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A little positive karma
Last Post 09/03/2016 09:19 AM by Orange Crush. 17 Replies.
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Nick A
Posts:625
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| 08/29/2016 12:13 PM |
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Haven't posted in awhile. But with what, like six active posters, I thought I should. Went for one of my "standard rides". Thirty miles, along the valley, and up to the foothills and down. It includes a steady, not too steep six mile climb. Was kinda depressed when I left. I found myself giving a wave to motorists not turning left in front of me, or giving me a little room when passing. Then I stopped to pet a couple's dog. Then about a half mile from home on the way back, I was flagged down by a rider who just moved to Albuquerque. She had stopped to ask a couple who were only visiting town, but moving here, about where to ride here. So I wound up talking to them for about 20 minutes about riding here, and just plain living here. So, I left depressed, and came back not thinking the world sucked. :-)
Nick |
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huckleberry
Posts:824
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| 08/29/2016 12:57 PM |
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Any time away from thinking the world sucks is good.
Know where you're coming from and I wish you the best.
Take care Nick. |
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Dale
Posts:1767
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| 08/29/2016 03:41 PM |
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What a nice thing to read, thank for posting. It reinforces the magic of being outside on two wheels.
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Spud
Posts:525
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| 08/29/2016 05:25 PM |
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| Have to agree Dale. Nick, I try not to let things I have no control over, get to me. Like how crazy the world seems to be, right now. I can only do my part to make it a better place. Hang in there. |
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zootracer
Posts:835
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| 08/29/2016 08:52 PM |
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It's hard not to feel depressed due to state of the world in our current time. The only cure is to live like a hermit. Don't watch t.v., read the newspaper or have a p.c. I sometimes have good rides when I am upset or angry, it gives me energy.
I just turned 74 a few weeks ago. I have a terrible time with motivation at times. I just lost a freind who had congestive heart failure. I've been thinking about him on my rides. I think about a lot of stuff. Riding clears the mind.
It's a troubled world. |
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longslowdistance
Posts:2886
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| 08/29/2016 08:59 PM |
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Nick A,
Thanks for the post.
I'll echo the pleasure of meeting people on casual rides. |
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79pmooney
Posts:3189
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| 08/30/2016 01:28 AM |
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The good news? There's seven of us.
I have not been riding much but have gotten out the past three Sundays for a 60 mile triangle I love. The three legs are quite different. The long leg that I usually do last is very familiar semi-rural, the far leg is rural along a valley and right at the foot of the Chehalem hills. Third leg is up and over the hills. My usual (and easier) route is hills first. The first two rides, I had to do in that direction.
Yesterday I did it the hard way. Fixed. Out the roads into a very light wind, 43-16 and breathing fairly deeply. More of the same on the valley road, going not quite as hard but with increasing hills to compensate. Took the two mile detour to a college coffee shop for espresso, yogurt and their to die for pecan bar. Then it was one mile to warm up until the climb. Most of 1000' in about two miles. (43-22, not hard and I didn't push it.) At the top I flipped the wheel to 43-14 and thoroughly enjoyed the descent, 4 miles of gentle down into my county with great views, orchards and mountains in the distance. Rolled down to the river in the big gear, stopped and put the 17 on and rode easy home. Did my head a lot of good.
The ride was on Jessica J. It (she) is very responsive, almost too much when I haven't been riding enough. Yesterday she behaved well. And when she does, it means that I am in a good place. The world, especially this beautiful state I live in and get to ride looks better. And a ride in perfect temperature on a late August Pacific northwest day? Doesn't get much better.
Thanks Nick.
Ben |
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Funk
Posts:50
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| 08/30/2016 09:31 AM |
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| Thanks, Nick. |
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Nick A
Posts:625
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| 08/30/2016 09:46 AM |
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The good news? There's seven of us.
Best news I've heard all week! LOL.
Nick |
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Gonzo Cyclist
Posts:568
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| 08/30/2016 12:02 PM |
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Good stuff, gotta love the magic of the bike eh? I sometimes get in a funk, especially with the way things are right now in this world, but like I tell my friends, five pedal strokes down the road / trail, and the world is right again.
I do more MTB riding these days, purchased this new bell, called the Timber1, I call it the peace maker bell, I just let it ring full time, it alerts hikers I am coming, their dogs hear me, and I have had ZERO confrontations since, and actually sometimes stop and talk, pet their dogs, and hikers thank me for having the bell, saying stuff like "we heard the beautiful sounds for a while before you got here"
that makes eight of us............... ;-) |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 08/30/2016 03:27 PM |
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Posted By Nicholas Arenella on 08/30/2016 09:46 AM
The good news? There's seven of us.
Best news I've heard all week! LOL.
Nick
Haven't been posting much of late but I can report that last week my wife and I and our kids met Keith "the legend", and his sons out on the sweltering east coast. Not an entirely incident free encounter and there's a photo but all of that is on FB.
My family also did a Tour of DC bike tour around Pentagon, the Mall, the Zoo, Georgetown and past the White House. The DC bike share bikes suck weighing about 40lbs, between that and the heat my kid puked on the Zoo hill but continued on trooper that he is. Ton of fun that ride and more pics on FB but I am lazy there days.
We decided to forego a down payment on the White House, not liking the 4 year lease term too much. |
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Nick A
Posts:625
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| 08/30/2016 09:10 PM |
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OC. I went to college in Washington from 84-88. I love that part of town up by the zoo. The huge old apartment buildings reminded me of living on the upper west side of Manhattan when I was a kid. I think I remember they closed (still close ?) Rock Creek Park for bikes on weekends in the summer?
Nick |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 08/30/2016 09:29 PM |
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Nick - not sure about closures but there's the Rock Creek bike trail we took. Completely separated from road. Overall a nice bike network although a bit disconnected leading to some route finding for us newbies.
We were also in NYC. Gritty town compared to posh and clean DC, esp lower eastside, brooklyn, harlem and bronx (we did a birthplace of hiphop tour for last two). And visited Coney Island for luna park and beach. |
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SideBySide
Posts:444
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| 09/01/2016 03:19 PM |
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These kind of posts are great to see. I always go away with a smile. Riding the bike is one of the most purely joyful things I do, worries just melt away.
FWIW, I rode Mt Batchelor in Oregon Sunday and Tuesday. It was my first sustained climb, since I was 20 and on a real bike, my previous highest was ~430 feet. I don't think I could do 2500 ft of 10% grade, but 3% is not a problem. On Tuesday I made it half way up a second time before I got the call that the ladies had cancelled their plans and were waiting for me. I think I could have made it up again, albeit much slower. The total for the day was 54 miles and 4600 ft of climbing, my highest climbing total.
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SideBySide
Posts:444
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| 09/01/2016 03:45 PM |
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| And we're up to 11 on this thread! |
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