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| Author |
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| 25 new of 291 responses total. |
scott
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response 214 of 291:
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Aug 27 16:49 UTC 2002 |
Yeah, Ann Arbor is not only in the Huron River valley, but glacial terrain
as well.
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bhelliom
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response 215 of 291:
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Aug 27 17:33 UTC 2002 |
We're on the so-called "Ft. Wayne Morraine," I think.
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tod
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response 216 of 291:
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Aug 27 20:59 UTC 2002 |
This response has been erased.
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bhelliom
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response 217 of 291:
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Aug 27 21:15 UTC 2002 |
No, I live in Ann Arbor. The Ft. Wayne Morraine stretches from
somewhere north of A2 all the way to Ft. Wayne, hence the name.
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tod
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response 218 of 291:
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Aug 27 21:21 UTC 2002 |
This response has been erased.
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scott
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response 219 of 291:
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Aug 28 00:00 UTC 2002 |
Yes, I live on top of it, about 1/2 mile from the end.
Gee, I wonder I could organize a big Fort Wayne Morraine convention for next
summer? We could hold it at Hunt Park and have skateboard races down Sunset
where the morraine ends. ;)
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russ
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response 220 of 291:
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Aug 28 03:35 UTC 2002 |
Re #209: About 17 miles or thereabouts. I have no accurate measurement.
I went out for a ride again tonight, because I had the time. I came
back with more kamikaze gnats on my face. It's getting pretty comical.
I'm not willing to tell people where I ride (it's crowded enough
as it is, thanks) but it's fairly flat with the far end somewhat
higher than the one near home; that accounts for part of the
speed difference. I keep forgetting to take my altimeter on a
ride and write down the readings. I have no idea how fast I climb
hills, but I'll bet that I averaged less than 3 MPH going up the
canyon switchbacks. I need to install the bike computer I bought
(and grease all the bearings, and un-bend the chainwheel... <sigh> ).
The last time I rode up Old 23 it took me about 50 minutes to get
to the road which goes to Independence Lake park, and I considered
that to be a picnic, difficulty-wise. The climb out of the valley
is slow but then you have some pretty easy sailing.
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mcnally
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response 221 of 291:
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Aug 28 04:04 UTC 2002 |
"canyon switchbacks"?
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scg
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response 222 of 291:
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Aug 28 05:57 UTC 2002 |
I think Russ must be riding in Cedar Bend Park, since those are the only
switchbacks I can think of on roads in the Ann Arbor area. I'm trying to
remember if there are any switchbacks in Barton Hills, but I don't think there
are.
Hilly is, of course, a relative term. Before I'd spent much time in hilly
areas, I used to think parts of Ann Arbor were hilly. I've had to conclude
since that Ann Arbor is decidedly flat.
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bhelliom
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response 223 of 291:
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Aug 28 12:53 UTC 2002 |
Hmm, so not *quite* north of A2. Learn something new all hte time.
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gull
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response 224 of 291:
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Aug 28 13:37 UTC 2002 |
Ann Arbor is hilly compared to anywhere in the Saginaw Valley. It's not
hilly compared to Houghton. And Houghton is only moderately hilly compared
to San Francisco. (Well, the steepness is about the same, but San
Francisco's hills go on longer.)
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tod
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response 225 of 291:
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Aug 28 17:46 UTC 2002 |
This response has been erased.
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russ
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response 226 of 291:
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Aug 29 01:48 UTC 2002 |
To clarify: Back in May I rode Utah route 7 (or is it 2? it goes from
I-15 to US-89) east of Springdale, which has some switchbacks a few
miles out of town. I'll let you get the maps to see where that goes. ;-)
While catching my breath on the trip up, I took plenty of pictures.
There wasn't time to snap pics on the way down, and it would have
ruined the fun anyway.
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scg
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response 227 of 291:
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Aug 29 03:03 UTC 2002 |
Ok, that sounds like I'd probably count it as hilly.
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russ
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response 228 of 291:
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Aug 30 01:48 UTC 2002 |
Taking it easy and even stopping to pick up an abandoned bicycle to
drop off at lost & found... walking the last half-mile... still
averaged more than 12 MPH over time-in-motion. The difference between
all-out effort and really slacking is remarkably small.
