Yay! The Forum is back up. Thanks Bud.
 
Thursday 1/4/24 WRL Clown Ride:
 
Participants: Larry K, E Bob, Kenny J, Lynn M, Butch Y, and me.
 
Larry, E Bob, and Kenny each rode solo. Ride leader, Bob M, is out with the flu, so I led Lynn and Butch on two lake laps and SoPac Trail up-and-backs. Lynn, Butch, and I rode to the Green Spot to join Kenny, E Bob, Johnnybent, and Craig B for lunch and to celebrate Craig's birthday. Johnnybent, an accomplished artist, presented Craig with a framed watercolor rendering of a Dodge automobile. Craig used to own a hemi-powered Dodge Challenger drag racing car. Following lunch, Lynn rode the short route back to Sunset Bay, while Butch and I completed a fast counterclockwise lake lap. Got in 51.9 miles at a 17.3 mph average. Max speed was 27.3 mph, sprinting with a south wind at our backs in the SoPac bottoms. Average heart rate was 92 bpm, which means I got a good workout for someone who takes a heart rate lowering beta blocker.
 
The trails were sparsely populated which led to us achieving a decent average.  
 
 

Saturday 1/6/23 WRL Ride:
 
Just Lynn M and I showed up for today's ride. I was on my Catrike Speed, and she was on her Catrike 700. I led her clockwise out of Sunset Bay around 10:00 am under cloudy skies with the temperature at 42 degrees and wind blowing from the north. We rode to the north end of the SoPac Trail where we did a 180 and headed back down the trail to the Ridgewood Trail entrance, which we took and did a round trip to Glencoe Park. The Ridgewood Trail is supposed to be closed to traffic at the Matilda bridge from Jan 4 to the 19, but the construction company has created a pathway for cycle and pedestrian traffic through the construction area. The only work taking place right now is removal of the fencing between the trail and the Dart train tracks. When we re-entered the SoPac, we rode to the north end again, did a 180, rode back to the lake, then to the Trinity Forest Spine Trail. After riding both branches of the Spine Trail, we rode counterclockwise back to Sunset Bay. After a break, we did a lake lap, then rode to the Green Spot for lunch. Following lunch, we completed a counterclockwise lake lap. My aged Garmin shut off twice during our ride, so I don't have any accurate ride data, but I know from previous rides that we got in a little over 53 miles,
 
Not a lot of cycle and pedestrian traffic on the trails, due to the chilly weather. The north wind made the temperature feel lower.
 
Before lunch, my legs were operating at 50 to 75 % usual power output. After lunch, they were around 90%.

6-Jan-24      SAT      North Loop Velomobile ride with Doug

With a start from the shop, we did our usual ride over to Richardson, north through Plano and Frisco, east on Virginia Pkwy to Lake Forest, south through part of McKinney to Stacy and then east to our lunch stop at Rosa's Cafe. After lunch, we continued east on Stacy to Angel Pkwy, south to Parker, east to Murphy Rd and south to Betsy. On Betsy we headed west to the shop. It was cold. I put the race cap on my velo and that protected me from the cold wind making it a very pleasant ride overall. The avg temperature shown, 55°, is the temperature inside the velo in the warmer air. Outside the velo was about 10 degrees cooler with a wind chill.
 BIKE: DFXL; start time: 12:29; end: 16:20; avg: 21.8; max: 38.9; climb: 1188; miles: 51.14  
CLOUDY; wind: WNW 4; start temp: 46; avg: 47; end: 49

Thursday 1/11/23 WRL Clown Ride:
 
Participants: Larry K, Kenny J, Bob M, Lynn M, Butch Y, Don C, and me.
 
Larry and Kenny rode solo. Bob M, back from a battle with a virus, led Lynn, Butch, Don, and me on two lake laps and SoPac Trail up-and-backs. After 41 miles, Bob called it quits. The rest of us rode to the Green Spot for lunch. Johnnybent was cruising around in his Toyota sports car and happened to stop at the Spot. He joined us as we ate and conversed on a wide range of subjects. Following lunch, Lynn and Kenny took the short route back to Sunset Bay, while I led Butch and Don on a fast (19.1 mph ave.) counterclockwise lake lap. Got in 52.2 miles at a 15.2 mph average.

13-Jan-24      SAT      North Loop Velomobile ride with Doug

Today I wanted to make the best of a decent day. Combining the North Loop with a ride from the house guarantees me an 80-mile day. Started off using the Race Cap which ensures warm conditions inside the velo as the opening for the rider is closed off. I started with a LS jersey over a SS jersey and wicking t-shirt. I used my camp pants because even though I had closed off the outside air circulation from the boom, I didn't know if I'd be warm enough. Turns out I didn't need the camp pants - it was plenty warm. That was certainly helped by a sunny day. On a cold day with cloud cover, the pants might still be necessary. The temperature had warmed up to 38° by the time I got started and I arrived at the shop about 10:40, later than desired. Sometimes the traffic lights don't cooperate.  
 
It had warmed to the mid-40s, and I was overheated. Off came the LS jersey for the rest of the ride after only 15 miles. As it continued to get warmer, I left the wind screen open more and more. That is like opening the vent in the car - cool air comes in and it helps me regulate the inside temperature. By the time we left the shop, the SW wind had picked up considerably. We had partial headwind heading west, mainly tailwind heading north and east and partial headwind heading south. But after we finished lunch at Rosa's Mexican in Allen, there seemed to be practically no wind. That meant to me that the cold front was nearly on top of us.  
 
We took off heading east on Stacy, over to Angel Pkwy. We had a very strong west wind at that point. We took Angel south to the Malone split and took that all the way south to Chaparral Rd, hung a right and later a left and worked our way through the new development south of Chaparral, to Parker. Then it was east on Parker and south on Murphy. Doug turned off at Betsy and I continued south. By this time, the wind screen was open 100% of the time. It felt pretty warm. Inside the velo, it was 66°. Usually that means it is about 10° cooler outside. I went a different way home than the way I started, to avoid traffic near the Bush Tollway and ended up on Rowlett Rd, still heading south. Finally, I neared Chaha Rd traffic light and there was a nice break in traffic. I got over to the left lane and made the left turn lane just as I got a green arrow - win-win! I took my left on Chaha, another left on Liberty Grove, and reached the Bush Tollway right of way. This part has much lighter traffic and I got onto the Service Road, which is one way south, U-turns at Lake Ray Hubbard and becomes one way north. I turned off of that into my neighborhood and went straight home. Back at home, the day was lovely and warm, and the wind was dead calm! I got the velo unloaded, parked it in the garage and went out to get my mail half an hour later. What a change! The wind was now strong from the north and noticeably chilly.  Wow - lucky to get home before the front arrived! Good ride, no issues, and a nice ride before this winter blast set in, in earnest!
 
