| Ride Date |
Distance (miles) |
Max Speed (mph) |
Ride Time (hh:mm:ss) |
Average Speed (mph) |
Ride Type |
Bike |
Club Affiliation |
1/6/2012
(Fri)
|
40.13 |
24.00 |
03:19:21 |
12.08 |
Road: Flat |
Rans Screamer
Rd Bent Tandem |
'BentRider Recumbent Club |
Comments: I Can't Believe This is January Ride. I talked with Phil earlier in the week about today's forecast and we planned a ride. We met Phil and Chuck at Glacier Knoll at 10am stopping at the bank and mailbox first. We were amazed at the mild temps and bright low sun as we rode out and pulled into the park. Phil was on his soon-to-be-for-sale Lightning and Chuck on his trusty Goldrush. We headed out on the trail and within a mile we saw a recumbent coming toward us near Abby Trails. Amazingly enough it was Chuck's brother Bob getting in his ride before rushing home to do his grandfatherly childcare duties. We asked advice on the subject due to our impending grandparenthood and then let him get on with his ride. We cruised along with Chuck pacing us in the lead at an aggressive speed. We found men working and surveying along the trail right before the new bridge over 33. It turns out they are working on planned improvements to the trail in this section which has tight turns and is plagued by water problems. Then on over the big bridge and onto the Three Creeks Trail where we were greeted by 2 deer right on the trail. I could hear the hooves of one of them clicking on the pavement as she scooted away. Then on along a mostly deserted path to the mostly frozen Herons Pond where we stopped for some picture taking. We continued along seeing a number of red tailed hawks. Phil and Chuck said a sharp shinned hawk flew just past them as they rode behind us. We hit Oxbow loop and returned the way we came with the wind coming up and pushing at our back. We arrived back at Glacier Knoll and said our goodbyes then headed over to Ole Bag O Nails for a nice lunch. Mar started to complain about her legs hurting as we entered the restaurant. "Oh my poor legs, my poor old legs, my aching--Oh look, lobster bisque!" Suddenly she was distracted by the daily special on the board and her ailments were a thing of the past. After a nice lunch we headed back through the neighborhoods and returned home. Today's route may be found here:
http://bit.ly/w48lqa
|
| Weather Conditions: Unbelievable for January. Near 40 degrees to start and mid 50s at finish. Sunny skies with winds out of the SSW at 15 mph. |
1/31/2012
(Tue)
|
33.62 |
24.18 |
02:28:53 |
13.55 |
Off: Flat |
Easy Racers Gold Rush Replica
LWB Bent |
'BentRider Recumbent Club |
| Comments: Incredibly warm day and Mar couldn't ride so I took off about 10 am and headed for the trail. As I rolled into Glacier Knoll and onto the trail my phone rang. It was Marc and Jessica telling me that the grandchild we are expecting in June is going to be a boy!! I was filled with excitement the rest of the ride as I enjoyed the great day and great news. I encountered lots of ponding on the path which was a result of lots of recent rain. At the bottome of the bridge over Big Walnut there was a 5 inch pond overlaying the entire path which I slowly biked through. I rolled around Heron's Pond and headed back helped by a nice tail wind. |
| Weather Conditions: Warm and windy with partly cloudy skies. Temps in the mid 50s. |
| January Rides |
Distance (miles) |
Max Speed (mph) |
Ride Time (hh:mm:ss) |
Average Speed (mph) |
Ride Type |
Bike |
Club Affiliation |
