Off to check it out!
Sweet picture! She probably wanted by your unshaved legs before she barfed! Weird rig...100 MM wheels...disco brakes (mountain descents?)...frame bag...different looking, for sure.
Did You Ride Today?
- Thread starter Mr. Beanz
- Start date
Off to check it out!
Sweet picture! She probably wanted by your unshaved legs before she barfed! Weird rig...100 MM wheels...disco brakes (mountain descents?)...frame bag...different looking, for sure.
Just 22 miles this afternoon. It was a sunny 90 degrees and the humidity was up along with a 10 to 12 MPH breeze. It felt good to throttle back...or so I thought...and do the local hill route at a semi-relaxed tempo. Except when I got back the stats were only a little lower than a 'really fast' covering of that course. 1150' of climbing and a downhill sprint in front of a following car that hit 46 MPH. Yeah...I know. Greipel hits that in an uphill, into the wind finale...
Todays ride was my therapy ride ! The back had me walking like I was in my 90's, hunched over, and real slow. Couldn't get it to release all day, so by works end I just wanted to lay down and be a slug. Driving home any bump I hit ripped threw the back, and when I get home my wife was outside. Once she saw me take forever to get out of the car she knew the back wasn't being nice. But being stubborn I don't like to let the back win. I ask her if she wouldn't mind pulling my mountain bike up from the basement so I could go for a ride. It took some time but once I got my leg over the top tube and started to peddle I was where I knew I should be. As par for the course it was a painful couple miles but then the therapy kicked in, and I was in my happy place. Spent a little more time out in the woods than normal and managed 23.62 miles. The back is still not being nice, but not as bad as it was at the start of the day.
This getting old stuff can be fun at times, thank goodness for my bike.
This getting old stuff can be fun at times, thank goodness for my bike.
32 miles with 1400' of climbing. It cooled down to 85 degrees today and humidity also was a bit lower. The wind was a steady 9 MPH and the sky was just mostly cloudy at the start, but it soon turned a shade of darker blue like it was going to rain...maybe. It never did.
I felt like I was going well, but the numbers said otherwise. Just a 'meh!' effort, but a fun one.
I hope your back releases overnight, Zipp. Muscle spasm? Kinda sounds like mine acts...tightens up for no reason sometimes. It can be painful for a day or a couple of weeks. No logic to it at all.
I felt like I was going well, but the numbers said otherwise. Just a 'meh!' effort, but a fun one.
I hope your back releases overnight, Zipp. Muscle spasm? Kinda sounds like mine acts...tightens up for no reason sometimes. It can be painful for a day or a couple of weeks. No logic to it at all.
Thanks CAMPYBOB !
It can just appear for no reason and stay for a day or months. Since this is something I've dealt with for the last 20+ years I've just got to try to get on the bike before it really gets bad. Yesterdays ride helped, and after todays ride I'm back to normal (As normal as can be). Grabbed the Kestrel and rolled out an easy 34 miles in 89 degrees with a 8-10 wind and plenty of hills. Averaged 16mph but didn't want to push hard so I was real happy with the ride.
I had the back take me out of work for 5 weeks several years ago, just from tying my shoe. My wife would leave for work and leave an old cycling water bottle for me to wiz in because I couldn't even sit up. She would leave food on a plate on the floor for me, and I would move around the house dragging myself around by my elbows.
Life Is Good !
Damn bike shops!!! I had my lbs cut the steerer tube and put on a 120 stem(up from 110). 85 bucks all together, but they didn't put the stem on like I said. The 350 pound worker at the shop was worried about me being too low and didn't put the stem at a negative angle...Wish they'd just let me worry about my back and flexibility...Sure its a 5 minute fix I can do myself, but sometimes you just have to give the customer what they want...
