So it's been an awfully long time since I posted anything. Nothing terribly exciting has been happening in Mike's World of Cycling lately, other than lots of training (and let's be honest, how exciting are base miles, really?), and falling off the training schedule due to various side trips. As I write this, I'm sitting in the Windy City visiting with family for Thanksgiving. I am, of course, bike-less, so there's three days down the tubes.
In October I rolled down to the Grand Canyon with a crew of folks I met in the Chicago Basin last year and had a Grand time. Another five days gone, though I can write off a lot of that to cross-training.
And at the end of September I traveled up to Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Park for a few days of backpacking and had an absolute blast. Sequoia is, hands down, the most spectacular place I've ever seen. I cannot wait to go back, to drink in the fantastic scenery and clean mountain air again.
On second thought, I guess there have been some interesting developments in my cycling career. As I already noted in my previous post I am now a Cat IV road cyclist. In addition, I have a new team. I will be racing for Liquid Fitness Cycling this year on their Cat IV/V squad. I'll have new photos and sponsor links up as soon as I have them, hopefully towards the end of this week.
I will also be bidding fairwell to Beatrix, my faithful, if short-lived, road bike (so if anyone you know wants a 58cm Cervelo Soloist, drop me a line). She's just too long and my pelvic angle is all wrong when I'm on top of her. Yeah, all you followers of Freud can have a field day with that. Instead, I'll be running a Specialized Roubaix Pro, with a SRAM Red build. The added head tube and shortened top tube are, according to several fitters at the LBS, exactly what my freakishly long femurs need. Looking forward to that, though not to re-learning how to shift. As in keeping with custom, I shall take suggestions for a name. Only requirements are that it be female, and you be able to tell me why I should name my bike whatever it is you suggest.
That's all on the Western Front for now. May everyone have a happy Thanksgiving, and a festive and joyous holiday-of-choice. Until next time, keep the rubber side down.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
Motivation
Just in case I needed motivation to train this off-season:
The following request to change your USCF category has been approved and by USAC:
Member: Michael Nies
License: Road Racer
Request to change category from Cat 5 to Cat 4
The following request to change your USCF category has been approved and by USAC:
Member: Michael Nies
License: Road Racer
Request to change category from Cat 5 to Cat 4
Friday, October 10, 2008
Saturday, October 4, 2008
We Don't Need No Water
This week I flew back to Ohio briefly. Unfortunately, Ohio requires your physical presence to renew a driver's license, and mine was set to expire on October 19th of this year. I took a redeye flight from LAX into Cleveland, then took a commuter flight to Dayton. It wasn't a bad trip, but I was a little fried when I got into Hopkins. So I grabbed the biggest, most potent coffee the Phoenix stand in C Terminal had to offer, and a Plain Dealer; comics are an important part of de-stressing when you've just spent the last five hours being elbowed by a smelly, obese, insomniac.
And it was then that I got the best news I've received in at least the last three years.
The headline for the day was, of course, something about the bailout. Or maybe it was the Palin/Biden debate scheduled for that night. Either way, that wasn't what got my attention.
What got my attention were the seven smiling children just above the fold.
I had seen those faces before.
All of them had been in the paper three years earlier.
On May 21, 2005, I was working in an Emergency Department in Cleveland. My shift ended at 3:00 AM, and I was getting ready to leave when we got word that seven ambulances were headed our way with critical patients, five of them receiving CPR at the time. We were already short-staffed that night, like most nights, so I stayed to help. The first ambulance arrived a short time later, carrying a teenage boy. As soon as the doors opened, we knew what had caused his cardiac arrest. The smell of smoke hit us even before we saw his half-burned clothes lying under him on the gurney, where the paramedics had cut them off his thin, wiry body to start IV lines and determine his injuries. He was rolled into the room where I was waiting, along with two nurses and several ED doctors. We tried to resuscitate him, but every time his pulse returned it faded quickly thereafter. After several tries, we had to give up in order to focus on the other victims coming in.
That was the story with all but one of the people who came in from the fire that night. She survived to head up to the burn unit for three weeks, and is still alive today. The ED staff found out before the end of the night that the house which burned had been hosting a sleepover that night. The teenager I had helped try to save was the guest of honor; he had been only three hours into his birthday when the fire started. By the next day the fire had been ruled first "suspicious" by the investigators, and "arson" shortly thereafter. Whoever set the fire poured gasoline around the doors before lighting the blaze. Even with working smoke detectors in the house, no one had any warning. All the victims were likely dead from smoke inhalation even before the flames reached their sleeping bodies. The only consolation there was that they likely felt no pain before they died.
The investigation stalled after the fire. The PD didn't report any more breakthroughs, and I stopped wondering if the arsonist would ever be caught. Until I picked up the Plain Dealer for Thursday, October 2, 2008 and found this story. The only thought that ran through my head until my flight landed in Dayton was "Holy s***, they got the motherf***er." It was a good flight.
And it was then that I got the best news I've received in at least the last three years.
The headline for the day was, of course, something about the bailout. Or maybe it was the Palin/Biden debate scheduled for that night. Either way, that wasn't what got my attention.
What got my attention were the seven smiling children just above the fold.
I had seen those faces before.
All of them had been in the paper three years earlier.
On May 21, 2005, I was working in an Emergency Department in Cleveland. My shift ended at 3:00 AM, and I was getting ready to leave when we got word that seven ambulances were headed our way with critical patients, five of them receiving CPR at the time. We were already short-staffed that night, like most nights, so I stayed to help. The first ambulance arrived a short time later, carrying a teenage boy. As soon as the doors opened, we knew what had caused his cardiac arrest. The smell of smoke hit us even before we saw his half-burned clothes lying under him on the gurney, where the paramedics had cut them off his thin, wiry body to start IV lines and determine his injuries. He was rolled into the room where I was waiting, along with two nurses and several ED doctors. We tried to resuscitate him, but every time his pulse returned it faded quickly thereafter. After several tries, we had to give up in order to focus on the other victims coming in.
That was the story with all but one of the people who came in from the fire that night. She survived to head up to the burn unit for three weeks, and is still alive today. The ED staff found out before the end of the night that the house which burned had been hosting a sleepover that night. The teenager I had helped try to save was the guest of honor; he had been only three hours into his birthday when the fire started. By the next day the fire had been ruled first "suspicious" by the investigators, and "arson" shortly thereafter. Whoever set the fire poured gasoline around the doors before lighting the blaze. Even with working smoke detectors in the house, no one had any warning. All the victims were likely dead from smoke inhalation even before the flames reached their sleeping bodies. The only consolation there was that they likely felt no pain before they died.
The investigation stalled after the fire. The PD didn't report any more breakthroughs, and I stopped wondering if the arsonist would ever be caught. Until I picked up the Plain Dealer for Thursday, October 2, 2008 and found this story. The only thought that ran through my head until my flight landed in Dayton was "Holy s***, they got the motherf***er." It was a good flight.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
His Actions Are Graceful, All the Girls He Does Please
My sister Sara came out to LA for a visit a couple weeks ago, and on a trip down to the Santa Monica Pier we noticed a flying trapeze school there. So we signed up. Let me assure you that, after the shear, gut-wrenching terror of the first flight, it's awesomely fun and quite easy. Observe the following:
The first thing they teach you is how to get yourself from hanging by your hands, to hanging by the knees, then back to your hands. After you've done that once they add a backflip dismount, which is what my sister capably demonstrates above (while I demonstrate shaky camera work).
Once you get really good at that move they prepare to have someone catch you from the other trapeze. Of course that person has to get up there first...
After Dean got himself up there, if was time to be plucked from thin air by a complete stranger. Again, Sara demonstrates below.
Alas, there are no shots of me on the trapeze, since Sara was too busy staring in awe at my perfect form (or possibly the muscles on all the trapeze staff) to be bothered with the camera. Guess I'll just have to go back and try it again...
The first thing they teach you is how to get yourself from hanging by your hands, to hanging by the knees, then back to your hands. After you've done that once they add a backflip dismount, which is what my sister capably demonstrates above (while I demonstrate shaky camera work).
Once you get really good at that move they prepare to have someone catch you from the other trapeze. Of course that person has to get up there first...
After Dean got himself up there, if was time to be plucked from thin air by a complete stranger. Again, Sara demonstrates below.
Alas, there are no shots of me on the trapeze, since Sara was too busy staring in awe at my perfect form (or possibly the muscles on all the trapeze staff) to be bothered with the camera. Guess I'll just have to go back and try it again...
Sunday, August 10, 2008
2008 US Elite National Championship Time Trial
While at the time trial for the Summer Solstice Stage Race, I overheard another racer say "Time trialling is about pain: if it feels good you're not going hard enough."
Whoever designed this TT course was of that school. There was climbing. And then descending. And then more climbing. All in the sun. All in dry, California heat. Needless to say, it was hard. Really hard.
My performance was rather disappointing. With a time of 0:59:17, I managed a DFL almost 15 minutes behind the winner. No PM sitings at the TT; guess he's saving his legs for Sunday's road race. TIBCO's Ms. Miller was also saving her legs, and that paid off.
Beatrix is still not quite tuned in how I would like, so I'll be sending some photos to Sean and Mike V. at Bike Authority as soon as I can track down a tripod so they can help me work through the fit.
Oh, and I did manage to get a few pictures. They're posted at my Picasa site.
Perhaps I'll have a better time next year. That's all for now, folks!
Whoever designed this TT course was of that school. There was climbing. And then descending. And then more climbing. All in the sun. All in dry, California heat. Needless to say, it was hard. Really hard.
My performance was rather disappointing. With a time of 0:59:17, I managed a DFL almost 15 minutes behind the winner. No PM sitings at the TT; guess he's saving his legs for Sunday's road race. TIBCO's Ms. Miller was also saving her legs, and that paid off.
Beatrix is still not quite tuned in how I would like, so I'll be sending some photos to Sean and Mike V. at Bike Authority as soon as I can track down a tripod so they can help me work through the fit.
Oh, and I did manage to get a few pictures. They're posted at my Picasa site.
Perhaps I'll have a better time next year. That's all for now, folks!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Butterflies
The start time list was posted for Wednesday's time trial, and it turns out I'm not the only Clevelander who will be throwing down in Anaheim. From Texas Roadhouse, Paul Martin managed to snag bib number one, starting next to last of the Elite Men at 9:35. He's signed up for the road race, too; knowing that, I might be heading down to watch over the weekend. Our hometown hero Brooke Miller of Team TIBCO, made famous by Snakebite's own JimmyNick, starts at 9:49. Your's truly starts at 9:26, nine minutes ahead of PM, and twenty-three minutes forward of Brooke.
Today got me thinking about my goals for this race. I'm not well prepared, and my overall fitness level has certainly dropped since the Summer Solstice Stage Race in June. At the same time, I have far superior equipment to my last time trial. With that in mind, my goals for Wednesday are as follows:
3.) Finish in under 48 minutes.
Fifty minutes for a 33km course works out to 25.63 mph. This would be a moderate improvement over my last two time trials (22.89 mph and 24 mph, respectively). Of course, neither of them were nearly this long, but Paul Martin wasn't chomping at my heels either.
2.) Don't break myself.
Some would argue that this should be priority one. I argue that while I can heal for free, the bike cannot.
1.) Don't break the bike.
While Beatrix and I are new to each other, I like her a lot and I don't want her to run away just yet. Of course if she doesn't behave, David Miller might be onto something...
0.) Ride my race, not someone else's, and represent my team with honor alongisde my fellow cyclists.
My high school cross country coach always said "Run your race, not someone else's." I have no illusions about the caliber of riders I'm up against. I'm going to get passed. I can't hold a pro-level time trial pace for more than a few hundred yards. I'm going so I can pour every watt my legs can generate into the pedals for 33 km of beautiful California roads, while surrounded by some of the best cyclists in the country. I'm going to get a benchmark, get some exposure, and meet some SoCal teams. I'm going because for me, showing up is half the fun. And hanging out with a bunch of other cyclists, surrounded by bike porn, watching people turn in blistering time trials, is plenty of fun indeed.
