Bay to Bay ride

Yesterday I did the Bay-to-Bay century ride down in Maryland.  We started off at Betterton, MD, a beautiful little town on the Chesapeake bay where one of my friends has a really, really nice condo on the water.  Another perk of his condo is the location, only about 1/2 mile from the start of the ride.  It used to be even closer, but folks complained about the little bitty hill (a nose-bleedingly, ear-poppingly massive 0.3 mile climb that averages 2% grade and gains 38') heading away from the start, so they moved the start to the top of the hill.

I thought that with the area being predominantly flat, and us bringing six strong guys, the century would be easy, but that turned out to not be the case, but not for the reasons I expected.  My fit on the bike isn't quite perfect, and I quickly discovered that being in a paceline means holding more or less the same position for quite some time, and that gets uncomfortable quick.  Plus, there are only two interesting places in a paceline -- at the front and pulling, or at the back where you can relax, stand, whatever, and you don't have to worry about the guy behind you -- because there isn't any.  (second wheel isn't bad if the guy pulling is solid) In the middle, you have to be diligent and focused and although you're using less muscular energy, you're using more mental energy.  I guess that gets better with a bunch of paceline experience, which I don't have.  Worse yet, because this is a big organized ride, a paceline passes many single riders and smaller groups, many of whom gladly attach themselves to the paceline, despite a lack of experience themselves.  We had one guy early on who was really quite squirrely, and kept doing dumb things like overlapping wheels, and getting into an aero tuck on downhills.  I was really glad when him and his buddy opted to keep going through the first rest stop.  Many of the other guys who rode with us were pretty good, but ultimately, a bigger paceline just means more time in the middle, where it's frankly quite boring.

So, by the second rest stop at mile 38, I was mentally exhausted, wishing passionately for a real climb, and frankly quite done with the ride, but Rule #5 (and being 38 miles from the start) prevented me from giving up.  (the interesting discovery that horseflies know how to draft and as such can't be ridden away from didn't help, either)  I spent the next 15 miles slowly rotating through the paceline and watching the miles tick off.  One of our guys started having trouble with the pace, so he and another guy dropped off, so I dropped off as well to ride with them for a while.  Riding in the smaller group was far better, and I started to enjoy the ride.  We regrouped at the next rest stop, and I wound up with the big group again, and got into the rotation again.  I began wondering how you could do an organized ride with a good group of guys, but also manage to keep the "unknowns" out of the line.  Personally, the "unknowns" just wound up annoying me and made the line bigger, and more boring, even if they took their pulls and were good in the line.  I guess it's a mindset thing.

After the last rest stop, I pulled out first and took the lead for 2.9 miles -- 9 minutes.  (it was a looong, easy start, and I wasn't fully up to speed until the first mile was done) Rolling off at the end of my pull, I saw the group going by.  Four of our guys, two "unknowns" who we'd been riding with for a while, who were solid riders, but at this point, I was just tired of riding in a paceline, and made no effort to catch the last wheel.  I started to recover from my pull, and brought my pace up, and stayed within a couple hundred yards of the group for quite some time.  This was at mile 87, and I knew this wouldn't last, but was curious how long I could keep them in sight riding solo.  Soon, however, I saw a guy walking on the side of the road with his bike, so as they rode by, I stopped next to him to find out if he needed help.  Turns out his issues weren't mechanical, but severe cramps, and unfortunately there's not much you can do at that point, so I verified that he was okay, and rode on now completely alone.

Here's where it started to get interesting.  No longer was my effort dictated by the group, so I could ride as hard or easy as I wanted, and I was soon up to some pretty high efforts. I rode hard but controlled, and caught one or two other riders, then came across one of our own guys who had been shed from the paceline.  I swung around him, sat up and cruised for a little while, but he made no effort to grab my wheel, so I rolled back onto the power and kept on up the road.  I soon found myself at the bottom of a long climb, and recognized it as a climb which we had done the previous morning.  Since there was no previous Strava segment there, we created one, and I had been tied for the KOM at 2:56 until Dave uploaded his ride and got 2:55.  I had joked with him that I was going to take the KOM back by riding a 2:54, and coming to the bottom of this climb at mile 94, having been riding by myself for 7 miles, that is exactly what I did.  (What really sucks for Dave is that his phone locked up and stopped recording early in the ride, so even though he probably went faster up the hill with the group than I did solo - he doesn't get any credit, or the KOM.)  Halfway up the climb, I saw another rider up the road, so used that rider as my rabbit, and managed to chase down Brian, another one of our guys, right at the top of the climb.

