Mid-Season Assessment

Yesterday we were blessed with perfect cycling conditions, with temperature in the upper 60s, low humidity, a nice breeze, and endless views for miles from the top of Ringwood Rd., unobstructed by the haze so prevalent during the summer months. I enjoyed a fun training ride with my friend Bruce, who is new to road biking. He's a remarkably quick study, and soon he'll be burning up all the glorious hills in the region.

As I was advising Bruce on his setup, adjusting seat height and handlebar angle, swapping saddles,  and cleaning the drivetrain, I was reminded of how much I have yet to learn in the realm of bike mechanics. I noticed that when I move the handlebars from left to right, my wheel locks into the middle position, which can't be good. After a little bit of online research, I found out that this problem is referred to as "indexed steering." The headset bearings tend to remain in one position (straight in line with the frame) much more than any other, and the bearings wear depressions in the bearing races. While I'm stressing a little about causing more damage or losing the ability to easily turn, I also welcome the opportunity to learn about headset bearing maintenance and replacement.

Now that I'm four months into the nine month cycling season, it's time for a mid-season assessment. My goal is to at least ride 4500 miles this season, but of late, vertical ascent stats have become even more important to me than mileage.

Overall Stats, March 6-June 29, 2010:
Mileage: 2180 miles
Vertical Ascent: 124,827 ft.
Calories Burned: 146,700 kcal

Here's where I've cycled so far this season:

Mileage per Month:

Vertical Ascent per Month:

I'm fairly pleased with these stats, and look forward to some longer summer rides. Tomorrow it'll either be Cayuga Lake or Keuka Lake, though Cayuga is the more likely choice. This is to fulfill my random goal of biking at least five of the finger lakes this season. Owasco is already crossed off the list, so now comes Cayuga, Keuka, Seneca and...to be determined.

Yesterday's ride with Bruce:

Marketing Madness

Summer vacation means skimming back issues of Bicycling Magazine for helpful tips on nutrition, training,  and gear. Some little tidbits are most helpful, like the suggestion to line up the tire logo with the valve stem, in order to make it easier to search for bits of glass or metal. (Why didn't I know that?) It's always gratifying to read a suggestion that you already follow, based on intuition, but there's always helpful knowledge to be gained, that will improve the quality of your riding.

Of course this glossy magazine couldn't exist without substantial advertising revenue, but the ads are the part that really gets me down. I paid $1500 for my bike, a generic, very comfortable carbon fiber road frame (made in Taiwan along with 90+% of all contemporary road bikes) equipped with ultegra components, FSA hollow carbon crank, and entry-level Mavic Aksium wheels. Sure, my ride isn't nearly as fancy as the majority of bikes that I see at the races, but aside from the wheels, it's certainly not slowing me down and I have no complaints whatsoever. If I wanted to substantially improve my bike, I would have to invest somewhere between $600 and $1600 on a new ultralight wheelset, and that pricetag doesn't include tires and a cassette. If you didn't do research and used Bicycling Magazine's reviews and ads exclusively to guide your purchasing decisions, you'd think that you'd need to spend 3 grand or more on a road bike or just deciding to buy much less bike. Sadly, I believe that many would-be cyclists are scared away by the daunting pricetag.

It seems as though the big bike manufacturers are determined to keep those of us with limited bank accounts just out of reach, but I guess someone has to subsidize those expensive glossy ads in Bicycling Magazine! First time buyers or those people looking for their first new bike in many years can be easily confused by their visits to local bike shops or researching online. The forums such as roadbikereview.com can be equal parts helpful and confusing, and if you're like me, parting with $1500 or more on a product sight unseen is a worrisome prospect. Fortunately those of us living in the Finger Lakes region have a shop like Swan's cyclery, where we can get a reality check and have access to much more reasonable options and some thoughtful advise from the most avid cyclists around. And if Swan's is too long of a trek for you, the best option is to seek out lots of advise from friends or folks who publish independent reviews online. I finally make my decision after a very helpful e-mail exchange with someone who bought the same bike that I was interested in. Knowing that my bike was all I was hoping it would be removed all stress except for the obvious concerns about damage during shipping.

So don't let the ads and reviews get you down—you CAN get lots of bike for under 2K. Just keep your head on straight, do good research, talk to your cycling fanatic friends and don't believe the hype.

