on the handlebar is messed up or the derailleur near the sprockets?
Good day riding in Wausau. I headed east on the way out and the tail wind made getting back a "breeze".
For presta valves I would recommend keeping adaptor on both valves because I only had 1 and it cracked and broke in half. UPS had air compressor, but I didn't have another adaptor with me, but Bergstrom was so kind to me and took me to Wheel N Sprocket.
PDX riders - join the Fun Between Your Legs @ PDX team
@Burklee - Thanks for remembering the tire levers!
One other important item not mentioned... When removing the tube, track where the hole is located in relation to the tire. You'll want to check the tire at that section for debris, otherwise you could end up with another flat from whatever caused the first. If you forgot or couldn't carefully remove the tube to track the position, you'll want to check the whole tire.
The debris can be a tire cord so be careful when rubbing your fingers along the inside of the tire. Some riders I know use some tissue paper and look for a paper snag. My last several flats were caused by these tiny slivers of "wire" so I also carry a pair of tweezers to pull the cords out of the tire.
I did like my Continental Grand Prix 4000's for lightweight, durability and speed, but they are very expensive. I only had 1 flat with them until the last week when I replaced them and had 2 flats in 1 week. I knew I rode them past life. I rode about 3,500 miles on them and they had some cuts in them. I probably could have gotten a little more mileage, if I had rotated them. I now have Vittoria and they were not as expensive and give me a softer more comfortable ride over bumps and rough roads. But they are a little heavier and therefore I lose a little speed, but isn't too noticeable. Because my bike is older, most bike shops don't have my size in stock (700x20c, so I usually get them online. But Wheel & Sprocket said the 23c will fit , too, which is what I bought from them, but I prefer having the 20c, since I get more speed with them.
Why can those of us outide the big cities not see the stats for the big cities? I don't know if my town is really the highest ranked community in Georgia or not because I can't see the Atlanta area stats.
@Michael. Good list for what to carry. If you use presta valves, put an adapter on one wheel and leave it there just in case. That way you can always use a gas station pump if needed.
I had the nice NE tail wind on my ride to work this morning and got there 8 minutes earlier than I normally do, but took me 8 minutes longer coming home and wish I had packed my thermal long bike pants. That NE head wind was cold.
@Charlie Enjoy your century ride on Sunday. I am doing a century Backdraft Tour hosted by the Neenah/Menasha Fire Rescue on June 10. They actually are offering mileage rides for all levels (16,30, 50, 75, and 100).
@Heather: No worries, changing a tire is really quite easy. That was the first thing I learned to do at the Lincoln Bike Kitchen. Our boy didn't have a bike. We heard that by volunteering there he could get one. The 1st thing Pepe set us doing was taking tires off of rims. You need a couple good tire levers. I like Pedros the best (about $3.50/pair), though other, better riders may differ on that. If you patch, smear the glue on good, wait for it to get cloudy, peel any backing off the patch, put it on, then rub it for good contact. If you replace, air the tube a bit, put it inside the tire first, then put the tire onto the rim. Make sure the valve stem is sticking straight out the rim hole so the rim doesn't cut into the stem. Put the wheel back on the bike before you air it up all the way or else you may not be able to get the tire between your brake pads. (That one I learned by trial & error.) If it's your back tire, make sure you get the chain back on the correct ring. Then air it up and ride! (If any of that sounds wrong or incomplete to anyone, feel free to correct me.) I am loving this challenge and reading the comments on the site. Nebraska is doing a lot better than I thought we would. Yea!
Thanks @Rob "el embajador" Gusky, I use Continental 4000 which are dependable and light for road bikes. I've gotten as much as 8000 miles on them. However I've had problems with their 4000S, supposedly the next step but I've had many blowouts with them!
Glad you mentioned it for @Heather for the next time she needs tires, or has a rash of flats.
Thanks! The best way to avoid a flat is to keep your tires inflated properly. Too soft and you can get "pinch flats" which is when you hit a bump and tube compresses between the ground and rims, it can cause two holes that look like a snake bite. Too hard and a minor puncture can cause a major blowout. For example, it can cause the tire to blow out of the rim and cause the bike to STOP SHORT (possibly throwing you over the handlebars) when that section hits the brake!
That was more depressing than I meant it to be... just check your pressure every couple of days and SQUEEZE them before each ride. I've gotten slow leaks that get me to work without realizing it but are dangerously low when leaving work. Squeezing them will catch it and allow you to fix in the comfort of work, much nicer than the side of the road.
Lastly, keep extra tubes and floor pump at work. My backpack also has extra tubes and patch kits and I use a "frame" pump (it mounts to the frame) so I'm always prepared.
Have a great Friday!
@Heather and Michael - Since I bought some bombproof tires 2 years ago (in my case Schwalbe Marathon Plus) flats have been a thing of the past. Looks like I may have 1 more year of life left on these and I put about 3000 miles/year on these.
oh no, but I worry. I figure the longer and more I ride, the bigger the chances I will have one are. Oh no! But, your top ten on my friends list ;) Your entries are always impressive. I noticed the stats were messed up too. Perhaps as the challenge goes on they will work it out. Have a great day!
Did you have a flat?
Thanks Michael. Oh, I found a non-competitive ladies cycling group locally yesterday and they ride once a week. Going to check that out! Next on my agenda-learning how to deal with flats.
I didn't make it into the top 10 this morning for the first time... :(
However after looking at the top 2 there is junk and fooling around out there! I expect that Endomondo will eliminate duplicate auto entries... but how would they know which were real? For example, @Trek China has 12 entries for yesterday all the same at the same time... The second place rider rode across the Atlantic yesterday.
The Endomondo team certainly has their work cut out trying to keep this Challenge fair!
Oh well, I do it for enjoyment, I shouldn't forget that... off to the showers!
Yea @Heather, 4th day in a row! Great job!
I'd rather ride in the rain than the wind. Yesterday's warm rain was refreshing.
Bought a new bike and excited to ride a lot this summer. thanks for this program.
Jay C
I think today's headwind was worse than yesterday's heavy rain. At least if it holds I'll have nice tail wind on the way home from work.
@Riaan, You can still participate in the challenge. You just won't be eligible for prizes. There are several on the leaderboard that are not in the US. Use it for motivation to get out and RIDE!!! enjoy!
Someone plese kick me off this challenge - I misread some parts, I'm not in the states :)
I'm was confused. How is it that Vermont is in the State lead, while 6 of the top 10 communities (including the top 3) are in Wisconsin vs. Vermonts 1. I didn't know quite how they are working the stats... I took a look at the math, and apparently the real thing that Vermont leads Wisconsin in is the percentage of the state population that is participating currently (.12% vs .07%) The stats are based on how much riding is done vs the entire state population. On a per rider basis WI actually put on 11 miles to VTs 7.3. Whats that mean? Well, WI, get your friends to ride, or put on 2x the miles of VT per rider instead of only 1.5x that youre doing now. We might as well beat them across the board! Mwahahaaa! Seriously though - gratz to VT for getting such a good rider turnout.
Thanks Rob. I'm riding with fellow employees from the cities that I only met through this challenge. Pretty cool.
Charlie - I'm with you. It will be interesting to see how many people are registered for the Wisconsin Challenge by the end of the month. Good luck with the century on Sunday!
Relative to Vermont, steady wins the race. This is not a sprint. We had a day of rain. It rains some days in Vermont too. We just need to keep rolling. There are many riders that have miles to enter, but are not as fanatic about the daily, or should I say hourly scores. Tomorrow is another day. Just enjoy the fact we can ride.
Finishing the Minnesota Ironman Century ride on Sunday is worth 120 points. Anyone else attempting it?
@Heather - Pretty cool I didn't really think it would work! To bad I don't have a smart phone. I don't need another distraction anyway...
Have a good eve!
Well it's based on pts/1K people and they only have like 600K people in Vermont.
Good to be back on the bike after 18 month sabbatical (just lazy)
I don't know what is going on in Vermont, but lets not let Nebraska pass us by!
Good Luck, Gregg!
Way to go Vermont !
Anybody here care that Vermont is ahead, or should we just enjoy the ride...
Let's get up and ride, Wisconsin before the storms come again tonight.. It's beautiful weather right now.
@ Sheri, the weather did turn out great this afternoon. We don't need any more rain tonight, but there is chance of thunderstorms again after 8 pm.
Finishing the duathlon on Sunday will give you 39 points in the bike challenge. :)
Just got back from a bike ride between storms. Felt good!
Is there anyone else planning to do the Paper Discovery Duathlon in Neenah on Sunday? It looks like it is going to be great weather and I think all the lake flies died in the floods. If you don't like running, you can do a relay and have someone else do the running and you do the biking. The cost for relay is $30 each and includes a dri wick shirt and breakfast after the race. If you do the whole event yourself, individual is $50 and also includes dri wick shirt and breakfast. You can register online here: http://www.midwestsportsevents.com/paperdiscovery.html Or you can register at Riverside Park in Neenah on Saturday from 1-5 pm with a course talk at 4 pm. Or you can register before the race on Sunday 5:30-7:15 am. The transition area closes at 7:15 am and race starts with waves of 50 at 7:30 am and a new wave starts in 1 minute intervals. I did it last year and it was really a lot of fun. There are maps of both the run course and bike course online.
@ Jenny, Yes. it was great duck weather this morning. :) One other good thing about the floods this morning is that it drowned ALL the lake flies. I didn't see a single lake fly this afternoon on my ride through Riverside Park. So, I am getting excited now about the Paper Discovery Duathlon on Sunday. 2 mile run, 19.5 mile bike, and 2 mile run. My speeds this year are right up there with the top finishers in my 50-54 age division, so I am hoping to finish with an award this year--pray for NO flats.
@Gregg, my dad had ducks swimming in his back yard today.
Nyla, loving it! I have been enjoying those lilacs, but will be sad when my daughter's birthday rolls around. We always have a vase full of blooms on the table, but they will be long gone by then. Savoring now!!!
Myriad sensations of each season are often discoveries held in a deeper breath. Bonus celebrational fragrance for today’s ride was lilacs blooming weeks ahead of schedule in full giddily, gloriously extravagant abundance. Ride on..inhale deeply……Enjoy! (-:
We Rock , GO VERMONT:-)
Ha! the pep talks are really awesome on the Iphone. Thanks - I needed that. I did a phone interview on bike commuting after work today for our local newspaper and they are taking a picture tomorrow before I ride out the last commute for the week! There is a guy here in town trying to establish bike lanes between major points like the University and Hospital. I hope the interview helps his cause. Great job, everyone!
hey @Brett! As a teenager I was on a volunteer group called the New York City Bike Patrol. We worked with the Police and our bikes were fully equipped with radios, lights, and siren... but we had to pay for the equipment. This got me started on my own repairs since I wasn't comfortable taking this bike to an lbs.
I'm lucky to be good with mechanics but with the internet anyone can perform most of their own routine maintenance. There are several Bike community forums that you can use to research existing postings or ask for help from others.
As an example, I've had a problem over the last couple of days with my front derailleur dropping my chain past the small ring when not being careful. My plan is to go online and re-familiarize myself with its adjustment screws before adjusting the cable. Working methodically is important... in this case, making small changes (a 1/4 turn) at a time and counting the number of turns. This way you can always return the settings to their previous position and start anew.
I never make any changes in a rush or before an important event. After changes I like to take a nice ride to flush out any problems. However, you will make mistakes, that's how you learn! The first time I replaced a brake cable I cut the cable too short. When I realized I needed more clearance for the brake pads the cable was too short to adjust. I Had to throw that cable away and start over. Now I know to screw the barrel out a bit (maybe 10 turns) to provide leeway before tightening and cutting the cable.. That way you can screw the barrel back in for the final adjustment. Experience is the best teacher!
Park Tools has a good book but I normally use the internet since it doesn't become old. Bicycling.com (Bicycling Magazine) also has on-line help.
HTH -michael
Looks like several hours of dry weather now, but chance of thunderstorms again tonight around 8 pm. If we get any more rain, I can have a fish pond in my back yard. I'm happy, though, as long as the sump pump doesn't fail me.
Vermont is pulling way ahead in the challenge.
@Michael on Bicycle,
How did you learn all of your bike fixing skills? Trial and error, good book or are you just a natural mechanic? I have started doing more of the smaller repairs but am still not comfortable doing the larger stuff. Any insights would be appreciated.
I can also lube the chain. haha
I fix my own flats and that's about all I will mechanically do with my bike. I'm horrible in mechanics and it seems like the new bikes today are made in such a way that unless you have specific training and experience with the high tech components that are in these bikes, probably not best for me to tinker around with them. I have ruined a lot of stuff by not leaving it to the professionals.
The only good I can say about the ride to work is that my bike got a good bike wash and washed all the lake flys off. :)
Honestly, I've given up on taking my bike to shops for repairs. I tried several lbs and without exception I had to go back each time for some reason or it wasn't ready when promised. I do my own repairs now and never have problems (I just jinxed myself didn't I?). 2 weeks ago I replaced my bottom bracket on my new Litespeed. It uses a BB30 so I had to buy some new tools but I know everything was done correctly. I know I greased the outer edge enough that it wont 'freeze' to the bike like one original had.
At first it can be nerve racking (our bikes are our babies) but you'll gain confidence quickly with the support you'll find on-line.
My last bike was a Pinarello, I didn't change the headset sealed bearings fast enough (about 10 months) and the outer race had bonded to the aluminum surface in the headset! I tried many solvents to loosen it and took it to several shops. After hearing doubt that it could be removed without damaging the bike I decided to handle myself.
I used a roto-drill to grind away the outside race w/o touching the bike... talk about satisfying!
Within the next month I need to replace all cables... guess who will get that job? :-)
I'm sure there are great wrenches (mechanics) out there, I wish I could find one!
Wheel N Sprocket offers these "free" bike inspections and I've never taken them up on their offer because I'm very mistrustful of things like this. They may not be crooks, but I've had some bad experirence with car repair shops in the past and why I mistrust mechancis like this.
Rather than maintaining a bike, they would much rather sell you a new one. lol
Just like car mechanics, I always wonder sometimes about these bike shop mechanics and if they are always honest and looking out for your good or just telling you false things, causing your bike to be shot, so that they can sell a new bike. :(
Gregg, you can try some Google searches to see what others suggest!
My bike is a Schwinn Paramount. I maybe should not have gone through the water, because according to him, these wheels can not be repacked.
Rode to work this am from Depere to Green Bay . Started out not raining and i was hoping it would hold out but then i felt sprinkles so I stopped put the gear on me and my pannier/trunk bag then it opened up so i stopped at a gas station to wait for the big rain drops to go away. Never seen so much water on the bike trail. Hope it clears up around 4:30 when I go home.
I don't know if what he is telling me is true because I know very little about the mechanics of a bike but he tells me there is no way to get at the bearings in my wheels. So is he giving me wrong information and should I go to a different bike shop? He says there is no way to grease them.
Ernest - Don't dispair, you hopefully you'll feel better tomorrow if not next week! Good luck!
Gregg, keep in mind "sealed" means there are dust covers between the races (over the bearings). The dust cover will NOT keep water out which is why pressure washing or even using a hose with a nozzle around bearings isn't recommended. There are tools to remove the dust covers to re-grease the bearings, some say using precision screwdrivers can remove the plastic dust caps without causing damage. When my wheel bearings got wet, I figured they were safe (per the vendor) but within a couple of weeks the water had rusted bearings and I had to replace the cartridges.
Just my 2 cents,
-michael
@ Bob W - if you do experience any issues, the best way to address this is as follows:
Please go to the thread about the National Bike Challenge https://getsatisfaction.com/endomondo/topics/the_national_bike_challenge_manual at Endomondo Support Forum, where you can see more FAQs or post your own question.
If your issue or feedback needs to be handled by the Endomondo Support team, fill in the form at http://www.endomondo.com/campaign/national/support and make sure you select ‘National Bike Challenge Support’.
@ Ernest Hope you heal fast. That's always been my fear that I will get hurt sometime and not be able to bike.
@ Waddell When was your last mileage entry? Some take longer to update than others. Check back later and they may agree. If they don't, then let Endomondo know.
14 Early Bird Prize winners were selected from those riders who registered before May 1. The Early Bird Prize winners will each take home a coveted National Bike Challenge Commuter Kit, including a National Bike Summit tote bag, a Planet Bike taillight and bell set, a Bikes Belong water bottle, League of American Bicyclist socks, and more. Go to http://www.endomondo.com/campaign/national/winners to find out if you are a lucky winner.
Gregg - In the country, in the middle of no where -- 16 miles N of Marshfield WI. The good news is there is rarely traffic. The downside is the gravel roads are soft, so I have to use my hybrid when I ride around home.
@ Michael I asked Gear N Up if wheel bearings on my bike need to be greased after so many miles and he said "no." He said my wheel bearings are totally factory sealed and you don't ever need to grease them . In fact he says there's no way to grease them because they are factory sealed.
Looks like there are still some points calculation issues. On the local leaderboard my points show up as 116 while everywhere else it is 141.The local board number appears to be wrong.
Gregg, yeah you'll have a lot of people calling you crazy for riding your bike everyday. You get used to it, i haven't driven a car to work for years. It's all bike or walk now. I misjudged my commute today by about 3 blocks. Waited for rain to stop at home, got on my bike and rode to work. It was sprinkling the entire way, but I could see that it was getting dark in the south, and the last 3 blocks was a downpour of all downpours - huge drops of water. I looked like I rode into a lake in that short distance. Guess it's the wrong day to realize that I accidentally packed my rain pants in our storage unit...
Gregg, we get thunderstorms in the summer that can drop many inches of rain in an isolated area within minutes. I've had to go though areas similar to you described. One thing I've found when the water gets 8+ inches is water may get into bearings and destroy them. My last occurrence damaged my wheel bearings before that bottom bracket. I'm only mentioning so you can take preventative steps when you get home (like repacking with fresh grease).
Ugh, had a fall yesterday and just can't endure my ride, at the moment. Im disappointed, but i have to heal. Safe trails everyone!
Btw, any Autozoner teams or individuals out there? Chime me, for i need a team, please!
Wow, where do you live Riley? Was this in town or out in the country?
Everybody at work thinks I was insane to bike to work today. You guys are making me insane in this challenge. I decided to bike to work at 4:10 am this morning because the storm had passed and it was just lightly raining no more storms were coming between Neenah and Oshkosh for at least an hour. But I had no idea that biking to work today was going to be like a triathlon. It was very warm and humid, so I wore my tri shorts because they dry real quickly. I put on a dri wick t-shirt, and my Marmot biking rain jacket over that and my bike shoes with no socks. The hood fits nicely over my helmet and has a nice extended rim that helps keep the rain out of my face and eyes. Just as I got outside Neenah, the rain started coming down harder, but I found out my bike treads nicely in water. My ride was going quite well considering the conditions because I could see we must have gotten a lot of rain because the ditches were all full of water right up to the road and the fields were all lakes. I saw flashing lights up ahead and that was because the road was flooded. They were trying to open up a culvert that must have been plugged and was backing up the water. I took it slow and there was about 3 inches of water all across the road, but no problem. About 2 miles further, there was about a 1/4 mile stretch of more water over the entire road. I took it slow again, not knowing how deep it was, but was only about 3 inches again. I just couldn't believe how much water there was all over the road and the ditches and fields were full of water. I had to bike close to the center of the road a lot because the side of the road was all full of water. There wasn't any cars on the road at all this morning. Just south of Y, I could see up ahead that the entire road was flooded again and it looked much deeper. I didn't know if I could even bike through it or not. But as as I got closer, it didn't look too bad, so I just took it slow again and was about 8-10 inches deep in the middle. It was at least 1 1/2 feet deep on the side of the road and shoulder. But I made it to work on time and they couldn't believe I biked to work and I told them I was training for a triathlon. lol
Tried to beat the rain and get a ride in before a 7:30 mtg. Started riding as soon as there was enough light, but lightning and rain cut my ride short. On my way home a black bear (BIG) strolled across the road about 30 ft in front of me.
I left work at 9:08 am this morning and it wasn't raining then. But I could see it was getting really dark in the west and that more rain and storms were coming. A train came through on Schnell Rd., , so I decided to go around and bike through the park to Y, but the chain was still across the entrance to the park. They chain it up every night and open it back up about 7 am. A Winnebago County worker was at the gate and I asked him if I could bike through the park. He said yeah the road is open, but the parking lots are all lakes and full of water. I just couldn't believe how much water was all over the park. The entire park was a lake, but the road was open. As I got to the middle of the park, it started to rain again. So I stopped and put my hood back up. By the time I got out of the park and back to A, it started to rain really hard again. It was getting really windy and I could see another storm was coming. So I pedaled as fast I could going about 20 mph. About 2 miles south of the Neenah, the storm hit with lightning and thunder. I thought I really was insane to bike to work today, but I made it home without getting struck by a bolt of lightning. A warm shower felt good when I got home. But the irony of all of this is I got home safe from riding, but almost got hurt in the shower because someone left the knob up on the shower faucet to the tub, so that when I turned the water on, cold water hit me in the face and I slipped and fell down in the shower, trying to shut it off, until I could adjust the temp. So I do believe biking is more safe than taking showers. :) This is so true. We have a much greater risk of getting hurt in many every day activities or even at work than we do riding a bike.
Michael Neidhardt - Can't you put yourself in Team Bullseye w/o friending someone? Teams are limited to 10 people, so you may need to create "Team Bullseye Too"
I fixed a wet cell phone by putting it in a Bheestie bag. It has a dessicant that will remove the water from the phone. If you start drying it out within 72 hours, it has a good chance of working again.
Yes I'm using the i-phone app for my i-phone. Just got home from my commute home and the tool list the elapst time but no miles. Looking at the website it has a section on problems with the app. I'll look at it along with the information you all gave me.
Keep on truckin!!
Everybody at work thinks I was insane to bike to work today. You guys are making me insane in this challenge. I decided to bike to work at 4:10 am this morning because the storm had passed and it was just lightly raining no more storms were coming between Neenah and Oshkosh for at least an hour. But I had no idea that biking to work today was going to be like a triathlon. It was very warm and humid, so I wore my tri shorts because they dry real quickly. I put on a dri wick t-shirt, and my Marmot biking rain jacket over that and my bike shoes with no socks. The hood fits nicely over my helmet and has a nice extended rim that helps keep the rain out of my face and eyes. Just as I got outside Neenah, the rain started coming down harder, but I found out my bike treads nicely in water. My ride was going quite well considering the conditions because I could see we must have gotten a lot of rain because the ditches were all full of water right up to the road and the fields were all lakes. I saw flashing lights up ahead and that was because the road was flooded. They were trying to open up a culvert that must have been plugged and was backing up the water. I took it slow and there was about 3 inches of water all across the road, but no problem. About 2 miles further, there was about a 1/4 mile stretch of more water over the entire road. I took it slow again, not knowing how deep it was, but was only about 3 inches again. I just couldn't believe how much water there was all over the road and the ditches and fields were full of water. I had to bike close to the center of the road a lot because the side of the road was all full of water. There wasn't any cars on the road at all this morning. Just south of Y, I could see up ahead that the entire road was flooded again and it looked much deeper. I didn't know if I could even bike through it or not. But as as I got closer, it didn't look too bad, so I just took it slow again and was about 8-10 inches deep in the middle. It was at least 1 1/2 feet deep on the side of the road and shoulder. But I made it to work on time and they couldn't believe I biked to work and I told them I was training for a triathlon. lol
We now have more than 16,700 riders, 1/3 of the way toward our goal of 50,000 riders. Keep up the good work and to help keep everyone safe out there, lets review Step 1 of Five Steps to Riding Better, Follow the Rules of the Road
• Ride with traffic and obey the same laws as motorists.
