Bike Ride 33 - Dreams of ‘The Rookie’

After a busy week last week due to my wife’s surgery, it was about time I got back on the bike and re-started my fitness program. I should have re-started yesterday morning but with only about an hour of sleep Sunday night I was in no condition to ride a bicycle. That would have been suicide.

Because I basically had to trash my cycling plans last week I’m performing week three of my fitness program this week. That means I’ll be riding 3 workdays at 13 miles each and a 30 mile ride on Saturday. I Shouldn’t have any problems with that at all. Especially after having a week off the bike.

As usual for my weekday bike rides, the alarm was going off at 5 AM, and I was rolling out of the garage by about 5:10. The weather outside was near perfect. There was a little humidity in the air but there were no clouds, no wind, and the Harvest Moon was shedding quite a bit of natural light. I hoped the pristine conditions were foreshadowing a pristine ride.

Leaving my neighborhood it was quiet out. There was much less traffic than there was back on Ride 32 but I did see a couple more cement trucks heading out to the new high school. Overall though the roads were virtually empty for me and it was nice. I always feel a little anxious when cars approach me from behind and today there was very little of that.

After a couple of miles I really began to fall into a rhythm and I noticed my speed was a little higher than normal. I was pushing the 52T like I said I would but I think the week off may have had something to do with it. Since my last ride, I had also moved my saddle forward a little bit to try and take some weight off my hands. It seemed to help my hands but I wonder if it also helped with my pedal stroke. I guess I’ll see how tomorrow’s ride goes. I really need to take my bike down to the local bike shop and have the fit checked.

Nearing the half-way point I started to notice several runners I hadn’t seen before. I do see a few over near my house but I’m usually the only person out-and-about near my turnaround point. All told I saw about six runners today and one other cyclist. I saw the bike rider on my home stretch and I’m not sure if he saw me wave. If you’re reading my blog, “Hey!”

Today’s ride was great. I felt refreshed the entire time and had no after-effects from taking a week off. I road my 13 miles in 51 minutes today.

So, why were there dreams of the movie ‘The Rookie’? If you don’t remember the movie, it’s the one where Dennis Quaid plays a high school baseball coach who makes a bet with his team. The bet was that if the team wins the district championship he would try out for a major league team. Well, the team wins and he has to try out. Before he does, though, he’s driving down the road at night and comes upon one of those portable speed display systems that let you know how fast you’re driving. Police usually put these in places as a deterrent to get people to slow down. Anyway, he decided to throw his fastball by it to see how fast it is and if he’s fixing to make a fool out of himself at the tryout. He throws a ball and it registers 68 mph on the digital readout. He’s obviously disappointed and goes to pick up the ball. What he doesn’t see is the display tick up to 98 mph after he walks by.

Well, they had one of these gadgets placed on the long straightaway leading away from my neighborhood. I see it and wonder if it’ll pick me up on the bike. I hunker down (that means getting about as aerodynamic as a brick) and press on. I get within a couple hundred feet and it registers 16 mph. As I get close it flickers to 17..15..16..15..17..16. I go by the radar wondering if it was having a hard time tracking me and it was actually trying to read out 26 mph. I look down at my computer and it says 16.2 mph. I guess I’m not as fortunate as The Rookie and won’t go home and find a message from Garmin-Chipotle on my voice mail. Oh well. You gotta have dreams right?

Sunday Wrap-up

Those of you who read my feed or drop into the blog on a regular basis know that I’ve only had a couple of updates this week. That wasn’t by design but life does get in the way. My wife had a surgery this week to correct a problem in both joints in her jaw. She was expected to be in the hospital for three days but it turned out to be only one. That was a good thing. Once home, though, she was still in a lot of pain and being there for her has to take priority over anything I do. Because of that I have found zero time to ride this week except for a ride on Tuesday. I also posted an article on what you should carry in your seat bag that I’ve been working on for a while and only needed some polishing before it was ready to publish. So, that’s about all that’s gone on in my life but there’s still plenty of other biking news. Here’s some of the highlights:

1. Lance Armstrong. Unless you are living under a rock you’ve probably heard about this. There’s been a lot of positive and negative feedback on his decision to return to professional cycling in 2009 and I find myself undecided. Part of me is very happy to see him return because I think the sport needs him. I want him back because he was the one of the first cyclists I remember following. Another part of me doesn’t want to see him ruin the perfect retirement he orchestrated after winning his 7th consecutive Tour de France. Too many other athletes have retired and then decided to make a comeback tour only to leave the sport disgraced or disappointed. I don’t want Lance to do that. I also see another side of his comeback as well. His efforts in the area of cancer awareness and fund raising are legendary and is the main point in his video over on his website. Lots of speculation has been made as to which team he will join. He says he won’t be racing for money, which is admirable, and may make it easier for teams to sign him. Which of the teams will want to make a spot for him though? Only time will tell. I hope it will be one of the American-based squads of Garmin-Chipotle or Team Columbia. I wonder if he’ll ride in a LiveStrong kit? I’d be interested in hearing my readers thoughts on Lance’s return.

