Yesterday was my first "double day" in a long time, well over a year, I'd say. For me, a "double day" is a day in which I have two rides, one road and one mountain. Despite DZ's doubts, I did both, and did pretty well on both. I'm really starting to see real improvements in my riding.
In the morning, BVL stopped by and joined me for a short road ride, covering the same roads that I rode on Wednesday's awesome ride. Unfortunately, conditions weren't quite as nice as they were on Wednesday, with the temperature near 20 degrees cooler and strong winds. Still, we got out and were just taking it easy. It might have been cold and windy, but it was still clear and sunny, so it was great to be out.
We looped out to the river, where we saw icicles hanging down the rock, and headed back up Fleecydale, heading for "the ballbuster" -- Fretz Mill Rd. I led the charge on Fretz Mill, with BVL dropping back, and I stayed in the lead through both of the steeper sections, but ran out of talent just as it was "levelling off" to 6-8% grade. BVL coasted past me, and I climbed the remainder slowly, watching BVL inch away, but -- when I got to the top, I wasn't burnt out and didn't need to stop. I might not have beaten BVL to the top, but I was still really happy with my performance based on my season to this point.
We got back home and started working on the bikes, with DZ joining us to retension his light 29er wheels. After a crazy afternoon of bike love, we packed it all up and headed to Wissahickon with Grace and the MTBs. I was tired from the road ride and bike wrenching, but still rode pretty well. I'm having a recurring issue with my lower back bothering me on these rides, and it got really bad towards the end, but I used my granny gear to full effect, and survived to the end.
According to the GPS, I burned over 3500 calories yesterday, with 1212 feet climbed on the road, and over 1700 feet climbed on the MTB. My average speeds weren't stellar, but they weren't too bad. I'm feeling better about Utah now!
Today we're joining DZ, Ellen, and Lance in Mercer. If I did a road ride this morning, I'd call that a "double double" but I just checked the weather outside and it's 28 degrees. Three rides in one weekend, I think, will be just fine.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
Happy trails, Andrew!
Today, March 28th, marks the last day of work for Andrew Simpson. Andrew is a friend from work, and he's leaving not just TJU, but work -- any work. Starting March 30th, Andrew is going to hike the Appalachian trail, starting at the south end in Georgia, and heading north. He's planning on hiking the whole damned thing, too. From there, he's heading to Asia, to hike in India, Nepal, China... and ultimately wind up in South Korea.
Andrew's a great guy, and we've talked on several occasions about walking away from it all and just living life how you want. I'm really psyched to see that he's actually doing it.
He's got a trail journal that he's started, and plans on updating it throughout his trip, but even if he doesn't do too many updates, the first entry alone is worth a read:
Andrew's Appalachian Trail Journal
Best of luck to you Andrew! I might not miss you much as a coworker, but I'll definitely miss you as a friend.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Redemption, Part Duex
I was supposed to ride the rollers when I got home today. Only a week to go to Utah and I should be getting in SOME saddle time. Well I get home and I'm tired, and not thrilled about riding inside. I consider going out but know there isn't that much daylight left, so I get changed, and come downstairs and air up the tires. I take a look at the rollers, another look at the sunny day outside, and figure ride time outside is more fun anyway, so I throw on a base layer and out the door I go.
First thing I notice on the road is that my acceleration from low speed is easy... surprisingly easy. I find myself using a bigger gear than I normally would. Well, that's good, I figure, I have been hitting the gym and Wednesday is always leg day. For lack of a better idea, I take the old tried and true route out to the river and back, and find myself cruising along very easily in the big ring. Well, sure, it's a little downhill all the way out so no surprise, plus I'm still fresh.
Well, the freshness didn't wear off. I got out to the river, and felt so good, I decided to do Fretz Mill Road, a 3/4 mile stretch with a 20%+ grade just before the middle of the climb. I didn't do it fast, but I did it, and I have to say, with the least effort I have ever exerted on that hill. It wasn't just because I was going slow, mind you... even when I've been riding regularly, I wind up in first gear, cranking over slowly... but now I was doing it without straining. I didn't go faster simply because I didn't FEEL like it. Being able to ride this hill with so little effort was quite the novelty. The 7lbs I've dropped since the winter certainly helped as well.
