tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40484960413704173012024-03-13T21:43:26.765-07:00Pedaling ZenCopyright © 2008-2023Grey Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238917041257429804noreply@blogger.comBlogger315125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-86897044652278841422022-04-24T07:57:00.012-07:002024-02-23T19:51:13.417-08:00Calf-Tear Update: 13Yrs Later<p>I remember being very surprised when I Googled "Calf Tear" back in 2009 when <a href="https://pedalingzen.blogspot.com/2009/10/torn-from-my-sport.html " target="_blank">this happened to me,</a> and there were no good images on the web to show how the wound might look and progress over time, so I had the presence of mind to do that for the World. The last 10yr or so I noticed more than a few podiatrists and sports physicians have linked my blog post, and in some cases stolen my photos (that's OK, my goal was to help people who were freaked out they had a serious injury and wanted to know how bad it was going to be), so that's probably why it's my most viewed post.</p><p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wW7bwiZSHkU/SuT3FKB0d-I/AAAAAAAAAfU/yXUDtAJ6yAo/s1280/IMG_1256_2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wW7bwiZSHkU/SuT3FKB0d-I/AAAAAAAAAfU/yXUDtAJ6yAo/s320/IMG_1256_2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>I thought it might also be nice to give people the benefit of long experience and report on the long-term effects of this injury, so happy to report it isn't an issue at all anymore. </p><p>I would say the first 5yrs my calf would get sore on hard rides, not so much long rides, although it did squawk a bit after some long rides, but mostly it was the intensity of my rides that would affect it. During the Pandemic in 2020 I rode a LOT of Metric Centuries, just as a challenge, and because with so little traffic during the shut-downs I could ride in a lot of places I never could before. In May and June I did two Metric Centuries a week on many weeks (while collecting Social Security checks!), and the calf never bothered me. Oddly, my other calf, which was never injured, DID bother me. Go figure! </p><p>Also, in 2019 I put in a lot of miles, took 6 weeks off at the end of the summer, and then rode the Victor Valley Bike Tour's longest ride - 73 miles, and no problems with either calf there either. In part because of a nice tail-wind the last 18 miles of that ride I not only set a lot of PBs on that end of the course, but managed to ride an almost perfect ride, my BP being within 10% of average at every point in the ride, so extremely well paced (riding TTs is great training for taking yourself right up to your max sustainable performance and holding it), and again, no problems with either calf. </p><p>Spiking my Gatorade with Nunn, Emergen-C, taking Co-Q10, and Pterostilbene while on the ride was a great help in maintaining that pace. Pacing was, of course, also very important, as the course hit every hill in this area. You have to stay within yourself, whatever pace that turns out to be in wind and hills. It wasn't an issue for this ride, as I had taken such a long break beforehand, but for fast recoveries, like multiple Metrics in a week, Muscle Milk is a HUGE benefit. My muscles use to ache for days, especially quads, but that's gone in under an hour with MM. The Nunn sodium supplement is a big help as our only calm wind months are June, July & August, and by noon temps are well over 100, often approaching 120F, so cramping and heat-stroke are always threatening.<br /></p><p>Bottom line, even while pushing my cardio and endurance to the max, and probably beyond if not for a lot of nutrition and supplement tweaking, my calf has never been a problem since I took up riding again in late 2017 after a 3yr hiatus, so if you've just sustained a calf injury this should be good news. My only advice beyond what I said in my original post in 2009 is be very, very careful to not re-injure the calf while it's mending, and go easy on it when you start retraining after. </p><p>Cheers!<br /></p>Grey Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238917041257429804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-51957385014413548672022-04-04T08:49:00.002-07:002022-04-04T08:49:59.383-07:00Saving Money on Gatorade in Bulk<p> I'm always looking for ways to save money on my cycling habit, and recently discovered that while my old stand-by 51oz canister of powdered Gatorade is getting hard to find and expensive, it's because there's a new 76oz size that ROCKS! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcS6duWWNayOcBWG2RE5Zzz7Rj87euiak8N8RN8Y2H9lY3KU5IJmzfb_YNSK1hSpiendHgx8WWS5JUSX3r3QQUExyQm4zPRoWikfLyVS6YLduuUFDXwcoD79Oo97Mhub9Gm0Mv2ZBvKBibksd9KCNut4Oyzp6fiwPrKII_c0LH5oBs6QlarxlSByQf/s1500/81rkSJk13wL._SL1500_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcS6duWWNayOcBWG2RE5Zzz7Rj87euiak8N8RN8Y2H9lY3KU5IJmzfb_YNSK1hSpiendHgx8WWS5JUSX3r3QQUExyQm4zPRoWikfLyVS6YLduuUFDXwcoD79Oo97Mhub9Gm0Mv2ZBvKBibksd9KCNut4Oyzp6fiwPrKII_c0LH5oBs6QlarxlSByQf/s320/81rkSJk13wL._SL1500_.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Yes, I still spike it with Emergn-C to make a very tasty Fruit Punch and Raspberry ride fuel and electrolyte foundation for my rides, but it just costs less now. A reminder. The powdered Gatorade has no high-fructose corn syrup. They use sugar and glucose instead. <br /></p><p><br /></p>Grey Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238917041257429804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-33634184954313277742021-11-08T19:01:00.012-08:002021-11-18T07:01:00.067-08:00Maximizing Summer-End Sales<p>At this time of year there are a lot of tire and summer clothing sales that can save you a bundle, but how to you keep those tires and shorts fresh & new? The short answer is to keep them sealed off from unlimited free oxygen they'll be exposed to unless sealed in an airtight wrapping, bag, or container - or better yet - all of the above.</p><p> <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XHrTbtlH9XA/YYnhOalDTRI/AAAAAAAACW0/TLUvgi_4O0s_-UZYHC-zoc6T3UutroUPwCLcBGAsYHQ/s444/Capture.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="370" data-original-width="444" height="334" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XHrTbtlH9XA/YYnhOalDTRI/AAAAAAAACW0/TLUvgi_4O0s_-UZYHC-zoc6T3UutroUPwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h334/Capture.JPG" width="400" /></a></div> <p></p><p>I stocked up on a bunch of tires in 2020, not wanting to run out due to COVID shortages, and usually just wrap each Conti GP5KTL in two layers of grocery bags, tape them shut with shipping tape, put them in a big plastic garbage bag, and stick them in the back of the closet where it's dark and cool. </p><p>However, I was in the process of moving early this year and wanted a airtight box to store dog food, as it goes rancid fast if left exposed to all the free oxygen in ambient air. Not able to find what I was looking for, I found Husky airtight storage boxes at Home Depot instead, and thought the 5 lb box was going to be a lot more flexible than the RX I got from a friend. </p><p>Turns out putting the 37 lb bag in the bottom of my refrigerator worked even better at keeping my dog's food fresh and affordable (about 60% per pound as the price of a 6lb bag), so the Husky storage box got repurposed as my tire vault, and does a GREAT job. The gasket keeps air from getting into the box all day long, everyday, and that keeps new tires pristine. Yes, I still wrap them in double plastic bags too, because those tires are tough and it may take 2-3yrs before I use the last of them.