Blog Layout, Content, and Such

I've been "enhancing" the contents and layout of this blog in recent months.  Enhancements include:

• adding "Pages" for "Route Maps" and "Cycling Tips" and "Abbreviations", and 
• there was a page with a link to the P-B-P progress stats when that seemed appropriate.  
• adding the "Search This Blog" function; 
• changing the idea behind "A Favorite Photo" to "Photo of the Month", with a link (via clicking on the photo) to the story from which the photo came; 
• adding the "Some Popular Posts" gadget to keep Robert's very well written P-B-P story visible; 
• discovering a use for the "Labels" one can attach to each post, and 
• adding the "Label Cloud" gadget so that one could find all the posts on the same / similar subject, 
• click on "IvaHawk" to get a special compilation of all posts by Iva -- including the posts he wrote as a "guest blogger" before becoming an "irregular" contributor, 
• click on "Range Road" to get a compilation of all posts about rides on the "Range Road Rover" route, 
• click on "Triple-L" for a compilation of all posts about the rando Permanent L-L-L, 
• you get the idea; 
• adding "Some Links" and "Some Blogs" gadgets so that this blog would serve as a "bridge" to some other blogs and to some websites, 
• I used to rely on "Research Trailer Park" for most cycling bridges, but Andy's "RUSA Blogs" blog eliminated the need for some of that, and
• during P-B-P, I learned that the various list-serves had "information" on a particular newsworthy event, so I added the links to some of the rando list-serves, 
• that seems to have been more useful than annoying so far; 
• adding the "Pageviews" gadget months and months ago so I'd have an idea of how many readers there were and from whence they came, and
• also to help convince some skeptical Irregulars that the blog has more rando readers than Irregular readers (probably get more "automated trolling robot" hits than real hits), and
• adding the "Cluster Map" to again show some skeptics that the readership was not just local, but at least country-wide and sometimes international; 
• changing the color-scheme to one I like. 

That about sums it up. 

The blog seems more useful than before.
  

I am glad that I decided to make the enhancements ... for several reasons.

But this week, there was added a new and unexpected reason: 

MikeD decided to go to the new "Magazine" format for "Research Trailer Park". 

I've scouted around over there since the change ... intriguing. 

Also, being a linear thinking-type, somewhat confusing at first. 

But I continued to scout around enough to conclude that the "Magazine" format is probably a good thing for a blog with a lot of photographs -- photos are what seem to drive the "Magazine" format.
"RTP" has lots of photos.

I did notice that all Mike's links to other blogs and cycling stuff seem to have disappeared.  I don't know if he eliminated them, or if the links did not "translate" into the Magazine format.  Either way, I'm glad I built some of my own bridges on this blog.

If you haven't seen "Research Trailer Park" in the last week, I encourage you to go visit it ... be prepared to be momentarily shocked ... until things start to settle in your brain.

As for this blog ... I don't do many photos, I don't want to lose the links to the route maps, I just figured out a useful thing for labels and spent some time making the label-feature useful ... so I figure to stick with this traditional format ... for quite a while.

See you on the road ... 

Oct-30: Irregular, Indeed - Addendum

Early in the Oct-30 ride, Snapper + I were discussing, among other things, his first "irregulars" ride. 
I mentioned that I was pretty sure I could figure out when it was ... 
By looking at my Excel ride-log. 
Harvey was incredulous. 

I'm pretty sure I hadn't even thought of "irregular" at the time. 
I'm pretty sure I first used "irregular" when talking to MikeR 
Who leads the Bike Marshals at the New Bern MS-150 
When he asked with whom I usually rode;  
Probably late in 2007. 

My recollection is that I answered: 
"Just a few guys that show up occasionally; maybe one could say they are 'irregular'." 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Anyway ... Harvey's first "irregulars" ride: 

2007-Apr-14   PUE: Creedmoor-Dove Rd lake loop   w/ Frank, Sean, Harvey   42.3-m   2h36  16.2 mph 

I recall that we were intending the same route we did on this Oct-30, but Sean or Harvey had a mechanical and someone had a firm back-end time limit ... so we shorted the route by taking Dove Rd..  

Harvey is the only one, other than me, still riding "Irregularly". 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Never doubt a man with an Excel ride log.