Brian misread the arrows on the road, as did I, and we made a right turn where we should have gone straight.  This wouldn't have been a big problem, but I recognized the road as one that we rode the previous day, and had created another segment on... so I turned on the gas yet again trying to better my time from the previous day.  Despite a near maximum effort, being at mile 95 and on my own (Brian hung onto my wheel for a couple minutes but decided to let me go) doesn't stand a chance against three pretty fresh guys sharing the load from the previous day, and my time came in at 9:34, a damn shade slower than the previous morning's 8:26.  Worse yet, this was when I realized that there were no blue arrows on the road at the next intersection -- we had taken a wrong turn!  I broke out my phone and checked the map, and we had gone exactly the wrong direction to get to the finish.  I later discovered we nearly reconnected with the course at mile 73!  So, we had no recourse but to turn around and ride the 3.5 mile segment back to where we'd made the wrong turn.

At this point, I was more interested in finding the short way back instead of finding the course, so I used my phone to map out the shortest return.  I soon realized that I knew the roads we were taking, and these roads went over the few "hills" in the area.  The biggest of these isn't even 100 feet of elevation, but we're now at 105 miles and oddly enough, getting a little tired.  Had I followed the course instead of the "short way" back, I think there would have been a whole bunch less climbing.  We finally made it back to Betterton, and the rest of the guys had finished, but while they only had 103 miles of riding, Brian and I had 111 miles (Strava says 110.8 -- I didn't start the Garmin until after the 0.6 mile ride to the start, so I legitimately claim 111) and had finished with climbs, which we agreed made us the big winners and hard men of the group.

So, the ride was enjoyable, despite my issues with the big pacelines.  I would love to do the ride again, but this time with no more than four folks in a core paceline and some way to keep the "unknowns" from spoiling the party.  Doing it solo would be interesting, but probably also very, very difficult.

One of the reasons I stayed with the pacelines as much as I did was because I was convinced if I went solo, it would take me longer to get finished, but that's not necessarily the case.  Here's the segment between the second to last and last rest stops where I rode with a paceline of about 7 guys:

http://app.strava.com/activities/11635620#z17009|18874

10.2 miles at an average speed of 19.6mph, sitting behind an unknown who would pedalpedalpedal-cooooaaaast-repeat for the entire time.  (granted, his buddy with the tri bars did have a wonderfully long and consistent 20mph pull) Very mentally draining as I was trying to leave enough gap that I didn't have to coast when he slowed, but could soft pedal and not screw up the guys behind me.

In contrast, here's the segment where I went solo after the last rest stop:

http://app.strava.com/activities/11635620#z20951|22843

10.5 miles, including the biggest "climb" on the course (and 3.5 miles in the wrong direction) at an average speed of 20.0mph, while enjoying myself immensely more.  This is even after my 2.9 mile pull out of the rest stop.  Could I have kept that up for the entire ride, hell no.  But still, it's interesting.  I caught two folks who had been shelled from the paceline, and had I not made the wrong turn, I think I may have caught the others who got dropped -- Dave Heller finished with only one other guy.  Maybe... maybe not, but ultimately, it doesn't matter, because that last 26 miles was the best of the ride, because I was riding either solo or with one other person.

Keep your shirt on...

Tonight we went to Nockamixon.  We had talked about going to Wiss, but Grace's concern about my ongoing issues with my left achilles' tendon had her decide Nox was better.  Sure... the place that I know so well that I almost always wind up hammering... the same place that I re-annoyed it on Monday.  Well, we figured we'd start out easy and figure how we felt.

Well, anyhow, we get there and are putting our bikes together and I hear a familiar voice.  I look over and see the EWR jersey and knew his majesty, the King of Nockamixon, Sir Bob of Eichlin, was just about ready to start a ride.  Grace sees him there and simply mutters "oh shit."

