[CR]Re: Most unpleasant bike ride...

(Example: Racing:Jacques Boyer)

In-Reply-To: <MONKEYFOOD5NfOIfCXB00001858@monkeyfood.nt.phred.org>
References:
From: "JW" <jwdinc2@bellsouth.net>
Date: Fri, 19 Aug 2005 10:12:55 -0400
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR]Re: Most unpleasant bike ride...

When I was in college in western Massachusetts in the mid 70's I would often go riding in the winter. Layering would include a ski mask, goggles, turtle neck sweater, nylon jacket, 2 t-shirts, long underwear, gloves, etc. I made custom toe clip covers to keep the air from (partially) penetrating my toes (remember the perforated Dueigi's?<sp>)......riding on the flats or uphill was OK but descents invariably left me partially frozen....in particular I remember one ride of about 50 miles long during which it was 14 degrees F. (mid January)

However, the worst ride was a early spring ride when I got caught about 18 miles out from my dorm in an ice storm....not only was the road exceedingly dangerous to ride on (have you ever tried riding through a mixture of ice & rain??), but all my clothing was penetrated by the water, so I'm sure I was hypothermic at the end. Riding hard was the only think keeping my body temperature up...When I stopped riding, the metal of my handlebars, top tube, etc. was encased in a thin layer of ice.

Needless to say, I now live in FL....

James Weaver Oakland Park, FL

On Aug 18, 2005, at 9:02 PM, classicrendezvous-request@bikelist.org wrote:
> Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2005 19:48:59 -0400
> From: Bianca Pratorius <biankita@earthlink.net>
> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Subject: [CR]Most unpleasant bike ride
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> Last friday was a really good bike riding day for me. I had been on the
> trainer once that week and I had done all my assistance exercises, and
> met early with my usual buds, who have long since making fun of my
> "old" bikes. Being older, taking a turn at the front at 27.5 mph on the
> flats seemed almost impossible even a few months ago, and add to this,
> that I don't have tons of time to train as some do. On this day, I took
> my turn at front, led out in sprints, and bridge climbs and felt that I
> was hitting a good stride for me. Not one day later, and I saw myself
> coming down with a horrible intestinal flu, I fell on my tailbone while
> attempting to mow the yard, and tore a large blister in my hand while
> stupidly working with a chisel without leather gloves. This week I
> didn't ride, but instead wasted away, moaned a lot and wondered if I
> would ever have the strength to ride again (it was one of those flues).
>
> I was reminded of the most unpleasant rides I have ever taken, mostly
> because having the flu gives you lots of time to think. I remembered a
> cold season in San Francisco and the number of times I was caught
> riding home to Mt. Sutro in the rain. The one that stood out in my mind
> comes back to me as torrential rain and a 20 minute ride home cutting
> north through the park, and how it felt that nothing could ever be more
> unpleasant than to be soaking wet, cold and sick from repeated
> exposures like this, and cringing at the thought of how all this rain
> was hurting my brand new 1981 beautiful brown Fuji. Another ride
> recalled 1972, and my half hour trip on the unlit roads of Woodstock
> N.Y. to Bearsville, and me with only a dying army flashlight clipped to
> my bars, feeling that I was flying, with no visual of either the bushes
> to the side of me, nor the blacktop below. In a moonless night, I had
> only the rush of adrenaline and the keen senses of a teenager to
> accompany me.
>
> What was your most unpleasant ride memory?
>
> Garth Libre in Miami Fl.