The Flight Deck computer's battery died, and I forgot to move the Garmin GPS over to the bike, so I have no concrete proof of how fast I went, but I do know that ride, and I do know what gears I ride at what point. (easy since I always ride 53/39 chainrings and a 12-25 cassette) Because of that, I know that I was going as fast, or faster, in several spots, as I would when I've been riding regularly. I also know what 90rpm feels like, and when I'm doing faster than that on the flats in a 53/15 gear, the math says plain and simple that I was turning an easy 25mph. When I click up to the 54/14 and just keep rolling, well, it feels pretty good.
I also know that on a good day, I can get to a 39/14 by the top of Carversville road... and today I shifted to the 39/13 just before the crest.
Now for racers, these numbers aren't fast. But for me, they're plenty respectable, and the really, REALLY encouraging part is that I was turning these numbers without feeling like I was really exerting myself. Considering how little I've ridden up to this point this year, this is VERY promising.
I know the next time I get on a mountain bike will bring me right back down, but right now I feel like a superhero.
First thing I notice on the road is that my acceleration from low speed is easy... surprisingly easy. I find myself using a bigger gear than I normally would. Well, that's good, I figure, I have been hitting the gym and Wednesday is always leg day. For lack of a better idea, I take the old tried and true route out to the river and back, and find myself cruising along very easily in the big ring. Well, sure, it's a little downhill all the way out so no surprise, plus I'm still fresh.
Well, the freshness didn't wear off. I got out to the river, and felt so good, I decided to do Fretz Mill Road, a 3/4 mile stretch with a 20%+ grade just before the middle of the climb. I didn't do it fast, but I did it, and I have to say, with the least effort I have ever exerted on that hill. It wasn't just because I was going slow, mind you... even when I've been riding regularly, I wind up in first gear, cranking over slowly... but now I was doing it without straining. I didn't go faster simply because I didn't FEEL like it. Being able to ride this hill with so little effort was quite the novelty. The 7lbs I've dropped since the winter certainly helped as well.
The Flight Deck computer's battery died, and I forgot to move the Garmin GPS over to the bike, so I have no concrete proof of how fast I went, but I do know that ride, and I do know what gears I ride at what point. (easy since I always ride 53/39 chainrings and a 12-25 cassette) Because of that, I know that I was going as fast, or faster, in several spots, as I would when I've been riding regularly. I also know what 90rpm feels like, and when I'm doing faster than that on the flats in a 53/15 gear, the math says plain and simple that I was turning an easy 25mph. When I click up to the 54/14 and just keep rolling, well, it feels pretty good.
I also know that on a good day, I can get to a 39/14 by the top of Carversville road... and today I shifted to the 39/13 just before the crest.
Now for racers, these numbers aren't fast. But for me, they're plenty respectable, and the really, REALLY encouraging part is that I was turning these numbers without feeling like I was really exerting myself. Considering how little I've ridden up to this point this year, this is VERY promising.
I know the next time I get on a mountain bike will bring me right back down, but right now I feel like a superhero.
One week left!
This time next week we'll be on our way to Las Vegas, from where we'll drive to St. George Utah. That'll be our base of operations as we do a long weekend of mountain biking. We're all looking forward to it, although I'm looking to be the slow one. It looked like Lance would be back there with me, as he hasn't been riding that much, but DZ just informed me that Lance rode with him and kept up just fine.
Oh well, I've been at the front of the line on MTB trips, I can handle being on the other end.
Oh well, I've been at the front of the line on MTB trips, I can handle being on the other end.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Twenty years??
March 25th, 1988. Junior Formal dance for Lakeland Regional High School.
Coming up to the dance, I was trying to figure out who I would take as my date. I wasn't seeing anyone at the time, and couldn't figure out who to take. I heard from a friend that this one girl, Dena, wanted me to ask her. She was nice, and very cute, but not quite my type... but I was at a loss for anyone to ask, so I asked her one afternoon. Wouldn't you know it, the very next day I was in Drama Club and there was that totally classy girl, Grace, who had broken up with her long-time boyfriend a couple months earlier. I always got along with her really well, but never considered her since she was just plain way too classy for me. But, she was a really good friend, and I thought that she would be a bunch more fun at the dance -- but I'd already asked Dena! *argh* My wretched timing!!
