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joy2give2u -> RE: Bicycling....adventures, experiences, favorite rides etc (6/5/2007 1:46:20 PM)

42servehymn.....every time I read one of your post and see your dog I smile and laugh.....his pose is just too cute.



bcipam -> RE: Bicycling....adventures, experiences, favorite rides etc (6/5/2007 1:53:54 PM)

Re Glow Worms:

I found out they aren't worms at all but the larvae of a firefly. They are actually quite ugly looking and I can't believe I was touching them. Here's some information:

Larvae and females are found in leaf litter, under logs, beneath bark and other objects on the ground; larvae feed on soft-bodied insects and other small organisms; may reach 65 mm.

Lightning beetles are in a different, but related, family called the Phengodidae, and it is not the adult-looking beetles that actually light up, but the larvae and the females. In both groups of beetles the adults are very soft bodied, not like many of the beetles you might find crawling around your garden that have very hard wing covers that provide them with protection. Because of this soft body the fireflies and lightning beetles could be more vulnerable to being eaten by predators, such as frogs or birds, so they evolved a protection in the form of nasty tasting body juices. Predators come to realize they taste bad and learn to leave them alone, recognizing these beetles by their gaudy colors.

There are some species of fire flies in which the female remains in the form of the larva, or worm, even as the adult beetle. With Lightning Beetles all the females stay in the larva shape, a phenomenon referred to as "larviform", and these larvae and the female are called "Glow Worms". Even in this shape she still can breed and produce offspring. For those of you who have personal memories from the 1950's you might remember a popular song with the line "Glow little glow worm, shimmer, shimmer....". If you ever find one of these individuals in an old, rotten log or under a board on the ground, put it in a jar and take it into a very dark room, and you will observe the dull blue glow coming from the rings around her body that are yellow in the light.
* * *

Can't wait to go back out on a moonlight walk and check for these things again!



John_O -> RE: Bicycling....adventures, experiences, favorite rides etc (6/5/2007 2:22:59 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: bcipam
I sortof felt sorry for the Dad. He was obviously a strong rider but his boys, well maybe they just spend too much time indoors with the GameBoys. Neither liked being outdoors much at all. So sad!


Kids should not have video games until they are out of college.



bcipam -> RE: Bicycling....adventures, experiences, favorite rides etc (6/5/2007 4:02:40 PM)

Lordy John... don't get me started with that debate!!!! I can go on and on about how today's kid lack imagination and drive because everything is given to them. They no longer have to be inventive when their games are so inventive for them. I see so many young kids who rather sit indoors and play video games then explore outside and hunt for spiders. It is the rare child I run across who has the drive, determination and imagination to see the outdoors for what it is. Personally I would not alllow kids to watch TV, use the computer for anything other than school work and defnitely no video games.

But then again, I'm an old codger!!!! [:@]



Favored4Life -> RE: Bicycling....adventures, experiences, favorite rides etc (6/5/2007 5:46:43 PM)

We do have video games but my husband bought them for himself. There is one game that the kids love to play SX Tricky, but I only let them play once a week if that. Currently we are about to venture into the world of wheels..................rollerskates. My girls are 5 and 6(almost 7) and would much rather be outside. I'm trying to search online for inline skates for myself...........and pray that they aren't that different from the good old rollerskates I grew up with. Funny thing is when I showed my daughters the pictures of the inline skates.........they didn't like them.........too bulky. They both want roller skates.



bcipam -> RE: Bicycling....adventures, experiences, favorite rides etc (6/5/2007 7:04:18 PM)

Inline skates are much different than roller skates. More akin to ice skates even hockey skates. The acton is a push off as opposed to a shuffle. Good exercise, great for the thighs. And good on ya for getting those girls outside and exercising!



42servehymn -> RE: Bicycling....adventures, experiences, favorite rides etc (6/5/2007 9:16:14 PM)

I am glad my dog makes you smile Joy. She has been with us for 14 years and I don't imagine we will have her too much longer but she has been a great dog. I see inline skaters on the bike path all the time and it looks like great fun. I have never had very good balance or coordination though so I don't think I would be very good at it. I am off to bike and meet my husband so we can bike home together after he gets off work!