 BIKE: DFXL; START TIME: 9:38; END TIME: 15:32; AVG SPEED: 21.5; MAX SPEED: 39.9; CLIM: 1926; MILES: 80.55; MTD MILES: 295.37  
SUNNY; WIND: S 5; SW 16-25; W 9-13; START TEMP: 38; AVG: 49; END TEMP: 61

Saturday 1/13/24 WRL Ride:
 
Lynn M, Don C, and I waited in the Sunset Bay parking lot until 10:00 AM for other riders to show up, but none did, so I led Lynn and Don out counterclockwise on the lake trail, headed for the north end of the SoPac Trail. Once there we did a 180 and headed south for the Ridgewood Trail exit. Lynn and I stopped at Ridgewood Park to wait for Don. While we were waiting, Lynn took a call from Don who informed her he was still at the north end of the SoPac with a dead motor on his Sprint e-trike. I installed the Bafang drive on his trike but couldn't offer any suggestions as to what could be wrong. He said he would limp back to Sunset Bay in a 58T/36T gear combination, and for Lynn and I to continue on on our usual route. Subsequently, we did a round trip to Glenco Park through the construction area at the Matilda bridge, again rode to the north end of the SoPac, and did a 180, and headed south for the lake. When we reached the Mockingbird Lane overpass, we ran across Don, who was headed north. He turned around and joined us. He informed us that the reason his trike's motor was not operating was because a motor kill switch had been activated by a partially locked brake handle (each of the two brake handles have kill switches mounted on them). We continued south to the Trinity Forest Spine Trail, rode both branches, then rode counterclockwise back to Sunset Bay. After a break, we did a clockwise lake lap, then rode to the Green Spot where we met Craig B for a birthday lunch for Don, whose birthday is today. Following lunch, we noticed the wind had shifted to the north, and it was cooler, as we prepared to ride back to Sunset Bay. Lynn took the short route back, while Don and I completed a counterclockwise lake lap. When we reached Big Thicket, we ran across Butch Y, who had gotten a late start. He rode back to Sunset with Don and I where we all called it quits with the temperature significantly lower than when we entered the Green Spot. Got in 52.8 miles at a 16.6 mph average. My legs were burning. The cold weather and headwinds probably contributed to that. I can't wait for summer to return.
 
We encountered several road bike pelotons on the trails, but not a whole lot of bike riders overall. Don ran across Clown Ride leader, Bob M, when he was riding on the SoPac by himself, but Lynn and I never saw him.
 
We ran across some big groups of pedestrians partially blocking the trails and a lot of walkers with dogs on long leashes.

18-Jan-24      THU      Velo Vets special day

I had to run an errand over off of 75, after 9AM, and by coincidence Herb had a special Velo Vets ride scheduled for noon. Since I couldn't start at the same time as the Clowns, I opted to bring my road bike and join the Velo Vets. I arrived a bit early and rode a little more than 8 miles before the ride start. At first I rode with Lynn and Di. They lagged the main group though and I had planned to ride with Cindy. So when we approached the Flagpole Trail I let Lynn know that I needed to catch up with Cindy as we had planned to ride together. I sped up to catch the group which I found on West Lawther a little south of Mockingbird and Cindy was there. We rode 2 laps, chatting and chatted some with Debra, also. The others were up ahead a little and we made it over to the Green Spot. Four of the five who showed up for the Clown Ride were inside. Jay knocked on the window to get my attention. I went inside and visited with the 4 of them for a few minutes. The only one missing was Bob. I was pretty sure he had led the group as I thought I saw him the one time our little road bike group passed the trike group going opposite directions. Then I went back outside to visit with the rest of the Velo Vets who were there. It seemed we were at the Green Spot much longer than usual. Turns out it was 51 min, nearly double the time we usually spend there. We left but it was already 2:30 PM and I was still in hopes I’d make the evening ride, but it would be tight. I told Cindy I had decided not to do another lap as I needed to get home. I’d parked at the Big Thicket today as that location made the most sense. That was my first time to park where the Velo Vets park. All in all, it was a pleasant ride. The temperature had gotten relatively nice and it was good to visit with Cindy and some others at the Green Spot. Unfortunately, it turned out to be too late to make the evening ride.
 
 NEUVATION ROAD BIKE; START TIME: 11:14; END TIME: 14:45; AVG SPEED: 13.4; MAX SPEED: 22.8; CLIMB: 728 FT; MILES: 32.26; MTD MILES: 327.63  
SUNNY; WIND: NW 9-15; START TEMP: 51; AVG: 54; END TEMP: 57

21-Jan-24      SUN      South Loop Velomobile Solo

Now that I know I can do a ride on a cold day without too much discomfort in the velomobile, with the hood on, that opens up days I wouldn’t ordinarily ride. Today, being dry for most of the day, it was an opportunity to get a decent ride and I was hoping the route I had planned would end up being 50+. That worked great.  
 
I rode across the Rowlett Road causeway across Lake Ray Hubbard to reach a low traffic southbound route which took me through Garland, Sunnyvale, and Mesquite. I didn’t go south of Cartwright in Mesquite but rode east and west on that. Then I tried a new route by turning north off of Cartwright onto Mesquite Valley but continuing north rather than veering off to the NE. I knew I could get to Pioneer that way but was uncertain of the route. I used the map on the Garmin to help with that navigation.  With uncertainty about construction the usual way I would go, I planned on Pioneer because that would take me straight north back to US80 and continuing on Collins. Then at the roundabout, I took a right on Tripp and turned north up the school access road. That was so I could cross Collins at the light and ride through the adjacent neighborhood. That gets me to Stoney Creek and then west over to Jobson. Then I went south on Jobson, looped through the neighborhood just north of 80 and back north on Jobson to Hidden Lake. That was strictly a run for extra mileage. I do it sometimes because it’s easy. Then I took Hidden Lake over to New Hope and north to Town East. I stayed westbound on Town East to the 2nd light, hung a right and rode north to Barnes Bridge. After a turn west on BB I turned right on Palos Verdes and rode north to Northwest Drive and then east to Belt Line. I prefer that indirect route to riding straight north on Belt Line. There is more traffic on Belt Line which I don't care for. I turned right off of Belt Line at the last light before I-30. From there, I take my usual route home, which adds the last 10 miles to my ride.  
 
Despite the temperature being in the low 30s for the entire ride, I still managed to get too hot. To get relief, I partially unzipped the 3 LS jerseys I was wearing and opened the windscreen more to let some refreshing cool air in. The inside temperature of the velo at the end was 55° - outside, it was 33°. Part of that is me breathing on the Garmin. It probably wasn’t that warm inside the velo. It felt like upper 40s, but again no windchill – that really helps. I did see 2 road bike riders coming north on Rebecca as I was heading south on my outbound. We all waved!
 
bike: DFXL; start time: 11:57; end: 14:53; avg:18.9; max: 36.4; climb: 1450; miles: 51.56; mtd miles:461.61
CLOUDY; wind: SE 8; start temp: 32; end: 33

