09-30-2017 Ride

Posted long after this ride.  Solo ride on Yom Kippur, taking advantage of the absence of much traffic on the highways.  Headed out from Andromeda onto Yefet St.  Down through neighborhoods, generally heading southeast, until I got to Holon, where the street I was on eventually got me to Hwy 4.  Headed south all the way to the 41, where I headed west and rode into Ashdod.  I rode down by the port and then did a general loop through the city before getting back to the 41 and heading east.  Back up Hwy 4 to the Ayalon, which I took up to Kibbutz Galuyot to ride back into Yafo, generally following coastal roads to get back to the starting point.  I think this was the only time I rode to Ashdod and back while staying in Israel.  Made pretty good time, but I remember that on Hwy 4 the wind was working against me on the way down and with me on the return route.

Avg speed = 16.8 mph. Total mileage = 48.8 mi

Total elevation gain = 1280'

https://www.mapmyride.com/workout/2494953779

09-29-2017 Ride

Ride in the late afternoon up the coast, mainly following the bike trail on the way up.  Got near to Herzliya before the trail started heading inland and I decided to turn around.  On the way back, since it was Yom Kippur Eve, I rode on the roads for the most part, finding a way to get over to Rokach and then Hayarkon through the city.  I kept on the road through Jaffa and past, where many kids were already out riding in the streets on their bikes and other vehicles.  I saw a guy on a horse riding in the street.  Near Bat Yam I rode over to the coast and turned to head back, eventually connecting with Yefet St, which was getting crowded with kids even though there were still cars on the roads.

Avg speed = 16.2 mph. Total mileage = 20.2 mi
Avg heartrate = 126 bpm
Total elevation gain = 420'
http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/2493878249

09-22-2017 Ride

Posted long after this ride.  Solo ride, while staying at the Andromeda, up the bike path, past the Tel Aviv port, and then along the northern banks of the Yarkon River before turning around and retracing my route.

Avg speed = 14.2 mph. Total mileage = 12.0 mi

Total elevation gain = 270'

https://www.mapmyride.com/workout/2477653397

09-20-2017 Ride

Ride with Zvika Cohen from his house in Giva'at Brener, starting early in the morning on Rosh Hashanah eve.  We headed out the 411, generally heading uphill through Hulda and past the Barkan winery.  We turned onto the 44 and headed east, again mostly uphill with a couple of steeper sections until we had a short break before turning onto the 38.  Then we turned onto the 3855 to get over to the 3866.  This was the start of an uphill climb of >5 miles, the last 3 miles or so being really steep, at least for me.  I hadn't put any significant climbing miles in for quite a while, and it showed.  I was struggling to keep any kind of cadence at all on this climb, and most of it was just survival.  I started out stronger than Zvika but he caught and passed me with about half a mile to go to the top.  We could have continued riding up, at a more moderate grade, but thankfully he said it would be better to turn around there.  We retraced our route for the most part.  My legs held out reasonably well, although Zvika was riding a fast pace on the flats and downhills, and I had to push to keep up with him.  All in all, it was a good ride, weather was cooperative, and I was tired at the end but legs not overly sore.

Avg speed = 15.0 mph. Total mileage = 43.8 mi
Avg heartrate = 148 bpm
Total elevation gain = 3650'
http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/2474890526

09-16-2017 Ride

Ride from Oren's neighborhood, same starting location as the previous Saturday.  We started out following the same route, sans Slavik who was sleeping in.  Oren likes to ramp up his speed over the first few miles, so that's what we did.  We followed the same route as before until we connected with Rotem at the same spot.  Again up Hwy 4 through Hadera, then turning right and heading east at a place roughly parallel to Ceasarea.  We rode through Binyamina, generally heading southeast. and not too long after stopped for iced coffee.  I rode out in front for awhile after here, outpacing the others and feeling pretty decent, although my heartrate is higher than I want it to be.  Rotem split off not too long afterward, and I dialed my pace back to match speeds with Oren.  We eventually headed west before turning south not too long before getting back to his neighborhood.  He was feeling it toward the end, and so was I.  The weather was better than the previous week in terms of cloudiness and lower humidity, but I had tweaked my lower back just before the start of the ride, and I wasn't feeling 100%.  Legs held out okay, a little wobbliness before the end but they allowed me to finish without difficulties.  Afterward, I rushed home to go to church with Ann for the first time here in Israel.