• Use the rightmost lane that heads in the direction
that you are traveling.
• Obey all traffic control devices, such as stop signs,
lights, and lane markings.
• Always look back and use hand and arm signals
to indicate your intention to stop, merge or turn.
More information is available at http://www.bikeleague.org/resources/better/
Nyla, I also look forward to your contributions. It sounds like you had a pleasant birthday. Into everyone's life a little rain must fall, not to say that we can't take a certain amount of pleasure in it :))
Go Morgaine! Great to have you on board!
If you received a friend request from me , it is because you work for Target Corporation and I want you to join Team Bullseye!!!!!
I used to use a bike as my only means of transportation. Now I have leg problems, so I can't, but I still ride the bike for short trips.
I am going to be riding my bike halfway to Downtown Madison today to the City-County Building to vote and then I will put my bike on the bus to the Kathleen Vinehout Headquarters.
Thank you Nyla for your writings.
Thomas, I always have a few small zip lock bags along just for stuff like that.
Sorry for your loss, I feel your pain :/
Heather, I agree with Nyla, it becomes habit forming though my wife calls it obsessive. The only way to "hurt" yourself is to push yourself too far. This can cause your body to dislike the effort and avoid riding so really listen to your body. If you just don't feel like riding then don't. I've brought down my efforts (speed) to allow me to focus on the endurance of this challenge.
One last thing, "ride like you belong"! This means being out in the road in the same direction as traffic at least a foot away from the right side. Riding on the sidewalk is statistically MUCH more dangerous than riding in the street (especially when riding against traffic). Riding at least a foot from the right side of the road forces motorists to realize they may not be able to "share the lane with you" and they'll change lanes or move way over. This also depends on the width of the lane, the more narrow, the further out into the center I'll ride. Riding close to the right side invites motorists to pass without moving over to consider your safety even more dangerous with distracted drivers. HTH -michael
>@Mike - are you using the Endomondo app for iPhone? In the Endo settings, make >sure auto-pause is off, and under the phone's general settings, location services, >make sure they are turned on overall, and the Endomondo location services are >turned on.
Thanks Gary, Heather was asking about the settings to perform live updates via iPhone, are these those settings? I'm a Garmin Edge 305 user. Yes many of you will remind me that that is an old discontinued device. I agree, I've sent it back for new batteries at least three times but it still works and is a lot cheaper than buying a new one (I don't have an iPhone or Android device). Even if I had a Endomondo device, I probably wouldn't risk it on the bike with the way I sweat!
Fried my phone biking in to work in a downpour. Little bummed out about that!
@Mike - are you using the Endomondo app for iPhone? In the Endo settings, make sure auto-pause is off, and under the phone's general settings, location services, make sure they are turned on overall, and the Endomondo location services are turned on.
Congratulations Heather! You may have some surprisingly pleasant rainy rides (-:..the fresh air and ambient scenes, scents and sounds are replenishing in any weather, habit forms quickly, and soon riding regularly just seems normal and simply feels BETTER than NOT riding… Have a Great week and ROLL ON!
Off to the showers! Boy, keeping this updated is throwing my schedule off. Y'all have a fun day and... Ride like you belong! -michael
Heather, not sure... I use a Garmin Edge 305 which is a GPS enabled cyclometer (bicycle speedometer). Once I arrive at work I upload to a program called SportTracks which allows me to export my rides and upload here.
Thanks guys. :) I just got into riding last year and I wasn't taking it seriously. As each ride passes, the more I find myself more interested in it! This challenge gives me inspiration to do it more often because I especially love commuting. I'm a point A to point B kind of person.
Allright!! I made it to the first page on the local leaderboard. That should last for maybe an hour or so until everybody else logs their rides for today. Let's go WI, we can catch Vermont.
Congrats Heather, you should be excited! This puts you ahead of 99% of those watching their guts grow and not sure what to do about it.
@Heather April - You Go Girl!
I am going to break 25 miles commuting this week, so excited!! First week I ever rode rain or shine, every day.
@mike I used that app every day on my Iphone and it records my workouts perfectly. I haven't used it to manually enter them though. Can you record them real time like I do? I wonder if it would help if you deleted and re-installed the app?
P.S. MD in the top 20 this morning makes me smile. Go Marylanders!
Back in the top 10... ok, I update before most others have... so what? ;-)
Greg, Glad you made it in without getting struck by lightning. I could see lightning to the north and south of Wausau and when I rode in the rain was heavier in Rothschild than the north side of town. But it was warm and it was a great morning for riding.
Funny how my mindset has changed - 3 years ago I used to consider how much longer it would take to bike somewhere. Now when circumstances require me to drive I regret losing potential biking time.
Having trouble with the mileage app for I-phone. Past two rides, last night and this morning, logged the minutes but no miles to speak of. Continually says loading like it should be re-booted. Also is the app supposed to fill in the daily miles for you or do you still have to manually fill that in each day.
Happy birthday Nyla. There are nicer rides just ahead
Thunder Storms in Wausau this morning. I still rode to work. Boy do I need a better rain jacket! One that breaths! But still a good ride.
Thunderstoms have been passing through the Fox Valley area--not sure if I can ride to work. Looks clear at the moment, but there is still more rain and storms coming.
@ Bob Indoor cycling is not part of the challenge, but any type of cycling outdoors is. (transport, sport, mountain). In the off season I also do RPM classes at Gold's Gym to keep up my fitness when it is too cold, icy, or snowy to be safely on the road., but we can't log those miles in the challenge here. Gold's Gym doesn't have any mileage counter on their cycle class bikes either, so I have no idea how many miles I ride in those 1 hour class. They have music tracks and we do sprints and a lot of hardcore mountain climbing. I call it aerobics on a bike and it is intense and you sweat profusely in these classes because when you have 28 people close together in a small room, it gets really warm and stuffy in there. That's why I like road biking so much better because of the fresh air and beauty of landscapes, but it helps me so I don't lose fitness when I go back to road biking. We had a really warm winter and hardly any snow at all that I was able to commute to work and ride a lot on the road.
Yesterday I celebrated my birthday and the Bike Challenge kickoff in Starved Rock State Park, starting the day with a ride along paved park roads and heading for the Illinois and Michigan Canal State trail. Prediction was 75 degrees, PARTLY cloudy, 30% CHANCE of rain….HA! … Day dawned cold, completely overcast and already drizzling.
I resigned myself to getting wet…making concessions in the form of contact lenses and a tar-specked two-dollar turquoise rain poncho. Initial light rain dissipated after a few miles…poncho removed at midpoint in response to misleading promise of briefly brightening sky. Rain returned and escalated steadily as I approached the park again, with everything beyond easily breached poncho perimeter becoming progressively sodden and spattered with the tenacious pox produced by wet crushed limestone. Last few miles evoked ark-building imagery…missed final turnoff and had to backtrack UPHILL half a mile, and yet (optimistically superfluous application of sunscreen notwithstanding), the journey offered an abundance of serendipitous gifts: Densely sweet fragrance of honeysuckle undercut with some spicier scent along a route populated with redwing blackbirds, numerous cardinals, several deer, unhurried rabbits, and one lazily lofting egret. Evident beaver building project left a row of trees pointily severed with pencil-sharpener precision. All things considered a very fine birthday indeed, and a rewarding and resolute Challenge beginning for an aging MayDay baby.
Brian, regarding rainwear -- I find a simple fleece works best for <20 mile rides in temps under 55 F, and a polyester T in when its warmer. I will pack a thin helly hansen jacket if torential downpours are predicted (fits in a little saddle bag), but I've luckily only needed it a couple times each year. Even the most vented bike jackets are too warm for me.
And the way I see it, whether it's rain or sweat, I'm going to be soaked at the end of the ride! If there won't be a shower waiting, I bring along a towel and fresh shirt and clean up in the nearest restroom.
Thanks Rob! I'm not sure either...I just joined today and I'm having difficulty figuring out how to search for teams by area (zip code). I'm just going to keep on having fun on my bike! Good luck to you too!
Welcome to the Challenge Joses! Great to have you with us and enjoy your new bike. Not sure how Albuquerque is doing in the Challenge, but good luck to you.
We have a number of people at our workplace that have been participating in an indoor cycling class that is still in session. Have been asked about logging these 45 minute classes for the challenge. My initial reaction was take the 20 for the ride but its hard to gauge miles. Any rule on this?
Haven't owned a bicycle since I was 13 (17 years ago)! I usually run or do circuit training for workouts, but decided "What the heck?!" I wanted a bike for commuting/fitness and bought a Scott Sportster 10. I have been keeping up with road cyclists on local bike paths (though I'm not sure how far they have already gone :)) and kind of wish I had bought a road bike...that's ok though. I'm having a blast and have ridden it almost every day since I bought it! If anyone knows any good routes or wants to go riding in the Albuquerque area, hit me up!
Great weather today with temps near 80 and mild wind conditions. Felt great to be out and about and enjoying the spring weather.
Loggin' some Z's before I log some miles.
Beautiful night for a ride in Cental Wisconsin!
Could just kick my self for not ridding in to work this AM. Excdept for the brief 10 min shower this AM the weather was awesome.Went on a ride this evening that was great. Looking for advice from fellow riders in regards to rain. Is there a good rain jacket out there that allows me the freedom of movement but keeps me nice and dry?
I am glad that the weather held out--it was a beautiful day and a beautiful evening for a bike ride. I came across rabbits hopping across the road, squirrels scurrying around, deer scattering as I approached, and a turkey that didn't seem to be bothered by my presence.
What a beautiful night for a ride here in Grand Chute!
Trek Bicycle Corp. is way ahead of everyone.
@Gregg, I wish I could contribute to the cause! I grew up in Oshkosh and my mom and sister live in Neenah so it is almost home to me!
We now have 10 riders for UPS on the UPS team, so our team is full. Any new UPS riders should start another team.
Oshkosh/Neenah has fallen back to 3rd. :( We need more riders.
Thanks, Endomondo, for the improvements! You are doing a great job with this challenge. Riders are excited to see their results and points, but it does take time for the updates and if we just go out and ride, by the time we check back, the mileage and points will be updated.
There is a chance of storms tonight and tomorrow, but they are going to be isolated and scattered and may not get any depending on where you live. Whenever there is a clash of warm and cold air, there is a chance of storms. I was on my bike last year on the Friday before Labor Day just before those 80 mph straight line winds toppled big trees all over the Valley here. I was by the town of Winnebago and got behind the office building of the Lakeview Mobile Home Park 3 minutes before it hit. I never saw the force of that kind of wind before in my life. It was scary to see big 100 year old trees blown over when you are on a bike.
@ Wally It is really great today Wally for bike shorts and I shed even my bike jersey because I'm one that loves feeling the sunshine and warm breeze on my body. I know that's probably not too smart because in the event of a crash, my skin isn't protected. But in weather like this in my outdoor workouts of biking, running etc. I like the freedom of being shirtless. I hope they never take that right away from men.
I would have gone for a longer ride today if I would have known the rain was supposed to hold off this long!
What a great day!! 77degrees and sunny. Finally can shed a few layers of clothing when I ride.
There were very few lake flys by Lake Winnebago in Neenah and Oshkosh today due to nice SSW winds that is keeping them over on the east shore. High Cliff is probably being plagued with them today. Let;s hope the winds stay out of the W or SW on Sunday, and it probably won't be bad at the Paper Discovery Duathon at Riverside Park in Neenah. But I think the forecast is the winds are going to switch back to the E NE by Sunday and cool off a little--not good. :(
@Sydney All rides--sport, mountain, and transport count. The only thing I know that doesn't count are miles INDOORS on a stationary bike or bike trainer. The purpose of this challenge is to get up and ride OUTSIDE, even in the rain and through clouds of lake flys :) Have fun!
@ Scott, check back again because there is some lag time for updating. Usually when you come back after your next ride, it will be updated.
@ Sydney The challenge just started yesterday at 12:01 am, so only your rides since yesterday count in this challenge. Your workouts shows that you have logged 1 ride yesterday of 18.47 miles and the challenge shows you correctly have 38 points. 20 points for riding yesterday and 18 points for miles. When you log another .53 miles you will have another point. :) There will be some lag time from the time you log miles to getting your points because it takes awhile to update. Usually when you come back to log your next ride, the points are there. Have fun and enjoy your ride today with this beautiful warm day.
As a team we should have 168 points but it only shows 92....
Come on Wisconsin! Vermont has taken the lead with 8.82 points, and Wisconsin is 2nd with 8.40 points, and Nebraska is 3rd with 7.55 points.
It is a beautiful warm afternoon here in northeastern Wisconsin. There was some rain that came through this morning, but this afternoon the sun is out and it is in the mid 70's It is really nice. I only got a few sprinkles on my ride to work at 4 am. The 11 mph wind from the SSW is keeping our lake flys out on the lake and it is a beautiful day to ride the lakeshore today--just gorgeous outside..
I am having a point problem too. I've logged 65.47 miles this week but it shows me as having 0 points. Are the points only for commuting rides? I've logged them as cycling for sport.
Please, can I join a team! Going solo at the moment but would love to join someone team. Thanks
Ok i need to ask something, if I'm wrong let me know, how is possible that in 2 days there is a runner with 417 miles??? Dont you think is a little out of the normal???
I am riding also solo. Is there any team from Czech? Or can I join another team. I try to ride about 350km per week,
@Scott, I signed up yesterday, and my points are recording fine. There is a lag time though. Maybe check again in a couple of hours.
For some reason the team points aren't adding up correctly. Is anyone else facing this problem. It only shows the points for the people who were signed up when this started and not the ones that joined later in the day.
Great local TV spot with Chapin Spencer from Local Motion in Vermont, promoting the Challenge. http://www.wcax.com/story/18002393/national-cycling-challenge-begins
Appleton now has over 500 riders, yet we are in 4th place?!? Appleton people - now is the time to get up & Ride! Don't let a few showers deter you. Lets get 1000+ people registered and never look back! Any Appleton riders with me?
It is good to be retired so that you can pick and choose the nicer parts of the day to ride. I do sympathize with you commuters. Did it for 25 years, 20 a day, in all kinds of weather, sometimes crappy, sometimes cold. Fenders are good. Rode my bike with fenders today.
@ Jenny Glad your points are fixed. Sometimes there is a delay and takes awhile for points to get credited, but usually they do eventually. It seems like the amount of time it takes to get added in is dependent on how busy miles are getting logged on here. We all just need to be patient. If your points aren't right or aren't added , check back later and usually they will be corrected or added. The miles usually get added here before the points. My miles have been added for today, but my points have not been updated. I just check back later and usually they are added in.
@ Tom You get a point for each mile and 20 points for each day that you bike. If you biked yesterday and today 39.6 miles, you should have 59 points. There is sometimes a delay, depending upon how busy riders are logging miles, but check back later and your points should show .
It says I've logged 39.6 points for this week, but yet I have 0 points. How does one accumulate points?
Any Target Team members out there in Bicycleland that want to form a team? So far I am Solo. If not, I'll join forces with another team.
I do ride solo as there is no one willing to commute the 20 miles with me to work; and it is mostly done on A roads which can unsettle some people due to the speed & type of traffic using the route.
The Challenge continues to grow at record pace. We are getting closer to our goal of 50,000 riders. Good luck to all of our riders, both new and those that have been with us through the warm-up. Hope you are all having fun and enjoying your ride, whatever the weather. Safe riding!
@Randy: you can join my team, right now it's just me and a friend. I'm commuting about 75-100 miles a week, he's riding when he can. Our team name is: PDX Commuters. I'll look into shipping you a burrito???
Got wet today. New fenders need to be adjusted as well. :)
@Brad - sounds like you are going to need another source of protein :)
Now the sun comes out. why didn't it come out when I rode to work this morning. The rain geat kept me from getting wet except for the sweat.
Thanks for everyone's input on some issues that were encountered with the reset yesterday. Endomondo has issued a new site release that includes some of the following: Added timestamp to all leaderboards to communicate when they were last updated. Excluded future workouts from leaderboards. Fixed issue with riders getting less than 20 points. Fixed issue with mountain bike miles not counting.
Thank you for your patience as we work to address any issues and improve your experience in this free and fun challenge. Now Get Up & Ride!
I'm riding solo but could easily be bribed to join a team for food. Starting bid: one burrito.
Looks like my points have been fixed :(
Guess that means I have to do more pedaling!!!
Wade, can I help?
Your solution of riding to the carpool sounds like a good compromise. I cyclommute in Tampa Bay which has some of the highest cycle vs. car crashes in the country. This requires me to be vigilant and find the best solution for each circumstance. If I can pass along any tips or suggestions, let me know!
Bike is rinsed and wiped down, now my turn... off to the showers!
Y'all have a great day!
Yay, made it to the top 10! (even if only for a few minutes)
Weather was beautiful but I may pay for it on the way home...
Need some riding buddies in Tampa Bay!
I rode along the shore in Neenah yesterday about 3:30 (Neenah Rec - Kimberly Point). I ran into a few batches of lakeflies here and there, but it wasn't that bad. Over toward Doty Park, Willow Drive and Jefferson Park there weren't any to speak of. Though results might vary by time of day, temp, wind direction...
I cant ride to work due to lack of a safe route, but I can ride to my carpool, running errands and for fun! Keep the rubber side down!
Endomondo has added additional support tools to address National Bike Challenge specific questions and issues.
HAVING TROUBLE?
Please go to the thread about the National Bike Challenge https://getsatisfaction.com/endomondo/topics/the_national_bike_challenge_manual at Endomondo Support Forum, where you can see more FAQs or post your own question.
If your issue or feedback needs to be handled privately by the Endomondo Support team, fill in the form at http://www.endomondo.com/campaign/national/support and make sure you select ‘National Bike Challenge Support’.
The start of the 1st National Bike Challenge is underway and exciting races are shaping up in communities and states all over the country. We apologize that the system is not as fast as normal and some point totals are not accurate. The Challenge team is working to address this and will update you when news is available. Just keep on riding and help us reach 10 million miles, one pedal at a time.
Two short rides today, but some of the numbers in my stats are goofy. Maybe it's because Aprils rides are included, but only as mileage--no other data. Full data started today.
National Bike Challenge and I am Loving the Bike for taking me for a sunset ride this evening. Loving the husband for having a nice dinner for me when I got home. So far so good.
Nice start to the challenge by everyone with almost 50,000 miles for the first day!
@ Cora, I am also glad that you are sharing your enthusiasm! I was just like you last year. Until last year, I had not ridden my bike much since before I got married and had my kids. And, just keep thinking of all that muscle you will be building up pulling your kids around... I remember doing that and how free I felt when I was finally able to go bliking without it! LOL
@Gregg, something is still weird because I just rode 7 miles and I have 36 points, so it is still counting my previous rides this week.
He did not enter 374 miles in his endomondo workout today. He entered 1 ride today of 127 miles, so his points are not right. For some reason some people's points are including miles from Sunday and Monday. He is also from Germany and only riders from the US are elgible for prizes.
374 miles is probably a 600k brevet. If you wan tto find out how to do rides like that check out: http://www.rusa.org/
WAOOOO!!! I'm AMAZED, 374 miles in 1 day. This guy should be running in the tour de France!!!
It was hot getting started, but once I did a few miles I could feel the breeze!!!
gpx files should be required.
On the leaderboard, someone rode 374 miles today?
Biked to my gardening job up and down a lot of hills, and back - invigorating!
Oskosh-Neenah, Watertown-Fort Atkinson, Madison, and Appleton are all really close in points so far.
@ Joe How would you like a trillion bugs to attack you? The lake flys are so thick in clouds near Lake Winnebago in Wisconsin here that you can literally see them in clouds on the National Weather Service Dopplar Radar. You can't possibly survive going through one of those clouds on your bike without choking and gaging and going blind with lake flys in your eyes. It's so bad that I can't ride to work the way that I normally do. But they will be all dead in a few weeks.
@ Jerry You are correct with your understanding of points. But there apparently are some bugs yet that they are working on because some had not had any rides yet today and already had points. lol
Looking for GLBT or GLBT friendly riders to join my team. It is called GLBT Riders Unite.
Regarding the numbers.... I too am very analytical when it comes to the challenge. It is fun for me. From watching past behavior it is not uncommon for people that ride the same ride every day to enter more than one days of data at a time. Sometimes, that messes up the numbers at the beginning of a challenge. Just like cycling, a little patience and all will work out. I am sure those in charge have read your comments and will do everything they can to make sure things are fixed. Just takes some time.
Meanwhile those of us that like numbers should give way to those that share their wisdom and whit regarding the activity we all love. Relax and enjoy the day!!
@Cora, Really nice that you are sharing your excitement. It if fun to read. I am sure you will meet your goal. I have a daughter-in-law that frequently would us the burley to haul her dog 17 miles to work. She just worked her way up to it, like you are. Go for it!!
Over 5 miles, and Great Lake Michigan wind factor. 5 miles uphill into the wind with 130 feet of elevation change in the morning, then downhill into the wind going home. Can I get extra points?
@Gregg, Regarding your comment yesterday - NO I will not reach the platinum level in one week. That would require over 194 miles a day (well OK, it is possible but what's the point???) I'm an old man, I need my beauty sleep (last time I looked in the mirror it was obvious I wasn't getting enough beauty sleep). I had thought about going for platinum in 10 days but decided not to push so hard - should have it within two week. Hope that is soon enough for you......
I will be expecting you to get to the platinum level by the end of the month { that'll teach you to open your mouth around me :-) }.
I was attacked by bugs on my 20 mile ride had two hit me in the face and one big bug that went down my throat and nearly made me threw up.
Gregg, Rob Harmann has me confused too. Fantastic mileage, so kudos to him for that. But yes, 414 points is a bit much for his mileage. The challenge is supposed to be open to those in the US or work for US companies. He is riding in Germany and doesn't specify an employer.
I am confused on how points are awarded. I thought it was 20 points for each day of riding and 1 point per mile.
But I see people with 40 miles of riding today. They should have 60 points. But they have 120 points. Is there some other factor that is being figured in?
Fellow FriendFeeders, please sign up to team FFBikeRally... the more the better!
@Jenny My mileage of 45 miles today and 65 points is correct. But Rob Harmann in the national challenge entered 1 ride of 127 miles , but has 414 points. When I saw the lead rider with 414 points, I thought he must have started riding at 12:01 am and hasn't stopped riding yet. lol But when I checked his workouts,, he did not log 394 miles. lol So something is still screwed up.
There must be some bug issues with the points and mileage yet. Rob Harmann logged 1 ride today of 127 miles and has 414 points. lol My mileage and points are correct. I entered a total of 45 miles today and I have 65 points. But apparently there were issues earlier this morning that have not been fixed yet.
Last year there was a little lag time, too, when you enter miles and it seemed like the lag time was the longest during busy times on the website and because it's national this year with a lot more riders, it may take a little longer to appear here.
I bit more detail about stats update delays would be helpful. Most of us would probably like to see our Local/National points updated real time (as we enter ride data), but even if it's delayed, it would be nice to know how often/quickly that data is refreshed and reflected on the website.
I am really excited about this challenge - I used to bike everywhere when I was in college, but have done very little since then. My goal, by August, is to ride enough that I can ride the 11.5 miles to work in under an hour. Since I would be dropping my son at daycare just before mile 2, the full ride would be with the rickshaw, which is considerably more difficult than withuot, but I am confident I can do it.
I'm new to Endomondo and I'm thrilled to be a part of the National Bike Challenge. Can someone explain the lag time from importing a workout to it showing up on my stats and in my points total? On the main screen, it shows the miles I've done today, but no points so far. I know it will be there eventually, but I was just curious about it. Thanks for this great opportunity!