| 2 |
73.75 |
24.18 |
05:48:14 |
12.75 |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
2/1/2012
(Wed)
|
16.33 |
19.30 |
01:28:17 |
11.10 |
Road: Flat |
Rans Screamer
Rd Bent Tandem |
'BentRider Recumbent Club |
| Comments: Like February 1st in Atlanta. Another unseasonably warm day allow for Mar and I to take off on the Screamer. We picked it up last week from Bicycle One where we had it in for yearly maintenance. New chains, cassette, cabling, disk brake pads all to get us ready for 2012. We took off about 12:30pm and shot down the Diley trail to Meijer. There we turned around and returned to Pickerington and over to Uno's for lunch. Then back home feeling like we had taken advantage of another amazing warm day this winter. |
| Weather Conditions: Warmer yet with partly cloudy skies and temps around 60 degrees. Winds out of the West at 10 mph. |
2/18/2012
(Sat)
|
27.24 |
25.00 |
02:13:18 |
12.26 |
Road: Flat |
Rans Screamer
Rd Bent Tandem |
'BentRider Recumbent Club |
Comments: Red Chip Road Ride. A nice February day beckoned us to ride to Pataskala for lunch. We took off about 10:30am and warmed up quickly after a chilly start rolling downhill through the neighborhood. Then out Palmer to Smoke where we were chased by a black lab. Mar was just readying the water bottle defense when he gave up the chase. We continued into Pataskala and were surprised to see "Share the Road" and "Bike Route" signs, along with Sharrows newly painted on Township Road. Very nice. We pulled into the Nutcracker and had warm lunch. Then back along Mill Rd where we stopped to snap a picture of a State of Ohio property that I noticed the last time I rode this route. Then a great section along the new Etna Rd which now sports a sign designating it "Red Chip Road". We saw a Cooper's Hawk at the intersection with Refugee Rd. Then 8 or 10 Alpaca in the pen swiveled their necks to watch us ride by as we approached Mink. Then back to Palmer and a swift return home.
Our route may be found on Google Maps right here:
http://bit.ly/A3kDya |
| Weather Conditions: Mostly sunny and cool with temps in the low 40s. Winds out of the WNW at 10 mph. |
2/27/2012
(Mon)
|
35.80 |
22.50 |
02:58:22 |
12.04 |
Road: Flat |
Rans Screamer
Rd Bent Tandem |
'BentRider Recumbent Club |
Comments: Two Geese on a Roof Ride. We set out just after 9am to meet Phil and Janet at Glacier Knoll. As we turned through the neighborhoods just before Long Rd. Marilyn spotted two geese perched on the peak of a house roof. They just stood there as though they were pigeons but looked totally ridiculous. We laughed thinking about how their landing must have looked. P&J were ready to ride as we hit the park and we rolled on to the trail. We went to the Refugee Rd branch of the trail to see if any more construction had taken place. It had not but we did see two young mothers with children playing on the trail's end. Then on back towards Shannon where we spotted a faired recumbent coming up on us from behind. Lo and behold it was Chuck who just coincidentally was riding the trail on this beautiful February day, too. We rode along together catching up on each other's news when Chuck told us that the bridge over the wetlands along Bixby was closed for re planking. We found the bridge to be impassable so we backtracked a bit and rode on Bixby to the park entrance. There we stopped for a bit as Chuck continued on his way. We then headed on to Heron's Pond which we circled before heading back.
