Bike Route Planning and The Goose Chase;

June 23, 2011 School, or at least some schools, has been out for a couple of weeks.  The organized ride season is well on the way all around the country, pick one and support it, or at least your local bike to work day.  There are municipalities all around the country that are now, finally, discussing usable bike paths, bike lanes and programs attempting to get catchy slogans to remind our motoring public that this is the season of more bicyclist out on the streets.  As a thought, why were these discussions not held prior to now?

My local mini metropolis, Centennial Colorado, a southern border of Denver has been working on the blending of the motoring public, with bicyclist, walkers and joggers for more than eighteen months and is putting together a fantastic master plan.  Like all Municipalities should, in a poor economy, they are attempting to connect routes and paths that already exist and flow in and out of neighboring municipalities.  Kudos to them for a well thought out plan rather than a knee jerk reaction.  I’m not saying other cities around the nation or even Colorado are not doing this but I do see plenty of headlines to the theme of “the village council of Badonkadonk" is starting discussions on improving bicycle traffic”.  The Centennial master plan is even looking at bicycle commuters to see if it is feasible to get best routes for direct travelling.  That, though very difficult, is fore thought just to think that progressively.  Luckily, cyclist around the world are a self surviving group that find away to accomplish their needs in a safe as possible manner with or without a towns assistance.

Another benefit of having a well laid out bicycle system is being able to hold your own event.  A neighboring village, Greenwood Village, just held their 16^th annual Goose Chase.  This has been a popular Run, Walk and Bike event for the recreational athlete for the past sixteen years.   It has been a fun event that the city is proud of and has been a combined effort of the City, Wells Fargo Bank, and the chamber of commerce and many other supporters and volunteers.   This year, of all years, it was not well attended mainly due to a late start on the organization.  I said “of all years” because this was one of the best well marked courses they have had in years.  The course was in and around the Cherry Creek State Reservoir operated by the United States Corps of Engineers which included a beautiful ride over the top of the dam which served up beautiful views of the mountains and down town Denver.  The course then went out on city streets which had wide clean bike lanes.  You then twisted down, across and up through the Denver Technology Center (DTC), Over Interstate I-25 and down around the Comfort Dental Amphitheater and through the Greenwood Plaza office park.  All these interesting sites prior to going along the edge of fabulous homes, up to a State highway, also known as Belleview Avenue.   This is where it was very impressive this year.  The city had one lane totally coned off to major traffic giving the cyclists a long safe ride back to almost the finish.   The only real downfall was, there appeared to be a confusion on the 45 mile loop as to circle the reservoir twice and then through the city or, circle the reservoir, through the city, and around the reservoir again.  We had friends that did it both ways and seemed confused.  All in all it was a good ride, good weather, good company and a very good lunch.  The lunch was not all that healthy for that type of an event but it was good.  If you missed it this year, think about it for next year.  If the operation comes off the same way and gets the word out much sooner this will be a good, relaxed, low effort ride to get your kids introduced to group rides.  Speaking of kids, my tall kid did the thirty mile with me; we started thirty minutes after the forty five milers and he finished about twenty minutes before the first rider on the forty five.

As far as your municipality goes if they have a pro-active engineering department that is looking out for you’re cycling safety and connivance, call or email them with a simple thank you.  If they are not pro-active or just getting their talks started join in, get your thoughts and two cents in there, it beats complaining that nothing is being done.

Till Next Time

Ride Safe, Ride Fast As You Can, But Ride.

“G”

The Elephant Rock a Reason to Have a Training Partner

I am old, I am plump, but on June 5, 2011, I had my butt kicked by much older and some plumper bicyclist.  The scene of this embarrassment, The 2011 Elephant Rock (www.elephantrockride.com).  A great ride and party to welcome in the new summer season of Colorado cycling.