Ya see, Bob is fast.  Take a look at any of the Strava segments in Nockamixon, and you'll see Bob's name right up at the top, usually with a pervertedly large buffer over second place.  Bob's also a really cool guy and fun to ride with, when you can keep up.  So, our "let's start out easy and see how we feel" plan suddenly got scrapped for "let's hammer like crazy".  So, we meet Bob's buddy Jason, and the four of us head out.

Almost immediately I'm reminded of my lack of bike handling skills.  Don't get me wrong, I can do okay, but I immediately find myself in a cycle of braking for a corner that they didn't, then having to accelerate to catch up.  They're just zipping along and I'm already spending more than I should in the first mile or two of a ride.  I manage to settle in and catch back up to them, but am starting to realize that they are on a fast pace, and if I stick with it, my achilles will not be happy, so I make the decision to "do the smart thing" (aka preserve my sense of dignity with an excuse) and let them go.  I'm screwed when the tendon is all better, though.

With the evil rabbits out of sight, we settle into a good, enthusiastic pace.  I meter my efforts, keeping the stress off my heel, and manage to move up to third on two segments.  As usual, looking at it after the fact, I'm absolutely convinced that I can do better.  We did the south loop in both directions, with Grace in the lead.  I am firmly convinced that I ride better when chasing her through the twisty sections.  Hell, it was chasing her in Mercer all those years ago where I learned to do the tighter corners out of necessity.  Most importantly, I made it past the "stripper tree" twice and manage to avoid having my jersey torn from my back.  The 2009 EWR jersey lives to see another day.

We finish up with a reverse of the Cold Spot/Hammer loops, and I come to the conclusion that I much prefer the Hammer loop ridden that way.  It just seems to flow so much nicer.  I think it's the first time I've ridden it "backwards" since before it was actually open and we followed Kenny around it.

Running out of light -- and temperature -- we get back to the parking lot just after Bob and Jason, talk to them for a while, then head home for steaks and beer.  All in all, not a bad way to end the week. 

A nice, cheap alternative for bike GPS use.

I've become a big, big fan of the Strava ride logging site.  When bike GPS first came out, I was a big fan, and bought in with a Garmin Edge 305, and used it religiously for a while.  But, after a while, it dawned on me that all I was getting for all that datalogging wasn't much more than I could have done with a typical bike computer and a mapping site like "MapMyRide" or "Bikely".  Sure, I got neat little graphs of my speed and heart rate and cadence, but unless I did the same exact ride, it was almost impossible to compare my times and see some progress.  What I really wanted, and spent a bit of time looking for was something that would allow me to see my times on a certain segment, like, say, Tohickon Hill Road.  I couldn't find anything, so the usefulness of GPS logging lost its appeal to me, and I stopped using it as much.
A couple years later, I find out about this new site, "Strava".  Oh, goodie, another GPS logging service.  Well, here's what makes them special -- they have actually implemented the segment matching I was dreaming of all those years ago, and not only can you compare your times against yourself... you can compare against everyone else who's ridden there.  WHOA.  That's cool.

So I get into it again, religiously logging my rides, uploading as soon as I get home so I can see if I have any new KOMs, and go back through all my long-forgotten Garmin Connect rides so I can import them into Strava, because who knows -- I might have had a KOM long before I knew what those were!  At first I'm using my phone, but I quickly start looking at the newest Garmin offerings.  I'm a little tenative about that, because my old Edge 305 wasn't exactly problem free.  After the warranty expired, I had to send it back to them for a fix to the tune of $90.  I forgot what was broken, but not too long after, it wasn't finding satellites anymore.  I tried several things, then gave up and sold it to a buddy for a song.  (amusingly enough, he did manage to get it working)

But, I then had the great idea, and found Grace's old Motorola Cliq (MB200) phone, her first smart phone.  I loaded that up with MyTracks, and started testing it out.  Turns out, it works really well.  I tried the Strava app, but had some problems with that, so have been sticking with MyTracks, which is made by the Google team.  (I worked with the Strava support folks on the issues I was having with the Cliq, but since MyTracks worked and the Cliq is an older phone, I didn't push the issue.)