Just enough time to test the bike out, the positioning is close, flipping it will make it closer. 4.5 miles/19 mph/220 ft. Maybe if I wake up early enough, I can set it up correct and get in 20 miles or so before work
Just enough time to test the bike out, the positioning is close, flipping it will make it closer. 4.5 miles/19 mph/220 ft. Maybe if I wake up early enough, I can set it up correct and get in 20 miles or so before work
Zipp, your back sounds like it gives you way more problems than mine. I think the longest I spent on the floor was maybe 10-12 hours and that is all I care to do! Laying motionless for a day sucks.
And now, Sammy...a little climbing music, if you please!
I got out for a solo 36-mile route with three sweet climbs going out and three more on the way back to the parking lot. It's only 1900' worth, but keeping the speed up in between the climbs and then attacking them in the 21 and 23 hurts me plenty.
It was 91 degrees when I swung a leg over and pushed off. The afternoon sun was beating down and the wind was light at 3 to 5 MPH...perfect! Let's sweat!
I tried my damnedest to keep the tempo high from start to finish and it paid off with some decent numbers and a lot of fun on the road.
And now, Sammy...a little climbing music, if you please!
I got out for a solo 36-mile route with three sweet climbs going out and three more on the way back to the parking lot. It's only 1900' worth, but keeping the speed up in between the climbs and then attacking them in the 21 and 23 hurts me plenty.
It was 91 degrees when I swung a leg over and pushed off. The afternoon sun was beating down and the wind was light at 3 to 5 MPH...perfect! Let's sweat!
I tried my damnedest to keep the tempo high from start to finish and it paid off with some decent numbers and a lot of fun on the road.
Another day up before dawn waiting for light to ride. I have 4 days/wk I can get a good early morning ride in and I have been taking full advantage the last few weeks. Get up at 4:30am have coffee and news and out the door. I know I only have a few more weeks to go before it'll be in the low 50's again at first light. Today I did 37 fairly hilly miles, ~2600ft at a good pace for me, 16.7 mph.
The past 10 days I've been crushing my past course mph records by about 1 mph.(that winter intermittent trainer work paid off) It's all good. I notice after the rides I'm not near as hungry nor as tired. 450 miles in the past 3 weeks. It's prime time now and I'm taking full advantage. Lot's of playing with my map program in the evening to plan the next days fun. I live in a back roads paradise but i'm always trying to avoid traffic. Worked through a few problems the past week. Got the front der professionally tuned up, fixed the squeeky headset on my own, and I think I've mastered fixing the flat tire, which I've seem to have a small run on this past month. Between you and me, I feel like "the **** of the walk" right now!!
Re: above posts. I don't have to worry about that group click stuff. I ride solo, so far 100% 1,000 miles this year. Not that I wouldn't really enjoy company, for sure I would, but I have a busy schedule and taking time to get to group rides is too much for me. Also, it's a nice feeling knowing that I always finish in First Place!!!
Re: back pain. I'm a Chiropractor and have been treating bad backs non-stop for 30 years. Stretch as much as you can. Learn to do Yoga and keep at it. Sadly, sometimes a bad back is forever, but usually you can work yourself out of it, it can take a while sometimes. But always remember, i tell my patients everyday, the body needs MOVEMENT to heal. Bike riding won't help, but it probably won't hurt anyway, but you need that deep movement to aid the healing process. I suffered through some bad back pain myself after an injury a couple years ago, and it took quite a while to beat, but eventually I did. Chiropractic is good, sometimes it's just the right thing and sometimes it just doesn't work, but you have to be very careful w/ us, because every single one of us works on people differently and sometimes you could be paying much more than you should.
The past 10 days I've been crushing my past course mph records by about 1 mph.(that winter intermittent trainer work paid off) It's all good. I notice after the rides I'm not near as hungry nor as tired. 450 miles in the past 3 weeks. It's prime time now and I'm taking full advantage. Lot's of playing with my map program in the evening to plan the next days fun. I live in a back roads paradise but i'm always trying to avoid traffic. Worked through a few problems the past week. Got the front der professionally tuned up, fixed the squeeky headset on my own, and I think I've mastered fixing the flat tire, which I've seem to have a small run on this past month. Between you and me, I feel like "the **** of the walk" right now!!