42servehymn -> RE: Bicycling....adventures, experiences, favorite rides etc (6/6/2007 12:23:03 PM)

bcipam I had to respond to your comments in post 100. I was surprised at your attitude. I was over 40 when I started biking. The great thing about biking I think is that it is never too late to start. Certainly an out of shape 9 year old has to start somewhere. Because he has spent too much time indoors at this point in his life doen't mean he can't change things. Good for that dad for having the patience to try something outside of this boys comfort zone. He came within 1 mile of finishing the ride! Yay for him! I will tell you that I also whined alot when I first started out. But if you are out of shape and struggling to get in shape doing something is better than doing nothing! I have a neighbor whose children bought him a bike for his 70th birthday. He started riding 10 miles a day at 70 years old! He is 78 now and in great shape. He inspires me thats for sure!



John_O -> RE: Bicycling....adventures, experiences, favorite rides etc (6/6/2007 2:45:16 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: bcipam

Lordy John... don't get me started with that debate!!!!


It's not a debate. I agree with you entirely. The Girl has a couple games on the computer but she far prefers to be outside in her "forest"



bcipam -> RE: Bicycling....adventures, experiences, favorite rides etc (6/6/2007 4:38:32 PM)

Getting back to post 100.. I have alot of patience for these little ones. Out of 120 docent volunteers only 2 of us volunteer for family rides. I want kids to get out and enjoy nature. Dad in this case was overly optimistic. He left the 9 year old with another docent and me. That docent and I had to coax, and encourage the young boy as far as he went. I was up for pushing him alittle further to the turn around but he father came back, having gotten tired waiting for us, to turn him around.

I agree every one has to start somewhere but to start you have to have a better attitude. This young boy's attitude was bad. Just horrible. He wouldn't give it a chance. We tried to show him spiders, and other bugs, certain cool plants etc but he would have none of it. He was bored and didn't mind showing he was bored. In contrast, last year we had an 8 year old girl - Molly - who was riding her brother's bike. It was too big for her and she didn't know how to shift but we couldn't stop that girl. She was having a ball and not only did she make it up to the turnover she was willing and able to make it up alittle further to a natural spring that you first have to climb a steep hill. The difference between the girl and boy was not ability but attitude.

It's the attitude of kids now a days that worry me!!! I'm glad the father bought his little one out but he bought him out on the wrong ride or event (the ride states the riders must have prior experience and the ability to ride varied terrain - this was not a beginner ride and the area is definitely a mountain bike park). His son had no way to keep up with the others nor did he have the inclination. It was very sad.



42servehymn -> RE: Bicycling....adventures, experiences, favorite rides etc (6/8/2007 12:37:59 PM)

Our weather here has been very unpredictable lately making it difficult to bike. We have had wicked high winds. Also it seems like if it isn't actually raining there are big ugly rain filled dark clouds in the sky just waiting to dump a rainstorm on unsuspecting bicyclists. Last Saturday we biked to an outdoor concert at a local garden. It was a great ride there. Once we got there we discovered that the concert was actually the next night so we headed home. On the way it started raining then pouring and then hailing! We took cover under a bridge with about 5 other bikers. It passed in about 10 minutes and we had a lovely ride home! The other day I decided to bike to work despite the fact that there were very high winds. I figured at least the bike path would be empty. I was surprised though that there are alot of hard core riders here. The path had quite a few other riders. On my ride home a rather large bug of some sort blew directly into my eye. I actually heard a squish sound that I am not clear whether it was my eye, the bug or a combination of the two. YUCK!!! I had to stop quickly and fix my eye. Hubby and I were going to bike to an outdoor concert tonight but I gotta work. There are lots of outdoor concerts here in the summer so we will have other opportunities.



joy2give2u -> RE: Bicycling....adventures, experiences, favorite rides etc (6/12/2007 11:24:03 PM)

I had the strangest ride today. It was beautiful today so I was excited about going home to ride but as I was driving home from work I got a phone call with news of yet another door closing in our faces.......I got so mad at God.