Avg speed - 16.9 mph. Total mileage = 46.8 mi
Avg heartrate = 137 bpm
Total elevation gain = 1200'
http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/2466480023

09-15-2017 Ride

Posted long after this ride.  Ride while staying at the Andromeda, heading down Louis Pasteur and around to get to Nahum Goldmann.  Then it was up the Tayellet past the Yarkon river and to the top of the Tayellet, turning right on Sderot Levi Eshkol and heading south.  Down to Rokach Blvd and then over to the bike path along the northern banks of the Harkon River to get back to the Tayellet.  Down into Yafo, where I looped around where our new apartment was going to be before getting back to Yefet St and finishing the ride.

Avg speed = 13.2 mph. Total mileage = 15.4 mi

Total elevation gain = 320'

https://www.mapmyride.com/workout/2464648538

09-09-2017 Ride

Ride with Oren Perets and his buddies Slavik and Rotem, meeting Oren by his apartment in Netanya and shortly after meeting up with Slavik.  We headed generally north, other than a short stretch going east to connect up with Hwy 4.  The ride took us through Hadera.  Before we got there, we met up with Rotem, who looks like a strong rider, long and lean.  The road generally headed more NNE before straightening out again.  Just before the planned turnaround point, Oren had a rear blowout.  He tried to repair it using a gel wrapper from Slavik but to no avail.  So he walked his bike to a coffee shop with Rotem while Slavik and I rode up a short, steep little climb to the outskirts of Zichron Ya'akov.  Then we joined the others for iced coffee before three of us started back the way we came.  Rotem cut off sooner and rode to his house, intending to bring his car back and pick Oren up.  In the meantime, Oren got somebody driving south and made it to Hadera, and somehow back to his house, not sure about how.  Slavik and I rode a pretty fast pace, and the sun was out in full force with moderate humidity.  I was sweating into my eyes, which was painful.  With about 5 miles to go, my leg muscles started to balk a little bit, so I dialed it back and made it to the finish without any significant problems.  For me (not for Oren), it was a signature day on my bike, my first group ride in Israel and a decent day given my recent lack of miles.

Avg speed = 17.0 mph. Total mileage = 44.8 mi
Avg heartrate = 140 bpm
Total elevation gain = 1300'
http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/2452033112

09-08-2017 Ride

First official road bike ride in Israel during my stint here.  My bike survived the flight over, nothing was damaged that I could tell.  I had ridden in the afternoon through Tel Aviv to a couple of bike shops to get the bolts on my headset tightened, was helped for free by a friendly bike mechanic in the second shop.  For the ride, I initially took Yefet St up until I could connect with bike trails up the coast to Bat Yam, then with roads to get me up to the westernmost part of Rishon Lezion.  From there, I got onto the main east-west road through RZ and headed east, staying on the bike trail for the most part, until just after I passed over Hwy 4.  Then I turned around and headed back to the coast, staying on roads until I got back into near the southern end of Jaffa.  Riding my bike in traffic here is more of a challenge, since car traffic is much more unpredictable.  Will have to watch my actions very carefully.

Avg speed = 15.0 mph. Total mileage = 17.6 mi
Total elevation gain = 560'
http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/2450226485

09-05-2017 Ride

Posted long after this ride.  Short ride, I think this was intended to find a bike shop that could help me tighten my headset bolts.  Staying at the Andromeda, so I headed down to Yerushalaim and then north on HaYarkon St up to Arlozorov, then right and a left onto Ben Yehuda before turning around and heading back, following the coast and then taking Yefet St back to the apartment.  This was my first tracked ride after we moved to Israel

Avg speed = 9.2 mph. Total mileage = 6.5 mi

Total elevation gain = 180'

https://www.mapmyride.com/workout/2444463995