Where does the time go? In the run-up to T Day, getting ready for the family to visit, working to finish house and work projects, crazy, crazy…. off the bike - except for the annual Thanksgiving day “work up the appetite” ride… easy pace group ride,about 35 miles rolling through the towns and country-side, then visit, visit, visit, eat, eat, eat and now it’s already December… already! Well, I have a few things to write about, but not a lot of time at the moment… I did get my seat adjusted (and not because I ate too much!) My bike seat was too high and my handlebars too low - all hail, the local bike shop! I’ll tell ya, it’s like having a new bike!

-Frank Pedrick

There’s a reason people move to California.

It’s that time of year.

Some folks are coming off of a long summer season of riding and feeling all grumbly and grouchy as the days grow shorter and the riding time is harder to come by (unless you want to get out the tights and leggings and sleeves and jackets and booties and earmuffs and long fingered gloves and booties and a glow-in-the-dark jacket and lights and reflectors and insulated water bottles and a shot of whiskey for when you’re finally home…) Or, there’s the stationary trainer that’s been getting dusty during all those languid, warm, sunny days since spring…

Riding a little is good. Riding to work is good. Riding with friends and hearing bad jokes is good.

- Frank Pedrick

Oooo, wweeeee! LOTS o’ stuff goin’ on these days… a  wee bit of bike riding, but… would I rather write or ride? Let’s just say, my priorities are OK (by me!)

Heavy training program at work, house chores to complete, before the end of our stumbling along FALL, here in NorCal - isn’t it supposed to be raining by now? I mean, how can we complain about the weather and not ride bikes, if it’s in the mid 70’s and beautiful outside? Really! No room for whiners or weenies here. I did get out for a ride Sunday - 43 miles, 4300 ft., felt good, more bad jokes - then, a crawl under the house to replace the dryer duct work… see! It’s not all about sunshine and blue sky. Reality is getting the clothes dry, sometimes???

Well, I have been riding to work - that is a very good thing… even riding back after dark is a good thing, in my opinion - it’s not training, but it sure does feel good.

I’m plugging away on updating the century calendar. You can’t see it yet, but that’s because it’s not “published” - I’m going to include all the rides in CA, so it takes quite a while, just to have these words appear on your monitor: “Century Calendar.” It’s cool. There are so many rides worth trying, if you haven’t! New is good. Challenging is good.

Having a clothes dryer that works is good.

- Frank Pedrick

I’ve been spending some time now just looking at the rides coming up next year, and I’ve gotta say it sorta wets my appetite for the rides to come… I’ve ridden a lot of centuries and double centuries here in Northern CA. Most, I look forward to, some (just a few) weren’t great (but I’m pretty forgiving - they were new rides). It’s always easy to be critical, so I left honest suggestions and opinions.

I’m working on the century calendar for next year.

I have to say, I’m feeling a little envious of the SoCal folks who have fair weather year ’round…

I’m over it.

- Frank Pedrick

Brutal, I mean brutal, weekend ride! not the miles, not the pace, not the pack mentality… No, oh no! It was riding with a group competing in the “worst joke ever told” competition.

You should thank me - i won’t repeat one of them here - this is supposed to be “family rated.” Besides, and fortunately for you and I, my memory deletes such things ASAP. Self-preservation, a reason to pick up the pace, a training device, a reason to breath harder between laughter!

I wonder where we’ll ride next weekend?

- Frank Pedrick

Whew?!

I’m going for a 2 or 3 hour ride with some friends this afternnon, so I’m trying to hustle up a bit - the usual business to take care of on a weekend, don’t ya know?

I sacrificed my “ride time” yesterday to clean up the yard, driveway, sidewalks… and just in time. As I was putting away the leaf blower, rake and various other implements of temporary “nature control,” the rain started… and it came down!!

Narrowly avoiding a collision with leaf mush…

Today is beautiful!

I’m putting together a “Century Calendar” for next year. I use several sources - for rides I’ve done, I go to the sponsor’s web site to check dates and update information; to bike club web sites, if I know they put on rides, and to some of the on-line calendars… I don’t have the “connections” for southern California yet, but I’m working on it!

-  Frank Pedrick

Ah, ’tis the time that tries bikey souls…

A new job, with intense training schedule and everyday bringing on new challenges… Good, though - I love learning new stuff and having new challenges.

The rain has arrived in Northern CA, but mostly on weekends, for some reason I can never quite fathom.

I do love the rain, but do take a while to adjust to it - mountain bike time, perhaps?

Oh, yeah and the time change… and the election-why not? I, uh, um, well, have probably a few more excuses, if I tried to think ‘em up… oh, my shorts are in the wash… well?

My bike club is transient - when it’s hot in our neighborhood, we head up the hill… toward Donner Lake or Lake Tahoe. When it starts to get cool, in our foothill situation, we head down the hill, where it’s usually 10 degrees warmer.

Or, we go there just because a change of scenery is good, or there’s a restaurant we like, or just because someone likes a ride and posts it on our list-serve…

You never can tell who will show up (other than the ride leader, I expect) but it’s always a nice, sociable ride.

Last Sunday was a ride around the Sutter Buttes - the world’s smallest mountain range - how often can you ride around a mountain range in one day?

Here’s the ride elevation chart - all 670 feet of it!

Looks scary, huh? But it’s not. That’s the media for you… it all depends on how the “facts” are presented.

After that lump, one of the riders flatted, with a screw through the tire, tube and rim! What are the odds? Three of us stopped to make sure everything was OK. After that, the four of us teamed up and had a pretty good pace line going for the rest of the ride, averaging around 20 mph, most of the time.

Some of the things I’ve always like about cycling are the social aspects and teamwork that seem to naturally emerge.

- Frank Pedrick

This is a new and interesting experience. I just had to give it a whirl. I’ve logged in via a public computer in a  public library. Of course, I don’t have all the resources available that I have at home, but then I don’t have to lug my computer around either!

Truth be told, I have another, new job… and have given up one of the others. I have a longish lunch hour, so I may just use it to type away.

Very cool.

And, I will be able to ride my bike to work, once I figure out the logistics.

If you are a bike commuter, and have wisdom to share, please let me know. I’d rather not re-invent the wheel - no pun intended (well, maybe…)

- Frank Pedrick