Today got me thinking about my goals for this race. I'm not well prepared, and my overall fitness level has certainly dropped since the Summer Solstice Stage Race in June. At the same time, I have far superior equipment to my last time trial. With that in mind, my goals for Wednesday are as follows:
3.) Finish in under 48 minutes.
Fifty minutes for a 33km course works out to 25.63 mph. This would be a moderate improvement over my last two time trials (22.89 mph and 24 mph, respectively). Of course, neither of them were nearly this long, but Paul Martin wasn't chomping at my heels either.
2.) Don't break myself.
Some would argue that this should be priority one. I argue that while I can heal for free, the bike cannot.
1.) Don't break the bike.
While Beatrix and I are new to each other, I like her a lot and I don't want her to run away just yet. Of course if she doesn't behave, David Miller might be onto something...
0.) Ride my race, not someone else's, and represent my team with honor alongisde my fellow cyclists.
My high school cross country coach always said "Run your race, not someone else's." I have no illusions about the caliber of riders I'm up against. I'm going to get passed. I can't hold a pro-level time trial pace for more than a few hundred yards. I'm going so I can pour every watt my legs can generate into the pedals for 33 km of beautiful California roads, while surrounded by some of the best cyclists in the country. I'm going to get a benchmark, get some exposure, and meet some SoCal teams. I'm going because for me, showing up is half the fun. And hanging out with a bunch of other cyclists, surrounded by bike porn, watching people turn in blistering time trials, is plenty of fun indeed.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
On Training and Things
Saturday saw me spend pretty much the entire day on the bike. This is the first time I've put the aerobars onto the Soloist, and getting them positioned took a little trial and error. I also picked up a set of Specialized S-Works road shoes on clearance last week, and I took the day to get my cleat position dialed in, too.
I met up with Jonathan G., a fellow rider I met randomly while he was changing a flat. I stopped to offer assistance, and we ended up riding together the rest of the way back home, since we both live in the same neighborhood. We headed towards the coast and cruised down to Manhattan Beach. At one point I looked up and noticed six guys, heading the opposite direction, holding a nice tight group two abreast. All with shaved legs. All riding high end De Rosas with Campagnolo Record spec. That was about when I realized that I had just passed the Rock Racing squad. Jonathan and I did an about face and caught onto the back of the pack. Michael Ball was leading the pack, and Tyler Hamilton was there, too. We just said hey, asked about upcoming race plans, and parted ways. I'm quite glad that my first celebrity sighting out here was for the sport I love so much.
Oh, and the Soloist now has a name: Beatrix, after Beatrix Kiddo. Why, you ask? Because she's sexy, nimble, and takes down the competition at the knees.
Other than that, an uneventful week. Can't wait for Nationals on Wednesday!
I met up with Jonathan G., a fellow rider I met randomly while he was changing a flat. I stopped to offer assistance, and we ended up riding together the rest of the way back home, since we both live in the same neighborhood. We headed towards the coast and cruised down to Manhattan Beach. At one point I looked up and noticed six guys, heading the opposite direction, holding a nice tight group two abreast. All with shaved legs. All riding high end De Rosas with Campagnolo Record spec. That was about when I realized that I had just passed the Rock Racing squad. Jonathan and I did an about face and caught onto the back of the pack. Michael Ball was leading the pack, and Tyler Hamilton was there, too. We just said hey, asked about upcoming race plans, and parted ways. I'm quite glad that my first celebrity sighting out here was for the sport I love so much.
Oh, and the Soloist now has a name: Beatrix, after Beatrix Kiddo. Why, you ask? Because she's sexy, nimble, and takes down the competition at the knees.
Other than that, an uneventful week. Can't wait for Nationals on Wednesday!
Friday, August 1, 2008
Taking the Plunge...
The US Elite National Time Trial is in Anaheim this year. I will be there, representing Team Snakebite Racing to the best of my ability. This will be far and away the highest profile race I've ever done, and I don't feel anywhere near ready, but how often is the national championship for your favorite kind of race an hour away from your front door, on a day you already have off from work?
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
The Soloist Races At Last
On Sunday I took the Soloist out for its virgin race, the San Marcos Circuit Race just north of San Diego. Most of the riders I had talked to around here, including the UCLA road squad, recommended it highly as a well run, fun and challenging course, and since there aren't all that many races left in the area (surprisingly enough), I figured it was worth the trip.
The race organization did not disappoint. The Ranchos Cycling Club lived up to their reputation, and put on a very professional race. The course was closed to traffic and two lanes wide the who way, the road was in great shape, corners were swept, and registration was a breeze. The first thing I learned on Sunday was that Cat 5 races here fill up FAST. Of the 50 open slots, 45 were taken by preregistered riders, and the other five were full as soon as registration opened. Fortunately, I was third in line.
From the start I knew I wanted to be in the lead few. The course was a 1.7 mile circuit, with a 60 foot climb just before the finish, and all the downhill immediately after the start/finish line; Cat 5 was scheduled to do 30 minutes plus three laps. I quickly fought my way to the front of the pack (it wasn't hard, with the entire road open), and sat in around third wheel. On the fourth lap I wound up in the lead after the climb, and I pulled around the first bend until an attack came around on the downhill. It was instantly caught, and I held about fifth place for a while longer. A few teams were well represented, including Sun Coast Velo, and San Diego Bicycle Club, but the best tactics came from two guys from UC San Diego: more on them later.
With three laps to go, several people took off. I stayed with them until just after the second time up the hill. My attack came a lap too soon, and I was left with nothing for the final climb. It didn't help that just before the penultimate climb I got an intense ache in my lower back. I suspect that I'm over-reaching into the bars, still, but I haven't had time to prove it (or time to find a shorter stem; I'm already riding a 90mm). With no real motivation left after the leaders took off at the top of the last climb, I settled for 16th out of 50. The two UCSD riders I mentioned earlier worked together, with one giving a fantastic leadout; they broke fast enough that they actually took first and second.
Before the race, I met Paul K., and several of his friends. Paul is a helicopter mechanic in the U.S. Navy, and raced mountain bikes about eight years ago. This was his first ever road race, and he hung in to the end, despite being on one of the most challenging short courses I've ever ridden. His friends were there simply to give him support. One of them took pictures of several of the races. The Cat 5, juniors, and some Cat 4 photos can be found here. I hope I get the opportunity to ride with them in future.
Finally, I must ask for your help, oh great, wise, and mighty readers. My new bike needs a name, and I'm fresh out of ideas. If you have an idea, leave one for me in the comments section of this post. Whoever provides the winning name will get a prize yet to be determined. Go!
The race organization did not disappoint. The Ranchos Cycling Club lived up to their reputation, and put on a very professional race. The course was closed to traffic and two lanes wide the who way, the road was in great shape, corners were swept, and registration was a breeze. The first thing I learned on Sunday was that Cat 5 races here fill up FAST. Of the 50 open slots, 45 were taken by preregistered riders, and the other five were full as soon as registration opened. Fortunately, I was third in line.
From the start I knew I wanted to be in the lead few. The course was a 1.7 mile circuit, with a 60 foot climb just before the finish, and all the downhill immediately after the start/finish line; Cat 5 was scheduled to do 30 minutes plus three laps. I quickly fought my way to the front of the pack (it wasn't hard, with the entire road open), and sat in around third wheel. On the fourth lap I wound up in the lead after the climb, and I pulled around the first bend until an attack came around on the downhill. It was instantly caught, and I held about fifth place for a while longer. A few teams were well represented, including Sun Coast Velo, and San Diego Bicycle Club, but the best tactics came from two guys from UC San Diego: more on them later.
With three laps to go, several people took off. I stayed with them until just after the second time up the hill. My attack came a lap too soon, and I was left with nothing for the final climb. It didn't help that just before the penultimate climb I got an intense ache in my lower back. I suspect that I'm over-reaching into the bars, still, but I haven't had time to prove it (or time to find a shorter stem; I'm already riding a 90mm). With no real motivation left after the leaders took off at the top of the last climb, I settled for 16th out of 50. The two UCSD riders I mentioned earlier worked together, with one giving a fantastic leadout; they broke fast enough that they actually took first and second.
Before the race, I met Paul K., and several of his friends. Paul is a helicopter mechanic in the U.S. Navy, and raced mountain bikes about eight years ago. This was his first ever road race, and he hung in to the end, despite being on one of the most challenging short courses I've ever ridden. His friends were there simply to give him support. One of them took pictures of several of the races. The Cat 5, juniors, and some Cat 4 photos can be found here. I hope I get the opportunity to ride with them in future.
Finally, I must ask for your help, oh great, wise, and mighty readers. My new bike needs a name, and I'm fresh out of ideas. If you have an idea, leave one for me in the comments section of this post. Whoever provides the winning name will get a prize yet to be determined. Go!
Friday, July 25, 2008
I Really Dig the Styles They Wear
I must apologize to my glut of regular fans; I have been lax in my updates since arriving in sunny LA. I have no good excuse, other than I just haven't felt that anything blog worthy has happened. Since arriving in LA, I haven't done anything that special. I moved in my stuff (not hard, since it all fit into my rather small car), I found some yummy places to eat (too many to list, but the sushi place is closest), found the nearest grocery store (two of them, a Ralph's, and a Whole Paycheck) and figured out how to get to work (walk three blocks, turn right, walk one more).
Riding wise out here, it's spectacular. The Cervelo is in hog heaven out here, since nothing is flat. I took a ride through Bel-Air a couple days ago; in three miles I gain twelve hundred feet of elevation. To put that in perspective, Old Mill Rd. on the east side of Cleveland gains 320 feet in exactly a mile. And most of the riders I've met out here look at a hill like Bel-Air as a good start to the day.
If climbing isn't your thing, there's always the Pacific Coast Highway. The PCH is a little four to six lane road running along...that's right: the Pacific coast. Bikes are allowed on it, in fact it's usually the only way to get to some of the better rides through the Santa Monica Mountains. It is not, however, for the faint of heart. Most of the road has a very nice shoulder on which cyclists can ride. Sometimes, though, the shoulder is taken up with parked cars and every so often, like when you cross a bridge or the like, the shoulder just goes away. Usually the cars will let you in. Usually.
Riding on surface streets here is something of an adventure as well, though less so than on the PCH. The amount of traffic in LA means that often a cyclist can keep up with, if not entirely out-pace, traffic. So far, this has meant that I've not had any issues with rude or inconsiderate drivers; I'm not delaying them at all, so they mostly leave me alone. Of course this isn't always the case, as was demonstrated on July 4th.
And otherwise that's about it. Work is a lot like work, but I like the other staff on my unit, and the new hospital UCLA just opened is awesome to work in. It was designed by I.M. Pei, so it's very big, open, and full of natural light. It also doesn't hurt that I'm on the top floor ICU, with a fantastic view of the Santa Monica Mountains out one direction, and a look downtown in the other. For now it's time to chill and fine tune the bike in preparation for my first California race on Sunday. Race report here afterwards, I promise!
Riding wise out here, it's spectacular. The Cervelo is in hog heaven out here, since nothing is flat. I took a ride through Bel-Air a couple days ago; in three miles I gain twelve hundred feet of elevation. To put that in perspective, Old Mill Rd. on the east side of Cleveland gains 320 feet in exactly a mile. And most of the riders I've met out here look at a hill like Bel-Air as a good start to the day.
If climbing isn't your thing, there's always the Pacific Coast Highway. The PCH is a little four to six lane road running along...that's right: the Pacific coast. Bikes are allowed on it, in fact it's usually the only way to get to some of the better rides through the Santa Monica Mountains. It is not, however, for the faint of heart. Most of the road has a very nice shoulder on which cyclists can ride. Sometimes, though, the shoulder is taken up with parked cars and every so often, like when you cross a bridge or the like, the shoulder just goes away. Usually the cars will let you in. Usually.
Riding on surface streets here is something of an adventure as well, though less so than on the PCH. The amount of traffic in LA means that often a cyclist can keep up with, if not entirely out-pace, traffic. So far, this has meant that I've not had any issues with rude or inconsiderate drivers; I'm not delaying them at all, so they mostly leave me alone. Of course this isn't always the case, as was demonstrated on July 4th.
And otherwise that's about it. Work is a lot like work, but I like the other staff on my unit, and the new hospital UCLA just opened is awesome to work in. It was designed by I.M. Pei, so it's very big, open, and full of natural light. It also doesn't hurt that I'm on the top floor ICU, with a fantastic view of the Santa Monica Mountains out one direction, and a look downtown in the other. For now it's time to chill and fine tune the bike in preparation for my first California race on Sunday. Race report here afterwards, I promise!
Friday, July 4, 2008
From Every Mountainside...
In honor of all of those who gave their lives, that we may have this day; in honor of those who place themselves in harms path, that we may grow old with this day; and in honor of those who will come after, that they may enjoy the continued blessings of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, may we hold this day with honor in our hearts. To all those who consider themselves American: Happy Independence Day.
Swim Out Past the Breakers...
At long last, I am in sunny Los Angeles. I checked into my apartment today, and started getting moved in. It's definitely easier when everything you have to put in there fits into a compact sedan. More details on the trip later, once I have time, but I shall leave you with the following:
1.) Zion National Park is quite possibly the most stunningly beautiful place I have ever seen, is wholly deserving of its name, and should be on the list of places to see before you die. Period.
2.) The Mojave Desert is really big, really hot, and surprisingly pretty to look at.
3.) Las Vegas is really big, really hot, but air conditioned and carefully engineered to make parting with money as enjoyable experience as it has ever been.
And now it's time for bed here on the left coast. I promise pictures from the trip at my earliest convenience, and more details of good times and debauchery from Vegas et al. Best of luck to all my fellow Snakebiters at the Sizzler this weekend!!
1.) Zion National Park is quite possibly the most stunningly beautiful place I have ever seen, is wholly deserving of its name, and should be on the list of places to see before you die. Period.
2.) The Mojave Desert is really big, really hot, and surprisingly pretty to look at.
3.) Las Vegas is really big, really hot, but air conditioned and carefully engineered to make parting with money as enjoyable experience as it has ever been.
And now it's time for bed here on the left coast. I promise pictures from the trip at my earliest convenience, and more details of good times and debauchery from Vegas et al. Best of luck to all my fellow Snakebiters at the Sizzler this weekend!!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Chillin' in Boulder
After shoehorning all my worldly possesions into my Honda Civic equipped with a Yakima rack and cargo box (the box was arranged by the great guys at Bike Authority) I set out to drive across the country. First things first: a 1.8L 4-cylinder engine does not appreciate having something with the aerodynamics of a toaster on top while being loaded with the contents (no furniture, thankfully), of a two bedroom apartment. Seventy-five miles per hour was out of the question. Even 65 was a challenge in a few places. So this was to be a slower than normal trip across the country. OK, that's fine. I made good time on Saturday, making it from Cleveland to Lincoln, NE, before stopping for the night. Sunday had me in Boulder, CO, by dinner time.
I opted to hang out in Boulder for a day, and visit with some family friends who live near the green space backing up to the Flatirons. Took the old road bike out for a spin this morning, and definitely noticed the altitude. The flats weren't too bad, but climbing was even harder than usual. Still lots of fun, though, since I had a great view of the mountains, and the sky was crystal clear. For lunch I went down to the Pearl Street Mall with Ed, my friend driving out with me. We had lunch and wandered for a bit. After dinner we drove up to Nederland, always a scenic drive. Tomorrow the plan is to head down to I-70 and stop at Zion National Park for the evening, then Vegas the next day, and into LA the day after that. Only three more days until LA!!
I opted to hang out in Boulder for a day, and visit with some family friends who live near the green space backing up to the Flatirons. Took the old road bike out for a spin this morning, and definitely noticed the altitude. The flats weren't too bad, but climbing was even harder than usual. Still lots of fun, though, since I had a great view of the mountains, and the sky was crystal clear. For lunch I went down to the Pearl Street Mall with Ed, my friend driving out with me. We had lunch and wandered for a bit. After dinner we drove up to Nederland, always a scenic drive. Tomorrow the plan is to head down to I-70 and stop at Zion National Park for the evening, then Vegas the next day, and into LA the day after that. Only three more days until LA!!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Damn Baby, That's a Good Ride...
Another excuse for poor performance flies out the window...
Much thanks to Sherman and the guys at Bike Authority for hooking me up with this sexy piece of engineering, and to the folks at Ritchey for making the most comfortable race saddle I've ever experienced (also awesome handlebars). I'll be taking it out on the team ride tonight, then back to Bike Authority tomorrow to be shipped to California.
Now back to packing...
Much thanks to Sherman and the guys at Bike Authority for hooking me up with this sexy piece of engineering, and to the folks at Ritchey for making the most comfortable race saddle I've ever experienced (also awesome handlebars). I'll be taking it out on the team ride tonight, then back to Bike Authority tomorrow to be shipped to California.
Now back to packing...
Monday, June 16, 2008
Stage 4: More Flats
Stage 4
With three stages survived, twenty-five seconds behind first and a solid fifty seconds ahead of third in the general classification, all I had to do was survive for thirty-nine more miles and an excellent finish was all but guaranteed.
But who the hell wants to drive four hours and work that hard for a boring, second place finish? Not me! So as soon as the race started I began throwing attacks off the front, dropping back a couple wheels and recovering, and doing it again. I was working with Mike Abney again, but we just couldn't get anything to stick. The Buckeye Cycling team was out in force for Sunday's stage, and they were actually doing a good job of protecting their leading man. They were in front chasing down all my breaks, and they held the pace at a comfy 22mph for almost the entire race. On the final lap, the third place rider tried to make a break for it but was pulled back even faster than usual, since half the support he had organized (me) got boxed just as he launched his attack. With around a half-mile to go, a couple guys shot off the front, and I went with them. At one point we had about a five second lead on the field, but then the front guy just stopped working. I screamed at them to rotate the lead, hoping to ride into the sprint straightaway and pour every last watt I could into the pedals, but they weren't interested, so I shot in front and pulled the group through. Three of them whipped around me to sprint for the pay places, and I held on for fourth in the stage, and second in the GC. For my troubles, I added a Rudy Project Kontact helmet to my winnings for the weekend.
This is likely my last race before I move to California, unless I can find time to hit the state time trial in Groveport next week. Not a bad way to end my Ohio racing career. Hopefully my California days will see some glory, too.
With three stages survived, twenty-five seconds behind first and a solid fifty seconds ahead of third in the general classification, all I had to do was survive for thirty-nine more miles and an excellent finish was all but guaranteed.
But who the hell wants to drive four hours and work that hard for a boring, second place finish? Not me! So as soon as the race started I began throwing attacks off the front, dropping back a couple wheels and recovering, and doing it again. I was working with Mike Abney again, but we just couldn't get anything to stick. The Buckeye Cycling team was out in force for Sunday's stage, and they were actually doing a good job of protecting their leading man. They were in front chasing down all my breaks, and they held the pace at a comfy 22mph for almost the entire race. On the final lap, the third place rider tried to make a break for it but was pulled back even faster than usual, since half the support he had organized (me) got boxed just as he launched his attack. With around a half-mile to go, a couple guys shot off the front, and I went with them. At one point we had about a five second lead on the field, but then the front guy just stopped working. I screamed at them to rotate the lead, hoping to ride into the sprint straightaway and pour every last watt I could into the pedals, but they weren't interested, so I shot in front and pulled the group through. Three of them whipped around me to sprint for the pay places, and I held on for fourth in the stage, and second in the GC. For my troubles, I added a Rudy Project Kontact helmet to my winnings for the weekend.
This is likely my last race before I move to California, unless I can find time to hit the state time trial in Groveport next week. Not a bad way to end my Ohio racing career. Hopefully my California days will see some glory, too.
Summer Solstice Stage 3: Time Trial
Stage 3
I've always liked time trials. There's something to be said for not being able to use any tactics on the bike. In time trials, the only tactics that apply are to keep the rubber side down, and go fast. No one to draft off of, no one to run into in a pack sprint to the line, just you and the bike.
It's also an event where your equipment matters. A lot. Aerodynamics are everything in a time trial, and since you're not likely to crash into anyone during the race, all sorts of fun new toys are legal: super-deep section wheels, disc back wheels, and aerobars all grace the various bikes specifically designed for time trials.
Unfortunately, the only TT specific equipment I have are a set of removeable aerobars for my regular bike. So I pulled those out, installed them after a very nice nap following lunch, and headed down towards Wilmington once more. This time the family decided to join me, and brought a picnic dinner along with them.
The start/finish line for the TT was the same as for the stage that morning, though the course ran in the opposite direction. Like Friday's route, this one was flat as a pancake, and only ran for seven miles, and had a downhill with a tailwind going out of the start and coming back into the finish. They even had someone holding riders at the start line so you could start with both pedals clipped in.
As I said before, time trials have always been something of a specialty for me, so I expected to do well in this one. And I did, right up until I hit the backstretch. The whole thing was directly into what had been a tailwind on the way out. My average speed had been 28mph going into turn two, and it quickly dropped to around 23, when my current speed started reading 20. Ouch. I pushed through as hard and as fast as I could, and turned back onto the finishing road where I quickly took advantage of the tailwind and the downhill, slight though it was. My finishing time was a 17:30 for seven miles, almost exactly 24 mph. This got me third place in the time trial (behind one of the Buckeye Cycling riders and the aforementioned Mike Abney), and landed me in second place overall, 25 seconds back of first.
EDIT: The correct standings, as reported at Ohio Valley Racing actually had me in fourth place for the TT. My time and overall standing were correct, however.
After the race my girlfriend and I headed over to Young's Jersey Dairy to get me some much needed calories. Their strawberry ice cream is probably my favorite in the world. Fortunately the Cat 5s had a 12:30 start on Sunday. Home again for some much needed ibuprofen and rest.
I've always liked time trials. There's something to be said for not being able to use any tactics on the bike. In time trials, the only tactics that apply are to keep the rubber side down, and go fast. No one to draft off of, no one to run into in a pack sprint to the line, just you and the bike.
It's also an event where your equipment matters. A lot. Aerodynamics are everything in a time trial, and since you're not likely to crash into anyone during the race, all sorts of fun new toys are legal: super-deep section wheels, disc back wheels, and aerobars all grace the various bikes specifically designed for time trials.
Unfortunately, the only TT specific equipment I have are a set of removeable aerobars for my regular bike. So I pulled those out, installed them after a very nice nap following lunch, and headed down towards Wilmington once more. This time the family decided to join me, and brought a picnic dinner along with them.
The start/finish line for the TT was the same as for the stage that morning, though the course ran in the opposite direction. Like Friday's route, this one was flat as a pancake, and only ran for seven miles, and had a downhill with a tailwind going out of the start and coming back into the finish. They even had someone holding riders at the start line so you could start with both pedals clipped in.
As I said before, time trials have always been something of a specialty for me, so I expected to do well in this one. And I did, right up until I hit the backstretch. The whole thing was directly into what had been a tailwind on the way out. My average speed had been 28mph going into turn two, and it quickly dropped to around 23, when my current speed started reading 20. Ouch. I pushed through as hard and as fast as I could, and turned back onto the finishing road where I quickly took advantage of the tailwind and the downhill, slight though it was. My finishing time was a 17:30 for seven miles, almost exactly 24 mph. This got me third place in the time trial (behind one of the Buckeye Cycling riders and the aforementioned Mike Abney), and landed me in second place overall, 25 seconds back of first.
EDIT: The correct standings, as reported at Ohio Valley Racing actually had me in fourth place for the TT. My time and overall standing were correct, however.
After the race my girlfriend and I headed over to Young's Jersey Dairy to get me some much needed calories. Their strawberry ice cream is probably my favorite in the world. Fortunately the Cat 5s had a 12:30 start on Sunday. Home again for some much needed ibuprofen and rest.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Summer Solstice Stage 2: The Rollers
Stage 2
Ah, rolling hills. There's nothing like going up and down all day to make you appreciate flat straightaways. Saturday's course, like Friday's was aptly named, as much of the course resembled a sine function. Still, the amplitude of these waves was pretty small compared to those at Chippewa or most of the other courses around here. They definitely played a part in Saturday's race, though.
Once again we lined up for a 12-ish mile circuit, three full laps this time, and were informed that part of the course followed a gravel road. This news was not welcomed by the peloton, but there was little we could do about it. So off we went, wary of what the course might throw at us.
On the first lap we found out. The second turn took us onto a freshly graveled downhill road, complete with an S-turn in the middle. Not cool! Fortunately no one got stupid and everyone slowed down. A few even managed to pick decent lines down the road, not helped by the six-inch deep gravel everywhere. At the bottom of the road was a bridge, blissfully clear of gravel. So everyone, myself included, sped up to try and catch those who picked a better line. This was very nearly a lethal idea, as the gravel started again after a semi-blind ninety-degree left-hand turn immediately after the bridge. The gravel then continued for three miles, or about 25% of the course, including several sets of rollers and another sharp left. After we finally got back onto real road, it felt like riding on glass.
Needless to say, the gravel had a large impact on the race. Many of the riders dropped back, severely impairing the GC hopes of several riders, including my new friend Mike Abney. I plunged down the hill and managed to catch back onto the lead group on each lap. Apparently the roving official went down it on his motorbike and was slip-sliding the whole way, too, so the officials changed the course for the afternoon starting groups. The Cat 5s were a little peeved by that, to say the least.
Once again every break attempt failed. I was feeling beat from my lack of calories at breakfast and lack of food with me on the course. I hung back during the field sprint, but still held onto ninth place. After a quick cool-down, I hopped in the car to head home for some much needed lunch and rehydration for the evening's time trial.
Ah, rolling hills. There's nothing like going up and down all day to make you appreciate flat straightaways. Saturday's course, like Friday's was aptly named, as much of the course resembled a sine function. Still, the amplitude of these waves was pretty small compared to those at Chippewa or most of the other courses around here. They definitely played a part in Saturday's race, though.
Once again we lined up for a 12-ish mile circuit, three full laps this time, and were informed that part of the course followed a gravel road. This news was not welcomed by the peloton, but there was little we could do about it. So off we went, wary of what the course might throw at us.
On the first lap we found out. The second turn took us onto a freshly graveled downhill road, complete with an S-turn in the middle. Not cool! Fortunately no one got stupid and everyone slowed down. A few even managed to pick decent lines down the road, not helped by the six-inch deep gravel everywhere. At the bottom of the road was a bridge, blissfully clear of gravel. So everyone, myself included, sped up to try and catch those who picked a better line. This was very nearly a lethal idea, as the gravel started again after a semi-blind ninety-degree left-hand turn immediately after the bridge. The gravel then continued for three miles, or about 25% of the course, including several sets of rollers and another sharp left. After we finally got back onto real road, it felt like riding on glass.
Needless to say, the gravel had a large impact on the race. Many of the riders dropped back, severely impairing the GC hopes of several riders, including my new friend Mike Abney. I plunged down the hill and managed to catch back onto the lead group on each lap. Apparently the roving official went down it on his motorbike and was slip-sliding the whole way, too, so the officials changed the course for the afternoon starting groups. The Cat 5s were a little peeved by that, to say the least.
Once again every break attempt failed. I was feeling beat from my lack of calories at breakfast and lack of food with me on the course. I hung back during the field sprint, but still held onto ninth place. After a quick cool-down, I hopped in the car to head home for some much needed lunch and rehydration for the evening's time trial.
Summer Solstice Stage 1: The Flats
As my last post suggests, I spent this weekend at the Summer Solstice Stage Race near Wilmington, OH. Run by Ohio Valley Racing, this conglomeration of four races in three days had a good reputation among my fellow riders, and I had the weekend off from work, so I made the trek down to the Dayton area with my girlfriend (my wonderful, patient girlfriend who actually doesn't beat me when I ignore my spellcheck). Each stage will get it's own post, so stay tuned; there's more to come shortly.
Friday's Stage: The Flats
Despite the crummy weather, my dad opted to go down and watch me race. Even though he got lost when trying to find the course (it was a couple miles from the staging area, and not all the roads were labeled well), he managed to watch most of the finish. He also provided much needed support and patience while I waited for results and prizes. All in all my family was definitely incredibly supportive throughout this weekend, especially my girlfriend who was very understanding when I wasn't terribly attentive, being somewhat focused on kicking immense amounts of ass. At least the first day, it paid off.
Stage One was aptly named: the only things even close to hills were the overpasses across I-71. This 12-ish mile circuit was nicely paved, fairly clean, and pancake flat throughout. Due to impending doom in the form of thunderstorms, the 2.5 lap race was cut to 1.5, so the first time we saw the finish area was the bell lap. No one managed to get a break off the front, though several tried. With such a flat course blockers were really necessary, and no team had enough riders in the field to commit to a break and block. I worked quite a bit with Mike Abney from 7 Hills; we alternated lead for a while, but when it looked like we were both getting set up to lose on the last lap, we dropped back into the field to rest and recuperate for the inevitable field sprint.
That field sprint was to be held on a narrow road recently soaked with rain. No one had clarified whether the yellow-line rule was negated in the last 200m (some races it is, and others it isn't), which led to an even tighter finishing sprint since no one wanted to get DQ'ed for crossing the line at the end. With around 150m to go, one guy from Buckeye Cycling Club went up the middle through a hole that was maybe 45cm wide. With him off the front people started moving. I planted myself on the white line and hauled ass up the side. Along the way another rider started to come over into my line and we bumped shoulders. Unfortunately he went down, taking another rider with him. The rest of the sprint was clean, and I wound up taking second place by several bike lengths. Prizes for this race were a case of Gu and some Performance gift cards, both of which will find good use in the coming months.
As it turns out, the rider who went down in the sprint was the sole Cat 5 from Stark Velo in attendance this weekend. He was pretty scraped up, and his rear derailleur was trashed, but he fortunately had spares of both with him. After claiming my winnings for the evening, I headed home to prepare for Saturday's road race.
Friday's Stage: The Flats
Despite the crummy weather, my dad opted to go down and watch me race. Even though he got lost when trying to find the course (it was a couple miles from the staging area, and not all the roads were labeled well), he managed to watch most of the finish. He also provided much needed support and patience while I waited for results and prizes. All in all my family was definitely incredibly supportive throughout this weekend, especially my girlfriend who was very understanding when I wasn't terribly attentive, being somewhat focused on kicking immense amounts of ass. At least the first day, it paid off.
Stage One was aptly named: the only things even close to hills were the overpasses across I-71. This 12-ish mile circuit was nicely paved, fairly clean, and pancake flat throughout. Due to impending doom in the form of thunderstorms, the 2.5 lap race was cut to 1.5, so the first time we saw the finish area was the bell lap. No one managed to get a break off the front, though several tried. With such a flat course blockers were really necessary, and no team had enough riders in the field to commit to a break and block. I worked quite a bit with Mike Abney from 7 Hills; we alternated lead for a while, but when it looked like we were both getting set up to lose on the last lap, we dropped back into the field to rest and recuperate for the inevitable field sprint.
That field sprint was to be held on a narrow road recently soaked with rain. No one had clarified whether the yellow-line rule was negated in the last 200m (some races it is, and others it isn't), which led to an even tighter finishing sprint since no one wanted to get DQ'ed for crossing the line at the end. With around 150m to go, one guy from Buckeye Cycling Club went up the middle through a hole that was maybe 45cm wide. With him off the front people started moving. I planted myself on the white line and hauled ass up the side. Along the way another rider started to come over into my line and we bumped shoulders. Unfortunately he went down, taking another rider with him. The rest of the sprint was clean, and I wound up taking second place by several bike lengths. Prizes for this race were a case of Gu and some Performance gift cards, both of which will find good use in the coming months.
As it turns out, the rider who went down in the sprint was the sole Cat 5 from Stark Velo in attendance this weekend. He was pretty scraped up, and his rear derailleur was trashed, but he fortunately had spares of both with him. After claiming my winnings for the evening, I headed home to prepare for Saturday's road race.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Summer Solstice Update
Just a quick update before I go bolt the aerobars onto the bike in preparation for tonight's time trial. The Summer Solstice Race goes well. I took second in yesterday's stage, and ninth today. The GC is still very close, and tonight's time trial is likely to be decisive. The 5/Cit pack is definitely one of the faster I've been in, and no one seems to mind working. Now back to the bike!
Monday, June 9, 2008
California Dreaming
On June 27, 2008, I will be leaving Ohio.
For my entire life, I have lived in Ohio. I was born in Dayton. I grew up in the house my parents bought when they got married. College was a big step for me; moving to Cleveland was the furthest I had ever been from home, and I stayed here after graduation--and for most of the summers before graduation. Even then, my parents were less than four hours by car, and I would certainly never think of flying to go see them. I have family all over the state, too: Cleveland, Akron, and Dayton. Such has been my life for the past twenty-four years.
As my regular readers know, I vacationed in SoCal at the beginning of April. While I was there I realized what I had been missing. This is a place where I could train year round, outside. I would have, at my fingertips, all manner of parks, forests, and wilderness in which to pass the time. When I tired of living deliberately, I could return to a bustling metropolis with many highly regarded medical centers, all of whom demonstrated a need for nursing staff. As I returned to Cleveland, I vowed to explore this opportunity more.
And so I did. Thanks to several weeks of phone tag, faxing documents, writing large checks to government agencies, and playing the waiting game, I will be starting work in the Liver Transplant Surgical Sub-specialty Intensive Care Unit at the University of California Los Angeles Medical Center, Westwood Campus, on July 7. Since the commute would be prohibitive otherwise, I will be moving to Los Angeles on July 3. Since I'm driving out, I leave Cleveland on June 27, with plans to visit several national parks, Boulder, CO, and Las Vegas on the way out. The next several weeks will be a whirlwind of planning, finalizing a few things on the LA end, and compressing my life into a 2003 Honda Civic Sedan with an extra eleven cubic feet of space, courtesy of the fine folks at Yakima and Bike Authority. So if you're in need/want of some furniture drop me a line; I'm looking to be rid of most of what I have here, and most of it can be yours for the cost of coming to get it. I have bookshelves, a couch, chairs, dining room stuff, you name it. Please come get it. Please...
For my entire life, I have lived in Ohio. I was born in Dayton. I grew up in the house my parents bought when they got married. College was a big step for me; moving to Cleveland was the furthest I had ever been from home, and I stayed here after graduation--and for most of the summers before graduation. Even then, my parents were less than four hours by car, and I would certainly never think of flying to go see them. I have family all over the state, too: Cleveland, Akron, and Dayton. Such has been my life for the past twenty-four years.
As my regular readers know, I vacationed in SoCal at the beginning of April. While I was there I realized what I had been missing. This is a place where I could train year round, outside. I would have, at my fingertips, all manner of parks, forests, and wilderness in which to pass the time. When I tired of living deliberately, I could return to a bustling metropolis with many highly regarded medical centers, all of whom demonstrated a need for nursing staff. As I returned to Cleveland, I vowed to explore this opportunity more.
And so I did. Thanks to several weeks of phone tag, faxing documents, writing large checks to government agencies, and playing the waiting game, I will be starting work in the Liver Transplant Surgical Sub-specialty Intensive Care Unit at the University of California Los Angeles Medical Center, Westwood Campus, on July 7. Since the commute would be prohibitive otherwise, I will be moving to Los Angeles on July 3. Since I'm driving out, I leave Cleveland on June 27, with plans to visit several national parks, Boulder, CO, and Las Vegas on the way out. The next several weeks will be a whirlwind of planning, finalizing a few things on the LA end, and compressing my life into a 2003 Honda Civic Sedan with an extra eleven cubic feet of space, courtesy of the fine folks at Yakima and Bike Authority. So if you're in need/want of some furniture drop me a line; I'm looking to be rid of most of what I have here, and most of it can be yours for the cost of coming to get it. I have bookshelves, a couch, chairs, dining room stuff, you name it. Please come get it. Please...
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Racing for Alex
Today saw me getting up at 0515, hopping in the car along with Michael L. and my girlfriend, and driving down to Mahoning County for the Race for Alex. Alex is a cyclist who also happens to be recovering from a spinal cord injury; the race was held as a fund-raiser for him. If the 54 riders in the 4/5 pack were any indicator of the fields for the other races, they did pretty well (entry was $25 each).
I was not in top form today. In fact, I was in pretty crappy form today. I got chewed up and spit out very early on, managed to hang on within striking distance through the first lap, and got dropped for real after the second lap. Potential excuses were rampant: my bike grappled with that of another rider on the first lap and I got kicked out to the side over the center-line thus ruining my poise and concentration, I was coming off night shift Friday night, my frame/wheels are vertically stiff and laterally compliant. Or maybe it's because my lazy ass hasn't seen a bike saddle since the last time I posted. Yeah, definitely the equipment.
Other than my lack of badassery today, the race was actually really awesome. We had five riders in the 4/5 pack, and Pete S. managed to pull out a 5th place. The course itself was a smoothly paved 5-ish mile circuit with some decent rollers. The corners were clean, registration was a breeze, and the weather was great.
Today's performance has led me to realize that I need to practice more. To that end, I've decided that I want 200 miles ridden by next Sunday. I'll try to get a more focused plan together soon, but that is the base goal. So if you're looking for a riding partner this week give me a call. I'm probably up for it.
Oh, and I'm likely moving to California in July. More on that later.
I was not in top form today. In fact, I was in pretty crappy form today. I got chewed up and spit out very early on, managed to hang on within striking distance through the first lap, and got dropped for real after the second lap. Potential excuses were rampant: my bike grappled with that of another rider on the first lap and I got kicked out to the side over the center-line thus ruining my poise and concentration, I was coming off night shift Friday night, my frame/wheels are vertically stiff and laterally compliant. Or maybe it's because my lazy ass hasn't seen a bike saddle since the last time I posted. Yeah, definitely the equipment.
Other than my lack of badassery today, the race was actually really awesome. We had five riders in the 4/5 pack, and Pete S. managed to pull out a 5th place. The course itself was a smoothly paved 5-ish mile circuit with some decent rollers. The corners were clean, registration was a breeze, and the weather was great.
Today's performance has led me to realize that I need to practice more. To that end, I've decided that I want 200 miles ridden by next Sunday. I'll try to get a more focused plan together soon, but that is the base goal. So if you're looking for a riding partner this week give me a call. I'm probably up for it.
Oh, and I'm likely moving to California in July. More on that later.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Monday in Paradise
Today was as close to a perfect outside day as Cleveland has seen in some time. I opted to take advantage of it and head out on as long a ride as I could. After being productive in the morning, I hopped on the bike around 3:00 PM and headed out towards the Valley Parkway. I wound up turning off the Parkway at Broadview Rd. and stopping at Bike Authority before I turned around. Doug, one of their fine employees, suggested heading down Avery Rd. instead of straight down Broadview, thus avoiding the rather sticky intersection at Broadview and Royalton. It also wound up being easier; the rollers didn't feel nearly as steep as on the way in.
On the way back up the Parkway I stopped at the Wallace parking lot near Berea and met the Skull & Goggles group, an offshoot of the Fagowees ski and social club. I cruised along with them for around ten miles before they turned around (they're a laid back short ride kind of club). I headed all the way up the Valley Parkway to the north end at Detroit Rd., and back home from there. Total mileage was 69 and change, with around 2,000 feet of climbing and an average speed of around 21 mph. Had I not turned off at Broadview I could have picked up quite a bit more climbing and a few more miles, but I think I earned my burger and beer tonight all the same.
Speaking of burgers and beer (and all sorts of other deliciousness), tonight's recovery meal was provided by the Buckeye Beer Engine in beautiful Lakewood, Ohio. The Beer Engine is on Madison, a few blocks to the west of Spin Bike Shop. They have 27 taps and around 110 bottles, all of which rotate on a regular basis. They also have a full bar, though the beer list has kept me more than busy. Food-wise, the Beer Engine is home to probably the best burgers I've ever had in Cleveland, if not ever. Toppings include everything you can think of, ranging from your standard cheese and bun to the jerk seasoning with mango salsa (and bun) I had tonight. If burgers aren't your thing, fear not! Any burger on their menu is available as a chicken breast, portabello 'shroom cap, or spicy black bean variety, and there are plenty of other entrees as well; I just happen to have a soft spot for burgers. The menu is extremely vegetarian friendly, with lots of options for non-carnivores, and anything vegetarian is cooked on dedicated equipment (unlike certain other local chains *coughLizardcough*). Check out their menu and beer list at their website or stop in after a Wednesday Spin ride. You won't be disappointed!
On the way back up the Parkway I stopped at the Wallace parking lot near Berea and met the Skull & Goggles group, an offshoot of the Fagowees ski and social club. I cruised along with them for around ten miles before they turned around (they're a laid back short ride kind of club). I headed all the way up the Valley Parkway to the north end at Detroit Rd., and back home from there. Total mileage was 69 and change, with around 2,000 feet of climbing and an average speed of around 21 mph. Had I not turned off at Broadview I could have picked up quite a bit more climbing and a few more miles, but I think I earned my burger and beer tonight all the same.
Speaking of burgers and beer (and all sorts of other deliciousness), tonight's recovery meal was provided by the Buckeye Beer Engine in beautiful Lakewood, Ohio. The Beer Engine is on Madison, a few blocks to the west of Spin Bike Shop. They have 27 taps and around 110 bottles, all of which rotate on a regular basis. They also have a full bar, though the beer list has kept me more than busy. Food-wise, the Beer Engine is home to probably the best burgers I've ever had in Cleveland, if not ever. Toppings include everything you can think of, ranging from your standard cheese and bun to the jerk seasoning with mango salsa (and bun) I had tonight. If burgers aren't your thing, fear not! Any burger on their menu is available as a chicken breast, portabello 'shroom cap, or spicy black bean variety, and there are plenty of other entrees as well; I just happen to have a soft spot for burgers. The menu is extremely vegetarian friendly, with lots of options for non-carnivores, and anything vegetarian is cooked on dedicated equipment (unlike certain other local chains *coughLizardcough*). Check out their menu and beer list at their website or stop in after a Wednesday Spin ride. You won't be disappointed!
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Friday Training, Saturday Salesmanship
Friday I went out through the Rocky River Reservation along the Valley Parkway with Michael L., and another friend of his named Mike. We rode south along until Eastland Road then turned around and headed back; all told around forty miles for me. On the way back, Michael L. lead us up and over a few hills, including Ruple Rd. to the east side of the valley, back down Cedar Point Rd. and up the other side. After looping up to Columbia Rd. and back down into the valley we headed for home.
Along the way back, two drivers decided to buzz us and generally drive like morons. Thanks to a driver ahead of them who was religiously following the 30 mph speed limit, Michael L. and I were able to time trial up behind the offending parties. We opted not to ride up alongside and salute their fine car handling skills, since neither of us really wanted to get killed.
Saturday I took both the MTB and the road ax over to a friend of mine on the east side. He's recently discovered road biking and wants to buy mine, so he took mine for a test drive. We tooled around the east side around Fairmount, Shaker, South Park and North Park for around 12 miles before heading to Dewey's for dinner. All in all, I think this was a better call than driving three hours south to a race that well could have been in the rain.
Along the way back, two drivers decided to buzz us and generally drive like morons. Thanks to a driver ahead of them who was religiously following the 30 mph speed limit, Michael L. and I were able to time trial up behind the offending parties. We opted not to ride up alongside and salute their fine car handling skills, since neither of us really wanted to get killed.
Saturday I took both the MTB and the road ax over to a friend of mine on the east side. He's recently discovered road biking and wants to buy mine, so he took mine for a test drive. We tooled around the east side around Fairmount, Shaker, South Park and North Park for around 12 miles before heading to Dewey's for dinner. All in all, I think this was a better call than driving three hours south to a race that well could have been in the rain.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Bike Riding Rule #1
Headed out to Westlake, Tuesday, since it was a fantastic day and for once I didn't have to work on a Tuesday. Wound up carpooling with Matt O., since both of us enjoy the idea of saving the world. When we got to Westlake, we registered and started to warm up. I wasn't really feeling the warmup, probably since I hadn't been on the bike for a while (like since the east side ride last week with the girlfriend). I line up anyway, since there are no refunds and I'm already there, plus I usually feel better after a lap or two.
I should point out, at this point, that Snakebite makes up somewhere near a third of the B field, so we should have no problem dominating the race.
The first lap after neutral is a cash prime (which seems to be standard for Westlake), and I decide to chase it. I jumped a little too early and got sprinted by one guy, but I decided at that point to just keep hauling ass. So I do. All the way around the first turn into the wind where I die. I barely hang onto the pack for the next lap, but I feel recovered after we cross the line (where the bell is ringing for another prime). So I pick up my pace, and hit the first turn. Which is when I hear the gunshot. Except it's not a gunshot, it's my rear tire blowing out. While leaned over in a turn. You don't need to be a physicist to know that this is bad.
I don't remember many details about the wreck, except that I stayed up longer than I expected, fell in a far more controlled manner than I expected, and managed to not hit my head. That being said, both tires blew out (the front blew on the way down), and I smacked most of my right side into the ground. Work on Wednesday was somewhat less than fun, but was tolerable thanks to lots of ibuprofen.
Tomorrow I get to check out the bike and see if it's ridable. I need to hit Bike Authority anyway, since I need a new rear tire, so the plan is to have someone there give it a quick look. Hopefully everything will check out and I'll be headed to Sugar Grove race Saturday. Otherwise I guess I'll just have to wait for the Soloist...
I should point out, at this point, that Snakebite makes up somewhere near a third of the B field, so we should have no problem dominating the race.
The first lap after neutral is a cash prime (which seems to be standard for Westlake), and I decide to chase it. I jumped a little too early and got sprinted by one guy, but I decided at that point to just keep hauling ass. So I do. All the way around the first turn into the wind where I die. I barely hang onto the pack for the next lap, but I feel recovered after we cross the line (where the bell is ringing for another prime). So I pick up my pace, and hit the first turn. Which is when I hear the gunshot. Except it's not a gunshot, it's my rear tire blowing out. While leaned over in a turn. You don't need to be a physicist to know that this is bad.
I don't remember many details about the wreck, except that I stayed up longer than I expected, fell in a far more controlled manner than I expected, and managed to not hit my head. That being said, both tires blew out (the front blew on the way down), and I smacked most of my right side into the ground. Work on Wednesday was somewhat less than fun, but was tolerable thanks to lots of ibuprofen.
Tomorrow I get to check out the bike and see if it's ridable. I need to hit Bike Authority anyway, since I need a new rear tire, so the plan is to have someone there give it a quick look. Hopefully everything will check out and I'll be headed to Sugar Grove race Saturday. Otherwise I guess I'll just have to wait for the Soloist...
Monday, May 12, 2008
RATL, Rec Riding, and Entirely Too Much Togetherness
So I raced at RATL #3 last weekend. It was rainy, no one wanted to make a break in the CAT Vs, despite a great opportunity on lap five with Michael L. and a few Stark guys up, with David T. and me ready to block the pack. But it's understandable; I wouldn't want to take the back downhill turns at 40mph on a soaked course, either.
Sunday I opted not to head down to the Bull Run race, but instead to ride over to the east side with my girlfriend and grab some dinner at Dewey's Pizza. This weekend I had to make up some hours at work, and then wound up staying over this morning since we were short nurses. Hopefully next weekend will be a little better.
Sunday I opted not to head down to the Bull Run race, but instead to ride over to the east side with my girlfriend and grab some dinner at Dewey's Pizza. This weekend I had to make up some hours at work, and then wound up staying over this morning since we were short nurses. Hopefully next weekend will be a little better.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Consistency is the Hobgoblin of Little Minds
So the results for Hinckley are posted. I finished in 1:02:30.5, with a combined run/transition of 21:38. That works out to a 22 mph average speed on the bike for the 15 mile course, only slightly slower than my time trial time from the week before, and that was without a 5k run beforehand. So now I have a good benchmark, it's time to work on improving. One thing I noticed, courtesy of Rick's pictures, is that I toe-down waaaaaay too much in my pedalstroke. That, and I think I need to get fit to the bike a little better when I'm in my bars. That's going to be a project for me and Sean from Bike Authority perhaps after I get the Soloist in and set up, but the pedal stroke is something to work on now. Guess I have my focus for this week's training rides.
Hearts and kidneys are tinker toys! I am talking about the central nervous system!
The El Chameleon lives...sort of. I stopped at Bike Authority and they got my rear derailleur back together. This allowed me to get the chain cut and the bike cabled. I started adjusting the shifting, but the rear wheel wobbles quite a bit. Tomorrow I'll take it down and try tightening the cones, and if that doesn't work I'll give the bearings a shot at a repack. Hopefully Mavic will send me my wheels soon, then the El Chameleon can really be complete!
Sunday, April 27, 2008
It Never Gets Easier, You Just Go Faster
I thought that the LeMond quote was appropriate, since this weekend's exploits didn't happen last year or the year before, and this weekend's races didn't seem any less painful.
The good couple weeks kept getting better today. I bolted on the aero bars for the Hinckley Buzzard Duathlon/Biathlon/5k Run today, opting for the biathlon since running isn't so much my thing. For those who don't know, a biathlon is a run, followed by a bike ride (as opposed to the duathlon which is run/bike/run).
The run went well, and I found myself riding out of the transition area at 21:30. I neglected to mark my transition on my watch, but I would guess that it was about two minutes, yielding a 5k of 19:30 or so. The bike section went even better; I passed an awful lot of black bib numbers (the duathlon participants were wearing red numbers), and cruised into the finish chute with the clock reading 1:02 and change. When I got to the end of the chute, they handed me a Men's Biathlon 2nd Place Overall trophy! The overall winner of the Men's Biathlon was Mike Vanucci, with a winning time of something just under one hour; Mike is way stronger than I'll probably ever be, at least on a bike, and he says he passed me about halfway through the last lap. NCN should have the official results up later today or early tomorrow. Check their site if you're interested.
I, of course, was not alone in SBR blue and orange for the day. Eric, Matt T., Ian H., Angie, and several others were there as well. Rick and Gary were there taking pictures, (Rick's can be found on his Flickr site), and Dan B. was going to race, but the crank on his bike was trashed and he couldn't get a new one in time. Instead, he and the family came out to watch the festivities and cheer on SBR. The team did quite well, and most (if not all?) of the participants got at least a medal in their respective age group.
Overall, a great weekend.
The good couple weeks kept getting better today. I bolted on the aero bars for the Hinckley Buzzard Duathlon/Biathlon/5k Run today, opting for the biathlon since running isn't so much my thing. For those who don't know, a biathlon is a run, followed by a bike ride (as opposed to the duathlon which is run/bike/run).
The run went well, and I found myself riding out of the transition area at 21:30. I neglected to mark my transition on my watch, but I would guess that it was about two minutes, yielding a 5k of 19:30 or so. The bike section went even better; I passed an awful lot of black bib numbers (the duathlon participants were wearing red numbers), and cruised into the finish chute with the clock reading 1:02 and change. When I got to the end of the chute, they handed me a Men's Biathlon 2nd Place Overall trophy! The overall winner of the Men's Biathlon was Mike Vanucci, with a winning time of something just under one hour; Mike is way stronger than I'll probably ever be, at least on a bike, and he says he passed me about halfway through the last lap. NCN should have the official results up later today or early tomorrow. Check their site if you're interested.
I, of course, was not alone in SBR blue and orange for the day. Eric, Matt T., Ian H., Angie, and several others were there as well. Rick and Gary were there taking pictures, (Rick's can be found on his Flickr site), and Dan B. was going to race, but the crank on his bike was trashed and he couldn't get a new one in time. Instead, he and the family came out to watch the festivities and cheer on SBR. The team did quite well, and most (if not all?) of the participants got at least a medal in their respective age group.
Overall, a great weekend.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
I Assure You: We're Open
Despite my lack of posts lately, I've been busy. Last Saturday found me at RATL #1, and Sunday saw me riding the Team IPRO Spring Time Trial.
RATL #1 didn't go so well; there was a distinct lack of organization in Team Snakebite, though Michael L. and I managed to hang on in the front of the main pack for seventh and twelfth overall(a six man break took off in the confusion that followed the women's pack coming up behind, and a few juniors getting overtaken with two laps to go). For how the rest of SBR did, check out Rick's report.
The time trial went fairly well; I held a 22.89 mph pace over the ten mile course, for a time of 26:13. This landed me a 5th in my age group and 13th overall. I feel like I could have pushed harder, had I known my speed and cadence. Unfortunately, the sensor wire for my Cateye Astrale 8 was torn out of the mount sometime that morning during transit. I'll get another shot at the course in the fall, though, so I hope to do better then.
On Monday I went to see the fine folks at Bike Authority for a new computer. They hooked me up with a Trek Incite ACH Digital. It features cadence, rear wheel speed, and heartrate, all via wireless. It also includes an altimeter, a grade calculator, and a thermometer. Lots of awesome data, but way too much to look at while riding. It will be nice to track my climbing practice, though.
Since I had to work Tuesday night, I couldn't race Westlake this week, and I was pretty fried on Wednesday, I opted for the Thursday Square Wheels ride over on the east side. Chris B. and Pete S. from SBR were there, along with some of the other East side regulars. The guys were great to ride with; we got a rotating paceline going in a few places, and the 1-2-3 riders I was with were kind enough to sit up at the top of big hills.
Friday saw a laid back SBR group ride, then dinner at a place near Rick's. Lots of fun to hang around with some of the team and relax. Guiness was flowing, which also helped in the relaxation.
Today was RATL #2. It was almost the complete opposite of RATL #1. SBR worked together, we stayed in the front, and Michael L. and I took 6th and 4th overall, and 2nd and 4th in the group sprint; two riders went off the front with 4 laps to go and must have fired off JATO pods, since they came within about thirty seconds of lapping the pack. Both the guys on the break were pretty fried afterwards, but they certainly earned their trophies and upgrade points today.
All in all, a good couple weeks. Oh yeah, and I put money down on a 58cm Cervelo Soloist Carbon with a Campagnolo Centaur drivetrain. Soon the bike will no longer be an excuse for getting out-sprinted...
RATL #1 didn't go so well; there was a distinct lack of organization in Team Snakebite, though Michael L. and I managed to hang on in the front of the main pack for seventh and twelfth overall(a six man break took off in the confusion that followed the women's pack coming up behind, and a few juniors getting overtaken with two laps to go). For how the rest of SBR did, check out Rick's report.
The time trial went fairly well; I held a 22.89 mph pace over the ten mile course, for a time of 26:13. This landed me a 5th in my age group and 13th overall. I feel like I could have pushed harder, had I known my speed and cadence. Unfortunately, the sensor wire for my Cateye Astrale 8 was torn out of the mount sometime that morning during transit. I'll get another shot at the course in the fall, though, so I hope to do better then.
On Monday I went to see the fine folks at Bike Authority for a new computer. They hooked me up with a Trek Incite ACH Digital. It features cadence, rear wheel speed, and heartrate, all via wireless. It also includes an altimeter, a grade calculator, and a thermometer. Lots of awesome data, but way too much to look at while riding. It will be nice to track my climbing practice, though.
Since I had to work Tuesday night, I couldn't race Westlake this week, and I was pretty fried on Wednesday, I opted for the Thursday Square Wheels ride over on the east side. Chris B. and Pete S. from SBR were there, along with some of the other East side regulars. The guys were great to ride with; we got a rotating paceline going in a few places, and the 1-2-3 riders I was with were kind enough to sit up at the top of big hills.
Friday saw a laid back SBR group ride, then dinner at a place near Rick's. Lots of fun to hang around with some of the team and relax. Guiness was flowing, which also helped in the relaxation.
Today was RATL #2. It was almost the complete opposite of RATL #1. SBR worked together, we stayed in the front, and Michael L. and I took 6th and 4th overall, and 2nd and 4th in the group sprint; two riders went off the front with 4 laps to go and must have fired off JATO pods, since they came within about thirty seconds of lapping the pack. Both the guys on the break were pretty fried afterwards, but they certainly earned their trophies and upgrade points today.
All in all, a good couple weeks. Oh yeah, and I put money down on a 58cm Cervelo Soloist Carbon with a Campagnolo Centaur drivetrain. Soon the bike will no longer be an excuse for getting out-sprinted...
Friday, April 11, 2008
In those high-rolling hills...
After sixty-eight miles and thirteen thousand vertical feet of climbing, I have emerged from the wilderness. The Santa Monica Mountains provide a stark contrast to the urban jungle that lies just below; many miles of trails exist, flanked by brush covered hillsides that were brilliantly coated in wildflowers and green grass. Looking out over the slopes ravaged by fire last October, I saw a green rivaled only by the pictures I've seen of Ireland. According to the locals, it's almost never that green. For an idea of what it usually looks like, one only needs to watch a M*A*S*H rerun. The show was filmed in Malibu Creek State Park, where I camped my second night.
Despite the vibrant nature of the vegetation, water was still hard to come by. On the many exposed ridges and fire roads, there was no water, and only in a few of the seasonal streams did I find more than mud at the bottom. It was small wonder that the fire danger throughout the mountains was rated at least at Medium. Many areas throughout Malibu carried permanent smoking bans outside, not in the interest of personal health, but in the interest of not burning down the county. One ranger drove by me while I was carrying a pen; thinking I was smoking he got out of his vehicle to give me what-for, but stopped short when he saw it was only a blue Bic. Campfires are out of the question, and even charcoal grills are off limits. Thankfully propane stoves weren't banned at the time I was there (it's happened before, though I've always just missed it), since such bans make having hot food a little difficult.
Other than the aridness of the climate, the weather was perfect. The sun shone every day, nice breezes blew up the canyons, and nary a drop of rain fell upon me. Thankfully there was water at all the campgrounds, and I had enough water bottles to carry a gallon at once, so I never went thirsty. When I got off trail, I went to dinner with my friend George and then heard his barbershop group sing at a coffee shop in Santa Monica. Before that, I stopped at a Burger King for a cheeseburger. There's nothing I crave while on the trail like a cheeseburger.
For those mountain bikers who read this, you can ride over much of the trail; thanks to the many road intersections along the route it's not hard to get to and from the trail (since not all the trail is open to bikes), the trail is fairly wide and well-constructed in many places. You'll want plenty of water and sun protection; as I already said the trail is dry and shaded spots are few and far between. Check out the National Park Service site for more information.
Despite the vibrant nature of the vegetation, water was still hard to come by. On the many exposed ridges and fire roads, there was no water, and only in a few of the seasonal streams did I find more than mud at the bottom. It was small wonder that the fire danger throughout the mountains was rated at least at Medium. Many areas throughout Malibu carried permanent smoking bans outside, not in the interest of personal health, but in the interest of not burning down the county. One ranger drove by me while I was carrying a pen; thinking I was smoking he got out of his vehicle to give me what-for, but stopped short when he saw it was only a blue Bic. Campfires are out of the question, and even charcoal grills are off limits. Thankfully propane stoves weren't banned at the time I was there (it's happened before, though I've always just missed it), since such bans make having hot food a little difficult.
Other than the aridness of the climate, the weather was perfect. The sun shone every day, nice breezes blew up the canyons, and nary a drop of rain fell upon me. Thankfully there was water at all the campgrounds, and I had enough water bottles to carry a gallon at once, so I never went thirsty. When I got off trail, I went to dinner with my friend George and then heard his barbershop group sing at a coffee shop in Santa Monica. Before that, I stopped at a Burger King for a cheeseburger. There's nothing I crave while on the trail like a cheeseburger.
For those mountain bikers who read this, you can ride over much of the trail; thanks to the many road intersections along the route it's not hard to get to and from the trail (since not all the trail is open to bikes), the trail is fairly wide and well-constructed in many places. You'll want plenty of water and sun protection; as I already said the trail is dry and shaded spots are few and far between. Check out the National Park Service site for more information.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
We can live beside the ocean, leave the fire behind...
At 1020 PDT on Friday, April 4, I arrived in Los Angeles. I left the torrential downpours of northeast and central Ohio (having flown out of Columbus) for the sun and sand of southern California. My friend George has been kind enough to let me stay at his place in Santa Monica while I'm in town, and so far the time here is shaping up nicely. The plan for the week involves backpacking in the Malibu Hills (yes, Virginia, there is a thru-hikable trail in L.A. County), hitting the beach, and checking out a bike from one of the local bike shops and getting acquainted with California Highway 1 around Malibu; bringing my bike with me wasn't worth the hassle, since pack/unpack times would have put it out of commission for a week, all in exchange for only about a day's worth of riding.
Flying out the route took us over the Rockies west of Denver before the plane turned south west across the Four Corners region, including Durango, Mesa Verde, and the Grand Canyon. I got a few shots out the window of the surrounding area, and I'll post any good ones when I get home. The flights went smoothly, and all my checked baggage arrived as planned. The rest of Friday was spent napping, then attending a Santa Monica Theater Guild production of The Full Monty.
Yesterday we hit the REI store in downtown Santa Monica to pick up some supplies that the FAA frowns upon carrying aboard an aircraft and generally hung around. We also grabbed the necessary supplies for a Pepsi-can alcohol stove, since I've always wanted to try one, and I'm finally going somewhere with an average altitude below 10,000 ft.
Time to head out and enjoy the day. Good luck to all my Snakebite teammates at the Weekly Worlds this Tuesday!
Flying out the route took us over the Rockies west of Denver before the plane turned south west across the Four Corners region, including Durango, Mesa Verde, and the Grand Canyon. I got a few shots out the window of the surrounding area, and I'll post any good ones when I get home. The flights went smoothly, and all my checked baggage arrived as planned. The rest of Friday was spent napping, then attending a Santa Monica Theater Guild production of The Full Monty.
Yesterday we hit the REI store in downtown Santa Monica to pick up some supplies that the FAA frowns upon carrying aboard an aircraft and generally hung around. We also grabbed the necessary supplies for a Pepsi-can alcohol stove, since I've always wanted to try one, and I'm finally going somewhere with an average altitude below 10,000 ft.
Time to head out and enjoy the day. Good luck to all my Snakebite teammates at the Weekly Worlds this Tuesday!
Sunday, March 30, 2008
I'm bringin' sexy back...
As I alluded to in my last few posts, I took a Cervelo Soloist Carbon out for a spin a few weeks ago. As it happens, I ran into El Presidente when I was at Bike Authority, and we rode together for a while. He turned me onto the Chippewa Creek Road Race course within the Brecksville Reservation before heading home himself. I tooled around there for a while before heading back to Bike Authority. The climbing was quite nice, though the road with the rollers hadn't been plowed yet, so I didn't get to give it the full workout I wanted, but I still got a good idea of what the bike was like.
I became interested in the Soloist when I found out that, in addition to screaming down the road, it could be set to a more TT/Tri friendly position just by flipping the seat mount. This is especially nice for me, since I race Duathlons and time trials occasionally, but not enough to warrant a specific bike (besides which, I lack the 18 figure income necessary to finance a nice bike for each category). Thanks to the two position seatpost and already aero design of the bike, you only need a set of clip on bars to go own people at a time trial. Or if you don't the bike won't be the excuse.
The first thing that struck me was that this bike is freakin' light. While it's not the lightest on the market, it's way lighter than anything else I've ridden before. Despite this, it's stiff as a board. I tried to get the bottom bracket to flex in the shop the way my aluminum frame does, and it never moved; the BB was as solid as I've ever seen. So far, so good.
The second thing I noticed was how much the Soloist likes to accelerate. Rick took off first on his R3 and I nearly ran him over, so great was the acceleration from the Soloist; definitely way more than I was used to. Even though I was riding a size smaller than I needed (a 56cm instead of a 58), I still had no problem hopping into the big ring and the higher cogs on the back and keeping up with Rick down the hills, up the hills, and on everything in between. The Soloist hugged the curves on the downhills through Brecksville like Michael Jackson would a preteen at Neverland, and responded beautifully whenever I pointed it around a turn. Overall it felt solid, with nary a rattle or vibration, while at the same time remaining light and responsive. Were Elliot Spitzer reviewing this ride, I do believe he would give it at least six out of seven diamonds.
The only downside I noticed to the Soloist was that it comes standard with DuraAce. While that's a plus for most people, I've been riding Campy for the last three years and I'm used to the shifting mechanics of Ergopower levers; in addition, my spare parts, kit specific tools, and other wheelsets are all Campy. Fortunately, Bike Authority has assured me that they can outfit whatever bike I decide to get with anything I want. They, of course, suggested Record, DuraAce or Red, and such a bike certainly deserves the best gruppo money can buy, but we shall see what the pricing comes to and what my budget allows. The next step is for me to try other bikes, including at least one other carbon model of a different brand (the Soloist was my first ever all-carbon bike), as well as try the aluminum Soloist. The aluminum model has the same geometry as the carbon, but it weighs 20% more and costs 40% less; given the already light weight of a carbon Soloist, 20% ain't much. Once that happens, I'll post my results here, hopefully in a more timely fashion than with this test ride. Less than 100 hours until I'm in sunny Los Angeles!!
I became interested in the Soloist when I found out that, in addition to screaming down the road, it could be set to a more TT/Tri friendly position just by flipping the seat mount. This is especially nice for me, since I race Duathlons and time trials occasionally, but not enough to warrant a specific bike (besides which, I lack the 18 figure income necessary to finance a nice bike for each category). Thanks to the two position seatpost and already aero design of the bike, you only need a set of clip on bars to go own people at a time trial. Or if you don't the bike won't be the excuse.
The first thing that struck me was that this bike is freakin' light. While it's not the lightest on the market, it's way lighter than anything else I've ridden before. Despite this, it's stiff as a board. I tried to get the bottom bracket to flex in the shop the way my aluminum frame does, and it never moved; the BB was as solid as I've ever seen. So far, so good.
The second thing I noticed was how much the Soloist likes to accelerate. Rick took off first on his R3 and I nearly ran him over, so great was the acceleration from the Soloist; definitely way more than I was used to. Even though I was riding a size smaller than I needed (a 56cm instead of a 58), I still had no problem hopping into the big ring and the higher cogs on the back and keeping up with Rick down the hills, up the hills, and on everything in between. The Soloist hugged the curves on the downhills through Brecksville like Michael Jackson would a preteen at Neverland, and responded beautifully whenever I pointed it around a turn. Overall it felt solid, with nary a rattle or vibration, while at the same time remaining light and responsive. Were Elliot Spitzer reviewing this ride, I do believe he would give it at least six out of seven diamonds.
The only downside I noticed to the Soloist was that it comes standard with DuraAce. While that's a plus for most people, I've been riding Campy for the last three years and I'm used to the shifting mechanics of Ergopower levers; in addition, my spare parts, kit specific tools, and other wheelsets are all Campy. Fortunately, Bike Authority has assured me that they can outfit whatever bike I decide to get with anything I want. They, of course, suggested Record, DuraAce or Red, and such a bike certainly deserves the best gruppo money can buy, but we shall see what the pricing comes to and what my budget allows. The next step is for me to try other bikes, including at least one other carbon model of a different brand (the Soloist was my first ever all-carbon bike), as well as try the aluminum Soloist. The aluminum model has the same geometry as the carbon, but it weighs 20% more and costs 40% less; given the already light weight of a carbon Soloist, 20% ain't much. Once that happens, I'll post my results here, hopefully in a more timely fashion than with this test ride. Less than 100 hours until I'm in sunny Los Angeles!!
The winner will be the one who controls that chaos, both his own and the enemies.
Once again I have been lax in my blogging. I'll be posting a review of the Cervelo Soloist Carbon shortly, but first I shall describe the riding exploits of late.
Thursday afternoon I went out to the Chippewa course with Matt T. for some climbing practice. We did a modified loop of the race course, starting at the bottom of the Valley Parkway and going all the way to Brecksville Rd. before looping back around Parkview Rd. to rejoin the course. We did three full laps and climbed the hill one last time before turning around and calling it a day, after I bonked on the last hill. All in all we wound up with about 1400ft. of climbing over 27 miles, and an average speed of 15.4 mph. About ten minutes after we got back to the cars, the skies opened up, dropping a blinding rainstorm. Fortunately we were safe and dry by this point.
On Saturday, Matt and I drove down to the Malabar Farm race, where we met up with Dave S., Pete S., and Chris B. Dave, Pete, and Chris raced the 3/4 pack (Dave took fifth, Chris took ninth, and Pete finished in the pack), Matt raced the 4/5 pack and finished with them, while I raced the 5/Cit pack and managed to hold out for the win. I guess all that climbing practice on Thursday paid off. So now the plan is to head out this Thursday for another gravity based torture session. See you on the road!
Thursday afternoon I went out to the Chippewa course with Matt T. for some climbing practice. We did a modified loop of the race course, starting at the bottom of the Valley Parkway and going all the way to Brecksville Rd. before looping back around Parkview Rd. to rejoin the course. We did three full laps and climbed the hill one last time before turning around and calling it a day, after I bonked on the last hill. All in all we wound up with about 1400ft. of climbing over 27 miles, and an average speed of 15.4 mph. About ten minutes after we got back to the cars, the skies opened up, dropping a blinding rainstorm. Fortunately we were safe and dry by this point.
On Saturday, Matt and I drove down to the Malabar Farm race, where we met up with Dave S., Pete S., and Chris B. Dave, Pete, and Chris raced the 3/4 pack (Dave took fifth, Chris took ninth, and Pete finished in the pack), Matt raced the 4/5 pack and finished with them, while I raced the 5/Cit pack and managed to hold out for the win. I guess all that climbing practice on Thursday paid off. So now the plan is to head out this Thursday for another gravity based torture session. See you on the road!
Saturday, March 15, 2008
We have forty million reasons for failure, but not a single excuse.
Obviously Kipling never met me...
So it's been a while since I posted. I have no excuses other than the usual, "I was working/sleeping/eating/biking." But I have been doing some interesting stuff since my race report two weeks ago.
On Tuesday, Mar. 4, I helped canvas the West Side for the Obama campaign. It's been a long time since I was involved in any type of politics, and the feeling was one I had forgotten. To be surrounded by people who love what they do and are passionate about succeeding is an awe inspiring sensation. To know that they are doing this not for compensation, but simply because they believe it's the right thing to do only adds to that. It would have been better if Obama had won the state, but at least he won the county.
The mountain bike (see this post) is coming along nicely. Now that the order is in from Crank Brothers, I have all the parts I need except the wheels, and those should be into Bike Authority within the next two weeks. Then there shall be a bike building bonanza, with a bevy of beer, broads, and borscht. The Eggbeater pedals are especially nice; they have all the float that a mountain pedal should, but they feel much more solid with better power transfer than the Shimano SPDs that I first started riding.
