letsbike
Well-Known Member
What?! No pictures of that?
Where did you ride your Cannondale today?
- Thread starter IdahoBrett
- Start date
Interesting bit of history but the reference to the IL River is confusing as it's over 300 miles away from the battlefield.
I should try to get a picture of a Cannondale with the local Civil War cannon. Long supposed to have been captured at the battle of Belmont Missouri, for years the barrel was mounted on a concrete base with a brass plaque describing the capture. It's since been restored on a period carriage.
I should try to get a picture of a Cannondale with the local Civil War cannon. Long supposed to have been captured at the battle of Belmont Missouri, for years the barrel was mounted on a concrete base with a brass plaque describing the capture. It's since been restored on a period carriage.
letsbike
Well-Known Member
Thanks for that. I'd never heard of the others and didn't think to look.
Where are you headed?
IdahoBrett
Well-Known Member
I took a boring in front of the garage photo of the R500 immediately after today’s ride. Yes, my “smart” phone rides with me, but I find it difficult to stop during a ride.
Today was the third ride of the week. No thanks to wildfire smoke creating unhealthy air since mid July I haven’t ridden more than twice in the same week let alone three times. A bit of my fitness level has dropped off, much to my dismay.
In the middle of today’s ride is a hill. A hill that I’ve been testing my fitness level on for just about twenty years now. I used to run up it, now I pedal. It ain’t big or long for that matter. About 3/4 of a mile and about a 4% grade. Ten months ago I would crest that hill at 4 m.p.h., sucking in deep ragged breaths and my legs burned in agony. Before the smoke in July I was cresting at 12 m.p.h. and feeling I could’ve went harder. Today I crested at 9 m.p.h. Best of the week.
What I like most about riding my Cannondale is if I push myself hard enough the world around me takes a pause. Only the casual glance at the vintage Cateye to ensure my pedal tempo is giving me a speed I desire. The thrum of my heartbeat, my breathing, my legs cycling those pedals round and round. The only thing I’m keenly aware of is what I focus my vision on: the road ahead.
As I finished today’s ride and leaned the R500 against the garage, the thought of the older gentleman I bought the bike from a year ago came to mind. I took a photo and sent it. I’ve done it before. He thanked me again for an update. I know he misses the bike. I knew he would when I loaded it up in the back of my truck. The look in his eyes said so. So even though it’s a boring photo, there was a lot of emotion and thought behind it.
Today was the third ride of the week. No thanks to wildfire smoke creating unhealthy air since mid July I haven’t ridden more than twice in the same week let alone three times. A bit of my fitness level has dropped off, much to my dismay.
In the middle of today’s ride is a hill. A hill that I’ve been testing my fitness level on for just about twenty years now. I used to run up it, now I pedal. It ain’t big or long for that matter. About 3/4 of a mile and about a 4% grade. Ten months ago I would crest that hill at 4 m.p.h., sucking in deep ragged breaths and my legs burned in agony. Before the smoke in July I was cresting at 12 m.p.h. and feeling I could’ve went harder. Today I crested at 9 m.p.h. Best of the week.
What I like most about riding my Cannondale is if I push myself hard enough the world around me takes a pause. Only the casual glance at the vintage Cateye to ensure my pedal tempo is giving me a speed I desire. The thrum of my heartbeat, my breathing, my legs cycling those pedals round and round. The only thing I’m keenly aware of is what I focus my vision on: the road ahead.
As I finished today’s ride and leaned the R500 against the garage, the thought of the older gentleman I bought the bike from a year ago came to mind. I took a photo and sent it. I’ve done it before. He thanked me again for an update. I know he misses the bike. I knew he would when I loaded it up in the back of my truck. The look in his eyes said so. So even though it’s a boring photo, there was a lot of emotion and thought behind it.
letsbike
Well-Known Member
The feelings you experience from riding a bicycle are much more important than what components are bolted to the frame. The hill you described sounds just like the hill I climb to get home. Thanks so much for sharing the story.
(What year is that bike? You never put it in the showcase.)
IdahoBrett
Well-Known Member
2004. All I’ve done is service the hubs and clean and lube the chain/freewheel. It was “minty” when I picked it up. Well taken care of. I do need to do a gallery photoshoot….
IdahoBrett
Well-Known Member
About darn time!
letsbike
Well-Known Member
We are leaving early next week and keeping it rather close to home since my time is limited. We'll start out riding the Trans Am Bicycle Route west through SE Kansas, then turn north through the Flint Hills and the Tallgrass Prairie National Persevere. At a point we will turn east then south to close the loop, riding the rest of the tour, which is half the total mileage, entirely on unpaved rails-to-trails; for a total of approximately 400 miles. The weather looks to be very cooperative, and my fingers are crossed that it stays that way. There are a few points of interest that I will wait to show you in photos later. As for now it's packing time, and the anticipation of a much slower pace.
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Cool in the mornings? Looks like fog coming off the water.
Just a short commute on the XS800 today to retrieve a tractor and a couple of wagons full of corn. Neighbor has made this dairy cow out of round hay bales. Scale probably doesn't come across in the photo but the hay probably equals the weight of two or three cows. Sadly the last dairy farm in my county went out of business two years ago.
JohnnyD
Well-Known Member
I love it when someone does something random like this that just makes you smile.
letsbike
Well-Known Member
Pulling out of Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, with our only day of tailwinds on this tour (35 mph gusts).93 degree high temperature today.
Grass on the "Tallgrass Prairie" sure is tall.
Grass on the "Tallgrass Prairie" sure is tall.
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