I have not ridden my bike yet today, but the stats say that I have 9 points. That is not even possible, considering that if I ride my bike, I should automatically get 20 points per day, plus the points for the miles ridden. The system is counting my miles from Sunday and Monday.
THANKS to Scott Williams from LAB and the Endomondo TA folks for getting Lincoln, NE a local page set up and operating! We appreciate it!
To all the Lincoln riders, please toggle between National and Local at the upper left corner of your log-in page to get Lincoln updates/information.
Happy May 1st! Great biking weather today!
There appear to be some issues with the points calculations on the leader board this morning. What's up? How can the points for any one day be less than 21? And why do riders with no workouts today (May 1) have points?
Spreading the bike challenge news here in Ohio!
great day for a ride in Charlotte, NC
What a beautiful first day of the challenge in Wisconsin as long as you don't ride near Lake Winnebago with trillions of lake flys hatching.every minute right now. lol
Happy national bike month everybody!!
Thanks for the info Gregg. Maybe I'll facebook message Midwest Sports Events and ask them about it also. Yeah, choking on lake flies while running doesn't sound too pleasant! Might have to pass!
I am doing the duathlon Sunday at Riverside Park in Neenah, but I am coming prepared to wear a hospital mask. If you don't live near the lake, most people don't realize how bad it is by the lake. I told Midwest Sports that they should at least email all the particpants in advance and let them know about the situation here with the lake flys and suggest to them about bringing a hospital mask because in a normal year the lake flys are never a problem this early in May. But this isn't a normal year and we never have had summer temps like we did in March when they were feeding like crazy on the bottom of the lake. I don't freak out with bugs, but I know how some people react with bugs. lol. This isn't just a few bugs. These are thick clouds of large bugs that can be seen on dopplar radar. :) I highly recommend anyone doing the duathlon to run and bike the course before Sunday, so that you know what it is like with these may flys. It will help you to mentally prepare and do what you need to do to get through these may fly clouds , which most likely will be at the peak on Sunday. Prepare for the worst rather than be caught off guard.
It looks like the lake flies will be really bad by Sunday at Riverside Park with the warmer temps this week. They are getting really bad right now on the run course on Lakeshore Blvd. and also on the bike course on Park Ave. and Bayview Dr. and also on Coumty A. Once you turn right on County G and head west away from the lake, it will be fine. On the 2nd half of the bike course, the lake flies will be really bad again when your hit County A again from GG. County A, Maple Ln, Bayview, and Park Ave. back to the park will probably have many thick clouds of lake flys. Goggles will be a good thing to wear on both the run and bike course and I'm thinking of even wearing one of those hospital masks covering your mouth and nose, so you don't get an unwanted breakfast of lake flys. lol The lake flys are definitely going to be more of a challenge this year than the 40 mph gusts of wind last year, unless Midwest Sports decides to change the course away from the lake. I know some of the people on the staff and I'm going to talk to them and see, if we can't change the course and head west away from the lake, rather than so much of the lakeshore because anyone who gets freaked out from bugs won't be able to stand running or biking through those lake fly clouds. It's hard to keep them out of your eyes, your mouth and your nostrils when you are breathing heavy in a race like this. It has caused me to even choke because they got lodged in my throat. They are a horrible plague by the lake.
@ Keith and @ Don, I think you are correct in the use of Greenwich Mean Time for the reset. I went on a late evening ride last night and it seems to have been "taken up" into my total. I suspect the programing necessary to sort the participants by "time zone" (zip codes would be necessary as states would not even work--and then there is AZ which does not go on Daylight Savings Time...you get the idea) proved a bit too complicated to pull off. My $.02. I doubt it will make a significant difference in the grand scheme of things.
Contemplating doing the Paper Discovery duathlon thie Sunday. Does anyone know what the lake fly situation is or might be for Sunday?? Thanks!
@Keith - I believe I know why the point totals appear to be incorrect. I currently am credited for 11 miles, but only biked 5.5 miles into work this morning. However, yesterday at 7:10 PM Central time, I biked 5.5 miles home from work. If the Challenge points were reset at Midnight Greenwich Mean Time, then my 7:10 PM ride yesterday counted as a ride for today.
@Michael on Bichael...thanks for the suggestion! Every time that we go to set up a page for Lincoln we get a message that our e-mail address is not recognized as a bicycle advocacy group and we are not allowed to do anything to remedy that...and we have e-mailed Endomondo over a dozen times!
I think there might still be some bugs in the system. It looks like some of the top leaders have double workouts logged.
Cannot understand why people in U.K. are not eligible for prizes when we have specialized and Trek stores over here as well
Couldn't do a ride in today, but looking to take our kids out later on.
Nice to see 20+ bikes in the racks today at Rockwell!
Did you check the tutorials? I wasn't interested in setting up a local homepage but I believe there was a topic on setting up your homepage. -michael
What a beautiful morning for a ride.
Is there anyone at Endomondo that can help us set up a local page for Lincoln, NE? We have e-mailed your support and feedback e-mail addresses, but still no reply. We have almost 300 riders and we want a local page to share information/support with everyone. We have a bicycle advocacy group, but even they cannot get a reply from Endomondo. Thanks!
Happy National Bike Month!
Riding from NW Hillsborough to Clearwater Courthouse. If you also cyclommute West into Pinellas County, let's ride together! Heading East... wave as you go by!
It was a beautiful morning, eat your hearts out Northeast!
So excited to see Nebraska leading the pack! Enjoy your first day out, everyone!
Go Charlotte Spokes people!
Started off looking a bit grim in the DC area but its cleared up nicely already and I'm already looking forward to the ride home! I grew up in England so riding in the rain is a fact of life. I love my Arkell commuter bag/briefcase http://www.arkel-od.com/us/all-categories/laptop-bicycle-pannier/messenger-briefcase-1.html.
I rode in the light rain this a.m. T-showers all day here. I don't usually commute in the rain but I am determined to stay on the bike this summer. I need to check out some waterproof gear-especially a bag. Steven, sorry to hear about your flat!
First day riding and already a flat! Great day for riding though in the DC area.
Let the games begin! Dense fog in the lowlands made for a great 'sunride' in this morning. I feel GOOD! :-) Ride Safe!
Great day to start this off in NE Wisconsin. Hope everyone else had decent weather.
Great ride in today over Trestle trail - thanks for the boost Dan V!
Gorgeous ride this morning down the bluff with the sunrise breaking through the leaves.
I had a great ride into work this morning! Beautiful sunrise over the lake!!! Priceless ...
Yeeah Buddy! Time to ride! Best of luck everyone.
Happy Bike Month everyone! Ride hard, ride safe!
@ Wally Olsen Get used to this with Endomondo Challenges. There are always European users who have miraculous statistics....they usually get removed from the actual standings.
Okay? I already have to question the guy in the number 1 spot nationally. 266 points by 8 am eastern time. That would mean he is averaging just over 60 mph and started riding at the stroke of midnight.
Woo! Let's RIDE!
And we are off!! Looking forward to a great challenge. Get out and ride, stay healthy, and have fun.
@ Jenny That $300 20 year old bike is probably a better quality made bike than the $1,000 bikes today. Everything was just made with better quality materials 20 years ago and was made to last a lot longer. Now they intentially make bikes to wear out after a few years, so that you will be back in the bike shop buying another bike in 3 years. I have a 25 year old 25 horse Johnson outboard motor on my pontoon boat. Everybody on the lake laughs at my old motor, but honestly I'm the one that is laughing at them when they can't get their new 2 year old motor started and have to take it into the shop for repairs when my old Johnson motor starts up every time. My Dad had a 50 year old Evinrude motor that never failed to start.
I don't call a 3 mile ride with a tail wind strenuous. It was more strenuous to walk up the stairs from the library basement where I donated blood than the 3 mile ride. :)
Here I thought I was the only one crazy enough to donate blood and then ride home. I believe the wording when they release you is no STRENUOUS exercise.
@Gregg, I was considering purchasing a new bike, but there is truly nothing wrong with what I have. I bought it back in the 90's so it is probably about 20 years old. I remember paying about $300 for it, so it is a quality bike. I was looking at new bikes yesterday but didn't see any red ones, so I decided that mine was just fine!
@Gregg - Endomondo is planning to reset at each riders local time of 12.01 am
Nobody has answered my question regarding time zone. Is the challenge starting at 12:01 am according to the time zone you live in, which means the easterrn time riders will get an hour earlier jump on everyone else, followed by the central time riders, and then the mountain time riders , and trailing with the Pacific time riders? Then there is Arizona which is mountain time, but they don't go on daylight savings, which means they are an hour earlier than everyone else in mountain time.
This should be a kick in the old chamois. Have been riding to work the last 2 summers and have been lovin it. Ride with the Alaska Chaingang. We're railroaders. Ride Safe. RidinNSmilin.
@ Leonard You were way out in front in the warm up. I bet you will be way out in front in the challenge with as many miles as you are biking every day. You will probably be at platinum level by the end of the first week. :) I hope to make platinum by the end of the first month. If I bike every day this month that is 620 points and then I just need to ride at least 880 miles this month, which is about 220/week. If I bike to work every day that is 90 miles/week. So I just need to do about 130 more miles per week and I will make plantinum by the end of the month.
Well the first week of Get Up N Ride will be a chalenge in Milwakee area. Rain rest of the week. But unless it's server weather I think I am going to try and tough it out.
Looking forward to the challenge!
Only a few hours to the start of the National Bike Challenge. I would like to say THANK YOU to eveyone for letting an old man have a little fun. I'm realistic enough to know that with over 13,000 riders already registered for the challenge I don't stand much chance of staying out front but I have enjoyed it. Time to reset to zero.
Ride safely everyone and have fun!!!!
Well, I got chewed out last week by the staff at the blood center in Waukesha. They made me drink a bottle of water, eat some cookies, and then allowed me to donate. I had extended my ride home from work, so it was 10mi to the center carrying the computer, lunchbox, clothes, etc. and I was kind of sweaty looking. Anyway, my legs felt really tired afterward, but fortunately it's flat that last 5mi home.
Looking forward to the Challenge kick off tomorrow. Here's wishing safe riding to everyone. Ride well. Ride safe. Ride strong. Best wishes all!
It's been raining for two days and today we have 30-35 mph winds.Kind of hurt my miles.Looking forward to the start of the challenge tomorrow,hope the weather improves.
@Jim I rode to the Menasha library and gave blood, too, last Monday. They asked me how far I biked . I said about 3 miles from Neenah. They said I would be fine, if I didn't try to sprint home. lol. They secured my bandage really good, so it wouldn't blow off in the wind. I also knew I would have a nice tail wind going home. :)
I biked 647 miles this month compared to only 54 miles last year in April. I think I will do at least a short 3 mile ride this evening, just to make it 650. I was just getting into biking about this time last year by riding to work with my 10 speed Huffy bike. If I had to ride that bike now, I would probably quit. lol I like my Schwinn Paramount. It's probably at least 8 years old, but it has a lot of speed and is very well built and durable and love the SPD clip in pedals, especially against wind and hills. It's very comfortable for me and fits me well. I raised the seat about a half inch this spring, which is better. The handle bars could be a little higher for commuting and touring, but they are at the maximum height. But for racing they are perfect. I use my commute to work for sprint training, so it only takes me about 15 minutes longer to ride to work 9 miles than drive. I always try to increase my speed to work every day and I have increased my average speed by at least 2 mph from last year. I would love to have a new bike, but I will have to win it in the challenge because I can't afford $3,000 for another bike and if I don't spend at least that much, I might as well keep what I got because it probbaly would not be as good as what I have. When it comes to anything new today, they are making everything to wear out a lot faster. I have a freezer that didn't even make it 10 years before the compressor was shot and the guy said a new freezer only lasts about 7 years. The newer ones are more energy efficient , but they are made with cheap material. I told him you can keep your freezers then because I can't afford to buy a new freezer every 7 years. . If you got a quality old used bike and it works great for you, don't be so quick to get rid of it. Older things were built with a lot better quality material than new things today.
@Gregg - you have had some interesting comments in the past, but you have now reached platinum level with your latest NWS radar images of lake fly swarms. Thanks for your contributions to the Challenge!
Why does the challenge Not Log my Mountain Bike Miles?????
@Dan, Yes on the muliplier. The multiplier is used when calculating benefits to weight or exercise. Your benefit is 3.8% greater than mine. lol (my math is probably wrong)
Today my bike is broken. My son was riding it when he wiped out and broke his leg in 3 places last Fall. It's a 3-wheeler Trike and I haven't fixed it yet. So, today I will see what all needs fixed on it from the crash.
Do I get a multiplier effect for riding on 26-inch wheels?
I only logged 10 rides in April, and still was close to "gold" status. With the dream of even better weather coming, and less "extracurricular events" going on, I should be able to hit that gold status consistently. The warm-up was a great way to "try out" the challenge, and it also challenged me to get back into biking shape. Hopefully, I can log one more ride tonight after work, which won't push me to the gold, but I just WANT to get out there!
@tomislav. I have ridden to Donate too. Usually I am OK, it is funny when they tell you after not to exert yourself.
If you have never seen a Lake Winnebago lake fly, you don't know what you are missing. They are like a gigantic Wisconsin mosquito and there are so many of them that they can be seen on the NWS Dopplar Radar: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/grb/.
They typically hatch every year from Lake Winnebago in Wisconsin after Mother's Day. For this reason some people call them may flys. If the weather gets real warm, they go crazy and fly their wings rapidly and kill themself. If it stays on the cooler side, they can survive for several weeks. They are hatching early right now by the trillions because of the summer temps we had in March. They are a horrible plague to anyone who has property on Lake Winnebago and for bikers, runners, and walkers near the lake. Depending on the winds that day, they can go inland quite a ways. They are around my house today and I am a least 2 miles from the lake. It's a nuisance every year for several weeks and some years are worse than others and this year looks like it may be the worst we have ever seen because of a very warm March, when the worms were feeding like crazy on the bottom of the lake.
April 2012
bicycle commute-to-work days: 21
auto commute-to-work days: 0
bicycle commute-to-church days: 5
auto commute-to-church days: 0
miscellaneous transportion - including to/from blood donation, this one was a bad idea
"rain or shine!"
The challenge starts at 12::01 am tomorrow and all miles will go back to "0", but what time zone? Eastern, central, mountain, or pacific or will the challenge start like new years with the Eastern riders starting the challenge first, followed by central, then mountan, and finally pacific? Since Kimberly Clark in Neenah, WI is organizing this, I am assuming that it will start at 12:01 am central time. But can we get official confirmation of this? Also, the rules say that all miles must be entered by 11:59 pm on the last day of each month to be counted for that month. Again, what time zone at 11:59? Is there anyone taking a 12:01 am moonlight ride tonight to kick off the challenge? I'd love to do that, but I have to be at work tomorrow morning a 4:35 am for a safety meeting and then my shift starts at 5:00 am when I start unloading UPS trailers that are arriving at our UPS center in Oshkosh, WI from the UPS hub in Cache, IL. If I ride tonight and kick off the challenge at midnight, I will be ready for a nap by 5 am, rather than unloading trailers. lol So my first ride in the challenge will be commuting to work at 3:50 am tomorrow morning. Wisconsin is going to have beautiful weather tomorrow to kick off the challenge and temps are going to warm up nicely into the 70's by midweek. However the warmer air is causing the lake flies to hatch by the millions, which is creating a challenge for me to ride to work without having a big breakfast of lake flies in the morning every day and arriving at work covered solid in lake fly juice. Thank God these things commit suicide a few weeks after birth. They don't bite, but they hang together in big clouds and obstruct your vision and they just love to swarm any warm body they can find and literally choke you to death by going in your nostrils and ears and in your mouth and down your throat and stinking up all your clothes and your body and your bike with black bug juice. These things are horrible when you have to ride through a cloud of these. When I use to drive to work with the car, my car was solid black in the front after 1 trip and they do not wash off very easy.
@Nick - still K-C prizes, right? It's just the simultaneous "public" US campaign that has different/separate prizes...
With the start of the National Bike Challenge on May 1, all Challenge Points will be reset back to 0 for a fair and fresh start for everyone. Please note, all of the miles and trips you have already taken on Endomondo will still be saved for your review, just the Challenge Points will be reset back to 0.
The National Bike Challenge kickoff weather forecast looks great in northeast Wisconsin with sunny skies and 73 degrees tomorrow!
It has been a great warmup with more than 12,000 riders pedaling over 1 million miles. We have already heard from a number of you who have have gotten back on the bike after a break of many years. Best of luck to all of you, enjoy the Challenge and safe riding.
It has not stopped raining for about two weeks in MK - still getting out to ride. My poor washing machine is taking a beating, though!
No prizes or awards outside the US! It's a bit of a poor show after all the effort everyone has put in the previous years to make this such a success. Thanks a lot!
Just trying to get in shape and riding is a great way
Visiting Dad in Illinois near lovely bike paths along the Fox river, but in contrast to the eighty degree days of my mid-March visit, this weekend offers forties, brisk wind, gray skies and today’s steady rain. No downpour-just a persistent, pesky, taunting (undertones of nyah, nyah!, raspberry blowing) puddle producing chilly drizzle which eventually provoked a similarly childish “see if I care, riding anyway, soggy air still smells of lilacs and apple blossoms…SO THERE!” response. Having discovered the addictive aspects of the enterprise last year, along with an uncomplicated sense of element-confronting gratification, I’ve apparently arrived at the point of riding in the absence of a compelling reason not to. I’m also determined to avoid backsliding into the ever-ready lame excuses of my pre-Challenge past (-;
Over 12,000 riders now with one more day before the challenge
Totally agree with your comments Paul....a massive step backwards for UK Kimberly Clark employees, who have won the team challenge for the past couple of years.....
Yesterday it was about 60+ and sunny here in the greater St. Louis area & I saw 30+ other riders. Today it was foggy and 50+, & I only saw a half dozen other riders. I also saw some people leaving their driveway in their vehicles to go ride somewhere else. Consider starting your ride from your doorstep and save that gas!
Just a thought Rob, further to my earlier comments, in the unlikely event that we were to win anything could it not be forwarded on by KC in the US to the HR dept of the relevant facility ?? Due to the odds of the draw I'm sure the admin would be minimal .
Thanks for the reply Rob but this seems a bit of a step backwards for us here in the UK as last year when it was KC only we were completely involved , I realise the bigger picture is the enviroment, pollution,etc but it added to the fun !!
WOW! 1 million miles in the preseason. This is gonna be interesting....Pedal ON!
Just looking through the rules and it says all " all participants residing in the US will be entered into the prize draw " , does this mean that Kimberly Clark employees in the UK are not eligible for any prizes ????
I bet we hit a million miles Sunday. Pretty nice numbers.
I am a recreational rider, so why was I moved to take a ride today? LOL. Seriously. It was overcast and 40 degrees, and i was listening to 'Sunshine on my Shoulders" on my phone. Priceless!
I gave the Gold's Gym RPM cycle instructor flyers about the bike challenge and she passed them out to everyone in the class today, so we will probabaly get some more Wisconsin riders to join this weekend. There is over 4,500 workplaces and organizations nationwide in the challenge. We have about 600 in Wisconsin so far.
I just wish it would get really warm for a week again because then the heat makes them so active and the more active they get, the faster they commit suicide. lol This cool weather will enable them to survive a long time. I don't mind a few for breakfast, but they get sucked up my nose and go in my ears and eyes and they turn my blue Paramount bike to a black one and I myself am lathered in bug juice.
Gregg, a little protein does the body good! HAHA!
I'm kind of glad I moved from Neenah downstate to Milton when I did. I won't miss lake flies :). My biggest challenge here is when I go through a small portion of the Ice Age Trail on my ride, I get pelted by butterflies. I seriously have a couple of bruises on my shins from butterflies!
I was going to do a time trial this morning for the Paper Discovery Duathlon in Neenah next Sunday, but I chickened out. The weather looks better tomorrow, so I will wait until tomorrow.
A new challenge this year for the Paper Discovery Duathlon is going to be the lake flies. Early Friday morning a team of scientists from the DNR and UW-Oshkosh set out to find out why.
"We expected them to be ahead this year. We didn't expect them to be this far ahead," said Scott Koehnke, DNR water management specialist.
The team checked four locations around the lake looking for lake fly larvae hidden in the mud below sixteen feet of water.
"Right down there do you see that little worm? There's about a dozen of them in there. These are what will turn into pupae, swim to the surface and become adults," said Koehnke.
So why are the lake flies out so early? The DNR says warm temperatures in March triggered a feeding frenzy at the bottom of the lake.
"Two weeks of really warm temperatures, algae bloom took off. They put on some feed bags, and just went to town. And you're seeing the results of that now," said Koehnke.
Midwest Sports is going to have to monitor lake fly activity next week because a lot of the run and bike course is along the lake shore and it could be really bad by next Sunday. The JFRD 5K walk was held at Riverside Park on the 3rd weekend in May last year and that was peak weekend for lake flys and it was so bad along the lakeshore that they had to change the course. I see this year their walk was moved to Fox Cities Stadium. Perhaps Midwest Sports should consider a different location for Paper Discovery because the lake flies are hatching earlier this year.
No, you do not have to log daily. I log one Luddite team members miles once a month at the end and they have always counted.
@Gary @Mads But right now is not doing that the website because i run everyday and is not logging my miles, i have to do it manually, i know that the competition starts in may 1 but i need to make sure!!
We have 7 UPS riders in the national challenge, but that is not very many since we are considered a collosal company with about 450,000 employees worldwide. I've emailed some UPS corporate communications people informing them of the national bike challenge and asking them to put some publicity of this internally at UPS on our upsers.com intranet site, but haven't heard anything yet. Bike challenges like this are excellent wellness programs for companies, businesses, and other organizations. Our local UPS managers in Oshkosh, WI are very supportive of biking and the bike challenge and provide a bike rack and any bike commuter can have a locker to store extra clothing and also use the showers in the locker room, if they want or need to. I don't shower there because I unload trailers and 10 minutes after the start of our shift, I'm more sweaty than from biking to work. The showers are nice, though, if anyone wants to use them. Some got showers today, when they didn't want one. A fire sprinkler by door 4 decide to sprinkle about 6:30 am this morning. and the fire department had to come and turn them off. lol They had to shut that door down so no one would get electricuted.
Right Mads, @allan; with the app, all I do when it's running is press Start, and then Stop when I'm finished and it uploads all of the data to the website (this site) automatically!!!! It's awesome! If you decide to Run, Hike or something else, you can pick those workout types as well.
@allan; you can use both the Endomondo free and Pro app
@Gary thanks for you help, when you mentioned the app, are you talking about endomondo pro or another app??
This is awesome! Over 11000 riders and closing in on 1 million miles logged... Keep up the good work!
@allan - if you have a smartphone or GPS (garmin, etc.), workouts will upload automatically once you have the app or upload. If you enter manually, you can put them all in at the end of a week, etc. with a few clicks.
@Gary, MSA names are determined and controlled by the US Census Bureau. Please work with them on the name change and advise as soon as they finish that minor change. On a more serious note, will are planning an improvement for 2013 to switch from an MSA to more local city basis.
Do i have to log my miles manually daily?????
The miles in the challenge warm up are only miles from February 1 on. But my miles in the Wisconsin challenge last year are still in the Endomondo workouts. I started logging miles on Endomondo in April last year, and all my miles are still there. I love the statistic link with the charts and graphs and I am defintely riding a lot more miles this year compared to last year. I got almost 1,500 miles this year already and the challenge hasn't even started yet. But this is because we had a very unusal winter and spring that was very warm and hardly any snow at al. In fact we had summer temps for 2 weeks in March and wore shorts. We will probably never have another winter and spring like we had.