2. Mark Cavendish. Can anyone match this guy in a sprint? I think not. Foregoing his native Tour of Britain, he’s been participating in the Tour of Missouri this past week and has won three stages so far. That puts his yearly wins at 15. The man is a monster in the final 1 Km. A big head-nod has to go out to his teammates though because they are the ones positioning him for all these sprint finishes. They maintain such a high pace in the last couple of kilometers that the other teams have a hard time keeping near the front. Mark is always a class-act after the race when he goes to each of his teammates and thanks them for the work they did. I think we’re seeing the birth of the sprinter to beat over the next several years. Maybe we should just call him Speed Racer.

3. 331 Miles LIVESTRONG Challenge. Jeff Contreras of 331 Miles is participating in the 2008 Austin LIVESTRONG Challenge and needs your help in raising money for cancer awareness. He has a fund raising goal of $1,000 and is already more than 25% there. Do what you can to help out. Every little bit helps. You can donate to Jeff’s fund raiser by clicking here.

4. Team Climb On! MS Bike Tour. Arlyn Asch, owner of Adventures On a Bike and member of Team Climb On!, is participating in the 2008 Bay to Bay MS 150 next month. Team Climb On raised over $22,000 last year and have raised over $13,000 so far this year. The riders are doing what they can to get in shape for the 150 mile ride but need your help in reaching their fund raising goals. Here’s the link to make a tax deductible donation: http://www.biketofinishms.com/arlynasch. What I want to know is how to get one of this awesome looking Team Climb On jerseys.

The first two items are big news in the bicycling world while the later two are just as important and deserve recognition as well. I’m hoping that next year I’ll be in shape enough to be able to ride in some of these fund raising/charity events as well. These guys set a good example for all of us.

Home from Gainesville

Our stay down in Gainesville was much shorter than anticipated. My wife’s surgery went great and she’s back at home recovering. To be fully recovered takes 6-9 months and she’s limited to soft food right now with scrambled eggs being about the limit. I didn’t get to ride down in Gainesville but did prefer the route I was going to ride and am sorry I didn’t get to. It looked to be a nice route. I’m glad to be back home though.

The Bicycle Seat Bag - What should you carry in it?

The bicycle seat bag. It’s that small package of assurance that we keep tucked under our saddle. It sits under our rears, ignored and neglected until we need it. When we do need it we wonder if we restocked it the last time we used it. You’ll find quite a few articles around the Internet about the bike seat bag and what bicycle accessories need to be in it. These articles are always popular and get a lot of feedback because everyone has their own preference of what should be stowed in their seat bag. Just like everyone else, I have my preferences too. I think this article will be a benefit to anyone just starting in bicycling, or returning to the sport after a long layoff (just like me), or the enthusiast who has been riding everyday. Regardless of your experience, I think you’ll find the info below useful.

So, what needs to be in that seat bag? There’s quite a few things you can carry in your saddle bag but I think there’s a core list of essential items every cyclist needs. They are:

Patch Kit. You’ll find both glue and glueless patch kits. Which one to use is a topic all by itself but I believe most people use the glue patch kits because of their durability. I’m not sure it really matters which kind you have as long as you have one. They take up very little room in your seat bag and you will need it at some point.

Spare Tube. Some of you may ask, “Why carry a spare tube when I have a patch kit?” After hearing advice from other riders, and my experience back on Ride 21 and 1/3 I carry a spare tube now. I carry the spare tube because, if I do get a flat, it’s much easier to just put the new tube in rather than try and patch the old one. Especially if it’s dark outside. I carry the patch kit in the event my spare tube flats. I also carry the spare tube so I can give it to another cyclist if they need it. I did this back on Ride 28. If you give your spare tube away you’ll need the patch kit if you get a flat.
Tire Irons. You could probably change a flat without them but why take the chance? You only need two to do the job right and they take up a small amount of space in your seat bag. A lot of times, you can buy a patch kit that comes with a set of nylon tire irons like the Park set to the left.
CO2 Inflator. I carry one of these so it’s in my seat bag. If you want to carry a frame pump then you don’t need one. You’ll easily find bicycle riders who do either one and some that do both. I like CO2 because of it’s ease of use and because I’ve never liked frame pumps. Your experience and desires may vary. Just make sure you have at least one method to fill up that tube when you flat 10 miles from nowhere.

