Today we set out for our Monday Century ride but I cut it short and rode with Aflie to his parents house in Cypress. Overall it was a good ride and we started the ride from Euro Cafe and headed to Corona to pick up SART at Green River.
Showing posts with label Beach Ride. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beach Ride. Show all posts
Monday, January 18, 2021
Saturday, June 11, 2016
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Meet Gary - A Ride to Newport
A few weeks ago a high school acquaintance finally signed up for Facebook. Gary and I went to the same middle and high school. We shared a few classes together and had a few common friends, so when he popped up as someone I may know on FB, I was compelled to look at his Facebook page.
I do this often, as I am sure many others do. "Oh, wow! "Insert Name"
As I clicked through Gary's page, right on the front was a beautiful Giant Trinity Composite. Sleek, aero, white with black accents, damn that's sweet. You guessed right, I'm talking about a bike. Not any bike but a very specific type of bike, "Tri" Bike or one meant specifically for triathlons.
It turns out Gary is crazy into triathlons; Sprint, Olympic, half and soon to be completed full Ironman distances. I am always looking for new riders, so naturally, it just made sense for me reaching out to him for a ride.
After a few back and forth FB messages and phone texts we decided on a beach ride. A beach ride is perfect for Gary's type of bike and training. We met early in Diamond Bar and were off to Newport.
John P also joined us for this ride. John P is one of very few GMR fixie riders and is known for his tunes blasting as he heads up the mountain. I haven't seen him in a while so it was really nice riding with him to Newport.
The ride to and from Newport went great. Gary's a strong rider and 60 miles was nothing for him He's training for an Ironman so he needs to log some crazy distances to prepare him for June 2014.
Thursday, July 4, 2013
BEACH Rides!
The good old beach ride. The past two weekends, Michael and I decided on beach rides. First via geared bikes then fixed.
You know, fixed gear ain't that bad. Actually I prefer riding fixed to the beach over geared. I don't know, something about riding fixed is strangely easier than on a geared bike.
Well this is Michael in the early morning. We left Diamond Bar by 5:30 am to beat the heat. It was a nice ride to the beach, but coming back wore me out as the day heated up.
When we got back to Michael's house we both looked pretty beat up. Last weekend was a hot one.
You know, fixed gear ain't that bad. Actually I prefer riding fixed to the beach over geared. I don't know, something about riding fixed is strangely easier than on a geared bike.
Well this is Michael in the early morning. We left Diamond Bar by 5:30 am to beat the heat. It was a nice ride to the beach, but coming back wore me out as the day heated up.
When we got back to Michael's house we both looked pretty beat up. Last weekend was a hot one.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Diamond Bar to Newport Beach - Fixed
Yesterday Michael and I rode to the beach. It was an early ride, on the road by 5:30 am, but it was well worth it.
I get a bit of anxiety, whenever we start from Mike's house. You see, Mike lives at the very top of Grand Ave., in DB and it's no joke of a hill climb. After 68 plus miles of riding, this last bit of climbing hurts so bad.
With that said, when we headed out I was tired and feeling anxious. The anxiety wore off as we made our way through Brea Canyon and Kraemer Blvd. By SART, it was a distant memory.
Once on SART we were greeted with a monster of a headwind. The headwind slowly wore me down and I was beat by the time we made it to Newport. I did my best and my portion of the pulls to get us closer to Newport but with each mile, that darn headwind wouldn't let up.
I needed to be home and in my house by 10:30. It was Adam's last soccer game of the Spring season so the stop off in Newport was short. I ate, Mike went to the bathroom and we were off, heading back the way we came.
On SART, Mike's speed kept creeping up and by Glassell he was cruising at 24 mph. I held on as long as I could but eventually dropped off his pace.
On the streets and heading back to Brea Canyon a group of roadies shouted out, "Get some gears!" I took this as a compliment as we were 60 miles into our epic fixed gear ride.
On Brea Canyon, I started to feel some minor cramping so I slowed down a bit. Mike rode on and we met up just before Diamond Bar Blvd. From there we rode together back to his house.
We finished this ride in just under 4 hours. I was home in plenty if time to catch Adam's final soccer game of the season.
I get a bit of anxiety, whenever we start from Mike's house. You see, Mike lives at the very top of Grand Ave., in DB and it's no joke of a hill climb. After 68 plus miles of riding, this last bit of climbing hurts so bad.
With that said, when we headed out I was tired and feeling anxious. The anxiety wore off as we made our way through Brea Canyon and Kraemer Blvd. By SART, it was a distant memory.
Once on SART we were greeted with a monster of a headwind. The headwind slowly wore me down and I was beat by the time we made it to Newport. I did my best and my portion of the pulls to get us closer to Newport but with each mile, that darn headwind wouldn't let up.
I needed to be home and in my house by 10:30. It was Adam's last soccer game of the Spring season so the stop off in Newport was short. I ate, Mike went to the bathroom and we were off, heading back the way we came.
On SART, Mike's speed kept creeping up and by Glassell he was cruising at 24 mph. I held on as long as I could but eventually dropped off his pace.