@Gregg. Exactly. It was by comparing the "Endomondo" workout data with the challenge score that I detected a discrepancy.
@Rob. February 1 explains it. The warm-up score does not count January commute rides.
I don't care much about the warm-up score, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't doing something wrong. Thanks.
@ Charlie L on La Crosse and WI/MN - the "community" groupings are based on collections of zip codes, but the State is still separated in that reporting. So people in the La Crosse area with 546xx zips are in La Crosse and WI, but the 559xx folks are in La Crosse but MN. This keeps communities straight, but the states as well. Rider Jim Gehrig on Trane 12 is La Crosse, but lives in MN where he is helping "his" state... On Wisconsin!!!
Here is a link to where the show can be heard at broadcast time streaming from your computer:
http://www.wjcu.org/media/audio/shows/outspokencyclist
The show will air Saturday April 28 at 5:30pm EDT (4:30 Central time) and then as a podcast at 6:30pm at the same link, on iTunes, or on Stitcher.com for smart phones.
Rob - I need you to change our MSA to Neenah - Oshkosh, WI and not the other way around. Or Neenah (Oshkosh who?), WI...
Or from your own "home" page, your personal overall stats are in the lower left. Change the filter from "All" to Cycling, Transport and you'll see those figures for all workouts logged in Endo, not just this year's "warm-up" period.
@Joseph - up at the top click on Leaderboard, then click on your name - you'll get to a page with your own stats...
Holy crap... 10711 riders.
Our hard work is paying off!
Keep it going guys, and get on your bikes!
I like being able to see the CO2 and money saved for both national and local, but would also like to see the individual contribution on these statistics as well. I think it would really bring it home for more people to see how those statistics affect them as individuals.
I can't wait to get out and ride more. The weather this spring hasn't been great in the mid-atlantic. I ride to work when I can but It's such a short distance that I need to get our more for pleasure to really make the miles and it's always cool, windy, or rainy! Hoping that all changes as May rolls in.
Hey Fox Cities riders, come out tomorrow night and join Fox Cities Cycling Association members Al Lemke and myself as we present "Tales from the Bike Lane" Friday April 27th. Snacks at 6:30 and discussion at 7:30. Fox Valley Meditation Center 214 E. Pacific St. Appleton WI 54911. Should be a fun time, we can also celebrate the upcoming National Challenge kickoff on May 1. Link to the Facebook event page http://www.facebook.com/events/#!/events/384680624887960/
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Wisconsin has 2,000 riders now.
@Tomislav - warmup period began Feb 1. Check if that all adds up.
2000 riders, nice job Wisconsin!
I am also impressed with the maps here and how detailed and accurate they are and will even show trails and foot paths and even has the UPS center where I work on the map and you can enlarge a certain area and get great detail, even specific house numbers. I don't have anything wit GPS, but I draw routes on the maps here and shows exactly how many miles and you can save your routes on here and also see the routes that other people have saved.
Ridiculously short but restorative ride at the end of a challenging day; Rich fragrance of apple and plum blossoms ,suddenly inexplicably overtaken by an aroma instantly recognizable as the unmistakable scent of the gallon jars of thick white paste pervasive in my long-ago elementary classrooms. Lacking any reassuring horticultural reference for such a phenomenon, I can only assume it indicative of a brain tumor or pending (exercise induced?) aneurysm (-; Nevertheless, it was a splendid evening for a ride, and just at the moment, life is good (-:
@ Tomislav, click on "Endomondo" at the top right corner , which will take you directly to your Endomondo page. Then click "workouts" at the top of the page and it will show all your workouts for each day for the month and you can go back to any month that you have entered workouts and add, delete, or edit any of your workouts. Some people also do walking, running, or swimming and different icons will show this. You can also click on statistics and get graphs of your workouts by year, month, or week whatever you want. I really like that feature on Endomondo because I can go back and see how many miles I biked each month from when I started entering workouts last year and it will show me what mles were transport and which ones were sport, People who enter heart rates even have all that information stored on here for each workout.
Just did my usual 54km commute each way after being off the bike for about 5 weeks. Took me 15mins longer and a lot of pain (saddle sore and legs). I was surprised how quickly I lost fitness. At times I was thinking why am I doing this! Then I thought of all the health benefits and the challenge. Hopefully I will regain fitness quickly and start to enjoy the ride again.
Brian, bibs for me - I can't stand a waistband pushing into my stomach. Last year I tried and returned many and ended up with Pearl Izumi in-r-cool pro. There may be better out there somewhere, but these are the best I've tried.
@ Gregg - I call Fox Valley Cab in Neenah. They offer 24 hour roadside service and a van that will haul you and your bike anywhere in the Fox Valley for about $20-$25. I have used this once, but it was well worth it. Probably other cab companies will offer similar service, but they are my go to guys.
Question regarding scoring. My profile is currenlty correctly showing I have entered 38 days with 647 bicycle miles since January 1. 38x20+647 should result in 1407 points. Yet the Wisconsin Bike Challenge page is showing 1372 points, consistently 35 points too few since I started entering it all about two weeks ago. Clearly it is missing one of my many 15 mile days. How do I find which one and fix it?
Bibs or Shorts?
My road side repair kit includes: 1 spare Tube, Patch Kit (without the glue, just peel off the back and stick it on) 1 CO2 tire inflator, 2 CO2 cartridges, 2 tire levers, and a presta valve adaptor.
After using CO2 to inflate a tire I would never use anything else. It inflates your tire in a second and off you go. It’s small, compact and light. I always carry 2 cartridges just in case I get another flat.
I agree with Gregg about hating anything mounted to my bike. My bike computer has a little rattle that irritates me. Any little rattle, click, tick, or noisy chain drives me nuts.
EVERY DAY IS A BICYCLE RIDE!
I guess 2,000 miles this winter was enough to completely wear out my Gary Fisher hybrid as needs a new front fork, bottom bracket, chain, rear hub, rear derailleur, all new cables and a respoked rear wheel. Instead of fixing it and spending half of what a new bike would cost my wonderful wife is buying me a new fixie commuter from Cranked Bike Studio in Neenah. Now I can ride my new Raleigh Furley to the Regal Beagle through rain, sleet, and snow. That’s right all of the models in this line have a name from Threes Company :)
@Joan, The actual challenge doesn't start till 1 May. This is just the warm-up, everyone's numbers go back to ZERO on 1 May.
@Vanessa, Have a wonderful time riding your first century - take your time, relax and enjoy the ride. Remember to stop and smell the roses along the way.
I thought this didn't start until May 1?
And bicyclists themselves are the most friendlest people I have ever met. Most bicyclists acknoweldge each other in some way when they see each other by making contact, waving etc. They are not all stressed out and generally have a smile on their face and seem to be very happy people. Life in general use to be more like this with people sitting on their front porches greeting people as they walked by, even inviting total strangers in for coffee or a beer. Now people secude themsevles and build decks and patios in the back . Our technology and the internet has caused us to lose a lot of the personal contact we use to have with people and now everything is so impersona and stressful. Biking tends to restore a lot of what we have lost from our technology and people want this back again. i know I do and that;s why I love biking. I always have preferred life to be more simple and layed back and not so hurried.
Some of the best experiences I have had with biking so much last year is the people you meet on the road, at races, even at the store and other places I commute to. People seem to be more friendly to me than when I am out driving. Then it's a rat race and road rage and people are more crabby . But when they see me biking, they are more friendly. At least that has been my experience. At intersections when they have the right away, many times they patiently wait and motion me to go first. When I'm locking my bike up at a bike rack someplace, total strangers will stop and talk to me about biking. And even the motorists around the Fox Valley seem to be very respectful of us on the road and think it's great that we bike all over the place as a means. of transportation. I see a lot of support for biking here in Wisconsin and that is great. Many can see that we are often not just out for a joy ride, but are taking care of our business just like them, but doing it on a bike instead. I think a lot of people even envy us and wish they could do it too, but for one reason or another don't think they physcially can do it, or are so busy with their job and everything else that they just don't find the time to do it. Almost every manager at UPS has personally come and talked to me and has really taken an interest in my biking, wanting to know how far I bike to work everyday, how long it takes me, and what other biking I do besides commuting to work. Even many of the mechanics have come and talked to me about biking and many people tell me, that they wish they could bike like I do because they see the postive things that result from it and they envy us.
Does anyone know if there are any roadside assistance membership for bikers like AAA for cars, where you can just call a toll free number wherever you are and they send someone out to fix flats or minor repairs to get you back on the road or take you and your bike to the nearest bike shop for more major repairs etc. at no extra charge other than your yearly membeship dues? I have AAA for our motor vehicles and have used their service a lot with flats, dead batteries, keys locked in the car, and water pumps leaking and blow outs etc. I've really come to love that service and with the low cost yearly membeship, I find it really worth it. They lose money on me because I use their service so much. lol I also like the AAA tour books and you can get these for free with your membership. Bike tour books would be cool. They could also give you Trip Tiks where they map out the best bike route for you for where you want to go and provide information on area attractions in biking tour books. I'm sure there has to be a service like this because I'm sure a lot of cyclists would like something like that. And then they could offer discounts on biking gear, food, and other biking supplies. :) It would have to be a nationwide service so that if you are biking out of state, there woud be someone who can still help you. I think if such a service was available, it would take some of the fear away that people have with bikes and maybe they would bike more knowing that they have this peace of mind when they are out riding, especially by themself. I can change a flat, but lot of people who are out riding probably don't and even if they do know how, prefer to let someone else do it for them, so they can get back on the road quickly without getting dirt and grease all over their hands and clothes. .
@Jenny, I enjoy reading everyone's posts here, too.
Being regrettably constitutionally inclined toward lounging and bon-bon consumption, bicycling has been the ONE exercise I’ve consistently enjoyed since teetering on my first two-wheeler half a century ago. Participation in last year’s Wisconsin Bike Challenge motivated me to double my usual annual mileage …and ride further than I ever have in twelve months (-: It vastly stretched my parameters regarding reasonable weather and distance. (and as a bonus, certain recalcitrant, disturbingly pudgy, jiggling portions of my anatomy have receded and become less mobile (- ;) I was continually inspired, energized and challenged by the connection with a larger cycling community. I’m delighted with the national expansion, and enjoying seeing the numbers rise daily. This year’s challenge begins on my birthday, which I regard as a particularly auspicious gift. Welcome to all new and returning riders…..Carpe Diem, Roll On, and ENJOY THE RIDE!
@Rob It doesn't look like the Marathon tires come in a size that will work on my rims on the Schwinn Paramount. My bike is really a racing/touring bike for long distance rides and is not really a commuter bike and my tires are really narrow. I need 700 x20c 622 but 23c will also work and is what I have on now. My tires are to be kept at 120 psi.
The problem with frame pumps is they steal them unless you take it off the bike and carry it with you every time you park your bike, which is a pain. They also rattle over bumps, which I didn't like. I don't like a lot of things attached to my bike that people can steal and that rattle. One of my pet biking peeves are riders with noisy bikes that rattle and clank and need some lube on their chain. In the Paper Discovery Duthalon in Neenah there were some rattle and clanky bikes. But I was also awed by the $8,000 bikes that some of the elite athletes were riding with the shields on the rims and spokes and aero bar and the wierd cone shaped helmets. I do have a red flashing tail light that is mounted on my saddle post and they could easily steal that, too, because the light snaps out real easy. If you got to take all this stuff off every time you park your bike somehwere, it can be a real pain. That's why I like my bright headband headlight because it's on my head and not on the bike and I can direct the light by just turning my head. I had a headlight mounted on the handle bars once and every time you went over a bump, it went dim. I'd have to hit it to make it go bright again. It's a Zefal brand and the tail light I have on my bike now came with the headlight that you mount on the bike.. The tail light works great and is bright and takes just 3 AAA batteries that last a long time. But the headlight that came with it is worthless.. And almost every review on the light said the same thing that the tail light is great, but the headlight goes dim over bumps and you have to hit it to make it go bright again.. I have a Trek bike computer that was on the bike when I bought it used from the UPS driver and that works really great and is very accurate and takes a cell battery that you only have to change about once a year.
I actually also put down cigarettes a few months ago, and just picked up the bicycling thing around the same time!
Never felt better!
Made my wish from yesterday, we are at 10,008 riders. Keep finding riders.
Vanessa, I am older but had a similar experience. Several years ago started riding first time in 30 years. Last year Endo came along along with the challenge and made it really fun. Lots of good people out there riding bikes!!
I put down cigarettes & picked up a bike last year, at age 50. Never before had I done anything athletic. Endomondo made my transformation fun. This Saturday 7 of my new found cycling friends & I are going on, what will be my 1st 100 miler. I'll be sure to have Endomondo along & add my miles to this challenge. Wish us luck! :O)
Looking forward to getting back into shape. Great women's bike ride on Thursday nights in LaGrange, WI
Gregg, I suggest you get a Topeak Road Morph G Bike Pump with Gauge. it's great. I had been using a really good Lezyne mini pump, but the Topeak has a gauge built in, plus it folds out so you can use it like a floor pump.
How do I change riding for.....
I'm still a big fan of good old fashioned frame pump. A pump set up for the presta (there are plenty with both presta and schrader on the same head) will fill as many tires as you need at a lot less than $4 each. With CO2, you only get as many do-overs as you carry cylinders, and sometimes flats come in groups :-)
Gregg,
The problem with CO2 cartridges is that when it warms up it becomes less dense and you lose pressure. They work great in an emergency and will keep your tire inflated for the remainder of your ride, I always make sure to completely deflate the tire after I return home and pump up with a standard floor pump. And Charlie L is right, always carry a spare adapter or two.
Great to hear stories about people getting back on their bikes. That's what this is all about!
Well one more weekend before the show begins. Good Luck every one!
Bought my bike yesterday, have been looking for a while!
I mangled my rear derailleur hanger hopping over logs, once it's fixed I'll help put down some miles.
@Gregg, I always enjoy reading your posts!
@Rob, Are you saying you don't even carry spare tubes or patch kits? smile....
Not sure if this would work for every rider, but I have elected to pay the $$ and go with an extremely tough tire. No flats in over 2 years and looks like I have one more season on this pair. http://www.schwalbetires.com/bike_tires/road_tires/marathon_plus
"Punctures become obsolete with the MARATHON PLUS! The SmartGuard layer made from a flexible, special rubber offers particular resistance to shards of glass and flints. Even a thumbtack cannot penetrate this protective layer. The SmartGuard belt does not increase rolling resistance.
The MARATHON PLUS rolls as easily as a tire without protection."
Got on my bike for the first time in years today... Felt great!
I DO NOT like fragile, finicky Presta valves! As last season brought an unprecedented number of flats, I’m pleased to learn there are such things as valve adapters…and CO2 cartridges which would work. On the plus side I got pretty good at changing tires. Took to always traveling with patch kit, spare tube, tire levers, portable pump and “fix-a-flat” (only fits a Schrader valve) which left me QUITE (undeservedly) smug about being prepared until winter evening roadside tire change involving spare tire with defective PRESTA valve…and shortly thereafter my final wheel failure of mid-December…when the rear hub simply disintegrated...trailing tiny wheel bearings….at which point I concluded chilly, tired, aging cycle was telling me it was DONE for the year. (There was also a moral lesson in there somewhere about “pride goeth before…..” but I did my best to ignore it (-;)
Gregg, I have carried an adapter screwed to one tire so I can always use the gas station pump if needed. It is about the same as taking off the valve cap. Buy one just in case and throw it on the presta valve on the front tire. After you have closed the presta valve of course.
Only 450 more riders and we will have 10,000 riders. But half of you have not done any warm up yet. We need all of you to get up and ride, if we are going to reach 10 million miles in 4 months. That 's an average of 200,000 miles per state. Many states with big metropolitan cities will ride a whole lot more than that,, but they will have to make up for the states in the bush, who don't have many riders. Perhaps next year based on population, each state can be given a personal goal for their state.
They got air compressor in the rnechanic shop at UPS, but doesn't do any good for a presta valve without an adaptor. Most of the mechanics work 3rd shift because it's the only time they can do their maintenace and repairs on the package cars. It keeps them very busy all night changing oil, repairing, and maintaining a fleet of 100 package cars, plus all the UPS trailers. too, that break down in the area.. They need a bike mechanic, too, for us bike commuters. :)
It was one of those days that I wish I didn't ride to work. On my way to work, I hit a big stone in the road and got a pinch flat about 1 1/2 miles from work. It takes me at least a 1/2 hour to fix a flat and would have been late for work and I knew I could run the last 1 1/2 miles faster than that, so I ran the rest of the way to work pushing my bike. So technically the last 1 1/2 miles was transport running, not cycling. lol. I had a spare tube with me to fix the flat after work, but my presta adaptor on my liitte tire pump cracked in half, so I had no way of getting air. I walked to the BP station on the corner of Schnell and 76 to see if they had any adaptors or hand pumps to get air and they had nothing. The citgo station aross the street had no adaptors or hand pumps either. I walked down the road to Bergstrom automotive and they had no adaptors or tire pumps either that would work on my presta valve. But they said they could take me over to Wheel N' Sprocket. They didn''t even charge me to run me over there, so either they were just being very kind or Bergstrom owns Wheel N' Srprocket in Oshkosh. In any case I was very grateful for that. I knew my my Continental tires were getting bad because I have over 3,000 miles on them and probably why I got another flat in just 2 weeks. I ordered tires online through Amazon and they should have been here last week and have no idea why they aren't here. So I bought a pair of Vittoria Rubino Pro tires from Wheel N' Sprocket. He said these would give me a softer ride, but might have just a little more drag than my Continental Grand Prix 4000's, but probably wouldn't even notice the difference. And I bought a portable CO2 Tire Inflator, so I don't need to carry a presta adaptor or a tire pump anymore. This is so much better than a tire pump because it is so small and can fit in your back pocket and the cartridge has enough pressure to inflate 1 tire fully and you can buy cartridge replacements for just $4 and inflates the tire easily and quickly, so you can get back on the road. I didn't even know there was a portable tire inflator like this on the market until just 2 weeks ago. But it sure beats carrying a portable tire pump with you. I definitely recommend always having a spare tube and a CO2 tire inflator with you whenever you ride.
The only good thing I can say about my flat today is that it made me commute home from Wheel N Sprocket and gave me 9 more points in the warmup, which will help defeat La Crosse. :)
It was one of those days that I wish I didn't ride to work. On my way to work, I hit a big stone in the road and got a pinch flat about 1 1/2 miles from work. It takes me at least a 1/2 hour to fix a flat and would have been late for work and I knew I could run the last 1 1/2 miles faster than that, so I ran the rest of the way to work pushing my bike. So technically the last 1 1/2 miles was transport running, not cycling. lol. I had a spare tube with me to fix the flat after work, but my presta adaptor on my liitte tire pump cracked in half, so I had no way of getting air. I walked to the BP station on the corner of Schnell and 76 to see if they had any adaptors or hand pumps to get air and they had nothing. The citgo station aross the street had no adaptors or hand pumps either. I walked down the road to Bergstrom automotive and they had no adaptors or tire pumps either that would work on my presta valve. But they said they could take me over to Wheel N' Sprocket. They didn''t even charge me to run me over there, so either they were just being very kind or Bergstrom owns Wheel N' Srprocket in Oshkosh. In any case I was very grateful for that. I knew my my Continental tires were getting bad because I have over 3,000 miles on them and probably why I got another flat in just 2 weeks. I ordered tires online through Amazon and they should have been here last week and have no idea why they aren't here. So I bought a pair of Vittoria Rubino Pro tires from Wheel N' Sprocket. He said these would give me a softer ride, but might have just a little more drag than my Continental Grand Prix 4000's, but probably wouldn't even notice the difference. And I bought a portable CO2 Tire Inflator, so I don't need to carry a presta adaptor or a tire pump anymore. This is so much better than a tire pump because it is so small and can fit in your back pocket and the cartridge has enough pressure to inflate 1 tire fully and you can buy cartridge replacements for just $4 and inflates the tire easily and quickly, so you can get back on the road. I didn't even know there was a portable tire inflator like this on the market until just 2 weeks ago. But it sure beats carrying a portable tire pump with you. I definitely recommend always having a spare tube and a CO2 tire inflator with you whenever you ride.
The National Bike Challenge is becoming more and more popular. Over the past 24 hours, more than 1500 new riders registered and over 100,000 miles were ridden. Great work everyone. Keep filling your teams up and sharing the word with your friends, family and co-workers. Only 6 more days until the official start on May 1.
Hope to see the rider number grow to over 10,000 by this time tomorrow. Go sign up riders!!
I learned to ride a bike when I was about 7 years old. When I was 10 my mother bought me a shiny blue bike at our local hardware store. I rode it all the time until I got my automobile drivers' license and started ignoring my faithful bike. Then about 46 years later, I bought ordered an orange bike, site unseen, from www.PUBLICBikes.com. I named it Orangecicle. And now I am an avid bicycling advocate in my south Texas community. Saturday mornings find me riding with Ciclistas Urbanos around Edinburg, McAllen, and Mission, Texas. "CU on the Road" is our motto! Check us out at www.ciclistasurbanos.org
My workplace's home page currently says 1 rider and 0 employees, though we have 14 riders signed up... is there anything I can do to fix this?
Crazy I was going to buy a bike today anyways! I'm excited!
Just learned to ride a 2 years ago, was not brave enough until then....loved riding my tricycle when I was a toddler but never rode a bicycle until in my 40's.....absolutely love it ~ thrilling! :-) Hope I can gain the courage to ride to work ~ especially LOVE bicyling as a family! :-)
Justin, thanks, I thought it was just me. Mike and Wally, "Local" just disappeared yesterday. It was available before, even yesterday morning. I have the same IE connection as before. Very strange... I emailed Endomondo about it. Haven't heard back.
I have to drive in the car to work. Weekends love to play golf and biking. I'm looking for the challenge . Even I can't win, it is fun. Any team looking for weekend rider?
I work from home but commute to the gym, for shopping etc. So my miles will add up if I get on the bike everytime I leave the house:) Starting May 1st
What web browser are you using? I noticed that Internet Explorer seems to have issues with the Endomondo site (maybe the Challenge site as well). Mozilla/Firefox seems to work a lot better.
Mike, I also cannot see the "Local" link at the top of the page. It used to be right next to the "National" link top left. I do not even see Omaha.
Already road my bike(s) a total of a 1000 miles this year...thinking I need to up this year's goal to 5,000 miles instead of just 4,000. Life is short. Ride Far. Ride Safe.
Got back into cycling a couple of years ago due to gas prices. Loving it and I ride just about anywhere.
@Burklee...if you are talking about Lincoln, NE...we were being included with the Activate Omaha Challenge page, we are trying to get endomondo tech support to help us set up a Lincoln page. For now it is just a "general" Challenge Web Page you go to when you visit Lincoln, NE
Any long distance Unicycle riders out there? I'm ready to ride!!
Our local page seems to have gone away. I can only look at the national challenge page. Wha happened?!?!
I will start out riding 20 miles a week and work to increase it as the weeks go by with an ending goal of at least 40 miles a week
I use biking as a pleasureable cross training tool for my running---I should be able to get 40 to 50 miles per week in and have a half century scheduled for mid June--maybe I can find another century or two before end of August
I'll shoot for a hundred miles per week, 70 to/from work the rest with family.
Here we go...keep on bikin'.
Sounds like fun! I will try to ride my bicycle as much as possible!
