It started Friday, 2 hours of spin class at Healthy Dans. Followed up on Saturday with a 48 mile ride. I would have made it an even 50 but I was running late for dinner, and guests were waiting.
It was a nice ride. The sun stayed out for most of it, but the clouds rolled in by evening and blocked from what I heard a very huge moon.
In typical fashion, I point myself into the wind to start. This got me as far south as High Forest. Turning East I made it quickly to Stewartville and kept heading East until I hit county road 20 and turned North. This part of 20 is very fast, with only one small climb. I haven't moved that fast in a long time. It felt great. Turned right on county 16 and at Simpson turned North on county 1 and trucked it back to Rochester. This too, is a very fast road. While I was on this side of Rochester, I decide to check out Eastwood. There is still a lot of snow in the wooded areas. It's going to be a while before any single track action is happening there.
At this point I looked at my watch and noticed I was going to be late for dinner at Jim and Carla's, so I moved as quick as I could in their direction. The bad thing about biking to Jim and Carla's is the climb up Northern Heights road. That was a nice way to finish a ride. As I got to their driveway I noticed all the other cars and then looked at my Garmin... 48 miles...ugh, I hate being that close to 50 and not doing it.
But, everybody was there but yours truly. So that's where it ended.
On Sunday, Uma and I did a 4 hour spin class at the Healthy Dan...it started at 7 am and ended at 11 am.
The 7 am start was tough, and the last hour was one of the longest hours in my life. Bored silly.
Looks like today's group ride will be slightly warmer than last weeks. I'm looking forward to riding some with Scott before hand. Today I may get the 50 miler in.
Ride on
Peering through the blinds
Monday, March 21, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Cutter CX
A while back I picked up a Cutter CX frame and fork for cheap on www.bonktown.com
Chris Tacl at Eriks is putting it together. I'm moving all my road stuff off the Origin8 Lactic Acid to the Cutter. I did purchase some Avid Shorty Ultimate brakes.
If you know somebody that would like a deal on a nice road frame send them my way.
Anyway, it's kinda hard parting with the Acid Trip. It was my first custom build and it was a joy to ride. However, I need something that will do more than just road. From the frame spacing on the Cutter, I think I will only be able to go 34 on the tire size as a max. That should be fine, I road 32 on the gravel all last year.
I think the bike should be done today or tomorrow.
Chris Tacl at Eriks is putting it together. I'm moving all my road stuff off the Origin8 Lactic Acid to the Cutter. I did purchase some Avid Shorty Ultimate brakes.
If you know somebody that would like a deal on a nice road frame send them my way.
Anyway, it's kinda hard parting with the Acid Trip. It was my first custom build and it was a joy to ride. However, I need something that will do more than just road. From the frame spacing on the Cutter, I think I will only be able to go 34 on the tire size as a max. That should be fine, I road 32 on the gravel all last year.
I think the bike should be done today or tomorrow.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Got My Pansy Arse Outside Yesterday
Got my pansy ass outside yesterday by hooking up with the RASC's (Rochester Active Sports Club) Monday night ride. Yesterday was the first ride and I've been telling myself I'm going to do more group events, So.. I go.
I'm reminded quickly why riding in the cold irritates me. There is the obvious cold, but the preparation it takes drives me up the wall. I was planning on riding to the start at Bamber Valley Elementary School, but it took me over 30 minutes to get my shit together. I hate that.
People that know me, know that I'm not the guy you call to organize anything. I was digging thru chargers to find the one for my light, I was up and down my house from the second floor to the basement looking for bike crap. I was working up a sweat just getting ready. By the time I'm ready to go, I've got 10 minutes to get to the school. I toss bike and crap in the Jeep and buzz over.
Not very people showed up for the first ride. Bob from Bicycle Sports was leading the nights ride and announced that we would be only riding 40 minutes out and back at an easy pace.
I don't mind the easy pace, it's early in the season and there's plenty of time to torch your legs. But, I was hoping for a longer ride.
I see my buddy Matt Bruzek, and chat it up a bit. We both notice we are wearing the same gloves. An obvious Bonktown.com purchase.
A strong rider that I only know as "Jim" showed up just as we are leaving and tells us to go ahead. As I expected he caught us quickly.
We head up the hill on Bamber Valley road slowly, but I don't care. At the top of the hill we stop because the kid on a mountain bike got a flat. Go figure. The guy with the thickest tires flats on the first mile of the first group ride. He was cool and told us to keep moving due to the lack of day light. We carry on averaging 17 mph. It was easy, and slight head wind was making my nose run like crazy. I think by the end of the evening everybody had somebody else's snot on them.
We get 40 minutes out and somebody asks if anybody would like to keep riding. I quickly said, "you betcha". Three of us keep going. We introduce ourselves, Marty "The Moose", Mark, and Matt, and yours truly. Then it got fun. We turned up the speed and pushed 20 mph for another 10 minutes. That was fun, we all did a great job of taking turns up front. I think Marty was the strongest guy. On the way back he put his nose out front and dragged us back most of the way.
