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General Category >> Ride Reports >> Giro 26 Sunday ride in the flower mound hills :-)
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Message started by evblazer on Mar 10^th, 2008, 3:00pm

Title: Giro 26 Sunday ride in the flower mound hills :-)
Post by evblazer on Mar 10^th, 2008, 3:00pm

My wife decided to torture me by bringing me through shiloh and witchita trail in flowermound south of our house. Since it was my second ride on the Giro I did pretty well considering the hills over there. I'm still getting used to the grip shifts I just gotta learn to shift the cassette side the right way so I don't end up in the hardest gear at a stop.
Overall did about 36 miles Sunday including stopping at Bicycle plus, Cici's and then Bluebonnet where I finally found some yellow bottle cages for my seat. Here is my bike at one of the rest stops.
Rear
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2335/2325051708_faac2154c1.jpg?v=0
here is a sideview before I pulled the wheel reflectors off (noisy little devils)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3009/2324230585_a1784d7ef8.jpg?v=0
Front
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3186/2325052634_2d9cb25bd7.jpg?v=0
My poor wife after her diabolical plan to torture me failed, I mean "laying in the sun" ;)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2060/2325053530_31443d13cc.jpg?v=0

Tommorow I'm going to give it a go on my commute 22 miles to work and probably 25+ back. A couple lights I'm worried either on hills or crossing 121 but I have to do them sooner or later.
Dinotte 200L Front, 140L Rear
Fenix LD2 Helmet Light
Take a Look Eyeglass Mirror

Title: Re: Giro 26 Sunday ride in the flower mound hills
Post by FlyingLaZBoy on Mar 10^th, 2008, 8:10pm

Well done, wearing out the wife ;D

Hey, wait a minute, those look like.... AEROBARS.... hmmmmm.... ;)

and good luck on your commute -- crossing heavy traffic is never fun, especially on a bike. Nice side pannier, by the way....

Remember the wise words of Steve Petty, when climbing many hills.... "Spin, don't mash...."

:D

Title: Re: Giro 26 Sunday ride in the flower mound hills
Post by bent_eagle on Mar 10^th, 2008, 8:36pm

My wife rides a DF, and I'm on a Bacchetta, and we sometimes ride over the dam and up into Flower Mound (We live in Southlake). Want to meet for a tour of Flower Mound sometime?

Title: Re: Giro 26 Sunday ride in the flower mound hills
Post by Strada177 on Mar 10^th, 2008, 10:16pm

FlyingLaZBoy wrote:

Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn every now & then. Thanks for the quote Paul. AND yes ,contrary to popular belief I do spin on hills.

EVblazer ,Sweet Giro. With those fenders ,light,bag ,etc...you're ready to go randonnuering.

Title: Re: Giro 26 Sunday ride in the flower mound hills
Post by evblazer on Mar 10^th, 2008, 10:51pm

Thanks all.
Actually if I'm good I hope I can get a SONS hub for xmas and when I get in a little better shape I plan on taking it randonnuering.
I've been spinning pretty good too. I always spun hard on my merlin and touring bike but I'd stay in too high a gear at stop signs because I could stand and mash away. Now my only issue is spinning that gear shift right instead of left when coming to the stop and ending up in the highest gear oops.
At least half a dozen times I ended up off the bike holding up the rear wheel and pedaling to shift it into a better gear.
It'll take a little time till we are up for riding with others I think. I have been trying to get her out to the bluebonnet begginer ride for a while but so far no luck.

Title: Re: Giro 26 Sunday ride in the flower mound hills
Post by bikerteam on Mar 11^th, 2008, 5:20am

EVblazer - I live in Flower Mound, about a mile from Bicycles Plus. I saw a lot of cyclists out Sunday (between 12:00-5:00), though no bents. I almost always ride Witchita Trail and Shiloh (both directions). I can easily get in 1,000' of climbing in 30 miles. We may have to coordinate a ride with bent_eagle sometime soon. I'm leaving for Hell Week this Friday, so my next two weekends will be out of town.

By the way, nice choice of accessories. You obviously know what you're doing with a Dinotte 200L/140L Rear
and Fenix LD2. Several of us Randonneurs use them as well. When you decide to get a SON, be sure to ask Joey at Trinity Cycles (Irving) to build it for you. He is a one man shop and specializes in Randonneuring. He has built several wheels for me, and is an excellent mechanic. Also, the E6 is a great light to combine with the SON.

A few weeks ago, going in the opposite direction on sholih hill, was a Rans (I think) tandem bent. Anyone know who that was?

Title: Re: Giro 26 Sunday ride in the flower mound hills
Post by evblazer on Mar 11^th, 2008, 8:05am

I rode into work today and all went well. I averaged almost 15mph even with the super dense fog.
I think I have to move my cyclocomputer off the bar since it is really in the way of where I'm trying to look. That and find some bar mirrors for the outside of the bars up top. My take a look got really really fogged up this morning as did my glasses.

Title: Re: Giro 26 Sunday ride in the flower mound hills
Post by FlyingLaZBoy on Mar 11^th, 2008, 9:00am

You rode in THIS FOG??? Yeowch! I'd be almost as worried about slick pavement as I would about visibility (BEING seen)... Glad you made it in OK!

