Today’s Bike Ride

Distance: 34.91 miles Time: 4:00:00

I just needed to get away today and boy did I! I haven’t been to the far east side of the city in a while and decided today was optimum for that. My intention was to get out around 8 am but I did not get away until after 9:00. Oh well.
I went through two speed traps, one city the other county. They were writing the tickets today. I went up and opted for the Hahn Arroyo path that ends at Sandia High School. It’s a fairly nice ride – not busy at all – the only drawback is stopping or at least looking for cars at all the overpasses. Still it was nice since I hadn’t been that way in a while. From there I just followed the signs along Claremont (ish) the rest of the way up. At Marie Park I made the mistake of resting for a couple of minutes in the shade in the grass. After about an hour and 20 minutes of basically going uphill – my legs were not liking me or what I had been doing to them.
I made it up over Tramway and took this photo looking West.

Those hills in the distance are where I was taking the last photos from!

It took me an hour thirty five minutes to get up to Tramway and Menaul which is an average of about 9.3 mph. I’m not upset at that slow speed seeing that it’s just under 15 miles – UPHILL 🙂
Going back could have been much faster but I was really not into going downhill so much.
Around Market ABQ area I started searching for a Keva juice or someplace that would have some sugar-filled carrot juice! Nope. I went down to the Pavilions where I knew one was. Wheat grass shot and a carrot juice – that should rev me up?!
I went on down to the cemetery and had a little reunion. There was a very popular burial today with about 75 cars. I cleared some weeds, made my peace and went on. I ended up going down Broadway and passed the Medical Record Storage Facility that burned a few months ago – 1.4 MILLION records, LOST. That would suck. It was mostly old UNM Hospital records from before 2005. With living through a business fire, it kind of reminded me of a lot that I would have rather forgot.
I continued through Old Town – very busy today – and off to the Bosque Trail and back up to the house.
That last hill by the house, I couldn’t force myself to ride up that hill – had to walk so I’m a bit bummed about that.
I had figured maybe 29 miles or so – but those extra miles really do make a difference when you are not riding as often as I wish…
I’ll probably pass out tonight early and I’m betting that my legs will be a bit on the sore side in the morning – it was SO worth it though

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Today’s Bike Ride

Distance: 15.07 miles
This ‘once-a-week’ bike riding is for the birds! Ugh! I’m working on rearranging my schedule to accommodate more riding….
Today I just wanted to get out before the rains came. I hadn’t been up towards the volcanos with the camera – something that had been missing for about a month…
The yellows and browns are replaced with various shades of green! Not the deep green of the east but comparatively – green.


Looking west towards the volcanos, soon I will be on the other side of them.

Looking north:

Looking back west over the city:

On the west side of the volcanos – looking east back towards the city:

Looking South at the first volcano:

Just looking up the 2nd Volcano:

It was a nice ride – I was having too much fun taking the photos that I was afraid I’d be out all day.
Great ride.
Tomorrow I get to go to the Dr. to see what this cough thing is all about – again…

Today’s Bike Ride

Distance: 17.19 miles
Today’s Ride was just to get out of the house. I had waited for a worker to come by the house and he was late – the story of my life lately. Oh well.
My intent for today’s ride was to go to the Farmer’s Market that I enjoy in the fall. Their website says that it started and I ended up giving myself about 24 minutes to get there. I was booking it for quite a while. I get there and…. nope. Not happening. I don’t know if the late night rain made everyone cancel it but regardless – nada.
I continued down Central – not much going on there. I went to the train station and for a brief moment, contemplated taking the train up to Santa Fe or just about anywhere actually. I didn’t.
I continued down 1st street and was VERY surprised to see the old El Modelo bar still open! Wow! That brought back memories. That was a crazy bar that was a mix of bikers, lawyers, students – it was kind of a rough place back in the day and apparently still is judging from the broken glass everywhere outside. I followed 1st down to the old Railyards where parts of the last Terminator movie were filmed. A gate was open and I thought about going in but I didn’t have my ‘real’ camera with me so I figured if I took photos, they would be from very far away. I went on down to the Hispanic Cultural Center – because you know, it would be bad to have a White Person Cultural Center and rode around there for a bit. VERY slow down there too…
I hopped onto the Bosque Trail and opted to go through the Bosque instead of the trail. With all the rain, my tires picked up all the mud and felt like 20 more pounds onto the bike. Lots of lizards everywhere…
The Rio Grande had some crazy silt-looking stuff floating down it. It looked kind of freaky and actually from the bridge looked like oil. I guess I just have oil spill on the brain from all the videos from the gulf?
I went back up Central/Old Route 66 and back across towards the homestead.
It was muggy hot today and is supposed to get rainy again in the afternoon. I’m glad I went out now!

