Two more good rides this weekend.
The wind on Saturday morning was a constant 20-25 mph. The kind of wind that used to just make me stay in and pour another cup of java and read more op-eds. Not Saturday. I headed out just after 6 am and rode right into the teeth of that wind for 22 miles. It was brutal, it was dull, it was good for my moral fiber.
And I laughed the whole way.
Then I turned around. The ride home I took a few detours making the total trip just over 50 miles.
Sunday I didn't get out until late afternoon and did almost the same course, sans a 4.5 mile out-and-back stretch on the western end. Again, the wind was there, but not as stiff. 41 miles in just over 2 hours.
One difference in my usually dull training rides out into farmland this year has been to add in what A&S weenies would lynch me for even mentioning. An MP3 player. Tunes on a ride! Very good company. As for the danger of the headphones? I don't buy it anymore. I can hear vehicles just as early as I did w/o music.
So the preparation for further goals continues. 90 more miles in the legs. Yum.
Showing posts with label cycling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cycling. Show all posts
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
An Odd Tuesday Night Ride
A few minutes before 6 pm. Great weather for a Tuesday night ride. Low 70s with a bit of chill in the air. Just add armwarmers and I’m good to go. Start w/ eight in the group. The usual fast rollout down the craters of the moon road.
Along the way, a few guys in club jerseys hop on.
By the time we hit around mile five, about two dozen riders sporting various local team kits jump in with us. I can sense the faster guys in our group are salivating, but not me. Unfamiliar riders on narrow somewhat busy rush hour streets make me skittish.
I end up somewhere in the middle of the pack at a major road crossing without any familiar faces.
I see our guys are off the front after the crossing, so I give chase. As they are way off in the distance, all I end up doing is dragging a bunch of faster riders with me, all of whom gradually pick me off and spit me out the back. Riders are over the center line cresting hills, rounding corners, jockeying for position, and I get a strange feeling this is not where I want to be.
I drop back, let the groups go, and then start to chase. The rest of the ride is just digging deep and working hard. By the second pass of the rollers and what passes for a big climb on the ride, my legs finally respond and I feel good riding with the remainder of our group who waited at the top of the climb.
All in all, a pretty fast ride, but another reminder that close quarters racing is not in my blood.
Can’t wait to do it again next Tuesday.
Along the way, a few guys in club jerseys hop on.
By the time we hit around mile five, about two dozen riders sporting various local team kits jump in with us. I can sense the faster guys in our group are salivating, but not me. Unfamiliar riders on narrow somewhat busy rush hour streets make me skittish.
I end up somewhere in the middle of the pack at a major road crossing without any familiar faces.
I see our guys are off the front after the crossing, so I give chase. As they are way off in the distance, all I end up doing is dragging a bunch of faster riders with me, all of whom gradually pick me off and spit me out the back. Riders are over the center line cresting hills, rounding corners, jockeying for position, and I get a strange feeling this is not where I want to be.
I drop back, let the groups go, and then start to chase. The rest of the ride is just digging deep and working hard. By the second pass of the rollers and what passes for a big climb on the ride, my legs finally respond and I feel good riding with the remainder of our group who waited at the top of the climb.
All in all, a pretty fast ride, but another reminder that close quarters racing is not in my blood.
Can’t wait to do it again next Tuesday.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Double or Nothing Recon
It was a busy weekend.
Saturday Arron and I found our way up to Cross Plains, Wisconsin, to ride. The trip had several goals. 1) Scout out the roads for a metric ride route we put together last year and are planning on having this year; 2) Get some good training in the legs for next month’s Bike Tour of Colorado; 3) Suffer up some steep hills; and 4) Enjoy some excellent coffee at the end.
From the outset of the drive up I-90, the skies were threatening. But we figured if we were going to end up on a week long ride in the Rockies that inclement weather might be a part of the deal. By the time we got to Cross Plains it was raining. Not bad, but enough to be miserable if it kept up all day. So we geared up and hopped on the bikes.
As we were leaving the lot of Uphill Grind Coffee & Bikes, the shop owner was pulling in and said, “You should have been here yesterday when the weather was perfect.” Yeah, thanks.
The rollout was a bit on the drizzly side, but by the time we finished the first few flat miles and headed into the hills, the rain stopped. Temps from there hovered between 48-52F for a good portion of the day. I was just uncomfortable enough to start the ride that I knew I had not overdressed.
The trunk roads in southwest Wisconsin that link the dairy farms to the main roads are not tall, but can get silly steep. Enough so that they are a grind to climb, but the far side of many are thrill ride descents. We lumbered along up Moen Valley, Sutcliffe, Zweittler, Pinnacle, and Lakeview. From the tops of a few you can see hulking Blue Mound off in the distance. That’s where we were headed.
After the 400 foot downhill on Ridge View, we got to Mounds Park Road, where we knew a time trial race happening. This one is a 10 mile TT called Alpe Bl’Huez. We checked with the guy waving riders the right way if it was okay for us to head up the road and he said it was open and go ahead. So we rocked it up the first big part of the road to Blue Mound State Park. We were passed by a guy on a full time trial bike. He was cooking. We were also passed by a young guy with a full beard on a regular road bike. As our day was going to be more than just this climb, we didn’t chase (not sure we could have done much on that, anyway).