All my miles are on a stationary bike for the warm up period. My bike is in the shop being repaired. Hopefully i will be ready when you start.
I've been riding about 20 miles per week for the last month, so going to increase my goal to 30 miles per week to start for this challenge and then increase it as I go along. I'll ask friends if they want to join a team.
I will try to increase my mileage. I usually bike indoors in a spinning class.
I will try for 20 miles per week as a start then will hope to increase it as I go along.
Agree with all that this is something worth doing. As you watch the number of riders it is growing. We all need to help get the word out to even more riders to meet the goal. It is really a good Challenge, just hard to let everyone know. Where is social media when you need it? Also, it is okay to sign up for the Challenge even after it starts so keep telling riders you see about the Challenge after May 1.
I am aiming for 50 miles a week ... since my commute is so short (2.44 miles one way) I will have to bike home for lunch as well ... Looking forward to this!!
Important difference between Oshkosh and La Crosse. The La Crosse community stretches across the boarder into Minnesota. Oshkosh data is all within Wisconsin. So, to get the true picture of the challenge be sure to watch the horserace from the National Leaderboard.
This sounds like a fun and exciting challege. My goal is to ride 50 miles a week, maybe more if time permits. Good luck to everyone! Happy trails!
I am aiming for 20 miles a week to start !! Then increasing slowly
It's tight with my schedule, but I'm looking for 30 a week! Hopefully more!
Alright!!! 4-5 miles a day, everyday! let's do this!
Anybody watching La Crosse and Oshkosh battle it out lately? They are very closely matched.
10,000,000 miles / 50,000 rider / 13 weeks = 16 miles/wk. Definitely doable for most people even just commuting 1 or 2 days a week. I'm in!
Finished my 14th BP MS150 from Houston to Austin, Texas this last weekend. Saturday was tough with brutal headwinds, Sunday was nice. Taking a few days off to rest and recover.
Training for the seattle to portland (STP) 204 mile ride on July 14/15th, so yeah I'll be putting in the miles while also training for my Tri's and spreading the word about the challenge.
@Gregg Warning. I just joined from WI and hope to help raise participation percentages. I'm doing the Scenic Shore 150 so there will be lots of miles before the ride in July. Doing my part to help. :-)
Although 10 million miles is the goal, it would be nice if we could hit 50 million. I believe that's very reachable if we can average a million miles per state. Obviously, some states will have to do more than a million because the population of some states are quite small in population and some states are not as biker friendly. It will be interesting how this all plays out. this year, since this is the first year for a national challenge.
Celebrate Bike Commuting this Friday at 6:30. Music and Food start at 6:30PM and discussion on Bike Commuting with Rob Gusky and Al Lemke at 7:30
214 E. Pacific St. Appleton WI. Indoor bike racks available.
@Joseph Smith I think we had over 4,500 riders join the Wisconsin challenge last year, but if I remember correctly only about half of those logged any miles. I'm not sure why they joined and didn't log any miles in the challenge. I think many had good intentions, but didn't follow through. In spite of that we reached the 1 million goal in Wisconsin the end of August. The challenge in Wisconsin last year went from May 16, which was bike to work week, and ended on September 30. In the National Challenge this year there are currently over 8,000 riders, but again only about half of these have logged any miles in the warm up. Let's hope we have more than a 50% participation from those who have joined once the challenge begins next week. Get up and ride and ride safely.
Great to be aboard at Goodwill NCW. Thanks Jeff S. for the info.
Awesome! From the PNW....Have fun ....be safe ..... Ride hard!
This will be a nice extension to April's "30 Days of Biking"!
Grace, the team name and other data can be edited by the person that created the team. Go to your Endo home page and click on the team name on the left panel. There you will find an edit button.
ive been riding to work and home for about 6 years. i ride about 5 miles to work and home rain snow or shine. riding my bicycle keeps me healthy and young, when o get to work im awake and feeling happy
Just signed up. Hope to ride my bike to work and back once school is out.
How do we change our team's name? I made one, totally typoe'd it. :(
I think that the point is some riders may only go a few 10s of miles during the event while others do a few thousand. If the average mileage is 200, that seems like a respectable personal goal. Remember, the point is not about the competition, but to advocate the act of cycling towards a goal; in this case the 10 Million miles.
If the 10 Million mark is smashed, then it will only raise the bar for next year!
Isn't the goal of 10 Million miles a little small. 50K riders would only have to avg 200 miles per person, most riders I know could smash that.
Anyone riding around Maumelle/Little Rock just send me a message.
I think the whole month of May is going to be a big sign up month and will probably reach 50,000 by June 1.
It kind of looks like we will have 10,000 riders by May 1 because every few minutes there are several new riders. It's growing pretty steady right now.
Now is the time to get your bikes checked out and and your teams ready. To have the best shot, go out and recruit more riders to fill your team to capacity of 10 riders. At 12:01 am on May 1 all points will be reset back to zero. How many chances in life do you get for a fresh start, so make the most of it. Best of luck to everyone, have fun and ride safe!
Do you think we will we pass 10,000 riders by May 1??
Almost 8,000 riders and 1 more week before the challenge begins.. Are you ready for some cycling? haha
All my Colorado cycling peeps. If you're looking for a team to join, search for "Team Monkey Butt". Lets log some miles! Also, if you're in the Salida area and would like to ride, drop me a note.
Not bothered by any lake flies at 4:15 this morning, but the warmer air by 9 am was briniging them out in swarms by the lake. I will probbaly start taking the route on the frontage road by Hwy. 41 tomorrow on my commute home. which is only a mile longer.
@Ike - sounds like you are in auto mode. Go to settings and turn that off if you don't want it. Good luck!
Beer. Good.
I fire up my app, and within seconds it tells me "time paused" and then a few seconds later "time resumed". Does anyone know how to adjust those settings? Thanks
Beer.
Hi Brian - my team is full, but sre there any Appleton teams with openings? FCCA members? Let Brian know
@Stephen Powers, thanks four the clarification.
Is there any solo rides that want to join a team? Or even smaller teams that want to combine into one?
The lake flies are starting to hatch. I wonder how bad they are going to be this year. It was so bad last year that I had to go routes farther away from the lake. They are just nasty and they smell when they get plastered all over your clothes, body, and bike. It reminded me of that movie about the killer bees. If it gets really warm and stays warm, they get very active, which kills them faster. But, if it stay on the cool side, they can survive for weeks.
Just created the Broad Institute team for members of the Broad Institute in Cambridge MA.
I'm saving my legs for 5/1, LOL!!!
@Brad Yeah, I noticed there are some guys that are really hammering it here, even in the warm up, which is great. But as far as the prizes here , everyone's kind of on an equal footing because whatever level you can get to by the end of the month, everyone who made that level is put into the drawing for those prizes and if you don't win one there, your name goes into the lower level drawings as well. I think the organizers have done a great job in setting this up and every year it's only going to get better and every year there are going to be more riders in this as word gets out and people start having fun with this. I have to admit that before last year, I saw a bike as a kid's toy. But it's amazing the business that you can take care of, the transportation it can provide even for adults, and the fun it can give you as a toy, even as an adult, and amazing what this thing on 2 wheels can do for your health. I'm giving blood again today at the Menasha library and riding there and the nurse tells me every time, my numbers go right off the chart, they are so good. They like my blood. Good health is one of the most precious things anyone can have because when you are not well, it's no fun and then you can't do what you want to do and you aren't much help to anyone else either when you are not well. So it is important to take care of yourself and your body the best you can and I have found biking to be a very important tool toward that goal. I have gone over a whole year already without a single lost day of work. That has never happened to me in 51 years. I don't know if the challenge last year and the one this year has had any affect on this, but if nobody gets hurt on our preload shift at UPS this week, we will have gone a whole year without a single injury. This has never happened in the history of UPS at the Oshkosh center. They are rewarding all of us with t shirts and a cook out celebration and they already gave us donuts last week for making 300 days.
I have biked 21 days out 23 so far this month and I'm in 92nd place and keep moving backwards. This Challenge is awesome! Brad and Gregg - you won't find me getting lost anywhere - its from the barn to work and back in the barn most days. That's enough for me 5 days a week.
The point system is also great for encouraging regular cyclists to make the extra effort to get on the bike in inclement weather. My bike commute in the rain this morning was shorter than usual, but the 20 points provided the incentive to bike to the metro station rather than drive.
Sometimes guys tell me they can't bike to work because they live too far from work. But you don't have to do it every day if you can't or don't want to. Pick a nice day each week with nice weather and calm winds and do it just once a week. Another option is if it really is too far and you can't even do it once a week is to drive part way and bring your bike with you on a bike carrier or in a truck or van and find a good place where it is permissible to park your vehicle while you are at work and ride the rest of the way. Whatever distance you ride to work, you are saving money and getting exercise for your health, plus you get points in the bike challege for even riding part way and you may find this to very enjoyable every day. One of the UPS drivers who lives in Fond du Lac and drives to the UPS center in Oshkosh every day told me he is thinking of doing this. He wants to just ride maybe 6-8 miles every day one way, so this would be 12-16 miles round trip. He wants to find a place about half way to work and park and ride to work the rest of the way. These are some things people can do when they do live kind of far from work or don't have the best bike route to ride in to work al lthe way. I never thought I would enjoy biking to work in the dark so early in the morning every day, especially when I knew it was 9 miles. I do have to get up a little earlier, but only 15 minutes earlier than if I drive and I don't miss that extra 15 minutes of sleep at all. In fact I get really depressed when the weather is really bad for one reason or another and I have to drive to work. My whole day is ruined and then when it is not as bad as I thought it might be, I'm really mad that I didn't ride. haha
You're on to me Gregg - that's what I did last year. But I have afeeling there are going to be a lot of people beating me this year. I'm seeing big miles accumulating already. I'm no longer the big fish here. But it is exciting to have so many new riders and new names. It will be fun to see how it all pans out.
Thanks for the explanation about trips guys! :)
I think the point system in the challenge this year is good because it encourages newbies and children and those who don't yet have the stamina to bike the longer distances yet to just "get up and ride" somewhere and anywhere's, even if it only is a mile. They are rewarded very generously with 21 points for biking only a mile. This is a great challenge even for a newbie, who can accumulate a lot of points by biking every day, even it all they can do are the short rides. Yet at the same time, it is also a great challenge motivator for the more experienced and long distance rider, who knows if he rides that extra 10 miles, he will get another 10 points that day and if he keeps this up, he might even beat Brad Waldoch. haha
I think this challenge is going to get very intense this year once this all starts for real. I would have never thought last year of riding a longer way home from work. But this year I may intentially get lost with no map and may have to bike down every street in Oshkosh and Neenah to get home. That's the only way I will beat Brad. haha
If EVERY ride is 2 trips, it counts that way for everyone, then I see no problem, Stephen.
Stephen - that equalizes sport and transport.Wither you are doing one long sport ride or your commute back and forth to work you will get 20 trip points, but no more for that day regardless of how many trips are made. 20 trip points per day is the max anyone can get. Then the 1 point per mile will accumulate on top of that. This system of using trip points also attempts to equalize short distance casual riders with the power bikers so that they don't fell like they're getting left in the dust and why bother. No system can ever be perfect, but I think it's a pretty fair setup.
Commute will count as 2 trips? That's not right, then every ride would be 2 trips. To destination, then back.
Slowly recording faster times and longer distances
@Paul - that was the plan, but I have not seen anything in Bicycling yet. We will follow-up, thanks
Had frost on the lawn again this morning. Getting tired of dressing like Sasquatch in order to ride to work.
Another quick question about publicity...has anyone tried to get a blurb in any of the cycling magazines (like "Bicycling")? That might be a way to get the word out to wide group. Kudos if you have already done this strategy.
Spring? A little warm? 101 deg sounds more like Hades. haha
A little warm today abvout 101 deg today looks like spring is finnaly here.
From Oklahoma City and the weather has been nice this spring, hoping to get alot of riding in this year
Closing in on 7,000 riders and 600,000 miles! Great work everyone!
I'm in. We will leave Appleton and La Crosse in the dust.
@Charlie - how bout the city that wins the Wisconsin Challenge get a celebration in September.
Crisp cold morning here in Neenah, WI (34) and Phoenix is having record heat (104 degrees) after record cold in March. It's very hard on the body to bike in temps like that. We had a week of those temps last summer with also dewpoints over 70.
Bob, maybe those riding across Nebraska that are supporting the Challenge could fly a little banner showing their colors (Challenge Participants). Just something small behind their seat. Or, a National Challenge card in their spokes. lol
What are some ideas we should give the community leaders to consider for the friendly challenge?
I will be doing the Bike Ride Across Nebraska in June; 455 miles in 7 days with 600 other riders, would be awesome if we could get together as a team for the Bike Challenge. This might be something for other cross state rides to promote, The training miles could put us to the moon and back.
Only 3 miles today but that was with a full burley trailer load of groceries, do you get extra credit for that?
E-mail sent to all three Rob. Hopefully we can get this going!!!
Kevin, The challenge includes all cyling - road, mountain, commuting, etc.
During sign up for the challenge you can specify a commute distance. That distance is used later to help quickly log these often repetitive types of rides.
Why does my profile specify commuting? Is this a commuting challenge only?
If you live in the Appleton, La Crosse or Oshkosh areas, congratulations as these 3 Wisconsin cities are ranked the #1, 2 and 3 Communities in the National Bike Challenge pre-season (There are riders from more than 450 metro areas already registered). I have sent a letter to the mayors (and Oshkosh City Manager) inviting them to have a friendly challenge between these 3 cities. If you would like to help promote the Challenge in your area, please email your city leader and let them know you support the National Bike Challenge and encourage them to challenge the 2 other Wisconsin cities.
Appleton Mayor Tim Hanna [email protected]
La Crosse Mayor Mathias Harter [email protected]
Oshkosh City Manager Mark A. Rohloff [email protected]
The bike challenge must be causing a big increase in bike sales, biking gear and bike clothing etc. in the Fox Valley. Our volume is running really high at UPS right now. My first trailer on Friday had at least a dozen bikes on it and we are getting over 20 full trailers every day in Oshkosh.
We also have a bike race this summer in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin on August 19 called "Race the Lake" and begins in Fond du Lac at the foot of Lake Winnebago and the 90 mile course goes north on the west side of the lake through Oshkosh, Neenah, Menasha, which is at the top of the lake over to High Cliff State Park on the east side of the lake, which has a big hill to climb and is half way. The course continues along the lake on the east side back to the finish line at Lakeside Park in Fond du Lac, where there is suppose to be beer and everyone in the race gets a pasta dinner. But I heard last year all the fast racers drank it all before the slower ones got back. lol This is the longest all citizen timed bike race in the United States and the course travels roads which is open to traffic, but the sherrifs from all 4 counties along the course monitor and block traffic at all major intersections on the course. There are 5 rest stops that have body fuel, water, porta pottys, if you need to stop. The first wave are the elite racers, which are racing for some big cash payouts. There are big monetary prizes for reaching certain points on the course first, including "the king of the hill" prize for reaching the top of the hill first at High Ciff. I'm registered this year for this and is my first time to do this, so I am really looking forward to this. The only requirement is you have to average at least 12.5 mph and you have to get to High Cliff by 10 am or they will not let you finish the race. It will be a nice finish for me in this challenge, if I make it all the way and will count for 110 points in the challenge. I chose the 20 mph wave because I think I can average 20 mph drafting the whole way in a pack of 50. And if I can't, I can just fall back to one of the slower waves. This bike race is getting bigger every year and has athletes in it from all over the country. There were over 1,500 in it last year. Registration is still open, but waves are filling up fast and once the wave hits 50, that wave is closed. You can register online at this link: http://www.midwestsportsevents.com/racethelake.html
If you want a shot at the money, you need to average at least 26 mph. The winner last year was Doug Kallies from Beaver Dam, WI and he was 50 years old and averaged 26.4 mph. Amazing! I know I could not do that for 90 miles. I might be able to get up to 26 mph with a little tail wind and drafting, but I know i could not sustain that for 90 miles without a rest.
@Timothy Any time you ride, even just for fun, sport, recreation counts in this challenge, too, not just transport and commuting miles. We have a duathlon at Riverside Park in Neenah here on Sunday, May 6 that I am registered for and the bike course for this event is 19 miles, so that is 39 points in the challenge. :)
That would be really great, if they came out with a story about it on the cover page of the national news, instead of all the political drama and games. :)
I work from home so I don't really have a commute. However, if I have to go get groceries I can bike to that for this event.
I was contacted by the PC earlier this week - there is a potential story, but you never know.
@Rob Do you know if the local newspapers are going to have anything about the bike challenge before the start date? I haven't seen anything in the Post Crescent yet.
Not very nice weather in Neenah, WI this morning with a cold 34 degree drizzy rain along with 18 mph winds from the NE, so I didn't bike to work today. But the sun came out and warmed up to 50 degrees this afternoon and got a 17 .6 mile ride in.
I'm pretty much a fair weather biker. I didn't bike to work. The combination of a cold drizzly rain and the 18 mph winds didn't look very enjoyable. But this is the first day this month that I didn't bike to work and it seemed wierd driving to work.. It turned out to be a nice afternoon, so just went for a ride on trestle bridge and CB Trail and was fun.
Just returned from a wonderful 20 mile ride. Weather is perfect here in NEPA...sunny, 70 degrees, & not a cloud in the sky!
If you live in the La Crosse area, or are going to be visiting in town this Sat. evening, the Driftess Region Bicycle Coalition will be hosting their 3rd Annual Join The Cause Party at the Pearl St. Brewery: http://driftlessbicycle.org/ All members and non-members are invited.
Come find out what the DRBC is about, as well as enjoying some food, door prizes, music, great beer, and the company of all different type of cyclists.
Had a problem with the Facebook event link for the May Moonlight ride - meet at 9pm at Appleton City Park on Friday May 4. Helmets and lights required - easy ride of about 4 miles to experience some of the new bike lanes and check out the action on College Ave.
If you live in the Fox Cities, we have recently formed a new bike advocacy group. You are invited to check us out at http://foxcitiescycling.wordpress.com/ If you like what you see - come and join us, we meet the 2nd Monday of every month at 6:30 pm at the Appleton Public Library. Our next event is the May Moonlight Ride, this should be a fun time https://www.facebook.com/groups/194255943966874/#!/events/263777990381985/
If you're looking at promoting the Challenge to friends and co-workers, there are some helpful graphics here, for both print and web. http://nationalbikechallenge.org/ao/graphics.html This includes a full-page poster and four-to-a-page flyers.
My goal is to have Wyoming be the state with the highest number of participants - based on percentage of the population. So I throw down the challenge to all you state advocacy groups to see what you can do to try to beat us. Wyoming has a population of 500,000 and my goal is to have our state get at least that many miles by the end of August.
Just signed up. I'm going to try and get more colleagues involved.
Last night was not the most fun I had on a bike... I benefitted to some extent from the winds this morning. Still glad to be biking to work rather than driving a car.
Last night, I kept an eye on the radar and worked a little later than usual and caught a "clear" window free from the rain.
Ugh! That was a struggle. 20mph headwind with drizzle was not what I was hoping for. At least I should have an easier ride home. Happy Friday!
Sandra - sounds just like something I would do. I'm always trying to make things 'better'. Like Red Green once said, "I'm a guy who learns by doing - and then fixing what I've done".
Lovely ride to work this morning. Beautiful white landscape. Fortunately no ice or snow on the roads, just a little wet. Worst part was the snowflakes getting in the eyes. Gotta love Wisconsin weather.
Lovely ride to work this morning. Beautiful white landscape. Fortunately no ice or snow on the roads, just a little wet. Worst part was the snowflakes getting in the eyes.
I had to run into Oshkosh for a brake job on my car, was hoping to get in a ride while I was waiting. Of course, the rain came and no ride for me! I had also planned on stopping off at Wheel & Sprocket, but they were closed by the time I got over there. Well, at least my brakes are working on my car :-)
Getting ready to brave the elements - that east wind just kills me on my way home. Maybe its in my head, but that is about as bad as it gets for me...
Messed with my bike too much and fouled up the front derailleur. Now bike is in shop. Miss biking this morning. :( will be back tomorrow. :)
That’s Wisconsin weather. It was a year ago today that we had a big storm with 10 inces of snow....so I can't complain about this year's spring weather! I'm hoping the snow is gone for good!
Don't put your studded bike tires away, yet. I just checked the weather report and 1-4 inches of snow is possible tonight in northern Wisconsin mainly north of Green Bay. Unbelievable! We don't get snow all winter and have beach weather the middle of March and now it decides to snow. I still say we are going to have a blizzard on Memorial Day weekend this year as freaky as our weather is getting.
Don't put your studded bike tires away, yet, Wisconsin riders. I just checked the weather report and 1-4 inches of snow is possible tonight in northern Wisconsin mainly north of Green Bay. Unbelievable! We don't get snow all winter and have beach weather the middle of March and now it decides to snow. I still say we are going to have a blizzard on Memorial Day weekend this year as freaky as our weather is getting.
I think we are scaring the gas companies. The price of gas is coming down. They should be scared. :) We've all had enough of their drama and games. They want to play games? We can play, too. haha
If you have any questions or trouble signing up, the endomondo support team can help you: http://www.endomondo.com/campaign/national/support
@Sarah I think minor children can sign up just like adults and they can use their school for their organization. Children could use their own email address if they have one and if not, they probably could use a parent's email address. I think childen can even sign up on teams and it doesn't have to be all children on the team or even from the same state. A family with parents and children can be a team, if they want. Perhaps they can even get a team together from their own school. This is a great challenge that will really help promote biking even among children. Parents should go biking with their kids and teach them the rules of the road. It's a great experience for them. This challenge has the potential to rethink our whole way of life in this country and it can help solve a lot of our problems because these problems are all interrelated.
@Sarah If I understand it correctrly, I think at the end of the month whatever point level you have reached (50, 150, 500, or 1,500), that rider is entered into that point level drawing. The prizes that you can win are better in the higher levels. It doesn't take much riding to reach the 50 point level. If you biked just 2 days that month and 5 miles each day, that is 50 points. It shouldn't be too difficult for even litte children to reach that level by the end of the first month. :)
Good for you, Dee. Biking is a nice thing to share with your sweetie. Good luck!
What a wonderful motivator! As it happens, I started a weight loss and fitness program 2 weeks ago. I'm out of town right now, but I return home on 5/1/2012 and had planned to start bike riding at that time. This challenge fits in perfectly! My husband has been riding for years, and has tried to get me to join him. I've made a personal commitment to begin riding - for my health and fitness - and for an improved relationship with my husband. Learning about this challenge seems like a God Send to me. Best of luck and happy riding to all of you!
Are there instructions somewhere for signing up minor children for the Bike Challenge? My 8-year-old has been begging to participate since last year, but before I can tell her she can join, I need to know how to get her in! Does she need her own email address? Are there different prize categories for children, or is everyone measured by the same yardstick?
Over 6,200 riders now. That's great, but can we get 50,000 riders? We got a long ways to go to reach that goal. I don't think we will do it before the start of the challenge, but I do think there will be a lot of riders joining in May and June and hopefully we can reach that goal yet. The more we have, the better chance we have to hit the goal of 10 million miles. That's a lot of miles to bike in 4 months, but we can do it.
Great, we have another UPS rider who joined , for a total of 5. 3 from Wisconsin, 1 from Minnesota, and 1 from Georgia.
@Amber - you are right, teams are limited to 10 riders. However, when anyone registers from Wyoming, they are automatically put on the Wyoming state team. Hopefully that will encourage folks - excellent movement in Wyoming moving up 8 positions in the past week! Keep up the good work.