<br /></p><p>I learned this trick by accidentally storing my SCUBA first stage regulator in a plastic bag inside a pretty airtight suitcase whose empty space was taken up by down sleeping bags packed in tight by sitting on the suitcase so I could get it to latch. 10yrs later I took the regulator to a SCUBA shop and had it rebuilt as I was taking up the sport again. The technician asked me how I had stored it, as he had never seen so little oxidation of the seals in a regulator before. By law, he was required to replace the parts anyway, but pointed out how pristine they were when I picked up my gear. </p><p>Lesson learned, I have been packing my rubber bits in airtight containers ever since. While jerseys are pretty robust against oxidation, chamios are NOT, and neither is the latex-based Spandex that provides the compression that gives them support and keeps the chamios between you and the seat. High tech rain-gear is also sensitive to oxidation, so it should get packed in an airtight container as well.<br /></p><p>The Husky box has lots of uses, and if you decide to get more, they stack, and stack with other Husky boxes in a way that really locks them together. Here's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4CEXNo8NJ8" target="_blank">a nice review of the product</a>, now go snag yourself a nice bit of rain gear and store it in one of these when summer comes around so it will be fresh and new next winter.</p><p>Cheers! </p><p><br /></p>Grey Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238917041257429804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-82070367960519882142021-08-25T14:45:00.005-07:002021-09-11T10:51:15.193-07:00Conti GP5k TL: Dead of Natural Causes<p>As documented in my post <a href="https://pedalingzen.blogspot.com/2021/01/continental-gp5000-tl-sealant-refresh.html" target="_blank">on Jan 27th</a>, I added a full wack of sealant to my front 25mm Conti GP5k TLs, which was only ~ 600 miles ago, as I now have a dog, and have spent early mornings out walking her instead of riding, but still, these tires were put on almost 18 months ago, so they have a LOT of miles on them. <br /></p><p> I was out riding when I noticed a bubble in my sidewall, which seriously pissed me off because I didn't realize how old the tires were. When I was taking this pic with my phone I thought to check the wear dimples. GONE! Still, it's worth mentioning here that this is the death I expect from any Conti tire, as sidewalls are Conti's perpetual weakness. Not sure why. They seem to have an institutional blind-spot about the importance, or perhaps, the performance of their sidewalls. </p><p>That said, after all the glass and thorns and goat-heads, it was nice to FINALLY wear out a front tire. (I wore out a back 28mm in 2019. I never did a thing to it except air it up before rides. I just rode it and rode it and rode it until it had a fat chicken-strip down the middle and the wear dimples were gone. Sweet!) I did cut my ride short by 5mi just to be on the safe side, and I am surprised the sidewall seems to have a separate rubber liner that almost looks like an inner-tube here. <br /></p><p>This is the front wheel with a big ding in the brake-track I got from hitting a rock in the far edge of a pothole and therefore, didn't want to put a new tire on it. The thing is, I just HATE radially laced wheels now, or maybe it's just that custom, hand-built wheels are so much better, but after trying to ride the OEM wheels on my Pinarello I shrugged and went back to my Chris King R45 + Easton + DT Swiss Aerolite with 2X cross spoking as the effect on braking was minimal except at very low speeds, when it pulses a bit. </p><p>I've put another Conti GP5k TL 25mm on the wheel and am looking forward to riding again in the mornings now that temps are not melting the asphalt mid-day anymore. Anyone want to walk my dog for me? She's a real sweetheart and fast as a blur when off-leash!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9S_r3Ctn7pk/YTzsZiWIv0I/AAAAAAAACVk/JwvXmHtEj1gN2MymGWoeDamRuH3rTAA0gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/IMG_20210613_164452.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9S_r3Ctn7pk/YTzsZiWIv0I/AAAAAAAACVk/JwvXmHtEj1gN2MymGWoeDamRuH3rTAA0gCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h225/IMG_20210613_164452.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Here's a pic showing the sidewall failure</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CjiOAst7Dzk/YSBFrTHfQQI/AAAAAAAACU8/Mx7BZpJoP1c5lK7rgU80L3-HaJeswX1YACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_20210717_094137556.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CjiOAst7Dzk/YSBFrTHfQQI/AAAAAAAACU8/Mx7BZpJoP1c5lK7rgU80L3-HaJeswX1YACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_20210717_094137556.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Grey Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238917041257429804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-33358231455463196052021-07-27T07:38:00.006-07:002021-07-28T18:44:18.487-07:00Keeping Cool in the Shadow of Old Italians<p>In the high desert here north of LA, this time of year we ride very early in the morning when the air is still hopefully cool, but it's also rather humid, and DEAD CALM. The dead calm is a welcome change from incessant winds, usually in the afternoon this time of year, but all day long during spring, fall and to a lessor extent, winter. </p><p>The calm does have a downside though, and it can be very uncomfortable, or in extreme cases maybe even life-threatening. This because if you climb a long hill or otherwise really exert yourself, making a sustained push into Zone 5, when you get to the top of the hill or end of the Strava Segment and pull over to catch your breath and hydrate you can actually get even HOTTER. </p><p>With the high morning humidity in the 60-70% range, stopping means no wind, and probably no shade either. Even in the shade though, the lack of any breeze means your body's evaporation cooling system doesn't work, and your core temp can soar. I've been more aware of this lately bc I now have a short-haired dog I walk ever morning, and dogs don't sweat, they cool themselves by panting and evaporating moisture off their nose and mouth, and by standing broadside to any wind. </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J9ok7DwJIpA/YQAX9vlLDSI/AAAAAAAACSc/c10D1dUPlh8CTdLed6bfTaNB5H2JFS6LQCLcBGAsYHQ/s800/800px-Venturi5.svg.