Normally we’d take the final 200+ foot climb up into the park, but with the TT finish happening there we skipped that and headed down into the town of Blue Mounds to the General Store. The cold ham and cheese sandwich tasted pretty good. Arron felt he deserved a fudge round and he didn’t even count the calories.
Saturday Arron and I found our way up to Cross Plains, Wisconsin, to ride. The trip had several goals. 1) Scout out the roads for a metric ride route we put together last year and are planning on having this year; 2) Get some good training in the legs for next month’s Bike Tour of Colorado; 3) Suffer up some steep hills; and 4) Enjoy some excellent coffee at the end.
From the outset of the drive up I-90, the skies were threatening. But we figured if we were going to end up on a week long ride in the Rockies that inclement weather might be a part of the deal. By the time we got to Cross Plains it was raining. Not bad, but enough to be miserable if it kept up all day. So we geared up and hopped on the bikes.
As we were leaving the lot of Uphill Grind Coffee & Bikes, the shop owner was pulling in and said, “You should have been here yesterday when the weather was perfect.” Yeah, thanks.
The rollout was a bit on the drizzly side, but by the time we finished the first few flat miles and headed into the hills, the rain stopped. Temps from there hovered between 48-52F for a good portion of the day. I was just uncomfortable enough to start the ride that I knew I had not overdressed.
The trunk roads in southwest Wisconsin that link the dairy farms to the main roads are not tall, but can get silly steep. Enough so that they are a grind to climb, but the far side of many are thrill ride descents. We lumbered along up Moen Valley, Sutcliffe, Zweittler, Pinnacle, and Lakeview. From the tops of a few you can see hulking Blue Mound off in the distance. That’s where we were headed.
After the 400 foot downhill on Ridge View, we got to Mounds Park Road, where we knew a time trial race happening. This one is a 10 mile TT called Alpe Bl’Huez. We checked with the guy waving riders the right way if it was okay for us to head up the road and he said it was open and go ahead. So we rocked it up the first big part of the road to Blue Mound State Park. We were passed by a guy on a full time trial bike. He was cooking. We were also passed by a young guy with a full beard on a regular road bike. As our day was going to be more than just this climb, we didn’t chase (not sure we could have done much on that, anyway).
Normally we’d take the final 200+ foot climb up into the park, but with the TT finish happening there we skipped that and headed down into the town of Blue Mounds to the General Store. The cold ham and cheese sandwich tasted pretty good. Arron felt he deserved a fudge round and he didn’t even count the calories.
Note the lit cig on the far end of the bench. It may or may not be Arron's. 
I didn't win the lottery.
The little climb out of Blue Mounds up County Road F isn’t so bad, but after sitting down at the General Store for more than five minutes, the legs were wondering why they were being asked to turn pedals again. Mentally, though, this is not a bad climb because I know there is a wonderful four mile downhill on the other side of the crest.
The last few hills are some of the hardest. Could have been a combination of fatigue and ready to be done, but heading up Braun, Garfoot, Observatory, and then the optional (for our route) climb/descent of Barlow, I was really ready for a break.
The ride back down Barlow > Observatory > Garfoot back to Cross Plains was pretty chill and we even had a bit of a tailwind on the final flat mile into town on KP.
Here’s what the day looked like all graphed out for elevation
Back to the beginning. Uphill Grind is a fantastic little shop. We waited a few minutes for Michael to take care of closing the deal on a couple of townie bikes and then settled in for a hot drink as a reward for all the climbing. The café au lait hit the spot. Could have done with another, but time didn’t allow. Arron had a cappuccino with like 8 shots in it. He was almost awake when we drove home.
Can’t wait to get back up there in a few weeks for the Double or Nothing Metric. Hopefully the weather is more sunny and about 15 degrees warmer. One can hope.
Oh yeah, we also stopped at Arby’s on the way back. ARBY’S!!
Monday, April 13, 2009
Hincapie Trailer
This looks interesting. Though I'm not a huge Hincapie fan, I do know he's got a big following among U.S. cycling fans.
The final grilling question of "Why haven't you won Roubaix?" seems like it might never get answered, what after yesterday's inopportune flat, the previous year's broken wheel, and the prior year's tragi-comic steering tube snap. It's almost enough to root for the guy.
Thanks to aham for pointing to this trailer out.
The final grilling question of "Why haven't you won Roubaix?" seems like it might never get answered, what after yesterday's inopportune flat, the previous year's broken wheel, and the prior year's tragi-comic steering tube snap. It's almost enough to root for the guy.
Thanks to aham for pointing to this trailer out.
Monday, March 16, 2009
The GREAT Outdoors
We just had a spectacular March weekend. Not a cloud in the sky, little to no wind, and temps ranging from mid-50s up into the high 60s. Sure, that may sound downright arctic to someone from more southern climes, but given that just two months ago we had temperatures that were 70 to 80 degrees colder (yes, we were down to -20 F, without windchill), 50s and 60s are devine.
