32 Mile Friday Ride Around South Mountain

Spotty East Mountain Tracking Today
I've ridden this loop route before..... the other direction, the direction which gives "Heartbreak Hill" its nickname.  The very steep uphill grade is truly a heartbreaker at 15% grade and seems to take forever to get up, mostly since I have to walk the bike 3/4 of the way.  I decided today to try going the OTHER way around, and it turned out to be a much more enjoyable and less stressful ride.  The ride going east from here on Frost Road, out to 344, left/north on 344 to Cedar Grove and then just following the pavement as it circles around Cedar Grove and South Mountain, is a much more gradual ascent than riding from North 14 east on 344 and UP the frightful grade so discouraging.
When I got close to the downhill SWOOSH of Heartbreak Hill I stopped at a rare tree-shade and took a water/sandwich/rest break.  I noticed some trash carelessly tossed just off the road.  This always irritates me greatly:  Beautiful almost-wilderness area with lots of clean air, trees, and mountains.... and there is TRASH almost everywhere.  It has become commonplace to leave plastic bottles of all sizes full of urine all along the roadways and especially interstates, with many blaming truckers for such outrages.  How and why is it so difficult to pick up and hang on to your OWN TRASH until you get somewhere to properly dispose of it? 

 I at first fumed and fussed about this mess and then decided to see if the plastic bag was still intact and if it would fit on my bike.  It did.

 So the trash rode on my front baggage rack until we got to a store where I was able to pop it in a trash receptacle.  No great sacrifice;  why did the nasty passerby leave it there or throw it out a window in the first place??  I ask you.
Not far from the trash I saw something much more unique and interesting:

This is a huge STUMP, used as a fence post... you can see the barbed wire strands wrapped around.  The stump is almost 3 feet in diameter... no danger of this "post" being blown or pulled over by stresses on the fence.
The stuff you notice when riding a bike....
Then, the RUSH smoking DOWN Heartbreak Hill.  There were warning signs mentioning the 15% grade, but MERCY:  What a sudden steep downhill dropoff.  I was riding my brakes most of the way down, not wanting to meet oncoming cars at such speed, but as I got near the straighter turns toward the bottom I cut loose of the brakes and enjoyed the fearsome ride.  You might note the max speed on the GPS report of 45 MPH... at my advanced age I worry about the wheels, the chain, the brakes, the tires, what happens if I hit an unseen pothole or bump.... I'd guess the max speed might have exceeded 55 or 60 if I hadn't been riding the brakes.  No thanks, not this old geezer.  I want to live so I can ride another day....
Beginning Battery Voltage:  13.1   Ending Voltage:  9.3
Lowest Temp  77 F      Highest Temp:  84 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:    33.03
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
7.3 MPH                                 9.2 MPH                    45.1 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
4 hours 32 mins                     3 hours 35 mins       56 minutes 24 secs

Thursday Shakedown

Today's Thursday APRS Track-Link
I've been doing without my helmet audio-harness the last several days.  The wiring had developed intermittent connections from the vibration and shock of  bouncing on the bike trips of the last couple of years.
I'd planned to at least ride to the PO and back, but got off late due to my efforts to repair the wiring harness for my cycling helmet.  I finally got it working after several false starts due to cross-wiring.  By then Jacque had already made a run to the store in her SUV and picked up the mail on her own.  So I just rode up to the Shell Station at the triangle intersection and ate a yummy ice cream sandwich.  As I arrived at the station I was suddenly stung - sharply - by some unseen insect, it seemed.  I flailed at the sore spot on my back, hopefully crushing the attacking beast, and went inside for my treat.  When I finished the ice cream and approached the bathroom I was attacked again, and as soon as I got inside the bathroom I ripped my outer shirt off one shoulder and spotted the offending insect.... BETWEEN my outer shirt and undershirt, and biting THROUGH the fabric of my undershirt.  It was a winged ant, and I say "Was" because I terminated it immediately and washed it down the sink drain for good measure.
The trip home - as usual - was mostly downhill and even with the strong head breeze was a very pleasant ride.
Beginning Battery Voltage:  12.7   Ending Voltage:  12.9
Lowest Temp  81 F      Highest Temp:  86 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:     6.17
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
5.3 MPH                                 7.7 MPH                    25.1 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
1 hour 10 mins                       48 mins 17 secs        21 minutes 43 secs

My Wife is a Hottie

All Around the East Mountains APRS Tracking
Jacque has really been kicking butt lately on her new Catrike.  A few months ago her knees were so painful she could only do short rides but she kept riding, and within the last couple weeks she has done 3 rides over 20 miles, with steep climbs involved, and seems to be getting ever stronger and enthusiastic about road trips on her own pedal power.  You Go, Girl.  What a babe.  She thought she only did 22 miles today but it was at least 24.  (The mileage on my GPS is greater since I rode over to the Post Office and back while she turned up the goat-path road to home)
Today she decided she wanted to ride out to Edgewood to pick up an item at the local Dollar Store.  So I rode with her.  She took off first, since I always catch and pass her when she's climbing hills, and she got several miles of head start on me since I had to empty some slop in the compost pile, change out my insulin pump infusion set (which sweated loose and fell off during the ride today), and assorted other excuses.  It took me 4 or 5 miles to catch her when I finally saddled up and took off.  Going out, we rode Frost Road out to Vallecitos Road, Sedillo Hill Road, and Old 66 on to Edgewood.
As we approached the halfway point on the Mother Road (old 66) we suffered some of the consequences of biking on a road populated with oil burners:

