Super Man Hot Ride Tour

 Solo 40 miles. Hot 😁 Took it easy but still....... hot. 🤣 Sweat today, on the legs anyway. So hot that the adhesive of the rubber strip that keeps my computer mount on the handlebars melted. 🫠 swinging mount all the way back, very annoying 😒 Average 100 degrees according to Garmin Connect, high of 107. 🔥 🥵 🔥

I might have to look into starting earlier ha ha ha, 11 am is pretty warm. But I survived once again. Good thing that I have been riding in the heat the last couple of weeks because being really hot today, hottest day so far, I actually feel pretty good. Hips feel a little fatigued from the heat but everything else is good. No head or stomach issues from the heat.

Another visit wit Omar at the Chalan Rest Stop. Nice bottle of cold water. I get one on the way up then ask him to reserve one for my way down ha ha ha! Good guy supporting the cyclists out there.

After the ride, had a chance to sit down and chat with a dude named Tim who Team Skipper. A long distance endurance type cycling team. Says he has a documentary on Amazon Prime. He says he'll be able to tell if I watch it or not, computer tech or something but I don't have Amazon Prime TV anyway, not even really sure what it is ha ha ha!

Funny thing is that he knows a cyclist really well. One of the forum members from back in like 2005. Back then the member had completed RAM like 5 times. I've told the story many times, dude dissed my bike, training habits, and whatever else he could. Said if he had a really bad day and I had a good one, I MIGHT keep up with him. $10,000 bike back in 2005 and I was riding my $1,050 Cannondale CAD3.

Big resume, Paris Brest Paris, other countries, brevets, the works. But on the actual timed event ride, I spanked him by over an hour on the 100 mile ride with 10,000 ft of gain. I always love telling this story. I told it to Tim and he got a pretty good laugh about it personally knowing the forum member ha ha ha!

But a cool guy and we had a good chat about bikes and rides. But at the SF nature center, on the return, I stopped to refill my bottles. The dude mentioned the heat and I acknowledged that it was warm but he said, NO IT'S HOT!!

Chatted a bit more then he asked how far I was riding, 40 miles. He asked how many bottles I was carrying, 2 but I had already downed about 11 bottles refilling along the way, He was impressed saying 40 miles in this heat, YOU'RE SUPERMAN!!! Ha ha ha funny how new riders are so easily impressed. He and his wife rode from the Damn Climb to the nature center which is about 4 miles (?). RT would be 8 to 10 so he was impressed with the 40.

Oh, and by the way a woman told me that I looked really good. And because it was a respectable woman, I'll have to take her word for it. 😄 Nice to know the efforts taken towards my goal of trying to stay healthy are recognized. 👍

Dripping sweaty legs at break. Really strange, my legs will drip sweat but rarely do I drip from my face or other places. Pretty sure I do but it must evaporate quickly. Always a nice feature because ride partners never know if I'm tired or struggling ha ha ha!

Stuff for along the way

Then of course my chicken dinner after the ride and a salad. Gina teasing me with chicken wings again.

Doing LSD in the Sun Tour 🌞

 Doing LSD in the Sun Tour 🌞.....Long Slow Distance. 😄 I don't know if that's actually LONG, but it's slow. 😆 Going easy for the heat warning. Not too bad but downed about 11 large bottles of fluids to be sure, electrolytes and water. Good thing I'm the type to pay attention to my surroundings, tree 🌳 down! 😲 Target is 300 miles per month hitting 324 today so I'm doing ay't! 😁

                                             Almost done, 6 miles left. Time for a photoshoot

Felt good on the ride. Cleaned and lubed the chain so the bike ran really well and smoothly. I'm really surprised at how well it is running. I always tell myself that when I win the lotto, I'm going to buy a new tech roadie but lately, being back on the Madone, I really don't think I need all the new stuff. Heck, it's all about riding the bike. Seeing all these wussies bailing out for e-bikes, I can't help but think that I'm doing more than well enough actually pedaling my bike unlike all those, well you, pussies out there. Like I said, I believe in doing my own physical work. If I can't ride 100 ore 60 miles someday, I'll do 40. If I can't do 40, I'll do 20 as long as I don't puss out. And one thing I really dislike nowadays is the wussies using motors boasting about how far they rode their bikes. In some bike groups, postings by wussies claiming to have hit so many miles this month. SO What you wuss, try pedaling your bike!!!

