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A Chill Ride

Chill Ride A “chill” ride comparatively speaking, that is. I was a bit nervous about going for a ride today, because last night the forecast said there was a 90% chance of rain and T-storms. In fact, as I was setting out, I saw a huge, black cloud off in a southerly direction. I decided to chance it, but keep it rather short; partly because I didn’t know what the weather might do; and partly because when I’ve done less riding than usual for a week, it’s probably better not to push for 40-50 miles. I ran into some light sprinkle here and there; but no real rain. Then I got to my turnaround point. Two other riders came along, and we chatted for a bit. Naturally we got to talking about the weather, and one of them got out his iPhone (SmartPhone?) to check it. He announced that it was 77 degrees. That’s a lot cooler than it has been. My comment was, “We’re gonna freeze!” I guess the overcast is keeping temperatures down. I also mentioned that I rather wish I could do RAGBRAI. “What’s that?” So I told him a bit about it. On the way out, I averaged 15.44 mph; very good for me. Going back home, I “chilled”, i.e. rode at a more leisurely pace; about 12.6 mph. But for a local collegiate racing team, a “chill” ride is about 18 mph. For me that’s still a hard effort!

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Serotta

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Listen to avid cyclists discussing bike fit, and you may hear \”Serotta\”. All this chatter about bicycle fit sounds a bit like dressmaking/tailoring. Actually, I suppose it is. Sewing is about making a garment to fit the intended wearer properly. A bicycle fit is about getting a bicycle to fit the rider just right. The more you ride, the more important this is, even if you\’re \”only\” a recreational rider. Serotta is one of the oldest fitting systems. To quote Wikipedia: \”The Serotta Fit School, started in 1998, trains retailers, coaches and clinicians in a system that incorporates the rider\’s life, goals, fitness, body, flexibility, motion, experience, injuries, surgeries and physical concerns.\” That sounds pretty comprehensive. Serotta is another of the bike-fit systems discussed in Cutting-Edge Cycling (see p. 160). If I had the funding, and the free time, it might be interesting to try out all the different bicycle fitting systems on my road bike. I notice that all the systems mentioned in Cutting-Edge Cycling mention cleat placement. With my new saddle, I find that I\’m tugging at the pedals so that I\’ve got \”clickety-cleats\”. Do my cleats need to be moved? I guess I\’ll ask the guys at my regular bike shop. My budget can\’t take another fitting just now.

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Aren\’t We Masochistic?

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Are we cyclists masochistic? It might seem like it. Avid cyclists speak of the sufferfest. Pros, and aspiring pros, talk about learning how to love pain. I\’ve done my share (and then some) of complaining that my overall cruising speed does\’t seem to be increasing. There are numerous training plans out there; why don\’t I just pick one and use it? I tried that a couple of years ago, and only seemed to get slower. The plan specified X amount of time in certain heart rate Zones on certain days; HR Zone 2, or whatever. For me, Zone 2 is quite slow unless I\’m in a very hard gear and pedaling very slowly. Yes, I can make 15 mph that way, but such riding wears out my legs too fast; and I know from my reading that it also burns up the body\’s glycogen stores too quickly. Oh, please. Bonk, bonk, stay away! (Carry some GU-Gels if you try that method of pedaling). As an older rider, I also need to be especially careful to guard against injury. Even after almost 10 years\’ total pedaling, I\’m still worried that riding hard before I go to work will wear me out too much. It might help if I had a couple of hours between dragging myself out of bed and climbing aboard the bicycle. I don\’t have that luxury; some days, only 15-20 minutes elapse between rising and riding. Hard efforts are hard enough when you actually feel awake! There I go again with the pity-party. I guess I\’m not enough of a masochist.

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Wondering Why?