We enjoyed a scrumptious sandwich at Subway and decided to take a different route home:  Mountain Valley road northbound from Route 66 to Frost Road and then west to home.  On the way west on 66, Jacque spotted a snake on the opposite shoulder we had passed on the way eastbound:  It was still there and Jacque was certainly avoiding him.  I decided to turn around and get some video of him.  He turned out to be a rattler but was dead, dead, dead....

Jacque actually spotted 2 more snakes as well but I only noted this one and a flattened shell of another about a quarter mile west.
It was certainly a hot one today but a nice day for a ride anyway.
Beginning Battery Voltage:  12.9   Ending Voltage:  9.9
Lowest Temp  77 F      Highest Temp:  86 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:     29.26
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
6.6 MPH                                 9.0 MPH                    34.9 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
4 hours 27  mins                    3 hours  14 mins        1 hour 13 minutes

BMMR (Boring Monday Mail Run)

Today's APRS Tracking
I really wasn't in the mood to ride the bike today for some reason but I hate to miss a day because it affects my outlook, blood sugar, etc, SO much.  I decided, again, that I'd at least ride to the post office and back, which is a short but blood pumping ride.
Trouble is, it was well after noon before I got saddled up and took off.   My helmet mike / earpiece harness is still boogered, so I rode without it, relying solely on an old droopy external speaker/microphone to allow me to actually talk on the radio instead of just listening.  It's hard enough to hear or understand the radio chatter (at speed with wind whistling by my ears) even with the helmet earpiece working, and nigh unto impossible with just the speaker/microphone.  Maybe I'll make time to get that harness fixed today so I can start using it again.
My wobbly chain has not given me any trouble recently and I have done no maintenance in order to deserve such a blessing.  I need to buy another 3 standard chains so I can be ready when this one gets too sloppy, which shouldn't take much longer.
Beginning Battery Voltage:  12.8   Ending Voltage:  13.1 (I REALLY don't understand this battery behavior)
Lowest Temp  81 F      Highest Temp:  86 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:     5.56
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
6.1 MPH                                 8.1 MPH                    24.4 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
55  mins                                41 mins                     13 minutes

Fun with Biking Brits

Around-Albuquerque APRS Track
We received a last minute email announcement about a cycling group doing a Cross - Country trip from Washington DC to Los Angeles, 2800 miles total.
Their website is HERE.
They are a group of British cyclists promoting fitness, involving youth in exercise programs including bicycling, etc.
It was scheduled for 3 PM for local Albuquerque area cyclists to meet the group and ride from Smith's Food King at Central and Tramway all the way down to Civic Plaza at 3rd street downtown.  With the short notice we were initially reluctant to attend but decided to forgo our early-morning ride and participate in this instead.  We got there about 2:30 PM assuming we had plenty of time to unload and assemble the bikes, radios, etc., and wait for the arrival of the biking group.  We were mildly surprised to find them already there and on the point of leaving, with NO local cyclists except us accompanying them.  We hustled our buns and barely made it in the back of the pack as their RV's and cyclists turned onto Central.  We had been "promised" a police escort but made do without.  With their gaggle of cyclists up front and RV in the middle with emergency lights flashing, 4 or so of the 14 adult cyclists plus Jacque and I in the rear, with a huge open-top pickup taking up the rear, we navigated East Central fairly well, and I was pleasantly surprised at the courtesy afforded us by most drivers.  Jacque had Tinkerbell riding high right behind her helmet on the trike and that drew a lot of favorable attention from passing motorists and pedestrians.  I thought of pointing out some of our infamous East Central Streetwalkers as we rode along but thought better of it.  At this early afternoon hour none were decked out flamboyantly enough to distract the cyclists anyway.
When we arrived at Civic Plaza, it didn't seem like the Big City was ready for our affable British visitors.  The Mayor had promised to be there to welcome the group, the local cyclist clubs were supposedly going to attend en masse, etc.  Except for 20 or so teenaged BikeABQ cyclists who joined us as we passed UNM, the plaza was largely empty.  Hizzoner the mayor turned out to be preoccupied and had sent a lower ranking replacement who did a good job on short notice.  The Brits had some cute song and dance routines they performed for us few ABQ'ers.