Re #227: I bet you would. My altimeter said it climbed about 800
feet. Most of that climb was along a bit over 3 miles of road.
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polytarp
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response 229 of 291:
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Aug 30 01:49 UTC 2002 |
fag.
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keesan
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response 230 of 291:
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Aug 30 17:31 UTC 2002 |
Were you in Barton Hills? Lots of hills, paved roads and very little car
traffic.
If anyone ever needs a bike part in Milan a guy on Main St. most of the way
out of town with a big collection of old bikes in his yard can help. He gave
us a tire when mine got damaged. He is willing to take all our old women's
3-speed bikes and find them homes with kids who cannot afford new ones.
Someone on a bike at the supermarket sent us to him.
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polytarp
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response 231 of 291:
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Aug 30 20:50 UTC 2002 |
fag.
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clees
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response 232 of 291:
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Aug 31 19:02 UTC 2002 |
Back from Lombardy, Italy. It was great, but strainuous. (wet too,
loads of thunderstorms)
All'n all I estimate I climbed more than 12,000 ft. in four rides.
Overall distance 320 kilometers.
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scg
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response 233 of 291:
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Sep 1 05:39 UTC 2002 |
My ride today: Los Altos (roughly Palo Alto) to Santa Cruz, taking a somewhat
roundabout route to get more big hills in. 115 miles, 11,000 feet of
elevation gain. Around 10 hours total, slightly over 8 hours of on the bike
time.
Scary moment for the day: Somewhere near the bottom of the final ten mile,
2,000 foot high speed descent to the parking lot, I was coming around a corner
and found a patch of gravel. I remember one of my wheels starting to slide
(it must have been the back wheel, since I don't think I could have recovered
from the front wheel sliding at that speed), but fortunately it caught before
it had slid far enough to make me crash, and I was able to stay upright and
keep going. These $50 tires that wear out after a little more than a thousand
miles seem well worth the cost.
I later learned that somebody else had crashed there shortly before I went
through. She smashed her helmet, and had some road rash on her leg, but
fortunately seemed otherwise alright.
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clees
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response 234 of 291:
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Sep 1 12:39 UTC 2002 |
That makes my effort look pretty meager, Steve.
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russ
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response 235 of 291:
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Sep 1 17:46 UTC 2002 |
Steve is definitely Grex's answer to Lance Armstrong. I might be
able to climb one such hill on a 30-mile ride, but over and over...
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keesan
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response 236 of 291:
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Sep 1 19:38 UTC 2002 |
We just went maybe 200-300 miles (on mostly gravel roads) but it took 10 days
of biking, about 2-5 hours/day. I will eventually post photos and travelog.
Started north of Chelsea and continued in a big circle through Tecumseh,
Milan, Dundee and back and forth staying in yards and once in pole barn while
it poured. We met the owner while cooking lunch on the front porch at
Bridgewater Lumber (they said their picnic table was the only one in town and
it had a roof). Other high points included a private tour of the Dundee
Military Pool (vehicle) museum after we stayed in the owner's yard, scones
for breakfast after staying in another stranger's yard (he waved at us as we
were going by around dark), tour of a dairy operation, the largest vegetable
farm that sells at market (it was ten times as big before her husband died
recently), orchard, organic vegetable farm, pawpaw grove, Tecumseh swimming
hole and bike trail, unofficial Milan bike shop (he gave us a tire), and
getting our photos in the Milan weekly newspaper just for being there. We
brought back two colds, one poison ivy, and another camping mat. We were
amazed to find that nobody we visited had a digital camera yet and that almost
everybody had white Corelle dishes. On our trip we found no skunks or
raccoons or helicopters and only one smoker (on a bike). But lots of smashed
opossums and groundhogs.
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tpryan
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response 237 of 291:
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Sep 2 19:12 UTC 2002 |
opossum....two forks up!
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russ
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response 238 of 291:
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Sep 2 21:21 UTC 2002 |
I still seem to be improving. Despite the wind today, I averaged
over 3/10 of a MPH faster than my previous personal-best record.
On the downside, my front derailleur isn't shifting correctly. I
need to see if the stop screw moved, the cable stretched, or the
mechanism is binding.
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