I'm looking to form a BIG team with riders from across the State of Wyoming for our Cycle Wyoming team. Are teams limited to just 10 riders?
Hi Andrew - thanks for being part of the Challenge. I will check into mountain biking points and ensure that this is addressed. Hope you enjoyed your bagel - was it poppy seed?
Hey! What do you mean your not counting my mountian bke miles but you count my roadbike recreational miles? There's really no difference. I even rode my mountain bike 3 miles to my local mountain bike trails and got a bagel before the rde too!
@Gregg, I understand we should ride in the traffic lane in the round about. That is what I have been doing and it works pretty good. Around circles is one place we can travel at the same speed as the cars.
@ Charlie That's one of the things I don't like about our round abouts that they are putting in all over Neenah here. They have these nice bike lanes, but when you get to the round abouts, they disappear and apparantly want you to bike on the sidewalk and cross walks, which seems dangerous with crossing traffic with pedestrians.
@Jim Your profile shows now that you have 1 workout and 18.34 miles and 38 points.
Great ride today with my daughter Ali and Aisha Durham, my bestest new friend!
@Jim - Hi, did you log this manually or with a smart phone. When checking your profile you are currently showing 0 workouts and 0 miles.
I enjoyed my first group ride tonight at Wheel N Sprocket in Appleton and rode 30 miles. It went good, but I probbaly scared everyone as much as I was scared. lol There were 7 of us, including me. I had no trouble keeping up with the pace 18-20 mph, and 24+ mph with the tail wind. It seems like cheating to me when you are drafting. haha Once we got out in the country, I could relax more and it was fun. But I got a flat on the front tire on the way back. I probably had too much pressure in the tire when we hit that 1/4 mile of rough road. I had a spare tube with me and they had the flat fixed for me in no time. I am not that fast in fixing flats yet because that was only my 3rd flat on the bike in over 5,000 miles.
Closing in on 6000 riders and 1/2 million miles. Not bad for a warm-up. Anybody work at a company and want to get a biking program started? Thats how a few of us at Kimberly-Clark began in 2008. I encourage you to try it - it's been a fun ride!
I just logged my first commute and it shows I have 0 points when will that update
I am curious what other states have for bicycle lane markings in the following situation. When I am riding along in a seperated marked bike lane that comes to an end I merge in with the cars to get through the intersection or section of road ahead of me. Do any states use the Sharrow marking immediately following the end of the decicated bike lane to warn drivers that the bike lane ended?
We need to continue to expand access to safe bike trails in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Lower Platte South Natural Reource District is helping to make this happen.
I like Travis's idea, just tailgate someone!
@Gregg, I agree 100% I firmly believe cycling should be a part of every sports program in ALL schools. Almost every kid has a bike and loves to race, we need to take advantage of that in our schools, teach them proper cycling skills and the rules of the road. Not only will it make them healthier, it will make them (AND THEIR PARENTS) more aware of bicycles being on the road and the laws regarding cycling on the roads
Bike to Work Event: Join us in Appleton, WI next Friday April 27th for a kick off event for Bike to Work month: Tales from the Bike Lane with Rob Gusky and Al Lemke from the Fox Cities Cycling Association. Snacks at 6:30 and discussion at 7:30. Fox Valley Meditation Center 214 E. Pacific St. Appleton WI 54911
Still can't get my City of Fitchburg (WI) workplace registration to stick. I filled out the support form but have radio silence so far. Are there any staff supporting the National Challenge? Call me at 608 278 7700!
http://main.diabetes.org/goto/Penni
Tour de Cure Century ride in 31 days! So looking forward to it!
National challenge, League of American Cyclists. I'm British, I thought this was a Global effort.
NC needs more riders! I can't believe NC isn't in the top 20 states.
Breathe through your nose? Or let your significant-other go first, and when he/she sputters and curses, close your mouth REALLY quickly. :)
Today rode on the road with my Gary Fisher Superfly mountainbike! Fun time with the kids from Fairfield Court.
@Gail, keep your teeth together to act as a sieve. Probably stop the big ones. lol
It's great that kids under 18 can join the challenge now. They could join under their school and will be a nice challenge for them as well. I think schools should add biking to their phy ed classes and teach biking skills and rules of the road etc. I'm not sure why biking has never been part of a sports program in schools today. I would think there would be a lot of interest in this in elementary, middle, high school, and college and could easily be incorporated as another event in track and field with also competitive multi sports like duathlons and triathlons.
@ Gail I hear you. I had lake flies in my mouth, my nose, my eyes, and ears and my clothes stunk from lake flies last year in May. Thankfully, they only last a week or 2, but I had to take a different route to work that was away from the lake. They haven't hatched yet, but probably will the next warm day we have. My bike was plastered full of lake flies from just a 9 mile commute.
Any tips on keeping bugs out of your mouth?
@Greg,
"I feel the earth move under my feet"
I agree, for me, it is the earliest (in my adult years) that I have ever started biking. I bet for those of you who have been commuting all winter, it was a very nice winter for it!
Madison College is #1!! Whooo!!!
I have a drivers liscense and have not owned a car in seven years.I have a Trel 6000 and ride everyday no matter where I need to go.
Please report any Challenge issues or feedback to the Endomondo Support team by filling in the form at http://www.endomondo.com/campaign/national/support. This is available from the Support tab under the Toolkit tab.
Based on helpful feedback from Challenge participants, the 18 and older age restriction has been removed. This improvement had been planned for 2013, but the Challenge team was able to expedite. This provides a great opportunity for families and students to partcipate in the Challenge. Good luck and safe riding.
I have a semi-recumbent and love it for riding. Helps with posture and core muscles, as well. Try one!
Nice to see that there are over 5,000 riders who have already joined the national challenge. We have almost 1,000 ridersin Wisconsin and 2 more weeks before the challenge starts on May 1. We have seen just about everything this spring from hot summer like beach weather, to cold freezing temps, to calm warm pleasant evenings, to cold violent sustained gale force winds near 40 mph with gusts over 50 mph that knocked traffic light poles flat to the ground. We have even had earthquakes with tremors and aftershocks in Clintonville. It's been quite an unusual spring to say the least with flowers blooming and walleyes spawning in March this year.
I am determined to ride to work every day in May. Might mean some creative scheduling of appointments.
@Charlie L - I have found that a recumbent bike is the best possible way to carve through headwinds. I highly recommend test riding one on a windy day.
Thanks for your help, Jack! Cheers, Bryan in Ohio.
@Jack S
You saved the day!
FUTURE REFERENCE TO EVERYONE - Sponsor logos like to use squares.
The snow in Anchorage, Alaska is still on the ground and the moose are hungry but the multiuse trails are getting clear. It is in the 40 degree range and a great time to bike! I am getting ready for a tour in Switzerland in July so I have lots to do in 3 months!
Great ride to work today, two errands on the way. Perfect weather. It's a different experience from those cold, dark winter commutes.
Just rode CicLAvia this weekend. Time is right to ride more.
I have to get in shape for a week long ride in June, and doing the MS city to shore ride in Aug. again.
Happy to be on the Bike Challenge. I have set a goal of 2500 miles this year. This challenge will keep me focused. I have 881 miles to date.
Riding for fun tomorrow on my Batavus..hope to do about 25 miles...
Finally! After 6 weeks of bruised/cracked ribs, Im ready to ride 100% Ill be adding to this at least every other day!
I didn't ride today,because it was very windy and I had other things to do.
I ordered one of those National Bike Challenge jerseys from Mt. Borah and it got delivered today by the brown guy, the best carrier in the world. :) It's a really nice looking jersey and fits me great.:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/greggmichaelphotography/6939245110/
All you can do is make yourself as small as possible and keep your body and head low so you cut through the wind like a bullet. :) I was in a very low gear this morning, keeping my RPM's high.
I recall a conversation here from late March regarding the weather. Jim P replied with, "There is no bad weather only bad clothing or something like that... :-)". At the time it made a lot of sense because it was cold and wet. Today I started thinking, I wonder what clothing makes me invisible to the headwind only?
@ Jack - they will need to go into Change Settings by clicking on their name at the upper right of the home page. They will then update "What is the name of your employer or college/university?" with the name of your organization.
Jack, each person will need to change their profile to be part of your organization. To do this, click on your name (above) to go to your profile page. Choose "Change Settings" and then add the new organization name. You can keep the team or the team captain can rename or delete the team.
@Andy @Rob For all the images, it wants SQAURES! So you can just add a few blank pixels here and there to make it a square. Otherwise it will scrunch it into a square in a few places.
@ Andy - Unfortunately, I don't have a quick answer. You might try to resize the logo but I don't have the optimum pixel size. Does anyone have any experience with this?
We need to change our "Team" to be an "Organization". We've registered both, but how do we switch folks from the Team to an Organization?
a tip for using an android, I found that there is a setting for the response time within the program, so you may need to go into your settings to see what the response time is. I have a 10 second delay built into mine, so that it gives me time to push the start button and then get my legs going. If your response time is delayed, it might explain the reason why the android isn't kicking in the GPS recording right away.
@ Rob, thanks for the info. I guess us "country folk" are on our own! LOL. Just joking there, and we would be more than HAPPY to support the efforts to make WISCONSIN #1!!!
crazy gusting wind today. took the day off and spent it with my 94 year old dad
National Bike Challenge just passed 4000 riders and is approaching 350,000 miles in the pre-season. Excellent warm-up with 2 weeks before the show really starts!
Wendy --
I have had a little issue with my Android not kicking in the GPS recording until some ways into my ride (you can look at the map to see if that's your problem.) I try to make sure that the app says it has a GPS signal before I start. When I do that, it seems to record accurately. If it's having trouble finding a signal, sometimes closing it and reopening helps.
Scott
Rob - I noticed, when uploading sponsors logos, that it automatically re sizes the images. However it also cuts them off and makes them look just completely scrunched.
What is the recommended image size, or could you optimize the resizing feature?
Check out our page and look at what I mean
http://www.endomondo.com/campaign/national
(sports&fitness mag logo)
Watch out Iowa - here comes Vermont! I am amazed at how this state keeps moving up the ranks in the pre-season. Keep up the good work everyone!
Winds are going to switch to the NW this afternoon and sustain close to 30 mph with gusts over 50 mph--be careful out there. Temps will fall 20 degrees this afternoon with freeze warnings tonight.
I have had tons of problems with the android phone app recording incorrect miles although actual time. Any advice?
@Leonard - Per the rules, a rider recieves 20 points for each day and 1 point per mile. In the case of a tandem, there are 2 riders and each rider would recieve their own points. Good luck with the recruiting, sounds like you guys are going to have a great team!
Tandems should count as three riders because you have el Capitan, stoker and at least one "regular" rider laughing at them.
I'm bummed I didn't ride Today after I spent some time over the weekend transferring my commuter gear (lights, fenders, rack, flag) from the flat bar mtn bike to my drop bar road bike. I replaced the road bike drive train over the winter with a smaller rear cassette. I am hoping to go faster. We'll see. Maybe tomorrow! I sure don't like seeing that goose egg at the top of this page for my mileage this week. :-)
@Rob, Had a question come up this morning while talking about the NBC. Do tandem riders EACH receive credit for the ride or is it logged as a ride for just one person?? (Trying to talk them into joining the NBC and they ask me, told them I would find out.)
The May 1 start of the Challenge is just over 2 weeks away. To have the best opportunity in the Team category, it will be to your advantage to have a full team of 10 members. We suggest taking the next 2 weeks to fill your team up to the maximum, so when May 1 rolls around you can get a great start. If you are not on a team yet, go ahead and create or join a team. From past experience, it makes the Challenge even more fun. Good luck and safe riding
Looks like it will be a great leg burner and training day tomorrow against wind with sustained winds of 28 mph from the NW by late afternoon.
Hopefully, we don't see any of those deadly twisters. I saw pics of a house flipped upside down and the furniture is resting on the ceiling.
A little damp riding in to work this AM. Not too bad though, you only soak up so much water and then it just runs off anyway. At least it was warm.
@Sandy and all the CT riders. Looks like Nebraska and some other states are getting stronger and moving up in the ranks. Keep spreading the word and getting more riders to join the NBC. This is just the warm-up, it will really get interesting when everything is reset back to 0 in a few weeks on May 1.
3400 riders and over 300,000 miles. Nice job everyone - keep up the great work.
Hi Jenny - good detective work - you are correct, community is based on Census Bureau data and your HOME zip code. If you live within a Metropolitan or Micropolitan area, that will be your community. However, as the maps show, not everyone is located within one, so they would not have a community. You are part of Wisconsin and you can help us win the NBC.
Have you been keeping an eye on the National Leaderboard? Lets get CT back in the top 10!!
I don't have a green arrow when I click on the community tab. I see the green arrow for the other categories. So, I was doing some homework, and perhaps we are not "urban" enough to be considered for the community ranking? Under the FAQ section, there is a link to a map of the US, showing the urban communities shaded on the map. We are not shaded at all... so my guess is that we aren't competing in that category because we don't live in an urban area?
There is no green arrow when I click on community. I see the arrows for the other categories, but not for community. Community Health Network is based out of Berlin, but we have a large service area covering Green Lake County, Waushara County, and parts of Marquette County (and parts of it slightly into Winnebago and FDL Counties). Is there something that I should have filled out differently when CHN was registered?
Just click om community. You are the community marked with a green arrow (all others are grey). At least for me it works like that.
Here's another issue... when I click on the leaderboard, I see my individual standing, my team standing, and my workplace standing. However, for communities, I have NO idea what community we are in--how do I figure this out? I sure am glad that this early bird run is going on, so that I can figure out all this stuff before the real thing begins!
I gave everyone the correct link, right from the sample letter in the tool kit. We figured out the problem, had the wrong workplace listed. Have to make sure we all use the same organization name, since we all work for the same main organization, but we are spread out between hospital and clinics.
Now I have to figure out why people are not receiving my team invites after sending them out!
Paul is right...we had same confusion. To further offer clarity when explaining to coworker's - the relationship between Endomondo and the Get Up & Ride Campaign/Challenge is that the Get Up & Ride Campaign/Challenge is not an Endomondo Challenge (that's why when people go to the general Endomondo homepage and click on "Challenges" they can't find it), Get Up & Ride is a separate Campaign that is USING Endomondo's site to track it's campaign data. One must use go to www.endomondo.com/campaign/national as the link to sign up and not just www.endomondo.com...hope this helps!
HI, Jenny...we had that problem at Ripon. I was not the person to made the "fix," but I think you have to be sure to create your team though the National Challenge page, and NOT through one's Endomondo page. I think that latter approach does not let the team show up in the nationa/locall challenge areas. Some thoughts for consideration.
@ Benjamin, Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, it is not currently possible to search for a community other than by going through each page. Endomondo is planning to add this feature at a future date. Good luck in the Challenge.
Make sure you are entered as Community Health Network.......
Is there a way to search for a community I am not a part of? Sorting the leaderboard alphabetically would work for me.
Is anyone having issues with potential team members searching for teams and coming up as nonexistent, even though you have personally set them up? I am having a tough time with the entire registration process!
It looks like we were able to get the team issue sorted out. Here's hoping we can fill our roster. On to May 1st!
K2 "...just the bare bones of a name, all rock and ice and storm and abyss. It makes no attempt to sound human. It is atoms and stars. It has the nakedness of the world before the first man - or of the cindered planet after the last."
~ Italian climber Fosco Maraini
That UPS name change moved them up from a 44 rank to a 39 rank in the national challenge. because the other Oshkosh rider had 138 points that got added in. The other 2 UPS riders haven't logged any miles yet. I feel better now because it was kind of lonely there for awhile. lol
One more thing...I should add that the team shows up in my personal profile, so it seems to be somewhere in the "virtual" world.
A quick question...does it take a while for a new team to "take" in the system? A colleague tried to set up a team for Ripon College and I joined, but it does not seem to be showing in either to local or natiaonal lists of teams. Any hints or suggestions?
Thanks, Stephen. I changed my workplace from "United Parcel Service" to "UPS" and now all 4 of us are under the same workplace. This is probably better to use "UPS" because if any other riders from UPS join, they will probably just put "UPS" as their workplace and then they will see that UPS is registered on here and there will be less confusion. But, I'll have to watch in case others riders sign up as "United Parcel Service"
HI Greg. Its easy to change or correct your workplace. Click on your name (above - on this page) and it opens your profile for the Challenge. The click on "Change Settings" and choose a new workplace.
Glad to see you riding again this year. Its going to be fun to watch the national competition.
I don't think UPS has made any corporate promotion of the challenge yet, but I have emailed some communication people in the Midwest Regional Communications office and in the corporate office as well, so they are aware of the bike challenge. The Midwest Regional Communications guy had written a story about me in the Wisconsin Challenge last year on upsers.com, which is an intranet site for UPS employees worldwide.
Charlie, just pointed out to me that there are a few other riders for UPS besides me. One works in Oshkosh, too, but must work on the night shift because I don't recognize the name. The other 2 UPS riders are from Racine and Minneapolis St. Paul--Bloomington. But we got a problem. Our miles are not going under the same work place because I signed up under "United Parcel Service" and they are signed up under "UPS." Their work place as "UPS" shows 0 employees and my United Parcel Service shows 450,000. So either I or they will have to change our workplace, so our miles get logged together under the same work place. Can you change your workplace after you are signed up and how do you do that? Otherwise, our miles will not get credited together.
500 riders on our way to 5000+ riders
Good news - you now are able to view all Tookit documents which provide information on how to get the most out of the Challenge. Good luck and safe riding!
If you would like to do group rides, go to GROUPRIDE(dot)ME for a list of where group rides meet in Wisconsin and when: http://groupride.me/wisconsin/. There is also a description of the skill level, distance and pace of these rides and whether they are drop or no drop.
Level of Rider:
A Level
20 miles per hour average for a 2 hour solo ride.
B Level
18 miles per hour average for a 2 hour solo ride.
C Level
16 miles per hour average on a 2 hour solo ride.
D Level
Below 16 miles per hour average on a solo ride.
There is one at Gear 'N Up in Neenah tonight at 5:30 pm, which is an A & B level ride that I am going to go to, but sounds like they really like to fly and is brutal, so I will probably get dropped and finish alone. haha I consider myself B level, so I'll give it a shot. but I have not ridden in a pack before, so I am going to trail in the back, so I don't mess everyone's rotation up. This is going to be brutal for me.
Meeting Spot: Gear ‘N Up - 1276 W Winneconne Ave Neenah (920) 722-2949
Rider Levels: A, B
Distance & Pace: 35-40 miles, 23-25 miles per hour.
Drop or No-Drop: This is most definitely a drop ride.
Average Attendance: 20 to 30 riders generally show up for this ride.
Description: This ride can be brutal. If you’re not on top of your game, expect to finish this ride alone, or with other dropped riders. If you’re new to the sport, this is one you have to work your up to finishing. Riders generally maintain a rotating pace line, so if you can’t pull through, stay at the back so as not to break up the rotation. We’d also suggest trying some of the easier local rides to get practice riding in a group before tackling this ride. Despite the pace, people on this ride are friendly, especially during the first two miles.
For More Information: Contact Gear N’ Up at (920) 722-2949
Where is K2
Nice add-on with the Facebook sharing option! Just posted it on my Facebook Timeline.
@ Gregg - there are 36 other local challenges around the country just like Wisconsin. If there is not a local challenge in their area, people just have the national challenge.
I know Obama bikes on vacation with his family, but pretty hard to do on the job, since all the secret servicemen would have to bike in a pack with him and they would think that is too dangerous. But it would be cool to get him in the challenge. I'm sure he knows about it after the bike summit was held in Washington DC and was promoted there.
Does each state have their own local state challenge link like the Wisconsin one here or or are they just part of the national challenge?
We had so much fun in the challenge last year in Wisconsin and at first I thought we would never hit a million miles, but the challenge really got intense and it motivated everyone to bike a lot more than they would have without the challenge. I think the 10 million goal will be reached this year, too. It's really great that it is national this year and it's going to be very interesting how it all plays out. I can see the national challenge becoming an annual thing now, perhaps even expanding to the off season, too, since some bike year around and those in warmer climates probably bike more in the winter than in the summer months when it is too hot. I can easily see this challenge making such a national impact this summer, that we might actually see gas prices begin to fall, due to overproduction and oversupply. This will force the oil companies to lower their prices. We've got a ridership force that is going to make a significant impact on our national economy. Pedal on, America. Make the gas companies drown in their gas.
So I have noticed an odd dynamic in the leaderboard. Washington DC is listed in both the 'Communities' section and the 'States' section, but it is paired with some DC suburbs in the community section. As a result, the points per capita is much lower in the 'Communities' section than it is in the 'States' section. I'm not complaining in any way, it is just neat to notice the odd dynamic of having a City be recognized as a State... (Full Disclosure- I am a DC resident so I would love it if DC was actually a State...or if we had the rights of States...)
At any rate, Wisconsin as a State is kicking some tail at the moment!
you are correct Brian, if you are the captain, you can delete people off your team or you can give up being the captain to someone else on the team if you delete yourself.
Steve, I am pretty sure the team captain is the only one that can delete the team. As for deleting each rider I am not sure. I was the only one on my own team last year, so it was pretty easy for me to delete it. Try deleting each rider at a time. Good Luck.
Congrats to Pennsylvania for having more than 450 riders with still 20 days to go before the May 1 start. I'm from Wisconsin, in our state challenge last year we started with about 2500 riders and finished with 4500. Our big publicity push will take place in the next 10 days.
Pennsylvania has passed Wisconsin in riders. Let's go Wisconsin. Sign up!
So you folks who deleted last years team - How do you do that? Just delete the members one at a time? I'd like to get rid of our old team.
Thanks for the help on my question, I think I will go ahead and delete the old team so that it is less confusing... just have to figure out how to do that!
Have you ever wondered what your ranking is at your workplace or in your community? Endomondo today released an update that allows you to view this information. To experience this new feature, simply go to the Leaderboard, select either Workplaces or Communities, then click on the Workplace or Community you are interested in. You will then see the individual rankings. Just another incentive to Get Up & Ride.
getting started today ! YaYYYYYY So exciting...
A teammate asked if points accumulated by teams created eligibility for any “team” prizes. I felt that team rewards were less tangible; a matter of intrinsic gratification, extra motivation and encouragement, enhanced opportunities to promote and participate in a cycling community, and “bragging rights”. Sadly, upon further reflection I’ve discovered several apparently inherent character flaws. Turns out I’m shallow, acquisitive, evidently lacking sufficient internal motivation, and quite alarmingly suggestible as well; Having never previously given the notion even a moment’s fleeting thought, I’ve now convinced myself there SHOULD be team prizes (-;
Kimberly-Clark will be sending a communication to our 50,000+ employees within the next week. We expect to see at least 750 additional people join the Challenge. Congratulations to Pittsburgh, but I'm sure other cities (like Cleveland, etc) are developing their own plans. I think the next few weeks will be interesting as the word gets out. Good luck to everyone and safe riding!
Pittsburgh hits 300 riders and almost 22,000 pre-season miles! Where's everyone at!?
Some pics from the Root River State Biking Trail in SE Minnesota: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/;type=3
I am a retired guy, so I no longer commute at all. I try to ride daily here in Chicago on the Lakefront bike path. I also co-write a blog on diet, exercise and good health. You can check it out here: http://guysandgoodhealth.com
John - tonight I will be traveling predominantly from west to east, definitely not the case on the way in. Good luck with it: Trip Home!
My 2 year old daughter speaks in list format. She says things like "I don't like it: nap." As I'm looking at the wind picking up speed coming from the direction I have to ride home, I cannot help but think I don't like it: WIND!