Tree down and across the trail

Seal Beach. The pier is down the way and this area, way too far to see the water, not much action

I was totally shocked! I suggested Gina take off a day from work on Tuesday. She's been doing 11 hour days and 5 to 8 on Saturdays. Very busy at work and the others in her position have left. Another new hire that worked there for a few weeks then decided to leave because of small children, the drive, and the long hours as well as Saturdays. Another employee there but I won't say much about that ha ha ha! So, I told her that she should take a day off as all the others have taken several but Gina is the doesn't call into work type. So I suggested it saying that once the other gal leaves, she's going to have a hard time taking a day off. She agreed so we spent the day together. 

Lunch at Los Jarritos. Always good but don't visit much any longer avoiding the things that are just too good and not good for my health ha ha ha! I did cheat, shared a small order of nachos as well then to the Montclair Plaza, our old hangout. A visit to Candy Land where they have some really cool old candies that I remember from the 60's. So heck, already cheated today so might as well make the best of it, had a couple candy bars too and sharing with Gina, maybe not as bad as I could have been ha ha ha!

Gina did see some Clark sandals on sale at Macy's so I talked her into buying them. Better than just switching her old sandals with the new ones and leaving them there ha ha ha! That's a joke for the slow people. But she was really happy with her new sandals, she just tossed the old ones into the bag and then into the trash. It was time!

Came across a post in a bike group that asked, what got you cycling?  Reminded me of how I got started as an adult. This is my story. 1992 when I started cycling on a challenge.

I've always played sports and at 29, still playing on a traveling softball team. Working at a company that had over 2,000 employees, we had a gym, various leagues in different sports. Always being an athlete, I did well in all of them but 3 VEGETARIANS that worked with me about 10% body fat said that I was strong, could run fast but they bet only for a short time. They bet that I did not have any cardio so they challenged me to get a bike, hybrids and claimed that I would not be able to keep up with them on a 60 mile bike ride. Uhhh ok! I was 6'1 and 220 pounds. They were 5'10 max and 150 pounds I'm guessing. We started the ride, I checked what they had then they got tired so I took the front pushing the pace. After the first 20 miles, one puked and the other pooped out and decided to turn back. I won the bet but best of all, I started to like the cycling. 1992 and I haven't stopped yet. Big mistake too many cyclist make, underestimating the big guys. Done some timed events, 100 miles with 10,000 ft climbing and did very well. This was 1992 when the skinny people said there was no way I could keep up with them, I was too big! 😆

Decisions decisions!!!🤣 Friday $6.99 breakfast special with Angus. Which piece of toast to eat last with grape jelly? For those that don't know, Angus Young is the guitar player for AC/DC. 😁 Of course dinner last night with my Honey. Like Eve, she tempted me into eating a couple of her chicken wings. I feel so guilty! 😆😄😆

46 with TC / Hydration (video on YT)

 46 windy miles with TC today. My legs 🦵 were fryn' but TC looked strong on the bike. But most impressive was his display of sexy boobage. 😆😄😆 Hey, someone sent this picture of my truck to me. I think somebody's spying 🕵️‍♂️ on me. 😁😄😁

                                                            An image from TC's cell cam.

The YT video. Funny as always, if I use my image or another cyclist's image on the YT thumbnail, I get 75 views maybe. Use a bikini or a female, I get a couple hundred views rather quickly. You bunch of perverts ha ha ha!

Joaquin sent this image to me asking if it was my truck. Yup, rode in his neck of the woods today. I had originally planned to ride in Pico as usual but down to the coast. I do really dislike that lower section of the San Gabriel Trail being so bumpy and rough, dark and dangerous. But TC asked if I had plans so I changed them to ride the Santa Ana trail.

I did have to replace my rear wheel after the foothills ride. Somehow, a chunk of rubber was removed from my rear tire. Maybe half the tire life left but that cut it short. I have the 2 Conti's in my stash now but giving these Vittoria Rubino Pro G2.0 tires a test. I had used the front before the rear Conti got taken out but luckily, the new tire I ordered on ebay showed up on Friday evening so I just replaced it really quick with plans to test it on Saturday. It worked though today was a bit tough for me. I could chalk that up to the change of bikes and geo, or the longer cranks, the new tires, or just the fact I did some climbing a couple days before. BUT the wind was rough today.

About hydration, TC and I were talking about dehydration during hot rides. He mentioned something about doing more damage than good riding in the heat as I have been doing. I know about darker urine while being dehydrated. So I was reminded on the first hot ride I did. Came out a little dark so I did some more reading on it knowing and several searches say that it is from dehydration, as I knew. 