Oct-30: Irregular, Indeed

Irregulars rides are on Saturdays (holiday exceptions, of course).
This was a Sunday.
A couple years ago, I might have noted today's ride as an "LT group" ride
Instead of an Irregulars ride.

What are "LT group" rides?
Essentially unannounced rides by me and one or two other Irregulars,
Usually on a Sunday.

As for why the segmentation -- I'll answer if anyone leaves a comment asking.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Snapper and Ags had indicated they were going to ride at 10 (or 9).
Lee wanted to wait a little for temps to warm a bit.
Capt. LT wanted to ride after Church.
LT suggested Noon.

In the end, six of us signed on for Noon:
LT, Lee, Snapper, Ags, Smitty, me.

There we were ... ready to roll ... but no one had picked a course.
We wanted to ride for about 3 hours.
We picked an Irregulars oldie-but-a-goodie:
No one No one had done that ride in quite some time.
Well ... not exactly.
Turned out that Lee had dragged LT through the course -- reversed -- 7 days earlier.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Some of us are bit off our best shape.
Others are in excellent shape.  Snapper and Lee and Ags come to mind on that score.

Some of us couldn't get our leg muscles to "warm-up".
The ride wasn't long enough.
That is my story, and I'm sticking to it.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I kenna' sprint no more.

I tried to catch Smitty and LT napping at the CL on Cheek Rd.
Smitty was unfortunately watching his mirror, and
LT was beside me, AND
When I looked to check what gear I was in ... wrong flippin' gear.
I had a "go" anyway.
I was pathetic -- canNOT quickly accelerate when in too big a gear!
LT bested Smitty.

At least the causeway across the lake was a multi-colored avenue of trees.
Very nice.
And the lake surface was mostly calm.
Also very nice.

On Old Stool Tree Rd, Lt. Dave was slowly ratcheting up the pace,
Obviously inviting another sprint as we went into Granville County.
I obliged, or pretended to ... but it seems I kenna' sprint no more.
Smitty came from nowhere to at least make it a contest.
LT bested him again.

On Bruce Garner Rd, I decided to have a go at the Wake County Line.
Also, I knew that if I "sprinted" for the CL,
The others would pick up their pace,
And feel empowered (if they weren't already) to travel New Light at near-warp-speed.
That, too, is my story, and I'm sticking to it.

I thought I had caught them all napping,
Or no longer interested in county lines.
But Smitty caught me and claimed the last green prize of the day.

Then Snapper ignited his engine ...
And, for a bit, the other five were together, dropping me.
I couldn't bridge, so eased off to a pace I knew I could have held for another 50 miles.

Then Smitty slipped off the back.
The result of not enough cycling,
Too much time on his feet late at night earlier in the week,
And legs punishing him for those CL sprints.

I never saw it, but Smitty told me,
And Ags confirmed it,
Pretty soon Ags slipped off the back.

Leaving only a three-man train.
Lee and Lt. Dave held on until Snapper sat-up just before the turn on to Ghoston Rd.
LT told me (after the ride) that at one point he was hanging on to Snapper, doing 35 mph.
I didn't see Lee after the ride.
Snapper told me that when he sat up, he looked back expecting to see Ags,
But it was Lee on his wheel.

Lee can make a bike go when he is in shape and motivated for some fun.

All-in-all, a great day for a bike ride.
We finished the 47-mile "course proper" just before or after 3 pm,
Before or after depended on who you were and if you had to back-off the pace at the end.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Oct-30:  ---> PUE:  Creedmoor-Grissom Loop --->; 56.7 m.; 3h,34m in-motion; 15.9 mph.  

Q-1 tot: _23 rides; 1822.2 m.; 123 h, 05 m; 14.8 mph.
Q-2 tot: _30 rides; 2604.9 m.; 174 h, 22 m; 14.9 mph.
Q-3 tot: _29 rides; 2479.2 m.; 161 h, 05 m; 15.2 mph. 
Oct tot: _10 rides; _924.0 m.; _61 h, 54 m; 14.9 mph. 
YTD tot: _92 rides; 7830.3 m.; 522 h, 28 m; 15.0 mph. 

As a small point-of-interest on the side:  today, I rolled past 29 thousand miles on my Trek Pilot 5.0 frame AND rolled past 24 thousand miles on my saddle. 