Left the Root River State Trailhead at Houston, MN Saturday at about 11:30 am The first half of the ride was great, but the famous pie shop in Whalan, was closed. :( It is too early in the season yet. I think they are only open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, but they have all kinds of gourmet pies that are the best and I really like their hunter's wild rice soup. The paved trail is really scenic and awesome. There are a few portions of the paved trail that are scheduled for repair, but the majority of the trail is really nice. I think they are going to keep the trail open all summer. The area around the Lanesboro area has been completely repaved, but this is also the most busiest part of the trail with families and kids that wander all over the trail and don't look where they are going. I just yell at them and scare them out of my way. lol 85 miles round trip really tired me out, though. It wouldn't have been so bad, but just 6 miles from Fountain it started to rain. I had a rain jacket with hood. But it rained pretty hard climbing up to Fountain and it was a drizzly rain from Fountain all the way back to Rushford for 35 miles. I refueled and warmed up my body at the rest room in Lanesboro (first ever that I ate my lunch in a restroom lol) and rung out the water in my socks and shoes and dried my feet. Then rode 31 miles from Lanesboro to Rushford in some more drizzly rain and stopped at the Kwik Trip in Rushford to warm my feet and dry them off again. I got back to Houston around 6 pm and I and the bike were wet, damp, cold, and dirty from kicking up all the wet sand and grit on the trail for 50 miles. lol The ride back from Fountain really sucked and I was the only fool still riding the trail because my van was in Houston. The forecast was a 30% chance of a shower in the morning and partly cloudy skies in the afternoon. The forecast was all wrong. Needless to say when I got back to my inlaws, I took a warm shower and clogged the shower drain with trail grit. lol I laugh now, but I wasn't laughing that day.
United States Bicycle Route System expands to 30 US States, 14 of which have already started implementing a network of bicycle routes: http://start.toshiba.com/news/recommended/read.php.
I saw this in the news today. This is really great news. States that have already started implementing the project include Alaska, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.
United States Bicycle Route System taking shape. This is long overdue and glad to see this in the news today: http://start.toshiba.com/news/recommended/read.php
If anyone is near Houston, MN tomorrow (Saturday) I am looking for someone who would like to bike with me on the Root River State Trail from the Houston Trailhead to Fountain. It is about 43 miles one way, so this would be an 86 mile trip. It is mostly flat and not really hilly, except near Houston and there is a steady climb in elevation near Fountain, but not too difficult. It is a woodsy off road, but completely paved trail along the scenic Root River that passes through some really old small S.E. Minnesota towns that long ago were served by the railroad. There is a famous pie shop in Whalen that serves fresh baked pies on the trail and is a very popular stop. :)
I'm in Winona, MN for the weekend and planning to bike the Root River State Trail tomorrow (Saturday) from the Houston trailhead to Fountain, which is 43 miles one way, so it will be a 86 mile round trip for me. This is an off road completly paved trail that is mostly flat. However there is a pretty steep grade of hills near Houston and a steady slow rise in elevation near Fountain. I love this scenic woodsy trail that follows the Root River and there is no trail fees. I have never biked this many miles in one day, so I would prefer to ride with someone, so I will check on the national page for MN to see, if anyone wants to join me.
I need to get a feel for what it feels like to bike that many miles in preparation for Race the Lake in August, which is a 90 mile course that I have never done either.
We also deleted last years team from last years challenge. We then formed a new team on this website with same name and are up to full strength.
I deleted my team from last year to make it all less confusing. My miles from last year stayed under my account.
My team from last year is still up also. Since I was the captain of my team last year, I was able to go in and change the name under the edit button on the team profile. I changed it to reflect that it was last year.
Rob, nice work and getting the program to go National!
Good Idea! Seems that generating enthusiasm and encouraging regular cycling among students would be entirely in keeping with long term Bike Challenge goals. Surely it would also enhance family participation and support for the challenge to include younger family members in the event?
I am kind of confused when it comes to organizing (or re-organizing) our teams. My team from last year still shows up as a team, but when I registered, I formed a new team, and so now there are 2 teams up. Are the teams from last year still active teams? I am worried that my team mates may sign up on the wrong team. Any thoughts?
Issues have been reported accessing the Toolkit documents with certain web browsers. Until this issue is fully resolved, you can access these documents at http://nationalbikechallenge.org/ao/toolkit.html. Thanks for your patience as the team works to improve the Challenge.
Is there any way for students under 18 to participate? Can they waive rights to prizes and just compete for the fun of it?
Keep up the great work Wisconsin. Don't get too comfy during the pre-season. The National Challenge just passed 2000 riders and many email invites are planned for next week by biking groups and companies all over the US.
PS - Charlie L and the other La Crosse riders. Good job, I am keeping my eye on you.
Nyla - I had a comment on a workout from you recently, but as soon as looked at it, it disappeared. I have never seen anything like this before. I recall you said you were having trouble posting comments. I don't have anything to offer on how to fix this, but wanted to let you know. I ended up taking a photo of the screen to read your comment as it disappeared within less than 1 second and I am not a speed reader.
Chesla, just start a new team and name it the same as last years team. Then you can send invitations to join this team to previously registered users. New users of Endomondo will have to know the team name and search for it and then join. Our team members from last year did NOT need to quit that team before joining this years team.
Hi Chesla - you will need to create your team again for 2012. Good luck in the Challenge!
Climbing on board with my daily commute,errands and pleasure rides.
Last year I was Capt. of a team and I'd like to continue with that same team/name. Where do I go for questions? I joined this challenge but am listed as riding solo. I'm confused as to how to ge thing going again. Help?
Tom, whats the air speed velocity of a brown speckled sparrow?
Rob, I will join the quest. In order to properly inspire mysef I shall look to other great quests. Tonight I watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
Charlie - La Crosse has had an impressive pre-season and we have already exchanged leads. It will be fun when May 1 rolls around and the communities around the state have their teams formed up and ready to go.
@Rob, I enjoy your spirit. I have been amazed at our local community effort and results to date. I am optimistic that your focus on Brevard may create enough distraction for SW Wisconsin and SE Minnesota community to sneak up on and catch Appleton. lol
The high gas prices have motivated me to bike a lot more and a lot earlier this year.
There's definitely been an early start to the biking season this year due to our warmer then normal temps for this time of the year. I saw dandelions today. I'm getting worried already about the lake flies this year on my commute to work. They will probably be hatching early this year along with everything else. I was told that there are already wood ticks. That is unbelievable! My wife had a deer tick that had embedded in her skin when we were camping last Memorial Day weekend and we ended up in the emergency room because I tried to take heat and force it out, which always worked for me on wood ticks, But the head broke off and the body remained in her skin. Then we found out that it was a deer tick and not a wood tick, so the doctor also prescribed antibiotics. I'm mapping an alternate inland route to work this year when the lake flies come because last year they were thick along County A and swarmed me like killer bees.
Thanks gentlemen! I greatly enjoy the connections, but I’m reluctant to subject the nation to regular unsolicited editions of what I’ve come to think of as “Pollyanna’s poetry corner” I had chosen to generally just post comments on my own workouts…but have been frustratingly unable to do that for several months… unable to comment on anyone else’s workouts either……I can write a comment, but it invariably disappears when I try to post/preserve it. Does anyone else have that problem? At least I can pop up here from time to time (-:
Nyla - you have inspired me to to poetically attempt to describe what's on my mind today...
Appleton riders, now is the time to unite in pursuit of the new common cause, the defeat of Brevard, NC. What have the fine citizens of that small mountain hamlet done to deserve this? Not much, except having the audacity to accumulate more points per 1000 persons than Appleton. Who's with me on this quest?
The National Bike Challenge now has riders in all 50 states plus Washington DC. The pre-season action is already heating up with riders "challenging" each other from coast to coast. Help us reach our goal of 50,000 riders by sharing the Challenge with your co-workers, friends and family www.nationalbikechallenge.org. Safe riding!
Anybody been on the National Bike Challenge Facebook page yet? You can check it out at http://www.facebook.com/NationalBikeChallenge
Nice work, invite Quinn....he just got a new bike and now we can't get him off the thing! Ha ha!!
I also appreciate Nyla's writings. I think it is time for her to go National too.
Nyla, I've also missed your presence here. I always enjoy hearing about your adventures and observations.
Gregg, Good idea, nice way to track actual savings. I just looked at last year's stats. My wife and I put 4,200 miles on our car (I don't think I drove more than 500 miles of that myself) and I put over 17,000 miles on my bike. I tend to use my bike for everything......
Nyla - looking forward to more descriptive entries from you. Thanks for making this a great community of cyclists.
Thanks Wally for getting this together.
It is definitely spring now….made my first-of-the- season mid-ride stop to facilitate a turtle crossing. (-: Lingered to enjoy bonus view of trumpeter swans gliding in tandem across sunlit roadside pond. Carpe Diem!
Everyone can certainly do what they want, but any trip that I use my bike as a means of transportation, which otherwise I would have to use my vehicke to get there, I log as transport. If I'm just biking for the fun of it, for exercise, fitness, a race event, a tour, etc, then I log it as sport. For me this gives me an accurate total of how much money I actually save by biking for transportation that I would have spent otherwise on my vehicle. For example, if I'm going to a race and I bike there, instead of taking a vehicle to get there and hauling the bike, I log that as transport, but the actual race itself I log as sport because I'm not saving gas money racing. haha
Rode 5 miles today, just getting started
A fun YouTube video from Copenhagen, home of Endomondo http://www.youtube.com/watch
Help! While I was learning about and testing the Endomondo system, I created an organization called "Macs Cheese." Can someone delete this for me or let me know how at [email protected]. Thanks!
Just curious..I notice my team point totals differ between national and Wisconsin leaderboards...apparently because one team member is from Minnesota.. presumably a new accomodation now that the challenge is national? What happened last year when even teams with out of state members were all part of the Wisconsin challenge?
Been enjoying endomondo since January. Collecting data to blast the National Bike Challenge throughout Ohio. Start the blast today or tomorrow!
As the person who registered my workplace "organization," how can I edit the information I entered?
When will the Toolkit link be populated with the information in the drop-down menu?
Another observation- When I click on my team on the Endomondo page, just 2 team members' rides are shown, where as on this page all members' rides show up. Odd.
It appears the 20 point issue has been fixed this morning. Thank you to all those responsible.
Howard, Gregg - Being retired, all my rides are logged as "sport" (even the trips to the store).....
I did get points for EVERY day ridden, but not until I changed one of the days to transport, up until then it was just the miles.
They all mean well :) Did get some helpful advice in the Advocacy subgroup!
@Howard Last Friday and Saturday my rides were only sport and I got the 20 points each day. It hasn't been an issue for me at all. Hopefully, they can figure out why you aren't getting the 20 points for the days you have only a sport ride because I have been getting the 20 points for any day that I ride, no matter if it is sport or transport.
Regarding the 20 points, seems like it gets added only if at least one ride is transport. I changed one of my rides from sport to transport to test it (wasn't cheating, it was actually using the bike to go to the bank), and my total went up from just counting miles to adding 20 points for every day. Guess once the issue is fixed it will be 20 points even if none of the days are logged in as transport?
Rob, Wow, tough crowd for you on "bike forums"
Hi Hans - I sent you an email with details on how to customize your local site. Keep up the good work in Florida.
I've set up a local advocacy page, which participants from our area get access to, and which filters local teams and workplaces from the national teams. However, I have not received any email with instruction how to update this local page, and have a real hard time to find out who to contact for that. Any of you know ?
Levi Leipheimer is counting his blessings Monday after avoiding serious injury when a Spanish driver plowed into him during a Sunday-afternoon training ride in Spain’s Basque Country.
The American star knows he’s lucky to be alive and to have otherwise avoided serious injuries in the high-speed accident.
Leipheimer was on a two-hour training ride ahead of Monday’s start of the Vuelta al País Vasco when disaster struck: a car drove directly into him at full speed as he was riding on the right side of the shoulder on a Spanish road.
Leipheimer recounted the accident to VeloNews in an exclusive interview Monday morning before catching a flight back to the United States: http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/04/news/leipheimer-i-could-be-dead-for-sure_211934
Hi Jenny, you are correct - Sport, transport and mountain biking all count the same this year
Jenny - check out SpinPOWER on Amazon - a few reviews, but I've never seen one in person...
Hi Jenny, you are correct - Sport, transport and mountain biking all count the same this year.
Getting my email ready, and have a question... it appears as though points are racked up regardless of the category-sport vs. transport. Is this true?
So, just so I get it straight, this year we are awarded points regardless of sport rides vs. transport rides?
Hey, does anyone use or have a recommendation for a cell phone charger for your bike? I like riding with my phone to track on endomondo and also to keep some tunes going, but I tend to run out of juice on longer rides. Thought it would be great to tap into some of the energy as I am pedaling. Any ideas?
I think we will see more riders register in the coming weeks. I am going to be routing an email tomorrow at work.
I only had a sport ride yesterday and yesterday it correctly gave me 20 points in addition to my miles. So is this an issue with only some riders?
Hi Leonard - you are exactly right on the rules and your points. You should have been awarded the additional 20 points for each day. There is an issue and currently the 20 daily points are not being awarded for Sport Cycling. Endomondo is aware of this and is working to address it. Thanks for joining us and keep up the great work!
Question for The Challenge Team:
According to the rules:
"1 Challenge point is awarded for each mile ridden
20 Challenge points are awarded for each day you ride"
My question is, How do I get credit for each day ridden??
Since February 1, I have ridden 2488.43 miles total during 40 rides. My point total for the warmup is 2488, why don't I get credit for riding 40 days (800 points)???
Gregg,
According to my mileage logs and my point total, the early bird warm-up started counting mileage on February 1, 2012.
I checked back and looks like we started warm up here on February 9, so the leaderboard has been running here a little over 7 weeks. Is that right?
I made it to platinum today. When did the warm up period begin here?
Hans - another good suggestion. Thanks and I will forward to Endomondo.
Is there any way workplaces can add a logo?
38 and rain, that's why I own a car. Besides I'm Way ahead of last years pace with our recent "global warming"
@Gary Wow , that really saves you a lot of money, wear and tear, and maintenance costs on your vehicle
I ride 330+ days per year and have ridden between 8,000 -15,000 miles per year for the last 6 years. I do 90% of my shopping on my recumbent trike with a set of Ortlieb bags.
Gary
I can reach the platinum level this month, if I bike at least 26 miles tomorrow. Many of you have already reached it.
@Gregg - the WI Bike Fed has not yet sent their notification out to last year's riders yet. I believe this is planned for early April. If similar to last year, we should see a nice bump shortly after they hit send on that email.
@Gregg - that is the great state of Alabama, which will be restored to its original condition soon.
Pennsylvania is catching up to us with 232 riders. Where are all the Wisconsin riders from last year's challenge?
What state is #45 in the leaderboard because it doesn't say? It has a red "X" in the flag.
Pennsylvania has 232 riders and is catching up to Wisconsin with 310. Where are all our Wisconsin riders from last year's challenge?
6 Fitness Tests for Cyclists and How to Improve Weaknesses: http://www.bicycling.com/training-nutrition/training-fitness/are-you-fit-ride#.T3X5IweX9nw.facebook
I didn't bike to work today either because it was rainingtoo hard and I just don't think biking is very safe in conditions like this. It becomes a lot harder for cars to see you and so I'd rather err on the side of safety.
I just reached gold level!
I rode. Not sure if I'm real or not though. Steady rain - I was good except for my shoes. Gotta work on that.
We now have riders from every state except two (North Dakota and Wyoming)
Guess who didn't bike to work today.. I must not be a "real commuter".
There is no bad weather only bad clothing or something like that... :-) I rode in the rain...stayed somewhat dry for the first 8 miles or so but by the time I got to work I had that water puddlin' in my shoes and gloves feeling that makes riding in the rain so much fun. :-)
@Rob. Almost felt guilty this morning because the rain was ending. Nothing falling as I arrived at work. In SW Wisconsin we had it easy.
East wind was tough on the ride home tonight. Tomorrow we will see how many real commuters live in WI.
Nice, cool day (45 Deg F) in NE Wisconsin for the commute to work. Rain tomorrow. I am enjoying the pre-season; seeing people join and finding out about other teams, communities and states.
@Nyla - yes, the goal of the Challenge is to encourage more people to ride bikes more often. The Endomondo system is able to handle teams with members from various locations, companies, etc and ensures that the points are assigned correctly. Great to see you back in the Comments and good luck in the Challenge!
Thanks Charlie and Gregg for your reassuring input. I'm pleased to know that indeed the crucial point seems to be getting people rolling (-:
My team Endomondo Allstars has some riders from Denmark. According to the rules, riders from other countries can participate in the challenge, if they are part of a company that has US employees. Therefore, US based international companies like Kimberly Clark and UPS can have riders from other countries participate, too.
@Nyla, I think you can invite riders out of state up to 10 riders per team.. Their miles will get added to your team miles but in the state and local leaderboard , their miles will get credited to their own state. The leaderboard keeps track of miles individually, by team, by company/organization, by locality, and also by state. Team members do not need to be from the same state nor from the same company or organization.
I am a solo rider on my team. Any of you are welcome to join my team. Just let me know.
@ Nyla. Living on the Minnesota / Wisconsin border we just assumed that was the case, all could join our team. In fact, our community area includes WI/MN in the title. So, some deviation from state lines must be expected. We also did it last year. Some from MN ride less distance to work than I do from WI.
@ Noreen, if you feel comfortable in a team called "Anesthesiology" please feel very welcome to join. Not sure exactly how I could send you an invitation though, but probably you can join even without that. Otherwise we have to figure something out.
What a spectacular spring for pedaling thus far. My teammate asked me if we can invite friend/family from outside Wisconsin to be on our team. I don't find anything in the rules to address the issue. It seems to me that promoting riding throughout the country is the goal so it shouldn't matter, though it may complicate the matter of points for the state challenge? Is there an official "rule" about this? or can we invite anyone who wants to be part ot the event to "come out and ride" with us up to our ten member maximum? Is it possible to have a multi-state team that is part of the National Challenge, while individual members participate in specific state challenges?
I didn't create a UPS team this year because I was afraid I would be the only one on the team again, lol so there was 1 spot on Endomondo Allstars left, so I joined that team instead.
First time I ever was speeding on my bike going 30 mph in a 25 mph zone. I blame the gale force tail wind today. lol
I need a team as I have been riding and sometimes don't log in. Anyone want me on a team and I will make sure I log into endomondo tracking!
Out of 450,000 UPS employees, I am the only rider so far who has joined the challenge. I can't even get anyone else at work to join. Some ride bikes a little for recreation on weekends, but they don't want to bother logging miles on here. I am the only employee here who bikes to work and some today I think thought I was really nuts biking with gale force winds. The manager said I could ride home with him. But it really wasn't too bad. It was a lot warmer than yesterday and the wind wasn't that bad at 4:15 am and the SE headwind was not directly against me but at a 45 degree angle. Actually coming home from work was super nice with those increasing gale force SE winds pushing me to a speed of 30 mph on flat roads. It was great pedaling with the power of mother nature pushing me. I used very little energy coming home.
Wisconsin can get some really hot and humid days in the summer, but sometimes even jackets are needed to watch fireworks on the 4th of July. A couple years ago I only had to run air conditioning a few times. The Neenah pool was closed several days that summer and even for a whole week in July due to the cold weather. When I was a kid, there was even snow flurries once on the 4th of July. That was really wierd.
I wish it was getting warmer, but we drop 50 degrees from our record high temps last week and now many states including Wisconsin are posting freeze warnings. However, these temps are back to normal for us, but our spring blossoms and flowers came a whole month earlier than normal for us because of the record setting temps and now are at risk of freezing.
My daughter has also been biking to work. So hopefully she will register soon.
Word about the Challenge is getting out. This morning we are over 900 riders and approaching 100,000 miles with 5 weeks before the official May 1 start. We are reaching out to a number of organizations and companies. You can check in with your friends, family and co-workers to see if they're interested in joining us.
Go Wisconsin - we are off to a great start in the pre-season. I just came back from the National Bike Summit in DC and it looks like we will have some exciting competition this year. There are already riders logging miles in 40 states, but I think WI has a good shot at the top spot. Do what you can to get your family, friends and neighbors to join us.
Publicity for the National Bike Challenge offically started last week at the National Bike Summit. Now is a great time to share the challenge with your family, friends and co-workers at www.nationalbikechallenge.org to get them warmed up and ready for the May 1 start.
Link to official press release http://finance.yahoo.com/news/start-pedals-america-ride-national-172700276.html
Don't believe that crap, it's gonna be another hot summer. It's easy to say things that make no sense when you work in an office. Try working outside 70+ hours a week, oh yea, it's getting hotter all the time. Deal with it, don't try to hide it.
@ Al, I have used my android consistently since joining endomondo last summer, and it has worked fine for me. I have a little gadget bag that I strap onto my bike, and I put the phone in there.
@Al, deep in my pocket on my leg. If you have the PRO version (costs money) be sure you don't have the battery saver setting turned on. That doesn't work for me because the GPS route goes crazy.
I uninstalled it and will try reinstalling it, maybe there was just a glitch in the original install. Do you guys just keep it in your pocket while riding then or are your phones strapped to the bike somewhere?
@Al - had 6 rides in DC today from morning to now. All good.
@Al, my Endo has been great, including twice today.
Anyone else having issues with tracking rides via the Android app? Map my Ride logs everything just fine for me, but Endomondo is Very spotty at best. This morning it didn't start tracking until I was .3 miles from work, I used MMR on the way home and it didn't miss a beat. Any ideas?
@ Charlie L - thanks and duly noted!
Some are saying that temps and precip. tend to average themselves out over the course of the year and that we are going to have a really cold and wet summer this year. I hope not. That would be a bummer.
Great day for the Congressional Bike Ride in DC this morning. This was the final event of the 2012 National Bike Summit. There were several hundred riders, anyone else track it on Endomondo?
@Rob, another idea to share for the future. A search function on the Leaderboard site would really be helpful when looking for other riders, teams, workplaces, states. Especially as the popularity of the site and challenge grows. Maybe a way within Leaderboard to see how your Friends are doing, like a typical Endomondo challenge works. Thanks for keeping the list.
A shout out to all Wisconsin from the National Bike Summit in DC. I encourage you all to come out here at least once to check out this great event. More info at http://www.bikeleague.org/conferences/summit12/index.php
So looking forward to tracking all my miles this year! I wish I could ride to work but I do love not driving for all my local errands - 14.6 miles of them today.
I ride to commute as well as fun & fitness on my commuter 3 speed, no longer own a car, would love to see all cities embrace bicyclists & better infrastructure .. safety for all!
An Optimist would say that we paid for this good weather we are having now during the bad weather last year.
@Jeff Wendt, if winter was any precursor to what summer will be, we are in for it.
Last year I managed to get 2,847 miles during these 4 months and I'm looking for over 3K this time. It certainly will help if Austin doesn’t get the 90 days of 100+ like last summer.
Those in Arizona will find it pretty hard to bike in the summer, unless they can do it in the early morning or late evening. It is too hot during the day.
They are already catching white bass on the Wolf River and this has never happened in March before. The walleyes in Lake Winnebago and Poygan have already gone up the Wolf River and are spawning now in the marshes and the Winneconne bridge will be jammed packed this weekend for the famous walleye run. The walleye run has never occured in March before, so this year will be a first. The ice did not even go out of the river last year until April 1. And on March 23 we had a blizzard here last year as you can see from this pic: http://www.flickr.com/photos/greggmichaelphotography/5552781289/
We had extreme cold weather on this date last year and now this year extreme heat.
