More on politics and the GOP's anti-bike positions, this time courtesy of an email from the League of American Bicyclists:
************
Last night on the PBS NewsHour with Jim Leher, DOT Secretary Mary Peters was interviewed by Gwen Ifill.
Peters, when asked about a possible gas tax increase, repeated President Bush's response - No, there can be no tax increase because Congress is wasting the money they already get. Peters cited "bicycle paths" as a prime example of the waste because bicycles are not a transportation use of the gas tax money.
It is disappointing that the administration is attacking Jim Oberstar for his efforts to get the Minneapolis bridge repaired along with raising all the funding for transportation maintenance, by using Oberstar's support for bicycles as a weapon....
From the transcripts:
"GWEN IFILL: Aren't many of those projects, even though they're special interest projects, aren't they roads and bridges, often?
MARY PETERS: Gwen, some of them are, but many of them are not. There are museums that are being built with that money, bike paths, trails, repairing lighthouses. Those are some of the kind of things that that money is being spent on, as opposed to our infrastructure."
"GWEN IFILL: Who is spending the money inappropriately?
MARY PETERS: Well, there's about probably some 10 percent to 20 percent of the current spending that is going to projects that really are not transportation, directly transportation-related. Some of that money is being spent on things, as I said earlier, like bike paths or trails. Some is being spent on museums, on restoring lighthouses, as I indicated."
Friday, August 17, 2007
Dog Daze Century - the full report
Saturday morning, August 11, I had the pleasure to ride in the Brandywine Bicycle Club's Dog Daze. While the ride was advertised as a century, and a hundred mile loop was available, I and my friends decided on the 50 mile course, anticipating hills, hills, and more hills on the West Chester area route.
We were a mixed lot of cyclists gathering under an overcast sky that morning. One serious roadie and ultracyclist - Dan, one commuter and ultracyclist who rode the same hybrid he used to log 206 miles in the MS PA Dutch Tour three weeks ago - Tim, a roadie on the mend looking for a slower group to ride with - Karen, and the Neils on Wheels Bike Touring Team - I on my new "flat bar road bike", and Neil F. on his converted 20 year old mountain bike. Other than our group start, little served to link us. One common thread is that Dan and I were wearing pink and black Fat Cyclist jerseys and socks, in honor of the Fat Cyclist Elden Nelson and his wife Susan. Both Nelson and his wife were in Leadville, he racing, she crewing in spite of the fatigue and nausea brought on by chemotherapy. Elden and Susan have had to face hills Dan and I haven't, so it seemed right we show a little public support.
The Dog Daze was the first public display of my new bike. Two days before the ride I had taken possession of a 2008 Trek 7.5 fx in a cherry red with white lettering. White bottle cages added a touch of 'bling' to my then unnamed ride. Aside from loops in Bikesport's parking lot, and a ten mile shakedown ride in Kimberton, this would be the first test of the new bike - and the new narrow saddle.
We started off at 8:30 AM, Dan and Karen in the lead, Tim following close behind, and Neil F. next. I somehow or other made a wrong turn out of the parking lot, so once I got on track I was already the trailing bike. But not for long, as I discovered I could MOVE on these wheels. Putting 1600 miles and a metric century or two on a heavy Trek Navigator paid off for me in increased stamina and strength on lighter bike. I quickly caught up to the others at the first stop sign.
This pattern repeated itself a number of times - I falling behind, then catching up when I really put my all into pedaling. I was fortunate that the three faster riders were all taking it easy - Karen and Tim because of injury, Dan because this was a light day in his training for LOTOJA. Because of this, and because we were all slowed by hills, I was able to ride with the group and observe points of technique - Tim's Ergon bar ends in use, or Dan's aero tuck. This latter item was amusing to observe; it's not every day you see a 250 pound powerlifter go into an aero position. He looked like a big pink and black cannonball on a Cannondale.
One topic of conversation on the ride was the name of my bike. Variations on the words "red", "spark", "rocket", etc were suggested. The repeated r sounds triggered a literary reference in my head. I recalled a book I had just read - Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead. The protagonist of the novel is Howard Roark, an uncompromising architect. Since, like Roark, I push myself to do things the world says I can't do - lose 143 pounds through better eating and exercise, learn to ride a bike at age 40, ride seriously despite obesity and structural problems - the name fit. And Rand's hero has red hair. So I named my bike Roark.
By mile ten I and Neil F. had, perhaps rightly, taken our usual positions at the back. I found myself having to walk my first hill when I had to stop suddenly on an incline in a high gear. Having a Jamaican truck driver in the opposite lane stop and shout encouragement at me didn't help. "You can do it, mon! You want a push?" I said no, hopped off the bike, and hiked it. Neil F. had made it halfway up the hill before he to was reduced to the "walk of shame."