As I told Snapper early in the ride, I recently did something that made my saddle seem a lot more comfortable ... I lost 50 pounds.  ;-) 

Potpourri

It is a rainy, chilly (this early in the season, it feels cold) day in central North Carolina.  At least we are not getting any of the SNOW that the northeastern US is likely to receive today + tomorrow.

One buddy wondered what I'd do today since it is NOT a day for cycling ... maybe this afternoon one could sneak in a ride.  Just for him ... here is something for the day:

Two Excellent Cycling Companions

Each smiles a lot.
Each is "rando crazy" in their own way.

One rides a straight line, does NOT surge nor swerve nor brake suddenly, points out all hazards, tells jokes, laughs at your jokes, has an infectious laugh, but is known for "reverse-dumping" cycling partners near the end of a ride.
The other grabs the wheel of anyone drifting off the front, effusively greets friends and strangers alike, tells jokes, laughs at your jokes, has an infectious laugh, and has been known to "reverse-dump" others near the end of a ride.

One will be looking to R-32 and P-?? in November; the other recently had quite an adventure in France.
One is looking for 6000 RUSA kms this year; the other will likely get 4100+ RUSA kms.

One may have taken "fake rando smile" lessons from "sag";
the other met "sag" only moments before this photo was taken.

(Thanks to "sag" for the photo.) 

Two Brothers, One Phrase with Two Inflections

During Alan's 600 brevet back in May, the subject of the Kerr Lake Loop Permanent came up (don't ask me how), I don't recall the other participants in the conversation, but I asked him/her/them if they had done KLL since Mike had added 'Stovall Mountain'."  A milli-second later, RobD / "Brother Rob" / "Rico Rob" forcefully interjected:  "You mean:  YOU added the moutain!"  It was definitely an accusation.

In late September, MikeH and I arrived at MikeD's (each via bicycle, btw) to exchange some paperwork with MikeD regarding the Showdown in Black Creek Permanent.  Conversation drifted among several subjects including KLL.  One of MikeD's comments included the phrase "after you added the mountain".  I thought, but did not say, "at least that was a conversational tone and not the accusatory one that Rob used."  (obviously, the link in this paragraph is for gratuitous purposes only)


The Ride I'd Like to Be Doing Today

But I'd like to continue "north" past Denny's Store Road up to Polk Huff Rd to Walnut Grove Rd to Goshen and Ben Thorpe roads, and then back on course on Old Roxboro Rd.  Getting to and back from the north-end of the route ought to be good leaf viewing; I know Denny's Store can present nice vistas, but I've never ridden Polk Huff / Walnut Grove nor Ben Thorpe.  The alternative Polk Huff route would likely be good leaf viewing and could present some vistas ... and would be "new roads" ... if only for a few miles.  (Click on the "Bigger Map" link near the bottom of embedded Trimble Map to get, uh, a bigger map, which may allow one to better understand the course-routing discussed above.)

One problem with the route is that it is 80+ miles long ... kitchen-passes for some Irregulars likely wouldn't allow for such a long ride.  (There are short-cut routes that would enable long-routers and short-cutters to start together.)

[Edit, Jan-24-2014:  The above route was eventually morphed into the rando perm-pop 'Denny's Store Sortie,' a 138-km ride great for getting in a few extra RUSA kilometers towards a RUSA or Lone Star distance goal.] 

Oct-26: 3 Mounts + 1 Mtn, Times Two, 204 km Perm

Mount Bethel.  With home church of Washington Duke.
Mount Tabor.  With grave of NC Governor Umstead.
Red Mountain.  I don't have an historical reference.
Mount Tirzah.  See "bullcitybiker" comment below for an historical reference.

Me and My Shadow visited all four places today.  Twice.

Me and my shadow Rolling down the scenic byway Oh, me and my shadow Not a soul to tell our troubles to And when it's twelve o'clock we climb the stairs Onto Leasburg Grocery's floor Just me, 'cause my shadow 
Left me all alone at the door


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hollow Ridge Grocery (Mt. Tirzah) is brewing up some Brunswick Stew this Saturday.
And doing another cookout, likely the second Saturday in November.
And every second or third Saturday after that, until ...