He promised my daddy he would take care of us......and it just seems like ever time we think we see light the door is slammed shut leaving us confused and in dark as to which direction to take next.

By the time I got home my anger at the Lord had flamed into a roaring fire........I decided I needed to ride anyway so I got my bike and took off.......I rode so hard, harder then I think I have in a long time......

I didn't stop when my legs began to burn and pushed on pass when I thought I could not go on any longer........I was crying so hard I could barely see the road yet I rode........and rode.....and rode.

Some where in the state of exhaustion my anger left.....replace by a humbliness befor the Lord.....a decision to worship and serve him even if none of my prayers are answered........a decision to trust him period.........To love him without expectations.....and to walk in faith admist the darkness.

I stopped at a gas station to put air in my low back tire and gain strength for the much slower ride home........when a old friend I have not seen in a long time drove up........as she talked to me I could hear the voice of the Lord responding to many of the things I was anger at him about........I did not find answers or a clearer direction but I knew what God was saying to me.

I have to stop pushing myself to exhaustion trying to figure out how to solve all the problems and take care of everything for my family......I have to slow my pace and watch more clearly for those little moments of beauty and peace along the way........

My ride home I watched everything around......the beauty of the clouds, so white against the blue sky.........the weeds along the road whose blowing leaves were singing a peaceful song of praise to the Lord.........legs muscles complaining in pain reminding me what a blessing it is to have strong legs........the sun dancing on the road as it shines through the trees blowing in the wind........everything around me was alive and everything was functioning just as God designed it......just as God planned.......

I guess God needed to take me to exhaustion before he could get me to realize things are not in my control......they are in His.

Oh by the way I did make it home........sore legs and all [:D][:D]



42servehymn -> RE: Bicycling....adventures, experiences, favorite rides etc (6/13/2007 10:29:07 PM)

Good for you Joy for taking your frustrations out on your bike and ranting at God is still praying. I love both riding hard sometimes and feeling the burn and also sometimes riding slow and just taking in the awesome beauty all around me. I will pray for you.



joy2give2u -> RE: Bicycling....adventures, experiences, favorite rides etc (6/14/2007 1:44:09 PM)

Hey 42servehymn hi how are you........

Guess what? I am so excited. Last night I went for a long ride and had so much fun. God and I decided I am going to sign up for the Hilly Hundred as soon as I get paid friday for the ride this fall.

It is oct 12 .......hilly........which gives me plenty of time to get myself hill ready plus gives me a goal to work towards..spending the money and making reservations will force me to do it......I am so excited at pushing myself.

The last time I did the hilly was when I was in the best shape of my life before life situations changed who I was for a time.........now that I am becoming more me again what better way to start my future then with the hilly.

Plus that is about the time we will need to be selling or letting the house get forclosed on....so this gives me the motivation to go out and enjoy as much of my beloved country hill roads before I have to move to the big city and leave it all behind........

Anyone interested in doing the ride with me?



gtrdave -> RE: Bicycling....adventures, experiences, favorite rides etc (6/14/2007 2:24:41 PM)

I go out every Saturday AM with a bunch of guys (some Christians, some not) and we ride the "mountains" of the White Clay Creek State Park are of DE and PA.
I say "mountains" because, while we're riding on the dirt and there are some hills, they do not compare with my former SoCal home and it's Santa Monica, Santa Ynez, San Bernadino, Verdugo Hills, Agoura Hills and many other serious MOUNTAIN rides.
Still, there are plenty of fun and challenging rides out here in this corner of the north east U.S. and I hope to discover more over the next few years.



joy2give2u -> RE: Bicycling....adventures, experiences, favorite rides etc (6/14/2007 2:36:24 PM)

I remember when I rode bike across america that the mountains in the east where much harder then those in the west.........no switch backs so much steeper grades........man where they tough.

Indiana is great because though our hills are not mountains they can be fairly steep in grade.....so can be challenging....... the nice thing is they roll.........so if you get enough speed going down you can roll half way up the next........

oh that brings me to a funny story about my ride last night........there is one section which has the best hill around.......it is downhill with several bumps along the way which lead to the final down hill.....by the time you hit the last down hill you are flying.........