25-Jan-24      THU      Poteet Night Ride

It was just Eva and I tonight. We had considered riding with Melinda, but Eva was ready to go at 5:40. So I texted Melinda to let her know and we rolled at 5:42. Skies were light for about the first half hour of the ride. That allowed us to get onto the quieter roads by the time it got dark. There was practically no wind, and I expected the temperature to stay around 50. But I guess the clouds broke enough and the temperature dropped as low as 42.8 along Rebecca. My plan was to stay north of 80 and I planned a route that would give us 32.5 miles. That involved doing the eastern part of the route twice. That area was generally bounded by Jobson, Collins, East Fork, Polly, Barnes Bridge, and the 80 Service-road, north side.  I didn’t want to go south of 80 because a key road, Long Creek, was under construction, southbound, and the south side service road was likely to be heavy with overflow traffic from 80. That appeared to be the case. The first time on the 80-service road westbound, eastbound 80 was a parking lot. The second time around it was still heavy, although improved a little. But it was too late then. One area that I wished we had skipped was the access road through the high school. There was a lot of school related traffic and parked cars along that. I’m not sure I would do that again, at least not in the dark. We finished up back at Poteet, not having stopped anywhere. That is not unusual for me when I ride out there solo, but I was wondering how Eva would do without a stop. She seemed unfazed and that’s good. We were surprised that there was no sign of the ‘Eagles’ group – it was just our 2 cars at the finish just as it had been when we left.
 
bike: NEUVATION ROAD BIKE; start time: 17:42; end: 19:51; avg:15.6; max: 28.8; climb: 1020; miles: 32.86; mtd miles:494.47
PARTLY CLOUDY; wind: WSW 2-8; start temp: 55; avg: 45; end: 45; min: 42.8

28-Jan-24      SUN      Rockwall-Forney Ride

It was pretty darned chilly at our start time of 9 AM. It was 34° when I arrived at Eva’s, but that was 20 min before 9 AM. Strava shows it was 37° at our start. In any case, we were blessed with sunshine, a NW wind (tailwind on first half), and expectation that it would warm up quickly. I think it did – by the time we reached Forney, it was 45° and when we left, my Garmin was showing a shade temp of 50°. But the return trip felt shockingly cold – that headwind was frigid. I had taken my ski gloves off and my windbreaker and I intensely regretted that during the start back to Rockwall. It was quite uncomfortable on the way back although it became less so as we neared Rockwall. I would say, in the last 5 miles, I was reasonably comfortable. I pulled part of the time; Eva did at other times. It was a balanced ride, I thought. It was nice to get this ride and I felt good for all of it. Not riding on Saturday helped, I would say!
 
bike: NEUVATION ROAD BIKE; start time: 9:01; end: 12:49; avg:14.6; max: 28.8; climb: 1732; miles:43.23; mtd miles:537.7
SUNNY; wind: NW 6; start temp: 37; avg: 45; end: 55

I found Butch, Jay, and Kenny at Sunset Bay when I pulled in this morning.  Larry arrived after me and E-Bob and John and Heidi were there when we finished the first lap.  Kenny started before us, and Jay found he couldn't et his battery to work, and went home to deal with that.  Butch and I did a SPT up and back and lake lap, with Larry near us most of the way until he pulled away on the last five miles.  Jay was back when we rolled in.  He had had to fix a cable from his battery, but made a mistake and lit it up trying to connect it up there in the parking lot.  He didn't ride with us.  Butch, Larry, and I took another long lap.  Handcycle Bob joined us coming back down the SPT.  I kept up a pretty good pace on both laps to average 16.2 mph for 41 miles.  Larry's average was a bit higher.

31-Jan-24      WED      Velo Vets Cut Short

I have no public comments.
 
BIKE: NEUVATION ROAD BIKE; START TIME 8: 54; END TIME 10:24; AVG: 15.3; MAX 26.1; CLIMB: 404; MILES: 18.29; MTD MILES: 603.48
SUNNY; WIND: CALM; START TEMP: 45; AVG TEMP: 49; MAX TEMP: 54

1-Feb-24      THU      POTEET RIDE

Ed was not enthralled with his experience on Tuesday. He'd had to walk his bike a significant distance on the south side frontage road along Hwy 80 due to bumper-to-bumper traffic. He wanted to do what Eva and I had done last Thursday. So, we started out doing that, but I knew I would have to add miles to make up for not going through the high school area off of Tripp. The adjustments I made to the route ended up adding a couple miles to what Eva and I got last Thursday. The east loop including the side trip to Barnes Bridge was done twice. Ed was fine with the mileage. His words, "it was a good workout!"
 
bike: NEUVATION ROAD BIKE; start time: 17:24; end time: 19:47; avg speed: 16.4; max speed: 28.1; climb: 1047; miles: 35.23; ytd miles: 638.71
CLEAR; wind: S 12-26; start temp: 68; avg: 61; end temp: 59

Short South Loop
 
Had planned to get out and ride much earlier, but despite the rainless forecast, it looked like it would rain. I didn't get to ride with Doug, either. He had gotten out early and encountered sporadic rain in his area. 2 hours after I decided not to ride because it looked like it would rain, the sun was out, and I decided then and there I would ride. I didn't plan on anything long. My recent habit of staying north of Hwy 80 was working out well and that is what I decided to do. I did ride south through the high school along the access road and there was a boat show going on there - all the parking areas were filled with outboard motorboats on trailers hooked up to pickup trucks. I can't say I've ever seen anything like that before. The temperature was pleasant and there was wind although it wasn't strong enough to feel on the velomobile.  
 
bike: DFXL; start time: 14:51; end: 17:11; avg: 20.7; max: 38.1; climb: 1299; miles:46.8; mtd miles: 82.0; ytd miles: 685.5
PARTLY CLOUDY; wind: S 10; start temp: 63; avg: 65; end: 64

4-Feb-24      SUN      Rockwall /Forney /rtn

Cold ride to Forney; windy cold ride back. Saw some sun near the end.
 
bike: NEUVATION ROAD BIKE; start time: 9:08; end: 12:43; avg: 15.0; max: 30.3; climb: 1670; miles: 43.71 mtd miles: 125.74; ytd miles: 729.22
CLOUDY, becoming PARTLY CLOUDY; wind: NNE 11; NW 14; start temp: 50 min: 46 avg: 48; max: 55; end: 55

Tuesday 2/6/23 WRL Clown Ride:
 
Participants: Daniel S, Larry K, Kenny J, Butch Y, Bob M, Lynn M, Don C, and me.
 
Daniel and Larry rode together. Kenny and Butch rode solo. Butch didn't arrive at Sunset Bay until the rest of us had already gotten in 41 miles. He rode solo after returning to Sunset Bay, after lunch. Bob led Lynn, Don, and me on two lake laps and SoPac Trail up-and-backs. Lynn, Kenny, Butch, Don, and I rode to the Green Spot for lunch and conversation. Lynn has just returned from a three-week trip to Argentina and a cruise to Antartica. She regaled us with photos and stories of her adventures. Following lunch, Lynn, Butch, and Kenny took the short route back to Sunset Bay, while Don and I completed a 19-mph average counterclockwise lake lap. Got in 52 miles at a 16.6 mph average.
 
Great riding weather today. Not many pedestrians and cyclists.

Golden years are wonderful  

Thursday 2/8/24 WRL Clown Ride:
 
Participants: Larry K, E Bob, Kenny J, Bob M, Lynn M, Butch Y, Don C, and me.
 