Matt was having some problems and I kept looking back. A couple of times I saw him getting dropped so I bailed and went back to get him. He tucked in behind me and I pulled him back.
I'm a firm believer in the "no-drop" policy for group rides. People don't show up to a "group" ride to end up riding the last 5 miles by themselves. Think "group" not "individual". I have no problem racing up hills and to city limit signs. Just re-group afterwards.
Anyway, the funnest part of the ride is the bombing down the Bamber hill we climbed out of town.
Now, I was on my Niner and geared for mountain biking. Marty was on road bike and Mark and Matt on CX bikes. They were all riding bigger rings than me, and I knew coming down I was going to be spinning like a mad man to stay in the group.
Sure enough Marty goes moose crazy and takes off down the hill. I quickly tuck in behind him and spin. I hang on, and I'm watching him closely. Mark passes me and takes the lead. Like a good moose, Marty grabs Marks wheel. I stay on the moose like glue. Now, what you have to be careful about is that the road flattens and there is a slight hill as you get back to the school. If you burn everything you've got on the decent, you'll get toasted in the last 1/2 mile. Well, that's what happened to Mark and Moose. Matt came for nowhere behind me to take the finish. Right before he did, I looked back and saw him on my wheel, and I knew I didn't have the gear to do it so I yelled at him, "GO!". With out hesitating Matt took off, I grabbed his wheel and he took the sign.
I was really happy for Matt. He was struggling and he pulled it together for a great finish.
We pulled into the parking lot and we all felt good about the ride. I made some new friends and I'm fired up for the group rides.
That's the way every ride should end.
ride on
Keys
I'm reminded quickly why riding in the cold irritates me. There is the obvious cold, but the preparation it takes drives me up the wall. I was planning on riding to the start at Bamber Valley Elementary School, but it took me over 30 minutes to get my shit together. I hate that.
People that know me, know that I'm not the guy you call to organize anything. I was digging thru chargers to find the one for my light, I was up and down my house from the second floor to the basement looking for bike crap. I was working up a sweat just getting ready. By the time I'm ready to go, I've got 10 minutes to get to the school. I toss bike and crap in the Jeep and buzz over.
Not very people showed up for the first ride. Bob from Bicycle Sports was leading the nights ride and announced that we would be only riding 40 minutes out and back at an easy pace.
I don't mind the easy pace, it's early in the season and there's plenty of time to torch your legs. But, I was hoping for a longer ride.
I see my buddy Matt Bruzek, and chat it up a bit. We both notice we are wearing the same gloves. An obvious Bonktown.com purchase.
A strong rider that I only know as "Jim" showed up just as we are leaving and tells us to go ahead. As I expected he caught us quickly.
We head up the hill on Bamber Valley road slowly, but I don't care. At the top of the hill we stop because the kid on a mountain bike got a flat. Go figure. The guy with the thickest tires flats on the first mile of the first group ride. He was cool and told us to keep moving due to the lack of day light. We carry on averaging 17 mph. It was easy, and slight head wind was making my nose run like crazy. I think by the end of the evening everybody had somebody else's snot on them.
We get 40 minutes out and somebody asks if anybody would like to keep riding. I quickly said, "you betcha". Three of us keep going. We introduce ourselves, Marty "The Moose", Mark, and Matt, and yours truly. Then it got fun. We turned up the speed and pushed 20 mph for another 10 minutes. That was fun, we all did a great job of taking turns up front. I think Marty was the strongest guy. On the way back he put his nose out front and dragged us back most of the way.
Matt was having some problems and I kept looking back. A couple of times I saw him getting dropped so I bailed and went back to get him. He tucked in behind me and I pulled him back.
I'm a firm believer in the "no-drop" policy for group rides. People don't show up to a "group" ride to end up riding the last 5 miles by themselves. Think "group" not "individual". I have no problem racing up hills and to city limit signs. Just re-group afterwards.
Anyway, the funnest part of the ride is the bombing down the Bamber hill we climbed out of town.
Now, I was on my Niner and geared for mountain biking. Marty was on road bike and Mark and Matt on CX bikes. They were all riding bigger rings than me, and I knew coming down I was going to be spinning like a mad man to stay in the group.
Sure enough Marty goes moose crazy and takes off down the hill. I quickly tuck in behind him and spin. I hang on, and I'm watching him closely. Mark passes me and takes the lead. Like a good moose, Marty grabs Marks wheel. I stay on the moose like glue. Now, what you have to be careful about is that the road flattens and there is a slight hill as you get back to the school. If you burn everything you've got on the decent, you'll get toasted in the last 1/2 mile. Well, that's what happened to Mark and Moose. Matt came for nowhere behind me to take the finish. Right before he did, I looked back and saw him on my wheel, and I knew I didn't have the gear to do it so I yelled at him, "GO!". With out hesitating Matt took off, I grabbed his wheel and he took the sign.
I was really happy for Matt. He was struggling and he pulled it together for a great finish.
We pulled into the parking lot and we all felt good about the ride. I made some new friends and I'm fired up for the group rides.
That's the way every ride should end.
ride on
Keys
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