164 Wet and Wild Miles in Ohio (JeffR - enjoy!)

[Ms. Toad]

The Wet:

After 12 miles in the rain. (My steady steed was wounded before the ride even started - my right armrest (left, given the image perspective) blew off on the way to the starting line - Duct tape to the rescue!)


13 miles later - the rain is finally slowing down:




Lunch!


Mid afternoon snooze attack


A million bucks, or so:


Drying out overnight


Wild! (NOT)
Bedtime for tired bones (~5:30 pm)


Snack Attack!

(I've been trying for years to capture the flying pancakes - I got a pancake this year by using flash, but don't like the shadows much - any suggestions that don't involve buying more equipment?)

Rest Stop #1, Day 2 (always gorgeous)


Spent too much energy fighting headwinds the rest of the 86 miles in Day #2 to get any more decent pictures :(

Suggestions about how to get more interesting pictures next year are welcome

[Blue_In_AK]

1. Where in Ohio is this?

[Ms. Toad]

2. Between Cleveland and Sandusky

The ride was Pedal to the Point (Cedar Point amusement park), one of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's MS 150 rides. This one was an MS 164 due to an unexpected detour that added 6 miles each day on top of the normal extra mile or two. Last year's route: (pretty close to this year): http://www.nationalmssociety.org/OHA/event/event_page.asp?p=38919&e=7040

[Blue_In_AK]

3. That's a long ride...

Every time I get on a bicycle I fall off, so I haven't even tried for many years. The brain concussion at 11 kind of had a dampening effect. I was born in Ohio, but in the south between Dayton and Cincinnati (Wilmington). When I was little I think I was related to at least half of Clinton County, but I'm sure we've all scattered to the winds by now (or are six feet under).

[Ms. Toad]

4. Long, but normally pretty wimpy...

The rain and headwinds this year gave it a bit more spice than usual (not to mention the truck that came within 5 inches of my leg before it stopped backing out of its driveway).

Now that truck might have made an interesting motion shot....

[Blue_In_AK]

5. Or texture on your leg. LOL.

[Ms. Toad]

7. I usually get that

when I forget that my toes are fastened to the pedals when I stop...

[Eurobabe]

10. That's where I grew up, I bet you went through Vermilion?

Small world. What route did you take?

I spent many a summer's day at Cedar Point, back when parents would drop off kids (alone!!) at 9am and pick us up at 10pm. Those were the days. Sigh.

[Ms. Toad]

13. Nope, south of there

Somewhat south of a line between Berlin Heights and Oberlin. They have to add 25 or so miles to make it 75 each way (since its really only about 50 miles as the crow flies).

We also need to ride the back roads. 2000 cyclists along the lake with all of the weekend Cedar Point traffic would not be pretty.

[bvar22]

6. My hats off to you!

:patriot:
AND for such a good cause.

It takes me all week to do that kind of mileage.

Please repost to the Bicycle Forum.
We love this kind of stuff there:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=324

[Ms. Toad]

8. Thanks...

Normally it takes me a week or longer - because it takes so darn much time to cover that distance and I run out of daylight after work. Having a weekend dedicated to it is a luxury that comes around once a year.

[F.Gordon]

9. That last one should be in a PR pub/print

Lots of symbolism in that one. They are all very good. Sorry... don't have any flying pancake suggestions or any pointers. Maybe use shutter priority - fast shutter speed with your flash to "freeze" the pancake.
:shrug:

These photographs tell a story... capture a fantastic effort for a good cause.

[Ms. Toad]

16. Thanks.

The best part about the cause is 'cause I got to take two whole days to pedal around looking at 164 miles of Ohio late summer countryside and play with two of my three favorite toy sets (camera and bike...now how to fit my scuba toys into the mix...oh yea...someone's done that: http://www.discoverydiving.com/uwbikerace.htm ) :silly:

Problem with faster shutter speed for the pancakes is that the light is so awful in the cafeteria - no windows, blasted lights that aren't very bright but make everything I snap yellow. I opted for flash this year, hoping I was far enough away to avoid creating shadows so I could use a faster shutter speed but it didn't work :( There's always next year...I'm gonna get a good picture of it yet, or I'll just have to keep doing these rides until I do.

[JeffR]

11. Congrats!

These convey a real sense of 'being there'. The third one, and of course the last one, are just excellent. My knee is too wonky to handle it anymore, but I remember the exhileration of covering hundreds of miles in a weekend. 'How fair is youth, that flies away...'

The sky in the last shot and the foreground lighting are downright painterly. Shame about the headwinds, but to come through day 2 with one photo that good is a real achievement. Never mind the pancakes - this one is a money shot!

Thanks for posting these. Loved 'em.
:)

[Ms. Toad]

15. Thanks!

I take the pictures to create fliers to thank my sponsors and give them the sense of vicariously riding with me - so I'm glad that's what they convey. (I also use them for fundraising for the next year.) I wouldn't have shared them here, except for your suggestions,and the others they triggered, in the July round table.

It's been a while since I've been associated wtih the word "youth." I called the SAG support person who coveted my 1963 rider number because it was his birth year a "young whippersnapper." 50 is exactly one month away, which you had to make me go and think about didn't you...:yoiks: I know of women ages 67 and 70 who did at least the first day (and kids as young as 9 or 10, at least one of which did both days). I find the participation by both ends of the age spectrum quite amazing - and it gives me hope I'll get the full 20 years out of the bike I splurged on a couple of years ago thinking it would be my last road bike, before I move to something less aerodynamic but more comfortable for creaky bones.

[JeffR]

17. if you're not yet 50, you're just a kid

Since I hit the milestone 6 months ago, my contention is that 50 is the new 21. Or something.

If you can still do this ride, you're not just a kid, you're a healthy kid.:)

[Gregorian]

12. I would be out riding right now.

But I'm sitting here with horrible back pain. Oh well. At least biking is something I can still do. I absolutely love biking.


At any rate, that is really cool to see other people on bikes. More of this sort of thing! :)

[Ms. Toad]

14. Fortunately,

my back pain isn't aggravated by biking!