For some unknown reason, though, on Saturday morning I went down into the cellar and ran 3+ miles on the treadmill before heading out with the family for some errands. Despite the run, there was no denying the weather when we returned home. I had to get out on the roads for a ride. I might have overdressed with normal cycling shorts/jersey covered with a long sleeved jersey, arm warmers, wind vest, and full length tights, but I was comfortable.
The ride was nothing epic at 27 miles, but it was wonderful to be outside under a cloudless sky with a sun higher than 25 degrees from the horizon. The roads were in decent repair for the most part, but that might be because some of it was repaves just last year. There were various potholes, rocks, salt, and other debris to negotiate, but that became part of the experience. The bike path along the local river was in pretty good shape, too. Along one section where there are some shops and restaurants I heard bagpipes playing and realized the area was jammed with cars and people heading into bars for pre-St. Pat’s day revelry.
Sunday I got out for 42 more miles and the weather was even better. I only needed a pair of knee warmers under the shorts and skipped the arm warmers and vest and wore an old wool jersey that kept me comfortable. I rode over to a local area known for good road riding. Lots of riders out getting miles into their winter weary legs. Great to see. I headed home along the river again and by about mile 33 my own legs were starting to holler at me that this was a lot for the first weekend of riding.
The aftermath of the first few real rides of the season are pretty predictable. My back is aching from the extra time in the saddle. My heels of my hands are wondering what just happened, too. Over the winter one can forget that spinning on the trainer is good for cardio, but doesn’t exactly replicate the visceral and physical experience of handling traffic, braking, and dealing with bumpy pavement. Those are just minor quibbles and they’ll dissipate over the next few weeks.
The weather’s nice today and supposed to touch near 70 tomorrow, so here’s hoping some of the Tuesday night PRP crew can show up a bit early for an after work ride.
Damn, it’s good to be back on the road.
For some unknown reason, though, on Saturday morning I went down into the cellar and ran 3+ miles on the treadmill before heading out with the family for some errands. Despite the run, there was no denying the weather when we returned home. I had to get out on the roads for a ride. I might have overdressed with normal cycling shorts/jersey covered with a long sleeved jersey, arm warmers, wind vest, and full length tights, but I was comfortable.
The ride was nothing epic at 27 miles, but it was wonderful to be outside under a cloudless sky with a sun higher than 25 degrees from the horizon. The roads were in decent repair for the most part, but that might be because some of it was repaves just last year. There were various potholes, rocks, salt, and other debris to negotiate, but that became part of the experience. The bike path along the local river was in pretty good shape, too. Along one section where there are some shops and restaurants I heard bagpipes playing and realized the area was jammed with cars and people heading into bars for pre-St. Pat’s day revelry.
Sunday I got out for 42 more miles and the weather was even better. I only needed a pair of knee warmers under the shorts and skipped the arm warmers and vest and wore an old wool jersey that kept me comfortable. I rode over to a local area known for good road riding. Lots of riders out getting miles into their winter weary legs. Great to see. I headed home along the river again and by about mile 33 my own legs were starting to holler at me that this was a lot for the first weekend of riding.
The aftermath of the first few real rides of the season are pretty predictable. My back is aching from the extra time in the saddle. My heels of my hands are wondering what just happened, too. Over the winter one can forget that spinning on the trainer is good for cardio, but doesn’t exactly replicate the visceral and physical experience of handling traffic, braking, and dealing with bumpy pavement. Those are just minor quibbles and they’ll dissipate over the next few weeks.
The weather’s nice today and supposed to touch near 70 tomorrow, so here’s hoping some of the Tuesday night PRP crew can show up a bit early for an after work ride.
Damn, it’s good to be back on the road.
Monday, December 08, 2008
Training Wheels
I'm terrible at dedicating myself to good health and fitness. No matter how many times I say I'm going to start working on the core, or lifting some weights, or eating sensibly, it just doesn't seem to happen. Horrid self control.
But when it comes to some aerobic work, I was pretty disciplined last winter about hitting the treadmill and eventually the trainer. It helped out significantly in losing some weight and gaining some endurance once cycling season hit. I didn't start in earnest until after the new year, but it did help. This year I planned on starting a bit earlier to stave off the holiday lazy poundage that so easily occurs.
With that, yesterday I hooked up the bike to the trainer. The loud, boring, go nowhere trainer. It's a necessary evil if I plan on being able to hang with anyone next spring for more than the three miles of warm up on the Tuesday night ride.
Having something to watch is essential or the trainer/treadmill become unbearable for more than about 10 minutes. With some entertainment to distract attention away from the monotony, time slips by more efficiently.
Anyway, here's the Winter Training Camp setup. Note the massive 19" color TV, the luxurious surroundings, and the lovely scale off to the bottom right corner. Gotta know that progress is being made, or at least regression kept at bay, no?
Alright, that's that. But look at this setup. This is what makes riders weak and soft and slow. Who would want to train in such miserable conditions? The temptation of the candy in the curio cabinet. The stocked wine rack. The relaxing recliners beckoning. Bah. Aham, this is not right, my friend!
I am only a little bit jealous, but love to keep in mind how Rocky Balboa trained by chasing chickens in miserable back alley Philly to go the distance with Apollo Creed and ran up a mountain in cold snowy Siberia while wearing a leather jacket en route to whupping Ivan Drago.