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In case \”outsiders\” are wondering why we cyclists do what we do, I hope this blog can provide some clarification. It seems that we cyclists are, indeed, puzzling to non-cyclists. Why do we wear lycra? What\’s with shoes that attach to the pedals, and why are such pedal/shoe systems called \”clipless\”? Why do we ride, anyway? And how about people who race bicycles? What\’s that all about? As far as racing goes, this might help clarify the matter. I think you might want to avoid these tricks, which seem quite unsporting to me. (Actually, I think that this YouTube is meant in a tongue-in-cheek manner). Lycra? If you want to do long rides, form-fitting shorts are going to be far more comfortable than regular shorts with undies. Add the desire for speed, and wearing clothing that doesn\’t bunch up under you, and doesn\’t flap around, is even more important. \”Clipless\” pedal/shoe systems don\’t have the straps, i.e. clips, that earlier systems did. Hence \”clipless\” systems. Why do we ride? There are myriad answers to that one. Fitness. Transportation. Helping the environment. Saving money over owning a car. Competition. Touring. Weight loss. Health. Fun! For non-cyclists, in case you\’re wondering why, get a bicycle! Start riding! You\’ll soon solve the puzzle!

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Cyclists\’ Greetings

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Cyclists’ Greetings Who wants a greeting like this one? Cyclists’ greetings are a part of the two-wheeled life; just as “Hello” and “Good morning”, perhaps with a cup of coffee, are part and parcel of civilian life. We certainly don’t want to be greeted by a sign like this one when we’re out for a ride! What’ve they got against cycling, anyway? But there are other greetings amongst us riders. Celebrate cycling? We do that every time we ride, don’t we? Although I must admit that I don’t feel in a celebratory mood on a cold, windy, wet day. Not while I’m out on the bike, anyway. When I finally get home; and can get warm and dry; then I can feel good about having gone for a ride despite the nasty conditions. If we cyclists stopped; dismounted; and went into back-slapping embraces every time we saw each other, we wouldn’t get much riding done, would we? I think we can tone it down a little, right? A brief hi, or nod, or wave, goes a long way. I typically do a “finger wave”, without actually taking a hand off the bars. I see other riders doing the same thing. That is, when it’s a question of a rider approaching from the opposite direction. When I’m overtaking another cyclist, it’s typically all business; the on-your-left thing. Unlike “Seasons’ Greetings”, cyclists’ greetings don’t have a “season”. That’s especially true for those of us who can ride year round. So give a finger wave. Holler Good Morning! Cyclists’ greetings are always good!

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Use It Up?

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\”Use It Up! Wear It Out! Make It Do! Do Without!\” was my mother\’s school. She was also very frugal, and saved just about everything. As result, I often have a hard time getting rid of things. A couple of months ago, I replaced one of my pairs of cycling shoes with a new pair, to see whether it would help with the tendonitis in my foot. The old shoes didn\’t really seem all that worn to me, and I thought that maybe I could get further use out of them. First I put in the original insoles from the new cycling shoes. I managed to get the cleats off of the old pair of shoes, and first tried wearing them for rides on the hybrid; going to the salvage store, for example. That worked well enough. Then I tried wearing them during the day for one day, and that didn\’t go as well. That morning I wore the cleat-less cycling shoes and rode the hybrid to work, but didn\’t change out of the cycling shoes. By the end of the day, the problems with my left foot were starting to flare up. The shoes\’ soles seem to be too rigid for more than absolutely minimal walking. Besides all that, for non-riding purposes, the right one rubs on the big toe\’s bunion joint. So, do I keep those shoes, or not? Keeping them does for a fact make for more clutter. On the other hand, well, Use it up, wear it out…

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Wobble-Naught

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Wobble-Naught is a good watchword for cyclists. I remember reading a story when I was about ten years old. It was about a girl who was having a hard time learning to ride a bicycle. She got cross and showed at her bike, \”Old wobbly wheels!\” Nobody wants to wobble when on a bicycle. Wobbling makes me, for one, feel like I\’m about to land on the ground. And you sure wouldn\’t want to wobble when in this yoga pose atop a cliff! So what\’s this about Wobble-Naught? \”WN\” is one of several bicycle-fit systems discussed in Cutting-Edge Cycling. It\’s a bicycle fit designed to eliminate — you guessed it — wobble, which is inefficient movement. Part of this fit focuses on the length of bones between joints. Another aspect of it is the use of EMG to study the interactions of the muscles during pedaling; and it considers factors affecting pedal stroke, such as the length of the arch. I had no idea pedaling was so complex! Wobble Naught [oh, those pesky \”Not Secure\” notations!] seems quite complex, too. For instance, it takes into account the ratio of thigh length vs calf length. Apparently that does make a difference. I remember reading about a former pro cyclist whose thighs were unusually long in proportion to his calves, which gave him better leverage for speed. I\’ve already had a bicycle fit using another system, so I\’ll let Wobble-Naught go. But the Wobblin Goblin sure could have used it!