By then I was relishing the time off the saddle. My butt was sore and my hands were numb. Better than if my hands were sore and my butt numb, but still not good. Hills were a good excuse to get off the bike, so I walked more hills than I perhaps needed to. Not every one, but some of them. Neil F. was having more problems with hills than I was, despite his mountain bike, so I gradually increased my lead over him to about three minutes by the time of the first rest stop. My climbing Hephzibah Hill on two wheels instead of two legs helped. That was a killer.
At the first rest stop I had a few "odd quirks and remnants of wit broken on me" by my companions. I was repeatedly asked if I approved of the road markings; I guess since I publicly criticized a ride earlier this summer I was now an expert. (The markings at the Dog Daze were very clear, and I don't know of a single cyclist who got lost from them.) When I arrived ahead of the Other Neil, I was told "I can't believe you would drop someone." Neil F. and I agreed ahead of time that we didn't need to ride together, so neither of us considered my lead a case of dropping.
Off we went again, and this time I hung with the lead group for a couple of miles. However, I'm still new to cycling, and to exercise in general. A man can lose 143 pounds and still not be fit, and I fit that description. So after 25 miles of riding, my speed dropped, and I fell behind with my fellow Neil. I began to build up a small lead over him, however, and I pulled into the second rest stop again about 2-3 minutes ahead of him.
That rest stop wasn't a mile too soon, because my back had begun to bother me about mile 30. The bike wasn't the only thing new; the riding position was unfamiliar to me as well. I tried to straighten my crooked and hunched back as I rode and the pain went away. Good posture is something I need to learn if I am going to ride a road bike.
Speaking of backs and bikes, on one of the hills climbs Neil pointed out to me the shoulders of a rider who had passed us. "I don't think you're the only guy with scoliosis here." I thought about trying to catch the fellow and strike up a conversation, but how does one bring up the subject of spinal problems to a stranger? "Hey, what degree is your curvature?" Besides, I feared it would turn into a typical male ego contest - "my elevated shoulder is higher than yours!"
Neil F. once noted that he's faster than me, but I have greater strength and endurance. So it proved for much of the ride. Neil and I would alternately drop one another - he would pass me on the flats, and I would pass him going uphill. At one point after the second rest stop I was about five minutes ahead of Neil, but he caught up to me. Despite my riding a road bike and Neil riding a mountain bike, our speeds were very close, and in fact we finished the final four or so miles together. Our time was about five hours for the 50 miles, including rest stops, with more than 4500 feet of climbing. A hearty lunch with my friends afterward rounded out the day. Brandywine provided great markings, a good cue sheet, SAG support, well-stocked and manned rest stops, and lunch. If I could credit them with the great weather, I would do so as well. It was a wonderful ride for all, and I look forward to cycling it next year.
My account should end here, but there's a problem that happened on the ride I didn't notice until later. I apparently didn't drink enough while riding, because I had severe leg cramps about two hours after the ride. They went away after I walked around for a few minutes and drank an entire water bottle. The rule of thumb is one water bottle every hour. It's one I will observe in the future.
We were a mixed lot of cyclists gathering under an overcast sky that morning. One serious roadie and ultracyclist - Dan, one commuter and ultracyclist who rode the same hybrid he used to log 206 miles in the MS PA Dutch Tour three weeks ago - Tim, a roadie on the mend looking for a slower group to ride with - Karen, and the Neils on Wheels Bike Touring Team - I on my new "flat bar road bike", and Neil F. on his converted 20 year old mountain bike. Other than our group start, little served to link us. One common thread is that Dan and I were wearing pink and black Fat Cyclist jerseys and socks, in honor of the Fat Cyclist Elden Nelson and his wife Susan. Both Nelson and his wife were in Leadville, he racing, she crewing in spite of the fatigue and nausea brought on by chemotherapy. Elden and Susan have had to face hills Dan and I haven't, so it seemed right we show a little public support.
The Dog Daze was the first public display of my new bike. Two days before the ride I had taken possession of a 2008 Trek 7.5 fx in a cherry red with white lettering. White bottle cages added a touch of 'bling' to my then unnamed ride. Aside from loops in Bikesport's parking lot, and a ten mile shakedown ride in Kimberton, this would be the first test of the new bike - and the new narrow saddle.
We started off at 8:30 AM, Dan and Karen in the lead, Tim following close behind, and Neil F. next. I somehow or other made a wrong turn out of the parking lot, so once I got on track I was already the trailing bike. But not for long, as I discovered I could MOVE on these wheels. Putting 1600 miles and a metric century or two on a heavy Trek Navigator paid off for me in increased stamina and strength on lighter bike. I quickly caught up to the others at the first stop sign.
This pattern repeated itself a number of times - I falling behind, then catching up when I really put my all into pedaling. I was fortunate that the three faster riders were all taking it easy - Karen and Tim because of injury, Dan because this was a light day in his training for LOTOJA. Because of this, and because we were all slowed by hills, I was able to ride with the group and observe points of technique - Tim's Ergon bar ends in use, or Dan's aero tuck. This latter item was amusing to observe; it's not every day you see a 250 pound powerlifter go into an aero position. He looked like a big pink and black cannonball on a Cannondale.
