No need. We ride outside 365 days a year.

I can probably ride my Dahon to and from the train station and work through the end of October and then it will be too dark for me to “trust” distracted suburban motorists. I can probably get an a couple/few more weekend rides too. But it will soon be time to dust off the rollers and the DVD player….

Northern Maine and NH saw snow Saturday. In Vermont, Killington started making snow and opened this weekend, mainly for the bragging rights though.
It was 28 degrees here this morning on the NH coast, 50 miles north of Boston. Maybe a few short rides possible after work before the time change, then there will be a warm weekend day or two, but its pretty much over. The alloy bike is already on the trainer.

I’ve already started my winter training routine!!!!

MR,

Has lefty 2.0 come back enough for RAGBRAI 2016.. I might switch to PBV Ventures for their tent service. How quickly does that fill up when PBV registration opens? After twice repairing my tent poles in 2015 I’m sort of sick of my own tent.

Moots, you have plenty of time to get PBV’s tent service. Sign up by, say, March 1 and you’ll probably still be ahead of schedule. You’ll never go back to using your own tent. Check with Tammy at PBV just to make sure.

I really never minded setting up my own tent, I just hated dragging my bags around in the evening and morning. With the PBV tent service, you take you bags to your tent on Sat. before the ride when you check in with PBV and you don’t have to fool with them again the entire week until the last day in the end town when you claim them to go home. You leave your bags in your tent each morning during the ride and in the next overnight town your bags are in your PBV tent which is already set up and waiting on you.

Ice, nice deal on the bags delivery…. And no tent poles to repair.

Dusting off the indoor trainer means one thing, ski season is right around the corner. Even though I love to ride for me nothing beats putting on ski gear and ripping up the slopes.

As for PBV tent service, while the thought of having someone lug my stuff and deal with my tent would be nice, being in the middle of the massive tent city that is PBV is just not appealing to me. I have had some great campsites on RAGBRAI that I would have never experienced if I was with PBV.

mootsman: Has lefty 2.0 come back enough for RAGBRAI 2016.. I might switch to PBV Ventures for their tent service. How quickly does that fill up when PBV registration opens? After twice repairing my tent poles in 2015 I’m sort of sick of my own tent.

No, I don’t believe Lefty 2.0 will be able to do RAGBRAI next year. I’m working to get back in shape. However, it’s my best left knee!!!!

Michrider, ignore me if this is none of my business but…I’m curious. I thought 1.5 years would have been more than enough time for you to get back on the bike. I ask this because two friends of mine with whom I ran for about 30 years simply would not quit running when I did and each now faces a (full, not partial) knee replacement. Is not being able to bike for 1.5 years normal, or just how your procedure worked out?

I had the knee replacement in Dec of 2013. In January of 2015, I had surgery to remove a bone spur from the bottom of my left femur. I resumed riding in April but I fell 3 times between May & July. After the 3rd fall, I gave up riding for the rest of 2015. Most of my rehab problems have been my own fault!!!

Michrider: I’ve already started my winter training routine!!!!

Hey Michrider!

I’m glad to see that you are in high “spirits” and have already started training for the next RAGBRAI you are able to ride. Building up your arm muscles by raising and lowering beer steins is great exercise.

Here is another good exercise that you should clear with your doctor first before trying it. Take a full beer keg and drain it dry (no use wasting a full keg!). Then, lay the empty keg on its side so it will roll. Push the keg back and forth with Lefty 2.0. The extension and flexion will certainly help regain strength in your knee. By the way, make sure you also have a full keg on standby, because this type of exercise is bound to make you thirsty.

I hope the rehabbing continues to go well and that you’ll soon be back in the saddle. I hope to see you along the I-O-Way.

Lefty 2.0 thanks you T Gap!

Don’t know if this will help you, Mich, but when I took a bad crash a few years back and had to have my arm operated on (broke the humerus and had to have it plated and screwed back together; helluvaway to get a titanium upgrade!) the doctor gave me an inexpensive but effective rehab regimen.  I pass it on to you and the rest of the people here as a matter of public service.
**Note — as with any physical activity, consult your doctor to be sure you are are healthy enough to use this program.**
____________________

• Start by standing on a comfortable surface, where you have plenty of room on each side.

• With a 5-lb potato bag in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides.

• Hold them there as long as you can.  Try to reach a full minute, and then relax.  Each day you’ll find that you can hold this position for just a bit longer.

• Once you are able to achieve this comfortably, move up to 10-lb potato bags; then increase to 20-lb bags, then 50-pounders.  Ultimately you will get to where you will be able lift a 100-lb potato bag in each hand and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute.
(not to brag or anything, but I am currently at this level.)

• After you feel confident at this stage, then put a potato in each bag.

-“BB”-

Beebs, would that be a sweet potato, an Idaho potato or maybe a russet?

How about a bottle of potato vodka from Poland? I am partial to Polish potato vodka especially if kept in the freezer.

RIDE RIGHT