 It was great fun.  After the official pronouncements were over and the local teen BikeABQ'ers left, many of the British visitors were so enamored of Tinkerbell we stayed a bit longer so the cute doggie could be photographed.  Several of the kids expressed keen interest in Jacque's trike and we wound up letting ALL of them "Take a Go" around the plaza on her trike.  About half the adult riders also wanted a "Go" on it as well and Jacque was happy to accomodate.  They seemed to be amazed at our recumbents and asked many questions about how hard it was to ride laid-back instead of vertical, etc.  Here's a group of VERY fit and experienced cyclists who are 3/4 toward completion of a 2800 mile bike trek and they're amazed at OUR rides.  It reminded us of our visit to London several years ago, and while Jolly Olde England has unmatched clothing, jewelry, and porcelain/china, electronic and mechanical gadgetry for sale is harder to find.  Here in Albuquerque there are probably over 20 bike stores and shops, with only 3 or 4 offering non-standard bikes such as trikes and recumbents, but that may well present more offerings than available in Liverpool, home of our British biking group.  When I was commuting daily in Albuquerque I would encounter other recumbents, trikes, etc, at least a couple times a week.
Then we finally started the long ride back to the SUV.  We thought it wise to avoid traveling back on Central, just the two of us, even though it was absolutely the straightest and most direct route.  Digging out my trusty Albuquerque bike map,  I decided we should ride up Martin Luther King to Edith, north to Indian School, to Stanford, and down to Constitution, all of which have bike lanes.  We got bit lost navigating the confusing bike trails through the UNM campus.  When we got closer to San Mateo, Jacque recognized the area being close to one of her favorite places to ride, so we went that-a-way and got to the bike trail parallelling I-40.  We are dismayed with the lack of maintenance this summer on Albuquerque's otherwise wonderful and numerous bike paths.  The ragweeds are so tall as to obscure visibility, and the mats of goat-heads, absolute death to bike tires, are massive and threatening.  This is the stretch next to Los Altos golf course just west of Eubank:

Within another week or so, these carpets of goat-heads will extend halfway - if not ALL the way - across the paved bike trail.
Beginning Battery Voltage:  13.0   Ending Voltage:  11.2
Lowest Temp  73 F      Highest Temp:  84 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:     21.77
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
4.1 MPH                                 7.7 MPH                    22.3 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
5 hours 21 mins                    2 hours  49 mins        2 hours  32 minutes

Anything's a Good Reason for a Bike Ride

Thursday Tracking via Ham Radio APRS
I had a small parcel to mail out this morning, but I really wanted to ride east instead of west.  I went uphill, west on Frost, to the Post Office first, and  at first thought I'd turn north on North-14 and ride up to the South Mountain / Cedar Grove turnoff and do that loop around South Mountain even though that route includes the infamous Heartbreak Hill which - for me - requires several miles of pushing the bike slowly uphill.  But I decided, after taking a water and snack break at the Post Office, to turn around and go east on Frost Road and do the Mountain Valley / County Line Road loop again.  So I did.
I prefer to do loop routes instead of just going out and coming back the same way, so I decided to ride down to Dinkle Road, go west to the Mountain Valley bridge over I-40, and ride Old Route 66 back up to Sedillo Hill Road and back on home.  A few days ago when Jacque and I rode this route to Edgewood, I noticed a house in the trees that is either a good replica of an old train station or is actually constructed from salvaged railroad materials:

This home looks very realistic in its depiction of a railroad station building and it has the Santa Fe Railroad emblem above the station name "SPRINGER", on both ends of the house.  I was tempted to knock on the door and ask for a tour or more info but I decided not to chance it.  It was bad enough riding right up into their yard for pictures....
August - so far - has been marvelous for biking weather.  Today was slightly overcast and cooler than the previous few weeks, and thoroughly enjoyable in spite of blustery breezes which seemed to be trying to whip up some afternoon showers.
Beginning Battery Voltage:  12.9   Ending Voltage:  12.6
Lowest Temp  66 F      Highest Temp:  81 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:     21.9
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
5.7 MPH                                 8.8 MPH                    35 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
3 hours 50 mins                    2 hours  29 mins        1 hour 20 minutes