One topic of conversation on the ride was the name of my bike. Variations on the words "red", "spark", "rocket", etc were suggested. The repeated r sounds triggered a literary reference in my head. I recalled a book I had just read - Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead. The protagonist of the novel is Howard Roark, an uncompromising architect. Since, like Roark, I push myself to do things the world says I can't do - lose 143 pounds through better eating and exercise, learn to ride a bike at age 40, ride seriously despite obesity and structural problems - the name fit. And Rand's hero has red hair. So I named my bike Roark.
By mile ten I and Neil F. had, perhaps rightly, taken our usual positions at the back. I found myself having to walk my first hill when I had to stop suddenly on an incline in a high gear. Having a Jamaican truck driver in the opposite lane stop and shout encouragement at me didn't help. "You can do it, mon! You want a push?" I said no, hopped off the bike, and hiked it. Neil F. had made it halfway up the hill before he to was reduced to the "walk of shame."
By then I was relishing the time off the saddle. My butt was sore and my hands were numb. Better than if my hands were sore and my butt numb, but still not good. Hills were a good excuse to get off the bike, so I walked more hills than I perhaps needed to. Not every one, but some of them. Neil F. was having more problems with hills than I was, despite his mountain bike, so I gradually increased my lead over him to about three minutes by the time of the first rest stop. My climbing Hephzibah Hill on two wheels instead of two legs helped. That was a killer.
At the first rest stop I had a few "odd quirks and remnants of wit broken on me" by my companions. I was repeatedly asked if I approved of the road markings; I guess since I publicly criticized a ride earlier this summer I was now an expert. (The markings at the Dog Daze were very clear, and I don't know of a single cyclist who got lost from them.) When I arrived ahead of the Other Neil, I was told "I can't believe you would drop someone." Neil F. and I agreed ahead of time that we didn't need to ride together, so neither of us considered my lead a case of dropping.
Off we went again, and this time I hung with the lead group for a couple of miles. However, I'm still new to cycling, and to exercise in general. A man can lose 143 pounds and still not be fit, and I fit that description. So after 25 miles of riding, my speed dropped, and I fell behind with my fellow Neil. I began to build up a small lead over him, however, and I pulled into the second rest stop again about 2-3 minutes ahead of him.
That rest stop wasn't a mile too soon, because my back had begun to bother me about mile 30. The bike wasn't the only thing new; the riding position was unfamiliar to me as well. I tried to straighten my crooked and hunched back as I rode and the pain went away. Good posture is something I need to learn if I am going to ride a road bike.
Speaking of backs and bikes, on one of the hills climbs Neil pointed out to me the shoulders of a rider who had passed us. "I don't think you're the only guy with scoliosis here." I thought about trying to catch the fellow and strike up a conversation, but how does one bring up the subject of spinal problems to a stranger? "Hey, what degree is your curvature?" Besides, I feared it would turn into a typical male ego contest - "my elevated shoulder is higher than yours!"
Neil F. once noted that he's faster than me, but I have greater strength and endurance. So it proved for much of the ride. Neil and I would alternately drop one another - he would pass me on the flats, and I would pass him going uphill. At one point after the second rest stop I was about five minutes ahead of Neil, but he caught up to me. Despite my riding a road bike and Neil riding a mountain bike, our speeds were very close, and in fact we finished the final four or so miles together. Our time was about five hours for the 50 miles, including rest stops, with more than 4500 feet of climbing. A hearty lunch with my friends afterward rounded out the day. Brandywine provided great markings, a good cue sheet, SAG support, well-stocked and manned rest stops, and lunch. If I could credit them with the great weather, I would do so as well. It was a wonderful ride for all, and I look forward to cycling it next year.
My account should end here, but there's a problem that happened on the ride I didn't notice until later. I apparently didn't drink enough while riding, because I had severe leg cramps about two hours after the ride. They went away after I walked around for a few minutes and drank an entire water bottle. The rule of thumb is one water bottle every hour. It's one I will observe in the future.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
MS 150 update
Thanks to some generous contributions, I am now 36 dollars off my 1001 buck goal:
Current fundraising 840.
Matching contribution from team sponsor 125
= 965
I know of one person at my gym who has said he'll contribute 25 dollars. If he follows through, that's 11 dollars to reach goal. Anyone else? The link is at the top of the page.
Current fundraising 840.
Matching contribution from team sponsor 125
= 965
I know of one person at my gym who has said he'll contribute 25 dollars. If he follows through, that's 11 dollars to reach goal. Anyone else? The link is at the top of the page.