Re: above posts. I don't have to worry about that group click stuff. I ride solo, so far 100% 1,000 miles this year. Not that I wouldn't really enjoy company, for sure I would, but I have a busy schedule and taking time to get to group rides is too much for me. Also, it's a nice feeling knowing that I always finish in First Place!!!
Re: back pain. I'm a Chiropractor and have been treating bad backs non-stop for 30 years. Stretch as much as you can. Learn to do Yoga and keep at it. Sadly, sometimes a bad back is forever, but usually you can work yourself out of it, it can take a while sometimes. But always remember, i tell my patients everyday, the body needs MOVEMENT to heal. Bike riding won't help, but it probably won't hurt anyway, but you need that deep movement to aid the healing process. I suffered through some bad back pain myself after an injury a couple years ago, and it took quite a while to beat, but eventually I did. Chiropractic is good, sometimes it's just the right thing and sometimes it just doesn't work, but you have to be very careful w/ us, because every single one of us works on people differently and sometimes you could be paying much more than you should.
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A good Chiropractor can do wonders. I get spasms and my Chiro who also cycles does active release on the offending muscles.
Anyway, I sucked today.
Did some hard intervals but the results were bad. Maybe the heat. It was 95F and humid.
I went shooting. I sucked there, too.
Anyway, I sucked today.
Did some hard intervals but the results were bad. Maybe the heat. It was 95F and humid.
I went shooting. I sucked there, too.
It was time to take the TT bike out for a 15 mile blast. Temp was 90 degrees by the time I got off work, with moderate humidity, and a light wind 4-6mph. The back was back to normal with it's everyday pain but something I've dealt with for 20+ years, so no big deal. Got into a good rhythm right from the start and was able to attack the rollers in full aero position, and was turning over the 54/11 on the flats pretty smooth. Lost a little time at the turn around point because of traffic, and just didn't gauge my effort correctly on the second half. Pushed to hard right after the turn around and started to crack with a tad over a mile left. I should have stayed more focused on getting back into my rhythm after the turn around instead of trying to make up for the lost time right away. Old guy making a rookie mistake after all the TT's that I've done, oh well. Finished off at 22.4mph, with a set of empty legs. Time to throw down a couple Klondike Bar as part of my recovery.
Breathe...inhale...slowly exhale...relax...slowly take up the trigger with a gentle squeeze...focus on the front sight...relax...run your focus from the front sight to the target and back...exhale lightly...
Then pull that trigger and shoot to slide lock as fast as you can!!! Drop the mag...repeat!!!!
Ok...relax...breathe...
Guys at work are buying ammunition, pistols and rifles like there's an election coming up. Go figure!
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It rained on and off today and more was forecast during my afternoon prime time for a ride. I saddled up anyway and figured on doing a 20 Km ITT.
The air was heavy with humidity, but at least the cold front and morning light rains had dropped the temperature down to an almost cool 76 degrees. The wind was a light 6 to 8 MPH and sometimes seemed to drop below that.
Working just a medium tall gear I got over the only little climb on the course and started rolling towards the turn on the mostly flat out and back course.
Where does the rain always catch us? Why, right at the turn around point, of course!
I jumped out the cassette two, then three gears and started pushing it for the truck. That was good for the numbers, but where does the rain always stop? You guessed it! Just about 1/2 a mile from the truck the sky lightened up and the light rain completely went away.
Only 400' of climbing and I KNOW that if I had tried pushing for a 40 Km night the rain would have socked in and probably got heavier.
Still, a nice little ride and when I got home I aligned the derailleur hanger (too much slamming the bike into the back seat, the sport ute's cargo bay, the back seat area of the truck I'm guessing) and gauged the chain I installed on June 4 for stretch. I also got most of the tools gathered up a prepared to swap out the crankset when the new one gets here.