I figured that since I can no longer ride with the tall kid I could turn my attention to the short kid as a riding companion.  I figured what the heck, he wants to be part of our riding, has a nicer than mine bike, why not.  The Elephant Rock had a 32 mile loop which was as long as kids under 14 were allowed to ride.  He had rode 29 miles before so I signed us both up for that loop and the tall kid for a 62 mile loop with some friends he enjoyed riding with.  The 32 mile loop started with a 4 mile climb of which I guessed to be a 12% grade but was probable more like a true 6% grade.  Since the short kid, like the tall one, does not seem to understand that long inclines are difficult, I was a good Dad and said “I will see you at the top”.  The last I saw of him was when he was passing the lead riders about a quarter of the way up.  Next time I saw him he was clapping for me at the finish line.  The tall kid had left with our friends that we rode a little bit with last summer.  Connor enjoyed riding with them because he was as fast as they were.  A year makes a big difference, after the nice lunch, our friend Ron said that they were looking forward to the tall kid riding with them.  They saw the back of his jersey at the start and it just kept getting smaller, till he was totally gone.  A year really does make a difference.  The tall kid did his 62 miles with an average of 17.2 mph. 

All of this brings me to me.  No I have not ridden the miles I wished I had at this point but we have a 32 mile loop that gets the distance in.  Throw in some of the old fat person intervals and compete against the clock and I should be good right?  Re-think that brainstorm………….theory is good but in reality it is not there.  I had plenty of time to think this over, believe me at an average speed of a blazing 9.8 mph you have time to think.  Not only think but over think.  There were thoughts that if I was alive at the end of this, I was done with cycling.  I was done with the false plateaus, the sick humor of putting a 100 yard stretch of a real 12% grade, in the middle of a 5 mile climb.  Then the thoughts drifted in and out of, I lost my kid…………did he miss a turn, is he lost, did the State Patrol pick him up.  I’m a bad, bad parent.  There was humility, an elderly lady, more elderly than me, in a tie-dyed DRESS, on what appeared to be a beach bike with gears, passed me multiple times, usually going uphill.  The defining moment to top it all, being passed (on that real 12% grade) by a heavy set women, of my seniority pushing her bike up the hill.    Yes, she walked by me pushing her bike up the hill.   That was time for me to get off and give in to walking.

As I walked up that last 25 yards to the false plateau I was convinced that a training partner is the only way to go.  Someone who you can’t cheat with, a person that dangles that carrot in front of you and forces you to push and pick up the rpm’s just a little bit more.  Turn those old fat person intervals into real intervals to get an actual improvement not a presumed improvement.  Yes I have greatly improved this past couple of years, but you can only do so much on your own.  I have assisted the tall kid to the best of my abilities and now it is time for someone else to refine and take him to the next level.  This I understand, but when it comes to ourselves, we always attempt to do it without help and that does not always pan out.

As far as the ride finished, it was a great time, beautiful scenery, great people to be around which made a beautiful day of a two day event.  As far as the climbs go, my bad, this is Colorado and Denver the Mile High City.  The Mile High mark is on the Capitol steps and to leave there you need to go up, in any direction.  A ride in Colorado is a climb no matter where you ride.  But to top the day off, I could not be a prouder parent of how the tall kid and the short kid performed, they gave me much, much pride.

Till Next Time

Ride Safe, Ride Far, Ride Short, But Ride

“G”

Bicycle Racing, Secret Society or Open

Wow……The end of May, can you believe it.  What a spring we have had, some extremely bad weather, wet, windy, all in all totally depressing.  Unless of course you live in a Colorado ski area that has  extended its ski season into June. I have been spending my lack of riding time attempting to figure out a resume, do those things ever get read by anyone?  Besides that frustration, I have been spending a lot of time attempting to get the tall kid into bicycle racing.  I don’t know which one has been the biggest pain in the sitting portion of the anatomy. Which is the reason there has been no blogging, so much bicycle research that I could have swore I have wrote two or three entries this month.

