Weekend Bike Rides... prepare to make the jump to lightspeed

Today is Monday May 4th (May the forth be with you) 2026 and i rode my bike last Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday was cold and i felt pretty shi*ty and i did about 2:45 on the road bike.

Sunday was hot and i felt pretty great and i did about 2 hours on the road bike.

In Between (on Saturday night) we went camping, it was awesome.

Saturday was around 40 degrees upon bike ride departure so i threw on the jeans and other warm clothes and headed out. By the end of the ride i was hot. Not much else to tell about this one.

Sunday, after getting home around Noon from camping, i found a short ride window and headed out for what i figured would be a good day. It was. Being able to ride in shorts, short sleeves, and no gloves was a win right off the bat. i rode down to my new fav coffee spot (Cafe Ca Phe), had a quick espresso, then hammered home. 

i came home on main st, aka the Kessel Run , and absolutely crushed it. Every light was green. Every patch of debris was expertly avoided. Every narrow gap between the street car trench of death and the curb was threaded with upmost precision.

And to be clear, the Kessel Run heads South on Main Street from 31st to 49th st, at which point you disengage with a sketchy fast sweeping uphill over 90 degree right turn.

The road bike is feeling good, it wants to go fast and i'm getting better at allowing it to do so.

Saturday Ride...

Camping...

Sunday Ride...

Wednesday Group Ride

Today is Thursday April 30 2026 and yesterday i did the Wednesday group ride.

It was pretty great.

i was late and had to chase so that was exciting. I left my house at 6:30 for a ride that starts at 6:30 but the route backtracks a bit on the path i take from my house so i have a buffer. i spotted the group heading up Roe and with the help of some cooperative street lights i caught up after 5-10 minutes. 

But i was breathing hard. 

Luckily the pace this week seemed slower and i hung on longer than i ever have, but i did get dropped. 

As of now i've decided to eschew my heart rate monitor (partly because i cant find it) and i don't have a power meter (unless i'm on the indoor trainer) which means i'm riding with the force only. And i think its exactly what i need. Less bells and whistles.

And by being mindful of the living force i was able to back off the pace at the right time and avoid blowing up, which meant i could chase hard the rest of the ride. i almost caught back up but underestimated how quickly the group would accelerate out of a red light. 

i have no power. i've done a tiny bit of weight work this year but not enough to move the needle. But i'll keep at it.

So i got dropped, chased hard all the way, and when the ride was over my computer said i had a new fastest 40k. 

Which is nice.

Weekend Bike Rides - I Wanna Be a Cowboy, Baby!

Today is Monday April 27 2026 and i did two bike rides over the weekend.

Saturday i was up early for about 2 hours on the single speed. 

i felt pretty crappy.

Sunday i was not up early because the night before we saw a concert in Lawrence, KS. The band was CMAT and it was awesome. 

So around Noon on Sunday i found a ride window and did about two and a half hours on the road bike. 

i felt pretty great.

That bike i rad.

Saturday Ride...

Sunday Ride...

Group Ride

Today is Thursday April 23 2026 and yesterday i did the Wednesday group ride.

This was my third week in a row participating and 4th time in 5 weeks.

i think i'm actually trying hard to get faster this year and consistency is the pathway to that. So consistently showing up to this group ride is key. It's hands down the hardest i ride all week and that's what i need.

Lets quickly recap the previous 3 group rides.

1 = showed up on a single speed for shi*s and grins and almost puked at 103rd and Lee Blvd. Would do again.

2 = Dropped on the hill. Hooked up with a large second group. Got a flat. Called my wife for a ride. Learned not to ride in the gutter.

3 = Hung on over the hill but then got dropped 5 min later. Rode with a Gal who then got a flat. She was riding in the gutter.

Now on to last nights ride...

On the hill the guy in front of me lost contact so i did as well. Had that not happened it's conceivable i could have hung on, but i was on the limit. i did the rest of the ride with that guy and we rode excellent. Trading hard pulls all the way. Great workout. i felt good and am getting more comfortable on the new road bike.

(i've still never survived this ride with the led group, i'm not even sure i've ever completed the full route, i've got about 5 months to make it happen.)

Weekend Bike Rides

Today is Monday April 20, 2026 and i rode my bike last Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday = 37 miles on the road bike.

Sunday = 37 miles on the mountain bike.

Saturday was cold and i only took two pictures. X and i were out late the night before so that ride is kind of a blur. 

Sunday was a bit warmer and i took a lot more pics. i felt pretty sluggish so the first half of the ride was very casual, including exploring some urban single track, but after stopping for coffee at my new favorite spot (Cafe Ca Phe ) i picked up the pace because i had to get back home in time to pick up the little man from a sleepover. 

Things like that are good motivators to pedal hard.

So... another great weekend of bike riding is in the books.