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="800" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J9ok7DwJIpA/YQAX9vlLDSI/AAAAAAAACSc/c10D1dUPlh8CTdLed6bfTaNB5H2JFS6LQCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h225/800px-Venturi5.svg.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>There is often a solution to this still air however, and it was discovered by the Italian physicist <a href="https://www.inox-fer.com/en/venturi-effect/" target="_blank">Giovanni Battista Venturi</a> and published in 1796.</p><p>The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venturi_effect#Compensation_for_temperature,_pressure,_and_mass" target="_blank">Venturi Effect</a> states that when the flow of air is constricted two things happen.</p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>The air speeds up</li><li>The pressure of the air decreases by a commensurate amount</li></ol><p>We're obviously interested in the first, but the second effect is what makes the carburetor in a car operate as the low pressure draws gasoline into the air-stream, effectively creating an optimal fuel air mixture. So how do you get a restricted airflow while on a ride? Usually by getting between two buildings, fences, or occasionally a large stand of trees like Cyprus Trees that grow straight up like walls.</p><p>It's really striking how much of a difference this can make, especially since energy = mass * velocity squared. That extra velocity means a lot more work is getting done and those beads of sweat will soon be gone and your discomfort with it. <br /></p><p>As a pilot I feel compelled to point out the Venturi Effect is also responsible for the fog that forms on the tops of wings when aircraft pull high Gs. This is because the wing's topside is curved, while its bottom side is flat, so the air is accelerated along the topside, lowering the pressure and with it the temp of the air. When the air temp drops, especially in humid conditions, water-vapor becomes visible. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oYZ41PNJE4M/YQAZuFrTzsI/AAAAAAAACSk/v-fYtOvItrkdoYrbZ2nCEpVG1RhkK_KqwCLcBGAsYHQ/s736/p2z5xerga4iz.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="673" data-original-width="736" height="366" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oYZ41PNJE4M/YQAZuFrTzsI/AAAAAAAACSk/v-fYtOvItrkdoYrbZ2nCEpVG1RhkK_KqwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h366/p2z5xerga4iz.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>There, now you have something to contemplate while out riding, and a way to stay cool in still & humid conditions, plus, doesn't this image just look cool? BTW, wanna guess why your CO2 cartridge gets so cold when you use it? :)<br /></p><p><br /></p>Grey Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238917041257429804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-86845242354272188212021-07-16T18:35:00.005-07:002021-07-16T20:37:16.723-07:00Upgrade Your Water Bottle Now!<p> I often start my rides with temps in the 70s or 80s, but they end in the 100s, so I have learned from experience the tremendous difference between <a href="https://www.rei.com/rei-garage/product/198664/camelbak-podium-ice-insulated-water-bottle-21-fl-oz?CAWELAID=120217890011766772&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=113574780693&CATCI=pla-57313151668&cm_mmc=PLA_Google%7C21700000001700551_1986640001%7C92700059128275809%7CNB%7C71700000076895243&gclid=CjwKCAjw3MSHBhB3EiwAxcaEu-E_srp1Z2FpDiXIMsMVoNMtuDPQSbGR57dvMNQqfAQMqi5OmLDAvxoCauoQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank">CamelBak's Podium Ice</a> and all other bottles. Seriously, the Podium Chill aren't worth the water they displace, because you could pack the bottle with ice, fill with water, and the loss in volume when the ice melts is less than the 3-4oz you lose to thicker insulation in the Podium Ice. </p><p>Bottom Line: It's Podium Ice or warm Gatorade.</p><p>So why the "News-Flash"?, because the small silicone cap on the inside of the lid has been flagged as a choking hazard, so these (and all other CamelBak) bottles are now on sale for<a href="https://www.als.com/camel-bottle-podium-ice/p" target="_blank"> up to $11 off</a>, making these wonderful, but expensive<a href="https://www.camelbak.com/recreation/bottles/sports/CB-1872.html" target="_blank"> $26 bottles</a> a once in a lifetime bargain. Oh, and if you're one of the few people left on Earth who still use a Polar Bottle, for God's sake upgrade your gear!</p><p>I have two stations for water bottles on my Pinarello. The Red one on the down-tube is for Gatorade, and the Blue one on the seat-tube is for water. I actually prefer the pale blue one, but this one is more distinctive, so a better illustration. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yiE5PBlgWew/YPIsIIPRnMI/AAAAAAAACR0/0sJBKW6K-uMrLRApU07yVpF2RfOjmeOQQCLcBGAsYHQ/s600/Screenshot%2B2021-07-16%2Bat%2B17-59-26%2BCamelBak%2BPodium%2BIce%2BWater%2BBottle%2B-%2BAls%2Bcom%2BEvery%2BSport%2BEvery%2BSeason%2B.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="258" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yiE5PBlgWew/YPIsIIPRnMI/AAAAAAAACR0/0sJBKW6K-uMrLRApU07yVpF2RfOjmeOQQCLcBGAsYHQ/w173-h400/Screenshot%2B2021-07-16%2Bat%2B17-59-26%2BCamelBak%2BPodium%2BIce%2BWater%2BBottle%2B-%2BAls%2Bcom%2BEvery%2BSport%2BEvery%2BSeason%2B.png" width="173" /></a></div><p></p><p>I have quite a specific management protocol for hydration using these bottles, as I live in the high desert and it's very hot and dry here. </p><p>The Gatorade bottle gets filled about half full of the crescent shaped ice my ice maker supplies, but I make the Gatorade from powder and water that sits overnight in the coldest spot in my refrigerator, so it's usually partially frozen. I add Emergen-C powder to the Gatorade powder, pour in the quasi-frozen water and shake. I then put the entire bottle in the freezer while I dress & shower. The insulation prevents the mixture from freezing and ruining the bottle, which it ABSOLUTELY will do! </p><p>The pure water bottle is packed with ice. If you have crushed ice, use it. Whatever ice you use, don't add any cold-wicking water to the bottle until you absolutely have to while out riding. Solid ice has very little contact surface with the walls of the bottle, so it will last a lot longer if you don't fill it with water. I can fit a Zefal Magnum water bottle on the seat-tube, which is where my pure water goes. It's a great option, filled with ice, if you only have warm tap water to refill with on your ride. Its much larger size makes it a better option than the Podium Chill bottles bc it holds so much more ice. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HTGJlg_6bqs/YPIzb0zjYLI/AAAAAAAACR8/Hg85dLdnS8szshlg5BxmEBRgWqhaeJ72QCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/65496f03-6d5c-46b8-a571-1dbc0eb366c1_1.10fb2d0299284529fe369948fb192a46.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HTGJlg_6bqs/YPIzb0zjYLI/AAAAAAAACR8/Hg85dLdnS8szshlg5BxmEBRgWqhaeJ72QCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h400/65496f03-6d5c-46b8-a571-1dbc0eb366c1_1.10fb2d0299284529fe369948fb192a46.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p>When you need more Gatorade, take the cap off and hold it in your mouth, the same one you're going to be drinking with, and WITHOUT taking the lid off the bottle holding melted ice, squirt the very cold water into your Gatorade bottle. Replace the cap you've been holding in your mouth. NEVER take the lid off of both bottles at the same time as an unlucky gesture like trying to keep your bike from falling over, sliding, etc. leaves ALL of your fluids dumped into the sand. This could be fatal, or at least life-threatening (probably not, but it's a very, very bad feeling to see all your hydration spilled on the ground). </p><p>When you have an opportunity, fill the bottle with ice and melted water with the coldest water you can find, and repeat the process to make more Gatorade. This is the ONLY time the lid should come off of your water bearing bottle, and only when the lid is on and tightly shut on your Gatorade bottle. The idea is to sacrifice cold water for cold Gatorade bc warm Gatorade sucks, and doesn't do anything to cool you off that just sweating would. Try to keep the bottle for water only ice by topping up your Gatorade bottle. </p><p>When you get to the end of your ride they won't be enough ice left to chill a full bottle, so try to judge how much water you can add and still end up with cold Gatorade when you use it to make Gatorade in your front bottle. I often can only top up my Gatorade bottle with chilled water at this point, and have to fill my water bearing bottle with warm water, but that's still a great problem to have after 4-5hrs of riding in 90-115F heat.</p><p><br /></p><p>PS: If you just have to have pure water along from the start, consider buying an ice-cube tray that makes <a href="https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/upgrade-your-cold-drink-game-this-summer-with-big-ice-cubes-article" target="_blank">giant ice-cubes</a> - <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Large-Silicone-Kitch-Giant-Cooled/dp/B013KZE0YI" target="_blank">like 2" squares</a>. Walmart sells them and so do others. The larger the cube the longer it takes to melt into the water that's in contact with the walls of the bottle. It works, but it's a PITA to work with giant ice-cubes. <br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Grey Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238917041257429804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-14676481824246793482021-06-10T11:37:00.016-07:002021-06-18T10:08:39.379-07:00New Phone, Old Charger/s<p> Last year I did a post on my portable power station <a href="https://pedalingzen.blogspot.com/2020/05/liars-and-lumens.html" target="_blank">here (scroll to bottom half of post</a>), and I'm thrilled to report the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B081169QBS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">Yilon AC Charger's</a> USC-C port will fast charge my new Motorola Moto G7 Plus as fast as the charger that came with the phone - full up in ~ 30min. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q2hg7Lb8rA4/YMJg2q6m4YI/AAAAAAAACMs/4DoVuw1EK4MDNpHXnSdlYRpwRuqcJRW-ACLcBGAsYHQ/s557/Screenshot%2B2021-06-10%2Bat%2B11-58-12%2BAmazon%2Bcom%2BYILON%2BUltar-Slim%2BFast%2BPlug%2BUSB%2Bc%2BFast%2BCharger%2B18w%2B2%2BPor%2BPD%2BCharger%2BPortable%2BTr%255B...%255D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="486" data-original-width="557" height="349" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q2hg7Lb8rA4/YMJg2q6m4YI/AAAAAAAACMs/4DoVuw1EK4MDNpHXnSdlYRpwRuqcJRW-ACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h349/Screenshot%2B2021-06-10%2Bat%2B11-58-12%2BAmazon%2Bcom%2BYILON%2BUltar-Slim%2BFast%2BPlug%2BUSB%2Bc%2BFast%2BCharger%2B18w%2B2%2BPor%2BPD%2BCharger%2BPortable%2BTr%255B...%255D.png" width="400" /></a></div><p> </p><p>After waiting 18 months I finally snagged this $325 (original price) phone for $120 unlocked at Best Buys ($65 with an AT&T contract). As it doesn't support CDMA I switched to the virtual carrier RedPocket, which is buying time from T-Mobile, the carrier providing the cell service. My pre-paid (no contract) RedPocket service is unlimited talk, text and 1G of data <a href="https://www.redpocket.com/specialoffers?utm_source=planspage&utm_content=banner" target="_blank">for ten bucks</a>. Yup, you read that right, $10/mo! I transferred my phone number and while RedPocket warned it would take 2 days to 2 weeks, Verizon had it done in ~ 2 seconds. Nice!<br /></p><p></p><p>Unfortunately, the LIPO battery-based chargers I bought will NOT fast charge my phone, or anything else, because while they can charge it, they can't speed charge it, so it takes hours. Thus I'm now looking for such a battery-based speed charger. </p><p>You may recall I bought two separate devices is because I want the AC charger to be able to charge all of the stuff on my bike AND the LIPO charger's battery AT THE SAME TIME, so when I have access to an AC outlet I can charge my devices and my portable charger. This allows me to ride all day if I want with only one AC outlet on hand. </p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08LH26PFT/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A294P4X9EWVXLJ&psc=1" target="_blank">This Anker 10k MAh Power Bank </a>comes close, but as you can see, it takes over 4hrs to fully recharge. My phone wouldn't take the whole 10k, as its battery is only 3k, but it would probably take 4k (a lossy process) and even if just topping off, this Anker would take over an hour. I'd much rather have a 5k unit that fully recharges in 30 min from the Yilon AC charger I already have, so I will keep looking, but if you're training for a Double Century or a long cross country tour, 10k might be nice, and maybe even something bigger like a 25k MAh. Note that with this Anker you'd need a 3:1 "Y" splitter cable, and 4-5 would be better, for charging low-power bike stuff, saving the C-to-C speed charging port for your phone. Amazon seems to be churning them out like hot cakes. <br /></p><p>Just a heads-up. When the sun starts to set and you're still not "there", this stuff all becomes a LOT more important. You need those lights to work all day in Day-Flash mode to keep you safe, at night to see and be seen, and to phone home to give loved ones a new ETA and status report. <br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r7wDDHWRkYg/YMJa5cUouGI/AAAAAAAACMk/L6fu6CseyB8saSlTa4iam9wOfZTUkpg2QCLcBGAsYHQ/s568/Screenshot%2B2021-06-10%2Bat%2B11-27-01%2BAnker%2BPower%2BBank%252C%2BUSB-C%2BPortable%2BCharger%2B10000mAh%2Bwith%2B20W%2BPower%2BDelivery%252C%2BPowerCore%2BSlim%255B...