At Last, A Long Ride

While there are certainly lots of stresses in the life of a K-12 educator, summer vacation is unquestionably one of the greatest benefits, especially if you have young children. Our summer vacation is starting off on a great note, with lots of parties, special events, camps and trips to Taughannock park to look forward to.

I just returned from Taughannock with the boys, where we enjoyed a refreshing afternoon swim, and this morning I was able to at last go on my first longer ride of the year, a 78 mile trek that took me through Lansing, Locke and Moravia, then along gorgeous Owasco Lake to Auburn and back. This was only my second time on this route, and I forgot how spectacular the lake views are. The road conditions on Rt. 38 heading north to Auburn left something to be desired, but the weekday traffic was light enough not to really matter.

I was deep into my velotrance as I passed through the town of Scipio. For a minute I forgot how to pronounce the name of this small town, so I started playing word association, thinking about the gritty movie Serpico, then when I remembered that it was pronounced "skippy-o," I started imagining a fictional goofy Skippy peanut butter TV commercial. Ah, the mental ramblings of and endorphin-fueled mind! Serpico, Skippy-o, let's work the whole thing out.

My pace ware really good today, and I was averaging around 20 mph when I hit Auburn, just after 9 am. The return trip was a little challenging, with some unexpected climbs on Rockefeller Rd. (did they name it that in hopes of getting some money from his estate for road improvement?), and then one hell of a climb up Lamphier Rd., heading east out of Locke. That sucker was around a 14% grade at the steepest section, and I knew it was coming up, though it didn't make it any easier, especially considering the fact that this came along at the 60 mile point of the ride. This detail from Ride With GPS shows the 14% grade wall, which is the equivalent of eating a big bowl of wasabi.

This was my longest ride without stopping, though I did have to get off the bike for a few minutes because the thoughtless person living at this house on Sharpsteen Rd. in Lansing didn't see the importance of having her dog on a leash or behind a fence. Let's just say that we exchanged some sharp words (no, no obscenities, but some very direct and forceful statements and gesticulations), as she failed to recognize the importance of corralling her barking, chasing dog (not to mention her goats). Get a clue, lady! After chasing me, her dog then chased a car, so I had to wait until all traffic was out of the picture. Finally a neighbor helped out, but by this point I was fully enraged and adrenalized, which did help boost my speed in the final miles!

In spite of the dreaded doggy incident, this was a strong and memorable ride. Now I know that all of my training translates to riding strong for a long stretch without stopping, which means I'm ready for longer races if I so choose. And thanks to the overcast skies and cooler temps, I came home with water left in my bottles!

Stats:
Distance: 77.76 miles
Average Speed: 19.7 mph
Vertical Ascent: 3530 ft.
Top Speed: 37.7 mph
Calories burned: 5607 kcal
Time: 3 hrs., 56 min., 42 sec.
Conditions: overcast then sunny, low humidity, upper 60s and lower 70s

2K Goal Met

It sure felt good to make my goal of 2,000 miles before summer vacation. Last night I chose a longer solo ride over racing—riding alone felt like the right decision, given my state of mind and my desire to make an arbitrary goal. Conditions were rainy and blustery, but the rain was intermittent, so it wasn't miserable at all. Once again, I chose the lovely lightly trafficked rural roads of Lansing, Locke and Genoa with a small extension to the previous ride in this direction.

In addition to topping 2K, I'm just under 115,000 vertical feet of climbing for the year, which I think is the more valuable stat. While I haven't set a goal for the year, I'm hoping that I'll be closing in on 4,500 miles by November.

Baden-Württemberg Memories

On my heavenly solo evening excursion through Lansing, Locke and East Genoa, I connected with a long-lost memory from 29 years ago in southern Germany. As I was riding on Breed and Lane roads heading toward East Genoa with stunning views of rolling hills forever toward my north and west and a picture-perfect sunset in the distance, I caught a waft of sweet smelling manure, and suddenly I was transported back to Baden-Würtemberg in the summer of 1981. That was the summer that I worked for my grandfather's printing and silkscreening company in Ulm, and spent all other spare moments on my uncle Martin's moped, exploring the beautiful rolling hills that look surprisingly similar to our finger lakes geography.