So, before you go out and spend at least $150 on even the most inexpensive Garmin, or the fancy new Motorola that does MP3s as well, consider getting an old, used Android smart phone.  You might just wind up with something far cheaper which has far more features.

• A phone can have a very accurate GPS, especially with MyTracks, which allows you to modify the logging settings.  Nothing short of the ultra-expensive Garmin Edge 800 allows you to do that.
• If you don't like the interface of the MyTracks app, you can run the Strava app.  Or Velox.  Or a large number of other alternate apps.  With a Garmin, you're stuck with the interface they give you.
• In my comparison with logged rides in Nockamixon, my old Cliq with accuracy turned up has logged closer to the state-created trail maps (created with, I'm told, a $20k trail mapping GPS) than anything shy of a Garmin Edge 800, a $450 computer.  Better than an Edge 500.
• A phone has support for wifi, so if you use the Strava app, as soon as you have access to a wifi signal, you can upload your ride automatically.  However, I use MyTracks as it's more stable and precise, so I export to GPX and email the ride on wireless.
• Motorola's bragging about the MotoACTV having MP3 support.  Even old phones support MP3, OGG, and several other video formats, as well as having the ability to play videos.
• Most Android apps work on an old phone.  No apps available for bike computers.  Might not be a huge consideration, but it can be pretty cool.
• Without cell service, battery life is fairly fantastic.  I did a multi-hour ride and didn't even drop down to 50% battery with the Cliq.  If you had the display on, that would wear it down faster.
• Most importantly, an old phone like the Cliq MB200 can be had for as little as $50-70 used. You might even have one on hand already.  It doesn't need to be unlocked, you don't need cell service.

Things to watch out for:

• This is the biggest thing.  Some phones will NOT get a GPS signal without a data connection.  My old Motorola Droid X would not lock onto the GPS without data, no matter how long I let it sit.  I'm not sure the cause, but that renders it totally useless as a bike computer.  I've tried running it where I had a wifi signal at the beginning so it could get a lock, and then doing a ride, but the accuracy was pretty sad.  At this point, I can say that the Cliq and the original Motorola Droid both work without any data signal and make good bike computers.  The Droid X and the Galaxy Nexus both have issues getting GPS without data coverage.
• My Cliq is really particular about getting sweat on the screen.  Whenever I've done that, it gets kinda mental, and won't respond right to touch until I pull the battery, clean the screen, and leave it alone for a while.  I'm wondering if maybe the phone itself is dying, as other phones I've had don't act up the same way.  Still, worth mentioning.
• The Cliq does sometimes have some GPS madness where it doesn't follow the path too closely.  This ride has me riding through the middle of the lake, (pretty sure I didn't do that) but it was also before I tuned the precision in MyTracks.
• Handlebar mounts for phones aren't quite as slick as mounts for bike GPS.  I got this ugly beast.  I don't understand the point of the ball socket, and can't seem to get it tight enough to hold a position.  Most of the time I just put it in my jersey pocket, although accuracy does seem slightly improved on the handlebars.  Some phones also might not like the level of vibration they'll see on handlebars.
• Phones aren't waterproof.  Garmins are.  However, I've found that ziploc snack bags fit even the pretty large Galaxy Nexus with no problem, and are cheap.  I can still operate the touch screen through it, too.

So there you go, hopefully something to think about, and if you happen to have an old phone sitting around from after an upgrade, you might be able to give it a try!

Reviving the old dead blog

For some reason, I love to relive my rides after the fact.  So, I've decided to revive my old blog that I haven't done anything with for several years for that purpose.  I've already posted the hilarity that was my attempt at a full-speed lap of Nockamixon

Chasing the Nox full lap KOM

Last night I went out with the specific goal of giving my best go at Bob's ownership of the full Nox loop.

I had no expectations of coming in sub 50, much less challenging his time of 49 minutes dead -- but I figured I could put in something in the low 50s.