Larry, E Bob, and Kenny each rode solo today. Bob M led Lynn, Butch, Don, and me on two lake laps and SoPac Trail up-and-backs. Larry got in a little over 20 miles before calling it quits, due to a failing front tire on his Velokraft VK2 low racer. He installed a new tire, but still decided to call it quits. Don raced ahead of us several times to get some cardio work in per doctor's orders. He also decided to keep riding after the rest of us called it quits in an attempt to get in 100 miles on his ICE Sprint X Tour trike. After Butch, Kenny, Don, and I got in 41 miles, we rode counterclockwise to the Green Spot for lunch. Following lunch, Kenny took the short route back to Sunset Bay and Butch, Don, and I completed a 10-mile counterclockwise lake lap at a fast 20.2 mph average. Today I got in a total of 52.3 miles at a 16.7 mph average.
 
Another nice riding day. Few cyclists and pedestrians on the trails.

9-Feb-24      FRI      VELO VETS

Herb had a special ride planned and it sounded interesting, so I made a point of being at the ride start before 9 AM. Trouble is, I had a flat tire within a couple miles of starting out. The group waited just out of sight and Herb and Sandra came back as did Donna and John. They helped and I'm grateful but once the new tube was in and tire pushed on and pumped up, everyone left. I still needed to remount the wheel on the rear. Then the chain fell off and it took me some time to get the chain back on. John came back and I explained what the delay was. Meanwhile, the group moved on and John and I double-timed it around 3 quarters of the lake to make sure we caught up in time to see the next part of the route Herb planned. Good thing we caught up. I felt completely lost for much of the route. But I enjoyed it. After the Dallas Coffee Shop we headed back to Big Thicket. I had just shy of 20 miles and I wanted to do another lap. Donna went with me, and we had some pleasant conversation. We got back to Big Thicket where I was parked, earlier than she thought we would. That was good. She needed to be back in McKinney by a certain time and she had plenty of time to get there.  This was one time I really enjoyed the outing!
 
NEUVATION ROAD BIKE; start time: 8:58; end: 12:33; avg:13.0; max: 23.3; climb: 686; miles: 30.43; mtd miles: 266.61; ytd miles: 870.09
CLOUDY; wind: SSE 4-13; start temp: 53; avg: 61; end: 63

Jay, I agree with you. I have never used a flag because they are generally invisible to motorists. If the person had any sense, he would have gone in and told you in person and then you could have told him your philosophy in person. My lights are far more visible than any flag would ever be.
 
13-Feb-24      TUE      CLOWN RIDE

Was running late, so texted Larry not to wait. Arrived at Sunset Bay at 10:05. Larry said he waited until 10:04! Oh well. Got started after about 20 min and decided I could possibly get 2 regular lake laps and then join Larry for his last 20. That was the plan. Rode clockwise around the lake to the north end and then, change of plans, decided to do the Ferndale Loop. That adds about 10 miles. Was finishing that up and heading toward the Big Thicket for a whiz stop when I saw Larry climbing the access trail to avoid hamburger hill. I waved but didn't join Larry. If I had, I would have been 5 miles short on miles at the end. I wanted at least 40 by the end. So, I carried on. i figured I could ride counterclockwise around the lake and get back to Sunset Bay and then I'd have the extra miles I needed. I hoped Larry would still be at Sunset Bay by then. Unfortunately, he wouldn't have been.  
 
First, I saw the group going the other way. Then I saw Larry going the other way. I needed to U-turn. I was riding along Garland Rd and decided to U-Turn just before the trail goes left across the bridge. Then I high tailed it back the way I'd come and up the SoPac Trail. That's where I caught up with Larry. I rode with Larry after that and finished the ride with about half a mile more than normal. Good enough!
 
BIKE: CATRIKE   START TIME: 10:24  END TIME: 12:58   AVG SPEED: 17.6   MAX SPEED: 28.7   CLIMBING: 1296   MILES: 40.95   MTD MILES: 307.56   YTD MILES: 911.04    
SKY: SUNNY   WIND: SW 6-10   START TEMP: 46   END TEMP: 62

Quote from NO BATTERY bwand E-Bob on Feb 14^th, 2024, 6:40pm:

 
Flags are only good in parking lots or when you run into the lake [/quote]
 
Words of wisdom from our eldest member.  

15-Feb-24      THU      CLOWN RIDE

Figured I could do this ride and the Poteet Ride without too much trouble as long as I skipped the boat club after the ride and went home for a proper lunch. I did that, had a 1½ hour nap and felt great on the 2nd ride of the day. Not planning to make this a habit, though.
 
BIKE: Catrike 700  /START TIME:  9:40  /END TIME: 12:48   /AVG SPEED: 15.6   /MAX SPEED: 25.4   /CLIMBING: 889   /MILES: 40.23   /MTD MILES: 347.79   /YTD MILES: 951.27  
SKY: high clouds   /WIND: SW 6   /START TEMP: 55   /END TEMP: 66

16-Feb-24      FRI      Velo Vets Ride plus Ferndale Loop

I was thinking this morning, do I want to ride with friends on a nice ride or do i want to feel like I'm at the north pole tomorrow with no one I know? No brainer on that question!
 
BIKE: Neuvation   /START TIME: 8:38   /END TIME: 12:17   /AVG SPEED: 13.9   /MAX SPEED: 34.2   /CLIMBING: 1014   /MILES: 40.81   /MTD MILES: 421.16   /YTD MILES: 1024.64    
SKY: High Clouds   /WIND: SSW 9   /START TEMP: 60   /END TEMP: 72

18-Feb-24      SUN      Rode My Age in Miles +

Rode my age in miles, but the only problem is, I overshot. The good news is, I know exactly what to do when I turn 79!
 
BIKE: DFXL   /START TIME: 10:50   /END TIME: 15:14   /AVG SPEED: 20.2   /MAX SPEED: 39.1   /CLIMBING: 2149   /MILES: 79.59   /MTD MILES: 500.75   /YTD MILES: 1104.23    
SKY: SUNNY   /WIND: W 3   /START TEMP: 40   /END TEMP: 53

Saturday 2/24/24 WRL ride:
 
Participants: Lynn M, Butch Y, Don C, and me.
 
We got a late start, because Don was delayed by accidents on I-75 on his trip down to the lake from Allen. I led our small group out of Sunset Bay clockwise on the lake trail a 10:10 AM. We rode to the north end of the SoPac Trail, did a 180, rode to the Ridgewood Trail exit, then did a round trip to Glencoe Park. Back on the SoPac, we rode to the north end again, did a 180, then rode back to the lake and on to the Trinity Forest Spine Trail. We rode both branches of the Spine Trail, then rode counterclockwise back to Sunset Bay. After a break, we did a clockwise lake lap. Back at Sunset, Lynn loaded her trike in her SUV and left for home. Butch, Don, and I rode counterclockwise to the Green Spot for lunch and conversation. Following lunch, we completed a counterclockwise lake lap. I loaded up my trike and left for home. Don and Butch continued riding. Don wanted to get in 70+ miles. I got in 53.5 miles at a 17.3 mph average.
 
