Why don't more ride early evening?

I don't often ride in the evenings because that is when I relax and do
family time. I also teach two evenings a week. Sat and Sun mornings are for
longer rides. I am self-employed and work at home as much as possible so my
weekday rides tend to be short, 30 to 45 min, mid-morning, hill climbing
quickies after the kids are off to school.

Speaking of not seeing any riders, as part of today's ride I went up Barnard
Road here in Morgan Hill. A good climb for a mid-morning quickie. I call it
"Barnyard Road" for the sometimes smelly sheep pen at the bottom. The climb
itself is only 0.65 miles but gains 420 ft for a solid 12% average. The
inside track on the corners approaches 20%. I have never encountered another
cyclist on this hill although I know others who ride it.

I have never seen another cyclist on Jackson Oaks Drive (0.59 mi, 350 ft,
11%) although again I know others who have climbed it.

I often see bikes on Thomas Grade (.94 mi, 410 ft, 8%+).

Jackson Oaks Drive is at the top of Thomas Grade and linking the two is a
pretty good chug. Sometimes I do all three.

I don't often ride in the evenings because that is when I relax and do
family time. I also teach two evenings a week. Sat and Sun mornings are for
longer rides. I am self-employed and work at home as much as possible so my
weekday rides tend to be short, 30 to 45 min, mid-morning, hill climbing
quickies after the kids are off to school.

Speaking of not seeing any riders, as part of today's ride I went up Barnard
Road here in Morgan Hill. A good climb for a mid-morning quickie. I call it
"Barnyard Road" for the sometimes smelly sheep pen at the bottom. The climb
itself is only 0.65 miles but gains 420 ft for a solid 12% average. The
inside track on the corners approaches 20%. I have never encountered another
cyclist on this hill although I know others who ride it.

I have never seen another cyclist on Jackson Oaks Drive (0.59 mi, 350 ft,
11%) although again I know others who have climbed it.

I often see bikes on Thomas Grade (.94 mi, 410 ft, 8%+).

Jackson Oaks Drive is at the top of Thomas Grade and linking the two is a
pretty good chug. Sometimes I do all three.

A recent study (no attribution here, I just heard about it somewhere or
other) indicated that afternoon and early evening is the "best" time to
work out. Heart rate is usually lower, body temperature higher,
metabolism fully warmed up. Of course, the best time to get exercise for
most people is whenever you like exercising.

I've never been much of a morning person myself. It makes the typical
supported century ride or race kind of a PITA.

I headed out on the Slickrock Trail about 3 PM one January 30th a few
years ago. Thanks to snow on the trail's north-facing slopes, I lost the
trail and narrowly dodged spending a frosty night in the desert. I got
back to the hotel just as it started turning from dusk to dark after
humping my bike up thousands of feet of vertical, 100 feet at a time.

I haven't completely figured this out about myself yet, but I actually
prefer going out at 2-3 PM in the afternoon in the middle of Summer.
Something about wanting the full measure of what Mother Nature has to
offer me.

--
--
Lynn Wallace http://www.xmission.com/~lawall
"We should not march into Baghdad. ... Assigning young soldiers to
a fruitless hunt for a securely entrenched dictator and condemning
them to fight in what would be an unwinnable urban guerilla war, it
could only plunge that part of the world into ever greater
instability." George Bush Sr. in his 1998 book "A World Transformed"

A recent study (no attribution here, I just heard about it somewhere or
other) indicated that afternoon and early evening is the "best" time to
work out. Heart rate is usually lower, body temperature higher,
metabolism fully warmed up. Of course, the best time to get exercise for
most people is whenever you like exercising.

I've never been much of a morning person myself. It makes the typical
supported century ride or race kind of a PITA.

I headed out on the Slickrock Trail about 3 PM one January 30th a few
years ago. Thanks to snow on the trail's north-facing slopes, I lost the
trail and narrowly dodged spending a frosty night in the desert. I got
back to the hotel just as it started turning from dusk to dark after
humping my bike up thousands of feet of vertical, 100 feet at a time.

I haven't completely figured this out about myself yet, but I actually
prefer going out at 2-3 PM in the afternoon in the middle of Summer.
Something about wanting the full measure of what Mother Nature has to
offer me.

--
--
Lynn Wallace http://www.xmission.com/~lawall
"We should not march into Baghdad. ... Assigning young soldiers to
a fruitless hunt for a securely entrenched dictator and condemning
them to fight in what would be an unwinnable urban guerilla war, it
could only plunge that part of the world into ever greater
instability." George Bush Sr. in his 1998 book "A World Transformed"

A recent study (no attribution here, I just heard about it somewhere or
other) indicated that afternoon and early evening is the "best" time to
work out. Heart rate is usually lower, body temperature higher,
metabolism fully warmed up. Of course, the best time to get exercise for
most people is whenever you like exercising.

I've never been much of a morning person myself. It makes the typical
supported century ride or race kind of a PITA.

I headed out on the Slickrock Trail about 3 PM one January 30th a few
years ago. Thanks to snow on the trail's north-facing slopes, I lost the
trail and narrowly dodged spending a frosty night in the desert. I got
back to the hotel just as it started turning from dusk to dark after
humping my bike up thousands of feet of vertical, 100 feet at a time.

I haven't completely figured this out about myself yet, but I actually
prefer going out at 2-3 PM in the afternoon in the middle of Summer.
Something about wanting the full measure of what Mother Nature has to
offer me.

--
--
Lynn Wallace http://www.xmission.com/~lawall
"We should not march into Baghdad. ... Assigning young soldiers to
a fruitless hunt for a securely entrenched dictator and condemning
them to fight in what would be an unwinnable urban guerilla war, it
could only plunge that part of the world into ever greater
instability." George Bush Sr. in his 1998 book "A World Transformed"

Probably best to ask this question on Oct. 31.
-tom

Probably best to ask this question on Oct. 31.
-tom

Probably best to ask this question on Oct. 31.
-tom

Raptor wrote in message ...


I haven't completely figured this out about myself yet, but I actually
prefer going out at 2-3 PM in the afternoon in the middle of Summer.
Something about wanting the full measure of what Mother Nature has to
offer me.

Ahhh, but Mother Nature is much more alive at dawn and dusk. I go
out in the early AM on 3-4 weekdays/week, usually doing 20-35 miles in
the local hills. In the past year I have had close approaches to deer
probably 50 or 60 times, coyotes at least a dozen times, bobcats a
couple of times, and countless views of birds including watching two
pairs of Red-Shouldered Hawks raising broods from building of nest to
teaching the young to hunt over the local hills. Mother Nature is
napping in the middle of the day, so you see very little of her on
mid-day rides.

- rick

Raptor wrote in message ...


I haven't completely figured this out about myself yet, but I actually
prefer going out at 2-3 PM in the afternoon in the middle of Summer.
Something about wanting the full measure of what Mother Nature has to
offer me.

Ahhh, but Mother Nature is much more alive at dawn and dusk. I go
out in the early AM on 3-4 weekdays/week, usually doing 20-35 miles in
the local hills. In the past year I have had close approaches to deer
probably 50 or 60 times, coyotes at least a dozen times, bobcats a
couple of times, and countless views of birds including watching two
pairs of Red-Shouldered Hawks raising broods from building of nest to
teaching the young to hunt over the local hills. Mother Nature is
napping in the middle of the day, so you see very little of her on
mid-day rides.

- rick