My Century Training
I have six weeks to get myself in shape for the MS City to Shore. I'm riding the century route on the first day. It would have been better for me to have more than six weeks to train, but my car accident and subsequent delay in getting my road bike altered my plans. So here is my training schedule, adapted from a number of online century planning guides. The local terrain is hilly. All riding will be done on Roark the road bike, with the exception of commuting to work, when I will ride Excelsior.
Week ending August 19:
Sat - 20 mile ride, Lancaster
Sun - Lancaster Covered Bridges Metric Century
Week ending August 26.:
Monday - off
Tuesday - 15 mile local ride
Wednesday - 15 mile local ride
Thursday - 35 miles bike commute to work
Friday - off
Saturday - 75 mile ride
Sunday - 10 mile local ride
Week ending September 2:
Monday - off
Tuesday - 15 mile local ride
Wednesday - 16 mile local ride
Thursday - 35 mile bike commute
Friday - off
Saturday - 80 mile ride
Sunday - 10 mile local ride
Week ending September 9:
Monday - 35 mile bike commute
Tuesday - off
Wednesday - 16 mile local ride
Thursday - 35 mile bike commute
Friday - off
Saturday - 80 mile local ride
Sunday - 10 mile local ride
Week ending September 16
Monday - off
Tuesday - 20 mile local ride
Wednesday - 25 mile local ride
Thursday - 35 mile bike commute
Friday - off
Saturday - 103 mile ride - Jeffersonville, PA to Hawthorne, NJ.
Sunday - 8 mile local ride
Week ending September 23
Monday - off
Tuesday - 20 mile local ride
Wednesday - 25 mile local ride
Thursday - 35 mile bike commute
Friday - off
Saturday - 80 mile local ride
Sunday - 10 mile local ride
Week ending September 30
Monday - off
Tuesday - 35 mile bike commute
Wednesday - 20 mile local ride
Thursday - off
Friday - off
Saturday - MS City to Shore, 104 miles.
Week ending August 19:
Sat - 20 mile ride, Lancaster
Sun - Lancaster Covered Bridges Metric Century
Week ending August 26.:
Monday - off
Tuesday - 15 mile local ride
Wednesday - 15 mile local ride
Thursday - 35 miles bike commute to work
Friday - off
Saturday - 75 mile ride
Sunday - 10 mile local ride
Week ending September 2:
Monday - off
Tuesday - 15 mile local ride
Wednesday - 16 mile local ride
Thursday - 35 mile bike commute
Friday - off
Saturday - 80 mile ride
Sunday - 10 mile local ride
Week ending September 9:
Monday - 35 mile bike commute
Tuesday - off
Wednesday - 16 mile local ride
Thursday - 35 mile bike commute
Friday - off
Saturday - 80 mile local ride
Sunday - 10 mile local ride
Week ending September 16
Monday - off
Tuesday - 20 mile local ride
Wednesday - 25 mile local ride
Thursday - 35 mile bike commute
Friday - off
Saturday - 103 mile ride - Jeffersonville, PA to Hawthorne, NJ.
Sunday - 8 mile local ride
Week ending September 23
Monday - off
Tuesday - 20 mile local ride
Wednesday - 25 mile local ride
Thursday - 35 mile bike commute
Friday - off
Saturday - 80 mile local ride
Sunday - 10 mile local ride
Week ending September 30
Monday - off
Tuesday - 35 mile bike commute
Wednesday - 20 mile local ride
Thursday - off
Friday - off
Saturday - MS City to Shore, 104 miles.
Ride Report, August 16, 2007
About four miles today. I tried to ride despite my headcold. I made it halfway up a local hill and realized I was running out of breath. Not legs, breath - I didn't have the lung capacity. Combined with the sprinkles of rain that fell and the fact I can't get the bike computer set properly, I decided to call it a day.
Later, I went to work, continued to feel ill, and left early. I've just woken up from a brief drugged sleep. I can't tell if my fever is broken or not.
None of this bodes well for the 20 mile Bike Forums social ride on Saturday, or the Lancaster Covered Bridges Metric Century on Sunday. I have until Saturday at noon to decided if I am cycling in the social ride, and Sunday morning for the Metric. Neil F. and Brian, another Bike Forums poster, are spending the weekend with me. It would be a shame to have them out and not ride with them.
Later, I went to work, continued to feel ill, and left early. I've just woken up from a brief drugged sleep. I can't tell if my fever is broken or not.
None of this bodes well for the 20 mile Bike Forums social ride on Saturday, or the Lancaster Covered Bridges Metric Century on Sunday. I have until Saturday at noon to decided if I am cycling in the social ride, and Sunday morning for the Metric. Neil F. and Brian, another Bike Forums poster, are spending the weekend with me. It would be a shame to have them out and not ride with them.
Politics
Politics remains one of the great spectator sports, right up there with visiting the insane asylum and poking the residents through the bars with sticks. Here's Representative Patrick McHenry of North Carolina's 10th Congressional District frothing about the $20.00 a month bike commuter tax credit in the recent energy bill passed by Congress. He should calm down and go for a bike ride.
