Today's Turgid Tracking via APRS and Ham Radio
GAAAACK. It's been TEN DAYS since we rode anywhere under people-pedal-power. Bah. Humbug.
We planned to do our afternoon Bosque ride yesterday, Friday, but at the last minute before we left home we got a phone call committing us to something other than afternoon aerobic exercise. Oh Well.
Howsomever, today we actually got with the program and took a good ride.
Mind you, this isn't an easy jump-on-the-trike undertaking. Jacque fell down some stairs while visiting my brother up in Utah, and though the steps were carpeted, she suffers with a very sore bottom. When she's sitting, it takes a bit of care to find positions that don't hurt, clear through the pain medication. This was our first attempt at riding since the fall, so we were more than a bit concerned.
PLUS, this morning was probably the coldest morning we've experienced this fall.... it was 25 degrees on one end of the house when we got up and 23 on the other end of the house. So we lolly-gagged around until 10:00 to get going in hopes the weather would warm up a bit. We bundled in several layers, and I wore solid leather shoes instead of my normal tenny-runners and TWO pairs of socks. My experience with cold weather cycling is that 2 things suffer the most while riding in the cold: Fingers and Feets. My prior experience also dictated that I not put on anything actually heavy and woolly, but just 3 or 4 layers I could pull off as I warmed up. We started off with me wearing my "shooter's mittens" on my hands: medium padded mittens with a velcro-fastening 'pocket' that encloses the fingers, and which can be easily opened to expose the fingers for working the radio knobs and other details. Designed for cold weather shooting, but works for cyclists "not carrying", too.
Our plan was deceptively simple: Ride east out to Edgewood, pick up a quilt square-of-the-month from Busy Bee Quilts, maybe make a short side trip to Wally World and then ride home. Total max distance 25 miles or so. If either of us wanted to turn back early, we agreed to turn back.
Every bike trip produces something to laugh about, and today was no exception. While climbing a hill on eastbound Frost Road, a westbound "Souped-Up" Honda approached us, and when he got right next to us while passing, REVVED up his engine in neutral several times to impress us with his pipes, I guess. Jacque and I laughed out loud, and talked about the idea that "Brapping your pipes" is a way to impress other people cranking along under their own power.
We made it about 4 miles, a third of the way there, and Jacque's pain pills were not keeping up with the strain. So we turned back, and were glad we did. The east-bound wind had picked up considerably and though it didn't slow us down much, the cold wind was SHARP.
So, even though conditions weren't totally favorable, and we were certainly not totally confident in how it would work out with our aches and pains.... it was, as usual, invigorating and FUN. We gotta get back to a daily routine....
Just after getting back in the Exploder, we spotted a couple walking their little doggies along the path we'd just exited. We did a double-take.... their doggies appeared to be PAPILLONS! -And one was a sable & white, with the other one a tri-color Black, White, and small patches of Brown.... almost exactly like OUR doggies! So we just HAD to pull over and chase them down so we (and our look-alike doggies) could exchange greetings. Jazzie, our beserk pup, went into hysterics and was almost impossible to shut up or calm down, so the visit was short, unfortunately.
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.2 Ending Voltage: 13.1
Lowest Temp 52 F Highest Temp: 66 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 8.06
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
4.4 MPH 6.4 MPH 27.8 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
1 hour 49 minutes 1 hour 15 mins 33 mins 32 secs
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