There is a ghost story about if you are driving along a certain stretch of road, and in the fog you pass a Model T driven by a man in old fashion garb accompanied by a young girl in similar attire, beware. For if you mysteriously pass him 2 more times you will be in a fatal accident.
I summoned all my powers of google but couldn't find a link to that story.
Today I rocked it old school at the rez like it was 1999.
Except the beginning and end are totally different, and well part of the middle too.
But if there was a "standard" rez loop, that most people do, this was almost it.
Anyhoo...
When I first got to the ridge there was a guy with a green Santa Cruz breaking tree branches. Why he was breaking branches off a perfectly good tree, I don't know, but I have the advantage of being able to go under a lot of things that riders of adult size may not.
Then on the Kerry Trail I pass him again.
How in the world did he get in front of me?
I finish the Kerry Trail and drop down to cross the fireroad to the East side and he's pedaling up it.
For the life of me I don't know what route he could possibly ride to get in front of me.
Get down the East fence line, ride My Own Private Idaho, and pop out to the blacktop.
As I pull into the lot, a white Camry with a green Santa Cruz strapped to the back is pulling out.
Weird.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Monday, April 9, 2012
GPS Theivery
or Jobs v. Strava
We teased BG and Thor of the impending doom, a climb that is just wrong; The Evil Backyard Wall.
The "Wall" has the ideal surface; smooth and hard. But it has an insane grade averaging 20%. There are a couple of water bar you have to get over and at the steepest part is the one place it gets rocky.
BG kept asking "was that it"? All we could do was laugh. "No, you know when you get to the "Wall". As we came out onto the dam, Neal pointed to the top of the ridge "You're going to be on the top of that shortly".
At the base I gave Neal a few pedal strokes so I wouldn't be running up his rear with our different gear ratios. We kept a pretty constant gap, at the only turn Neal soft pedaled so BG and Thor wouldn't get any ideas about turning right and missing the sickest pitch.
We all made it, no one dabbed, and we continued on our merry way.
Get home, do the upload and...
WOOHOO!!! KOM!!!
Ah, 15 seconds? Uh, not quite.
I'd have been psyched if I wasn't there.
The iphone screwed Neal!
Fortunately Neal's more mature than me.
It also should be noted that the mighty God of Thunder eats Luna bars.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Voices In My Head
At Hopbrook a guy in the 30-39 group was chastised for using earbuds by one of the USAC officials. I'm fortunate enough not to need external stimulus for my soundtrack.
Most of my ride yesterday swung back and forth between
and
some how this ended up in the mix
The sound track abruptly changed when I was impaled on a fallen hemlock, but I'm drawing a blank and need to get to work.
Most of my ride yesterday swung back and forth between
and
some how this ended up in the mix
The sound track abruptly changed when I was impaled on a fallen hemlock, but I'm drawing a blank and need to get to work.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Other than just a really bitchin' picture the above is a good example of counter-steering.
Counter-steering you say; isn't that when you turn into a slide when you're driving in the snow?
Yes it's that too, but on 2 wheels it's a little different.
Back when I was going through my first midlife crisis I got a motorcycle. I also got a book by David Hough about motorcycle safety.
He spent a great deal of time explaining how two wheel vehicles don't turn like cars. You don't turn left to go left you actually are turning right.
When you turn left, you put pressure on the left side of the handlebar, leaning left and your front wheel will be pointed to the right.
Yeah, okay at 2 mph, with the bike totally upright you would turn the bar in the direction you want to go, but at even moderately slow speed, you turn by leaning. That's why toe overlap really isn't that big a deal, unless you just like to be uptight about stuff.
The real beauty thing about it is you do it without even thinking about it.
But you do it.
I learned a lot from that book, a lot that transfers over to the bicycle quite nicely.
I also learned for a motorcycle to be half as fun as a bicycle to me I had to ride at speeds way faster than the State of Connecticut deemed reasonable.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Random Thoughts
I felt way too good today, and I slept way too well last night...hmm
I felt so good today I put on a pair of goofy socks
and went for a ride.
Yesterday was the first day since St. Patrick's day that phlegm wasn't part of my life.
That was nice.
