Wednesday Night Ride

[us56456712]

12 of us over 60 men went for a 12.1 mile mountain bike ride this evening. 6:30 to 8:45PM. The sun had just set when we finished and next week we will start at 6PM as it will be too dark by 9PM. Then later in September and October we will ride with lights. There were approximately 50 riders in all broken up into 4 groups depending on ability. What was so incredible at the end was that there was an almost full moon and the northern lights were hanging in green curtains all around. They are predicting a frost tonight so I moved all the tomato plants and peppers into the garage for safe keeping as summer (70F) is going to reappear in the next few days. I hope I can paint my tandem fame before it stays cold?

 

[Schwinnspastic]

Ya-all get an atta boy from me, the way my health has been lately I can't hardly make it up and down the block without some body part failing on me !
Mark

 

[us56456712]

Ya-all get an atta boy from me, the way my health has been lately I can't hardly make it up and down the block without some body part failing on me !
Mark

We all have health problems too, one guy has throat cancer and a lot of joint replacements in our group, back surgeries, shoulder surgeries and carpel tunnel surgeries. We keep going but every year there is at least one of us unable to ride while they are healing. Staying active at age is a fight for sure.

 

[horsefarmer]

I heard somewhere that you always have to have something to look forward to. We heat with wood, got some wood to split and stack today, then going on "Chain reaction" ride in GB tonight - should be cool! Allergy acting up today got to "git-r-done" tho.

 

[us56456712]

I heard somewhere that you always have to have something to look forward to. We heat with wood, got some wood to split and stack today, then going on "Chain reaction" ride in GB tonight - should be cool! Allergy acting up today got to "git-r-done" tho.

Lets see a picture of your ride. I didn't get any wood in this year as I need to have surgery on both shoulders and couldn't lift the chain saw. First year with no wood. Fortunately it doesn't bother the shoulders a lot to ride, just moving my arms away from my body is painful. Hopefully I can have one of them done this winter during the doldrums and ride next summer than have the other one worked on in the next winter doldrums, that would be as ideal it could get. Happy trails.

 

[horsefarmer]

I'll try to get pics tonight of ride. Was checking out a pellet stove or lpg space heater for heat but way too much $ for us. I cut some dead trees and buy some wood to - it works out. It's a work out for sure but just gotta keep at it!

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Great work guys!

Luke.

 

[horsefarmer]

Here is a pic of last nights ride (stopped at Lambeau field for a group pic)

According to facebook there were 75 riders but I think several including our party of 4 got there a we bit tardy and missed the count.
Really exciting scooting around the city in the dark, people waving and honking horns at us! Lots of fun didn't get home till midnight! (pretty late for a school night, LOL)
Me with my Schwinn Cruiser Four and my new RRB tee.

My better half and her 40 year old Ross 3 speed.

The ride start/finish at the beautiful Green Bay city deck.

 

[us56456712]

I went again last night as we also have a Thursday night ride. The leader is on old ski jumper and a real animal who likes what he calls grinders. Our ride had over 2000 feet of climbing, including riding to the top of an olympic sized ski jump. The leader likes to see how high a gear he can climb in. I don't have a smart phone so I rely on others to tell me what we did. I don't know the distance but they said it was 150 feet of climb/mile average. Seemed like more. There is a 50 and 100 mile local race coming up the Marji Gesick. It is named after the Ojibwa Chief that lead the white men to the iron ore deposits up here in about 1840. We were on part of this trail. I will never go in this race. The others were saying there is over 10,000 feet of climbing and very technical and challenging. After last night I am ordering a new rear freewheel 11x36 to replace my 12x32 9 speed. It is a 1x9 with a 32 tooth front chainring. I will replace that with a 28. Most of the old guys are running 20 or 22x36 with a 29 inch wheel. I ride 26 so I will have to see how it works out. My bike is a 2002 Specialized but it is updated with a new front shock, disc brakes, rear brain shock, new wheels and the front derailleur has been removed. I had a 29er but I just couldn't ride it well, I sold it. By the way, after last night I think anyone who rides without eye protection is nuts. It was getting dark and we were on a high speed descent and I hit a protruding cut off end of a deadfall. I was second from last and the leaders gave a warning but with the wind whistling through my ears and my deafness I missed the warning. I hit it hard enough to remove my visor and bend my eyewear. There are two big gouges right in front of my left eyeball. I hit hard enough that I probably would have lost and eye, but thanks to protection I was uninjured.