"A major component of the Democrats' energy legislation and the Democrats' answer to our energy crisis is, hold on, wait one minute, wait one minute, it is promoting the use of the bicycle.
Oh, I cannot make this stuff up. Yes, the American people have heard this. Their answer to our fuel crisis, the crisis at the pumps, is: Ride a bike.
Democrats believe that using taxpayer funds in this bill to the tune of $1 million a year should be devoted to the principle of: "Save energy, ride a bike.'' Some might argue that depending on bicycles to solve our energy crisis is naive, perhaps ridiculous. Some might even say Congress should use this energy legislation to create new energy, bring new nuclear power plants on line, use clean coal technology, energy exploration, but no, no. They want to tell the American people, stop driving, ride a bike. This is absolutely amazing.Apparently, the Democrats believe that the miracle on two wheels that we know as a bicycle will end our dependence on foreign oil. I cannot make this stuff up. It is absolutely amazing.
Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you the Democrats, promoting 19th century solutions to 21st century problems. If you don't like it, ride a bike. If you don't like the price at the pumps, ride a bike.
Stay tuned for the next big idea for the Democrats: Improving energy efficiency by the horse and buggy."
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Dizzy - Ride Report, August 14, 2007
5 miles. I felt dizzy during the ride and cut it short. I seem to be coming down with an office bug. No riding today. I need to conserve my strength for the Lancaster rides this weekend.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Uncadan on Dog Daze
Uncadan has posted his account of the Brandywine Bicycle Club Dog Daze Century. His Garmin data gives the climbing as 4500 feet, not the 2700 Bikely's map provides. I'm more inclined - pun intentional - to trust the Garmin figures, not the Bikely elevations.
We quote from Uncadan's post:
"The Historian was sporting his brand new Trek in a beautiful deep shade of red (the bike is red, not the Historian), complete with carbon forks and spiffy white Bontrager bottle cages. I even got to touch it, and didn't lose a finger in the process, although I came close. He has christened the new ride with the name of Roark. A fitting name for the bike, as the bike is a fitting steed for the Historian. May you ride with the wind at your back for endless miles of joy, Historian!
"We started out and stayed together pretty well for the first ten to twelve miles, but then the hills started to break up the pack. If you look at the elevation chart for this ride, you will see that there were few, if any, flat stretches. This was familiar to me, as Chalfont and Bucks County are much the same as the Brandywine Valley area. The Brandywine area may have packed the hills together a little more tightly, though, since I felt like there was really no reprieve from climbing, aside from descending. At least in the Bucks County area, you can find a few flats. So this ride was pretty challenging for any level rider. In fact, some riders were getting SAGged back to the start after less than ten miles. Which was a shame, since the scenery was absolutely beautiful throughout most of the ride."
We quote from Uncadan's post:
"The Historian was sporting his brand new Trek in a beautiful deep shade of red (the bike is red, not the Historian), complete with carbon forks and spiffy white Bontrager bottle cages. I even got to touch it, and didn't lose a finger in the process, although I came close. He has christened the new ride with the name of Roark. A fitting name for the bike, as the bike is a fitting steed for the Historian. May you ride with the wind at your back for endless miles of joy, Historian!
"We started out and stayed together pretty well for the first ten to twelve miles, but then the hills started to break up the pack. If you look at the elevation chart for this ride, you will see that there were few, if any, flat stretches. This was familiar to me, as Chalfont and Bucks County are much the same as the Brandywine Valley area. The Brandywine area may have packed the hills together a little more tightly, though, since I felt like there was really no reprieve from climbing, aside from descending. At least in the Bucks County area, you can find a few flats. So this ride was pretty challenging for any level rider. In fact, some riders were getting SAGged back to the start after less than ten miles. Which was a shame, since the scenery was absolutely beautiful throughout most of the ride."
Bicycle Tragedy in Kansas City
Thanks to Noah at KC Bike Commuting for the link to this story of two MS 150 riders killed by "driver inattention."
"Why is it that Larry died at the scene and Sierra was injured so badly that she was taken off life support the next day?
"Why is it that Larry died at the scene and Sierra was injured so badly that she was taken off life support the next day?
"These are questions that Grandview police are trying to answer.
"At the station yesterday after viewing the accident scene, I was told the report was still unavailable. So far no charges have been filed.
"All we know is that authorities have ruled out alcohol as a factor. And that the focus is on “driver inattention” as the possible cause of the accident.
"In other words, the person behind the wheel simply didn’t notice two bicyclists until it was too late.
"That’s the part that causes cyclists to shudder."