Now, back to the bike racing.  I have come to the conclusion that a sport that is so popular, for all ages and abilities, international, with hours of television and multiple print media is, at first, hidden like a secret society.  Bike shops seem to be vague on the subject and offer limited information, good but limited.  After getting the same answer from three sources I pulled up the American Cycling Association (americancycling.org) web site and found a wealth of information. Since we, shyly, entered this new adventure the tall kid has been to a weekend road camp, and raced two different races, with an enormous amount of assistance.  After you step through the secret door, there is a wonderful world of very friendly, helpful people that will give you more information than you could dream of.  We have also learned about clubs/teams. While racing if you are not affiliated with a club/team you will have no help and be left to fend for yourself.  The tall kid did pique the interest of a couple of kids from a local team and we are pending an acceptance notification.  It has been a fun filled month for the tall kid and a learning experience he is enjoying.  He has actually been once again motivated and is riding like a mad man.  As a side benefit, the fun, the races, and the people have re-kindled the cycling bug in the little guy and he wants to ride more now.  Another up side to bicycle racing is the cost.  Junior’s, through their nineteenth birthday have no registration fees and the parents don’t get nickel and dimed to death.  Of course I say that right now, we’ll see at the end of the season.  So if racing is in the back of your mind check out the American Cycling Association (ACA) web site and get going.  The races are all day but your race is only one maybe two hours so the time you spend at the race can be easily balanced with the honeydews.  Did I mention the beer garden open to all the, age appropriate, racers?

As far as the riding goes mine has dropped off but, a new month is starting and I’m hoping for some big miles this summer.  I will end up over a hundred miles again this month far from a hundred a week but I’m over a hundred.  The tall kid is sitting at 338 this month and enjoys rubbing it in.  It may be time he gets a job.

Till Next Time

Get out and Ride, But Be Safe

“G”

Wind Friend or Cyclist Foe and What is a Grand Fondo

Ok……The wind is still blowing, I as well as others seemed to have given in and started riding in misery. Or is it misery, it’s hard, it is unpredictable as to which way it will be blowing after the next turn it keeps you on your toes. We have started out going north with a head wind, turn east still have a head wind, turn south still a head wind. Would you believe all in a single mile? We then crossed a major busy arterial street (also designated as a state highway) and a direct head wind, in a predominantly southern direction, for another 15 miles. Working my old fat butt harder then I have had to in a long time made me think, this is why I started riding again………………Hello, it’s exercise. Yes it’s miserable to ride in but as your fitness level picks up you need to think of the wind as helpful resistance not misery. Any good exercise is misery or you aren’t getting anything out of it. So as you swear at Mommy Nature, think of her as, like all moms, she is trying to help you. My tall kid, for example, he rode a hundred ten miles this past week, all in the wind. He did our thirty two mile loop yesterday, before going to basketball practice (Oh to be young again), and averaged 18.4 mph on the windiest day of the week. I guess that is why I signed him up for a youth road racing camp in May. When I look at the big picture and the loss and suffering in the south, I’m glad we only have twenty mile an hour winds to complain about. I will be glad to see if riding in it for the past couple of months has actually improved my speed and endurance, the sooner the better.
The latest catch word or phrase that the magazines are throwing around, as if we are all as in the know as they are, is Grand Fondo or Fondo. Remember when you picked up a magazine to learn not be made to feel you are an idiot, I digress. Anyway after a couple of months of hearing about the “Grand Fondo” without understanding what it is I went to the good old WWW. Found the answer and it appears to be an Italian tradition of a bicycle 100 mile ride (a Century) with a carnival and race atmosphere. It appears that this decade old tradition has come to the United States. I enjoy Bicycling magazine, it caters to those that don’t need the information but they have enough of those of us that are well grounded to gleam some good information that we can adjust to work with our mediocre abilities. That’s for another scribbling though. The June issue actually explained and gave good information on exactly what they are. I would like to plagiarize some of it to give you a simple idea, courtesy of Bicycle Magazine June 2011 (think of that as a footnote or bibliography);

A typical, not counting charity events, Century will cost you approximately $40.00 a person.

A Fondo will cost approximately $100 a person.

A goodie bag you receive for your Century entry fee, maybe socks and or maybe a T-shirt.

The Fondo, socks, a finisher’s medal, commemorative jersey and age group awards.

A Century atmosphere, a mellow club ride that lasts all day.

A Fondo atmosphere, Similar to a race, complete with a mass start (Pros and anyone holding a competitive license up front), timing chips, screaming fans, and cowbells

A Century post race meal offers pizza, pasta and subs with Gatorade to wash it down with.