We did some fast riding and would have had a higher average if not for the heavy pedestrian, cycle, and motor vehicle traffic on the trails and roads. The first really nice weather for the year brought a lot of people to the lake.
 
The trails are finally free of standing water, so I rode my Greenspeed Aero trike for the first time since I replaced a failed power connector. I've been experiencing pain in my left knee since installing 150 mm unicyle straight crank arms and moving the booms in on my Catrike Speed and Aero trikes. Replaced the 150 mm arms on the Aero with curved 152 mm arms. No knee pain today. Yea!
 
Conducted a max speed test on the smooth asphalt of West Lawther today. Got the Aero up to 33.8 mph before spinning out in a 60T/9T gear combo (The Aero has a 28T/9T cassette installed on a Shimano Capreo-style rear hub to compensate for the small 406 mm rear wheel). I'm currently having a 451 mm rear wheel with a Capreo hub built up by John's Trikes and Bikes in Lancaster, TX. I'm going to install it on my Speed trike to improve its top speed.
 

24-Feb-24      SAT      South Loop Velomobile Solo

Was planning on doing the Toler Ride today but Michael and C decided to opt for a 10:30 start, Lyle planned on 8:30, and there was one other person who replied to Pam's email. With a potentially very small turnout and Lyle too fast for me, I decided I would just do a solo run on the velomobile. I enjoy that much more than a road bike ride when i prefer to get extra miles. I also decided there was no reason to start at 8:30 if I was going to do my own thing, so I opted for a slightly later start. My ride went well. While I was shooting for 50 miles it somehow turned into 60 - a mystery. Then I remembered that the round trip from my house is an extra 10 miles.
 
BIKE DFXL:   /START TIME: 9:24  /END TIME: 12:38   /AVG SPEED: 20.2   /MAX SPEED: 37.2  /CLIMBING: 1601   /MILES: 60.82   /MTD MILES: 641.96   /YTD MILES: 1245.44    
SKY: Sunny   /WIND:  WNW 5  /START TEMP: 55   /END TEMP: 72

Tuesday 2/27/24 WRL Clown Ride:
 
Participants: Daniel S, Larry K, Bob M, Lynn M, Butch Y, Don C, and me.
 
Daniel and Larry rolled out of Sunset Bay early and rode two lake laps and SoPac Trail up-and-backs together. Bob, Lynn, Butch, and I arrived early, but we didn't roll out until 10:10 AM because Don was running a little late (He drives down 75 from Allen). Bob led us on an initial lake lap and SoPac Trail up-and-back. After a break at Sunset Bay, Bob led us out on a second lake lap and SoPac up-and-back, minus Don who rode solo in an attempt to locate a lost ICE flag. Back at Sunset Bay, after we had gotten in 41 miles, Bob and Lynn loaded up their trikes and left the parking lot. Don located his lost flag near the dam and rolled into the parking lot in time to join Butch and me on our counterclockwise ride to the Green Spot for lunch and conversation. Following lunch, we completed a very fast counterclockwise lake lap with me in the lead. My max speed, heading south into the wind on the West Lawther flats was 29.1 mph. Back at Sunset Bay, Don and Butch rolled out on a final lake lap, while I loaded up my Aero trike and headed for home. I got in 51.8 miles at a 16.3 mph average. My max speed for the day was 34.1 mph, playing catch up, heading north with the wind on the smooth asphalt of West Lawther.
 
Perfect riding weather today. I was wearing my summer riding clothes. The trails were not as populated as one would expect on a warm day like today.
 
Good ride. No incidents or mechanicals.
 

27-Feb-24      TUE      CLOWN RIDE

This was the last of a string of nice days for a while. It is still February after all and still winter. So, while I was tired from yesterday, seemed a shame to waste a nice day by not riding. However, with my back having gone out Sunday, I was concerned about lifting the trike into the back of the van. As it turned out, nothing to worry about. Had no problem doing that. My back is actually much better which is a good thing. Rode with Larry and thought the wind would be much stronger than lately but while tough, it wasn't nearly as tough as Sunday's wind! Overall, got a good ride today. Glad I made the effort to head over to the lake again, this week.
 
BIKE:   /START TIME: 9:35   /END TIME 12:37   /AVG SPEED: 15.2   /MAX SPEED: 24.5   /CLIMBING: 1024  /MILES: 41.00   /MTD MILES: 769.87  /YTD MILES: 1373.35  
SKY: Cloudy, then Hazy Sun   /WIND: S 12-14  /START TEMP: 69   /END TEMP: 75

Saturday 3/2/24 WRL Ride:
 
Participants: Lynn M, Butch Y, Don C, and me.
 
We were shooting for a 10:00 AM rollout, but that didn't happen because the chain on Don's Sprint trike came off and wedged itself between the drive housing and the chainring. We rolled out of Sunset Bay with me in the lead at 10:20. The trail was heavily populated with pedestrians and cyclists. We made our way through them and once on the SoPac Trail put the pedal to the metal. We did a 180 at the north end of the SoPac and rode to the entrance to the Ridgewood Trail, which we took, and did a round trip to Glencoe Park. Back on the SoPac, we rode to the north end again, then back to the lake and on to the Trinity Forest Spine Trail. We rode both branches of the trail, then rode counterclockwise back to Sunset Bay. After a break, we rode a lake lap. Back at Sunset Bay, Lynn called it quits, loaded up her 700 trike, and left for home. Butch, Don, and I rode counterclockwise to the Green Spot for lunch and conversation. Following lunch, we put the pedal to the metal, intending to complete a fast counterclockwise lake lap with me in the lead. Somewhere between the Mockingbird underpass and the entrance to the Buckner underpass disaster struck. The chain on my Aero trike popped and the chain started rubbing on the frame. Inspection of the drivetrain showed that the power idler was missing. We turned around and rode clockwise in attempt to locate the idler and its axle bolt. No luck locating them. I was doing 24 mph when they came off, so they are probably somewhere off East Lawther in a grassy ditch. Good buddies Butch and Don followed me as I limped back to Sunset Bay with the Aero's chain chewing away at the trike's aluminum seat framing. Back at Sunset, I loaded up the Aero and drove home. Butch and Don rolled out, intending to do a fast lake lap. If not for the idler disaster, I was probably going to wind up with an average near 18 mph for 52 miles. Instead, my average was 16.7 mph for 49.3 miles.
 
Back home, I located a spare idler, some washers, and a spacer. All I need to install the replacement idler is an 8mm bolt and locknut from ACE Hardware.  