On the streets and heading back to Brea Canyon a group of roadies shouted out, "Get some gears!" I took this as a compliment as we were 60 miles into our epic fixed gear ride.
On Brea Canyon, I started to feel some minor cramping so I slowed down a bit. Mike rode on and we met up just before Diamond Bar Blvd. From there we rode together back to his house.
We finished this ride in just under 4 hours. I was home in plenty if time to catch Adam's final soccer game of the season.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Beach Ride - Fixed
Michael and I rode to the beach from Diamond Bar. It was a great ride. Its been a while since Michael and I have ridden together, so the beach ride was perfect. Perfect because we were looking for a long ride where we could just "spin" and catch up on family lives, etc.
As usual I (we) was pressed for time so we were on the road by 6 am. We held a moderate pace, nothing to hard. There was a lot of moisture in the air, and it only got wetter as we dropped into Newport Beach.
We stopped in Newport for about 10 minutes to eat our snacks and use the restrooms. Is it me or is there some unspoken rule that all beach bathrooms must be disgustingly dirty and gross?
The ride back wasn't too bad. We had a mild tailwind to gently push up SART and early on we drafted behind two others until Kraemer Blvd.
Once off SART, and on the roads, fatigue started setting in. The beach ride will do this to you and there is no time off while riding fixed.
We continued on and I held my impending leg cramps at bay as we entered Brea Canyon. Michael, whether it was intentional or not, started to pick up the pace and we were slowly creeping from 16 mph to 19 mph and beyond before I dropped off the back.
He slowed down and I caught up just before Diamond Bar Blvd. From there we finished up our ride and made our way back to the cars.
As usual I (we) was pressed for time so we were on the road by 6 am. We held a moderate pace, nothing to hard. There was a lot of moisture in the air, and it only got wetter as we dropped into Newport Beach.
We stopped in Newport for about 10 minutes to eat our snacks and use the restrooms. Is it me or is there some unspoken rule that all beach bathrooms must be disgustingly dirty and gross?
The ride back wasn't too bad. We had a mild tailwind to gently push up SART and early on we drafted behind two others until Kraemer Blvd.
Once off SART, and on the roads, fatigue started setting in. The beach ride will do this to you and there is no time off while riding fixed.
We continued on and I held my impending leg cramps at bay as we entered Brea Canyon. Michael, whether it was intentional or not, started to pick up the pace and we were slowly creeping from 16 mph to 19 mph and beyond before I dropped off the back.
He slowed down and I caught up just before Diamond Bar Blvd. From there we finished up our ride and made our way back to the cars.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Diamond Bar to Newport Beach - FIXED
After the last bridge we caught the tail of a reluctant Tri-Guy. I say reluctant because it was pretty obvious he didn't want us in his draft and pushed out to let us pass. Unfortunately he had a good clip going and it was difficult to get in front. Michael was able to pull ahead of him and Tri-Guy conveniently slipped in between Michael and I. I guess he wasn't happy about pulling for us, but was all to quick to slip into Michael's draft.
I held third position until Tri-Guy started showing signs of fatigue. I picked up the pace, got behind Michael and soon enough Tri-Guy dropped off the back.
Once in Newport we refueled and headed back. Michael flatted early on and it took a while to change his tire. The wind was blowing in all directions. Sometimes we had a tailwind and other times it was a headwind. At the Honda Center the wind decided against us and it was a headwind the rest of the way home.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Meme and Charlie Ride to the Beach
Friday night on FB Meme writes, "Big New Year Ride," and I knew this must mean Beach Ride. Sure enough Charlie and Meme rode down SART to Newport. This would be Charlie's first beach ride and I hope Meme took him to Chicago Bikes and Chronic Taco.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
BicycleFriends ride to Newport Beach (Through Kevin's glasses)
(Kevin Donhoff Wrote)
It started like any other BicycleFriends ride:
Jason texts - "How about a easy ride down the Santa Ana River trail"
Now, I have learned a statement like that leaves much room for interpretation, so I ask "How far?" and "Who is going?", two critically important questions for a rider of my caliber (my classification is something like the pachyderm division, plus I am still getting back into riding condition after 8 months of due to a injury).
Jason texts - "Mike, Meme and maybe one other & it's an easy ride-like maybe 17 mile to beach then back"
Again such a statement leaves room for interpretation, but since Meme is closer to my caliber than Michael or Jason, I was comfortable, plus I have learned to always add at least three miles to Jason's estimates.
We started in Yorba Linda and things were going well until about mile 18, when I encountered a problem with what I thought was my cleat. A mile later we discovered that the treads had stripped from my crankarm, as my pedal fell out. Meme, doing his best Macgiver imitation, tried to fix it with a candy wrapper, sap from nearby bush, and a feather he found on the trail fused with sunlight concentrated through his glasses. WHAT A GENIUS! Well that lasted about two pedals before it fell out and the BicycleFriends crew took turns pushing me the last 1&1/2 miles to the beach (Photo attached). After a pit stop and some snacks, Michael and Jason headed back to the cars, while Meme and I were determined to make the best of being stranded in Newport Beach, not such a bad situation after all.