That afternoon, Dena asked me if I was just joking when I asked her to the dance. In a move that I'm not proud of, I took the opportunity presented to me, and said I was. She took it well, I guess, I really don't remember. I felt kinda guilty, but started screwing up my courage to ask Grace to go with me.
Was it the next day, or a couple days later? I don't know. I do know it was in the afternoon, after rehearsal for the school play. (I had met Grace through Drama Club the summer before, when I showed up to be a stage hand and wound up being Li'l Abner instead.) I still remember the outfit Grace was wearing, and trying to wait until she was away from anyone else so I could ask her without witnesses. When the opportunity presented itself, I walked up to her, and struck up a conversation. I remember being pretty direct about it, but no doubt I hemmed and hawed for a little while before getting around to the question.
When I finally did ask her if she'd go with me to the Formal, she didn't even pause, and just said "Yes". Well, I was now at a loss for words, since I might not have been expecting to be flat out rejected, but I expected there would be some type of waiting period for consideration before I got the answer -- during which I could retreat to safety and wonder what the hell I just did. But instead, she answers "yes" without even pausing? I was totally thrown off guard. Don't remember quite what I said, maybe she does... but it was probably something to the effect of "uhmmm... great! uhhhh... well I'll see you later!" at which point I probably ran like hell.
As for the dance itself, it was your basic high school dance, and we had fun. I remember being really mad at my folks... at the time we had two cars, a nice, shiny, SAAB 900, and a nasty, slow, beat-up old '78 Ford Grenada. Obviously I wanted to take the SAAB... but they wouldn't let me, and I had to take the Grenada. I was pretty steamed about that.
I don't remember much of the dance itself except at one point when I got up enough courage to give her a kiss... the kiss we still refer to as the "military strike kiss". I swooped in, gave her a quick kiss, and retreated to a point of safety before any defenses could be raised. Apparently, the reaction (beyond that of "what the heck was that?" shock) was good... and twenty years later, we're still together, going on 14 years of marraige! Sometimes I try to think about what life would have been like if I didn't stay with Grace, or didn't ask her to the dance... and I just can't imagine it.
She's the best thing that's ever happened to me, no matter how cliche that might be! Even if she kicks my ass on the bike. :)
Coming up to the dance, I was trying to figure out who I would take as my date. I wasn't seeing anyone at the time, and couldn't figure out who to take. I heard from a friend that this one girl, Dena, wanted me to ask her. She was nice, and very cute, but not quite my type... but I was at a loss for anyone to ask, so I asked her one afternoon. Wouldn't you know it, the very next day I was in Drama Club and there was that totally classy girl, Grace, who had broken up with her long-time boyfriend a couple months earlier. I always got along with her really well, but never considered her since she was just plain way too classy for me. But, she was a really good friend, and I thought that she would be a bunch more fun at the dance -- but I'd already asked Dena! *argh* My wretched timing!!
That afternoon, Dena asked me if I was just joking when I asked her to the dance. In a move that I'm not proud of, I took the opportunity presented to me, and said I was. She took it well, I guess, I really don't remember. I felt kinda guilty, but started screwing up my courage to ask Grace to go with me.
Was it the next day, or a couple days later? I don't know. I do know it was in the afternoon, after rehearsal for the school play. (I had met Grace through Drama Club the summer before, when I showed up to be a stage hand and wound up being Li'l Abner instead.) I still remember the outfit Grace was wearing, and trying to wait until she was away from anyone else so I could ask her without witnesses. When the opportunity presented itself, I walked up to her, and struck up a conversation. I remember being pretty direct about it, but no doubt I hemmed and hawed for a little while before getting around to the question.
When I finally did ask her if she'd go with me to the Formal, she didn't even pause, and just said "Yes". Well, I was now at a loss for words, since I might not have been expecting to be flat out rejected, but I expected there would be some type of waiting period for consideration before I got the answer -- during which I could retreat to safety and wonder what the hell I just did. But instead, she answers "yes" without even pausing? I was totally thrown off guard. Don't remember quite what I said, maybe she does... but it was probably something to the effect of "uhmmm... great! uhhhh... well I'll see you later!" at which point I probably ran like hell.
