Nice 20 miler to start spring

It was cold – 33 degrees and a stiff northwest wind – but that didn’t stop Tim, Terry, Tina, Pat B, Mike and Maury and Pat from a nice brisk 20-miler around Stony Creek today on the first official day of spring.

Pat and Maury were out for the first time and took a shorter route.

But everyone grumbled apprpriatly about the cold weather, especially when some of us were riding in shorts earlier this week.

Alas, this is Michigan.

But we didged the snow that other parts of the state were getting and had a chilly but  dry ride.

Blazing Saddles Bicycle Club logos

We have our logos for our Blazing Saddles Bicycle Club.

Version 1:

Version 2:

And Version 3:

Make your pick below.

Next up… Jerseys. And a redesign of our website.

Stay off Paint Creek Trail for awhile

Thought the warm weather and sun from the past few days would have made Paint Creek Trail ready to ride.

It was, if you don’t mind getting muddy. Really muddy.

Here’s a photo of my leg and bike after a late morning 15-miler. The snow and ice are long gone. But the ground is still giving up its frost and long stretches of the trail were wet and muddy. I was a mess. The bike, too. Gonna have to bring out a hose and clean it off tomorrow.

I saw several other cyclists and more than a few runners. But the trail just isn’t ready for lots of bike traffic. Those of us who were out there today had to do lots of manaueveing to avoid leaving ruts.

So my suggestion is stay off Paint Creek until the frost is completely gone.

That’s why our Blazing Saddles bunch is riding Stony Creek this Saturday. We take off at 11;30 am.

I’m also hoping to hook up with Chris O at 2pm Saturday for a Stony Creek loop.

We meet in the parking lot of the boat ramp if you want to join us.

Officials announce RAGBRAI route, pass-through towns (Sioux City Journal)

SIOUX CITY — Participants in this year’s Des Moines Register’sAnnual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa will tour through severalSiouxland cities in 2010.

Read the rest here:
Officials announce RAGBRAI route, pass-through towns (Sioux City Journal)

Saturday March 13 ride

We meet at Stony Creek and set off at 11:30 am sharp from the boat ramp. MB trails still too muddy but we’ll ride perimeter road, nature center and all ins and outs. I’m taking my road bike.

Google Bicycle Maps are pretty cool

Have you tried Google’s new bicycle route maps?

I’ve been playing around with it for a couple of days now, running various routes through the database. Type in your starting point and destination and then  you’ll get a  suggested route on a detailed map, utilizing bicycle paths and trails, sidewalks, bike lanes and back roads that supposedly let you safely and efficiently peddle to your destination.

Google worked with biking groups and bike trail organizations in building the service and it shows, with info on 12,000 miles of trails in 150 cities already in the database, with more on the way.

Still, there have been some issues. In New York City, there’s been some controversy becaise the maps direct cyclists onto terribly congested streets and, on some routes, prohibited lanes. So check your own routes carefully.

I ran a commute I like to take to my office in Troy and another ride I often do to Stony Creek Metro Park. In both cases, the route Google had me on was the best and most direct, using roads with good shoulders, bike lanes or nearby rails-to-trails routes.

Here’s a video demo I did for you:

Time to force start the outdoor riding season!

The 2010 bicycle season officially starts this coming Saturday, March  6. That’s when the Bike Fitness gang heads to Stony Creek Metropark  for a noon ride to officially kick off the outdoor riding season.

We’ve  been riding on and off ever since New Year’s Day but now we’re ready to say spring is here. The temperatures may still be chilly — in the  40s — but who cares? We rode many mornings last year from May through  early July with temperatures in the upper 30s. So we can handle 40 to  be sure.

Want to join us? We meet at the boat ramp at Stony Creek and take off at noon sharp. See you there,

The Birth of the Blazing Saddles Bicycle Club?

That’s the best name suggestion I’ve heard for the group of BikeFitness.net regulars who ride together each week.

Sound okay to you guys?

Hmmm. Now we need a logo. Anybody have any artistic skill? Then jerseys.

Here’s a group of us at our unofficial star of spring ride at Stony Creek today. The snow piles may still be there but we insist, from now on… it’s spring!

"Real" Racing Begins

Alberto Contador leads a strong group of favorites at the 2010 edition of Paris-Nice.

Go here to see the original:
"Real" Racing Begins

Sitting In: Another Unremarkable Moment

The essence of pack riding passes unnoticed.

View original post here:
Sitting In: Another Unremarkable Moment

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