The route for today can be found on Google Maps right here:
http://bit.ly/xVhU08
|
| Weather Conditions: Amazing February weather! Mid 40s to start and near 50 at end with sunny skies and winds out of the WSW at 10-15mph. |
| February Rides |
Distance (miles) |
Max Speed (mph) |
Ride Time (hh:mm:ss) |
Average Speed (mph) |
Ride Type |
Bike |
Club Affiliation |
| 3 |
79.37 |
25.00 |
06:39:57 |
11.92 |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
3/7/2012
(Wed)
|
38.12 |
25.50 |
03:00:36 |
12.66 |
Road: Flat |
Rans Screamer
Rd Bent Tandem |
'BentRider Recumbent Club |
| Comments: In Like a Lion Ride. This early March day provided warm temps and howling wind. We met Phil at Glacier Knoll at 11 am. as he was unloading his Lightning. We took off and almost immediately came upon Chet on his home built recumbent. Then back on into the wind riding and chatting until we came upon Chuck heading back home. Then we headed to Heron's Pond where I spotted a red-bellied woodpecker on the feeder. We rode down to Oxbow Loop and headed back with the wind mostly behind us. Mar saw a kingfisher along Blacklick Creek as we rolled back home. We wanted to stop for lunch on the way home so Phil met us at Old Bag O' Nails. We had a nice lunch and then headed home. |
| Weather Conditions: Very warm and very windy. Mostly sunny skies and winds out of the SSW at 15-20 mph. |
3/14/2012
(Wed)
|
50.77 |
30.00 |
04:11:33 |
12.11 |
Road: Hills |
Rans Screamer
Rd Bent Tandem |
'BentRider Recumbent Club |
Comments: Cacophony of Croaking and Crocuses. This was one of those amazing spring like days that make you want to get outside and own it. We took off at 9am with the air still quite chilly and headed to Palmer. We were excited to ride the Pat-Hebron-Millersport-Baltimore loop for the first time this year. We were shocked to find Refugee Rd newly paved in front of the T J Evans park in Hebron. It's about time! Traffic remained very light all day as we rode along drinking in the sunshine and warm temps. We soon began to hear the peeping and croaking of the frogs at every wet woodland area we passed. As we got to the canal in Hebron the noise became almost deafening as we rode along the reeds. We were greeted with bouquets of daffodils and crocuses all along our route and began to spot some trees beginning to leaf out. I wanted to pause on Deep Cut to take a picture of the canal and flowers we saw. Then on to Baltimore and Subway for lunch where we were happy to see Chris again. He continues to have the best oatmeal raisin cookies around. Then back along 256-Allen-Stemen and home.
Our route today may be found here:
http://g.co/maps/jkk73 |
| Weather Conditions: Cool start lower 40s. Then warming into the low 60s with mostly clear skies and winds late out of the WSW at 10 mph, |
3/18/2012
(Sun)
|
18.98 |
24.00 |
01:32:17 |
12.34 |
Road: Flat |
Rans Screamer
Rd Bent Tandem |
'BentRider Recumbent Club |
Comments: Snakes and Alligator-We must be in the South. We drove in yesterday to stay with John and Kathi her in Ocean Beach, Alabama. We are on the Gulf of Mexico and joined by 8 other couples on tandems and mostly from Minnesota and Wisconsin. John and I drove to the Naval Air Museum on the Pensacola Naval Base this morning while the women went shopping in nearby Fairhope. Then we all met up for an afternoon ride on the Backcountry Trails. We rode along these beautifully paved paths through sand dunes, pine forests, marshes and campgrounds. We came upon a 3 foot alligator right next to the trail and found a brown snake and a copperhead on the ride. Mar was not thrilled to see any of these. The weather was near perfect and we really enjoyed the late afternoon route.
Our route today may be found on Google Maps right here:
http://g.co/maps/pw23m |
| Weather Conditions: Low 70s with light winds and partly cloudy skies. |
3/19/2012
(Mon)
|
30.20 |
35.00 |
02:35:09 |
11.68 |
Road: Flat |
Rans Screamer
Rd Bent Tandem |
'BentRider Recumbent Club |
Comments: 60th Birthday Alabama Ride. 8 tandems took off about 9am this morning to ride over the bridge to Cobalt for our breakfast buffet. After breakfast we rode the boardwalk over to the beach to see the gulf. Then back over the bridge to the Backcountry Trails again for looping routes along the trails and roads in this and the state park. We saw the same alligator as yesterday but today we spotted her babies which were about 18 inches long. After our final loop we headed to Yogurt Plus for a delicious bowl of ice cream like yogurt. I had the strawberry and vanilla flavor with lots of berries on top. Then a quick stop at Walmart next door for some orange juice and then back to the condo.