The air was heavy with humidity, but at least the cold front and morning light rains had dropped the temperature down to an almost cool 76 degrees. The wind was a light 6 to 8 MPH and sometimes seemed to drop below that.
Working just a medium tall gear I got over the only little climb on the course and started rolling towards the turn on the mostly flat out and back course.
Where does the rain always catch us? Why, right at the turn around point, of course!
I jumped out the cassette two, then three gears and started pushing it for the truck. That was good for the numbers, but where does the rain always stop? You guessed it! Just about 1/2 a mile from the truck the sky lightened up and the light rain completely went away.
Only 400' of climbing and I KNOW that if I had tried pushing for a 40 Km night the rain would have socked in and probably got heavier.
Still, a nice little ride and when I got home I aligned the derailleur hanger (too much slamming the bike into the back seat, the sport ute's cargo bay, the back seat area of the truck I'm guessing) and gauged the chain I installed on June 4 for stretch. I also got most of the tools gathered up a prepared to swap out the crankset when the new one gets here.
I forgot to mention...regarding the derailleur hanger.
BOTH of the tiny flat head screws that bolt the aluminum derailleur hanger to the aluminum insert molded into the carbon fiber dropout were slightly loose. I thought I was going to have to gently fight them loose...I had straightened the hanger at least once last year also and I only use torque on screws this small. Even blue Loctite usually spells the rounding out of the recessed hex on the somewhat soft stainless steel screws that are this tiny.
With the quick release tight the hanger is effectively held in a vise grip by the axle, so shifting was never affected and the screws, being inserted from the inside of the dropout, were not in danger of falling out. No clearance for them to back out all the way. Both were still below their countersink recesses, but at least a quarter turn from being tight.
Still it's a testimony to how bad our roads are and maybe how hard I ride the thing. Vibration loosening of car parts and motorcycle parts is common place, so I guess it's normal and expected to rattle a bike to death on the craptastic stuff we have to ride over.
I torqued them up, gave them 'just a snit more' as the Brit's used to say and carefully re-installed the derailleur...which Campy made the T27 hollow mounting bolt dive only from the inside of the hanger! WTF?! No wrench access from the outside of the bike! Brilliant! Sure makes starting that thread a 'get it right or else!' experience.
BOTH of the tiny flat head screws that bolt the aluminum derailleur hanger to the aluminum insert molded into the carbon fiber dropout were slightly loose. I thought I was going to have to gently fight them loose...I had straightened the hanger at least once last year also and I only use torque on screws this small. Even blue Loctite usually spells the rounding out of the recessed hex on the somewhat soft stainless steel screws that are this tiny.
With the quick release tight the hanger is effectively held in a vise grip by the axle, so shifting was never affected and the screws, being inserted from the inside of the dropout, were not in danger of falling out. No clearance for them to back out all the way. Both were still below their countersink recesses, but at least a quarter turn from being tight.
Still it's a testimony to how bad our roads are and maybe how hard I ride the thing. Vibration loosening of car parts and motorcycle parts is common place, so I guess it's normal and expected to rattle a bike to death on the craptastic stuff we have to ride over.
I torqued them up, gave them 'just a snit more' as the Brit's used to say and carefully re-installed the derailleur...which Campy made the T27 hollow mounting bolt dive only from the inside of the hanger! WTF?! No wrench access from the outside of the bike! Brilliant! Sure makes starting that thread a 'get it right or else!' experience.
My HS son told me he wants to go ROTC yesterday.
I'm not sure whether I have enough ammunition if we continue to inch towards all out civil unrest.
Although I had Senatorial appointments to both West Point and the Air Force Academy, only to fail the medical due to a low heart rate of 29 BPM, I am not thrilled to trust my son's life to that ***** in chief.
