trike-ab-trike-2020

2020 mileage: 3362.7 Today's ride was significant in several aspects. First was the weather. Early this  morning I was wearing a hoodie, but but the time of my 11:00 ride, I had to change -- it was 71° and sunny (climbing to 77° by the time I finished), and I rode in t-shirt and shorts, exulting in this reboot of summer! Second was my route. I rode a round trip to Matthei Botanical Gardens, but rather than taking my usual route, I went there by going up to Gallup Park, and then taking the Gallup Park Pathway over to Parker Mills park, since the Gallup Path which had been torn up for repaving is now good to use again, and then coming home I did my more usual route, down past Washtenaw Community College, but then abbreviated it by avoiding the jaunt south to Textile Rd. These changes gave me a total ride of 27.5 miles (a bit shorter than usual), which I did in 2:40. Most notable of all, however, was a mechanical issue I had on the way home. When I was about 5 miles from finishing (ro...

2020 mileage: 3335.2 My style of trike, with two wheels in front and one in back,  is called a tadpole trike. And when I went to air up the tires before this morning's ride, the rear wheel was a bit wonky. It didn't seem to be losing any air, but the valve had become damaged somehow and wouldn't tighten back down. So I've enlisted the help of my friend Dan Cogan, who is coming over midday today in order to help me change the tube, as that will provide a new valve. The weather has really turned the corner into fall now. When I began my ride at 8:00, it was mostly sunny but nice and brisk, at 42°, so that my hoodie and gloves felt just right. I was planning to do my 30+ mile ride to Matthei Botanical Gardens this morning, but with the tire problem, I was concerned about the prospect of getting out miles from home and being stranded with some sort of mechanical issue, so I scaled back and just rode the Platt/Packard Square (13.7 miles in 1:24). This was a good re-entran...

  2020 mileage: 3321.5 This morning when I went out just before 7:30, I bowed to the inevitability of the incoming season, and wore long pants for the first time since early this year in light of the 34° temperature. I wore gloves, too - though it was brightly sunny. I was planning to do a longer ride—if not my 30-plus mile round trip to Matthei Botanical Gardens, then at least my 25-mile loop around St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, my old friend. The cold had me struggling with my resolve, though, but I had just determined I was going to push on—when, just before reaching a major decision point at about 10 miles into the route, my left brake cable broke. Not feeling it was safe to keep on with only half of my braking ability, I decided to head home so I could take it to Wheels in Motion for repair this morning. Still, I got 13.7 miles in 1:25—a not inconsiderable ride, even though less than I had wanted. Link to (Relive) video of today's ride

2020 mileage: 3307.8 When I set off at 8 a.m. today, it was in superb conditions -- brilliant unbroken sunshine, and a cool but tolerable temperature of 44° that climbed to 51° when I finished. (I rode very comfortably in shorts and a sweatshirt, and though I took gloves, I felt no need to wear them.) I set off fully intending to ride my 30+ mile round trip to the Matthei Botanical Gardens. But I have been making very significant progress this week on an oboe sonata I am composing, and I was eager to get home to continue with that work, so about 8 miles out I made the decision to shorten my plans, and ended up riding the Platt/Packard Square, which MapMyRide measured at 14.5 miles in 1:25. Also, I reached a new mileage milestone for the year today -- 3300 miles. Link to (Relive) video of today's ride

  2020 mileage: 3293.3 I had hoped to ride 63 miles back in March on my 63rd birthday, but a combination of factors (mechanical, health, and weather) ruled it out. So I reset my goal, and wanted to ride 63.5 miles on my 'half-birthday' ... tomorrow. This would be two consecutive round trips to Matthei Botanical Gardens, and would also represent the longest ride I've done. (My longest so far is 50 miles.) After asking Michelle her opinion, though, she told me that she would prefer I not push myself that hard. As I am beyond grateful for a wife who loves me that much, and who is willing to share her honest feelings with me, I am going to wait until my 64th, and see how I'm doing then. I just learned of her feelings this morning. In light of that, and not feeling the need to keep working to build up my stamina, I decided to scale back today and do my 16+ mile ride. Leaving about 11:00 a.m., after a good morning session of composition on an oboe sonata I'm writing, I ro...

2020 mileage: 3275.6 Today I went out at 7:40 and rode the Packard/Platt Square, augmented by one loop in Stonebridge. MapMyRide measured this at 17.7 miles (in 1:42), but, like yesterday, the Relive video shows that it added slightly to the actual mileage by measuring some straight stretches as winding threads. It makes sense that the mileage would be up a bit -- I have ridden this ride several times before, at about 16.4 miles. I was planning to do my 30+ mile ride to Matthei Botanical Gardens again today, like yesterday. But, with a fairly busy day (including a 3:30 CT scan at the hospital, for which I need to cease all food and drink by 11:30 and be at the hospital by 1:30), I decided to scale back. Also, when I began, it was 46° and partly cloudy, with the temperature climbing to 55° by the time I finished. The early miles of today's ride strongly reminded me that the time is not at all distant when I'll need to wear my gloves! Today, though, I was fine, and in my hoodie (...