I started off with a lap of the Cold Spot loop backwards, to warm up and to check out the downed tree that Bob had warned me about.  Returned to the parking lot, talked to some guys, then headed out for my loop.  The downed tree wasn't too bad, had to get off the bike, hop the tree, and get back on, but I don't think I lost too much time.  On the northern Hammer loop, my phone starts going off.  There was an upgrade happening at work, and the notifications of stuff being unavailable started rolling in.  No big deal except I have my phone set up to keep notifying me until I actually look at the stuff.  Super.  So, I had to pull off my full-fingered glove, dig out the phone, unlock it, view the messages, lock the phone, and stick it back in my jersey.  This happened probably four or five times on the Hammer loop, all while I'm trying to maintain a race pace.  Looking at the results, it did affect my time -- my best there is 7:15, and this lap went down in 7:42.

I kept a steady pace on the connector trail, then got to the south loop.  Was going pretty well until I cut it a little too close to a tree, caught my jersey on the remnants of a branch, and had it quite literally ripped off my back.

 

Click the photo for more pics of my wrecked jersey.

This wouldn't have been much of a problem (except for it being my favorite jersey and favorite base layer) except two of my rear pockets ceased to exist, causing my phone, keys, and multi-tool to fly all over the place.  Had to stop, pick the chunk of jersey off the tree (now hanging in my cubicle) and pick up my stuff.  Then, I had to figure out where to put all this stuff, since I now had significantly less room to put it.  So, I tried what seemed like the best idea... tucked the stuff into the legs of my knickers.  I spent a bit more time looking for my second set of keys, but couldn't remember if I left them behind at the car or not, so I gave up the search for them so I could keep riding.  (more on those keys later)

Well, the legs of my knickers wasn't such a good spot.  As I pedalled, the stuff would migrate down, eventually heading for the spot behind my knee.  I managed to get the phone stuffed into my last remaining pocket once I realized it was still usable, but fought the multi-tool and keys for the remainder of the south loop, all while trying to maintain a "race pace".

Got to the end of the south loop, and had to take a moment to relocate my keys and multi-tool to my already overstuffed seat bag (yes, the one that looks like a racoon) because I wanted a good run on the Eastern Woods northbound trail.  See, a couple days ago I made a run at that trail with two phones recording.  (I've had some issues with great rides getting "lost" due to the GPS getting mental, so now run a backup) At the end of the day, one recorded a time of 5:32, and the other recorded a time of 5:56.  So I was either well faster than Bob on that segment, or two seconds behind.  That's a pretty big gap, so I had to go back and do it again.  I figured if I could do at least a 5:4x time, then my 5:32 was legit. (that phone typically is far more accurate, too)  So, I wanted to have a good run on there.

Well, it was a little wet, but most of the trails were solid.  A handful of spots which were a little slick, but nothing too bad.  My time was slower, but not massively slower, so when I came in with a 6:04 time, I realized my 5:32 was bullshit. Too bad, but beating Bob by 20 seconds anywhere smelled far too much like bullshit, no matter how much I wanted to believe it.  On the upside, his 5:54 is only 2 seconds faster than I've gone, so I can get that.  Will it happen before he's in the 5:40s?  we'll see.

I finished up with the Haycock Run uphill, on which, only an hour or two before -- Bob set the new KOM... and came in only a little bit behind at 2:15 to his 2:09.  Weird that I run that section faster uphill than down.  I think a sub 2 is possible.

So, I was a little disappointed with a 57 minute time, but at least I came in sub 1 hour, and considering my two stops and having to check my phone, it's not too bad.  I figure it would have been a solid 54 minute run, maaaaybe 53 minutes.  Dry trails and luck, I might be able to drop it to 52 minutes.  So Bob's time is pretty much unchallenged, thanks in no small part to his phenomenal bike handling.  The one time I rode with him, I went from right on his wheel to 50-60 feet back in the span of a couple tight downhill S-turns.  That shit just adds up.