Yesterday I was going down the first small dip to climb the first bump when I heard this thrashing in the woods.......i thought it was a deer until a huge and i mean huge white and black dog came rushing out growling........there are no houses anywhere, with it all being woods and wets lands, I have no idea where he came from.........but I tell you one thing I have never climbed those hills as fast as I did yesterday and when i hit the last down hill I was going so fast I couldn't pedel anymore...........

At the bottom I looked back and saw the dog at the top of the last downhill.......laying in the road exhausted...........

Has anyone had experiences with dogs? What do you do to protect yourself from them?



RJR_fan -> RE: Bicycling....adventures, experiences, favorite rides etc (6/19/2007 3:48:10 AM)

quote:

The great thing about biking I think is that it is never too late to start.


Yep. I resumed biking at age 48, after a 28 year hiatus. A good friend and mentor said, "If you can ride one mile, you can ride ten miles. If you can ride ten miles, you can ride a hundred miles." Keith turned me on to "century rides," starting with the Firecracker 100 -- a 100 kilometer ride on the Fourth of July. I ran out of steam after 55 miles. Had to take the sag wagon the next year as well. Misread the directions and shaved a few miles off on the third attempt. Then, last year, I "went the distance," even though the last 13 miles were longer than the first 50. (the last 13 miles happened in the afternoon, and after biking 50 miles!)

I finished my second "English century" (100 mile ride) on May 5, a misty moisty and sometimes rainy day raising money for a fashionable cause. It was a "strange" ride -- the Metropolitan Community Church riders had the prettiest jerseys -- but my "contribution" was calibrated to barely cover the cost of the support, so my conscience was clear. Now my growing tee-shirt collection includes one that celebrates AIDS ...

I gained 10 lbs. at the start of June, and heartily regretted them last Saturday, as I pushed my over-50 overweight carcass over 50 miles for another sponsored ride, for a worthier cause. Oh, well. In another 15 days, maybe I can be in better shape for another Firecracker 100.

I've discovered that "interval training" takes less time and provides better stamina benefits than long leisurely cruises. Take laps around the block, and go at top speed on one of the long sides.



bcipam -> RE: Bicycling....adventures, experiences, favorite rides etc (6/19/2007 9:07:29 AM)

RJR - where in NC are you? I have a sister in Charlotte. When I come to visit I think about all those long country roads and how wonderful it would be to ride there and then someone comes flying by in a car at 80 mph and I think uh, maybe not.

All those roads out there and I hardly ever see cyclists. My last trip in February I saw about 6, most ever. Poor guys; they were riding through town and the cars had no idea what to do with them. All that new construction and building going on and no bike lanes. What's up with that?

I think about moving to NC to be closer to my sister and her kids all the time but I would hate to give up cycling, it's so much a part of me. I also mountain bike. Any good MTB areas nearby?



RJR_fan -> RE: Bicycling....adventures, experiences, favorite rides etc (6/19/2007 9:16:41 AM)

quote:

RJR - where in NC are you?


In the area of the Research Triangle Park (RTP). Charlotte seems to be growing a little faster than our area, but I've seen lots of woodland paved over since moving here in 2000. Still, I can be in a rural area in five minutes on my bike. This area is a hotbed of organized rides, with a robust cycling culture. We can bike 12 months out of the year, with perhaps a week off for snow. The mayor of Cary ("Containment Area for Relocated Yankees") is a fanatical cyclist who enjoys leading the annual Firecracker 100. Imagine nearly a thousand guys and gals in spandex hitting the road simultaneously, with cop cars protecting major intersections for their benefit ...

RTP is a piedmont kind of area, some rolling hills. I'll probably join the Tarwheels sometime soon.

quote:

I also mountain bike. Any good MTB areas nearby?


Yes, we have several MTB loops at local parks, such as Eno River, Umstead, and Crabtree Lake. These are maintained by an energetic coterie of devotees.

BTW -- my daughter and her husband live in San Jose -- he got hired by Adobe just a few months out of college. The cost of living out there makes this part of the country look like a real bargain, by comparison.

