A great morning ride.

temp: 75, sunny

I rode the trike for the first time in a long time this morning.( since August 2)

The weather has been so hot that it looks like the fall season already.
This is the last day of August . It has been the the hottest August in recorded time in Nashville.
14 days over 102 degrees and a total of 24 days over 95 degrees


Leaves are on the ground and many trees are dying.


Grass and some bushes are dead.

I thought it has been too hot to ride.

It had been so long since the trike has been ridden that the front tire was almost flat. So I aired up all the tires and the air horn and rode 2.5 miles keeping speed down and enjoying it immensely. Good to be back on the trike.

This is the first time I have tested out the clipless pedals. They are nice but I move the heel of my left foot around so much that it sometimes comes unclipped when I am messing around on the bike while not riding. Not annoying, but happens more than I thought. It is nice to be clipped to the pedal when you are spinning at a high rate. No fear of the foot slipping off the pedal.

2.5 miles in the Quest of Fitness 192.6 total

Walk the Whites Creek Greenway this Saturday

Mayor Bill Purcell will conclude his monthly walks in the park at 9 a.m., Saturday, August 25 on the Whites Creek Greenway, located at 2801 Tucker Road, Nashville, Tennessee across from the Hartman Regional Community Center at the Hartman Park Trailhead. The event, which will proceed regardless of the weather, is free and open to the public walk or ride with the Mayor.

The Whites Creek Greenway is another important step in the development of a network of greenway trails and corridors. The Whites Creek Greenway, which extends one mile from the Hartman Park Community Center toward Clarksville Highway, is a multi-use trail following a scenic route along Whites Creek.

For further information, contact:
Sandra Roberts, 880-1827

I've been there!

Cumberland River Bridge

The first Cumberland River Bridge Span is up on the Greenway!


Picture by Dennis Carney

This bridge will connect the Shelby Bottoms greenway to the Stones River greenway in downtown
Nashville

Fitness Review Standard vs Recumbent bikes

I have not been riding on these 100 to 104 degree days.
Hope next week will be better. I am missing the ride.

Here is an article about the comparison of the wear on the body caused by the different types of bikes.

Residents try to stop Whites Creek Greenway extension

Whites Creek Pike residents fear path through yards will ruin privacy, bring crime.

This was the theme of todays article in the Tennessan.

The Whites Creek Preservation Society will hold a meeting tonight to discuss the greenway project. The meeting will begin at 6:30 in the old James Gang Building on Whites Creek Pike, near the intersection with Old Hickory Boulevard.

Today I'm a Weather Wuss

After looking at the 100 degree prediction and seeing it 93 degrees by 11:00 AM, I decided to do my exercises and lift weights inside and forgo the outside exercise today. That is sad because I have not been able to use my new clipless system yet.

Old Folks Warning

It is hot, hot, hot. They told old folks not to breath this air.
But being an older folk you must breath this air or .......

Temp is over 100 with "chill" factor and I will probably not be riding the next few days.
I sat on my trike today and adjusted the cleat tension on the pedals and practiced clipping in and releasing the cleat from the pedal. No sweat releasing because you can move your heel either way and the cleat comes out of the pedal. What produces sweat is sitting on the bike in this heat and doing much of anything! Also getting to know where the cleat is on the bottom of shoe and getting them to connect to the pedal is alot harder. But it is becoming easier each time I do it.

I hope it is not as hot and dry where you are as it is here.

Clipless pedals

Well I finally bought me some clipless pedals. I have waited because I have a lot of people ride my trike and with most clipless pedals they could not do that. I discovered the Shimano pedal that is half and half. One side is a platform pedal and the other side has a SPD cleat receiver. So my family can still ride the trike and I can attach on the other side.



The other thing I bought was a pair of Shimano sandals. The SPD system I bought is less expensive than most of the clipless systems and will allow you to disconnect by twisting your feet either way. What is nice about the trike, you do not have to worry about your balance while clipping or unclipping the cleat into the pedals. These sandals also allow you to walk while off the bike. The cleats are recessed in the sole of the shoe.



I will test these over the next few days and give my feelings about them.

RAGBRAI Review

Dan posted some pictures and comments about a fun ride across Iowa.

Stones River Greenway

Temp: 78-83, Partly cloudy

Got up and took the trike to the greenway. Got an early start because it was going to be 96 today.
Started at the Heartland Park trail head and started riding toward the bridge. The Mayor walked it a month ago so I assumed that it was open. I was traveling across the bridge and was going around 9 miles an hour and turned the corner and almost ran into the barricade. The trail is paved and looks like it is fenced and looks good but you can not continue on after you pass over the bridge.

this is looking back at the bridge after crossing

A picture looking from the bridge.

After taking these pictures, I went east on the greenway. The HILL that comes up to McGavock Pike is a 28 % grade according to my Edge 205. I do not know who the engineer was that designed that slope but he was not a bicyclist. I made it up but had to stop 4 times. The greenway goes under the road and meanders besides the golf course and football practice fields and is quite pretty. It does have a few more hills but nothing like the HILL.
It will be nice to see the whole Stones River Greenway open.
You will be able to go from the Wave Pool all the way to the Percy Priest Dam. A real nice ride. And when the Cumberland River bridge is done the ride will be from the middle of town to the dam.

7.5 miles in the Quest for Fitness. 190.1 miles total

Tennessee Tax Free Weekend

The state's tax-free weekend is Aug. 3-5. Clothes, school supplies, computers and art supplies will be sales-tax-free.

That will save you around 10 % on Bike clothes, clipless shoes etc.