the not so 70 -100 miles thread

[Johnny Law]

got a late start to the ride. woke up, jogged came home. SLEPT. woke up and went out the fulshear route.

13.3 miles to the shell in 53 x 12 at 16.8 upon arival. and upon arrival is when the skies opened and with some fury.

stood around for about ten minutes and thought "this sucks."

screw it, there was no way of getting around getting wet and so off i go, heading back to the truck to go home.

and then all hell breaks loOse. lightning strikes the ground somewhere near me within the first ten minutes of leaving the shell and the resulting crackling just about makes me fall off the bike and more and more and more lighting and thunder, the scary kind that bullets straight down and all around you but i keep at it, all the while in 12. and now the rain feels more like sleet at this point and i'm wondering to myself 'how is it that my skin on my legs isn't being pelted completely off?" it was that bad. the rain was coming down sidewards and on top of all of this, traffic starts getting heavy out there and i'm concentrating on keeping my bike level as it and myself are getting blown all around.

what can i do, give up and ask for a ride? that's not happening.

keep going, barely being able to see ten feet in front of me and i'm forced to ride more towards the center of the roads as the water in the side drainage ditchs are overflowing. and i'm not alone, big rigs and school buses and family and work vehicles all around me but no one is honking or seemingly pissed off as i do believe that they realized that my dilema was a bit more on the harsh side of being out there than was there own. that was coOl, not having any more pressure to go along with the thought that i might get struck by lighting or a vehicle.

and then it gets worse, the temp drops about oh, i'd guess about ten to fifteen degrees, and that was like traveling through a black hole or something. one minute i'm drenched but riding comfortably at the normal today's temp and the next i can't feel my face, or toes, or legs, or the bike in my hand. luckily i wasn't too far from my truck, less than six miles i think and so i just kept on riding, not caring about anything else but getting back to my vehicle and getting home and cleaning my bike. that's done.

1:36:42 at 16.3 av with a total dis of 26.26. hey, at least i got out.

and it was fun in the rain in the beginning of it. i miss that, just having fun riding a bike.

[palincss]

How long did the storm actually last? Usually storms that violent and intense only last around a half hour or so at that level. Pretty scary stuff, and pretty dangerous getting caught in one. I'm glad you made it OK.

[Johnny Law]

How long did the storm actually last? Usually storms that violent and intense only last around a half hour or so at that level. Pretty scary stuff, and pretty dangerous getting caught in one. I'm glad you made it OK.

not long, maybe forty five minutes and yes, i'm starting to feel like a puss. that was actually a nothing in all honesty, hairy at times as the roads are one lane in each direction and it has a lot of contruction going on but not humanly impossible. i made it out just then, i guess i can do it again. and the tnire route is around 60 miles, i usually do the 56 route.

and i wish i was further out before the rain started as i woulda gotten in a much more effective ride.

and on that note, no grinding whatsover albeit i never got on it, not once. sit and spin only.

i'll ride again tomorrow though. :)

[palincss]

not long, maybe forty five minutes and yes, i'm starting to feel like a puss. that was actually a nothing in all honesty, hairy at times as the roads are one lane in each direction and it has a lot of contruction going on but not humanly impossible. i made it out just then, i guess i can do it again. and the tnire route is around 60 miles, i usually do the 56 route.

and i wish i was further out before the rain started as i woulda gotten in a much more effective ride.

and on that note, no grinding whatsover albeit i never got on it, not once. sit and spin only.

i'll ride again tomorrow though. :)

You shouldn't. Just because something is "humanly possible" doesn't mean it's a smart thing to do it. Some Confederate soldiers made it to Hancock's lines during Pickett's charge, too, but that doesn't mean it was a great idea. Not that riding your bicycle in a severe thunderstorm with lightning striking nearby is quite as dangerous as being in Pickett's Charge (the Confederates had >50% casualty rate, after all!) but frankly, it's a lot smarter to hole up for three quarters of an hour and let the storm blow itself out.

[Johnny Law]

You shouldn't. Just because something is "humanly possible" doesn't mean it's a smart thing to do it. Some Confederate soldiers made it to Hancock's lines during Pickett's charge, too, but that doesn't mean it was a great idea. Not that riding your bicycle in a severe thunderstorm with lightning striking nearby is quite as dangerous as being in Pickett's Charge (the Confederates had >50% casualty rate, after all!) but frankly, it's a lot smarter to hole up for three quarters of an hour and let the storm blow itself out.


i understand all of what you are saying, :) princess :) , and it all makes complete sense. of course i'd like to not get unconventionaly cooKed in the way of the waves of thousands of degrees by the very wrath of the hand of Gawd or hit by some idjit cement truck driver operating a cement truck full of none other than cement, living to ride another day but what i am saying is that now can look back and say that if not only for and other than the lightning i can handle myself under those other circumstances, easily.


and besides, there is plenty of more road in texas to ride on further out west, it's just that i didn't get there in time today.