All in all, though, it was a fantastic ride.  It's not often I just focus on going hard for an entire MTB ride like that, and the challenge is so much fun.  Thanks to Bob for giving me something to shoot for!  I will get to a 49 minute lap, but I'm pretty sure Bob will be sub 45 by that point. :D

Oh, and I mentioned the second set of keys.  Got back to the car, gave a good search, and discovered that set of keys was not in the car.  So, that meant I did have them, and they were still laying trailside by that tree.  So, I loaded up the bike, and headed for South Park Rd, where you can park on the side of the road and access the trails.  As you can see here, the trail gets really close to South Park Rd, climbs up for a while, then drops back down, getting very close to the trail you just rode.  I took advantage of this, rode cross-country between the two chunks of trail, and got back to the scene of the crime.  Using the light on my phone (it's past sundown and I'm losing light fast) I managed to find my keys about six feet down the trail from the tree.

My Review of Giottos MH1004 Mini Ball Head with Single Knob for Ball and Pan

Adorama

Giottos MH1004 Mini Ball Head with Single Knob for Ball and Pan

Giottos MH1004 Mini Ball Head with Single Knob for Ball and Pan

Excellent little ball head

cmh Doylestown, PA 8/10/2009

5 5

Pros: Good Stability, Large Range of Motion, Attaches Firmly, Strong Clamp

Best Uses: Photography, Reducing Noise (ISO Reduction), Long Exposures

Describe Yourself: Photo Enthusiast

I picked this ball head up to go with the Flashpoint handlebar mount, thinking that it was required. Turns out it wasn't necessary, but I'm still happier with this ball head than with the handlebar mount, and will probably get more use from it. It's quite small, and fits nicely on top of my compact gorillapod, but even when mounted on top of my tripod, it can handle my Nikon D80 SLR with a fairly heavy 18-200mm VR lens with no problem. The knob quicky and easily unlocks it, allowing you to reposition any which way you want, and then lock it down again quickly. This ball head is an absolute must-have for use with a Gorillapod, as it gives you flexibility on the final aiming that can be quite difficult with the Gorillapod alone.

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My Review of Flashpoint High-Grade Alloy Bicycle Bracket for 31.8mm Handlebars, Allows the Mounting of Ballheads

Adorama

Flashpoint High-Grade Alloy Bicycle Bracket for 31.8mm Handlebars, Allows the Mounting of Ballheads

Flashpoint High-Grade Alloy Bicycle Bracket for 31.8mm Handlebars, Allows the Mounting of Ballheads

Nice design but transfers too much shake

cmh Doylestown, PA 8/10/2009

3 5

Pros: Lightweight

Best Uses: Casual riding

Describe Yourself: Photo Enthusiast

First and foremost, Adorama says you need a ball head to use this. You do NOT need a ball head. It can help and make the mount more flexible, but it is NOT necessary, as the mount comes with both a 1/4" and 3/8" thread. If you're just going to mount the camera pointed forward, you can save the money and skip the ball head.

I came across this camera mount on Adorama, and looked at it for a while before deciding to buy it. My plan was to use it to mount my Canon SD800 (small point-and-shoot) and shoot video. When I got it, I was impressed with the build quality, it does not look cheap at all, and the hardware is quality. Installation is very easy.

The problem, however, is the same with a ball head or without. At moderate speeds, the camera works very well, with only moderate shake, as can be seen in the following short video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wHd3yhPFJU

However, on the mountain bike (with front suspension) or on the road bike (carbon fiber frame and fork) once you start reaching any type of "interesting" speeds, the vibration is such that my camera winds up shutting itself off, and even if the camera was recording at the time, the file that was recording is lost.

For example, I rode a course at casual speeds, and got 10 minutes of good quality footage. During a race on the same trails, however, I got nothing, because the higher speed and sharper bumps caused the camera to shut off. On the road bike, I could cruise around town, but when I headed for a high-speed downhill, it would shut off soon after I started.

It is possible that other cameras would have better results, if they are more resistant to vibration. Understand - I'm not talking about the shake reduction feature in the camera (the SD800 has this) - I'm talking about being bolted to your handlebars and shaken pretty hard.

For cruising around the beach, a casual bike trip, or really smooth roads, it'll probably work pretty well, but for anything more interesting, you'll have to look elsewhere.

For my use, though, I'm saving up for a proper sports camera.

Mounted on mountain bike.

: Picture of Product

Short test video using the mount

: Mountain, Handlebar, Using Product, Road, Doylestown, MTB, Flashpoint, Mount, Bike

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