Another 24 Miles, This Time for Lunch

Today's Very Nice Scenic Ride Tracking
I had set up a lunch date with Paul, N5DBB, today at the East Mountain Grille just north of Edgewood, and decided to ride the bike over there.  I'd ridden that area before and am not at all enthusiastic about riding Route 344 from Cedar Grove to Edgewood.... several miles of it have no shoulder at all, the traffic is fast and furious and too many of the rushed drivers have no concept of WAITING until it's safe to pass a cyclist.
I googled the route and was surprised to find 3 options, none of which involved riding any appreciable distance on 344.  So I decided to take the Frost Road - Mountain Valley Road - Crestview Road - County Line Road - Dinkle Road route, which Google claimed was 11.6 miles from my place.  I invited Jacque to ride along with her new hotrod Catrike, so off we went.  This route has in the past been fairly boring and mundane, with few trees or greenery, but the listed route is really rather enjoyable, with mostly mild hills and lovely housing areas with trees, grass, nice less traveled paved roads, and all that stuff.  Plus Dinkle Road runs right to the intersection containing the desired restaurant.  Such a Deal.
While underway, I did discover something else is going wrong with my bike.... the ham radio transmitter.
Yesterday no one could hear me when I tried talking to them so I replaced the antenna, thinking the old frayed one must be the problem.  Today, however, most people had the same complaint:  They either couldn't hear me at all or complained I was "all broken up".  So I need to spend a bit of time this evening testing it and finding exactly what is the matter with it.
I was dive-bombed again today by several hummingbirds.  When you wear bright yellow, red, or orange gear, even a shirt or vest, the little boogers seem to think you must be a huge rolling feeder, worthy of dive bombing or "Buzzing".  Cute but annoying at times, especially when they  buzz right in front of your face unexpectedly.  Heaven Help me if I ever spilled any soda or honey or sweet stuff anywhere....
As always, the grub at the Grille was wonderful.  There was a HUGE crowd in attendance and the wait-staff was overwhelmed but still performed admirably.  I had the new abbreviated cheese enchilada plate (reduced portions, reduced price, flavor still great).  Jacque had a Cobb Salad which included something we'd never encountered before:  Fried or baked breaded GREEN BEANS.  Yummy.
All this nice routing AND the weather was absolutely wonderful.  It was cooler than normal today and after lunch on the way home we actually had a few clouds come over.
Beginning Battery Voltage:  13.2   Ending Voltage:  12.4
Lowest Temp  80 F      Highest Temp:  84 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:     24.36
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
5.9 MPH                                 9.2 MPH                   28.5 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
4 hours 7 mins                    2 hours  38 mins         1 hour 20 minutes

24 Miles Today, the Bike's Wearing Out

Monday BreakDown Ride Tracking
I wanted to get in at least 20 miles today so I decided wherever I went, I'd just turn around when the GPS recorded 10 miles gone by.  The weather had a bit of overcast with a few rather dark clouds looming nearby and I hoped it wouldn't rain on me.  Our favorite local Mexican restaurant has been closed for a few days with a sign saying it will reopen on the 21st, with a new name:  Los Cuates.("The Guys" en Ingles)
N5DBB and I have a lunch date set for the 21st there, so I wanted to see if any progress or change had been made in the re-opening date.  Thus my ride north on NM-14 taking me right by there so I could take a peek at the signs.  The new Los Cuates sign is up but the closing dates still say "17-21 Aug" so it looks like we'll be dining elsewhere tomorrow.  Oh Well.
I had a few head - winds today but chalked them up to cooling breeze.  The sun did not come out in full force all day and that was OK by me.  I was pleasantly surprised how soon the 10-mile mark came up so I rode a bit farther, then, realizing I was getting a bit hungry, turned the rig around.
I had spotted a nice shade tree just off the side of the road so I rode back to it to take a water and food break.  AND rest up a bit too.  After enjoying that shady area for maybe 10 minutes, I pedaled hard to get rolling on the paved road and..... Pop.  No high gear available.  My front ring was stuck in granny gear, fine if all I had was uphill grades all the way home.  However, I was slightly over 10 miles from home and didn't want to spin so fast to go so slow all the way home.  Remembering I had spare cables and tools in my pannier, I turned around again and whiz-pedaled back to the shade tree to perform the necessary surgery.
This is the first time I've broken the front shifter cable.  I've never bought any spares, since the rear cable is the one that breaks once or twice a year, and since the rear cable is like 4 times as long as the front, I have just saved a couple of my broken rear cables for use elsewhere when a shorter cable is needed.
It's been maybe 6 months since I last replaced a cable so I had to fumble around a bit to get this project going.  I also noticed my favorite multi-purpose combination screwdriver was not in the tool bag, which was a bummer.  I've GOT to train myself to never "borrow" tools from the bike bag without promptly replacing them.  Thankfully between my 2 Gerber belt mounted tools and the odds and ends and wrenches in the bike bag I was able to remove the old cable, measure it against one of the spare used cables in my kit, cut it a bit long for further trimming after installation, and get it replaced.  While putzing around with the sprocket, chain, etc, I noticed the chain, brand new maybe  a year ago, is now sloppy and loose.  I guess I need to replace it again, especially since occasionally now it starts jumping gears under torque while in top (high) gear.  BAH
This rig takes 3 normal length bike chains to make the single long chain needed for replacement.  Not quite  a fortune in cost but still a slight dent in the old budget.
So my return home was almost an hour later than expected.  Glad I am that I had the necessary parts and tools to fix the ride so far out from civilization etc.
It started to sprinkle on me about 4 miles from home but then dried up.  It felt quite pleasant but I wasn't overjoyed at the thought of getting soaked.  Not much danger of that, since only about 20 drops hit me before it dried up again.
Beginning Battery Voltage:  12.8   Ending Voltage:  12.8
Lowest Temp  70 F      Highest Temp:  85 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:     24.82
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
5.8 MPH                                 9.0 MPH                   35.5 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
4 hours 14 mins                    2 hours  45 mins         1 hour 29 minutes

Downtown Stanley, I Presume

My Ruler-Straight-Line Tracking Today
Jacque liked my description of the ride to Golden yesterday so she took off on her trike that-a-way while I decided to go east, young man, and ride out Frost Road to its end at Stanley, NM, a small nearby ranching community that recently lost its post office,. although it still has a volunteer fire department.
Last night we had heavy rains, several thundering storms, and multiple  power blinkages.  We had a report from one of our friends who got trapped in exceedingly deep hail, a foot or more, due north of Edgewood at Frost Road and NM 344.  I was disbelieving when I rode close to that intersection this morning, seeing a mile or more of white stuff off in the ditch next to the road.