Mentioning that if one comes out darker but lightens up after some water, it is not a bad thing. If it doesn't then one could be doing damage to the kidneys. I myself knew this so after a little reminder after the first hot ride, I drank A LOT !!!!!

I did my best to hydrate the day before then the morning of the rides. I drank a full large bottle right before shoving off on the rides at the golf course. I rode 12 miles drinking 2 more large bottles. Downed another large bottle at the Nature center before continuing. Then another 2 bottles up the hill and back, about 10 miles. Another downed bottle then 2 more for the return trip.

So that is 9 full large bottles on the 35 to 40 mile rides. As well as another bottle after the ride. Yeah, I was pretty clear after the ride and felt great considering the heat.

Not to mention that I read one should bounce back and forth between water and electrolyte bottles to even out the intake. Usually I do water only for the first hour then the remainder with electrolytes after reading the strategy. But because it is so hot, tips say to alternate making sure to get in both sources. So I did and it seemed to work, so good!

Not to mention, another bottle of electrolytes on the way to the golf course so I am getting a whole lotta fluids. Really seemed to make a difference in the way I feel and the clear pee pee after the ride ha ha ha! Plus as mentioned, after a bottle of water the first time it showed a little dark due to dehydration, it cleared up rather quickly so it seems to work, what I'm doing. Feeling good and being clear, keeping the HR down and not exerting myself too much, I think I'm ok.

Funny that when we stopped at Edna Park, some dude was there sitting in the shade of the building saying how hot it was then. I was like really? Ha ha ha, 79 as an average felt pretty cool to me ha ha ha! I guess the heat acclimation rides do me good as others seem to complain about the heat. My average 97 degree rides are hot and if I can handle them, 70's almost seem cold ha ha ha!

Someone said it was as if she was posing for the camera

This group came rolling by at a good rate of speed. Hopped on the back for a bit but kinda blocked off, I fell back hoping to get a good view of the group but they picked it up and rolled away. Ended up catching up to a couple of stragglers so I hopped on the back with a plan to go to the front to help them in return after I recovered a bit but TC wanted to stop at Edna Park for water. So we stopped.

No names but someone suggested that I capture this one on camera

On a side note, I did order a set of hoods for my shifters. They are Sora seeing they are the only 9 speed available. Cool thing is the label on the shifters looks like a 105 label so already, a couple of people have mistaken them ha ha ha! But I ordered a back up set just in case the hoods tear somewhere down the road. I wish I had bought a couple sets for my 105 shifters, I wouldn't have had to swap them out.

 After the ride,  to Sizzler for my senior chicken dinner. 🐔 

Our girl Angelina had baked small cakes 🎂 to treat her friends.  It was tasty 😋 and the frosting wasn't as sweet as it looks so it went down pretty easily.  Just enough for us to share and enjoy without the guilt 

😄

Solo 40 Along the Foothills

 Solo 40 with 2,270 ft gain,  had I payed attention I would have rode up the road for another 30 ft. 🤣 Glendora to Claremont, to San Dimas, to the GMR gate.  Felt really good.  TC was 'posed to join me but experiencing mechanicals. 🔧 

                                                

Along the way I was recording and saw some moron stop right in the center of the bike lane before the steep little climb just west of Town avenue. Of course talking on the phone and guess what, it was another cyclist. As I have said, it is more the cyclists that are a threat to me while on my bike. I bring this up because I read on so many stories on the net about terrible drivers and dangerous cars trying to kill us. In my case, it is the other way around, way too many incidents with other cyclists. I can't count the times that cyclists have whined about a car blocking or parking in the bike lane. In this case, the dude was right in the center of the bike lane, full stop, talking on the phone. C'mon you idiot!

But I must also mention some dope on a motorcycle. As well as complaining cyclists, I see plenty from motorcycle riders. I WANT TO GET HOME AND LIVE TO SEE MY FAMILY SO PLEASE DON'T KILL ME type stuff but yet, they themselves are the problem. On this ride, I came to a stop at Lone Hill on old Foothill heading east. A line of cars to my left stopped so I waited for my turn. As I started to make my way through the intersection (4 way stop), some idiot rides his motorcycle between the cars running the stop and making a turn right in front of me but a coupe of feet. 

Idiot! Was cool because I got to make some good hand gestures at him in front of several other drivers who I am sure would agree with me. I was almost wishing the dude would have stopped or came after me. Yeah, I've had plenty of big mouth drivers talk trash while in their vehicles but too scared to confront anyone without the protection of being in their vehicle, bunch of pussies ha ha ha!