[Johnny Law]

btw, can i ask what any confederate has done that was smart?

[WadePatton]

Was caught out in a very heavy downpour in town once. Didn't think about drivers' thinking--I _knew_ their visibility was down and I was lightless. And there's nothing quite like riding hub deep in runoff and having a "gottagettheretwominutesago" slob overtake...

[Johnny Law]

there is loop down here known as addicks dam. it's an actual resorvoir that runs for miles to help retain water for reasons pertaining to flooding, duh.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addicks_Reservoir

anywho, part of that dam has been turned into a bike ride, the actual top of the dam rideable on a cross or even better a mtn bike. the back half of the ride is paved, an actual park, george bush park to be exact.
now when the rains are a plenty, the dam is closed off if the streets and ditches in the surrounding nearby city are already overwhelmed with water and thus the water in the back of the park, where the paved trail is, is 'humanly impossible' to cross.

bs.

i rode around to the back to where the water's edge of guantanomo bayism begins, shouldered my gary fisher marlin w/ judy rock shox, mavic crossrides and turned around for maximum rolling resistance panaracer 1.9 firepro xc's and walked the better part of three miles to get to where the water was not exceeding my chin, seriously. at times i had to carry my bike over my head.

it took about an hour but i made it through. granted i waded through cow poo and copperheads but i made it.

would i do it again? yes, if it incurred a me winning.

[Johnny Law]

and on a side note, i do believe that Sir Will Black has beaten all of the local 'racers' times on his cross bike while toting one of his kids in a tote-a-long on that loop. and we're not talking seconds, we're talking ten minutes+.

he's that 'dam' goOd. <snicker> :)

[Johnny Law]

note the road pedal.

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k144/xcP_2006/DSCN1223.jpg

and that's my girlie, Pumpkin.

[Johnny Law]

the new roadie aka "the punisher".
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k144/xcP_2006/DSCN2521.jpg

i forgot why i even had this thing.
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k144/xcP_2006/DSCN2491.jpg

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k144/xcP_2006/DSCN2488.jpg

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k144/xcP_2006/DSCN2484.jpg

the cross, not mine but i used it for quite some time. yes, a headshock.
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k144/xcP_2006/cannondalecyclorossbike001.jpg

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k144/xcP_2006/cannondalecyclorossbike002.jpg

the old dirt jumper.
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k144/xcP_2006/7801d00a.jpg

and whose jerseys might those be? no way am i giving them back, they're mine now!! :)
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k144/xcP_2006/DSCN2518.jpg

[csm]

nice looking dog... what kind is he?
great pics but the fisher has only one pedal?

[Johnny Law]

nice looking dog... what kind is he?
great pics but the fisher has only one pedal?

and here i was all ready to go and do the dishes, sheesh! :)

she was a stray, no bigger than her head in that pic and no older than six to eight weeks when she was dicovered yelping for food outside of a neighbor's place who fed her a little something and then left her.

that was over four.5 years ago.

i don't realy know what she is, i've heard everything from brittany to wieneriemer to cocker (that's a no way) to golden to lab to border collie.

it's doesn't matter, she's great. i take her trail running and riding and she just sticks her nose to the ground and leads the entire time even when i'm riding the trails for 12 miles at 18-19 mph, she's right there, ready to go. very athletic.

and only one pedal in the pic because at that time i was in between taking them off and putting them on the cross bike.

i have to switch accessories alot as money is tight. i used to ride my mtn bike spds on the roadie too.

[csm]

I see a bit of chesapeake bay retriever and a little bit of lab in her too; maybe some irish setter also?

[Johnny Law]

and one last comment, on the money being tight. it's for that reason and that reason alone in which i can now outride many racers on their high end bikes and componentry vs what is in that pic. they tried to buy speed, i worked and worked for it with what i have and i'm very proud of that fact, very.

[Johnny Law]

I see a bit of chesapeake bay retriever and a little bit of lab in her too; maybe some irish setter also?


i see only 100% Pumpkin. :)

[Thor]

i see only 100% Pumpkin. :)

Very cool, post of the day!

:beer:

[Johnny Law]

the same to you bro! :beer: