I'm a bad, bad person. I don't blog enough, as I have been informed by several people, including Dave Almighty. With the race season upon us, however, I felt I should reassure my hordes of loyal readers that I am not dead! I did not waste away to nothing out here in the Land of Fruits and Nuts. Rather, I have been training extensively in preparation for my first race as a Cat 4: the Poor College Kids Road Race in Santa Barbara, CA. The next day is the Mothballs Criterium also in Santa Barbara. My new ride, named Viviane, and I will be headed up there to take names and kick ass.
I promise that a race report will follow on Sunday. Really!
Showing posts with label Cervelo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cervelo. Show all posts
Monday, January 12, 2009
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!
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!
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...
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.
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...
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!!
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!
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