Today’s Bike Ride

Distance: 14.21 miles
No real intent this morning – just to get out of the house before the sun warmed up the pavement too much!
I just kind of just meandered places, went up the big hill up Unser to the top of Volcano Cliffs, then around to Paseo and back down the Bosque Trail. Lots of joggers out this morning…
This was the view looking east on Paseo del Norte from the bluffs…

Today’s Bike Ride

Distance: 8.88 miles
My original plan was to head up towards the volcanos – maybe not all the way in the big loop around them but maybe just to the top of one of them and back down. My lungs are still not the healthiest and with all the rain we’ve been getting I kind of thought it would look nice from up there.
Heading up the hill was a bit strenuous but I made it okay. I got to the top and turned around….


I was being followed by the rain clouds! The ones coming from the south were heading right towards the house. The ones coming down from the mountains were a ways away but still kind of ominous looking. No lightning – which was nice. I don’t mind rain, I don’t mind getting wet. This day was just not the day to go through all that.
I opted to turn back and head back to the homestead. I wasn’t home ten minutes and it dumped.
Kind of glad I turned back when I did. A couple of guys passed me on my way down, them going up and I’m pretty sure they got drenched. At least they were on the trail…

Today’s Bike Ride

Distance: 13.52 miles
I just needed to get a ride in and that’s all I did….

Today’s Bike Ride

Distance: 14.82 miles Time: 1:15:00 Avg: 11.8 mph
For our anniversary, I had to have the truck at the house for a ‘special delivery’ and today was the day to take it back. I threw the bike in the back of the delivery truck and went to work. My plan was to work a couple hours and then leave before the thick of the heat of the afternoon. My plans were in opposition to the real world and I ended up leaving after about 6:00 pm. It was about 102 degrees out.
I smeared on some sunscreen, loaded up on water and started off. Because the sun was already setting, and the trees along the bosque trail, I was nicely shaded for about 80% of the ride. It was very nice. The heat wasn’t getting to me too bad and the breeze from the motion, even with hot air cools you down a bit.
I made it home with very little issue and felt pretty good too!
A nice ride.

Today’s Bike Ride

Distance: 11.68 miles
Again – I had to get rid of all the food calories that were consumed from a baby shower last night… OUCH!

Today’s Bike Ride

Distance: 11.68 miles
This was just a quick ride to get rid of all the food I ate for 4th of July dinner at my Mom’s house!

Today’s Bike Ride

Distance: 9.1 miles on bike and 1.03 miles walking…
My intent, when I started today’s ride was a 20 to 25 mile ride to the east side of ABQ and back around. All of this starting at noon when it was high 80’s….
I got ready, filled up the tires and took note that the back tires are pretty much just racing slicks anymore and started out.
North on the Bosque Trail to Paseo del Norte, then just for fun, took Rio Grande to see how far it went – DUH! to Alameda. Started up to the Hahn Arroyo and…
Flat Tire.
This is the FIRST flat tire I have had in some 20 years. Most people don’t believe me when I say that as apparently ‘everyone else’ has flat tires on a weekly/daily basis. I used to carry a spare tube with me but it weighs a lot so I stopped carrying it. Also, with my track record, it seemed unlikely — or — would it have been more prudent since I had NOT had one…. Hmmmmm.
Either way, I tried pumping it back up and the valve stem ripped off so I was hosed. Luckily my sister was home and she met me by the train station and brought me back home.
Not quite the day I had planned for and this definitely puts Monday’s bike ride in limbo as I don’t know if I can find a tube or know if I can change the tube and tire myself. We’ll have to see!