Unfortunately, only moments later I encountered another memory that partially neutralized the memory of the pastoral rolling hills of southern Germany. I was attacked by gnats, which were getting into my ears, eyes, mouth and nose! That brought back distinctive memories of cycling on the recreational trail on the west side of Buffalo near Niagara river, where sandflies used to swarm me in the evening.

Velo Tantra

In my early-to-mid 20s, I studied a form of Tantra Yoga, which involved spending significant time meditating, doing yoga, and generally immersing myself in activities that helped to calm some inner demons. Suffice it to say that I had some fairly significant issues to work out, as many of us do in that awkward transitional period leading up to (relatively) mature adulthood, and this practice was most helpful.

I don't regret for a moment all of the time and energy I invested in this practice. I attended numerous meditation retreats and seriously contemplated a more intensive exploration of this particular school of Tantra yoga, though ultimately I retreated rather than attempt to accept a guru as the manifestation of god on earth. Unwilling to suspend disbelief, I abandoned my practice entirely, while knowing full well that there's so much to gain from the practice, and devotion to a spiritual leader is not a prerequisite to personal spiritual growth. Punk rock, media arts and other earthly distractions kept me sufficiently engaged, and when I began re-exploring cycle touring in a big way, meditation and yoga were barely on my radar.

On my deeply satisfying solo bike excursion today up to Lansing, then onto the familiar Ringwood, Midline and Snyder Hill Rd. route, I had no mechanical distractions and experienced relatively little suffering, so I started contemplating the relationship between meditation and solo cycling. There are some striking similarities between the two activities. At the start of the first climbs of the day, my worries start to recede like a slow-moving stream, replaced with thoughts about how smooth my pedal stroke is (needs improvement) and how strong I feel today (pretty strong, actually). Soon, the stream becomes a fast-flowing river with the occasional waterfall as I pound my way up Ringwood and later Snyder Hill.

Meditation is all about emptying the mind, and while cycling does require constant focus on road conditions, traffic, hydration, nutrition, and the condition of your equipment, this relatively simply and narrow range of focus becomes fairly routinized. On solo rides, it doesn't take long for me to find relatively mental clarity and emptiness, and just as with meditation, the long-term benefits are very noticeable.

I'm learning that solo rides are an essential part of my cycling practice, and while group rides and races are  incredibly challenging, rewarding and fun, my solo cycling is my meditation.

A Group then B Group...A Better Strategy

Tuesday racing on a perfect night in the mid-70s with low humidity and a gorgeous sky. I started off tired, and ended up chastened.

Tonight we did the Brooktondale course. I contemplated joining the B group for both of the 8.5 mile laps, but then someone suggested that I alternate. Great idea, really—I can certainly hang with the A group, but I don't have the horsepower to make any moves toward the end. My hope was that the B group would give me more of a fighting chance to make a move toward the end, which ended up being the case.

On the A group lap, there was a breakaway of 4 cyclists, and I was getting increasingly frustrated by the peleton's unwillingness to make any moves to bridge the gap with only 2 or 3 miles remaining. I really regret the move that I made, as I crossed the meridian briefly to make a move to pull toward the leaders—I honestly wasn't thinking about safety and the rules we all need to abide by. It didn't matter that this was a straight section of road with no traffic anywhere in sight, I just wasn't thinking, and I've been beating myself up for this ever since getting a well-deserved warning. I have so much to learn and nothing can replace experience. My tendency to want to master something quickly is getting the better of me, and it's time to just sloooooooow down and keep plugging away.

The B group lap was a much better experience. I really did feel like I had more power and flexibility in that field, and I was able to make a few attacks. I finished in 4th or so, not a bad way to end a humbling evening. 

A Group Race Metrics

Lakefest Road Race on a 3-speed, then 2-speed

The trip in the Chris Cookies/Swan Cyclery team bus to Whitney Point was good fun, with terrific company and engaging conversation, but watching the busy windshield wipers and seeing the steady rainfall and gloomy skies had me thinking that perhaps we were in for a long, wet 50 mile slog. Weather radar gave me hope that the skies would soon clear and the rain would be a thing of the past, but the skies were unrelentingly gray and ominous.

The line at registration was long, and when we were done, we had precious little time to get our gear together and head out to the starting line. No chance to warm up, but it also meant less time for me to get nervous.