I probably need a long ride. Maybe Route 66 bike race starting October 1......balls to the wall. No pictures. No shooting the **** with locals. I talked to a Vet for a couple hours on Trans Am and tons of people everyday. Maybe pretend I'm a foreigner. No english.
29?!?!?! Wow!
Your boy wants to go the ROTC route? Good for him! No military armed forces path is 'safe', but let's hope he will be throughout his career. There is no more noble profession on the planet that to be one of those that defend others, defend our freedom and defend our nation...not that there's a lot of it left that's worth defending these days.
Go online and check out 'The Ammunition Store'.
http://ammunitionstore.com/
The owner is a friend and he used to support my machinegun shoot. The outlet store is not too far away and the guys on the shop floor are making weekly pilgrimages to it to get their supplies built up.
Your boy wants to go the ROTC route? Good for him! No military armed forces path is 'safe', but let's hope he will be throughout his career. There is no more noble profession on the planet that to be one of those that defend others, defend our freedom and defend our nation...not that there's a lot of it left that's worth defending these days.
Go online and check out 'The Ammunition Store'.
http://ammunitionstore.com/
The owner is a friend and he used to support my machinegun shoot. The outlet store is not too far away and the guys on the shop floor are making weekly pilgrimages to it to get their supplies built up.
27 miles and 900' of climbing...very much flat to gently rolling terrain. Again, the rain was coming. This time the weather godz were on my side. It was supposed to start raining at 4 PM, but it has passed us by so far (posting at 8 PM). I got rolling around 3:30 PM and it didn't look too bad. Let's ride!
It was very humid while riding and sky darkened twice. That kept my pace up and the loops away from the car short. Then the sky would lighten up again! It looked like any rain was moving South and East of where I was doing some medium tempo laps of the local farm fields.
I just heard thunder a few minutes ago (posting at 8 PM) and jumped in the shower for a second one this afternoon just in case that front moved our way. Instead, it went North of the farm. Strange Summer for weather.
It was very humid while riding and sky darkened twice. That kept my pace up and the loops away from the car short. Then the sky would lighten up again! It looked like any rain was moving South and East of where I was doing some medium tempo laps of the local farm fields.
I just heard thunder a few minutes ago (posting at 8 PM) and jumped in the shower for a second one this afternoon just in case that front moved our way. Instead, it went North of the farm. Strange Summer for weather.
18.2 miles/19 mph/830 ft/78 avg cadence/161 avg heart rate. I can't seem to get my cadence above high 70's, maybe its due to my love of standing climbing... That style is fine for miles in the 20-30 range, but it often causes me to blow a gasket on the 60+ rides late in the game. I've switched over from a compact 50/34 with a 12/28 cassette to a 52/30 with a 12/28. Maybe I should give compact a try again and see where spinning that thing gets me.
I only averaged 75 RPM this afternoon. High 70's and low 80's as an average is plenty good...there's a lot of variables. Check out what you are turning at specific points during your training. Sprints...intervals...climbing...time trialing...turning that big gear with a strong tail wind...spinning into a stiff headwind...etc.
161 average is killing it. Nice.
You're correct about blowing up at that effort. You dial it back for longer efforts to start and build on that. Let the mileage and time in the saddle come up first. The conditioning, efficiency and ability to burn more matches for longer periods will follow. Cruise control trying to keep your HR down out of the red zone and orange zone. Throttle back the climbing Watts, too. Go a little easier on those hills and keep your punches back up to speed on the flats reasonable.
With endurance comes speed. You've got the gears with 52-36. Just use them wisely. I carry a 39x25 for bail out. I use it and the 39x23 all the time and ESPECIALLY when on those 100+ mile cruises. Just ease up a little on the calls for ramming speed to the engine room when goin long. Not every ride is a 30-mile blast at Ludicrous Speed.
You are really getting the hang of this game, U! Stay with it and the finer points will hit you like a ton of bricks.
161 average is killing it. Nice.
