Bicycling On-the-Road

ooheadsoo · « **Reply #20 on:** 11 Apr 2010, 01:58 am »

Oh yeah, well I got in about 5 miles and climbed 500 feet! Yeah!

jackman · « **Reply #21 on:** 11 Apr 2010, 11:52 pm »

Another 45 miles today. Similar route as yesterday but with a larger group that included 3 time-trial bikes, and one female rider. She joined our group with her husband after we completed 8 miles. A bit of a loudmouth and built like a skeletal POW, she was very fast on the bike and had no problem staying with the fast group. The fast group finished at least 10 minutes earlier than my group.

Today was one of the most difficult rides ever for me. I pushed it as hard as I could but didn't have the legs after yesteday's ride. Plus, unlike yesterday, we had a fierce headwind on the return ride (yesterday we had a strong tailwind on our return) and I was out of gas for the last 10 miles. One bright spot was my new tires, Continental GP4000s! They rolled faster than my older Bonty tires and even though they are 23mm width (versus 25mm for the Bontragers) they rode much more smoother. Also, the Continental tires had excellent traction over a downhill S-curve section I took at +30mph.

Rides like today's are rewarding because they really show how far I have to go in terms of fitness and performance. Need to address some bad saddle sores but I'll be back on the bike Tuesday at the latest.

Cheers!

J

jackman · « **Reply #22 on:** 15 Apr 2010, 09:44 pm »

Here is some cool info on hubs! I'm going for a ride later tonight and look forward to a fast 35 miles or so. Need to get ready for some long rides on Sat and Sunday this weekend. It's absolutely beautiful outside and I hope the wind is at my back on the way home!

Last ride, a short 23 miles on Tuesday night, we had a brutal headwind on the way out followed by a beautiful tailwind on the way home. There were stretches where we averaged 28mph+ and caught every green light. So far, I enjoy my weekday training rides much more than my weekend torture rides. Need to get faster to keep up with the fast weekend group but it's not happening soon enough. Hills and headwinds are killing me. Any advice is always appreciated.

http://fairwheelbikes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=65&t=6940
Cheers,

J

Don_S · « **Reply #23 on:** 16 Apr 2010, 04:55 pm »

This isn't exactly road riding but since the trail was paved and the tires were skinny it goes here.

Last night was my second evening ride of the season and somewhat of a disappointment. I normally ride a recumbent but in the summer I pull my Merlin off the rack and do fast (for me) 18-25 miles (depends on daylight) Thursday evening rides with a buddy. This tradition is 10+ years old.

First ride of the season the evening was cool and there was a strong wind but I felt strong and actually wanted my ride buddy to pick up the pace at the end. I wanted more and faster. Woohooo, way to start the upright season. Last night was a different story. The weather was colder and just as windy. I never got warm and suffered the entire ride. Saddle sores from last week made themselves known and I ran out of gas despite eating the same pre-ride snacks as last week. I hate when that happens.

But it was not a total bust. I saw about a dozen wild Tom turkeys and probably 30+ deer including one that wanted to play chicken with me. I won.

Another cyclist pulled into the parking area just as we were starting to load our bikes and head for teriyaki (another tradition). He reported seeing a bobcat take out a ground squirrel at an area we had passed just minutes before. This is probably the first time I have ever wished I rode slower.

That is the first time I have heard of a bobcat on the trail. I have seen coyotes and a fox but never a bobcat. I ride on the American River bike trail in Sacramento. It is a green belt and flood plain in an urban setting. The trail runs 30+ miles and the upper terminus is a man-made reservoir that receives the three forks of the American River. The area between the forks is wild and extends to Desolation Wilderness in the Sierra Nevada mountains by Lake Tahoe.

That is where the bobcat migrated from. Occasionally (every 5-10 years) we get a puma in the cravice (Tommy Smothers reference) that follows the rivers down to the bike trail area. That is usually a young male with no territory of his own. A mountain lion would have a feast now. Last winter large areas of the green belt were fenced off to keep the deer out while the areas are planted with native oak species to repair the damage done by gold mining and farming. The deer are now concentrated which accounts for my sighting double the normal evening count of previous years.

On another ride I saw an osprey take a large salmon out of the river just a few yards from a boat with two open-mouthed fishermen. The osprey circled with the salmon before flying away. It gave a short cry that I interpreted as mocking the fishless fishermen. During the spring and fall salmon runs vultures congregate and can be seen circling the trail. Those are the days I really wish I could ride faster.

Hey you stupid birds. I'm not dead! I just have a flat tire!