As for the dance itself, it was your basic high school dance, and we had fun. I remember being really mad at my folks... at the time we had two cars, a nice, shiny, SAAB 900, and a nasty, slow, beat-up old '78 Ford Grenada. Obviously I wanted to take the SAAB... but they wouldn't let me, and I had to take the Grenada. I was pretty steamed about that.
I don't remember much of the dance itself except at one point when I got up enough courage to give her a kiss... the kiss we still refer to as the "military strike kiss". I swooped in, gave her a quick kiss, and retreated to a point of safety before any defenses could be raised. Apparently, the reaction (beyond that of "what the heck was that?" shock) was good... and twenty years later, we're still together, going on 14 years of marraige! Sometimes I try to think about what life would have been like if I didn't stay with Grace, or didn't ask her to the dance... and I just can't imagine it.
She's the best thing that's ever happened to me, no matter how cliche that might be! Even if she kicks my ass on the bike. :)
Monday, March 24, 2008
Like a bucket of grapes...
Okay, that's it, no more making Grace's bike lighter and faster. Screw project 18, it's time for project fill-the-damned-seat-tube-with-lead-shot. We rode on Friday with BVL and Lance, where I was happy to discover that I wasn't the slowest of the group-- Lance hasn't been riding at all and had him a good suffer fest on his singlespeed... on the other hand, Grace did really well, passing me on several occasions.
Then, Saturday, I took the opportunity to swap her tires for the Kenda Karmas, and we got out last night to ride. This time it was just me and her, and she stomped me like a bucket of grapes at the winery. Stomped me like a bug. She just stormed right up the hills, she took off on the flats, and she even rocked the downhills. We didn't have much light, thanks to a late start, so had to bail out early and ride back on Forbidden, and towards the end, I couldn't even hang onto her wheel. The sprint at the end was utterly out of the question.
So she was getting fast before, and now she's officially there. She loves the tires, said she could feel a real difference on the climbs, and I felt a real difference trying to keep up with her on Forbidden. She didn't even notice that I had swapped out her 11-34 cassette for a 11-32, saving over 40g in the process.
So am I bitter? Will I stop making her bike lighter and faster? Hell no! I'm just gonna have to step it up and see what I can do about catching her. :)
Then, Saturday, I took the opportunity to swap her tires for the Kenda Karmas, and we got out last night to ride. This time it was just me and her, and she stomped me like a bucket of grapes at the winery. Stomped me like a bug. She just stormed right up the hills, she took off on the flats, and she even rocked the downhills. We didn't have much light, thanks to a late start, so had to bail out early and ride back on Forbidden, and towards the end, I couldn't even hang onto her wheel. The sprint at the end was utterly out of the question.
So she was getting fast before, and now she's officially there. She loves the tires, said she could feel a real difference on the climbs, and I felt a real difference trying to keep up with her on Forbidden. She didn't even notice that I had swapped out her 11-34 cassette for a 11-32, saving over 40g in the process.
So am I bitter? Will I stop making her bike lighter and faster? Hell no! I'm just gonna have to step it up and see what I can do about catching her. :)
Thursday, March 20, 2008
18lbs, here we come...
Anyone who knows me in a bike context probably knows that I'm what's called a "weight weenie". I like light bikes, always have, back from the days when I was younger and bought a gram scale from a coworker at the bike shop. It was a scientific beam scale -- more accurately a "balance" and had a range of 0-300g with a resolution to .01 grams. In retrospect I probably should have wondered why he had a gram scale accurate to .01 grams... but I never did... I was just happy I could weigh my stuff. Using that I had my Cannondale road bike down to 18.5 lbs, which at the time actually WAS an accomplishment.
Oh, and yes, I recorded every part I weighed in a notebook, and listed the weight all the way down to a hundreth of a gram. That should give you a pretty good idea of how I approached things. I would weigh 10 bolts and use the two lightest... even though we're talking a 10th of a gram difference.
For a while, my weight weenieism was in remission... probably had something to do with me owning a Rocky Mountain Element, which was going to be heavy no matter what. Recently, however, it's been flaring up... first with Grace's Santa Cruz, now with her Scott. I had her Santa Cruz down to 22.8lbs, which is REALLY good for a full suspension bike. But when we got her the Scott Scale... well, look at the name... the "Scale". You know this is a bike made specifically for weight weenies, and you also know you can't go hanging heavy parts on it.