Today was even nicerer.
As I casually spun around my local haunt I began thinking about the next race on the agenda.
Should I race my age group again or SS?
Winding Trails really doesn't suit me and the best I've managed there as a Cat1 was 4th (that day was one of my favorite race experiences).
What if I raced the Pro/Open?
Since the chances of a podium are slim, why not get an extra lap in for my money?
I very well could finish last but maybe the experience would be worth it?
Maybe I should do that at all the races where the Pros race an extra lap?
See what Doug has done? He's got me all thinking about "the experience".
I felt so good today I put on a pair of goofy socks
and went for a ride.
Yesterday was the first day since St. Patrick's day that phlegm wasn't part of my life.
That was nice.
Today was even nicerer.
As I casually spun around my local haunt I began thinking about the next race on the agenda.
Should I race my age group again or SS?
Winding Trails really doesn't suit me and the best I've managed there as a Cat1 was 4th (that day was one of my favorite race experiences).
What if I raced the Pro/Open?
Since the chances of a podium are slim, why not get an extra lap in for my money?
I very well could finish last but maybe the experience would be worth it?
Maybe I should do that at all the races where the Pros race an extra lap?
See what Doug has done? He's got me all thinking about "the experience".
Monday, April 2, 2012
Hopbrook 2012
How'd it go?
Better than expected.
Although I couldn't get near my HR max, my avg was only slightly below what is usual for a race. When actually racing I didn't feel phlegmy at all.
On Saturday afternoon only 6 riders had signed up for the Cat1 SS, whereas almost 30 signed up for the Cat1 40-49. Racing 30 guys sounded like more fun than 6 so I decided to act my age and race my peers (although the SS is sort of like a satellite 40+ group).
Fearless Leader had a front row spot and let me slide in next to him. This was sort of pointless because after the first corner it is a flat drag race for a quarter mile to the singletrack. "This is a situation where the choice of multiple gears might be good" I thought as the field swarmed around me.
I reached the singletrack near the back of the pack and suffered the accordion effect as someone way up front made the slightest bobble creating a ripple that by the time it reached me had brought the conga line to a stop.
There are pros and cons to racing against gears with a singlespeed.
Pro: you're gonna climb faster
Con: only if you have a rideable line
On lap two this scenario raised it's ugly head. The group I was riding with caught the back of the 30-39 field on the toughest climb of the course. It is a fireroad but there are points that have only one rideable line. Trying to maximize my climbing advantage and skirting around the caught riders I lost traction and found myself off the bike running. Not exactly the plan, but sitting and spinning really wasn't an option either.
For the first 3 laps I was yoyoing back and forth with Fearless Leader. I'd usually catch him on the biggest climb, he'd get ahead of me on the fireroad descent and I'd slowly pull him back in on the gradual climb to the next descent where he'd catch and pass me again. On lap three as he passed me I noticed he was in a pretty easy gear so I used some "colorful" language to try and motivate him to use those gears and build a gap over me and John from Bethel Cycles who we'd been racing with. This worked in that he built a gap I couldn't close, but unfortunately didn't get rid of John.
Not being able to close the gap on Craig and John, I found myself in no man's land for the forth lap. I was catching more 30-39 y/os and beginning to lap the women. When I got to the big climb I see Mike Kelly from Biker's Edge who's been away all day and Matt Bodziony from NBX who had passed me on the 2nd lap. As I was near the crest after passing a woman, I DROPPED MY F#CKING CHAIN!
The lady passed me going into the singletrack where I tried to not be a dick and wait for a safe place to pass her. I doubt she thought I was successful, but I did wait to the fireroad to get around her.
This gave Dominique Desmont from Danbury Audi the opportunity to get right on my tail. I felt a sense of doom. He was on a geared full suspension bike going into the section that Craig and John had consistently put time into me. But the frustration of the chain drop had lit a fire in me. On some of the hairier descents I'd hear his bike clanking behind me and I waited for the inevitable. On the gradual climb I caught Matt from NBX. There is one short road section before the last climb of the course. If I can get to the climb, I'm home free.
I take a peak behind me as I reach the road and I don't see Dominique, but I do see Mike Kelly ahead. If by some miracle I can get near him by the climb I might have a chance of pipping him at the line...
