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Discussion: No way

in: bbrooke; bbrooke > 2008-06-13;

#  Posted 2008-06-15 01:09:57
maprunner: Definitely not fair! The wind owes you one :)

#  Posted 2008-06-15 03:05:59
bbrooke: I know! The whole way in to work, I kept telling myself "At least it'll be a nice tailwind on the way home" (which is more uphill). DOH!

#  Posted 2008-06-16 22:19:26
Ratlaf: Yep, I'll definitely be telling my kids that I had to ride up-wind both ways to/from work and school!!

#  Posted 2008-06-17 10:30:44
cedarcreek: I lived in Panama City Beach, Florida, one summer, and there was a predictable sea breeze shift twice a day. I don't remember the time of the shift at night, but I do remember that sometime between 11am and 1pm---most days---the breeze would change from blowing onto the water (offshore) to blowing onto the land. It was pretty still in that noon-ish time, but early and late it could get moving.

I did plan a few rides with all tailwind, but it actually made it really hot to ride. Most of the roads seem to go along the shore, so crosswind rides were more common.

I planned a ride once using a map off a restaurant place mat. It looked like a 15 mile ride based on my expert comparison of the part of the map I knew to the part of the map I didn't know. I took a single water bottle, and it was all gone at 15 miles. The next 15 miles had zero houses, zero stores---I probably got passed by 5 vehicles in 90 minutes. It was hot, and I was really sweating. At the first place I could stop, I walked in and said, "Water?". I must have looked really bad, because the guy grabbed a quart cup, a generic Big Gulp, and filled it up. I drank it all at once and handed it back to him. He filled it again. I drank about 2 quarts of water in 5 minutes, and left with a full water bottle. I stopped every few miles for more water on the home stretch. It was well over a gallon and maybe 6 hours before I had to visit a toilet. I don't think I've ever been more dehydrated.

It was basically this route. 41 miles.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1995255

The lesson here is "It's usually not good to plan a ride with a restaurant place mat map." I've got another story where a restaurant place mat map saved the day, so I can't offer a blanket proscription.

#  Posted 2008-06-17 20:55:55
bbrooke: Wow -- now I feel like such a wuss for whining about my 6-mile, 40-minute ride. ;-)

Note to self: placemat maps may not be drawn to scale.

#  Posted 2008-06-17 21:31:22
JanetT: Don't placemat maps usually say something like: "Not to scale"? :-)

I know those tourist maps of various towns (the ones you get free with all kinds of local advertising around the edge) definitely say this, and I wouldn't rely on them for much of anything. Glad you survived, cedarcreek.

#  Posted 2008-06-17 21:49:35
jjcote: Of course, it's much easier to plan routes these days, what with the availability of online maps.

Note to self: when it's really hot out, and you're only a few miles from the beach, opt to go to the beach.

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