The field was small, with only 15 riders in the men's 50 mile race. The faces are starting to become more familiar, and several riders have been in all of the races I've participated in thus far. As we headed out of Whitney Point north toward Marathon, I was trying hard to avoid being in the direct path of rooster tails from other cyclists, but to no avail. I was more successful at staying further out in the road, something that I always try to do when we're about to take a sweeping right-hand turn. 

At around the 10 mile point in Marathon, we had our first climb. It was manageable, and I was feeling pretty darn good at that point, since the rain was subsiding. Fortunately the race was rain-free for the remainder, which made the challenges much more manageable.

I continued to keep up nicely with the pack, and even received a nice compliment from Ernie about my ability to keep re-emerging at the front of the pack, which kept my spirits high, even when I started cramping up a little. The big climb was tough, but not really nasty, and it felt good when I realized that the worst of the climbing was over.

Then at mile 35, my rear derailleur cable snapped. I went from a 30-speed bike to a 3-speed! It was so sudden and unexpected when I realized that I couldn't shift anymore that it took a couple minutes to come to grips with what happened and begin to imagine the consequences. I fully anticipated that I would get dropped by the pack and just limp along to the finish, but I just kept pushing and pounding the pedals. With only 3 speeds, finding the right gear is near impossible. My cadence was all messed up, so I was either standing and pounding the pedals or spinning too fast, and my poor chain was not liking the extreme stretch of the middle ring up front and the small ring in the back. While everyone else was contemplating protecting or attacking Bill, the breakaway (and ultimately winning) rider, I just concentrated on finishing as close to the front as possible.

Somehow I just kept working hard and tried to ignore the grinding sounds of my chain being stretched in extreme angles, and kept with the front group until 2 miles to go, when my chain got trapped between the two smallest rings, and the smallest chainring got all bent up. After freeing the chain after a few minutes of struggle I faced the final pretty climbs with a 2-speed. As you can see by the profile, those last two climbs were painful in the gearing I had remaining. Still, I finished 10th in this 50-mile race, about 3 or 4 minutes back, averaging 20.4 mph (Ride With GPS data is wrong...I forgot to turn off the Garmin). 


Satisfied and tired! Congratulations, Bill Erickson!

Bonus Training, Glorious Weather

After 3 1/2 months of cycling in sorts of less-than-ideal conditions, it's easy to forget what perfect weather riding is like. Well, today was one of those stellar days that foreshadows what will surely be a long and superb summer of riding. Temperatures in the low 70s to upper 60s, low humidity, barely a cloud in the sky, long shadows and a picture-perfect sunset...what more can you ask for? Not only that, but this was an unexpected bonus ride, the kind of lucky break that you just HAVE to embrace.

I've been thinking a lot about Ernie's comment about avoiding the number roads, and tonight I took the comment to heart, taking the low-traffic Van Ostrand to Munson, instead of taking Rt. 34 all the way to Gulf Rd. In spite of the fact that 34 has a smoother road surface, Van Ostrand is much more fun, and less traffic means that you can enjoy the scenery even more. The chip seal pavement is really in pretty good shape as well.

I'm really happy with my time tonight (20.3 mph average over 25.6 miles), as well as with the 11-tooth cog in my new cassette, which gave me a couple extra mph on the final East Shore descent.

Tomorrow is the cycling component of the Empire State Senior Game, which is happening at the Hollenbeck's course in Virgil, and I'm marshaling, and then Sunday is the Lakefest race in Whitney Point, so it's a very velo weekend!

Soaking, Windy, Gritty and Great

It's never easy to hop on the bike and head out on a ride when it's rainy and windy, but this one felt necessary, as it's my last chance for a long training ride before Sunday's Lakefest Race in Whitney Point.  Lots of Ithaca riders heading to this one, so it should be a friendly event and a good time.

Tonight's ride felt pretty utilitarian until I reached Ellis Hollow Creek Road. Finally, after getting away from traffic (which is unpleasant and a little intimidating in the wet) and loose gravel, the rain tapered off and the familiar and comforting rolling hills lulled me into a meditative state. The Ringwood climb just keeps getting better, and I barely noticed my freezing feet.