Or something like that.
But when it comes to some aerobic work, I was pretty disciplined last winter about hitting the treadmill and eventually the trainer. It helped out significantly in losing some weight and gaining some endurance once cycling season hit. I didn't start in earnest until after the new year, but it did help. This year I planned on starting a bit earlier to stave off the holiday lazy poundage that so easily occurs.
With that, yesterday I hooked up the bike to the trainer. The loud, boring, go nowhere trainer. It's a necessary evil if I plan on being able to hang with anyone next spring for more than the three miles of warm up on the Tuesday night ride.
Having something to watch is essential or the trainer/treadmill become unbearable for more than about 10 minutes. With some entertainment to distract attention away from the monotony, time slips by more efficiently.
Anyway, here's the Winter Training Camp setup. Note the massive 19" color TV, the luxurious surroundings, and the lovely scale off to the bottom right corner. Gotta know that progress is being made, or at least regression kept at bay, no?
Alright, that's that. But look at this setup. This is what makes riders weak and soft and slow. Who would want to train in such miserable conditions? The temptation of the candy in the curio cabinet. The stocked wine rack. The relaxing recliners beckoning. Bah. Aham, this is not right, my friend!
I am only a little bit jealous, but love to keep in mind how Rocky Balboa trained by chasing chickens in miserable back alley Philly to go the distance with Apollo Creed and ran up a mountain in cold snowy Siberia while wearing a leather jacket en route to whupping Ivan Drago.
Or something like that.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Darkness
It's a warm Fall Tuesday. Perfect day for a ride. Tonight we're pushing forward the Tuesday night ride time drastically, as in recent weeks it's just gotten too dark near the end of the ride. Soon enough we'll have to call it off for the season.
It's not the cold I dread about the next six months, it's the lack of daylight. And the cars who choose not to see riders once the sun goes down. I am a bit skittish about riding when it's dark, so soon I'll retreat to the treadmill and trainer in the basement.
Maybe this year I won't wait until January to get started on my fitness for the Spring.
It's not the cold I dread about the next six months, it's the lack of daylight. And the cars who choose not to see riders once the sun goes down. I am a bit skittish about riding when it's dark, so soon I'll retreat to the treadmill and trainer in the basement.
Maybe this year I won't wait until January to get started on my fitness for the Spring.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
2008 Psimet Invitational
A whole mess of hammers got dropped on Saturday.
This past weekend was the 3rd Annual Psimet Invitational in Hampshire. This ride is pretty special and big kudos to Psimet who put it together. This ride has been instrumental in a whole lot of riders connecting in our area.
The ride is a three loop progressive century through Kane and McHenry Counties. That is, if you want to ride 100 miles you ride all three loops. If you only want to ride 30- or 60-something miles, pick a loop or two and show up to ride. And though we try to make this a social ride, it tends to get zippy once the jackrabbits hop off the front.
Prelude
A bowl of oatmeal and a couple of cups of coffee and I was out the door for the relatively short car ride to Hampshire F.P. I thought I might ride there, but decided to stamp some carbon footprint and drive.
Cars slowly streamed into the parking lot and Psimet shows up with that annoying Flobots song about handlebars oozing out of his car speakers. And he had a bag of hammers. He dropped the hammers. He’s too legit to quit. Go MC Psimet!
The weather was looking wonderful. The first couple of Psimet Invitationals saw riders with arm warmers, wind vests, and knee warmers. This year there was nary a knee warmer in sight and only a few riders sporting arm warmers.
I spent my time snapping some pictures and sandbagging. Honestly, my quads were still smarting from two days prior on the treadmill, which I have not been on since the spring. I wasn’t sure how my legs would react, especially with some notoriously fast riders in attendance.
After the requisite photo ops (Psimet taking the pics, so he’s not in the group shot…. oops), the motley band rolled out to the north.
Loop the First
There was lots of chatter as the group formed two lines at a steady pace. Shider and ColorChange led the parade and began to ratchet up the pace a few miles in on Briar Hill Road. Alas, the pace was to come to a complete halt as the left line passed over a pothole that caused two flats. I was fortunate to hear Shider holler out “HOLE!” at the last second and I was able to bunny hop the flat causing road cavity.
As the tires were patched, the B group rode by. I could tell they were feeling smug about taking the lead role on the ride. They stayed up there quite a while, too, as after we got back rolling, another tire went flat. This time it was a pinch flat most likely from the same pothole earlier, just a slower leak. So again the A group stopped as Psimet worked his tire changing magic and chided MJH2 the whole way through the change about not lining his tires with baby powder. Hmmm….. I would get that same lecture. Remind me to not let Psimet change my tire until I can throw some Johnson & Johnson’s in there.
Again we rolled out, and in jest I took a flyer off the front. Note to self: Don’t fake an attack when Shider’s around. He will chase. He will pass. He will keep the pedals turning in a very fast manner. ColorChange and aham join the chase, even as I let up. Cripes. I’m in the swim now. Nothing to do but catch a wheel and hang on for dear life. Miracle of miracles, my legs reacted.