The Pettys have a compact round mirror attached to their handlebars that works nicely, but I don't know the name/brand.

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g73/flyinglazboy/104_7325.jpg

Title: Re: Giro 26 Sunday ride in the flower mound hills
Post by Kwijybow on Mar 11^th, 2008, 9:29am

Steve is that the Evo Lite Mirror? I have basically the same thing made by combining a mirrcycle mirror and an old cateye light bracket. I like mine, never really taken to helmet mirrors.

Sweet looking Rig EVBlazer. I've commuted on my Corsa, but I prefer something that is a little easier on my short short legs. I've considered a Giro 20 or make my LWB tryouts a permanent deal.

Take Care,
Nelson.

Title: Re: Giro 26 Sunday ride in the flower mound hills
Post by aikigreg on Mar 11^th, 2008, 9:41am

I should have an evo lite mirror within the next couple days. Since I'm using the aero for randonneuring and long distance mostly, I really wanted to decrease the eyestrain of constantly having something in my field of vision, so this should work well.

Blazer, it seemed like you just needed to get an adjustment to riding recumbents and the associated gear (such as twist shifters). You'll get accustomed quickly and will soon be exceeding your old DF averages. Nice job!

I gotta find a way to commute to work for bike-to-work week. I'll have to leave at 4am to get there by 7 though! :o

Title: Re: Giro 26 Sunday ride in the flower mound hills
Post by evblazer on Mar 11^th, 2008, 9:46am

Hm that looks like an Evo Lite that Calhoun lists which caught my eye the other day.
http://www.calhouncycle.com/productcart/pc/catalog/evo_mirror-lite_1614_general.jpg
They have numerous amounts of extensions and mounts for it.
http://www.calhouncycle.com/productcart/pc/viewCat_h.asp?idCategory=9

I must say when I left at 4:30 it wasn't foggy in double oak so I didn't know what I was getting into but was somewhat prepared as my Giro is my all weather commuter rig now. It was early enough I don't see much traffic so that was good.
It wasn't actually foggy till I got to lakeside approaching 121 and I thought it was just going to be there and over on royal for a mile or two like usual but today it was solid fog the whole way except for a couple clear spots. When I crossed over 114 I could not see the cars on the highway. I heard them so I know they were there but I could barely see their lights.
Early in the fog I think a trucker took pity on me, or couldn't see the road himself, and followed me down lakeside instead of changing lanes. I was going at a pretty good clip at that point since I know the road so well and when a car passed on the left he was only going a few mph faster. I actually caught up to a few cars on some back roads near beltline that were either lost or had difficulty seeing.

With the dinotte on high/low flash, superflashes solid and much more reflective material then I had when that pic was taken I was pretty visible but kept out of the way when cars approached. I do wish I had setup my lightman amber strobe though. I still had cars stopped at side streets to let me pass when I approached so they saw me from the front also.
The most dreaded part of my commute was a no show. Going up royal to cross mcarthur, stop light on a busy hill, the light turned green when I was 100ft away and I made it through before it went red.

Title: Re: Giro 26 Sunday ride in the flower mound hills
Post by Strada177 on Mar 11^th, 2008, 11:07am

Correct ,we have the Evo Lite mirror. We purchased our mirrors from Calhoun Cycle. We almost purchased the Giro instead of our Stradas'. The Giro is a very versatile bike.

Title: Re: Giro 26 Sunday ride in the flower mound hills
Post by aikigreg on Mar 11^th, 2008, 10:53pm

Ray, is this the fenix lamp you're talking about? I'm looking for a backup for my L8M

http://cgi.ebay.com/Fenix-L2D-CE-CREE-Premium-Q5-LED-FLASHLIGHT-180-Lumens_W0QQitemZ300204844845QQihZ020QQcategoryZ73340QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Title: Re: Giro 26 Sunday ride in the flower mound hills
Post by Kwijybow on Mar 12^th, 2008, 8:11am

Highly recommend the fenix Greg, its my main battery powered headlight.
Ray picked one up after I raved about mine.

Take Care,
Nelson.

Title: Re: Giro 26 Sunday ride in the flower mound hills
Post by bikerteam on Mar 12^th, 2008, 4:45pm

Greg (or anyone) - if you're fortunate enough to be ahead of Nelson during a night time ride, look in your mirror and you will be treated to a blaze of lights. It's an illusion but he looks like a car with fog lights.

The Fenix is small, very light, good runtime, and quite bright even on medium. I use mine as a back up, but only because I already have a SON hub, and Dinotte (also a great light).

What a great day we have today. I just returned from a high intensity, gasping for air ride.

Title: Re: Giro 26 Sunday ride in the flower mound hills
Post by aikigreg on Mar 12^th, 2008, 5:37pm

Yeah I was wondering why a dinotte wouldn't be a better backup, myself, since it has a higher output in lumens.

But was the light I listed the one you guys use?

Title: Re: Giro 26 Sunday ride in the flower mound hills
Post by Kwijybow on Mar 12^th, 2008, 7:41pm

Hi Greg,

Yeah that's it, I got mine from lighthound.com

Currently my generator light runs the same LED, and it is very bright. People have remarked they were suprised I'm just a bike after I get close enough to them.

Take Care,
Nelson.