2-Mar-24      SAT      South Loop Velomobile Solo

Almost didn't do this ride. It was nearly noon when I decided to go through the motions of getting the velomobile ready. I still wasn't committed to riding. I checked the front tires and decided they needed to be topped off. I removed the left front wheel and got to looking closely at the tire tread. There was no tread but there were numerous places where the cord was showing. I decided i needed to replace the tire. Usually replacing a front tire is a huge ordeal and I figured it would completely derail my plan to ride. I decided to start the process anyway as I had a new tire in the garage. Amazingly, it was not an ordeal this time. Removing the old tire and putting the new one on and pumping it up took about 10 minutes! I guess I was still in business for a ride. I checked the right-hand tire, topped it off, and I was ready. The rear tire was fine. Looked like I would get my ride after all. It was a little past noon when I got underway. I was regretting starting out as late as i was because the air felt hot! There was a pretty stout south wind and once I started heading into it, it didn't feel as hot. That was good.  The wind felt great. At the same time, I was glad I wasn't on my road bike. As usual I took no rest stops. Time stopped of 7½ minutes was mainly from traffic lights and waiting on cross traffic at stop signs. I'm glad I got out for a ride as it felt good (once I got used to the heat).
 
BIKE: DFXL  /START TIME: 12:19  /END TIME: 15:05  /AVG SPEED: 21.2  /MAX SPEED: 40.5  /CLIMBING: 1519  /MILES: 56.06  /MTD MILES:  96.43 /YTD MILES:   1469.78
SKY:  Sunny /WIND: S 12-20  /START TEMP: 73  /END TEMP: 81

4-Mar-24      MON      VELO VETS

Started off relatively warm and got warmer. There was some wind which felt strong but was below white cap level. So my impression that it was too strong was probably related to being tired from yesterday's ride. Fortunately, I had good friends nearby and that helped the enjoyment of the ride.  
 
BIKE: Neuvation Road Bike  /START TIME: 8:51  /END TIME: 12:08  /AVG SPEED: 14.9  /MAX SPEED: 24.1  /CLIMBING: 853  /MILES: 40.08 /MTD MILES: 179.76  /YTD MILES:   1553.11
SKY: partly cloudy  /WIND: S 12  /START TEMP: 66  /END TEMP: 78

No Eastside ride, so I went to the lake and parked in the Arboretum trail lot.  It was still overcast when I arrived, with the temperature in the 40s, and a stiff North wind, so trail traffic was not so heavy.  I went down to the Santa Fe trail and took it down to the park past Glasgow St., where I turned around and headed back to the SPT.  By then the sky was clearing from the North, and it stayed sunny from then on.  There I encountered Don and Lynn riding together.  The SPT still had puddles, but not so much as I had expected after two days of rain.   I did the up-and-back and went around the lake, stopping at Sunset Bay, where Lynn and Don had parked.  From there I `went on to repeat my first lap, again seeing Don and Lynn on the SPT.  The last half of my ride was more pleasant with the sunshine, though the crowds had started to arrive.  I wound up with 50 miles.

6-Mar-24      WED      VELO VETS - partly solo

This was another ideal day with practically no wind although remaining overcast and little sign of the predicted warmth, at least during the morning hours. But I needed to cut it short, and I skipped the stop at the Green Spot so I could wrap up what more of the ride i wanted to do and head out. That was a good decision in terms of having motivation to get my afternoon errands done.  Traffic heading toward home was lighter and that was a big part of wanting to leave the lake earlier. (Rode with Bill, Cindy, Rocky, Randel, Solo)
 
BIKE: Neuvation Road Bike  START TIME: 9:09  END TIME: 11:35  AVG SPEED: 14.7  MAX SPEED: 26.1  CLIMBING: 807  MILES: 34.55 MTD MILES: 255.61  YTD MILES: 1628.96
SKY: Cloudy  WIND: NE 6  START TEMP: 60  END TEMP: 64

Tuesday 3/12/24 WRL Clown Ride:
 
Participants: Daniel S, Larry K, Mark McD, Ken 3, Kenny J, Bob M, Lynn M, Butch Y, Don C, and me.
 
Daniel and Larry rode together as did Mark and Ken 3. Kenny rode 40+ miles solo. Bob led Lynn, Butch, and me on two lake laps and SoPac Trail up-and-backs. Don arrived at the lake late and rode mostly solo. Bob and Lynn packed it in after riding 41) miles. Kenny, Butch, and I rode to the Green Spot for lunch and conversation. We were joined by Johnnybent who rode to the Spot on his 599cc moped. Following lunch, Kenny took the short route back to Sunset Bay, while Butch and I completed a counterclockwise lake lap. We were joined by Don on West Lawther. I got in about 52 miles. No data recorded because I forgot my Garmin computer.
 
Good weather, except for the southerly 12 mph+ headwinds after lunch.
 
One mechanical: I heard a mechanical noise as we were riding south on the SoPac. I looked in my rear-view mirror and saw Butch's trike slowing down. I turned around and rode back to where Butch was stopped. Seems his upper chain tube had loosened from its mooring and jammed itself between the chain and chainring, resulting in the chain being thrown off the chainring. Butch moored the chain tube with a zip tie, put the chain back on, and zoomed off to catch up with Bob and Lynn.

Wednesday Mar 13
Non-Motorize Group of One
 
As I reported earlier, I couldn’t wait another day to ride since the doctor gave me the green light to ride. So I started up the White Rock Trail when I saw the North Haven sign I took it. I rode to the end and back. I continued around the lake to the van. I was a little disappointed in the North Haven Trail, basically flat and to many stop signs.
 
I was approaching Tee Pee Hill when I heard what though was streetcar coming. This dude was coming down the hill picking up speed and fighting to stay on his Walmart Special. I was ready to hit the grass when I saw his problem. He was riding on the rims, no tires. I bet he rode all the down the Santa Fe from home.

I better let someone else reply, Been long time since ridden   it and I forgot!!

14-Mar-23      THU      CLOWN RIDE

 
Had a window of opportunity to ride before any storms materialized. We had a little drizzle at times but nothing serious. Got the usual miles and I'm happy I went for it!
 
bike: Catrike 700; start time: 9:12; end: 12:16; avg:15.1; max: 25.9; climb: 755; miles: 40.44; mtd miles:380.36; ytd miles:1753.71
PARTLY CLOUDY; wind: ENE 5; start temp: 60; avg: 64; end: 62

Quote from jayg on Mar 16^th, 2024, 10:12am:

 
I didn’t see any, all residential not even a bush to kill.

19-Mar-24      TUE      CLOWN RIDE

Have been noticing unusual noises coming from the rear derailleur. There was a discussion at the lake about it. Ideas put forth: remove links from the chain; need new jockey wheel, bent chain hanger. After the ride, took the trike up to the shop. Conclusion: chain completely worn out: replace it; needs a jockey wheel but better yet, replace the rear derailleur - agreed about the jockey wheel, thinking about the rear derailleur; probably need a new cassette - agreed about that. Guess I need to find something new to ride for the next few weeks.
 
bike: Catrike 700; start time: 9:44; end: 13:20; avg: 15.2; max: 24.3; climb: 719; miles: 41.55; mtd miles:514.88; ytd miles:1888.23
SUNNY; wind: S 5; start temp: 42; end: 62

Clown ride, 03/21/24  
 
It wasn't raining Thursday morning--in fact, the sun came out for a while-- s a few of us showed up.  The sun went away, but Kenny and Larry rode solo, and I led Lynn and Butch on two SPT and lake laps without more than a few sprinkles to bother us.  Afterwards, Butch decided to get another reverse lap in to be more in line with his usual effort.  Larry and I retired to the boathouse for a bachelor lunch, just beating the rain there.  Didn't look good for Butch's bonus lap!