%255D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="568" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r7wDDHWRkYg/YMJa5cUouGI/AAAAAAAACMk/L6fu6CseyB8saSlTa4iam9wOfZTUkpg2QCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h400/Screenshot%2B2021-06-10%2Bat%2B11-27-01%2BAnker%2BPower%2BBank%252C%2BUSB-C%2BPortable%2BCharger%2B10000mAh%2Bwith%2B20W%2BPower%2BDelivery%252C%2BPowerCore%2BSlim%255B...%255D.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><b>NOTE:</b> I originally tried to go with a $15 T-Mobile plan directly (not via RedPocket), made an appointment at the local store, and then sat there for 20 minutes while they fiddled with their system until finally reporting the required website was down and they couldn't do anything useful for me, directing me to the Target store across the parking lot. Driving home I decided there's no point in having local "support" that can't get anything useful done for me, and decided putting in my own SIM card couldn't be THAT difficult. It wasn't. I had to wait 2 days for USPS delivery for the SIM card, but everything went smoothly and RedPocket's online support, which was asked some pointed questions BEFORE buying the service, was pretty good. RedPocket has plans as low as <a href="https://www.redpocket.com/plans/ebay?promo_name=ebayspecialofferspage&promo_id=ebaybanner" target="_blank">$2.50 a month</a>. <br /></p>Grey Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238917041257429804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-7480876438346104272021-05-28T15:32:00.004-07:002021-05-30T06:33:49.187-07:00Air on the Side of NOT<p>I was asked this question by a friend the other day and realized I have never weighed in on this pretty basic, yet important tire maintenance question. If you don't ride for a few days/weeks should you keep airing up your tubeless tires, or just let them go flat? </p><p>Thinking about it, the answer seemed pretty obvious. Let them go flat, or fla-ish. Tires like the Conti GP5KTL, especially the first 300-500 miles, can let go of the rim if air pressure falls below 10psi, but as they age that number drops to almost zero. If you don't let the bike stand on the tires bc it/s turned upside down, or hung, that number is also probably a lot closer to zero based on turning mine upside down a few times.The greater the pressure differential, the faster the air leaks out, so the last 10psi takes 20X as long to leak out as the first 10psi. (this is true for heat too btw, where pressure is called the "heat gradient") <br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XcHT46go9gY/YLFrwUpN5WI/AAAAAAAACIo/eT25iw_WqFc_bMCjE9t5qZoBjytmLBpHQCLcBGAsYHQ/s511/Screenshot_2021-05-28%2BArticle.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="511" height="131" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XcHT46go9gY/YLFrwUpN5WI/AAAAAAAACIo/eT25iw_WqFc_bMCjE9t5qZoBjytmLBpHQCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h131/Screenshot_2021-05-28%2BArticle.png" width="400" /></a></div> <p></p><p>WHY is this an important issue? Because every time you add air it sucks up some of the liquid in the sealant, and takes it out of the tire as it escapes. Eventually you end up with dried sealant in the tire that does nothing useful. The conclusion is obvious, cycle as little air through the tire as possible so you don't dry out the sealant. This is NOT a recommendation to ride at a lower tire pressure, although I'd recommend a personal search for the lowest number, because it gives a more comfortable, puncture resistant ride, but that's not what I'm aiming at here. </p><p>Also, for those of you who are new to the sport, CO2 molecules are much smaller than air, which is a mix of gasses, and mostly nitrogen, and therefore, CO2 will leak away tire pressure much faster than air. (there's<a href="http://kybikerides.org/articles/bad_air.html" target="_blank"> also a special gas mixture</a> you can buy, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/StayFill-CO2-replacement-inflator-catridge-motorcycle/dp/B07686YWFJ" target="_blank">StayFill</a>, originally developed for fire-extinguisher systems, that will probably go for years without losing pressure if you could somehow manage not to run over thorns, nails, tacks, or glass)</p><p>It was 1yr ago on the 25th, Memorial Day 2020 that we found an abandoned dog, which we named Emma, and she's been an absolutely wonderful addition to our, and now my, household. I can't believe someone threw her away, but they did, and lucky us, we found a very scared and traumatized puppy who has grown in so many ways and become an awesome companion. What someone else didn't want, or couldn't keep, was our immense gain. </p><p>To a lessor degree, this is true of old bikes as well. If it's just sitting around gathering dust, find a good home for it and make someone very happy. Nieces, nephews, cousins, and grand-children are obvious choices. My first bike probably cost my dad $25 - back when a buck was worth a buck, but still a bargain.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Grey Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238917041257429804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-14343447764294039062021-05-11T11:09:00.001-07:002021-05-11T11:09:24.010-07:00Back in the Saddle Again<p>"Life" and very challenging weather has kept me off the bike for a bit over 2 months, but I had a nice ride on Sunday, and as expected, am feeling it today. I had a little back pain while out riding, but to my surprise, it's my calves that are killing me. Long-time readers may remember I tore my right calf badly in 2010, so in order to prevent re-injuring it, I'm taking another day off today. </p><p>I'm a little surprised because I have a dog now, and she's a working dog, so requires a lot of exercise, so it's not like I've been sedentary, but as I discovered when I tried to substitute walking for riding before, riding is just much more demanding, especially if you're riding 50-70 mile rides.</p><p>For my comeback ride, I did a little over 20 miles on pretty flat terrain and stayed nearby so if $hit happened I could get home without too much trouble. The only way to do it is to "Just Do It". Nike had that dead right. </p><p>After moving, and only partially unpacking, it took a long time to get out the door because so much of my routine was baked into putting things in "their" place, allowing me plenty of short-cuts to get out the door quickly. I assume the next ride will go a lot smoother. The weather though was finally accommodating, with the wind remaining fairly calm until noon and the pollen, at least whatever it is that has been bothering me, took the day off. <br /></p><p>I'm smiling through the pain because it's still thrilling to be propelling yourself through time & space under your own power, especially while drawing social security checks! Also, I really do love the Pinarello!