Durham, NC has the world's highest percentage of PhD-holding residents. My church invests heavily in reaching the college students in the area -- and there are gracious plenty of those. King's Park International Church is one more reason to give this neighborhood some serious thinking.

And we're just a few hours away from Charlotte ...



bcipam -> RE: Bicycling....adventures, experiences, favorite rides etc (6/19/2007 6:22:14 PM)

Thanks RJR for the info. I would like to retire to NC, but I have to bike! Maybe I'll start looking at areas outside Charlotte.

Your daughter has moved to a very expensive area although most of CA is very expensive. One reason why I cannot retire here. But the weather is awesome and I can ride 12 months out of the year. I have the ocean 8 miles South (yes where I live it's South of me) and the local mountains/foothills about 5 miles North. And there is lot of open area if I mountain bike and lots of bike trails and bike lanes if I road ride. I love riding; great exercise, even when you get old(er). Many folks in my road club are in their 70's and some in their 80's!!!

Next month I'm taking a trip up to Idaho, Yellowstone and Glacier National Park for some riding. Can't wait!!!



joy2give2u -> RE: Bicycling....adventures, experiences, favorite rides etc (6/20/2007 3:10:26 PM)

quote:

I love riding; great exercise, even when you get old(er).
me too........It sometimes surprises me how much I really love to ride..........



shemaromans -> RE: Bicycling....adventures, experiences, favorite rides etc (6/20/2007 9:26:58 PM)

I recently bought a new bike and want to start riding regularly. I'm a little apprehensive, though. The bike has a thousand more speeds than I had on my previous bike (MANY years ago). I'm not too sure how to switch gears properly. I also live in a busier area and am scared that intitially I'll disturb the traffic or hit a car! Any advice?



RJR_fan -> RE: Bicycling....adventures, experiences, favorite rides etc (6/20/2007 10:32:17 PM)

practice shifting gears at a deserted parking lot -- a library on Sunday, or a church lot during the week -- until you are comfortable.

Google fun rides and family rides -- most bike shops sponsor such events.



joy2give2u -> RE: Bicycling....adventures, experiences, favorite rides etc (6/21/2007 9:44:51 AM)

quote:

I also live in a busier area and am scared that intitially I'll disturb the traffic or hit a car! Any advice?
One piece of advice I received a long time ago when riding the road don't move closer to the shoulder move out a little when a car is coming up to pass ..........the reason.......if you try to move clear over to the line a car will think it has room to pass staying in its lane.....if you move out it will pass in the other lane giving you more space........it will also keep those car which think they can pass when a car is coming towards you behind you till they can pass in the other lane....does that make sense?

By the way welcome to the bicycling thread.........how is your father?



RJR_fan -> RE: Bicycling....adventures, experiences, favorite rides etc (6/21/2007 10:58:46 AM)

I gained 10 lbs. at the start of June, and heartily regretted them last Saturday, as I pushed my over-50 overweight carcass over 50 miles for another sponsored ride, for a worthy cause. The Ice Cream Ride for MS research starts and ends at a local pharmaceutical firm. Gotta tell you -- the salty caramel in the Rabbit Track ice cream really tastes great at the end of four hours in the saddle!

Since the ride started 5.9 miles from home, I went there and back on two wheels. About six miles into the ride, nearly 200 of us blasted down past my home. At this point, the groups had pretty well sorted themselves out, and I cranked along barely ahead of the eschewed final spot. The ride included the ferocious upgrade on Yates Store Road, and the fragrance of flowering mimosas. For the last nine miles, I chatted with a new immigrant from Austin, TX, the CFO of a major local semiconductor firm. (yes, I had my business cards with me. Old Boy Scouts try to "be prepared.") Despite having a few mustard packets[1], cramps set in within a mile of the ice cream.

Oh, well. In another 15 days, maybe I can be in better shape for another Firecracker 100.



A guy who was celebrating his 68th birthday with a 68 mile ride last February told me about that folk remedy, which he gave The People's Pharmacy credit for. Mustard packs, like the kind you pick up at a fast food restaurant, stave off cramps. It worked then, it worked on my "strange" ride in May, but I guess those 10 extra pounds worked against me this time. 13 days to go 'til the Firecracker 100!



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