We four rolled on at a pretty good clip, mostly because Shider and ColorChange were taking monster minutes-long pulls. aham and I were taking more sane 30 to 60 second pulls. Eventually we see riders up. It’s the B group. And one of the KOM points is showing up on the map. Shider powers away thinking he can catch them and take the points, but it was not to be. iab took the points on his 85 year old (or so) steel Cinelli that only has 6 gears (or so) on it. I’m sure he’ll tell us about it for a long time to come. Way to go, iab!
The hill down to Marengo was a lot of fun. The four of us followed the map to the marked rest stop and got some goodies from the convenience store (S’mores flavored Pop Tart FTW!). A couple others showed up and then no one else. Huh? A quick call to Psimet finds that they think we have skipped the rest stop and they are waiting down the line. So we caught them and the band wandered through Marengo to get back on track.
I followed Shider up the incline out of town and turned back to only see ColorChange on my wheel. After a stop sign we saw aham hanging 100 meters back and we slackened the pace to let him back onto the four man freight train. From there we powered it back to the F.P.
38 miles at almost 22 mph average. It was a zesty start to the day.
Intermission the First
Rolling back into the lot we were greeted by a few more folks showing up for the second loop. Also The Inquisitors showed up to ride around the lot. Way cool.
Some folks left at that point, but there were some new faces. SmokinMiles and recursive were there. And the 6 to 1 odds laid down by iab that timmyquest wouldn’t show up were paid off when TQ rolled in. We’ll never doubt him again when he says he might just maybe show up for a BFNIC ride.
More photo ops and the group was out around 11 am for the second loop to the west.
Loop the Second
Another fairly sedate rollout, but as tends to happen, we hit the downhills that happen a couple of times on Kelley Road and the pace nudges up into the mid-20 mph range. With the addition of recursive to the mix, the front of the line is cooking, but this time around more folks are hanging in with the double paceline. It’s a wonder how fast riders can go when they are whisked along with the draft.
As we powered down Melms, I was looking for the upcoming turn onto Polk. The street sign for it has miniscule lettering and we were going to miss it. I hollered out that we missed the turn and the group slowed to get back on track. Well, it may have been a blessing that we missed it, as the road was done up all nice in pea gravel for a chip-sealing. In the formation we had I’m guessing at least one person would have gone down in the turn at the pace we were rolling.
We decided to skip the road and cut the loop by a few miles by staying on Melms. In doing so I missed the rabbits rocketing off down the road and splitting the pack in two. I wanted back up there and burned a few matches to catch the first group, pass them, and then try to bridge up to the fast guys. I did catch them, but it was only because they stopped to cross over IL-23. With them stopping the gang was all back together and stayed that way to the rest stop in Genoa.
For the first time I began to notice how hot the day was. Others had already retreated to the shady side of the building. Rolling out with the group, I knew another one of the KOM spots was coming up, but as we crossed back over IL-23, my legs didn’t respond. A group of four or five riders took off. I stayed back with the second group as we encountered another stretch of pea gravel road. This time we had no way out, so cranked on. The fast guys were still in sight and I thought I might have one last match to get back up there, so I pulled around, took the point and dug deep. After a few minutes I heard Psimet telling me to peel off the point. That was it for my speed for the day.
Unfortunately we were still on the gravel as the road took a left turn. I was at the back and watched almost everyone whoa up to take the bend nice and slow. Unfortunately voldemort didn’t whoa up quite enough and he ended up in a deeper pile of rocks. Out from him went his wheels and down he went. His left arm was scraped pretty bad and he knocked his head on the ‘pavement’ but otherwise was in good enough shape to keep on going. Thankfully nothing broken. Helmets are good.
So we rambled on back down Allen Road and when we got to Hampshire my legs just completely bonked out. I let a few folks around and told them to go on, that I was going to ‘cool down’ the last couple of miles. Ha! It was less a cool down and more a struggle. No more matches in the book as I limped back to the lot.
29 miles at 19.8 mph. For bonking, that's pretty zippy. Hurrah for drafting!
Intermission the Second / Postlude
I was wiped out and ready to go. Thankfully I had already planned to skip the final loop due to a prior engagement. The folks heading out for the final loop all looked a bit knackered, as well. If I read ColorChange’s stats right, this loop ended up being a touch slower than the first two.
As I headed home I took a little detour to Wendy’s for a double cheeseburger recovery meal. I made sure to give aham a call with the information and tempt him to stop at a Wendy’s to get the same corrupt meal. He needs more fast food in his diet. I mean, what else to keep one fast on the bike but fast food, yeah?
A great day. A great ride. Again, big props to Psimet. Can’t wait for the 4th Invitational!
This past weekend was the 3rd Annual Psimet Invitational in Hampshire. This ride is pretty special and big kudos to Psimet who put it together. This ride has been instrumental in a whole lot of riders connecting in our area.
The ride is a three loop progressive century through Kane and McHenry Counties. That is, if you want to ride 100 miles you ride all three loops. If you only want to ride 30- or 60-something miles, pick a loop or two and show up to ride. And though we try to make this a social ride, it tends to get zippy once the jackrabbits hop off the front.