<br /></p><p>Cheers!<br /></p><p><br /></p>Grey Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238917041257429804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-70253227977434492002021-04-27T15:48:00.006-07:002021-04-27T15:55:55.790-07:00Riding Without A Mask: I told you so!<p>So the scientists at CDC have finally caught up with centuries of best practices and common sense and <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/cdc-relaxes-outdoor-mask-guidance-fully-vaccinated-what-to-know-174215654.html" target="_blank">issued new mask guidelines</a>. They are all entirely consistent with those I offered my readers over a year ago. Perhaps next time people start dropping like flies someone at the CDC or DHS or somewhere could do the unthinkable, step outside what can be proven at that very moment, and offer guidance based on centuries of fighting communicable diseases and common sense observations like public drinking fountains have been kept sanitary for centuries by sunlight. <br /></p><p>When the science isn't in yet, offer SOME guidance based on experience. Obviously you're perfectly willing to admit you got it wrong after the fact, so just take a good scientific wild-assed guess, make the standard "Do no harm", and give us your best guess confident you'll do at least SOME good. It's hard to imagine getting this so wrong it's worse than leaving people to figure it out for themselves and all the ways THAT can go wrong. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4FvFI1JuTH0/YIiSfFcIxDI/AAAAAAAACHo/yovoW3OEEhw3SL2fNbJONDttkipxT0oQgCLcBGAsYHQ/s697/Screenshot_2021-04-27%2BCDC%2Brelaxes%2Boutdoor%2Bmask%2Bguidance%2Bfor%2Bfully%2Bvaccinated%2Bpeople%2BHere%2527s%2Bwhat%2Byou%2Bneed%2Bto%2Bknow%2B.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="149" data-original-width="697" height="85" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4FvFI1JuTH0/YIiSfFcIxDI/AAAAAAAACHo/yovoW3OEEhw3SL2fNbJONDttkipxT0oQgCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h85/Screenshot_2021-04-27%2BCDC%2Brelaxes%2Boutdoor%2Bmask%2Bguidance%2Bfor%2Bfully%2Bvaccinated%2Bpeople%2BHere%2527s%2Bwhat%2Byou%2Bneed%2Bto%2Bknow%2B.png" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>I just have to wonder, did the CDC not read the DHS Lab's reports regarding the fact that direct, noon-day sunlight at sea-level, like at noon in Manhattan, kills COVID-19 to undetectable levels in less than 3 minutes? SMH. If the best that can be said for the CDC is they aren't making things worse, then how is that better than having no CDC at all? They have a huge budget, and spend it on hand-wringing and 2nd guessing themselves? <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VL7QcM6ckps/YIiTTRwVVCI/AAAAAAAACHw/FcjGZP-OfqIvdeMKGWCASeVqtNSuhRBfwCLcBGAsYHQ/s811/Screenshot_2021-04-27%2BCDC%2Brelaxes%2Boutdoor%2Bmask%2Bguidance%2Bfor%2Bfully%2Bvaccinated%2Bpeople%2BHere%2527s%2Bwhat%2Byou%2Bneed%2Bto%2Bknow%2B.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="610" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VL7QcM6ckps/YIiTTRwVVCI/AAAAAAAACHw/FcjGZP-OfqIvdeMKGWCASeVqtNSuhRBfwCLcBGAsYHQ/w301-h400/Screenshot_2021-04-27%2BCDC%2Brelaxes%2Boutdoor%2Bmask%2Bguidance%2Bfor%2Bfully%2Bvaccinated%2Bpeople%2BHere%2527s%2Bwhat%2Byou%2Bneed%2Bto%2Bknow%2B.png" width="301" /></a></div><br /><p><br /> </p>Grey Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238917041257429804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-13787142535394271822021-04-02T11:27:00.008-07:002021-04-14T10:41:52.224-07:00Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover ... err... Car<p>I have twice now been fortunate to live in a city in California where I don't really need a car. Getting work and home in the same zip-code is really key there, or working from home in my case. Although <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/3062989/50-reasons-why-everyone-should-want-more-walkable-streets" target="_blank">this piece</a> makes a good run at it, it is very, very hard to describe the sense of freedom & belonging, two things rarely found under the same roof, from NOT having to climb into a car 10-times a day. I love both the tech of cars and driving, but never a good idea to make something you love a chore, and commuting is a chore!<br /></p><p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sFgKkqxz_-M/YGdiFlrgSAI/AAAAAAAACHU/FJOF1YLfty4G07tU0h2a91kcYcEVs0f2wCLcBGAsYHQ/s575/Screenshot_2021-04-02%2B50%2BReasons%2BWhy%2BEveryone%2BShould%2BWant%2BMore%2BWalkable%2BStreets.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="84" data-original-width="575" height="59" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sFgKkqxz_-M/YGdiFlrgSAI/AAAAAAAACHU/FJOF1YLfty4G07tU0h2a91kcYcEVs0f2wCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h59/Screenshot_2021-04-02%2B50%2BReasons%2BWhy%2BEveryone%2BShould%2BWant%2BMore%2BWalkable%2BStreets.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>When I saw the count - 50 - I immediately thought of this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBhnGVfl3gM" target="_blank">Paul Simon song</a>, but really love this cover, so went with it. Enjoy the music while you read the article, preferably while sitting at a Bistro Table with a friend outdoors on a sunny day. Cheers!</p>Grey Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238917041257429804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-64857122344792752872021-02-28T13:54:00.004-08:002021-02-28T14:05:14.559-08:00Spin-Class Death: Just Say NO!<p>When I'm out riding I try to avoid entering ANY enclosed spaces, as we here in the high desert enjoy an especially potent UV sterilizer in the very intense sunlight we get at 3,000ft elevation. When at the Apple Valley Airport I wait outside in the sun until my HR returns to normal, don the mask I bring with me, and pop inside to use the Men's Room. (despite my best efforts, wearing a mask is impossible if you want a good workout at ~ 80% of max HR, and according to Dr. Fauchi, unnecessary unless you go indoors or stop to talk to people) <br /></p><p>I then leave the building and use the outdoor faucet at the BBQ area to wash my face, hands and fill my water-bottles. In summer I like to fill up inside at the water cooler, but not worth the added risk in winter, so I just go back outside in the warm sunshine and breeze. </p><p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qtBP7Fj_jvg/YDwTWSrEQfI/AAAAAAAACGs/itL2qNHAV987OxYZ2Zvn55QMH7CODjFSwCLcBGAsYHQ/s804/Screenshot_2021-02-28%2BHow%2BEvery%2BSingle%2BParticipant%2Bin%2BThis%2BCycling%2BClass%2BGot%2BCOVID-19.