While waiting for the nearest bike repair to open, I did a google search and found Chicago Bike, and made a call that went something like this.
Man on phone: "Chicago Bike, bring it on down"
I was not sure whether I reached a machine, so I asked "are you open?"
Man on phone: "Yes, bring it on down"
Still not sure, I explained that my Shimano crackarm was stripped and my pedal fell out.
Man on the Phone: "Bring it on down" he then explained I was 3/4 of a mile away.
I told Meme I was not sure how this was going to go down, but figure it was worth a try. Well, low and behold, we found the small un-assuming Chicago Bike store with a sign that offered free air-24/7 and a gentleman out front helping folks with their bike woes. Soon he pointed to me and asked if he could help me. It was then when I met Tony Parry. I must have done something to please the Karma Gods, because not only did he fix my crank with a threaded insert, but he proceeded to provide Meme and I an education about bike mechanics. He emphasized the proper bike adjustments to make riding a city bike or beach cruiser effortless. We even tried on of his 29ers (just might have to buy one). His mantra "if you are comfortable, you will ride a lot more".
Time spent with Tony: Priceless (but he only charged me $25).
MANY THANKS TO TONY.
I plan to get Jason down to examine Tony's vintage bike parts.
If you need work on a beach cruiser, city bike, or any other for that matter, I would recommend checking it out with Tony. I think he will be honest and not pressure you. Plan to spend some time and get an education. He is on PCH behind JackInTheBox.
Chicago Bike
Chicagobike.net
(949)650-4203
After the prolonged rest period Meme and I watered up and hit the SART. The last 5 miles or so were tough, but I made it. Happy to have overcome a mechanical problem and finish my longest ride yet, 43 miles, a little bit more than Jason promised.
Thanks to Meme, Michael, Jason, Tony and the SART for a great day.
It started like any other BicycleFriends ride:
Jason texts - "How about a easy ride down the Santa Ana River trail"
Now, I have learned a statement like that leaves much room for interpretation, so I ask "How far?" and "Who is going?", two critically important questions for a rider of my caliber (my classification is something like the pachyderm division, plus I am still getting back into riding condition after 8 months of due to a injury).
Jason texts - "Mike, Meme and maybe one other & it's an easy ride-like maybe 17 mile to beach then back"
Again such a statement leaves room for interpretation, but since Meme is closer to my caliber than Michael or Jason, I was comfortable, plus I have learned to always add at least three miles to Jason's estimates.
We started in Yorba Linda and things were going well until about mile 18, when I encountered a problem with what I thought was my cleat. A mile later we discovered that the treads had stripped from my crankarm, as my pedal fell out. Meme, doing his best Macgiver imitation, tried to fix it with a candy wrapper, sap from nearby bush, and a feather he found on the trail fused with sunlight concentrated through his glasses. WHAT A GENIUS! Well that lasted about two pedals before it fell out and the BicycleFriends crew took turns pushing me the last 1&1/2 miles to the beach (Photo attached). After a pit stop and some snacks, Michael and Jason headed back to the cars, while Meme and I were determined to make the best of being stranded in Newport Beach, not such a bad situation after all.
While waiting for the nearest bike repair to open, I did a google search and found Chicago Bike, and made a call that went something like this.
Man on phone: "Chicago Bike, bring it on down"
I was not sure whether I reached a machine, so I asked "are you open?"
Man on phone: "Yes, bring it on down"
Still not sure, I explained that my Shimano crackarm was stripped and my pedal fell out.
Man on the Phone: "Bring it on down" he then explained I was 3/4 of a mile away.
I told Meme I was not sure how this was going to go down, but figure it was worth a try. Well, low and behold, we found the small un-assuming Chicago Bike store with a sign that offered free air-24/7 and a gentleman out front helping folks with their bike woes. Soon he pointed to me and asked if he could help me. It was then when I met Tony Parry. I must have done something to please the Karma Gods, because not only did he fix my crank with a threaded insert, but he proceeded to provide Meme and I an education about bike mechanics. He emphasized the proper bike adjustments to make riding a city bike or beach cruiser effortless. We even tried on of his 29ers (just might have to buy one). His mantra "if you are comfortable, you will ride a lot more".
Time spent with Tony: Priceless (but he only charged me $25).
MANY THANKS TO TONY.
I plan to get Jason down to examine Tony's vintage bike parts.
If you need work on a beach cruiser, city bike, or any other for that matter, I would recommend checking it out with Tony. I think he will be honest and not pressure you. Plan to spend some time and get an education. He is on PCH behind JackInTheBox.
Chicago Bike
Chicagobike.net
(949)650-4203
After the prolonged rest period Meme and I watered up and hit the SART. The last 5 miles or so were tough, but I made it. Happy to have overcome a mechanical problem and finish my longest ride yet, 43 miles, a little bit more than Jason promised.
Thanks to Meme, Michael, Jason, Tony and the SART for a great day.
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