The Fondo, a meal plus. Artisanal breads and cheeses, gourmet pizza, local wines and handcrafted beers.

If you are interested check your favorite shop to see if one is close, or make one a vacation destination.


Till Next Time

Ride Safe, Ride fast as You Can, But Ride



“G”

The Wind and Bike Shop Customer Service

The weather has been great…….if you’re a sailboat. Yes I am not a big fan of the wind. It never fails you do a ride and start out with a headwind and you figure a better work out, good training and I will fly on the way back. You start back and the wind changed and you have that headwind all of the way home. That is exactly how one of my rides went in the past couple of weeks. For those of you that are in the eastern part of the United States you are having real weather, the wind the wet and the cold, my condolences to you and sorry about whining over 60 degree sunny days with 50 mph winds. Living here at the foot of the Rockies, a weather person’s nightmare, you never know what is going to hit, when or where. The old saying in many areas, if you don’t like the weather wait 5 minutes, here if you don’t like the weather go to your back yard, it will be different.


Yes it has been windy but I still have gotten in some rides, and for the most part good rides. I have met some really nice people and it is early in the season. I was talking to one gentleman who was with a younger lady and was able to give them some information and tips that their bike shop should have given them. The lady was curious about the computers on the tall son’s and my bikes. This was pretty fascinating to them and she wondered why the shop she bought her new bike and equipment from had not mentioned it. The gentleman was riding with a dress pair of cargo shorts and they were about in the middle of a 40 mile ride. He was riding a very heavy, fully suspended mountain bike that the shop told him would be easier to ride for casual riding. This guy had to be in his late 60’s or early 70’s. Why a shop would put him on something like that is beyond me. Sometimes the bike industry shoots its self in the foot. But then again it is hard to find customer service anywhere anymore. Don’t get me wrong there are a lot of really good shops out there and a lot of really good “Kid” sales persons but there are others that make you feel that you interrupted their day and just want you to leave your money and go away. Hey I can speak from experience, I have wrenched as well as sold in a shop, and a little attention, especially in this economy, will go a long way. In one of my earlier ramblings I talked about finding a shop that fits your comfort level and hopefully your personality. This, is what it is about and believe me you will know it. The merchandise is so close in quality today that little things like the shop personal can make or break the brand you decide to ride.

On a brighter not so soap boxy note, I spotted my first snake of the year crossing a trail. Next thing that comes after snakes……………….goat head stickers. If you are due for new tires seriously think about a little heavier, thorn resistant tire. Even if you aren’t break your tires down, or have your customer service oriented shop, or neighbor do it, and put in some tire liners. Either way they are a little heavier but unless you are such a speed freak you don’t carry more than 1 water bottle and no tool kit, you won’t notice it. Come to think of it I saw one of those types with his ultra light equipment, NO bottles or tool kit. He was pushing his bike with a flat tire. Being me, I stopped my wind in the face ride and asked if I could give him anything, he said “no thanks I’ll be home in 3 miles”.

That does bring up another subject that I promise not to dwell on or soap box. I have given riders tubes, CO2 bottles and an occasional use of a wrench. I know I won’t get the tube or CO2 back but to get the returned karma it’s worth it. Besides I am a big believer in Murphy’s Law so I carry all kinds of crap and I haven’t even had a flat in 2 years, at least not out on a ride.





Till Next Time

Ride Fast As You Can, Ride Safe, But Ride

“G”

Poor Blog, Cycling Fitness Improvement and My Kids on Bikes

Well I understand that to have a good blog you need an abundance of posts. I guess my little words of wisdom, read as ranting from an old opinionated guy, are not up to blog standards. For those of you that have stuck by and continued to read Thank You. If your new please hang in there I try to get out a couple or three a month, sometimes life gets in the way. Or let me steer you to the “Bike Snob” good stuff, rants more than me.


Well the weather is turning consistent and warm enough for us recreation types. Still not big on the wind which holds me back on some otherwise decent days. For the recreational rider the wind is frustrating because we are attempting to improve. Though we do not, or are unable turn ninety rpm’s and climb hills like they were flats, we suffer and put in a lot of physical effort. We don’t need to face the wind for more humiliation.