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="804" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qtBP7Fj_jvg/YDwTWSrEQfI/AAAAAAAACGs/itL2qNHAV987OxYZ2Zvn55QMH7CODjFSwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/Screenshot_2021-02-28%2BHow%2BEvery%2BSingle%2BParticipant%2Bin%2BThis%2BCycling%2BClass%2BGot%2BCOVID-19.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Only if you have a death wish...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> By contrast, what NOT to do is ride a spin-cycle in an indoor spin class. Breathing hard around others in an enclosed space is just begging for COVID-19. In short, <a href="https://www.self.com/story/indoor-fitness-classes-covid-19-outbreaks" target="_blank">here's what not to do..</a>.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #01ffff;"><i>One of those instructors taught a 60-minute high-intensity indoor <a href="https://www.self.com/story/cycling-studio-coronavirus-outbreak">cycling class</a> just four hours before his symptoms started later that evening. The instructor and students were all stationed at least <a href="https://www.self.com/story/cdc-airborne-coronavirus-transmission">six feet apart</a>, but none wore <a href="https://www.self.com/gallery/running-mask-options-coronavirus">masks while working out</a>,
per the facility's protocol, and the windows and doors were closed. The
instructor was facing the class, “shouting instructions and
encouragement,” the report says, and, presumably, spreading infectious
respiratory droplets containing the virus. Over the next week, all 10
people who attended the class tested positive for COVID-19. </i></span><br /></p><p>BTW, I can't think of any good reasons why more building owners up here in the high desert, where humidity is in the 5-15% range most of the time, haven't been installing swamp coolers and ripping out their AC units. Swamp coolers (evaporation coolers) work by exchanging all the air in the cooled space every 3-5 minutes, so MUCH, MUCH safer than AC units which recirculate all of the air they move. They also take 40-60% of the power to operate. <br /></p>Grey Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238917041257429804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-18893632531119172252021-02-18T10:31:00.043-08:002021-03-23T10:51:34.102-07:00Perfect Muscle Milk<p>For most of the last 15 yrs, after hard rides, my legs, especially the two quad heads at my knees, really hurt, ached and burned a little, despite massage and Advil and nutrition, this would last for 2-3 days, sometimes bad enough to keep me awake at night. </p><p>I found a cure for that last summer when riding some 150+ mile weeks, and I found it because I remember one of the riders I used to ride with in Sacramento told me it helped him a LOT. I should have listened to him then, but when it comes to getting smart, better late than never. The solution is <a href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/Muscle-Milk-Genuine-Protein-Powder-32g-Protein-Chocolate-1-93-Pound-12-Servings/23591394" target="_blank">Muscle Milk</a>. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IryaLAVIFy8/YDQYd5bXzWI/AAAAAAAACGY/xCz3iCHQii82FweMcLUPKxeB_kOH7E77gCLcBGAsYHQ/s578/Screenshot_2021-02-22%2BBlenderBottle%2BPro%2BSeries%2B32oz%2BShaker%2BCup%2BBatman%2B-%2BWalmart%2Bcom.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="578" data-original-width="260" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IryaLAVIFy8/YDQYd5bXzWI/AAAAAAAACGY/xCz3iCHQii82FweMcLUPKxeB_kOH7E77gCLcBGAsYHQ/w180-h400/Screenshot_2021-02-22%2BBlenderBottle%2BPro%2BSeries%2B32oz%2BShaker%2BCup%2BBatman%2B-%2BWalmart%2Bcom.png" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">32oz Superman, <a href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/BlenderBottle-Pro-Series-32oz-Shaker-Cup-Flash-DC-Comics/306102649?selected=true" target="_blank">The Flash</a>, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, & Batman<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> I also tried WallyWorld's Equate stuff, but it doesn't have the same effect as MM, and I suspect that's because Equate has fewer carbs, which in MM are probably fast carbs, used to arrest catabolic muscle destruction. No, Hammer Nutrition, there's no such thing as "canniballistic" muscle destruction. Catabolic is the flip-side of Anabolic, which means to break down, and build up, respectively. Catabolic muscle destruction can only be arrested by ingesting carbs very high on the glycemic index, which will create an insulin spike in your blood. There's more to the process, but this is the short story of that process.) <p>From a very short Google Safari...</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #01ffff;"><i><span class="ILfuVd NA6bn"><span class="hgKElc"><b>Catabolic reactions</b>
break down larger molecules, such as carbohydrates, lipids, and
proteins from ingested food, into their constituent smaller parts. ... <b>Anabolic reactions</b>, or biosynthetic <b>reactions</b>, synthesize larger molecules from smaller constituent parts, using ATP as the energy source for these <b>reactions.</b></span></span></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #01ffff;"><i><span class="ILfuVd NA6bn"><span class="hgKElc"><b> </b></span></span></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #01ffff;"><span><i><span class="ILfuVd NA6bn"><span class="hgKElc"><b>... and this... </b></span></span></i></span> <br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #01ffff;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #01ffff;">The Anabolic Phase: The 45-Minute Optimal Window<br /></span>
</p><p><span style="color: #01ffff;">The anabolic phase is a critical
phase occurring within 45 minutes post-exercise. It is during this time
that muscle cells are particularly sensitive to insulin, making it
necessary to ingest the proper nutrients in order to make gains in
muscle endurance and strength. If the proper nutrients are ingested 2 - 4
hours post-exercise they will not have the same effect. It is also
during this time in which the anabolic hormones begin working to repair
the muscle and decrease its inflammation.</span></p><p><span style="color: #01ffff;"> Immediate ingestion of carbohydrate is important because
insulin sensitivity causes the muscle cell membranes to be more
permeable to glucose within 45 minutes post-exercise. This results in
faster rates of glycogen storage and provides the body with enough
glucose to initiate the recovery process (Burke et al., 2003). Muscle
glycogen stores are replenished the fastest within the first hour after
exercise. Consuming carbohydrate within an hour after exercise also