Prelude
A bowl of oatmeal and a couple of cups of coffee and I was out the door for the relatively short car ride to Hampshire F.P. I thought I might ride there, but decided to stamp some carbon footprint and drive.
Cars slowly streamed into the parking lot and Psimet shows up with that annoying Flobots song about handlebars oozing out of his car speakers. And he had a bag of hammers. He dropped the hammers. He’s too legit to quit. Go MC Psimet!
The weather was looking wonderful. The first couple of Psimet Invitationals saw riders with arm warmers, wind vests, and knee warmers. This year there was nary a knee warmer in sight and only a few riders sporting arm warmers.
I spent my time snapping some pictures and sandbagging. Honestly, my quads were still smarting from two days prior on the treadmill, which I have not been on since the spring. I wasn’t sure how my legs would react, especially with some notoriously fast riders in attendance.
After the requisite photo ops (Psimet taking the pics, so he’s not in the group shot…. oops), the motley band rolled out to the north.
Loop the First
There was lots of chatter as the group formed two lines at a steady pace. Shider and ColorChange led the parade and began to ratchet up the pace a few miles in on Briar Hill Road. Alas, the pace was to come to a complete halt as the left line passed over a pothole that caused two flats. I was fortunate to hear Shider holler out “HOLE!” at the last second and I was able to bunny hop the flat causing road cavity.
As the tires were patched, the B group rode by. I could tell they were feeling smug about taking the lead role on the ride. They stayed up there quite a while, too, as after we got back rolling, another tire went flat. This time it was a pinch flat most likely from the same pothole earlier, just a slower leak. So again the A group stopped as Psimet worked his tire changing magic and chided MJH2 the whole way through the change about not lining his tires with baby powder. Hmmm….. I would get that same lecture. Remind me to not let Psimet change my tire until I can throw some Johnson & Johnson’s in there.
Again we rolled out, and in jest I took a flyer off the front. Note to self: Don’t fake an attack when Shider’s around. He will chase. He will pass. He will keep the pedals turning in a very fast manner. ColorChange and aham join the chase, even as I let up. Cripes. I’m in the swim now. Nothing to do but catch a wheel and hang on for dear life. Miracle of miracles, my legs reacted.
We four rolled on at a pretty good clip, mostly because Shider and ColorChange were taking monster minutes-long pulls. aham and I were taking more sane 30 to 60 second pulls. Eventually we see riders up. It’s the B group. And one of the KOM points is showing up on the map. Shider powers away thinking he can catch them and take the points, but it was not to be. iab took the points on his 85 year old (or so) steel Cinelli that only has 6 gears (or so) on it. I’m sure he’ll tell us about it for a long time to come. Way to go, iab!
The hill down to Marengo was a lot of fun. The four of us followed the map to the marked rest stop and got some goodies from the convenience store (S’mores flavored Pop Tart FTW!). A couple others showed up and then no one else. Huh? A quick call to Psimet finds that they think we have skipped the rest stop and they are waiting down the line. So we caught them and the band wandered through Marengo to get back on track.
I followed Shider up the incline out of town and turned back to only see ColorChange on my wheel. After a stop sign we saw aham hanging 100 meters back and we slackened the pace to let him back onto the four man freight train. From there we powered it back to the F.P.
38 miles at almost 22 mph average. It was a zesty start to the day.
Intermission the First
Rolling back into the lot we were greeted by a few more folks showing up for the second loop. Also The Inquisitors showed up to ride around the lot. Way cool.
Some folks left at that point, but there were some new faces. SmokinMiles and recursive were there. And the 6 to 1 odds laid down by iab that timmyquest wouldn’t show up were paid off when TQ rolled in. We’ll never doubt him again when he says he might just maybe show up for a BFNIC ride.
More photo ops and the group was out around 11 am for the second loop to the west.
Loop the Second
Another fairly sedate rollout, but as tends to happen, we hit the downhills that happen a couple of times on Kelley Road and the pace nudges up into the mid-20 mph range. With the addition of recursive to the mix, the front of the line is cooking, but this time around more folks are hanging in with the double paceline. It’s a wonder how fast riders can go when they are whisked along with the draft.
As we powered down Melms, I was looking for the upcoming turn onto Polk. The street sign for it has miniscule lettering and we were going to miss it. I hollered out that we missed the turn and the group slowed to get back on track. Well, it may have been a blessing that we missed it, as the road was done up all nice in pea gravel for a chip-sealing. In the formation we had I’m guessing at least one person would have gone down in the turn at the pace we were rolling.
We decided to skip the road and cut the loop by a few miles by staying on Melms. In doing so I missed the rabbits rocketing off down the road and splitting the pack in two. I wanted back up there and burned a few matches to catch the first group, pass them, and then try to bridge up to the fast guys. I did catch them, but it was only because they stopped to cross over IL-23. With them stopping the gang was all back together and stayed that way to the rest stop in Genoa.