What is the Twitter hashtag for the National Bike Challenge?
@ John Broadrick Your lawn will be a hay field by Easter. haha
@Kristi - thanks for joining the Challenge and sharing your suggestion. This has been raised by others as well and the Challenge team will work to improve this for next year. Good luck to you and the AZ team!
John, Thanks for the invite! It feels good having teammates this year.
No one wants to bike to work with me...I live about 24 miles away and I don't want to go it alone - any suggestions?
My neighbor and I made a pact. Neither of us is going to mow before Easter. It is fundamentally wrong.
Arizona is very hot may to august, that will impact this. I would love to see this happen in the winter.
This is really crazy weather we've got. Who ever heard of swimming in Wisconsin at the beach and having to use air conditioning? We are going to be cutting grass in March here. lol This has got to be a first.
@Phillip- I had to remove all the people from my team before I could delete the team....Go to the team profile...click on the members tab and you can remove each member....Hope that helps.
I've made a new team, since I can't use last year's team. Okay, I'm fine with that. Am I the only one who doesn't know/cannot delete their defunct team from last year?
@Rob - I sent Endomondo an email about it but Peg from KC said it may be technical which is probably the case.
Spring officially begins Wednesday, but we are in a summer weather pattern with mid 70's again today and a chance of PM thunderstorms.
@Hans - you raise another good point about manual logging and calories. I have added this to the worklist, but do not yet have an expected completion date. Thanks for your insight and please let us know of anything else.
Looks like most of the week is going to be way above average temps for this time of the year. We are continuing to break daily high temp records by over 10 degrees.
@ Hans If you log your miles directly on Edomondo with "New Workout", you can also enter the duration and it will compute also the calories and your miles will also be entered automatically into the National Challenge.
In the National BIke Challenge it is very easy to log your standard commute. However, the duration is left to 0, and no calories are counted. It would be more stimulating if not only dollars and CO2 saved increase with each logged commute, but also the calories. Will that change before May ?
Hi Hans - Yes, you raise a good point and we agree with you. For 2013 we are exploring the potential to have the National Challenge during May and give local bike organizations the option of starting their local Challenges begining Feb 1, Mar 1, Apr 1 or May 1. For example in Georgia, thier local Challenge might run Feb - May with the National Challenge during the month of May. You don't have a local Challenge in Florida yet, but that may change before May 1. Good luck and enjoy the Challenge.
May through August might be a good time period for this challenge for a state like Wisconsin, but I find that for a University town in Florida this is possibly the worst period of the year. Are there any thoughts of making this challenge a year-round event ?
Hard to believe it can stay this warm in mid March in Wisconsin. Are we just skipping spring and having summer temps or are we going to pay for this with an April blizzard.
Congrats on 20,000 miles Wisconsin. Not bad for March 16.
I'm excited to join the challenge!
@Missy - Hi, can you provide some more specifics on the issue and I'll see if we can get this resolved for you.
@Mike- Yes, create a new team for this year's challenge...Once you've created and joined your team you can then send invitations to last years members. They will get an email with a link to take them to the local home page which has a link to join an existing team. Hope that helps!
How do I add my team from last year? I have joined, but says that I am a solo rider. Can I add my team that I created last year? I see the link for create or join a team, but it doesn't allow me to add my team only join an existing team. Do I have to create an entirely new team for this year and rejoin everyone?
@Jason- THANKS! Operator Error as usual... :-)
I'm not able to click on the ToolKit links...Someone please help!
First day out for 2012. Special time in WI when you can ride in early March. Errand trip from home to Greenville, 20.9 miles in 1:35 min. Second hump on Grandview Dr. kicked my butt, as usual, detoured around both humps on the return. Headwind out, tailwind home, just cool enough to keep the sweat off. Couldn't have ordered better conditions.
Jim, there should be a tab at the top that says National. Clicking that will take you there.
Let the games begin...finally got our team put together...this endomondo site is difficult to get around initially...I still don't know how to stay logged in and get to the national leaderboard...I can only see the WI leaderboard when I am logged in. Any help would be appreciated. Happy Friday!
Guy laid on the horn at me while approaching a stop sign. I had the correct signal up to turn right. He must not remember his signals from grade school.
Shorts and Tee shirt on March 15th...Unreal...Almost t-boned an opossum on the way in this morning...had to go into collision avoidance and skid to miss em. Beautiful morning for a bike ride. But then again...Aren't they all? :-)
78 today--so different from last year. It isn't even spring yet.
@Paul - thanks for your comment about the miles tracking. This has been added to the list.
@Jason - glad to hear things worked out.
It just allowed me to register by leaving the company name box empty,my commute box empty, and unchecking the first box on top, can't recall what that stated at the moment. Thanks Andy.
Another quick observation re a quirk in the way the National Challenge and the Endomondo sites tracke miles. It seems that the National/Local Challenge site does a week from Sunday to Saturday when totally miles. However, the workout section of the Endomondo site does a week from Monday through Sunday. This is not a big problem but it sometimes makes for some head scratching when one's totals don't seem to match up from one work out the next...it matters where you are looking at your workout. Maybe something to add to the FAQs section? FYI.
Thanks for the reply, Rob. I am a bit surprised the feature dropped of this year, but this leads me to a suggestion. Maybe at the end of this year, you should float a list of info/tracking features that will be included in the 2013 Challenge to the blog and/or participants to see ahead of time what people think about where you are going with the revised versino of the data. I can appreciate that the switch to national tracking was a BIG jump so simplifications needed to be made for the transition. However, had you asked before planning the new (2012) challenge, I can imagine several of us would have noted the need for the mileage info/rankings. I confess I just assumed that this year would have kept all the functionality of last year...probably a bad assumption on my part. Maybe I should have chimed in sooner. Anyway, glad to know it is in the works already for 2013. And regardless, thanks for the work on this!
@Paul and Martin, thanks for the feedback - that item seems to be popular as it was already on the list for the 2013 Challenge.
I also miss the ability to rank by miles (even though I am much worse in that scenario) and in particular the possibility to switch between total, sport and transport miles. Overall the point system has not changed too much from last year - what I can see the main difference is that everything is 10 times more (since you get 1 point per mile and not per 10), and short distance commuters get the full benefit already from one commute instead of 2.
@Mike - good to hear you are back in the saddle. Today is another great day here in Wisconsin.
Here's a link to the problem. I noticed right after I joined the Winter Bike Week challenge, something got screwy. I don't know if it has something to do with the new layout?? But a few of us can't join.
https://getsatisfaction.com/endomondo/topics/server_error_when_joining_the_national_challenge;utm_source=widget_endomondo
I know it is early, but I confess that I still really miss being able to do rankings by mileage. I appreciate that the points system can be encouraging to new(ish) riders/commuters. But I really would like to know where I stack up in terms of mileage on a monthly/yearly-total basis as the point totals feel a bit "cheap" to me (and I confess that my points rankings last year were better than my mileage rankings, but the latter were the ones that I most appreciated/measured, especially since I am more sport rider). Also, last year we were able to rank by "transport," "sport," and "total" miles. I don't see a similar ability this year. Am I missing something? Please bring back the mileage ranking ability--A STRONG suggestion for the 2013 Challenge! Thanks for "listening."
Hi Art - what is the issue, I would like to see it addressed if possible.
It's unfortunate really, I probably won't be participating in this. It's just simpler to keep track of all my workouts under my real name. That's where all of my other challenges are.
I like the new look. It's unfortunate I and a few others have been unable to join. I had to create a new profile just to join.
I am trying to push across our company Nationally. Any prepared information you can share will be helpful.
Finally got back on my bike today for my work commute after taking off 7 days due to a nasty cold virus. Never had anything like this - good riddance to that cold and winter too!
Charlie - it has been very helpful to have the suggestions from riders and bike advocacy groups across the country. Looking forward to an exciting Challenge this year. Publicity efforts will kickoff next week at the National Bike Summit in DC.
I like the new way to switch from local to national. Thanks.
What do you know I was able to join by starting a new profile. That's great, I guess.
Can't wait to start riding again. My husband, who didn't own a bike till last year's challenge, is excited for the upcoming biking season too. Greg - thanks for the recipe below...I already have all of the ingredients at home.
It's amazing how fast you adapt to warmer temps, 23 sure felt cold this morning.
Check out the cookbook: The Feed Zone by Biju Thomas and Allen Lim. Good meals and as well as energy bars.
Wisconsin just got its 100th rider today.
Don't forget to turn your clocks ahead 1 hour this weekend. This will be so nice with an hour longer of daylight in the evening.
Hit a top record speed (28 mph) on flat road and record commute time (9 miles in 24:33) from Oshkosh to Neenah with the help of a nice 20 mph tail wind. My speed and time to work was terrible. I had to pedal in a 3rd lower gear and my legs were really burning to sustain even 14-15 mph. It felt like I was pedaling up hill the whole trip.
Rob
Spring weather in Neenah this week >40F
Got the new Trek 1.1 out and flew home downwind, the journey to work into wind was ugly
Earliest start to season so far - any facility to carry forward March miles into May?
Go Freeloaders!
My first "sport" ride of the year...I love early monring light and tail winds on the return...I guess I wasn't as out of shape as I thought when going out...on to the Challenge!
Gregg - I actually found it be a very nice morning, temp for me was about the same with very little wind. We should compare notes on clothing some time. I wore two pairs wool socks, boots, long underwear, bike shorts, rainproof pants, poly pro shirt, poly pro fleece, rainproof jacket - pit zips open, balaclava, ski goggles and snowboard helmet. I thought it was one of the most beautiful rides in this winter, dry roads and nice scenery with the snow. I left later than you, about 0615. Good luck!
Thanks Greg - I checked out the Mayo Clinic info and the slideshow was helpful.
This was the coldest morning that I have ever ridden a bike in my life. It was 10 F with a windchill of 4, when I left for work. I was definitely challenging my comfort zone. I think I am getting as nuts as the rest of you here. What are you doing to me? lol
@Paul The point system in the national challenge gives you 21 points for your 1 mile round trip commute to work. I think the point system is set up so that even newbie and inexperienced bikers who aren't able to bike long distances yet are generously awarded a 20 point bonus for biking that day and encourages them to ride somewhere every day, even if it is a short trip. Those short trips are the most costly and also create the most pollution, if you use a car. So I think the way the point system is set up this year, it will serve as a great encouragement for those people who are new at biking and may not have biked since they were a kid. And yet it is also a great challenge for the more experienced cyclist because every mile they bike is also awarded with an additional point besides the 20 point bonus for biking that day. The 20 point bonus is a great incentive for all to get up and ride somehwere every day. And that's one of the purposes of the challenge to get more people to get up and ride.
I wanted to quickly chime in on a comment "down blog." I agree with Jay that we should have the ability to review (and rank) by miles, not merely points. I personally was more interested in the mileage rankings than the points. Since I have a .5 mile commute, I could really game the point system (which I don't; I count my commute as a single one mile ride. To do otherwise seems unfair. Hey, I live in a "city" that is 2 miles by 2 miles.) Also, as to points...I think folks from northern locations should get "bonus points" for riding in the winter. ;-) Okay, I realize that is impractical as then the hills/mountain folks would want "climbing points" and southern folks would want "heat/hummidity points" in the summer. Ah well, I guess it all balances out in the end. Here's to a good 2012.
Here's a recipe for homemade energy bars:
4 cups oats
4 cups cereal
1 cup each filler (nuts, raisins, chocolate chips, etc.)
2 cups sweetener/binding agent (corn syrup if you’re a cash-strapped bike racer, maple syrup if you live in New England, and agave nectar or brown rice syrup if you shop at Whole Foods)
1 ½ cups peanut butter
salt to taste
Heat the sweetener and peanut butter over medium and combine the remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the heated sweetener mix, pour into a large square pan, and let it cool.
Slice each batch up into 2-inch-by-2-inch squares, each of which delivers about 250 calories and 40 grams of carbs, a perfect dose of energy for 60 minutes on the bike.
Bon appétit!
Spring in winter and winter in spring. Snow is not bike friendly and should be banned after March 1.
Let it snow!
Here's a site for building core muscles for running, biking, or swimming:
http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp
And this site is also good from the Mayo Clinic and gives you a slideshow on how to do each execise:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/core-strength/SM00047
There was also a good one from active. com and I'll have to fnd that one again. A strong core will help keep your whole body properly aligned. I use to have to go to a chiropracter every so often, but since I started strengthening my core and biking last year, I haven't had to go to him anymore. I use to wake up in the morning with real stiff joints. But I don't have that stiffness in the morning when I wake up now.
Here's a site for building core muscles for running, biking, or swimming:
http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp
And this site is also good from the Mayo Clinic and gives you a slideshow on how to do each execise:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/core-strength/SM00047
There was also a good one from active. com and I'll have to fnd that one again. A strong core will help keep your whole body properly aligned. I use to have to go to a chiropracter every so often, but since I started strengthening my core and biking last year, I haven't had to go to him anymore. I use to wake up in the morning with real stiff joints. But I don't have that stiffness in the morning when I wake up now.
Yeah, it is from the Green Bay Duathlon, which you took and I bought from you. :) You do great photography work for the Midwest Sports Events. I am also a photographer, but my specialty is senior high pics.
I like your photo Gregg - looks like it was from the Green Bay Duathlon!
Billy the fish signing in for the 2012 season!
Looking forward to getting the new road bike out in a week or so, need to lose 15 lbs before May 1st!
Go Freeloaders!
@Gregg - do you have a favorite site for core work? If so, post it here so I can check it out. Thanks!
@Kevin You have to start out slow and gradually build up endurance, if you have not been getting much physical activity for some time. Depending on how far you live from your work, at first you may not be able to ride to work every day. But each week keep increasing a little your miles, until you can. You also have to ride in a lower gear to start with, but each week you can increase it, until you able to ride in the highest gear. I was really not conditioned for biking 18 miles round trip to work everyday either when I first started. The first couple weeks were really hard for me and it took me longer to get to work because I could only pedal in a lower gear. But I took some RPM classes before I started riding to work every day, and those classes are actually what motivated me to want to get a real bike and ride. I'd much rather be on the road riding my real bike, than in those classes on stationary bikes, but those spin classes are nice in the off season when it's too cold or too snowy to be on the road and to help get your heart. lungs, and other muscles conditioed for biking on the road. Some use a bike trainer, which also helps in the off season to increase your endurance. Also, before you even try biking to work every day and end up getting frustrated so that you want to quit, there are exercises online for strengthening your core. One thing I have noticed for myself is that the stronger my core is, the stronger and the more endurance I have. Biking itself doesn't really strengthen a lot of your core muscles, and if you have a weak core, biking will always end up being a struggle on longer rides. So working on your core muscles is a good start to enjoying your rides.
thanks for the welcome rob...!
I'm not sure that we can get our UPS logo on the bike challenge jersey. There is all kinds of clothing and merchandise sold with the UPS logo at this link: http://collection.corpmerchandise.com/. UPS may be under some type of contract with certain companies that manufacture these products for them and may not be able to allow another company to produce anything with their logo on it. You can get almost anything with the UPS logo on it. But one thing noticably absent from their product line is biking clothing and gear. So I put in a request that they should produce some stuff for us bikers. haha
@Jay - good suggestion. The scope for the 2012 Challenge has been completed. However, we will discuss with Endomondo and will definitely put in on the list of suggestions for 2013. Thanks for the feedback - this helps us to continually improve the Challenge.
@endomondo - I think the units on the leaderboard changed from “winter bike week” from miles to points. Is there a way to see the rider leader board with miles instead of points? I found it motivating to quickly scan across the riders and see the mileage. Sure I could click on each rider and see it on their summary page but that is very time consuming to check more than a single rider. I think having a drop down for units allowing the user to toggle between points and miles on the leader board would be very nice.
@Kevin, while I haven't had exactly the same goals, I have found that to reach my goals connected to biking that patience and time are the key factors for me. Just keep rolling along!!
This really is going to be a challenge for me. I'm 40 lbs overweight and feel terrible, and have been off the bike way too long. I'm asking fellow riders here to help keep me motivated please.
For those in the Fox Valley area there is going to be a new bike tour this summer sponsored by the Neenah/Menasha Fire Rescue on Sunday, June 10 that begins and ends at Jefferson Park. There will be routes from 16 to 100 miles. For route maps and more details, see this link: http://www.nmfire.org/assets/files/bike%20brochure.pdf
It won't be long now when I can shed the thermal bike jersey and pants and put on my bike shorts. :)
It looks like the snowstorm is fizzling out in the Fox Valley area. It is too warm here for any snow. But our northwoods riders were not so lucky. haha That is just fine with me. But I still didn't bike to work today because it was raining buckets at 4:10 am when I have to leave when I bike and I didn't want to test out my Marmot rain jacket for the first time in a deluge. lol I need to keep some dry clothes in my locker at work, then if I get soaked on my ride to work, I can change there and not have to work in wet clothes. I spoke with our preload manager today about putting the bike challenge as our wellness topic for our safety meeting in March and he said that is a great idea. I am one of the members on the committee, so they are going to give me a little time on the agenda to talk about it. That welcome video is a nice introduction to the challenge and then I will make copies of that one sheet, which has the basic info about it, to give to the superviors to pass out to each employee in their work area. Besides the sunrise preload shift that I am on, there is also a twilight reload shift that works 5-9 pm, and then the drivers also have their own safety meetings, too.
Welcome to the Broken Spoke bike shop of Iowa City. Great to have you aboard!
@ Gregg - Mt. Borah is producing the National Challenge jerseys. I am sure they would be willing to discuss any customization, contact them directly if you have an interest.
I bought that Marmot Cycle Waterproof Rain Jacket in blue that Tom W mentioned. It matches good with The National Bike Challenge Jersey.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/421842_2862896574841_1332518363_32462377_2062729939_n.jpg
Rob, I like the Nationa Bike Challenge Jersey design. Is there anyway for companies, businesses, universities, or organizations etc.to have this jersey customized adding their own logo for their employees or students who are participating in the challenge?
It would be nice to have some bright colored dri wick t-shirts printed up for the challenge. I'd be interested in buying one.
@Tom W - I think I see you up ahead. Be patient, I want to show you the great design on the back of my jersey. You can check it out at http://mtborah.com/our-products/team-gallery/national-bike-challenge/
Maybe something like a velcro pants leg band. I could have it stream from the back of my rack, seat, pannier, handlebar etc.
@Rob, I would probably stick the sticker to something that streams behind my seat, maybe helmet. I don't want to block vents. Or, maybe make it like a pizza delivery car sign on top the helmet. We could make them work.... Maybe we should use something from a product package to make a little banner. Anything would be fun!! Going National with the item would be fun too.
Welcome to those already here warming up for the big start on May 1. Now is a good time to share the Challenge with your friends and begin forming your teams.
The Challenge Team
@Charlie - great idea. We have had some 2" x2" vinyl stickers made up with the Get Up & Ride logo. These could work well if applied to your helmet, one way to identify another Challenge participant. I could discuss with the Bike Fed and figure out a good way to make these available. What do you think?
@Rob...idea...Have been thinking about this again recently. The challenge participants should have some sort of simple tiny flag type banner to tow, maybe behind the seat or helmet. Or, some other marker that we can ride with that will show we are a participant in this challenge. I like it so I can identify other riders on the road or trail. The kids in the video Gregg mentioned reminded me.
Hey Steve - That can be done, they just need to provide you with their password. Good luck in 2012 - it will be fun!
Rob, is there a way for the team captain to log miles for other members who, let's say, don't want to be bothered (Luddite)? The other challenge did allow me to do this.
A group of Kenyan teenagers in the slums of Nairobi created this hip hop video about bicycling and climate change. It's pretty cool. They won the "1 minute to save the world" video contest.
http://www.good.is/post/video-hip-hop-and-bicycles-in-kenyan-slums-1/
Greg, glad you were able to get your organization entered. For your organization nationwide, please do share the information with your co-workers and on up the ladder to your corporate headquarters. It is a great free wellness event for all companies to participate in and offer their employees. Hopefully as the word gets out some of those drivers will decide to participate on the weekends with recreational rides or maybe take the bike to the store instead of the car. With the rise in gas prices going on right now and expected to get even worse - I suspect many trips to the store and Mom's house will be on a bike in the coming months........ Peg
Nice job Bike Fed - I like the look. On Wisconsin!
Ah, ok, thank you!
Yes, click on "local" above, which will switch you to the national site and to go back to local, click on "national.' Wisconsin leads with 28 riders. There are 20 states with at least 1 rider so far. I think the mass publicity of this isn't going to be until March sometime and then I bet it will really pick up with riders.
Iowa and Ohio both have 9.
Pennsylvania 7
California 5
South Carolina 2
Colorado 2
Texas 2
New Jersey 2
West Virgina 1
New Hampshire 1
Virginia 1
Indiana 1
Illinois 1
Alaska 1
Georgia 1
Idaho 1
Minnesota 1
Montana 1
Oregon 1
Are there already members from other states here? Rob mentioned something about Iowa catching up - but somehow I see only Wisconsin riders/teams. Or do I have to look somewhere else for this?
Thanks, Peg, it accepted it now without the comma. I'm not really expecting many full time package car drivers to participate because they track more miles in a day walking on the job then they would biking to work and they work 10 hour days and are exhausted by the end of the day. Some of them may do some recreational or sport biking on the weekends. But during the week, most of them have no energy left to do anything, except eat when they get home and then sleep and start the next day all over again. I couldn't do their job. I've been offered a full time package car driver position and turned it down because I don't want an early grave. lol Half of UPS employees are part timers like me working in package handling. Many of them also are unable to bike to work because they have to run out of work fast and either get to their college classes or to another job they have. So I think most UPS employees are at a disadvantage as far as biking to work goes, but for me it works because my other job is self employment in photography and I can arrange my own schedule to make it work. There was only 2 of us from UPS in the Wisconsin Challenge, but maybe we will get a few more worldwide. We will probably be one of the biggest companies, but will have the fewest riders. lol Does anyone know, if the UPS corporate office is receptive to this challenge and going to promote it within the company? We have a intranet that is accessible by every UPS employee called upsers.com and news from the company is posted on there. An article with pics was posted on there last fall about my participation in the Wisconsin challenge. Our local managers in Oshkosh are very supportive of this and provide bike rack and allow me to use the locker room and even the showers, if I want, which were orginally intended for drivers. I'v made a visbible impact in the center with my biking and they can see how this helped keep me free from work related injuries and a more productive worker. They would like to sponsor me with at least a t-shirt or company logo bike jersey for the challenge.
Gregg, trying entering information without a comma. We will also have Endomondo look into that - it should work either way.
Thanks
Peg Brinkman
I've tried to sign up UPS, but it says 450,000 is not a valid interger for employees worldwide. But that's how many UPS employees there are worldwide.
Thanks. I would not have found that. I was looking more on the Endomondo site given the pointers in that direction. Got it fixed now.
Nice to be back on the bike again after some travel. Good weather here in northeast Wisconsin.
Beautiful day.
Hi Charlie:
Go to the leaderboard and click on workplaces - you should see a message on that page that you can click on to add your organization.
Peg
General question.... I can't find a way to add my workplace after I have signed up. Am I missing it?
Going to need a long warm up because it's going to get colder this weekend,
Hi everybody,
welcome to the updated site. As you will notice, the leaderboard is counting - consider it a long warm-up:-)
Charlie - thanks for the feedback, the Endomondo team is working on this and other improvements.
This is going to be great. I can't wait.
I just sent out invitations to all my friends, so my team will be ready for the challenge start in due time. We can't wait!
Great to be hear! Looking forward to ride with you all.