Back in Action

Waited two weeks to get another ride in. Between getting a new car and finding a bike rack that would work on it, was a real problem. We did get one four mile ride in the past two weeks around our house in old Lee’ s Summit before Saturday. All the stopping and starting kept us from doing it a second time. Bike rack recommendation: Spend more than $100. We tried a cheaper one we bought at Dicks (a Saris product for $59) but the clips were terrible. Don’t buy a bike rack that has the straps secured by a four hole pattern lock. We got Saris to send us a “Bones 2″ bike rack which we took up to the “Bike Stop” in Lee’s Summit and traded for a “Bones 3″ for only $20. The Bones 2 is a $149 bike rack. Todd showed us how to install it and we discussed some of the common mistakes people make. Don’t over tighten the plastic screws or try tightening them with pliers. That is not necessary. Also, The Bones bike racks can be adjusted for most cars despite what Sarius says. If you take your time, make the correct adjustments, this bike rack should work real well for you. Back to Saturday. We got a good 10 mile ride in late in the day after the heat had subsized. A nice ride on the Little Blue Trail that was a little hot but not bad. We hope to ride the Little Blue in this weeks Lance Armstrong charity ride for cancer. I hope they finally grade the trail because it is somewhat embarrassing with how rough it is in spots. Also, the grass is overrunning the trail in spots.

KT Ken Hits the KT Trail

We finally made it this year to the Katy Trail on Memorial Day. Last year we rode the AmTrak Train to the Sedalia on Memorial Day and rode the Katy Trail south towards but not quite to Greenridge. This year we drove to Sedalia and headed north from the Sedalia original train depot to Clifton City. I miscalculated the mileage at 27 miles when it actually was only 24. Since Tri-girl had her heart set on a 27 mile ride, we went an extra 1 1/2 miles past Clifton City before turning around to accomplish the feat. It was our longest one day ride ever by five miles. Very tiring but a good sense of accomplishment. The ride time was just over 2 1/2 hours which may be slow to some but not bad for an old man like me. The trail to the northeast of Sedalia is a better ride than to the south as some of it is in Ozark Mountain country and you ride alongside a beautiful stream. However, any ride on the Katy Trail is worth the trip. Loved it.

She Didn’t Turn

Last Thursday we finally got back to the Mill Creek Trail. It was another beautiful night for a ride and after heading four miles north from the 95th Street trailhead, we turned around and headed back. I stayed with Tri-girl for most of the first six miles but started to fall back in the last two miles. She was several hundred feet ahead of me as she approached the turn to the trail head parking lot. I was sure she would turn in even though she mentioned at the turnaround that she might want to get ten miles in and continue on past the trailhead for another mile and then come back. It was a work day and I was exhausted. There was no way she would’t turn. I started thinking “Did she go past the turn?” It was some distance away and the ground was so flat that the depth perception wasn’t very good. No. She must not be to the sidewalk that went to the east yet, I thought. Turn, please turn. It was soon became obvious. I was riding two more miles because SHE DIDN’T TURN!

Two Tough Rides

We got two great workouts in this weekend. I say workouts because that’s what they seemed more like workouts that bike rides when we finished. Francine (aka Tri-girl) got a new bike on Saturday. We decided on that day to ride the streets near the new apartment complex where we will be moving. This is a commercial & light industrial area just west of 435 and south of Lakewood in the Lee’s Summit area. The hills were tough but not impossible but the wind was impossible Saturday afternoon. It was all I could do to ride five miles. Francine had a tough time too but her new bike has definitely helped her. Besides the strong wind, we had to contend with some traffic. I didn’t know every cottonhead (people over sixty for those of you from Raytown) uses these backroads to get from Lee’ s Summit proper to Lakewood so they don’t have to drive on I-470. Whew! Sundays ride was only rough because of the length and Francine’s new found blazing speed. We rode the Little Blue Trail in eastern Independence. A great trail that runs from I-70 to Hwy 24 along the Little Blue. They haven’t mowed or graded the trail yet this year but they have installed concrete trails in areas that were wearing away. We see this as hope that the city of Mr. Truman will actually maintain the trail this year. This was the fastet I have ever riden on a trail (or anywhere for that matter) and we covered 13 miles. I couldn’t keep to Francine and I was totally exhausted when we finished. Loved it though.

1st Ride Post, Finally

We finally got a chance to ride Friday night. We rode 8.5 miles on the Mill Creek Park trail just west of 435 in Lenexa/Shawnee. This is a great trail; paved, mostly knowledgeable riders & walkers and a beautiful setting. The stretch from the 95th Street trail head north is basically flat for a long stretch. Our favorite ride in the KC area with Little Blue Trail second and Smithville Lake trail third. We hadn’t rode in over a week so we took it easy at first, but finished averaging almost 11 mph (a respectable pace for an old man like me). I was ok for the first three miles but by the fourth mile I was getting a little winded. We stopped at that point and rode back to our starting point. I fell well behind Francine on the last two miles.  Nothing new there. We did get passed by several people which doesn’t happen that often on the trails we have been riding. Be careful if you ride this trail for advanced riders at high speeds. The trail has a lot of blind spots. Two novice riders came around a sharp turn side by side and Francine had to go between them. I would have hit them but my superior athletic skills allowed me to avoid them. Bottom line: great to riding again.

Need to Ride

I haven’t been on a ride this week and I am getting edgy. Hope to ride Mill Creek Trail in Lenexa tomorrow. Love that trail.