For the first time I began to notice how hot the day was. Others had already retreated to the shady side of the building. Rolling out with the group, I knew another one of the KOM spots was coming up, but as we crossed back over IL-23, my legs didn’t respond. A group of four or five riders took off. I stayed back with the second group as we encountered another stretch of pea gravel road. This time we had no way out, so cranked on. The fast guys were still in sight and I thought I might have one last match to get back up there, so I pulled around, took the point and dug deep. After a few minutes I heard Psimet telling me to peel off the point. That was it for my speed for the day.
Unfortunately we were still on the gravel as the road took a left turn. I was at the back and watched almost everyone whoa up to take the bend nice and slow. Unfortunately voldemort didn’t whoa up quite enough and he ended up in a deeper pile of rocks. Out from him went his wheels and down he went. His left arm was scraped pretty bad and he knocked his head on the ‘pavement’ but otherwise was in good enough shape to keep on going. Thankfully nothing broken. Helmets are good.
So we rambled on back down Allen Road and when we got to Hampshire my legs just completely bonked out. I let a few folks around and told them to go on, that I was going to ‘cool down’ the last couple of miles. Ha! It was less a cool down and more a struggle. No more matches in the book as I limped back to the lot.
29 miles at 19.8 mph. For bonking, that's pretty zippy. Hurrah for drafting!
Intermission the Second / Postlude
I was wiped out and ready to go. Thankfully I had already planned to skip the final loop due to a prior engagement. The folks heading out for the final loop all looked a bit knackered, as well. If I read ColorChange’s stats right, this loop ended up being a touch slower than the first two.
As I headed home I took a little detour to Wendy’s for a double cheeseburger recovery meal. I made sure to give aham a call with the information and tempt him to stop at a Wendy’s to get the same corrupt meal. He needs more fast food in his diet. I mean, what else to keep one fast on the bike but fast food, yeah?
A great day. A great ride. Again, big props to Psimet. Can’t wait for the 4th Invitational!
Sunday, August 31, 2008
"He's Gone....
....2000 miles..... is very far....."
Ahh, Pretenders. Yeah, I semi-whined about the odometer on my bike a while back being lower than some others, but I did hit the 2000 mile mark today on a short afternoon ride.
Pretty good, considering last year was my first 2000 mile year and I didn't hit that until Psimet's early October century ride.
And while I didn't join aham's mystical 700 club, I did ride over 500 miles in August. Not bad.
Speaking of aham, he's on a kick to sign up for Ride The Rockies 2009. I'm onboard so long as I can raise the funds and get the time off of work. It's been a while since I have been in Colorado and I miss it whenever I see pictures or maps of the state. Plus it will be a great training focus for the coming darkness of winter.
First up, though, is getting through Labor Day weekend. The neighbors have a bouncy house in the backyard, the cooler is stocked and the grill is fired up. Beautiful weather for it, too.
Ahh, Pretenders. Yeah, I semi-whined about the odometer on my bike a while back being lower than some others, but I did hit the 2000 mile mark today on a short afternoon ride.
Pretty good, considering last year was my first 2000 mile year and I didn't hit that until Psimet's early October century ride.
And while I didn't join aham's mystical 700 club, I did ride over 500 miles in August. Not bad.
Speaking of aham, he's on a kick to sign up for Ride The Rockies 2009. I'm onboard so long as I can raise the funds and get the time off of work. It's been a while since I have been in Colorado and I miss it whenever I see pictures or maps of the state. Plus it will be a great training focus for the coming darkness of winter.
First up, though, is getting through Labor Day weekend. The neighbors have a bouncy house in the backyard, the cooler is stocked and the grill is fired up. Beautiful weather for it, too.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Super Slo-Mo
Here are a few grainy videos I shot when riding around northern Georgia. For longer winded details on the trip to the south, click here.
First up: Wolf Pen Gap. This one goes on for a while because it was still early and I had the energy to put up with holding the camera for over two minutes. And despite the last line saying this is not yet half way up, it actually was pretty close to the top.
Next: Brasstown Bald. This is right after I clipped back in on the wall. Very short video. I needed everything I had.
Last: Neels Gap. This is getting to the top just before the hostel going south toward Turners Corners. Note this is a busier road. The downhill on the other side of this is amazing.
First up: Wolf Pen Gap. This one goes on for a while because it was still early and I had the energy to put up with holding the camera for over two minutes. And despite the last line saying this is not yet half way up, it actually was pretty close to the top.
Next: Brasstown Bald. This is right after I clipped back in on the wall. Very short video. I needed everything I had.
Last: Neels Gap. This is getting to the top just before the hostel going south toward Turners Corners. Note this is a busier road. The downhill on the other side of this is amazing.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Back. Century style.
Well, it was only something like 15 months ago that I last posted here. Anyway, I look to keep this a bit more updated going forward, as others I know have been blogging away contentedly and I'm slipping behind the curve.
Quickly. Today I rode 102.2 miles, 99 of which were with a few guys from the bikeforums.net BFNIC crew. Psimet and Rowdy and me headed out a bit after 5:30 am from the Forest Preserve near my place. Psimet looks at the dawning sky and says, "Red sky in morning..." to which I finished "...sailor's warning." Yep, we got rained on, but not for a while.