 It was hard to believe my eyes, but it was several inches of HAIL left over from last night's storm.  A few miles further I noticed huge  mud puddles all over both sides of the road, with huge blocks of mud scattered everywhere.  After I got to Stanley and turned around, I got to wondering about the mud-blocks, thinking perhaps they might be blocks of hailstones.  Sure enough, they were.  This is a muddy block right next to the road:

 This is what was exposed when I kicked off the upper edge with my foot:

A solid block of ice, packed hailstones all together, almost 12 hours after the big storm that deposited the hail, after 1:00 PM.  Such stuff was everywhere... quite the storm leftovers.
I really enjoyed the ride today.... wide open spaces with very few cars.  As I rolled past one isolated ranch entrance, I heard the familiar  noise of a dog barking.  He turned out to be a huge Pyrenees-style dog, and I was glad he was on his side of the fence.  Within a few seconds he was out in the ROAD, almost upon me.  I never even saw the gap in the fence.  He kept coming but preferred thankfully to just come close, chase me and bark, rather than try to bite or attack.  He ignored my commands to GIT and Go Away.  Finally he seemed to tire of the chase and trotted back to his side of the fence.
I turned south at Stanley, intending to ride the 10 miles south to Moriarty and loop back home along Route 66.  When I pulled over for a water & snack break, I noticed the time and quickly realized it would take several more hours than I'd hoped if I completed that loop.  I still want to make this loop but will have to get an earlier start for such an adventure, so I merely turned around for home.
Beginning Battery Voltage:  13.0   Ending Voltage:  12.5
Lowest Temp  62 F      Highest Temp:  82 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:     41.35
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
7.9 MPH                                 9.9 MPH                   34.8 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
  5hours 16 mins                    4 hours  11 mins         1 hour 4 minutes

Almost 30 Miles to Golden and Back

I don't have any APRS / internet tracking available today..... I brought the radio kit in to reprogram the temperature sensor offset and when I reinstalled it, again due to the magnificence of my mental acuity, I forgot to connect the antenna.  I only noticed the dangling antenna cable AFTER I got back home, of course.
Yesterday I skipped riding altogether since I felt a bit "Whupped" after Monday and Tuesday's rides.
Today I was determined to get an early start, so when I woke up to pee at 5:50 I stayed up instead of going back to bed.I had hoped to hit the road by about 7 AM but it was closer to 8:00 by the time I got out of the gate.  I also again forgot my handlebar-vid-cam, which I sorely missed since I had several dingbats pass me well within my "discomfort zone".  When I get offenders on video feed, their license plate numbers get reported to the federales, and the police too.
I thought I'd try repeating a ride I've done maybe 3 times before:  North-14 to the mining ghost town of Golden, which is about 14 miles distant.  I'd forgotten how nice it is to ride this route and enjoy the feeling of wide open spaces and sparse traffic.  North 14 is labeled as the "Turquoise Trail" on most scenic maps because it passes through ancient mining country, and goes through the ghost towns of Golden, Cerrillos, and Madrid.  This road bisects the Ortiz Mountains southeast of Santa Fe, where small mining operations still exist involving turquoise, garnets, and other precious and semiprecious materials.  Even though designated a scenic byway, it still has a low traffic rate.  There are some fairly steep hills to climb going toward Santa Fe, but between Sandia Park and Golden the hills are fairly tame.  The metropolis of Golden has little to recommend it:  There are perhaps six houses still occupied there and the Henderson General Store, displaying antiques and selling turquoise and silver jewelry, a few collapsed houses and mining offices that have been picked clean.  But it's a good place for me to ride to and turn around.  I actually rode clear through Golden today, getting a preliminary "feel" for my eventual day bike trip of going all the way to Madrid, which is 13 more miles past Golden and involving several long and steep climbs.  As I started realizing I was going to keep dropping a long way downhill north of "town", and that I would have to climb it coming back, I turned around when the GPS indicated slightly over 15 elapsed miles.  Imagine my chagrin, when I got home, to find TWENTY-NINE miles listed on the GPS, a bit shy of the 30-plus miles one might expect from riding out past 15 miles and turning around and  coming back the same way.  "GPS accuracy".... guess it's turning into a bit of an oxymoron.
Beginning Battery Voltage and  Ending Voltage: Unknown, since telemetry radio was unplugged
Lowest Temp  and      Highest Temp:  Unknown for the same reason
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:     29.66
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
7.0 MPH                                 9.2 MPH                   31.9 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
4 hours 12 mins                    3 hours  12 mins         1 hour 