Anti climactic ending; I don't catch Mike and Dominique doesn't catch me, although he had a similar scheme in his head.
So how'd I do? 12 of 33. If you were to cross reference my time with the SS (of course I did!) I would have been third in that class (a distant third), which had swelled to 13 riders after I registered for the 40-49.
Gear choice was good, and the conditions couldn't be better.
Now about the chain. I hate to abandon the pretty cranks, but the problem started when they went on. Monte gave me some suggestion on EBB setup and chain tension to try, but I just might go back to tried and true.
Fearless Leader suggested I try racing gears...
Better than expected.
Although I couldn't get near my HR max, my avg was only slightly below what is usual for a race. When actually racing I didn't feel phlegmy at all.
On Saturday afternoon only 6 riders had signed up for the Cat1 SS, whereas almost 30 signed up for the Cat1 40-49. Racing 30 guys sounded like more fun than 6 so I decided to act my age and race my peers (although the SS is sort of like a satellite 40+ group).
Fearless Leader had a front row spot and let me slide in next to him. This was sort of pointless because after the first corner it is a flat drag race for a quarter mile to the singletrack. "This is a situation where the choice of multiple gears might be good" I thought as the field swarmed around me.
I reached the singletrack near the back of the pack and suffered the accordion effect as someone way up front made the slightest bobble creating a ripple that by the time it reached me had brought the conga line to a stop.
There are pros and cons to racing against gears with a singlespeed.
Pro: you're gonna climb faster
Con: only if you have a rideable line
On lap two this scenario raised it's ugly head. The group I was riding with caught the back of the 30-39 field on the toughest climb of the course. It is a fireroad but there are points that have only one rideable line. Trying to maximize my climbing advantage and skirting around the caught riders I lost traction and found myself off the bike running. Not exactly the plan, but sitting and spinning really wasn't an option either.
For the first 3 laps I was yoyoing back and forth with Fearless Leader. I'd usually catch him on the biggest climb, he'd get ahead of me on the fireroad descent and I'd slowly pull him back in on the gradual climb to the next descent where he'd catch and pass me again. On lap three as he passed me I noticed he was in a pretty easy gear so I used some "colorful" language to try and motivate him to use those gears and build a gap over me and John from Bethel Cycles who we'd been racing with. This worked in that he built a gap I couldn't close, but unfortunately didn't get rid of John.
Not being able to close the gap on Craig and John, I found myself in no man's land for the forth lap. I was catching more 30-39 y/os and beginning to lap the women. When I got to the big climb I see Mike Kelly from Biker's Edge who's been away all day and Matt Bodziony from NBX who had passed me on the 2nd lap. As I was near the crest after passing a woman, I DROPPED MY F#CKING CHAIN!
The lady passed me going into the singletrack where I tried to not be a dick and wait for a safe place to pass her. I doubt she thought I was successful, but I did wait to the fireroad to get around her.
This gave Dominique Desmont from Danbury Audi the opportunity to get right on my tail. I felt a sense of doom. He was on a geared full suspension bike going into the section that Craig and John had consistently put time into me. But the frustration of the chain drop had lit a fire in me. On some of the hairier descents I'd hear his bike clanking behind me and I waited for the inevitable. On the gradual climb I caught Matt from NBX. There is one short road section before the last climb of the course. If I can get to the climb, I'm home free.
I take a peak behind me as I reach the road and I don't see Dominique, but I do see Mike Kelly ahead. If by some miracle I can get near him by the climb I might have a chance of pipping him at the line...
Anti climactic ending; I don't catch Mike and Dominique doesn't catch me, although he had a similar scheme in his head.
So how'd I do? 12 of 33. If you were to cross reference my time with the SS (of course I did!) I would have been third in that class (a distant third), which had swelled to 13 riders after I registered for the 40-49.
Gear choice was good, and the conditions couldn't be better.
Now about the chain. I hate to abandon the pretty cranks, but the problem started when they went on. Monte gave me some suggestion on EBB setup and chain tension to try, but I just might go back to tried and true.
Fearless Leader suggested I try racing gears...
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