First off headed back to casa de CyLowe because Psimet forgot to pump up his tires. No big deal as it wasn't far off the intended course. We did take note of skies off in the distance to the northwest where it looked like rain was coming out of clouds, but we were headed west and then south, so holding out hope that we'd stay dry.
After a quick rest stop in Maple Park, the raindrops started falling. Miles 55-65 or so were soggy wet, but it wasn't a storm. More of a gentle rain that got the roads wet enough for us to be rooster-tailing water on the person trying to draft. The rain relented and the roads dried up, but the crud was on the bikes and the shoes were waterlogged. Ugh.
We finished in sunny, but increasingly muggy weather and the others did a quick ride through the subdivision to top off their odometers at 100 miles. Gotta get that C-Note!
Good ride. My odometer says 1042 miles for the year.
More if I get around to it. If not, wait another year.
Quickly. Today I rode 102.2 miles, 99 of which were with a few guys from the bikeforums.net BFNIC crew. Psimet and Rowdy and me headed out a bit after 5:30 am from the Forest Preserve near my place. Psimet looks at the dawning sky and says, "Red sky in morning..." to which I finished "...sailor's warning." Yep, we got rained on, but not for a while.
First off headed back to casa de CyLowe because Psimet forgot to pump up his tires. No big deal as it wasn't far off the intended course. We did take note of skies off in the distance to the northwest where it looked like rain was coming out of clouds, but we were headed west and then south, so holding out hope that we'd stay dry.
After a quick rest stop in Maple Park, the raindrops started falling. Miles 55-65 or so were soggy wet, but it wasn't a storm. More of a gentle rain that got the roads wet enough for us to be rooster-tailing water on the person trying to draft. The rain relented and the roads dried up, but the crud was on the bikes and the shoes were waterlogged. Ugh.
We finished in sunny, but increasingly muggy weather and the others did a quick ride through the subdivision to top off their odometers at 100 miles. Gotta get that C-Note!
Good ride. My odometer says 1042 miles for the year.
More if I get around to it. If not, wait another year.
Monday, January 08, 2007
Setting some goals
Well, what's a new year without some goals. These aren't 'resolutions,' as those imply some change in lifestyle. They are more a statement of things I really would like to accomplish, or at least keep in my mind to work on as the year progresses.
Books:
The books below present a challenge, as finding time to escape without interruption makes it slow going. If I get to half of them I'll be happy. I have a bit of a guilty chip in the back of my brain that says that if I'm at home, then I should be helping out with the kids. Even when I get some time to leave the chaos, I feel that obligation to help out creeping in, so a lot of the reading gets done on lunch breaks at work, or just before going to bed at night after the kids are down. But I've discovered that I read much faster and with more comprehension in the morning, so night time reading usually ends up only a few pages or a chapter at best. (Oh, if only I knew I was a morning person back in college! The things I could have accomplished!!)
The reading stack:
The Winter King - Bernard Cornwell (Book One of The Warlord Chronicles)
The Lies of Locke Lamora - Scott Lynch (Book One of The Gentlemen Bastard series)
The Mutineer - Rants, Ravings, and Missives from the Mountaintop, 1977-2005 - Hunter S. Thompson (Third and final volume of letters - to be released soon!)
Moby Dick -- or The Whale - Herman Melville
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling
The Pale Horseman - Bernard Cornwell (Book Two of the King Alfred trilogy)
The Lords of the North - Bernard Cornwell (Book Three of the King Alfred trilogy)
The Darkness That Comes Before - R. Scott Bakker (Book One of The Prince Of Nothing trilogy)
1776 - David McCullough
Mistborn - Brandon Sanderson
American Gods - Neil Gaiman
Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Prachett
The Once and Future King - T.H. White
The Mists of Avalon - Marion Bradley Zimmerman
Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman
Cycling:
The cycling rides listed pose a different challenge, as once on the road, there is a commitment. The obligations are tugging at my brain, but keeping upright, or better yet with a group of riders helps to center the focus. With these, making a commitment is somewhat easier when there are entry fees paid in advance, or there are other riders expecting you to show up.
The Riding Goals for 2007
Start regular rides around neighborhood with the family. This would be awesome for me and hopefully fun for all four of us.
Get 500 road miles ridden before the first century in May. This means getting out on the bike for lots of small lunchtime rides and several 40-50 mile rides. If a few can be done in February, that would be great, but would like to get ramping up in March and April. The base miles will make the rides later in the Spring much more pleasant with less chance of falling off of the pace.
Joliet Sudden Century (100 miles) - May, Joliet, IL
Udder Century (100 miles) - Early June? - Union, IL
Horribly Hilly Hundreds (200k route) - June - Blue Mounds, Wisconsin
RAIN: Ride Across INdiana (160+ miles) - July - Terre Haute to Richmond, IN
Dairyland Dare (200k route) - August - Dodgeville, Wisconsin
Cream City Cycle Century (100) - August? - Waterford Wisconsin
More rides will be added, especially when consulting with folks from the Bike Forums site
Home improvement:
Housework is yet the other challenge for the year. Painting a bedroom, planting, and hopefully getting a patio put in before summer are the primary goals. Those involve getting off my lazy arse and making them happen. Sometimes it's a bit too easy to just ignore the home improvements until tomorrow.
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