With the temperatures reaching high 80s and low 90s in the Valley, I knew I couldn’t ride too much longer. I had called Jesse, my car guy, two weeks ago to set up a time to put a bike rack on my car, so I would be able to drive to the coast and ride my bike in cooler temperatures. I have a Mini Cooper and it needs a special kind of bike rack. Jesse told me he would call me when the parts came in, but when I hadn’t heard from him in over a week, I decided to [...]
I hadn’t ridden my bike for almost a week, so I was glad to be back on the road. I wasn’t sure which direction to go in so I went in two directions, first I rode west to Calabasas and then I came back to Woodland Hills and rode north to West Hills. I rode down Burbank Blvd., left on Valley Circle, right on Calabasas Road, but instead of heading straight and heading to Agoura Hills, I took a left on Parkway Calabasas and rode past the Calabasas Country Club. The view of the golf course was spectacular. I had [...]
Today, I picked up my customized T-Shirts from my friend, Karen. Karen does fabulous work! She has been doing customized shirts for me for the past few years and I am so lucky to have found her. So, I have two specially designed shirts that I can wear when I ride my bike. On one shirt, the front side says Certified Fitness Instructor for the Arthritis Foundation and on the back side it says Thank You AM870. On my other shirt the front says Thank You AM870 and on the back side is says Certified Fitness Instructor for the Arthritis [...]
It was really hot today and the temperature really does make a difference. While I am trying to build up my stamina and make huge leaps and bounds with uphills, when it is hot, I am at a disadvantage. The heat feels like I am riding with an extra hundred pounds. So when it is hot, I go straight and level. I can still get in a good workout without over extending myself. I don’t want to be like those athletes that workout really hard in the summer and then drop dead, so for that reason, I am really conscientious [...]
I wanted to beat the heat, so I started my bike ride in the morning, but the sun was already pretty bright. I rode straight and level all the way to Devonshire and then I came back. It was 85 degrees. It was hot. Greg is right. I ran into him a couple of days ago and we were talking about cycling and how the heat affects the ride. Greg told me, “You need to get a bike rack and go down to the beach to ride.” So that is my next goal. With a Mini Cooper I have to [...]
It was the perfect day for a bike ride. The temperature was just right, 66 degrees. I never want to get bored, so today I rode north up to Chatsworth. My last few rides, I went west in the direction of Calabasas, so today I went north to give myself a little bit of variety. There would be more traffic, but I wanted to avoid the uphills. Today would be all straight and level. I took Burbank to Valley Circle all the way to Vanowen. I took a right on Vanowen and rode all the way to Canoga and then [...]
Today, was the longest ride to date, but it was a tough ride. I really started to have my doubts about my abilities. I rode to Calabasas. I started down Burbank Blvd, around El Camino Real High School and then a left on Valley Circle, over the freeway and then a right on Mulholland. There were two uphill climbs and I did both of them without stopping. The third uphill climb I had to stop just for a few minutes and then I continued on to the top. A right on Mureau Road and then it was all downhill. It [...]
Today the temperature was a mild 70 degrees. It was perfect for riding my bike. I envisioned going to Malibu, but I only got as far as Agoura Hills, almost Malibu. I took my usual route down Burbank, around El Camino Real Charter High School and then a left on Valley Circle to Mulholland. Riding through Old Town Calabasas is always pretty. Up two hills passed Bob Smith Car Dealership and then a right on Mureau and then it was all downhill. I am really gaining confidence on the downhills. When I first got my bike, I really had to [...]
I had been cooped up for a couple of days, so I was really looking forward to riding my bike. The day before I went out for a ride, but I didn’t get very far. As I left my driveway, I felt a couple of raindrops. I convinced myself that it was nothing, but a few blocks from my house I had to turn around. I didn’t want to get caught in the rain like before. It rained on and off for the rest of the day, so I was really looking forward to getting out today. Mentally, I had [...]
Even though I have been living in Woodland Hills for over twenty years, there is so much of the surrounding areas that I have never seen. Henry David Thoreau was right. There is so much in your own backyard. When I was younger, I used to travel a lot. Now I want to stay close to home and discover all there is in my own backyard. Today, I decided to go out and scout the area for bike paths. I drove to Calabasas and then to Las Virgenes. I took a left and then I took Agoura Road all the [...]