So, with that in mind, I built it up using what we had on hand, and it came out to be around 20lbs... just a little over. I wound up stealing more and more parts from her Santa Cruz, and as it stands right now, the bike hangs from the scale at 20.00lbs. DAMN!
Well, there's hope. To fit the bike to her, I was using various stems that I had on hand, and the one that wound up being the most comfortable was a 105mm no-name brick of polished aluminum that weighs in at 170g. I just ordered up a 106g Syntace F99 -- she's got a 90mm on the Juliana already. So that's 64g.
Next, I convinced her to let go of her trusty Panaracer Fire XC Pro tires. They're reasonable at 580g, but the Kenda Karmas she'll be trying are 450g -- 130g lighter a piece, for 260g total reduction, and at the wheels where it makes a bigger difference. I ran those tires for most of last summer, and thought they worked great, so she should like them better than the Schwalbe Racing Ralphs we tried a while back.
Another big difference will be in losing the e-type LX front dérailleur. Right now I am using the front derailleur as a chain guide, since the bike is set up as a 1x9. At 185g, that chain guide is almost as heavy as the downhill/freeride/4x chainguides available now! Plus, I run an outboard "ring guard" to keep the chain from jumping off to the outside... and even as a lightweight Spot guard, it's still 60g. Ditch the two of those, and you're looking at 245g of weight saved! I'm currently talking to a guy in Canada who has a carbon fiber chain guide which weighs in at around 10g!
Finally, I'm looking to replace the full run dérailleur housing with Nokon housing and a special rigid aluminum tubing I've been testing on my bike.
With all these changes -- the bike should wind up under 19lbs... my estimates are at around 18.6lbs! That's for a mountain bike... and it's in the same range as my old Cannondale road bike.
Awesome!
Oh, and yes, I recorded every part I weighed in a notebook, and listed the weight all the way down to a hundreth of a gram. That should give you a pretty good idea of how I approached things. I would weigh 10 bolts and use the two lightest... even though we're talking a 10th of a gram difference.
For a while, my weight weenieism was in remission... probably had something to do with me owning a Rocky Mountain Element, which was going to be heavy no matter what. Recently, however, it's been flaring up... first with Grace's Santa Cruz, now with her Scott. I had her Santa Cruz down to 22.8lbs, which is REALLY good for a full suspension bike. But when we got her the Scott Scale... well, look at the name... the "Scale". You know this is a bike made specifically for weight weenies, and you also know you can't go hanging heavy parts on it.
So, with that in mind, I built it up using what we had on hand, and it came out to be around 20lbs... just a little over. I wound up stealing more and more parts from her Santa Cruz, and as it stands right now, the bike hangs from the scale at 20.00lbs. DAMN!
Well, there's hope. To fit the bike to her, I was using various stems that I had on hand, and the one that wound up being the most comfortable was a 105mm no-name brick of polished aluminum that weighs in at 170g. I just ordered up a 106g Syntace F99 -- she's got a 90mm on the Juliana already. So that's 64g.
Next, I convinced her to let go of her trusty Panaracer Fire XC Pro tires. They're reasonable at 580g, but the Kenda Karmas she'll be trying are 450g -- 130g lighter a piece, for 260g total reduction, and at the wheels where it makes a bigger difference. I ran those tires for most of last summer, and thought they worked great, so she should like them better than the Schwalbe Racing Ralphs we tried a while back.
Another big difference will be in losing the e-type LX front dérailleur. Right now I am using the front derailleur as a chain guide, since the bike is set up as a 1x9. At 185g, that chain guide is almost as heavy as the downhill/freeride/4x chainguides available now! Plus, I run an outboard "ring guard" to keep the chain from jumping off to the outside... and even as a lightweight Spot guard, it's still 60g. Ditch the two of those, and you're looking at 245g of weight saved! I'm currently talking to a guy in Canada who has a carbon fiber chain guide which weighs in at around 10g!
Finally, I'm looking to replace the full run dérailleur housing with Nokon housing and a special rigid aluminum tubing I've been testing on my bike.
With all these changes -- the bike should wind up under 19lbs... my estimates are at around 18.6lbs! That's for a mountain bike... and it's in the same range as my old Cannondale road bike.
Awesome!
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