 

[us56456712]

Here is a pic of last nights ride (stopped at Lambeau field for a group pic)

According to facebook there were 75 riders but I think several including our party of 4 got there a we bit tardy and missed the count.
Really exciting scooting around the city in the dark, people waving and honking horns at us! Lots of fun didn't get home till midnight! (pretty late for a school night, LOL)
Me with my Schwinn Cruiser Four and my new RRB tee.

My better half and her 40 year old Ross 3 speed.

The ride start/finish at the beautiful Green Bay city deck.

I only live 3 hours away. I could join the fun. Thats a nice sized group

 

[horsefarmer]

Lots of fun! first time we went. Guy in front of me got hassled by cop for blocking traffic (they cork intersections), but cop ended up just telling him to stop it and left. Someone joked, " He's gonna give us all tickets for no seat bellts!" It was about the end of the 90 minute cruise. Starts and ends in back of Hagemeister Park Bar and Restaurant - very nice - good food and excellent tap beer - Blue Moon - WOOT!.
https://www.facebook.com/criticalmassgb
http://hagemeisterpark.com/
http://www.bluemoonbrewingcompany.com/av?url=http://www.bluemoonbrewingcompany.com/

 

[horsefarmer]

Actually have mixed emotions about rushing intersections.
If you research Critical Mass Rides they were started in NYC because of a lack of bike lanes. There are some in Green bay tho and if the group stays pretty close together at 9pm on a week night we don't really hold anyone up too long.

 

[horsefarmer]

I went again last night as we also have a Thursday night ride. The leader is on old ski jumper and a real animal who likes what he calls grinders. Our ride had over 2000 feet of climbing, including riding to the top of an olympic sized ski jump. The leader likes to see how high a gear he can climb in. I don't have a smart phone so I rely on others to tell me what we did. I don't know the distance but they said it was 150 feet of climb/mile average. Seemed like more. There is a 50 and 100 mile local race coming up the Marji Gesick. It is named after the Ojibwa Chief that lead the white men to the iron ore deposits up here in about 1840. We were on part of this trail. I will never go in this race. The others were saying there is over 10,000 feet of climbing and very technical and challenging. After last night I am ordering a new rear freewheel 11x36 to replace my 12x32 9 speed. It is a 1x9 with a 32 tooth front chainring. I will replace that with a 28. Most of the old guys are running 20 or 22x36 with a 29 inch wheel. I ride 26 so I will have to see how it works out. My bike is a 2002 Specialized but it is updated with a new front shock, disc brakes, rear brain shock, new wheels and the front derailleur has been removed. I had a 29er but I just couldn't ride it well, I sold it. By the way, after last night I think anyone who rides without eye protection is nuts. It was getting dark and we were on a high speed descent and I hit a protruding cut off end of a deadfall. I was second from last and the leaders gave a warning but with the wind whistling through my ears and my deafness I missed the warning. I hit it hard enough to remove my visor and bend my eyewear. There are two big gouges right in front of my left eyeball. I hit hard enough that I probably would have lost and eye, but thanks to protection I was uninjured.

Sounds really wild! Glad you didn't get seriously hurt. Toughest hill I ride on a reg. basis is about 1/2 mi long - it's paved tho.
Try to build up as much speed as I can going in but it's just so damn long. end up in 1st creeping along just cant stop moving or it would be all over.....

 

[us56456712]

Sounds really wild! Glad you didn't get seriously hurt. Toughest hill I ride on a reg. basis is about 1/2 mi long - it's paved tho.
Try to build up as much speed as I can going in but it's just so .... long. end up in 1st creeping along just cant stop moving or it would be all over.....

By Friday night I had 2 black eyes, but no harm done. I would rather have a black eye from glasses cracking your nose than having a stick in they eye. Good tradeoff. Wear eye protection. I used to wear a baseball helmet for winter riding but now I am convinced that bike helmets are better. The lack of universal and tested bike helmet safety standards made me think any old helmet was as good. I have seen a couple of cracked bike helmets so now I know they are better. I am also the only guy without clipless pedals and I am also the only one that wears elbow and knee pads.

 

[horsefarmer]

Yes, years in machine shop convinced me eye protection is a very good thing.