2020 mileage: 3257.9 I got this day off to a good start, with a 7:00 a.m. ZOOM meeting of the small group of men I participate in through church. Then after that was finished, I climbed on my trike and rode to Matthei B botanical Gardens. In the pat when I've done this ride, it has measured out at about 31.4 miles. However, today MapMyRide measured it at 33.8 miles, in 3:15. However, when I examine the video that Relive creates from the MapMyRide data, it shows several stretches where I had a long straight leg of the ride, but it measured it, for some reason, as a kind of winding ribbon that adds incrementally to the mileage. It was a joy, too, to once again see my friend Doug Franklin, when our paths crossed as I sw him out on his daily walk, on the Lohr/Textile Greenway, a couple of miles before I finished.  Link to (Relive) video of today's ride

2020 mileage: 3224.1 Today I was happy to get out and do a good, long ride -- returning to Matthei Botanical Gardens for the first time since August 21. However, I did allow myself to shorten it just slightly on the way home ... when I was coming south along Platt Rd., I turned and followed Ellsworth rather than continuing all the way down to Textile and then returning through Marsh Park. In this was, the normal ride of over 31 miles turned into 28.3, which I rod in 2:55. I waited until about 7:50 to begin today (as sunrise is, unfortunately, coming later and later, and this is a trend which will continue for a while yet), and at that hour it was 55°, making my hoodie feel just right. By the time I finished, though, it had climbed to 68°. Reached a new mileage milestone for the year today, too: 3200. Link to (Relive) video of today's ride

2020 mileage: 3195.8 Yesterday ended up being a really full day, so I ended up taking a day off from riding. I went out this morning just before 8:00, and rode another round trip to Baker Rd. on a very pleasant morning. It was sunny, and 57° when I started, up to 60° when I finished. Today I dressed more appropriately, wearing a hoodie, and it felt great. (When Michelle saw me wearing this hoodie before I left, it elicited a grin, and the comment, "Cute sweatshirt!") 💘 For some reason unknown to me, MapMyRide measured my normal 20.3-mile ride as 21.6 miles today (in 2:08). Link to (Relive) video of today's ride

  2020 mileage: 3174.2 Went out just before 8:00 this morning and rode another round trip to Baker Rd. (20.3 miles in 2:03). It's definitely cooling down, though, and I'm going to have to adjust my riding wardrobe. It was 58° and spitting some light rain when I started this morning, and although I survived just fine in the Hawaiian shirt I wore, a hoodie would not have been a bad choice. 😎 Link to (Relive) video of today's ride

  2020 mileage: 3153.9 I decided to scale back slightly today, and rather than riding the 20-mile round trip to Baker Rd., I just did a loop in Stonebridge and then followed it with the Platt/Packard Square, for a ride of 16.4 miles in 1:42. I was glad I could at least do this, howert, nrvsudr frdpiyr yhr bstioud hrslyh iddurd zi'br gsvrf yhid yrst yhsy hsbr nrvrddiysyrf yimr sesy gtom tifinhh, zi dyill hsbrn'y rnyitrly given up on my goal of 5000 miles for the year,, and each day I sit down following my ride and figure ut what I'll need to average per day the rest of the year in order to make it. After today, that number is 16.19, so as long as I'm exceeding that, I feel good about it. Of course, when winter arrives, it'll be decidedly harder, but one hopes that by then Governor Whitmer will have allowed gyms to reopen by then, so that I'll be able to rack up miles on the stationary bike. Needing to wait until the thunderstorms moved out, I had to wait today un...

2020 mileage: 3137.5 Got the holiday off to a good start by heading out at 8:30 to ride. I had to wait a little later than I like because of rain that had passed through. But then I was able to ride another round trip to Baker Road on a cloudy but pleasant morning (68°, up to 74° when I finished), for 20.3 miles in a time of 2:11. Link to (Relive) video of today's ride

2020 mileage: 3117.2 MORNING All summer I've been wanting to ride with my daughter Christy and my grandchildren, Izzy and Danny. This morning, with summer rapidly disappearing, we pulled it off. I drove my trike over to Dexter, where they live, and met them by the river, and we rode on the trail between town and Hudson Mills Metropark .... about 2.5 miles out in 20 minutes, and then turned around and returned, for a total ride of 5 miles. The skies were cloudy, and the temperature was about 55°. Before we started, Christy got this picture of me with my two sweet fellow riders. Then, out along the way, she got this brief video with Danny (age 7) leading the way, Boppa AB (age 63) following him, and then Izzy (age 10). My heart is so happy for this experience! However, though I thought I got MapMyRide started before we set off, in fact I neglected to get it going until we turned around out on the trail - so the Relive video only shows the second half of the ride. Link to (Relive) vid...

  2020 mileage: 3100.9 I love riding at this time of year, because, as opposed to a few weeks ago, when I HAD TO ride early in the morning, I now have the option of riding very comfortably later in the day. Today I began at 11:00, at which time it was brightly sunny but a highly comfortable 65°, and it climbed to 71° over the course of the ride. I rode the Packard/Platt Square today, opting to forego the additional loop in Stonebridge near the end, for a ride of 13.7 miles in 1:33. And today pushed me over a new mileage milestone (3100) for the year. Link to (Relive) video of today's ride

2020 mileage: 3087.2 Today's ride was definitely "NOT my favorite" 😎—schedule considerations made me forgo my preferred early morning riding time. But at least it got done! I went out at 1:00 p.m. (in 81° sunshine that climbed to 83° during my ride), and rode down to Stonebridge for a loop in there, and then continued on with the Platt/Packard Square (16.5 miles in 1:50). Link to (Relive) video of today's ride

2020 mileage: 3070.7 Although today, being very cloudy, lacked the brilliant sunshine of the last two days, conditions were not unpleasant for riding (68° when I began at 7:00, and up to 71° when I finished, 2:21 later. I rode again today a round trip to Baker Rd. (20.3 miles). Link to (Relive) video of today's ride

  2020 mileage: 3050.4 For the second straight day, I rode a round trip to Baker Rd. on an absolutely GORGEOUS morning. (Though cloud cover had moved in by the very end of the ride.) When I began, just before 7:00. it was clear, calm, and  59°, and that temperature climbed to 72° by the end of my 20.3-mile, 2:34 ride. Link to (Relive) video of today's ride