Monday, August 13, 2007
Wal-carbon fiber
Pinch Flat News informs us that Wal-mart is now selling carbon fiber road bikes:
http://www.pinchflatnews.com/2007/08/wal-mart-of-bike-shops-is-wal-mart.html
Here's the ad copy and specs for the Wal-carbon bike. It's worth noting that the Beast of Bentonville lists the bike under the category "toys", it comes in three unidentified sizes, and the bike was "assembled by skilled Italian mechanics" so it could be ridden "right out of the box." Nothing about having a skilled mechanic available to check the bike or give a proper fitting. Or for follow up service afterwards. Stay tuned for news of the first lawsuit, to take place shortly after a Wal-mart shopper crashes because he crashed once and rode again thinking the carbon fiber "looked OK."
*******
The Corsa FC carbon fiber road bike is built with a high quality Shimano Ultegra drivetrain and Shimano 105, ITM, Ritchey,and Sella Italia components. Carbon fiber absorbs road vibrations providing a smooth floating ride. At the same time, carbon fiber is a rigid material that maximizes the transfer of power from your pedaling to the wheels. This bike was assembled by the hands of skilled Italian mechanics to be tuned up and ready to ride right out of the box. We worked directly with the factory in Italy to offer you a premium ride at everyday low prices. Minimal assembly is required for this premium bicycle. Corsa FC Road Racing Bike:
|
| Speeds: | Ultegra Shifters |
| Frame: | Carbon Fiber Frame |
| Brake type: | 105 Brakes |
| Bike Type: | Road Bike |
| Shipping Weight (in pounds): |
Possible Fit Problems With The New Bike
I've had some pain every single time I've ridden a bike. Roark is no exception. Here's a brief list of my physical problems on the new bike:
- Mile five. My hands began to go numb. This has happened on every bike I've ridden, despite the use of padded gloves. I keep the handlebars in a death grip far too often. As my sense of balance improves, this problem should lessen.
- Mile ten. My sore left knee made its presence known. I'm not riding clipless now, so I shifted my foot angle and the pain went away. And whenever it came up during the rest of the ride, I shifted my foot again.
- Mile thirty. My back, and specifically my upper right shoulderblade, began to be sore about this point of the ride. I got off the bike and stretched, and tried to keep a flat back during the rest of the ride. Straightening my back seemed to help at times, and at times it moved the pain lower down my crooked spine. I'm not sure if this is a fit issue, a getting used to the bike issue, or a scoliosis problem. It's possibly all three. Stretching and my scoliosis exercises should help me deal with the aggressive riding posture.
- Every mile. The saddle is a pain in the -, well, you get the idea.
Let's see what problems arise on the Lancaster Covered Bridges Metric Century this Sunday before I take the bike back to the shop.
- Mile five. My hands began to go numb. This has happened on every bike I've ridden, despite the use of padded gloves. I keep the handlebars in a death grip far too often. As my sense of balance improves, this problem should lessen.
- Mile ten. My sore left knee made its presence known. I'm not riding clipless now, so I shifted my foot angle and the pain went away. And whenever it came up during the rest of the ride, I shifted my foot again.
- Mile thirty. My back, and specifically my upper right shoulderblade, began to be sore about this point of the ride. I got off the bike and stretched, and tried to keep a flat back during the rest of the ride. Straightening my back seemed to help at times, and at times it moved the pain lower down my crooked spine. I'm not sure if this is a fit issue, a getting used to the bike issue, or a scoliosis problem. It's possibly all three. Stretching and my scoliosis exercises should help me deal with the aggressive riding posture.
- Every mile. The saddle is a pain in the -, well, you get the idea.
Let's see what problems arise on the Lancaster Covered Bridges Metric Century this Sunday before I take the bike back to the shop.
Cramps
I suffered painful cramps in my calves and thighs about an hour and a half after the 50 mile ride on Saturday. Neil F. pulled over and I got out of the car to stand up and stretch my legs. I also drained a full water bottle in about 15 seconds. After walking a minute or two and drinking they stopped, and I wasn't bothered again with them.
Now what I need to do is determine what caused them, and not have it happen again. The leading suspect is hydration, or lack thereof. I thought I was properly hydrated during the ride. I drank about two bottles of water and diluted Gatorade while on the road or at rest stops. I also had water prior to riding, and both water and apple juice afterwards. During the car trip back I drank another bottle of water and an half-bottle of diluted Gatorade about 45 minutes before the cramps hit.
Another possibility is overuse. I was riding a new bike in a more aggressive position than I normally maintain. While I didn't have major problems during the ride, I could feel the muscles stretching. While the cramps hit in both legs, they were more severe in the left one, which is the shorter of the two due to a shortened hamstring. So to guard against this happening again, I will need to work on stretching and hydration for the Lancaster Covered Bridges ride this Sunday.
Now what I need to do is determine what caused them, and not have it happen again. The leading suspect is hydration, or lack thereof. I thought I was properly hydrated during the ride. I drank about two bottles of water and diluted Gatorade while on the road or at rest stops. I also had water prior to riding, and both water and apple juice afterwards. During the car trip back I drank another bottle of water and an half-bottle of diluted Gatorade about 45 minutes before the cramps hit.