The good thing about working hard in the rain is that after a while you don't even notice it, you're generally warm enough even when it's in the 50s, and you don't have to worry about getting dehydrated. Of course, the down side is that when you return, your bike is gritty as are your clothes. I had the customary rings of grit around the my ankles and socks from all of the road junk getting thrown off of the drivetrain. Rides like this necessitate a complete cleaning and degrease, and tonight I adjusted the rear derailleur and brake cables and even trued the rear wheel, yet another meditative practice that yielded great results. Hopefully that will resolve the cursed chain-jumping-whilst-mashing-the-pedals-on-big-hills syndrome. I've done so much micro adjustments, so tonight I started from scratch and carefully adjusted the derailleur  to hopefully resolve the problem for good. The're are few things in the realm of cycling that are more frustrating than being inadvertently shifted to a higher gear in the midst of an intensive climb, and it really throws your concentration, confidence and timing.

Today I topped 1700 miles for the year, which started in early March. Vertical elevation thus far this year is just under 95,000 ft., and according to Garmin's questionable caloric data, I've burned around 105,000 calories in the last 3 months! No wonder I keep shedding pounds...

Weather Gods are Smiling

How lucky can a guy get? Wicked rains all day have everyone grumbling, but trusty doppler tells me that my highly anticipated after work ride is ON! Just check out this map—In about 1 hour this mess will have mostly cleared. Cool temps will make for a perfect training ride, as I prepare for the Lakefest race on Sunday at Whitney Point. Onwards!

Big Dairy Morning and Some Big Speed

No, I didn't overindulge on cheese and ice cream for breakfast, though that sounds like a pretty irresistible temptation right about now. This morning I revisited a favorite ride that I haven't been on since the end of March, which was a raw ride in the low 40s. 

Today's adventure stood in stark contrast, with temperatures in the low to mid 70s, and farmers' fields newly planted with corn and soybeans. With the wind coming from the right (wrong?) direction, freshly fertilized fields wafted the intense odor of liquified cow manure, and livestock were out in abundance. 

I've been really working on pacing, trying hard not to preserve fuel early on and strategically spend those reserves when it's most needed, like the 1/4 mile section of 12% grade on Ledyard Rd. that comes at the 24 mile point of the ride. Timing the gel and powerbar are critical to the pacing, and fueling up 10 or 15 minutes before a tough climb really does make a difference. I've recently been reading Serious Cycling by Edmund Burke, and I'm trying to retain some of the many training tips he offers, such as working toward a rounder stroke, something that I believe will help to reduce the heavy leg issue I've been having of late after several days of all-out cycling. (This winter I'm going to try one-legged cycling on the trainer to work more on improving rounded pedal strokes.)

Midway through the 12% climb, I had a most annoying loose dog encounter, which forced me off the bike at the worst possible time. I hollered "Please call your dog!" repeatedly, which finally resulted in a lame, ambivalent coaxing which accomplished nothing. I've had encounters at this same property before, and while I know that this is not a very highly trafficked stretch of road, it still seems pretty inconsiderate of the owners.

Without a doubt, the highlight of today's ride was the descent on Myers Rd. This section of road is relatively straight, with a sizable drop, as you can see by the closeup. Just check out those contour lines! When I last attacked this downhill, I clocked in at 44.1 mph, but today I broke my bike speed record, with an official 50.0 mph. I know, the pros routinely top 70 mph on those crazy alpine descents, but hey, 50 mph in the finger lakes is nothing to sneeze at. I had a bit of a tailwind and a good tuck, and since I know the road pretty well, I was very comfortable about knowing all the twists and turns. At a certain point my lower lip started flapping and my cheeks puffed out, so I knew I was getting some good speed, but that was more than I could have hoped for. Of course not everyone in my household shares this view, but as I pointed out to the family during the Cornell Physics dept. gyroscope demonstration later in the day, the gyroscopic effect really holds true and this wasn't really dangerous. In fact, I felt downright giddy! I love the fact that my trusty Garmin told me that I topped out at 50.0, not 49.9, and not 50.1. Perfect!

I spent the rest of my ride trying to get my average speed up, while battling a moderate headwind. It was a no-nonsense haul back through Lansing, and the average speed of 19.2 was far better than the 18.1 from back in March, though there's no accounting for wind speed. Still, I feel like this ride and the relatively quick recovery afterwards is showing me that all of this training is really paying off.

Stats:

Distance: 44.91 miles

Avg. speed: 19.2 mph

Vertical ascent: 2406 ft.

Calories burned: 3197 kcal

Max. speed: 50.0 mph

Time: 2:23:22