BikeWNC · « **Reply #24 on:** 19 Apr 2010, 12:11 am »

Our ride today took us just to the left of this forest fire. It was an otherwise beautiful day in the mid 60s.

PhilNYC · « **Reply #25 on:** 19 Apr 2010, 12:13 am »

Took my kids on vacation for spring break last week, which put about 9 days between my last ride and yesterday's ride. Amazing how such a short time can wipe out so much conditioning...30 miles on a rolling-hill route at a decent speed (avg 19mph). I was breathing heavy for virtually the entire ride! Hopefully it won't take long to re-establish my conditioning...

Levi · « **Reply #26 on:** 19 Apr 2010, 01:48 am »

We "The Weekday Cyclists" did a perimeter ride of Staten Island. 75miles on my Merlin XLM.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/30158606

Levi · « **Reply #27 on:** 19 Apr 2010, 01:49 am »

North Carolina has one of the nicest places to ride bikes on and off-road.

Quote from: BikeWNC on 19 Apr 2010, 12:11 am

Our ride today took us just to the left of this forest fire. It was an otherwise beautiful day in the mid 60s.

BikeWNC · « **Reply #28 on:** 19 Apr 2010, 02:19 am »

Quote from: Levi on 19 Apr 2010, 01:49 am

North Carolina has one of the nicest places to ride bikes on and off-road.

I think we do. WNC is cycling heaven as long as you don't mind climbing.

Here's a photo from yesterday's ride. I rode NealH's bike up this climb after I picked it up from the LBS for him. lol Just had to test out the Tarmac SL3.

Levi · « **Reply #29 on:** 19 Apr 2010, 02:24 am »

Nice. I may have to visit NC soon to ride my bike.

LadyDog · « **Reply #30 on:** 19 Apr 2010, 06:22 pm »

So jealous. All I have here is flat, flat, and more flat. Let alone the "housing" scenery is a little lacking too.

twitch54 · « **Reply #31 on:** 20 Apr 2010, 12:58 am »

FWIW, if any of you 'road guys' are interested I have a 'like new' Cannondale SR-800 For Sale.

PM me if interested.

Levi · « **Reply #32 on:** 20 Apr 2010, 02:28 am »

Hi Dave, is this your ad at Craigslist?

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/bik/1696351454.html

drphoto · « **Reply #33 on:** 20 Apr 2010, 02:54 am »

I can't believe how fast some of you guys ride, what was it I was seeing 26-27mph?

Damn, back when I was young and in shape, my goal was 20mph. I'm a really skinny guy, I look more like a marathon runner than a cyclist, so I never had the legs to pound a big gear. But I could climb all day. My cycling mates called me the mountain goat.

I tried a TT once (on a flat course) and thought I could easily do 25mph, but I only managed 23 and was shot at the end.

Cycling certainly gives you a whole new outlook on aerodynamics. It's amazing how much more effort it takes to go only a few more mph or the difference when you are sitting on someone's wheel.

Someone mentioned pedals. I absolutely loved my Ritchey's on my off-road bike. I'd tried a bunch, and they work best for me. If I go back to road, I may still use these.

BTW: I visited Asheville, NC once and my first thought was "This is cycling heaven" That Blue Ridge Parkway is too cool. Great climbs, great scenery and not much motor traffic.

PhilNYC · « **Reply #34 on:** 20 Apr 2010, 11:14 am »

Quote from: drphoto on 20 Apr 2010, 02:54 am

I can't believe how fast some of you guys ride, what was it I was seeing 26-27mph?

Damn, back when I was young and in shape, my goal was 20mph. I'm a really skinny guy, I look more like a marathon runner than a cyclist, so I never had the legs to pound a big gear. But I could climb all day. My cycling mates called me the mountain goat.

I tried a TT once (on a flat course) and thought I could easily do 25mph, but I only managed 23 and was shot at the end.

Cycling certainly gives you a whole new outlook on aerodynamics. It's amazing how much more effort it takes to go only a few more mph or the difference when you are sitting on someone's wheel.

Someone mentioned pedals. I absolutely loved my Ritchey's on my off-road bike. I'd tried a bunch, and they work best for me. If I go back to road, I may still use these.

BTW: I visited Asheville, NC once and my first thought was "This is cycling heaven" That Blue Ridge Parkway is too cool. Great climbs, great scenery and not much motor traffic.

When you did the TT course, was it on a road bike? And was 23mph your course average or your max speed?