Another possibility is overuse. I was riding a new bike in a more aggressive position than I normally maintain. While I didn't have major problems during the ride, I could feel the muscles stretching. While the cramps hit in both legs, they were more severe in the left one, which is the shorter of the two due to a shortened hamstring. So to guard against this happening again, I will need to work on stretching and hydration for the Lancaster Covered Bridges ride this Sunday.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Ride Report, August 11, 2007 - Brandywine Bicycle Club Dog Daze Century
The Neils on Wheels Bike Touring Team took on the 50 mile option at the Brandywine Bicycle Club's Dog Daze Century, held outside of West Chester, in rural Chester County. Check out that elevation profile! More than 2700 feet of climbing!
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path...-Daze-50-miles
Neil F. once noted that he's faster than me, but I have greater strength and endurance. So it proved for much of the ride. Neil and I would alternately drop one another - he would pass me on the flats, and I would pass him going uphill. At one point I was about five minutes ahead of Neil, but he caught up to me. Despite my riding a road bike and Neil riding a mountain bike, our speeds were very close, and in fact we finished the final four or so miles together.
Our friends "Henry" and "Uncadan" also rode with the Neils on Wheels team. At least until they dropped us.
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path...-Daze-50-miles
Neil F. once noted that he's faster than me, but I have greater strength and endurance. So it proved for much of the ride. Neil and I would alternately drop one another - he would pass me on the flats, and I would pass him going uphill. At one point I was about five minutes ahead of Neil, but he caught up to me. Despite my riding a road bike and Neil riding a mountain bike, our speeds were very close, and in fact we finished the final four or so miles together.
Our friends "Henry" and "Uncadan" also rode with the Neils on Wheels team. At least until they dropped us.
The Brave Bike Commuter
Dan Schueller, the cyclist-hero of the Minneapolis bridge collapse, has written an account of what turned out to be an out of the ordinary bike commute. His story appeared on a webpage at the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. What's striking about Schueller's tale is the matter of factness of his actions. He had a job to do - get people off the bridge, and so he did it without fear for his safety. It's hard to find a better definition of heroism.
“I can safely say that last night’s bike commute home from work was a disaster. I took my usual route from downtown St. Paul to Brooklyn Center which takes me all the way up the West River Road from Fort Snelling. I was under the 10th street bridge climbing the hill on the bike path when I heard a crunching noise. I had my headphones on so this wasn’t too loud. Then I looked up and saw a cloud of white dust. It looked like a mist of water and I thought the St. Anthony dam just broke. Then I tasted cement and saw the path just ahead of me covered in rubble. So I thought part of the bridge must have broke (because I couldn’t see the whole bridge through the dust) and my first thought was “boy I’m glad I wasn’t 20 seconds faster today”.I turned off my headphones and it was silent except for an eerie sound (that reminded me of a horror movie) of many people moaning and crying. I leaned my bike against a tree, walked closer and saw all the cars and damage. Because of the groaning and moaning I knew I had to climb up onto the roadbed to see if I could help anyone. I’m pretty sure I was one of the first people on the scene and I didn’t really worry about the road breaking further; I had a helmet on which I wasn’t about to take off.So I first went to where a black car was bridged across the crack with another car on top of it that had three people in it. I told them they needed to get out and the woman passenger said she thought they were on top of another car and that she was too scared to get out and just wanted to hold my hand. I told her that they were on the car but that it was wedged in pretty good and didn’t look like it would budge if they tried to get out. After holding her hand for a short time I left downslope to one of the other cars with people still in them. These cars were parked on a pretty steep slope that made it quite slippery (at least I was wearing my mountain bike shoes and not my road bike shoes). Most of the people in these cars were speechless and in shock (none were hysterical) so I just calmly told them there was a route off the bridge because I just came on that way, and that I’d walk with them over there. This seemed to help convince them to get out of their cars, so I did this with four or five people. One woman was on her cell and she said something to the effect of “I’m telling you it collapsed and I’m still stuck on it.” Another woman had high heels on and she was slipping badly until I held on to her waist while she took them off. There was a steep piece of cement they had to climb down to get onto the bank so I suggested they do a crabwalk down it, and that seemed to work but some had more difficulty than others. The scariest thing then happened when I put my foot on a large broken piece of cement while helping a large woman into her crablike stance. The cement piece broke loose and slid down towards another woman who was almost to the bank. My heart about stopped watching it slide towards her but luckily it missed by about three feet.While helping the last few people, a large pickup truck broke loose and slid down the upper bank of cement and exploded when it went into the crack. The black smoke made it more difficult but luckily there was only one last person on that section of road, a man with an injured hand who I think was in the red car at the very bottom. He walked off just as the first rescue help arrived. A rescue worker yelled that everyone should get off the bridge and I thought “hey, good idea.”I told him that this man with the hurt hand was the last one off this section and I then retreated into the crowd now forming along the River Road. I noticed that it was about 6:25 so I figure it took about 15 minutes to help get those eight to ten people off that section."