Our route today may be found here:
http://g.co/maps/rxgz8 |
| Weather Conditions: Gorgeous. Mid 70s and mostly sunny with light winds out of the SE. |
3/20/2012
(Tue)
|
33.76 |
23.00 |
02:38:43 |
12.76 |
Road: Flat |
Rans Screamer
Rd Bent Tandem |
'BentRider Recumbent Club |
Comments: Pier to Wharf to Beach Ride. We jumped off at 10am and headed north then east riding into nice neighborhoods including one where Bret Favre has a home. Then on to the Orange Beach Park for a walk along the pier into the bay. Then west along the Intercoastal Waterway to lunch at Tacky Jack's. Then back south to Gulf State Park and over to the pier out into the Gulf. The wind was whipping and the ranger was just pulling down the yellow flag and raising the red flag indicating dangerous conditions. The waves were crashing on shore and it was fun to watch. Then we finished up riding with Ron and Nancy from Wisconsin back thru the park and to the condo.
Today's route may be found here:
http://g.co/maps/tf8tp |
| Weather Conditions: Warm upper 70s and partly cloudy. Winds out of the SE at 15-20 mph. |
3/21/2012
(Wed)
|
30.95 |
35.86 |
02:36:24 |
11.87 |
Road: Hills |
Rans Screamer
Rd Bent Tandem |
'BentRider Recumbent Club |
Comments: Ride to Florida State Parks. Mar and I left at 8am to ride to Cobalt for the breakfast buffet. We waited for the group at the bottom of the bridge only to find out they went by 20 minutes before. We took off into the considerable wind and rode until we met up with them at the entrance to Johnson State Park. Then we all proceeded to Grande Lagoon State Park where we spotted osprey on their nests and walked a few boardwalks along the lagoon. Then back over the bridge to Oyster Bay restaurant for lunch where the service was slow but food was good. Then back home with the strong tailwind. We flew back at high speed taking a fraction of the time we took going the other way.
Our route for today may be found here:
http://g.co/maps/t35ub |
| Weather Conditions: Low 70s mostly to partly cloudy with strong winds at 15-20 mph out of the ESE. |
3/22/2012
(Thu)
|
37.73 |
20.00 |
03:13:15 |
11.71 |
Road: Flat |
Rans Screamer
Rd Bent Tandem |
'BentRider Recumbent Club |
| Comments: Orange Beach Breakfast and Neighborhood Ride. Our planned ride to Dauphine Island was cancelled today due to the ferry being down. We also have storms moving in from the west so we decided to use the few good weather hours this morning for a ride to breakfast at Duck's Cafe on Canal Rd. Kathi, Mar and I headed out about 7:30am and found the brightly colored building just off a golf course. We were seated right away and were treated to a great breakfast with super nice service. The waitress asked about our bikes and it turns out she saw us riding this morning while she was driving to work. Then on to the trail through the sports complex to meet with Allen, Michelle, Deb and Dennis. We rode around the trails seeing both the adult and baby alligators again today. Then Deb suggested we tour the neighborhoods across from the park entrance and we did. There we met up with John and Joan who showed us what they claimed was Brett Favre's house. The road ended at a marina where we spotted dolphins frolicking in the water. Then back to the trail to finish off some miles before the rains hit. We stopped along the campgrounds at the nature center which we toured. There we saw little baby alligators, lots of snakes, turtles and frogs on display. The ranger tried to get us to stay at the campgrounds for our next trip. Then back to route 161 and Perdido Rd past WalMart to the Surf Style souvenir shop for tee shirts and magnets. Then back to the condos beating the rain. |
| Weather Conditions: mid 70s and mostly cloudy with winds out of the SE at 15-20 mph. |
3/23/2012
(Fri)
|
15.60 |
18.10 |
01:15:31 |
12.39 |
Road: Flat |
Rans Screamer
Rd Bent Tandem |
'BentRider Recumbent Club |
Comments: Dolphins and Fox on our Sunrise Ride. We got up and took off for breakfast at Tacky Jack's at 7am. We were greeted with a beautiful sunrise over the bayou as we rode past. Then through the neighborhoods to Tacky Jack's where we ate breakfast our on the deck overlooking Cotton Bayou. While eating my pancake I looked up and saw a pair of dolphins swimming back towards the condos. Lots of pelicans, cormorants, and herons were seen as well. After breakfast we headed toward the marina. As we approached it we saw a reddish orange canine like animal crossing in front of us. It was a fox! He went into the brush and I saw a bit of him there again when we came back the same way a few minutes later. We new we were racing an approaching storm but we figured we still had enough time to head into the Backcountry Trail for a quick few more miles. We went out Rosedune trail and over to Perdido Rd and then raced back with the skies darkening as we watched. We got back to the condo and put the bike in the van as we heard a loud thunderclap. Home just in time!