Looped the Loop, Warm but Great Day

Today's Typical Tijeras Tracking
I was really hoping to get going on the bike really early this morning but what with scooping cat poop, taking out the  trash, etc, it was after 9:20 when I got rolling.  I had no tasks to accomplish with today's ride, just wanted to do a 20 miler or so.  I decided to ride, again, east on Frost Road to Vallecitos, around to Sedillo Hill Road, to the overpass at I-40 and Route 66, west to Tijeras on 66 and then north on North-14 back to Frost and then east towards home.
Due to my incomparable powers of mental acuity, I managed to leave both my bike-cam and my cell phone at home.  I was 10 miles from home wondering why no one had called recently - before I discovered that I had left the phone behind.  DUH
So, no pictures or video today.  sigh
I found myself struggling on about the second hill-climb, more than usual, and at the top of Vallecitos and Sedillo Hill road I stopped and checked my blood sugar, and of course it was low.  I was debating whether to take Sedillo Hill road south to 5-hills and Rt. 66 for a shortcut but after snarfing a choc-chip oatmeal bar and chugging some water I found my motivation renewed so I continued on my way NORTH on Sedillo to the top of the hill and the full 20+  mile ride.
There exists a small Mom-and-Pop "convenience station" on Rt. 66 just west of the Sedillo Hill intersection, and I normally stop there for a short break, soda, ice cream sandwich and other health aids, etc.  They have a sign in the window advertising "Fresh Villalobos Burritos" which sounds great to me but they are almost always sold out of them.  Today they had a grand total of 3, none of which sounded attractive, so I again passed.  I did buy the ice cream sandwich as well as a $1.58 liter bottle of water.  A couple days ago I made the mistake of refilling my empty water bottle with the water available at the soda fountain, only to discover it was quite bitter and alkaline tasting.  it was worth it to buy some relatively expensive but tasty bottled water today instead.  The downhill ride to Tijeras was and always is relatively pleasant except for the occasional patches of crumbled  wobbly pavement.  When I got close to Tijeras I decided I should drop in on One Stop Office just in case they had any packages for me to pick up, and sure enough they had two for me.
I ate my peanut butter 'n honey sandwich, in lieu of the burrito I'd been looking forward to, and headed home.  Paul N5DBB passed me, honked, and waved, and pulled over a few hundred yards ahead of me so we had a good visit and set a date for lunch next week.  Another quarter mile up the road and after going under I-40, Jacque honked and we stopped and visited.  She'd of course been trying to call me, not realizing my cell phone was still safely at home on the night-stand charger.
Just before I topped the hill at N-14 and Frost Road, I was a bit shocked to notice a small blue SUV with Veteran License plate including the numbers 3681 had slowed,. pulled within about a foot of me, and slowly cruised by me while looking at me sideways.  I'm not sure if he was trying to intimidate me or had merely mistaken me for someone he knew, but his behavior was unwise and dangerous in any case.  OH Well.  The lady who cycled alongside me yesterday made a comment that comes to mind:  "When I'm riding with cars going by I do a lot of praying.  I pray that they'll see me and miss me safely, and that if someone does hit me that it will be quick and painless."  I find I agree with that philosophy.  To avoid danger altogether we'd have to hide under our beds all the time, never going outside and enjoying the world.  To the guy who showed such odd behavior today:  May you try riding a bike yourself and may it become as addictive as it has for me.
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.0   --    Ending Voltage: 12.8
Lowest Temp:   79 F                 Highest Temp:  92 degrees F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:     23.52
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
5.8 MPH                                 8.7 MPH                   32.7 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
4 hours 5 mins                       2 hours  42 mins         1 hour 22 minutes

12 Miles with a Loaded Trailer

Today's APRS Tracking
I made a high level decision over the weekend (Actually during Stake Conference when our Stake President encouraged us to get fit) that I would start trying to ride every day, long or short, and get started early in the mornings so I could beat the heat more easily.
AND - with all that fired-up committment - it was still after 10:00 AM when I finally rolled out this morning.  I was waffling between a long ride around the N-14 / Route 66 / Sedillo Hill loop and just riding down to the local thrift shop with a load of giveaway stuff that Jacque gathered up while cleaning house last week, and decided pulling the trailer a few miles with the bike would burn more carbs than a comparatively loadless ride with twice as many miles involved.  The 2 small grocery and 1 X-large trash bag were not easy to tie down to the trailer so it might survive the trip, but with the help of multiple bungee cords and an old cargo net I haven't used in years, I finally got it all under control and clearing the wheels on the bike trailer.