As the “Super Stars” pass us buy so effortlessly we wonder in envy how they do that. I have matched pedal stokes in what appears to be about the same gear but cannot keep up, curious. Yes the curiosity overwhelms my frustration and that alone is very puzzling. Reading the periodicals, the answer to everything is intervals. Unfortunately I personally can’t get to their warm up level before I start their intervals. It’s amazing that the “Professionals” of the sport only cater to the “Professionals” that really don’t need the information. How do we lowly recreational riders get to a level of being an enthusiast when no one wants to cater to our needs? Sounds like the reason I started this babbling to begin with.

Please don’t think that I have not improved and what I preach is useless, far from it. If you have stuck with me from the beginning, I wanted to be put out of my misery when I started cycling again. When I hit that five mile mark and it dawned on me I had to ride five more miles to get back home, I just wanted to end it right there. That was a little short of three years ago and five thousand miles of pedaling. Distance does not bother me, though I cannot bring myself to attempt to do a century, it’s a mind over matter thing (weak mind and a lot of matter). Seriously though, my rides this week are a day and night differance from three years ago, I love it and it hurts when I don’t ride. The main thing here is like the commercial says “Just Do It”.

How many of you have kids to ride with? In my case I have one I start with and he is nice enough to stay with me for the first mile. After that he may stop and wait every five miles or so to see if I am still moving. He rides at about a five mile per hour average faster than me. No respect for all the miles I towed him in a Burley trailer. My other one, the little one, stays in site, but doesn’t have the endurance, as of yet. He is good for about 30 miles right now, but then he just turned 11. By the end of summer will be another story though. The worst part about it is the fact they both have better equipment, bike wise, (then I do or ever have had) and I have good stuff. I guess that is why I decided to come out of retirement and get a real income. If anyone is looking for a sarcastic, opinionated, non politically correct, old x-cop that babbles on please let me know.

Till Next Time

Ride As Fast As You Can, Ride Safe, But Ride

“G”

The Weather Has Been Frustrating For Cyclists

The month for lovers has come to a very quick and abrupt ending. The weather has been absolutely ridicules throughout the whole nation. Come on snow plows in San Diego Sunday, get real and, again, where is that global warming.

The weather has been frustrating for cyclists. I have not, as of yet, invested in good cold weather riding clothing, at least clothes that are good to ride in the 30 and 40’s. Yes I am a woos, and envy you that I see riding when I know you are not that comfortable but are out there. We can all make excuses but bottom line, we just need to suck it up and get out there and pedal our chubby, but cute, behinds off.

It has been two months since I have rode a first for me in ten years. I can feel it. Though I haven’t gained weight (per Dr. visits) I am sore, don’t sleep as well and find myself to be a touch, just a touch irritable. Ok, maybe a little, all right a lot more than a touch, enough to know I need to ride. So if you are starting out or still at the beginning of your cycling journey, be advised it is hard for all of us to get moving after awhile off. The Pros and their trainers swear by big layoffs. When you are not a Pro, have a busy life with kids, get ill and in general have to personally deal with the day in and day out quirks of life, it is difficult. I will say, that when you return from your first ride this season, it all comes back. Whether it is a ride around the block, 5 miles or 60, the feeling of the freedom, the head clearing and that full body warm feeling will be there and you will be back on your road to physical health and mental wellbeing. I know my pneumonia has passed; we will be pushing the 60’s most of the week on the east side of the Rocky Mountains so I will be starting March off on my way to 2011 miles this year.

Till Next Time

Ride Warm, Ride Safe, Ride Fast, but Ride

G

The Ideal Log Book

Yes, the “ideal” log book. I use a 12 column account and record book that can be found at any respectful supplier of office supplies, including drug and grocery stores. 12 columns are not necessary the books come in 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 as well as the 12 column books. One book will get you through three or four years depending how much you ride. I lay out the pre-printed columns with the following headings;

Date, Route, Time, Ave Temp, Trip, Running OD, Ave Speed, Max Speed, Ave Cadence, Max Cadence, ET, and Notes. This year I am thinking of going back to a heart rate monitor and add that.