Saturday 3/23/24 WRL Ride:
 
I led Lynn M, Butch Y, and Don C out of Sunset Bay at 10:00 am and we headed for the north end of the SoPac Trail. Once there, we did a 180 and headed back down the trail to the Ridgewood Trail exit, which we took and did a round trip to Glencoe Park. Back on the SoPac, we rode to the north end again, then rode back to the lake and on to the Trinity Forest Spine Trail. We rode both branches of the Spine Trail, then returned to Sunset Bay. After a break, we did a lake lap. Back at Sunset Bay, Lynn packed it in, Butch and I rode to the Green Spot for lunch, and Don skipped lunch and rode some more lake laps. Following lunch, Butch and I completed a counterclockwise lake lap. I got in 53 miles at a 16.3 mph average.
 
The trails were heavily crowded with pedestrians and cyclists today. Lots of road bike riders.
 
Johnnybent rolled up on his 500cc motorcycle-like moped while we were in the Sunset Bay parking lot packing it in, after having completed our riding. Talked to him for a while.

Eastside ride, Saturday, 03/30/24
 
Just Ferd, and Jim showed Saturday morning, so the three of us headed South against the wind. Jim left us at Spring Valley.  We continued on, Ferd taking a bit of extra time at the stops.  That was fine with me, as I was hobbled by my back.  We got 30 miles done at a modest pace.

I'm a little behind on posts, but not by many as I've been sick for the better part of a week. Starting with the first ride i didn't post yet
 
20-Mar-24      WED      VELO VETS + the FERNDALE LOOP
 
Did a nice lap following Herb and Sandra and then the Ferndale Loop before the Green Spot. After the Green Spot, did another lap and a little extra for 40 miles. It was warmer than yesterday morning but felt cooler because of the cloud cover and wind. Eventually it got better.
 
bike: NEUVATION; start time: 8:58; end: 12:26; avg:13.9; max: 29.8; climb: 883; miles: 41.6; mtd miles:556.48; ytd miles:1929.83
Mostly Cloudy; wind: SSW 5; start temp: 50; end: 65

24-Mar-24      SUN      ROCKWALL-FORNEY RIDE

12.0 avg Rockwall to Forney, in that combination crosswind and headwind.
17.2 avg Forney to Rockwall, in that combination crosswind and tailwind.
The last 5 miles felt really good at 19.1 avg even though we had to stop at 1 stop sign and 3 traffic lights.  
The good news is that I was riding with Eva and she was keeping up just fine so i didn't have to hold back at all on the return trip.
 
bike: Neuvation; start time: 9:12; end: 12:56; avg:14.8; max: 32.8; climb: 1713; miles: 43.4; mtd miles:665.26; ytd miles:2038.61
CLOUDY; wind: SSE 17-28; start temp: 56; end: 59

28-Mar-24      THU      POTEET RIDE

Pleasant temperature without strong S wind but I just wasn't feeling it this evening. Kept up ok but I was often feeling like I had to work hard. That isn't normal. Rode with Ed and Eva. That evening after the ride I began to come down with strong symptoms of a cold.
 
bike: NEUVATION ROAD BIKE; start time: 17:55; end: 20:12; avg:17.0; max: 28.5; climb: 787; miles: 30.79; mtd miles:736.25; ytd miles:2109.6
SUNNY; wind: S 9; start temp: 74; min: 57; end: 64

2-Apr-24      TUE      NEIGHBORHOOD RIDE

Despite it being a very windy day, the sun was shining, and I decided it would still be a good day to do a neighborhood ride. Unlike yesterday, I systematically did every street in the Harborside development where I live plus all the streets in the new development to the south. I also did all the steep alleyways and streets in the NE quadrant of Harborside, twice. Parts of those have gradients as much as 10%. The long hook-shaped part of the route to the south (only understood if the map of the route is in view), is the walking/cycling path along Lake Ray Hubbard, that wraps around the apartment complex at the south end. I did that twice, as well. I'm feeling much better after doing this ride and I think I will do Velo Vets in the morning.
 
bike: CATRIKE 700; start time: 13:41; end: 15:17; avg:12.3; max: 25.9; climb: 886; miles:17.5; mtd miles:27.69; ytd miles:2137.29
SUNNY; wind: NW 18-24; start temp: 60; end: 65

4-Apr-24      THU      CLOWN RIDE

I felt excellent on today's Clown Ride. I think easing back into riding as my cold relaxed its grip on me has paid off. I felt strong. Of course, it helped that the temperature was agreeable and there was barely any wind. I ran my assist on the trike on Level 1 (lowest) for about 60% of the ride and Level zero (motor off) for the other 40%. Having had my chain and cog set replaced seemed to improve performance, also. I was able to use my highest gear when needed. For a very long time, using my highest gear before I had the trike repaired resulted in chain skip, so I seldom used it. This ability to use the biggest gear allowed me to easily keep up with Larry without jacking up the assist level. Now looking forward to riding the road bike on tomorrow's Velo Vets ride.
 
bike: Catrike 700; start time: 9:25; end: 12:50; avg: 16.1; max: 23.8; climb: 650; miles: 43.11; mtd miles:111.07; ytd miles:2220.67
SUNNY; wind: W 3; start temp: 54; end: 77

6-Apr-24      SAT      TOLER RIDE

Not knowing how difficult doing tomorrow's Rockwall Ride might be after having a cold for a week and knowing how strong Eva has become I decided to bring the e-assist trike on this ride. Yet, I didn't really do myself any favors because I ended up riding on level zero (motor off) for about half the ride. I only turned it on for the climbs. I knew that was a risk because I could tire my legs out too much and defeat the purpose of riding the assisted trike. Well, will see tomorrow how things turn out.  
 
bike: CATRIKE 700; start time: 8:26; end: 11:49; avg:15.1; max: 29.5; climb: 1093; miles:42.48; mtd miles:153.55; ytd miles:2263.15
SUNNY; wind: SSE 8-16; start temp: 61; end: 73

Thursday 4/11/24 WRL Clown Ride:
 
Participants: Kenny J, Bob M, Lynn M, Butch Y, Don C, and me.
 
Kenny arrived early and rode solo. Don arrived after 3:00 PM and rode solo. Bob led Lynn, Butch, and me on two lake laps and SoPac Trail up-and-backs. Bob and Lynn left the lake after getting in 41+ miles. Butch and I rode to the Green Spot for lunch and conversation. Following lunch we completed a counterclockwise lake lap. Butch and I got in 52 miles. I was tired after not having ridden for about two weeks, preparing my house for visiting relatives, then visiting with them. Was glad to be back riding with the Clowns.
 
The weather was pleasant, except for 12 mph+ northerly headwinds we had to fight.
 
No incidents or mechanicals today. There were a number of friendly, waving riders on the trails.