Our route today may be found here:
http://g.co/maps/cpsry |
| Weather Conditions: Low 70s and cloudy with light winds out of the South. |
3/25/2012
(Sun)
|
39.14 |
44.00 |
03:11:24 |
12.27 |
Road: Hills |
Rans Screamer
Rd Bent Tandem |
'BentRider Recumbent Club |
Comments: Ride the Natchez Parkway in Nashville. We arrived in Nashville last night on our return trip from Alabama. We really wanted to leave enough time to check out the Natchez Trace Parkway so we ate at the famous Loveless Cafe for dinner last night which is right at the northern terminus of the road. This morning we got up early and drove back to the Parkway from our hotel in Franklin, Tennessee. We parked in the Loveless parking lot where we chatted with a few other bikers getting ready to ride at about 8:30am. We jumped on Highway 100 where we found the on ramp to the start of the Trace Parkway and we were on our way. We climbed for about a mile and a half then down to the amazing two arched bridge spanning highway 96. Then we rolled along this two lane road through mostly remote and forested areas. The roadsides were lined with flowering dogwoods and redbud trees along with flowering clover on this gorgeous spring day. We spotted 10-15 wild turkey and heard woodpeckers, cardinals, and many other birds in the trees. We found ourselves climbing often and then screaming downhill at speeds up to 44 mph. That downhill blew my helmet to the back of my head and Mar had to push it back on. There were a couple of historic sites we stopped at including an ridge where the actual original trace or trail crosses the parkway. We hit our turn around point at the Tennessee Divide historic overlook where half the rivers flow south and the other half north from this spot. We were treated to astounding views of valleys and hillsides. We had very little traffic and no trucks are allowed on the parkway. We really saw more bicycles than cars on our trip. Most folks were friendly and waved at us as we passed. We returned to the Loveless Cafe parking lot just after noon where we cleaned up and jumped in the van for our 7 hour return trip to Columbus.
Our Google Maps route may be found here:
http://g.co/maps/cpa5k |
| Weather Conditions: Upper 50s and partly cloudy to start. Warming to the low 60s with light winds out of the north. |
3/29/2012
(Thu)
|
35.25 |
27.59 |
02:35:54 |
13.57 |
Road: Flat |
Easy Racers Gold Rush Replica
LWB Bent |
'BentRider Recumbent Club |
| Comments: Rode my Goldrush to meet Phil at his house at about 9am. We headed east to Millersport enjoying the nice weather and spring flowers. Everything has bloomed 3-4 weeks ahead of usual. Dogwoods, Redbuds, and Bradford Pears all in full bloom. We stopped at the gas station in Millersport for a snack break and Phil had us check out a meat shop he heard of just around the corner called Bower and Sons Meats. They gave us a price list and asked us to come back. Then back along Stemen and home. |
| Weather Conditions: Cool upper 40's with clear skies. Light winds. |
| March Rides |
Distance (miles) |
Max Speed (mph) |
Ride Time (hh:mm:ss) |
Average Speed (mph) |
Ride Type |
Bike |
Club Affiliation |
| 10 |
330.50 |
44.00 |
26:50:46 |
12.33 |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
| YTD Rides |
Distance (miles) |
Max Speed (mph) |
Ride Time (hh:mm:ss) |
Average Speed (mph) |
Ride Type |
Bike |
Club Affiliation |
| 111 |
4,834.98 |
44.00 |
365:26:13 |
13.16 |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
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