Unbelievably, this load stayed intact until I was able to deliver it 6 - something miles distant at the Talking Talons Thrift Store in Cedar Crest.  I was mildly surprised to be able to pedal this "train" the entire distance without dismounting and having to walk/push the rig, except of course the last 30 feet of the steep incline to the pavement of Frost Road from our ill famed goat-path dirt "road", which I can rarely ride entirely even without the burden of a loaded trailer slowing me down.
The trailer again rode and towed quite well, considering its lack of suspension.  It rides better loaded than unloaded.... but I noticed pulling it back uphill towards home it was not much easier to pull even 20 or so pounds lighter.
As I was chugging and puffing my way back up Marco Polo Hill on N-14 I was startled to hear a voice, as though right beside me, saying "I like your bike and trailer!"  These derned cyclists.... they can sneak right up on you from behind without you even noticing.  This certainly wasn't an unpleasant encounter, though, she's almost as good - looking on a bike as Jacque.

She slowed down enough to converse with me for a mile or so, asking about all the "stuff" I have on the bike, appropriately impressed when I explained about the GPS, internet APRS tracking system, Ham Radio, etc, etc.  She showed me her handlebar mounted Iphone and said she was running some sort of tracking app but that it ran her battery down too quickly.  I suggested she try a small solar panel to keep it charged and she agreed that would probably help, and her husband already had one not being used currently that could be tried.
She finally tired of soft-pedaling just to yack with me and sped off.
Even though slowed by the now-empty trailer, it was again surprising to see, again, how relatively easy it is to climb that hill northbound compared to the lung-buster effort going southbound.  To the bare eye, the northbound route LOOKS steeper, but it just ain't so.
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.0   --    Ending Voltage: 12.7
Lowest Temp:   79 F                 Highest Temp:  94 degrees F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:     12.45
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
5.3 MPH                                 7.3 MPH                   35.0 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
2 hours 22 mins                      1 hour  42 mins         39 minutes

Friday Grocery Ride

Today's North-14 APRS Tracking
Jacque decided she wanted to ride down to the Triangle Grocery in Cedar Crest to get some sweet corn roasting ears with which to feed our missionaries  tonight.   So I decided to ride with her.
The heat wasn't too bad at first and we stopped often for water breaks so things went pretty well.
We stopped at the San Antonito Post Office (called Sandia Park by the real estate folks) to pick up our mail and then rode on.  Jacque left first since I normally catch up to her quickly from behind but I dilly-dallied a bit before taking off and after topping the hill and passing the Triangle Shell station I rode another half mile or so, still not seeing Jacque ahead of me and wondering if she had pulled off somewhere or just gotten way ahead.  A few minutes later the cell phone rang and it was Jacque, taking a break at the Shell station and drinking her iced lemonade inside the deli area.  I turned around and rode back to meet her, getting a seldom sampled small diet coke to drink beside her.  Again she left before I did and got a ways ahead, and it took me 10 or 15 minutes to catch her this time.   I rode on up over Marco Polo Hill and down to the Triangle Grocery and she pulled in behind me only 5 or 10 minutes behind me.  I located their "facilities" and Jacque located their sweet corn and we were ready to go again in a few short minutes.
Just shy of the pavement of Frost Road intersecting our goat-path, we had noticed a foul dead-animal odor going out.  When I got close to there on the return trip I stopped to wait in the shade for Jacque and was again assailed by the stench of rotting flesh.  I looked around a bit to see if a rabbit or other critter had met an untimely demise and found, instead, the remains of a large white dog with a brown face who evidently had  been dumped and his carcass dragged around by coyotes or other scavengers.  I plan to crank up the tractor and go down there and dig him a sizable hole wherein to bury him, not only to help alleviate the smell but to prevent further desecration of the poor guy's body.
When Jacque arrived (she had parked her Ford Exploder at the bottom of our goat-path) she seemed OK until she dismounted her trike and suddenly started trembling and complaining about dizziness.  When she seemed about ready to keel over I finally convinced her to pour some cold water over her head and drink some as well.  This accomplished a dramatic and rapid improvement and she was able to start up the SUV and go on up the hill toward home.  I pushed and rode the rest of the way up hill and dale and got home in normal fashion.
We need to start such trips MUCH earlier in the day when it's cooler.....
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.0   --    Ending Voltage: 12.7
Lowest Temp:   87 F                 Highest Temp:  92 degrees F
Spoiler Alert:  The following is an example of how a berserk GPS can lie to you:
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:     1667.63
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
667 MPH                              1008 MPH                   32.1 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
2 hours 22 mins                      1 hour  39 mins         52 minutes

Thursday Post Office Ride

The Usual Boring Short Ride Tracking
I wanted to do a 20 - or so mile ride today but the heat was just too much for my admittedly low motivation.  By the time I got to the Post Office I was ready for a break in the shade, and took one.  I could think of no good reason to keep fighting the hot weather since I'm so far behind on home chores so I turned around and rode back.  So far I'm not the least bit regretful....
Beginning Battery Voltage: 12.8   --    Ending Voltage: 13.0
Lowest Temp:   87 F                 Highest Temp:  96 degrees F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:     5.58
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
04.1 MPH                                7.2 MPH                   22.3 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
1 hour 22 mins                       46 mins  32 secs        35 mins28 secs