And finally, last Thursday I took a test ride on a Cervelo Soloist Carbon. Stay tuned for a review tomorrow, since I'm toiling in the University Hospitals salt-mines all weekend, and bed calls. Until then, Happy Riding!
So it's been a while since I posted. I have no excuses other than the usual, "I was working/sleeping/eating/biking." But I have been doing some interesting stuff since my race report two weeks ago.
On Tuesday, Mar. 4, I helped canvas the West Side for the Obama campaign. It's been a long time since I was involved in any type of politics, and the feeling was one I had forgotten. To be surrounded by people who love what they do and are passionate about succeeding is an awe inspiring sensation. To know that they are doing this not for compensation, but simply because they believe it's the right thing to do only adds to that. It would have been better if Obama had won the state, but at least he won the county.
The mountain bike (see this post) is coming along nicely. Now that the order is in from Crank Brothers, I have all the parts I need except the wheels, and those should be into Bike Authority within the next two weeks. Then there shall be a bike building bonanza, with a bevy of beer, broads, and borscht. The Eggbeater pedals are especially nice; they have all the float that a mountain pedal should, but they feel much more solid with better power transfer than the Shimano SPDs that I first started riding.
And finally, last Thursday I took a test ride on a Cervelo Soloist Carbon. Stay tuned for a review tomorrow, since I'm toiling in the University Hospitals salt-mines all weekend, and bed calls. Until then, Happy Riding!
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Let's get this party started right!
Today marked the opening of my career as an actual bike racer with a team and everything. I regret to say that I did not do well. I finished dead last (or far enough back that place really didn't matter). I could blame the too long training ride yesterday; the fact that, in hindsight, my front wheel was misaligned; or I could just man up and admit to the lack of training over the winter. I now have just under four weeks to get ready for the Tour of Richland County out at Malabar Farms. My very first road race was the 2005 Ohio Road Race Championships on the same course, and I can't wait to get back there with a real bike (one without flat bars this time). Other than myself, SBR had three riders come out: Chad M., Dave S., and Chris B. all braved the cold. Chris and Dave raced in the Cat. 3/4 field and finished in the pack. Today was Chad's first road race and he managed to pull ninth in a pack of at least thirty. Kudos to him!
As far as a race review I thought the course itself was nice: flat, short, and fast, and very spectator friendly. Some would say, however, that race organization, left something to be desired. Others would say it was a complete fuster cluck. Thanks to the promoter only having one registration line open, even those who pre-registered had to wait in line for almost an hour; considering that registration opened only an hour before the Cat. 4/5/Juniors/Womens race this was something of an inconvenience. Before the start of the 3/4 field, Gov. Schwarzenegger showed up to start the field and parked his motorcade right in the race path. As the 3/4s rounded turn 4 into the final straightaway, the motorcade started to pull out against the flow of cyclists. Th marshals stopped the race at that point and waited for the motorcade to leave before they restarted everything. And to add injury to insult, apparently no one on the Fat Rabbit Racing team owns a broom, as none of the corners were swept before the race; turn 4 was around a seventy-five degree hairpin loaded with gravel. I must say that I expected better from a club that puts on, at least from the reports of my teammates, some of the best triathlons in the area. I can only hope they do better next year; for now, on to Malabar Farms!
As far as a race review I thought the course itself was nice: flat, short, and fast, and very spectator friendly. Some would say, however, that race organization, left something to be desired. Others would say it was a complete fuster cluck. Thanks to the promoter only having one registration line open, even those who pre-registered had to wait in line for almost an hour; considering that registration opened only an hour before the Cat. 4/5/Juniors/Womens race this was something of an inconvenience. Before the start of the 3/4 field, Gov. Schwarzenegger showed up to start the field and parked his motorcade right in the race path. As the 3/4s rounded turn 4 into the final straightaway, the motorcade started to pull out against the flow of cyclists. Th marshals stopped the race at that point and waited for the motorcade to leave before they restarted everything. And to add injury to insult, apparently no one on the Fat Rabbit Racing team owns a broom, as none of the corners were swept before the race; turn 4 was around a seventy-five degree hairpin loaded with gravel. I must say that I expected better from a club that puts on, at least from the reports of my teammates, some of the best triathlons in the area. I can only hope they do better next year; for now, on to Malabar Farms!
Sunday, February 24, 2008
I got sunshine on a really cold day...
Thanks to the sunny skies and dry roads I was able to get out today and yesterday. Both days were right around 37 miles over a couple hours.
Saturday had around 900 feet of climbing on the east side, along with the company of John E. and Dave S., among others. We went east from First Baptist Church on Fairmount, then hit the bricks and headed out Music St. past the Chagrin River before looping back and climbing up Old Mill Rd. on the return trip.
Today I headed out with Matt O. and John V. down into the Valley Parkway from my place in Lakewood. I've always been a fan of the Parkway ride, as it's flat, scenic, and the cars are mostly used to bikes on the road.
Unfortunately that's going to be my last ride for a few days. According the mechanics at Bike Authority, the star-fangled nut that brings my fork, headset, and frame together as one is loose and is in need of re-gluing. Since I don't want to pull a George at Mid Ohio next weekend, the bike is going in tomorrow morning for some much needed TLC, and won't be back until Wednesday. Until then I'll just have to run the stairs at work...
Saturday had around 900 feet of climbing on the east side, along with the company of John E. and Dave S., among others. We went east from First Baptist Church on Fairmount, then hit the bricks and headed out Music St. past the Chagrin River before looping back and climbing up Old Mill Rd. on the return trip.
Today I headed out with Matt O. and John V. down into the Valley Parkway from my place in Lakewood. I've always been a fan of the Parkway ride, as it's flat, scenic, and the cars are mostly used to bikes on the road.
Unfortunately that's going to be my last ride for a few days. According the mechanics at Bike Authority, the star-fangled nut that brings my fork, headset, and frame together as one is loose and is in need of re-gluing. Since I don't want to pull a George at Mid Ohio next weekend, the bike is going in tomorrow morning for some much needed TLC, and won't be back until Wednesday. Until then I'll just have to run the stairs at work...
Thursday, February 21, 2008
I think so Brain, but if Jimmy cracked corn, and no one cares, why does he keep doing it?
Proof once more that some people have entirely too much time on their hands...
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Igor, would you mind telling me whose brain I did put in?
The time has come to make my new mountain bike no longer a single speed. There shall be pictures, as soon as I track down my camera...
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Happy Bunny says, "Mountain Biking is painful and fun!"
Since I started cycling in earnest four years ago, I've never had a mountain bike. And while I had a mountain bike throughout high school, I never took it off road. So tonight was an interesting time for me; I took my very first real mountain bike to Ray's Indoor MTB Park and tried it out. Good times were had by all.
It all started at the last SBR meeting; Chad, one of the team members, mentioned that he had a couple mountain bikes he wanted to get rid of for a smokin' good price; as Chad is roughly my height, I took him up on his offer for one of them (a Santa Cruz Chameleon, set up as a single speed). Not wanting to waste money on something I couldn't use, my only option for trying it out was to take it to Ray's. I guess I could have taken it out into the 5" of snow, but somehow I doubt that would have been the experience I was looking for.
Before I left for Ray's, my friend Jim warned me that he heard reports that it was "sickly technical" even for someone at the expert level. After carefully considering this warning for all of 10 seconds, I opted to go anyway; I mean, what's a broken jaw and some wood burn? Besides, the website said they had a Beginner's Area. That means lots of stuff for wimps like me who have this crazy fear of falling over, right?
Ray's beginner area was, at first, terrifyingly difficult. For those who have never been, the room has a circuit around the outside edge, along with some alternate routes through the middle, some practice logs and boards off to the right, and a rock garden pretty much down the middle. The part which left me shivering was the merge with the Gary Fisher XC Loop that runs around the outside edge. The folks who know what they're doing get dropped in from the main room just after the beginners entrance, and they were going much, much faster than me. And were more stable. And riding shinier bikes. In cooler looking kit. All this made me a little shaky. Having a white-knuckle death grip on the bike didn't help, either.
After about 20 minutes of riding the outer circuit, I started to try the boards in the middle. Imagine a balance beam, but crooked, and not level. Around this time, Allison and Geoff rolled in; I also managed to make it across the beginner's beam for the first time. They cheered, and we started talking. They gave me some pointers on how not to die, the most important one being, "You're more likely to hurt yourself and break the bike if you're worried about breaking the bike and getting hurt. Just relax, ride, and when you fall pick yourself up, kick your bike, and get back to riding." This was, quite possibly, the best advice I've gotten in a very long time. I started having fun after that; I tried the rock garden, and got through it on the second try. After a while we went to try the XC loop, which was a lot of fun.
At some point on the XC loop I slipped a pedal and took a few chunks out of my left shin. I also grabbed my front brake in a panic on the beginner loop and did an endo 45 minutes in. This brings me to the part of the blog where I discuss what I learned. 1.) Wear long pants or use clipless pedals while riding. 2.) Front brake checks are bad; avoid them.
Now it's time to order some Eggbeaters...
It all started at the last SBR meeting; Chad, one of the team members, mentioned that he had a couple mountain bikes he wanted to get rid of for a smokin' good price; as Chad is roughly my height, I took him up on his offer for one of them (a Santa Cruz Chameleon, set up as a single speed). Not wanting to waste money on something I couldn't use, my only option for trying it out was to take it to Ray's. I guess I could have taken it out into the 5" of snow, but somehow I doubt that would have been the experience I was looking for.
Before I left for Ray's, my friend Jim warned me that he heard reports that it was "sickly technical" even for someone at the expert level. After carefully considering this warning for all of 10 seconds, I opted to go anyway; I mean, what's a broken jaw and some wood burn? Besides, the website said they had a Beginner's Area. That means lots of stuff for wimps like me who have this crazy fear of falling over, right?
Ray's beginner area was, at first, terrifyingly difficult. For those who have never been, the room has a circuit around the outside edge, along with some alternate routes through the middle, some practice logs and boards off to the right, and a rock garden pretty much down the middle. The part which left me shivering was the merge with the Gary Fisher XC Loop that runs around the outside edge. The folks who know what they're doing get dropped in from the main room just after the beginners entrance, and they were going much, much faster than me. And were more stable. And riding shinier bikes. In cooler looking kit. All this made me a little shaky. Having a white-knuckle death grip on the bike didn't help, either.
After about 20 minutes of riding the outer circuit, I started to try the boards in the middle. Imagine a balance beam, but crooked, and not level. Around this time, Allison and Geoff rolled in; I also managed to make it across the beginner's beam for the first time. They cheered, and we started talking. They gave me some pointers on how not to die, the most important one being, "You're more likely to hurt yourself and break the bike if you're worried about breaking the bike and getting hurt. Just relax, ride, and when you fall pick yourself up, kick your bike, and get back to riding." This was, quite possibly, the best advice I've gotten in a very long time. I started having fun after that; I tried the rock garden, and got through it on the second try. After a while we went to try the XC loop, which was a lot of fun.
At some point on the XC loop I slipped a pedal and took a few chunks out of my left shin. I also grabbed my front brake in a panic on the beginner loop and did an endo 45 minutes in. This brings me to the part of the blog where I discuss what I learned. 1.) Wear long pants or use clipless pedals while riding. 2.) Front brake checks are bad; avoid them.
Now it's time to order some Eggbeaters...
Monday, February 4, 2008
Road Riding in February
I decided today that I've had enough of the trainer. Black ice be damned (yeah, I know the temp was above freezing today, but never underestimate Cleveland), I was going to ride outside before work. In my 40 minute ride down the Valley Parkway I discovered two things. The first is that Jim might have something with that ski goggle idea. The second is that feeling in my toes is a good thing, and that perhaps some neoprene shoe covers would be a good investment; apparently shoes designed for keeping feet cool work as well (better, even!) in the winter as in the summer. Aside from losing feeling in my toes for a bit, it was a good ride; I forgot how good getting outside feels.
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