Bonnie, the clerk in Leasburg,
Asked about the "old guy with glasses".
Turned out she meant Ricochet Robert.
Bonnie indicated she kind of misses his visits.
She's working the first and second Saturdays of November.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
In case you haven't quite figured it out ...
The route I did today is usually referred to as Leesville-Leasburg-Leesville.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oct-26:  Leesville-Leasburg-Leesville 204 km Permanent; 127.1 m.; 8h,31m in-motion; 14.9 mph; rando elapsed clock time:  10h30 ("ambassadorial" time in Mt. Tirzah (twice) and Leasburg).  

Q-1 tot: _23 rides; 1822.2 m.; 123 h, 05 m; 14.8 mph.
Q-2 tot: _30 rides; 2604.9 m.; 174 h, 22 m; 14.9 mph.
Q-3 tot: _29 rides; 2479.2 m.; 161 h, 05 m; 15.2 mph. 
Oct tot: __9 rides; _867.3 m.; _58 h, 20 m; 14.9 mph. 
YTD tot: _91 rides; 7773.6 m.; 518 h, 53 m; 15.0 mph. 

Also, after today's ride, my Eddington Cycling Number is 80.
Meaning, I now have at least 80 rides that were at least 80 miles long.
I need two more rides that are at least 81 miles to get to  E  =  81.  
----------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Career statistics through the end of: 
 year _rides ___miles _mi./r __long _ E 
 2004 ___38 __1,176.2 __31.0 __53.4 __26 
 2005 ___75 __2,441.7 __32.6 __75.6 __33 
 2006 __133 __4,926.6 __37.0 __75.6 __42 
 2007 __212 __8,457.1 __39.9 _109.0 __49 
 2008 __294 _12,222.4 __41.6 _109.0 __54
 2009 __420 _18,439.1 __43.9 _126.3 __63 
 2010 __532 _25,998.6 __48.9 _300.3 __71 
 2011 __623 _33,772.2 __54.2 _377.2 __80 

Oct-23: No Llamas 208 km Permanent

It wasn't the most inviting invitation ever:

"Just to be clear ... I'm riding KLL (assuming approval), at my pace ... regardless of what others do."

But ... I was going to do Kerr Lake Loop regardless of what anyone else wanted to do.
That only makes sense if one understands what happened a month previously
When ChrisW put out an invite to ride Showdown in/at Black Creek.
Next thing Chris knew ... he was doing Kerr Lake Loop with fourteen others,
Because they sorta' hijacked his ride / invite / whatever.
I think Chris didn't mind.

However, I knew I was doing Black Creek on Thursday, er, Friday,
And once-in-a-row within two-and-a-half days is enough for that flat course.

Amazingly, several others were not put-off by the pedantic "invite":

JohnM, however, was put-off by a lingering cold.
Too bad ... I've never ridden with John, and as far as I know, never spoken with him, either.

Mary and Tom F signed on.
But Tom decided to stay in a hotel room and study for upcoming boards rather than ride.

Smiley-Bryan signed on.

[Now, as I think about it, not only was I overpowered by the speed of Mary and Smiley, 
But I was also likely overmatched by the fitness and staying power of each. 
Each of them had completed the Taste of Carolina 1200 over Labor Day, 
And Mary had added an additional 1000 km brevet only two weeks before. 
Oh, and Mary set a RAAM record this year, 
With her teammate (name escapes) ... 
Mary and ___ set a record for Female Each-Over-60 Team RAAM passage this year. 
Hmmn ... maybe Mary was a bit tired.

We rode the entire ride together. 

I hope it wasn't too boring for Mary and Smiley]


Anyway ...

Chilly morning.
Not much of a breeze.
Thankfully, Smiley and Mary humored me, allowing me about 18 miles at 13.6 mph
To warm up my legs.
After that ... we all rode a lot better.
At least that is my story, and I'm sticking to it.
Warmer in the afternoon.
Still not much of a breeze -- thank goodness!

Revolving two-some conversations most of the day.
Sometimes it was a three-some conversation,
But most of the time, two were in conversation, ahead or behind the third.
[Actually, I wonder if Mary thought it was mostly a double-team on her, 
With Smiley and me taking turns talking to her.] 

Luckily, everyone had sufficient stories to pass the day, amusing or informing the others.
Mary also expressed delight in not being dragged along at a pace where her tongue was hanging out.

Several dogs on the route today.
But some still seem to hibernating from the heat,
Not quite realizing that Summer is over.