For me, starting out a ride somewhere between 17-19mph is comfortable...anything more feels strenuous. Once I get warmed up (which happens almost like clockwork at 11 miles), I am able to get up to about 24-25mph over sustained periods of time on flats and slightly-rolling courses, but am most comfortable around 21-22mph. The fastest I have gone on a flat in the last few years was 35mph in a full-out sprint against two of my training buddies, and I could only hold that speed for maybe a dozen crank rotations.

Obviously, riding in a pack with stronger riders in the front (like the above-mentioned Nyack Rocket Ride), getting to faster speeds is actually pretty easy. And downhill riding is also a blast..!

But all these efforts really puts into perspective the fact that guys in the Tour De France who win those massive sprints at the end are going somewhere around 48mph....

twitch54 · « **Reply #35 on:** 20 Apr 2010, 12:19 pm »

Quote from: Levi on 20 Apr 2010, 02:28 am

Hi Dave, is this your ad at Craigslist?

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/bik/1696351454.html

yes it is..........

drphoto · « **Reply #36 on:** 20 Apr 2010, 01:55 pm »

23mph was my average. I was riding an old steel framed Trek 560 w/ those old school wheels that had way too many spokes.

I think 30mph for a city block was the best I could ever do on a flat out sprint.

Do most of you guys ride rollers? I found it to be great way to learn to pedal in a smoother circular fashion than just mashing up and down. Plus you learn to not wobble around, essential for riding in a pack. Scary the first time you try it.

Don_S · « **Reply #37 on:** 20 Apr 2010, 03:33 pm »

Quote from: drphoto on 20 Apr 2010, 02:54 am

Someone mentioned pedals. I absolutely loved my Ritchey's on my off-road bike. I'd tried a bunch, and they work best for me. If I go back to road, I may still use these.

Which Ritchey pedals? I had the old Ti-spindle SPD style. Then Nashbar came out with a pedal that looked the same but had the chrome-moly spindle (also offered by Ritchie). The Nashbar pedals had some float while the original Ritchies did not. I needed some float. I looked at the pics in the Nashbar catalog and scratched my chin-----mmmm, I wonder.

Well I was right. The Ritchey titanium spindles fit perfectly into the Nashbar pedal bodies. The spindles are radically different in shape (taper) but the business ends are the same. I think I had to swap end caps at the same time but I don't remember now. I bought a bunch of the Nashbar pedals at $25 or less a pair and now I have a lifetime supply of bodies and cleats to use with my ti spindles. I use this hybrid pedal on my Merlin and Bacchetta. Surprising the difference in heft (I don't have a scale) when I have the naked spindles in my hand.

PhilNYC · « **Reply #38 on:** 20 Apr 2010, 04:44 pm »

Quote from: drphoto on 20 Apr 2010, 01:55 pm

23mph was my average. I was riding an old steel framed Trek 560 w/ those old school wheels that had way too many spokes.

That's a pretty good average! How long was the TT course?

Quote

Do most of you guys ride rollers? I found it to be great way to learn to pedal in a smoother circular fashion than just mashing up and down. Plus you learn to not wobble around, essential for riding in a pack. Scary the first time you try it.

I've never used rollers, but I've been pretty good at stroking the cranks thru the full rotation, so I haven't really felt the need. I did recently switch from a magnetic trainer to a fluid trainer. Not sure if I like the fluid trainer...the mag trainer is much harder...ie a much better workout...but the fluid trainer feels more "natural", and I can train high-cadence much more comfortably.

PhilNYC · « **Reply #39 on:** 20 Apr 2010, 04:46 pm »

Quote from: Don_S on 20 Apr 2010, 03:33 pm

Which Ritchey pedals? I had the old Ti-spindle SPD style. Then Nashbar came out with a pedal that looked the same but had the chrome-moly spindle (also offered by Ritchie). The Nashbar pedals had some float while the original Ritchies did not. I needed some float. I looked at the pics in the Nashbar catalog and scratched my chin-----mmmm, I wonder.

Well I was right. The Ritchey titanium spindles fit perfectly into the Nashbar pedal bodies. The spindles are radically different in shape (taper) but the business ends are the same. I think I had to swap end caps at the same time but I don't remember now. I bought a bunch of the Nashbar pedals at $25 or less a pair and now I have a lifetime supply of bodies and cleats to use with my ti spindles. I use this hybrid pedal on my Merlin and Bacchetta. Surprising the difference in heft (I don't have a scale) when I have the naked spindles in my hand.

At some point in the past, companies that put out Ti-spindled pedals would list a rider's weight-limit for using those pedals (something around 185lbs). Do they still do that? I'm using steel-spindled pedals because I'm paranoid of Ti-spindle failures...