The log book by hand has a lot of positive sides to it, especially individuality. You have the ability to be very specific in what your own goals are and how you feel is the best way to measure your progress. That alone is an enormous positive. Throw in, you can sit down during your cool down meal, mine is a can of Tuna or mix up some veggies and eggs, and that tilts to the positive side of the scale. You can do this without the cost of buying a book by simply using an excel spread sheet but that has a whole list of pros and cons in itself.

Done by hand to your individual specifications, you get a good read out of your performance and improvement, all in black and white, right in front of you. On the down side you may come to find what you thought you were doing may not have been true. A personal bummer, and apology to any one that has been keeping up with my words of debatable wisdom. I did my year end stats and had an unpleasant surprise. To start with, in my last post I said January was the first month I had not rode in, in over 2 years. Adding up my yearly averages I realized I did not ride in February 2010. I also found a mathematical error and did not ride the 1747 miles I posted I had. I rode 1684. My iffy-Jiffy log book also busted my bubble that I had improved in leaps and bounds. I did improve and if you look over what the results actually say it may be different than the bottom line. I have found through years of experience that the bottom line is only good if you know how you got there, keep that in mind Managers. My yearly bottom line told me I was below last year’s in all categories I use. There were a lot of minus 0.1 and 0.2’s so nothing really extreme. Then it hit me, which is where you must know where your bottom line came from. My totals were for 11 months comparing them to 12 months so my bottom line…………is actually in the positives not negative.



The upside of the online logs, their fun, especially if you want to let the world know your being active. It can maintain that social network mentality of this particular decade. Like anything else they have the cons. They can take up a lot of time when you start perusing the possibilities and contacts you can make. Then if you have a wireless bike computer and are using one of the previous on line logs I discussed you should hand right the results down first anyway. My tall son found that if you set your wireless computer down, next to your lap top or desk top, to record your stats to your preferred log, your bike computer goes wild, racks up the miles and some great speeds. Say What?............If you have a Wi-Fi system in your house, your favorite coffee stop and even your bike shop it will affect the wireless bike computer, it runs off an attached Wi-Fi sending unit so be careful about those free Wi-Fi areas and where you lean your bike. So if you are riding along and suddenly averaging 50 mph and a 199 rpm cadence you may look around for an establishment with a strong Wi-Fi signal. There is a bike path in Colorado Springs, Colorado, that climbs up to the Garden of The Gods, it passes behind HP, the computer company, for about a half mile and it will even freak a wired bike computer.

As a side note to training logs, I even add when I replace parts, so I know the mileage I got out of them as well as tune-ups and even when I cleaned and oiled my chain. Either way you feel like going, a training log is a wealth of information, Information that will help you meet your goals. I use both types and all 3 that I have discussed, I have way to much time on my hands.

Till Next Time

Ride Fast As You Are Able, Ride Warm, Ride Safe, But Ride

G

This Is The Time to Start A Training Log

We touched the 60’s over this past Friday and Saturday. We almost broke a 100 year high record here in Denver, and would you believe over 200 inches of snow In Steamboat. Yes beautiful weather and I lay flat on my back with phenomena. Yes with every breath taken it sounds like I’m gargling, as I watched the groups of cyclists going by. Like I say timing is everything.

While I have been attempting to get around this week, I got out my log book to close out 2010 and get ready for 2011. Looking back through there was good news as well as disappointing. The most disappointing is the fact this will be the first month I haven’t rode in, in over two years. I enjoyed looking back at rides with fond memories of friends and the boys. The bright spot is to be able to see the improvements that are right there in black and white and cannot be disputed. Having a log book that documents effort and improvement is one of the best motivators there are. You may forget about the little victories but when you have the ability to lay them out in front of you, it opens the world before you as to what you can accomplish. This will be a big year on the bike.