We saw no llamas in any fields today.
Was thinking we might see them ... now that Summer is over.

Nearly a perfect day on the bike and on Kerr Lake Loop.
However, I am still confused by Smiley needing to stop at that store in Warren County,
Supposedly because he didn't have enough "snacks" in his pockets to keep riding,
Or because he wanted something other than the "snacks" he had in his pockets.
He had that huge handlebar bag ... could have filled that with a
Yehuda Moon-like feast of various foods.
Fast guys!?  :-o
And, because Smiley says his is not a "fast-guy":  Nearly-fast guys!?  :-o

One benefit from Smiley's "snack-problem":
I finally had an excuse to stop at that country store and check it out.
For the Irregulars that may read this:
Think Hollow Ridge Grocery atop Mt. Tirzah,
Think Bobbitt Store.
Only ... MORE-so.  Bigger.  More dilapidated (for lack of an alternative word).

Thanks to Mary and Bryan for making it a great day around Kerr Lake!!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oct-23:  Kerr Lake Loop 208 km Permanent; 131.1 m.; 8h,32m in-motion; 15.3 mph; rando elapsed clock time:  10h23 thoroughly enjoyable hours/minutes.  

Q-1 tot: _23 rides; 1822.2 m.; 123 h, 05 m; 14.8 mph.
Q-2 tot: _30 rides; 2604.9 m.; 174 h, 22 m; 14.9 mph.
Q-3 tot: _29 rides; 2479.2 m.; 161 h, 05 m; 15.2 mph. 
Oct tot: __8 rides; _740.2 m.; _49 h, 49 m; 14.9 mph. 
YTD tot: _90 rides; 7646.5 m.; 510 h, 22 m; 15.0 mph. 

Oct 22 -- The Albino Deer Incident

A good group of the Irregulars gathered Saturday morning at our usual PUE meeting spot for an 8:00 AM kickoff. Present were Martin, Gary, Wendy, RedRocket, JohnD, BobH, IvaHawk, Rando superman RRtRR. No Smitty.

Off we went down New Light. As we passed Ghoston, there was Smitty parked on the side of the road getting his bike ready. I later learned he had trouble getting up after working to the wee hours at his second job.

The day started chilly, but warmed as the hours went by to a comfortable, nearly perfect day for riding.

BobH continued his recent high speed pulls atop his new Scattante.

RRtRR is completely recovered from his PBP ordeal/adventure and is now enjoying the fruits of his superior conditioning that PBP required.

Smitty has not been riding much, he says. But, I learned that he’s ridden twice in the Rockies and once in Hawaii. So he has not been idle.

Martin has passed some 7,500 miles for the year and did three 200Ks as of Saturday earlier in the week. As I write this on Monday, I see he has done another 200K on Sunday.

JohnD just completed 493 miles in seven days in Cycle Carolina on a tandem with his wife.

I don’t know of anything specific for the rest of us. But, RedRocket, Gary, and especially Wendy must have been riding a lot themselves because they were flying.

Coming back on Bruce Garner/ New Light was a lot of fun. BobH got a good head start. We could see him far ahead. The peleton organized into a tight pace line, and we put Gary at the front. BobH was making good time, but the peleton was clipping along at 27 mph – too much even for a rider of BobH’s caliber. But, even after he was caught, he didn’t give up, surging ahead on yet another break away before Team Gary caught him once again. Never has such courage been displayed on a bike.

When we got to Ghoston, BobH went straight while we turned. Apparently, he wanted no more of what we had been dishing out. Or, maybe, he was just headed homeward.

On Ghoston just before Four Wheel Drive, a herd of deer came out followed by a snow white young deer. The Irregulars on this ride had never seen such a thing. Our attention focused on this sight rather than what we were doing, especially mine. You can be on a bike for hours and hours and something can happen in a split second. I saw a flash of jersey just in front of me, a quick turn of the handle bars and down I go before I knew it right in front of JohnD who couldn’t stop in time and literally ran over me with his front wheel. Fortunately, no one, especially me, was hurt badly. I have a couple of strawberries and a minor sprain on my wrist. It’s not bad but did cause me not to play golf on Sunday.

I tend to have my head down on hard climbs. I should have been “heads up” paying attention.

But, apart from that, it was a fun day on the bike, beautiful weather, good companionship as usual, and great route.