Aborted Ride

Tracking a Short Ride
I started out to ride down to Tijeras and back again today, but got away even later than usual, well after noon.  The temperature was not encouuraging and I frankly didn't seem to have the steam or motivation to go any farther once I got to the top of Frost Road at the North-14 junction.  Plus the clouds were gathering and looking a bit threatening.. So I turned around and rode home early.  3 or 4 raindrops  hit me on the way home but I made it fine, and didn't regret shortening the trip one bit.  Maybe I can get in some decent miles manana.....
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.9   --    Ending Voltage: 13.0
Lowest Temp:   87 F                 Highest Temp:  96 degrees F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:     5.92
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
05.3 MPH                                7.6 MPH                   28.7 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
1 hour 8 mins                         46 mins  53 secs        21 mins

Bent Front Fork Before & After

I just cleaned out my sd-stick from my phone's camera memory and found these photos of the results of my recent "Roswell Incident" wherein I crushed the front fork of my bike trying to park the RV in cousin Darel Devenport's yard. 

The new fork has already been installed on the bike, and the bent version is shown next to it.  I can probably use my acetylene torch to heat this up and straighten it out, for my next fork-bending adventure, but I worry about the strength of the assembly afterwards.  This one has already been re-welded from another curb-jumping bent fork disaster.  Don't know how much this thin metal can take....

20-Mile Monday

Nice Tracking Today except for Tijeras Canyon
We got a call from our favorite local mail drop service, One Stop Office, that We had a parcel to pick up.  So, as usual, I seized upon this as an excuse to go for an extended bike ride.  This time I rode my favorite loop the OTHER way around:  Down to Frost Road, east to Vallecitos and thence upwards to Sedillo Hill, then west on Olde Route 66 to Tijeras, pick up my package, and north on Highway 14 to Frost Road whereupon it's about 2.5 miles of mostly downhill ride until our despicable rocky rutted dirt mile-long goat-path to our house, which is a nasty climb almost all the 1-mile rest of the way.
'Twas, forsooth, a BEAUTIFUL day for such a ride, even though it was during the noonish hour whence I rode.  When I stopped at the Sedillo Hill gas station for a water refill and a snack, I was mildly surprised to realize I had never ridden this stretch of 66 in westbound mode although I've ridden the other (Eastbound) shoulder a dozen or more times.  I was also unpleasantly surprised at the alkaline bitter taste of the water they provided me free.
We are admittedly spoiled with our private well providing such cool refreshing water lacking any taste at all except for wonderful wetness.
This trip burned a few carbs for me:  I snarfed an ice cream sandwich at Sedillo Hill and in Tijeras, after checking my blood glucose again, went next door to One Stop Office and ate a roasted turkey Subway Sandwich.  Mind you - I'd requested a grilled chicken breast sndwich - but was hungry enough not to question the disparity and the food was, as they sy in Nebraska, "!Muy Sabroso!"  Then I promptly rode off onto mostly uphill North-14, leaving my precious blood glucose test kit on the news rack outside One Stop Office.  I've not only done this before, but several times.  I've developed a stupid knack for forgetting to zip the pocket shut on my pannier (saddle-bag to you non cyclists) that holds my test kit, spare battery, snacks, and assorted other goodies.  A customer found my kit and brought it to the front counter or I would have lost it forever.  I was riding along huffing and blowing my way slowly up N-14 when the cell phone started ringing, and when I delayed stopping immediately in order to find some shade to stop under, I noticed I'd again left the bag un-zipped and the test kit and a very important peanut-butter-and-honey sandwich were missing.  The now-missed phone call was the announcement about the found test kit.  The whereabouts of my missing sandwich is still a mystery and by now is surely already a Cold Case.
As for Jacque, she is kicking butte riding her new trike.  She took off after I left and rode the 5+ miles to Davis Hardware in Cedar Crest and made it back home before I did, making at least 10 miles for herself today on some very steep climbs.  A couple weeks ago she wouldn't have been able to make such a distance with such climbs.  Good on You, Gorgeous.
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.0   --    Ending Voltage: 12.7
Lowest Temp:   80 F                 Highest Temp:  91 degrees F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:     23.24
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
05.9 MPH                                8.9 MPH                   33.5 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
3 hours 55 mins                     2 hours 35 mins          1 hour 19 mins

Friday: Short Summary of Week's Rides

Friday tracking, typical of this week's rides
Jacque and I have ridden - at least to the post office and back - every day this week, except for yesterday, Thursday, which Jacque missed.
Today was especially hot and muggy, after a nice rain shower last night, which increased the humidity, and Jacque ran out of steam as she approached the top of the last hill on our road, about 1/4 mile from the comfort of the relatively cooler house.
I've been working on a radio/gps mount for Jacque's new trike, as well as an aluminum frame for a shade over Tinkerbell's basket perch on the back of the trike.  Pictures at 11....
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.0   --    Ending Voltage: 12.9
Lowest Temp:   82 F                 Highest Temp:  87 degrees F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:     5.58
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
04.9 MPH                                8.1 MPH                   25.2 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
1 hour 8 mins                        41  mins 22 secs          26 mins 38 secs