There are a few good ways to have a log, I’m going to give you my favorite 2 online sites that are free. The tall son likes Daily Mile (www.dailymile.com) and I used it the last half of the year. It keeps a running account of your mileage with some fun things thrown in, but very basic. You have your choice of activities, i.e.; running, walking, cycling, weight lifting or other exercise. Drop down menus let you pick your sport, and then fill in where you, in my case, cycled, your distance, your time, and how you felt. It gives you a good space to write about the workout and if you click on more details you have more choices, including heart rate to add. It gives you a calorie burn rate for what you have done and you can post it publicly for all to see. At this point it becomes a minor social network without a lot of the annoyances. There are communities where you can get that have challenges. The challenges are fun and let you measure your mileage against others from around the world. I am in two, 2011 miles in 2011 and 1500 miles in a year (this one with my 10 year old). They have a very large assortment to fit all fitness levels. The down side is, people may fudge to make their selves look better than they might really be. A couple of examples are a rider in Newcastle GB who has already rode 690 miles this month. A rider from Vancouver who has put on 898 miles or the two from Indiana that have rode 415 and 370 respectfully. I am not calling them untruthful, there are some extreme riders out there and I respect the hell out of them but I did check what the weather has been in those places and I am, personally, not buying all of what I read. This translates to, there are people who will attempt to win absolutely nothing at any cost and the real efforts are lost in the shuffle. You all have just had a face come to mind.

The other good online log book is through Bicycling (www.bicycling.com) a training log link is on the home page. What I feel is a drawback, a few too many key strokes to get to your own log. Once you get there it is straight forward, no communities or challenges just your stats. It keeps an upfront visible log of your weekly, monthly and year to date mileage. A fun thing is the total Stats in time, hours, minutes, and seconds then converts it to days. You can look at your week in a graph that is set up for what you would like shown. You may also add your routes which is easy if you have a Garmin computer that downloads. If not you are given the tools to make them from scratch on the site. That is not always user friendly and the programs satellite is about a year or so behind so you may not find your route or path. I used this for about 9 months and was happy.

They both work well and are actually fun to use and keep your rides documented. The Daily Mile challenges will not accept anything prior to the time you start a challenge but both have the ability to add previous workouts in. My favorite is a hand written log and I will talk more about that later this week.

Till Then

Ride Safe, Ride Warm, Ride Fast As You Can, But Ride

G

Road Bike vs. Cycle Cross Bike

I was reading a self proclaimed cycling expert, I’m not an expert just opinionated, answer to a 50 year young lady, who was asking what would be a good road bike for her to start cycling after years of running. She lived in an area that had quite a few integrated bike trails with a system that incorporated cement, asphalt and very fine hard packed grave. Her Husband was an avid cyclist but she was not looking for something as expensive or performance orientated as his. She had quite a few answers which gave her some nice choices and pros and cons of the different bikes out there. A lot of people said to look at and ride a cycle cross bike, fondly known as just a cross bike. Without going into the “Experts”, who happened to be a physiologist who is a bicycle and ski boot salesman that rides 10,000 miles a year, in Michigan, all according to his profile, he did not seem to know what a cross bike was. He advised against the cross bike because “they are light mountain bike, resembling a road bike, with narrow mountain bike tires”.


Now having a cross bike myself, his description irked me to say the least. Then I started thinking, I have had a lot of riders, at rest stops, ask if my Specialized Tri-cross was a new type of hybrid. Cycle Cross bikes are not new to the USA, but are not real common place either. Cycle Cross racing has just started catching on over the last 5 years and bringing the bikes more into view of the riding public. At first look they are nothing but a road bike with a higher handlebar stem.