Presta-Schrader Adapter.. I don’t actually carry this in my seat bag but leave it installed on one of my wheels. If you’re using your own pump, or inflator, then you probably won’t need one of these. But, if you find yourself having to borrow someone elses gear/tools, or needing to use a service station air compressor, you’ll probably need one. Better to be safe than sorry. If you are a CO2 inflator user, you can find inflators that work on both Presta and Schrader valves like the Genuine Innovations Ultraflate 2 shown to the right.

Have you noticed a trend up to this point? All five items above are directly related to fixing a flat while out on the road. The flat is probably the most common problem you can/will experience while bicycling so you need to be prepared for it. The list continues:

Multi-Tool. The mini-tool is a compact set of allen wrenches and screw drivers that are usually hinged together to save room. You’ll need one of these for any minor work you need to perform while out riding. Work like adjusting your brake pads, derailleur, or pedals. There are many different kinds available with all kinds of options ranging from six function compact tools to more robust 27 function models with integrated chain tools. Finding one you like is usually a matter of personal preference.
Money. You should always carry a little bit of money in your seat bag for emergencies. Make sure you have at least a dollars worth of quarters for the air compressor machines at the corner gas station. I learned this the hard way back on Ride 21 and 1/3. A dollar bill can also function as a boot in the event of a cut tire. Just fold it up, place it on the inside of the tire, and it’ll keep the tube from bulging out when you pressurize it.


Identification. Should you be involved in an accident it will help if you have some kind of identification on you. The easiest thing to do is to put your license in your seat bag before departing for a ride. Some riders make up an information sheet that they keep in their seat bag permanently. Another very good option is to invest in a Road ID from www.RoadID.com. The RoadID is available in either a wrist or ankle option and can be engraved to display the information you want first responders to see in the event you are in an accident.

Cell Phone. I’m not a huge fan of cell phones. They are convenient but I hate the intrusiveness they can have. While out on a ride, though, they can be very valuable. I’ve had to use mine to call for a ride as I’m sure others have as well. They also provide another way for emergency personnel to identify who you are. Nothing says you can’t set it on silent or vibrate while your riding so it doesn’t bother you or others who may be in your group.

There you have it. The items above are what I feel are essential items you need to have in your seat bag. If you have them you’ll be prepared for your next ride and be able to make it home. I’m sure many of you will have your own opinions on what should be in your seat bag so I welcome your comments.

Bike Ride 32 - Where did all this traffic come from?

The word for this mornings ride is “traffic.” I could not believe how much traffic there was. During my normal ride time from 5:15 to 6:15 AM there is usually very little traffic at the start with it gradually building towards the end. This morning it was shear chaos from the start. I began to wonder if I had missed something in the news of if I had accidentally overslept and didn’t realize it. There were cars making turns into and out of places there were way out of the ordinary. A new high school is being built a few miles down the road and they must have had a big concrete pour going on because I must have seen at least 8 concrete trucks. Needless to say, my head was on a swivel this morning. It just didn’t feel right.

I started off as usual by rolling out of the garage at about 5:15. The sky was partly cloudy and dark. I believe I actually felt a couple of sprinkles. On my way down the driveway I had to stop and admire my lawn. I mowed it yesterday after I got home from work and I always love the look of a freshly mowed yard. After patting myself on the back I rolled out the driveway.

Just like Saturday’s ride, I started in the big chain ring and stayed there the entire ride. I feel like I’m already accustomed to riding in it so there’s no going back now. Maybe it’s a manly thing. Anyway, I was still working on my 500 mile base fitness so I wanted to take it somewhat easy today and not push it too hard. I felt really good though after warming up. I was able to maintain a good 13-14 mph average speed with no problems at all. A couple of times I found myself riding a little faster than that and had to reign myself back in. With the humidity that was already building I worked up a good sweat though which felt great.

I saw a few runners this morning (mainly on my return trip) and one other bicyclist. The bike rider I saw about 5 minutes into my ride and he looked like he might be a commuter. He was going the opposite direction of me and I barely saw him. He was on a hybrid wearing dark shorts, a dark shirt, no helmet, and no lights. Talk about suicidal.

Anyway, that’s about it. Today’s ride was 13 miles in 56 minutes. With me heading out of town tomorrow morning I’m not sure I’m going to be able to ride tomorrow or not. I plan on taking my bike with me on my trip to Gainesville so I can still get my rides in. We’ll just have to see how things go with my wife and her surgery.

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