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OK! I Know!

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OK, I know. You don\’t have to tell me! We might want to emulate the pro cyclists. But should we really? Maybe not. Here are some things that pros do that we ought not do. (But you don\’t have to yell in my ear!) First, \”slamming\” the stem sounds like beating up on the poor bicycle. And I certainly don\’t want to try to ride with my head way down in a super-aero position. It might well make me dizzy, which does not mix well with cycling. Secondly, I don\’t live anywhere near the mountains, so cycling in the mountains in bad weather doesn\’t apply to me. I do have the problem of whether to ride when it\’s pouring like crazy, especially if it\’s also cold. That\’s even before taking wind into account. I say it doesn\’t hurt to learn to ride in adverse weather, because if you\’re preparing for an event, you don\’t know what event day might throw at you. But riding in sleet? Where I live, a little sleet shuts down the entire city. Number three: I\’ve seen pics of pro racers riding on the top tube. Safety concerns aside, that doesn\’t look comfortable to me; and if such a position means you\’re less in control, I think I\’ll skip it. I think I\’d have trouble controlling my bicycle if I rode the top-tube on flat ground. Number 4: The aero-bar position even when there are no aero bars? I\’ll keep my hands on the handlebars, thank you very much. Fifth: I wonder how pros can get back on the bike and continue with a race after a crash. If I take a spill, it\’s likely to knock the wind out of me and leave me feeling very shaky. Number 6: — let\’s not get indelicate here! And Number 7: Usually I do really hard work one day a week, and not every week. Every third week I skip the \”force\” work. It sounds like, if you think you\’d like to become a pro cyclist, don\’t be in a hurry to act like one. After all, such things take time. But nobody has to tell me that; I know.

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Sunday Rest

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Now for some Sunday rest! I finally decided to skip riding today. Once in a while I need the break. I didn\’t even get up until 8:20! So far, as of 9:35 am, the weather is clear, so I might have been OK as far as that goes. Who knows, though. Bad weather can come up quickly! Not hustling to get out and ride gave me the opportunity for a leisurely breakfast. I had a few eggs on hand, so I hard-boiled two of them (discarded one of the yolks). With all the scary talk about food-borne illnesses, I want eggs to be thoroughly cooked. Yesterday I took a ride to the salvage store, and of course raided the make-your-own-grab-bag bins. Among the candy bars, single-serving pouches of Combos, and other items, I found two Clif Builder\’s Protein Bars. With the chance to try a new potential ride food for cheap, I grabbed them. This morning I ate one. I like chocolate mint anyway, and these bars taste pretty good. They\’re quite dense, which leaves me with the impression that they ought to be good as sustaining ride food. Now I have some time to put in a bit of extra work on future blogs. No Sunday rest here; nor, in fact, any day\’s rest. A blogger\’s work is never done!

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Ask Hamlet?

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Why ask Hamlet? Because he might know! I guess I\’ll have to time-travel back to medieval Denmark and put this query to the tragic Prince: To ride, or not to ride? The weather outlook for tomorrow isn\’t the greatest. The chance of precipitation is 70%. T-storms are possible from 7 am. It isn\’t expected to get below 80 degrees overnight. At least the wind will be cooperative; 4-8 mph isn\’t bad. So, shall I ride, or shall I stay home? I put Zym in the fridge to chill, so if I do decide to ride I\’ll have it ready. If I don\’t ride, I\’ll drink it anyway. It\’s supposed to be used within 48 hours of being mixed. I usually wait until just before starting the ride to prep ride food, and filling the Camel-Bak. I don\’t want my bits of Clif Bar going stale, nor do I want to discover in the morning that the Camel-Bak leaked all night long. If I ride, what might happen? I might get rained on, which I do not enjoy. If a T-storm catches me, I\’ll be worried about getting struck by lightning. If I don\’t ride, and the weather doesn\’t break bad, I\’ll be frustrated by having missed a ride. But if I stay in, and a major T-storm breaks out, I\’ll be thankful to have remained at home. That\’s quite a toss-up. So let\’s ask Hamlet, and hope that he has a crystal ball.

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