In reality they have some other distinct differences also. A more relaxed riding position, simplified as a shorter top bar on the frame. This lets the rider sit up a little more upright rather than in a racer aerodynamic stretched out position. The overall frame geometry is not overly extreme in any direction to make it work efficiently on any type of road and the option of wider tires lets you choose what works the best for you where you are riding. You see the heart of a Cycle Cross bike is off road mud racing. The front forks and the rear stays are a little wider spaced than a traditional road bike to clear mud build up. This gives the owner the option of high performance 700x23mm road racing tires or up to about 700x42mm with little knobby things that grip fantastically in the snow or on loose gravel. I ride on a 700x32mm with a slight tread that works well on all surfaces other than deep sand. A closer look and you may see that the front chain rings appear a little smaller that your typical road bike. They are, the typical big chain ring is a 52 tooth job that gives you some really rip roaring speed if you can get it going. A Cycle Cross bike’s big ring is usually 48 tooth which gives me a steady, with a slight decline and long flat 20-25 mph. You need to realize that I cannot keep up with my son on his flat bar road bike, but I have been known to hit a blazing 34 mph on a nice downhill. Due to they are built to race in the mud on a closed circuit track, they are built strong and durable. Strong and durable does not translate to heavy. My middle of the line Tri-cross with 32mm Specialized Armadillo tires, two water bottle cages and a under the seat tool bag and junk, wired computer with cadence weighs in at a whopping 20 lbs. The flat bar road bike my son kicks my butt on with wired computer and two bottle cages weigh in at about 30 lbs. Now on the other end of the spectrum and not even at the other end, is my son’s new Ridley Cross Fire, a high middle range Cross bike. A Full carbon fiber, frame, fork, and seat post with two imitation carbon fiber bottle cages, and a wireless computer, a disgusting 15 lbs. Please someone rich adopt me.

Bottom line, ride what you’re comfortable on but keep an open mind. If you have made a lot of modifications to your road ride whether it be a road, hybrid or flat bar bike take a test spin on a Cross bike next time you are at your favorite dealer. I believe you will find they make an extremely comfortable ride and there are even a couple of manufactures that are putting on front and rear rack mounts for serious traveling.

One last bit of advice, watch the “self proclaimed experts”. Take what you read, hear or are told from anyone, with a grain of salt or two.

Till Next Time

Ride Fast As You Can, Ride Safe, Ride Warm but Ride

“G”

Cold Weather, Thoughts Turn to Diet

Happy New Year!

How about this date, 1-11-11, cool. As I lay here on the couch comfortable dressed, for being alone, and a touch cold, listening to the rhythm of the washing machine doing its thing, looking out the window at the beautiful white settings of my back yard, I think about the lack of riding I’m doing and the effect it will have.

Good news and bad news on that. It has been proven that time off of the bike can actually be an advantage. It gives the muscles a chance to get a good rest, refresh and regenerate. The bad news to that is you go longer than a month and you may be starting from square one again. The good news, here in Colorado, is that though the streets and paths are still ice packed, they will soon be open again. As far as the weather, right now I’m looking at 9 degrees, it will be in the 50’s by the end of the week. It may be only for a day or two but there will be ridable surfaces and temperatures for us Recreational riders during every week of winter.

Not exercising can cause a concern for all the weight you have lost through bicycling. I, personally, have fallen back to the South Beach diet that jump started my metabolism moving awhile back. I don’t go back to week one, I just stay a little truer to the maintenance. It consists of eggs, lean meat and other good protein high fiber as well as lots of fruit veggies and snacks of yogurt, nuts and cheese and even some carbs. It is not difficult when you have those choices. If you are comfortable with what you have lost before the cold set in, stick with the diet of your choice, for two of the three meals and snacks a day, that way you can splurge on the meal of your choice. South Beach, which by the way I have absolutely no connections with, has a meal replacement bar that is fantastic. Not only is it really good, it is very filling as well and 12grams of protein. My 16 year old loves them, and they are great to take on a long ride. They satisfy the hunger, give you energy and don’t make you feel stuffed. An added plus is they are approved by the American Diabetes Association.

Don’t get me wrong you cannot stop exercising all together. This is a good time to start strength work. A few simple dumbbells and maybe a yoga ball will do wonders. You will not get muscle bound but you will tone that weight you have lost by working with light weight and many repetitions. I have started doing some bicycle specific back exercises with the yoga ball and have thrown in some dumbbell work on it also, to help with core muscles (Fat Belly) and balance.

Put this all together and you can enjoy life maintain what you have lost, stay warm and be able to splurge a few extra calories once in awhile. If you want to partake in coffee and a bagel with some bicycle or life talk, drop me a note and we will do that.


Till Next Time

Ride Far, Ride Fast as You Can, Ride Warm, But Ride.

“G”