Meet Roark, the new bike
After long thought, I have decided on a name for my new bike. Since I happen to be reading Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead, I was struck by the large number of coincidences between the author's protagonist Howard Roark and my bicycle. So the new bike is henceforth named "Roark."
For a start, Roark is an architect, and my Trek 7.5 fx is all about design. Howard Roark was hard on badly designed structures, and I'm sure my bike will be very hard on my structural problems. Roark's perfectionist streak outstrips my own, but they are close enough I can compare them - I've deleted posts and articles that didn't meet my standards, and won't write for certain publications that take liberties with my work; Roark blew up a building that had changes made to the drawings without his approval.
But there's a deeper reason behind the name. It comes out in the following exchange early in the novel. Roark is being expelled from an architectural training school for his refusal to blindly copy past styles and models. He's arguing with the Dean over the poor design of the Parthenon:
"Shall I tell you what's wrong with it?"
"It's the Parthenon!"
"Yes, God damn it, the Parthenon!... Look... the famous flutings on the famous columns - what are they there for? To hide the joints in wood - when columns were made of wood, only these aren't, they're marble. The triglyphs, what are they? Wood. Wooden beams, the way they had to be laid when people began to build wooden shacks. Your Greeks took marble and they made copies of their wooden structures out of it, because others had done it that way. Then your masters of the Renaissance came along and made copies in plaster of copies in marble of copies in wood. Now here we are, making copies in steel and concrete of copies in plaster of copies in marble of copies of wood. Why?... The Parthenon did not serve the same purpose as its wooden ancestor. An airline terminal does not serve the same purpose as the Parthenon. Every form has its own meaning. Every man creates his meaning and form and goal. Why is it so important - what others have done? Why does it become sacred by the mere fact of not being your own? Why is anyone and everyone right - so long as it's not yourself? Why does the number of those others take the place of truth? Why is truth made a mere matter of arithmetic - and only of addition at that? Why is everything twisted out of all sense to fit everything else? There must be some reason. I don't know. I've never known it. I'd like to understand."
I can't be like other cyclists for physical reasons. I'm a Clydesdale, one with a spinal curvature, knocked knees, and uneven legs. So on the bike I must create my own meaning, form, and goals. I can't accept that something will "work" for me in cycling because it's worked for others. Nor do I want what other cyclists are content to achieve. So under the circumstances, I couldn't think of a better name for my new bike.
Ride Report, August 12, 2007
A breakfast run with Neil Fein to Dunkin Donuts and back. 4 miles, fastest time was 25 MPH in a sprint on a false flat. This was a recovery ride from yeterday's 50 mile West Chester ride, and while everything that moved on me was sore, it also functioned as it should. No more riding today, however, and no riding tomorrow.
More on Bike Theft
The Daily Pedal has an interesting article on bike locks and their effectiveness in preventing theft. A U-lock has moved up a notch or three on my list of purchases since I read it.
MS Fundraising Update
An update on the 1000 dollar fundraising goal for the MS 150 ride:
I've currently raised 730 dollars towards my $1000.00 goal. With an expected contribution from the team sponsor of 125 dollars, that puts me at 855. I have been promised another 35 dollars in contributions; if they come to pass, that will put us knocking on the door of 900. Come on folks, you have been great so far. Please help me reach my goal. If every person who reads this blog.... well, you know the rest. The link to my MS fundraising page is at the top of this blog.
I've currently raised 730 dollars towards my $1000.00 goal. With an expected contribution from the team sponsor of 125 dollars, that puts me at 855. I have been promised another 35 dollars in contributions; if they come to pass, that will put us knocking on the door of 900. Come on folks, you have been great so far. Please help me reach my goal. If every person who reads this blog.... well, you know the rest. The link to my MS fundraising page is at the top of this blog.
Ride Report, August 10, 2007
I rode the new bike ten miles on a local loop. Bikely states there was 403 feet of climbing in the decade, and I believe it. Average speed was 11.67 MPH. It would have been faster, but I lost time walking part of the hill on Lucas Road and walking across the flooded area on Mill Creek Road. Anyway, this ride wasn't about setting a speed record, but getting used to the bike.
The bike handles well. I had no fit problems that I could tell. There was a slight soreness in my left knee, but that could be a leftover from my still-unresolved cleat issue. The narrow saddle is going to take some getting used to, but I WILL get used to it.
The bike handles well. I had no fit problems that I could tell. There was a slight soreness in my left knee, but that could be a leftover from my still-unresolved cleat issue. The narrow saddle is going to take some getting used to, but I WILL get used to it.
Test Riding the New Bike
Thursday I rode about 1.5 miles on the new bike in Bikesport's parking lot. It handles very well, and more importantly, I handle it very well. Greg suggested I get some riding in this weekend before we work on a full fit, because "if there's a problem, you'll let us know about it." Darn right!
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