I met with Larry and Daniel at Sunset Bay this morning to do a ride to make up for yesterday's rainout.  We did two of the usual laps.  Though it was mostly cloudy it still warmed into the eighties, and was somewhat muggy.  That did start to affect me toward the end of the ride.  We got 41 or so miles at 16 mph. Near the end of the ride Larry chased down a wedgie at 23 mph until the guy gave up.  E Bob made an appearance, and we saw two other trikes, and also Hand-cycle Bob.  We should be riding again Thursday.

Tuesday 4/23/24 WRL Clown Ride:
 
Participants: Daniel S, Larry K, E Bob, Bob M, Lynn M, and me.
 
E Bob rode solo. Lynn was running a little late this morning, so Bob M decided to tag along with Daniel and Larry as they rolled out of Sunset Bay and headed for the north end of the SoPac Trail. After Lynn arrived and was ready to ride, she and I rolled out and headed for the north end of the SoPac at a high pace. We ran across Daniel, Larry, and Bob M as they were heading south, about a mile from the SoPac's north end. We continued on to the trail's north end, did a 180, and headed back to the lake and on to Sunset Bay, maintaining a high pace. We caught up with Daniel as we neared Sunset Bay. Lynn and my average for those 20 miles was 18.5 mph. After a break, Bob M led Lynn and me on a second lake lap and SoPac up-and-back. We ran across recumbent-riding acquaintances, John and Heidi G, at the north end of the SoPac. My legs and knees started feeling uncomfortable on the north end of the lake property on East Lawther, probably from lack of riding regularly for the past month. I fell further and further behind Bob and Lynn the rest of the way back to Sunset Bay. Back at Sunset, Daniel, Larry, Bob M, and Lynn packed it in and departed the scene. I rode solo to the Green Spot for lunch. Following lunch, I completed a counterclockwise lake lap. Got in 51.2 miles at a 16.8 mph average. Max speed of 32.5 mph was achieved headed north in the SoPac bottoms with the wind at my back. Rode my Greenspeed Aero trike today.
 
Annoying southerly headwinds were blowing all day today. Not many pedestrians and riders on the trails.

12-Apr-24      FRI      VELO VETS

It was a really nice day for a ride, but I needed to cut it shorter than usual. Needed to mail something to my sister and I wanted to do that before 1 PM.  So, when I left the Green Spot, I didn't do another lap. I went straight back to the van instead. I also only got a couple hours sleep last night because of an extreme sinus drainage issue that kept me coughing. I eventually did sleep in the easy chair until the alarm went off. Despite that, I felt surprisingly good on the bike!
29 miles

14-Apr-24      SUN      ROCKWALL - FORNEY RIDE

Windy ride but got the headwind out of the way first and enjoyed a nice tailwind for most of the return trip. It was cloudy and cool to start but the sun was out for much of the return trip. To me, the wind wasn't that bad. Eva disagreed! That's ok, I think Ed would have agreed with Eva had he been there.
43 miles

17-Apr-24      WED      CLOWN RIDE (makeup)

Missed the Tuesday morning get together because of rain, and Thursday morning was looking doubtful for the same reason, so we decided to do the Clown Ride today. For me, that was instead of doing the Velo Vets ride. As it turns out tomorrow morning looks good for the 2nd Clown ride of the week. It's the Thursday evening ride that now appears to be in jeopardy owing to potential for rain. Time will tell. But today's ride was good. In my opinion, the south wind wasn't too bad and there was certainly warmth all day. It was partly cloudy and humid, but I only noticed the humidity when we were stopped.  
41 miles

19-Apr-24      FRI      VELO VETS + the FERNDALE LOOP

I've felt really good this week despite riding 4 days in a row. On the Ferndale Loop, though I held back on fast climbing because I was keeping my heart rate in check. Nonetheless, I still kept up just fine. For once, I was on time at the Big Thicket for the start. The group did a nice pace around the lake before heading up Ferndale. We arrived at the Green Spot just as the rest of the group did.  I left later than the Ferndale group from the Green Spot and rode clockwise around the lake to see if I could find them. Just as I turned off the SoPac exit, there they all were. I was very surprised. I u-turned and joined Rocky and Randel right after Cindy and Bill turned off. Randel turned off at his usual exit on the east side of the lake and Rocky and I went on to the north end of the lake before turning back. I dropped off at the Bath House parking having reached my goal of 41 miles and Rocky headed home. Why such an odd number of miles? It gave me 500 miles for the month!
41 miles

23-Apr-24      TUE      CLOWN RIDE

I intended to ride both this ride and the evening ride today. Because I was going to do both on the Catrike, I didn't use the e-assist very much. Instead, I used the shift lever and momentum to get over the few steeper spots on the route. I rode about 60% of the first 20 miles on level zero and about 80% on level zero, on the 2nd 20-mile loop. On the battery, voltage dropped from 58 to 57 during this 40 miles. I had no idea what to expect keeping up with a potentially fast road bike rider on a much hillier course on the evening ride.
40 miles

Thursday 4/25/24 WRL Clown Ride:
 
Participants: Larry K, E Bob, Kenny J, Bob M, Lynn M, and me.
 
Larry, E Bob, and Kenny each rode solo. Bob M led Lynn and me on two lake laps and SoPac Trail up-and-backs. Bob packed it in after 41+ plus miles. Lynn and Kenny loaded up their trikes and drove to the Green Spot. I rode there on my Aero trike and joined them for lunch and conversation. Following lunch, I put the peddle to the metal and completed a fast counterclockwise lake lap. Got in 52 .1 miles at a 16.2 mph average. Max speed was 32.2 mph when I was following Lynn as she was driving towards the Green Spot on East Lawther.  
 
Not a whole lot of cycling activity on the trails. There were several small groups of roadies and a number of individual upright riders. There was one huge group of police bike patrol trainees riding the lake trail.
 
Good day for me. My legs were strong, and my knees didn't bother me the whole day.
 
No incidents or mechanicals.

Tuesday 4/30/24 WRL Clown Ride:
 
Participants: Larry K, E Bob, Kenny J, Bob M, Lynn M, Butch Y, Don C, and me.
 
Larry, E Bob, and Kenny rode solo. Bob M led Lynn, Butch, and me on two lake laps and SoPac Trail up-and-backs. Bob M and Lynn packed it in after we had ridden 41+ miles. Don arrived late and rode solo, until he joined Kenny, Butch, and me for lunch at the Green Spot. After lunch, Kenny took the short route back to Sunset Bay, while Butch, Don and I completed a fast counterclockwise lake lap. I got in 52.1 miles at a 16.3 mph average.
 
Uneventful ride, until Butch, Don, and I were about to cross Buckner Blvd. on our way to the Green Spot. We had a green light, and a car blew through a red light at about 50 mph in front of us. This is the second time this has happened. We have to be very careful crossing Buckner.  
 
I was feeling wiped out after 41+ miles. Felt somewhat revived after lunch. Felt wiped out again after completing the fast counterclockwise lake lap. Still haven't recovered from not riding much for about a month.
 
Yesterday, I completed the 750w Tongsheng e-drive installation on Terry C's Catrike 700. He met me at the Mosquito Works after I arrived home from WRL this afternoon. I fitted him to the trike, he test rode it, and took it home.