A new season, some new rides

So... It's been a long time since I've posted.  Last summer, I injured my knee doing something entirely separate from biking, and was not able to bike after the last post here.  It was so sad.  The summer was glorious and practically begging for biking.  I felt hobbled.  I know that biking can be good for your knees, but I really needed to rest it.  It was hard, but I'm glad I did... Now I am back on Penelope, with no pain at all, and raring to go!

The first bike ride of the season was last Tuesday.  It was a beautiful afternoon, and I decided to go out for a jaunt after work.  It was a quick 6.5 mile ride, down to the bike path and back.  Penelope wanted to go further, but I knew it was probably a good idea to not go full force on my first ride.

Besides, I needed new padded bike shorts.  Yes, they are a thing, and YES, they are a great idea.

Bonus - wildflowers next to the bike path!

That first ride whet my whistle and I went out on Wedenesday after work, too - this was about a 5 mile ride, though I forgot to start logging, so I'm not entirely sure.  I had to hurry home for sometime with the kiddos, but I needed to get a little ride in.

I liked the silhouette here. 

Thursday was totally glorious weather, and I had the day off, but again, sans padded bike shorts, I decided to keep the ride short and sweet - about 4.5 miles, to look at the beach, and then back.

Yesterday, my padded bike shorts came in.

Today, I am not working until 8.

I woke up nice and early.

It isn't supposed to start raining until way after I am done work...

I am going to get on Penelope and just keep going!  Welcome, Spring!  Let's make this season a great one.

A Few Missed Rides

After the last ride I posted, there was some rainy weather and other circumstances that made it so that I couldn't ride for a few days.  But, I have gotten some good rides in!

First, on June 3, I took a fabulous ride to the bay in the morning.  The sunrise is migrating, so if I want to see it, I have to go to the bay instead of the causeway.. I don't like the ride as much, but the payoff is pretty nice.

 

It was steamy morning, and the sky was incredible.

All the way to the lake, and then back... the morning ride was about 4 miles.  A much shorter ride than to the causeway, if I just go to the boat access,

******

On June 5th, I rode out to the causeway in the morning.  Though the sun is no longer rising over the causeway, it is still a beautiful ride.  I like getting in 7 1/2 miles before work.

And, I love being surrounded by the lake.

The Colchester bog that runs along the side of the path is also lovely.  I saw some wood ducks there a few weeks ago, though I was unable to get a picture of them.
********
I did ride to work and back on June 6th. 

It took me just about exactly an hour to get to work.  The ride is so pretty, it just always sets me up for a great day at work.

I adore riding in the morning before the path gets busy.  This road in the afternoon is a bustle with cars.

 

I rode through the University Green again, and I think this will be my permanent route.  So much prettier.

For the ride home, I have been having some troubles with my Strava app.. I start it, and it has (more than once) cut out at some point during my ride.  It recorded my ride home as 2 miles less than my ride to work, and I know I took the same route, so that's just not possible.  I can't bend space.  Anyhow, the ride home was quite lovely as well!

******

After that ride to work, we had a yard work day at the house on Sunday, and then several days of hard rain and thunderstorms... no rides for a bit.  But, on Wednesday I got a beautiful morning ride out to the causeway, dodging puddles on the way.

The sky was really pretty that morning, and well worth the ride.

I just love a good morning ride.

******

Finally, yesterday morning, I rode to the bay again for my morning ride.  Just to the boating access - I was tired, and didn't get out in time to ride more.

I tend to get to the end of the driveway and decide which way to go, depending on how the sky looks in either direction.  Yesterday morning, the sky was pink.  Hard to capture in pictures...

... But simply glorious.

And this morning?  This morning, I decided to have a cup of coffee and update my blog, instead of going out for a ride.. I had thought about riding to work, but the afternoon forecast calls for thunderstorms, and I don't want to get caught in that.  Riding to work more will come, though!  The kids are out of school now, so my schedule is a little less rigid.  I look forward to more rides to come...

Post tune-up sunset ride

Penelope was in for a tune-up for two days, and of course those were two days when the weather would have been grand for a bike ride.. so, when I picked her up yesterday after work, I was itching to have a ride.

I wanted to see the sunset over the causeway, so I set off.

It is about my favorite time of year, when the lilacs bloom.  The streets around here are lined with them, and I could smell them as I rode by.  Glorious.

The sky was nearly cloudless, and the lake was smooth as glass.

I look forward to more sunset rides.. this was fantastic.

My ride was faster, too, after my tune-up.  Penelope has a brand new chain, and her random scrapes and squeaks have been cleaned up.  I went 10.3 miles, with an average speed of 10.7 mph - though at points, I was as fast at 18.3 mph. 

A Quick After Dinner Ride

My daughter had a school thing this evening, so I couldn't go out for long, but after dinner today, I took a quick 40 minute, 6 mile ride.

The weather had been insanely good this week - we seem to have skipped right through spring and right on to summer.  It was 87 when I was driving home!  The nice part is that it hasn't been very humid, so it hasn't been unpleasant.  On the contrary... simply lovely.

I had to be quick, so I pedaled hard, and I was about 9.6 miles per hour.

I wish that I had been able to stay out for the sunset... and take a longer ride.  Another time!  I need to get a new light for Penelope - my old one corroded and is not working.  Then, I can go out for sunset rides.  I cannot wait.

An after work bike ride - a little faster

I got home from work yesterday and decided that I needed to have a bike ride.  The weather was gorgeous, and there was time before dinner.

I also wanted to see how long it would take me to bike to the end of the causeway (the "cut" where the bike ferry will run when it opens for the season) and back.  I think this might become a regular ride.

It was 12.2 miles round trip, and it took 1 hr 18 minutes.  The route was pretty flat - an easy ride, without any huge hills.  That works out to 9.4 miles per hour.  That's a bit faster.  I was actually working on going fast, though, so that I could see if such a ride was possible in the morning on days when I can't ride to work (It would be, though I have to be really careful about making sure to wake up on time and be home on time, with things to do).

It was really nice to have a ride after work.  Work tires me out, so I really had to do the ride right after work, before I sat down and thought about how long my day had been.  It was a good decision.

This beautiful weather isn't going to hold out forever (rain is in the forecast for the weekend, and next week), and I don't want to squander it while it's here!  I'll likely be taking another ride tomorrow evening.