You're correct about blowing up at that effort. You dial it back for longer efforts to start and build on that. Let the mileage and time in the saddle come up first. The conditioning, efficiency and ability to burn more matches for longer periods will follow. Cruise control trying to keep your HR down out of the red zone and orange zone. Throttle back the climbing Watts, too. Go a little easier on those hills and keep your punches back up to speed on the flats reasonable.
With endurance comes speed. You've got the gears with 52-36. Just use them wisely. I carry a 39x25 for bail out. I use it and the 39x23 all the time and ESPECIALLY when on those 100+ mile cruises. Just ease up a little on the calls for ramming speed to the engine room when goin long. Not every ride is a 30-mile blast at Ludicrous Speed.
You are really getting the hang of this game, U! Stay with it and the finer points will hit you like a ton of bricks.
No ride today !
It started raining about 30 minutes before I got out of work and has been raining for most of the evening. I knew I should have worked a 1/2 day today. Most Fridays in the summer I leave work by 10:30am , but today I had some extra inventory issues I wanted to take care of. So when I got home I went down stairs and cleaned and polished all but my mountain bike.
Uawadall sounds like me I LOVE climbing out of the saddle, and I've never found a climb I didn't like. I was mapping out my new Wall video for next week. Can't wait to play on those thigh burners next week, several max out at 24%.
It started raining about 30 minutes before I got out of work and has been raining for most of the evening. I knew I should have worked a 1/2 day today. Most Fridays in the summer I leave work by 10:30am , but today I had some extra inventory issues I wanted to take care of. So when I got home I went down stairs and cleaned and polished all but my mountain bike.
Uawadall sounds like me I LOVE climbing out of the saddle, and I've never found a climb I didn't like. I was mapping out my new Wall video for next week. Can't wait to play on those thigh burners next week, several max out at 24%.
I hope I can enjoy cycling for as long as both of you one day Campybob and zipp2001!This thread has thinned some, but its always good to see new post from those who are here. zipp2001, even when at my limit, I often explore new hills in my area. Sometimes you get more than you bargained for, but thats all part of climbing.
Was a little late getting ready this morning and it now marks missing 2 months of my bike club...I post my rides on the club Strava group so al least they know i'm not in a ditch somewhere. I heard their was another crash today in one of the upper groups (A/A-?).It was a hard fall for 2 riders, but luckily no one had any serious injuries. This is the second time this month. earlier in the month a guy ended up with a brain bleed and a broken collar bone. He's in his 60's and is back on Zwift already. Yes, you only live once, but these crashes are happening more often. One of the reasons I have to really sharpen up.
35.8 miles/16.9 mph/2372 ft. Did a few power climbs today. One of my regular ones, 1.2 miles/6% grade on a pothole filled road and a new one a few miles later, 2.2 miles/4%. I cut my old PR one the first one by 17 seconds. I think the longer stem helped my standing work a little by shifting more weight up front. Did pretty good on the second one, but used a little to much juice earlier. A good ride, hopefully get one more in before the weekends over.
Was a little late getting ready this morning and it now marks missing 2 months of my bike club...I post my rides on the club Strava group so al least they know i'm not in a ditch somewhere. I heard their was another crash today in one of the upper groups (A/A-?).It was a hard fall for 2 riders, but luckily no one had any serious injuries. This is the second time this month. earlier in the month a guy ended up with a brain bleed and a broken collar bone. He's in his 60's and is back on Zwift already. Yes, you only live once, but these crashes are happening more often. One of the reasons I have to really sharpen up.
35.8 miles/16.9 mph/2372 ft. Did a few power climbs today. One of my regular ones, 1.2 miles/6% grade on a pothole filled road and a new one a few miles later, 2.2 miles/4%. I cut my old PR one the first one by 17 seconds. I think the longer stem helped my standing work a little by shifting more weight up front. Did pretty good on the second one, but used a little to much juice earlier. A good ride, hopefully get one more in before the weekends over.
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