helps to increase protein synthesis (Gibala, 2000).</span></p><p><span style="color: #01ffff;"> <a href="https://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/nutrientUNM.html" target="_blank">Quoted from here</a>, because there's just so much nonsense about the need for protein after hard exercise and it's patently FALSE. Carbs, carbs high on the Mendosa Glycemic Index, and only those carbs, prevent catabolic muscle destruction, NOT protein. If you think your body breaking down muscle tissue to create glucose is idiotic and contra-intuitive, imagine your tribe just ran a large game animal to ground (how humans on 2 legs did it - with greater biomechanical efficiency on 2 legs) and now the tigers are threatening. Best run into that cave and hide, because those other tribes that had bigger muscles but no energy left to run? Yeah, they aren't around anymore!</span><br /></p><p> </p><p>While Muscle Milk is a minor miracle, mixing it with milk (they RX water, but ick!) makes a lumpy mess at the top of whatever giant tumbler you mix it in. You can also use an infuser/mixer stick, but that just makes even more mess. I was stirring with a knife to keep the mess to a minimum, and so I could scrape the knife on the edge of the glass, but I still ended up with lumps of dry powder in the back of my throat when I tried to drink it. Just FYI, I cover the ball +1" with Organic Grass-Fed milk (lots of Omega-3 fatty acids in anything grass-fed) and top up with skim milk. YMMV. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XmADbiELR58/YDQXs3cvM7I/AAAAAAAACGM/UzP1VAvW-yMZlVd3eGL--t0DslbCemaRwCLcBGAsYHQ/s731/Screenshot_2021-02-22%2BBlenderBottle%2BPro45%2BShaker%2BCup%2BGray%2BBlue%2B-%2BWalmart%2Bcom.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="731" data-original-width="363" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XmADbiELR58/YDQXs3cvM7I/AAAAAAAACGM/UzP1VAvW-yMZlVd3eGL--t0DslbCemaRwCLcBGAsYHQ/w199-h400/Screenshot_2021-02-22%2BBlenderBottle%2BPro45%2BShaker%2BCup%2BGray%2BBlue%2B-%2BWalmart%2Bcom.png" width="199" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">45oz, for those really L-O-N-G rides!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Well, I found the perfect cure for Muscle Milk's goopy lumps. It's called a <a href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/BlenderBottle-Classic-Shaker-with-Loop-Top-BlenderBall-Clear-Black-20-Oz/273981792" target="_blank">Blender Bottle</a>, and Walmart sells that too. It's so ingenious I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner. Think Cocktail Shaker meets Shake-Weight. The wire ball works like the BB in the bottom of a can of spray paint and blends Muscle Milk perfectly with zero mess left on anything. Beyond that, you get a wonderful (chocolate in my case) milk shake that's delicious and smooth - a nice reward after a hard ride. I'd still stick with left over Gatorade and a baked potato for immediate recovery, hot from the microwave, or freeze-dried from an Odahoan Baby Reds pouch, but after 30-40 minutes sit back and enjoy your MM milkshake!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-STPo0C1t70U/YFmDB2761MI/AAAAAAAACHE/Q-8BR_JlwqcixR3R2qmhVi1VY808YVPEACLcBGAsYHQ/s542/Screenshot_2021-03-22%2BIdahoan%2BButtery%2BHomestyle%2BMashed%2BPotatoes%2B-%2B4oz.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="542" data-original-width="371" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-STPo0C1t70U/YFmDB2761MI/AAAAAAAACHE/Q-8BR_JlwqcixR3R2qmhVi1VY808YVPEACLcBGAsYHQ/w274-h400/Screenshot_2021-03-22%2BIdahoan%2BButtery%2BHomestyle%2BMashed%2BPotatoes%2B-%2B4oz.png" width="274" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">440 very fast carbs, some from maltodextrin<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>Grey Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238917041257429804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-73214571995041314272021-02-04T10:01:00.007-08:002021-02-07T10:17:32.888-08:00RX for Saddle Sores<p>If this post looks familiar it's because it's a massive update of an old post. I tried to update it one too many times, and it just got confusing and had become obsolete when Triclosan was banned, Lysol Laundry Sanitizer became available again, and Dial came out with a new foaming soap I love because it is full of glycerine, which is a moisturizer that is oil, so it will never dry and works wonderfully to keep your chamois interface well maintained. So, without further adieu... <br /></p><p></p><p>The emergence of saddle sores is often met with macho bravado, and
this is a HUGE mistake. Often times, and this was certainly true in my
case during MIBM, these are not sores at all, but crushing and tearing
wounds that create permanent scars and injury which never fully heal.
Such wounds will forever limit your saddle time, and deserve an all-out,
maximum remedial effort.<br />
<br />
There are distinctions to be made between tearing/crushing wounds, <a href="http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/boils" target="_blank">sores/boils</a>
attendant with infected pimples, or hair follicles, and chaffing or
pressure soreness.You may well need the help of a really GOOD friend to
address pimples and in-grown hairs (a surprisingly common problem btw,
and look like pimples). Huggies wet-wipe bum wipes for babies are a
great idea in general, and will help keep the area very clean and
sanitized. You'll be shocked at how much you've been leaving behind
after using Huggies, or any other wet bum wipe.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6dp9pOodf0E/YBwqt6Nk61I/AAAAAAAACE4/0cElOgxXMhQQTrS6vNS2DcjeLwwpOFJjwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1296/Lysol%2BLaundry%2BSanitizer.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="856" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6dp9pOodf0E/YBwqt6Nk61I/AAAAAAAACE4/0cElOgxXMhQQTrS6vNS2DcjeLwwpOFJjwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Lysol%2BLaundry%2BSanitizer.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Impossible to find, now back in force killing COVID-19<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Of course, the best injury is one that never happens, and to that end here are some good ways to prevent saddle sores.<br />
</p><ol><li>Clean and Sterilize your shorts, chamois and seat. Never use bleach on your shorts, or anything else with Lycra
for compression. Bleach kills Lycra! Your shorts will end up ruined.
Jerseys, headsweats, etc are much more tolerant of mild bleaching, but
much better to use <a href="https://www.lysol.com/products/laundry-sanitizers/lysol-laundry-sanitizer" target="_blank">Lysol Laundry Sanitizer</a>. Yes, it kills COVID-19. <br /></li><li>Wash you bottom side with a good antibacterial soap, like <a href="https://www.instacart.com/landing?product_id=189742&retailer_id=1487&region_id=32322647183&utm_medium=sem_shopping&utm_source=instacart_google&utm_campaign=ad_demand_shopping_bananas_ca_rp&utm_content=accountid-6180870146_campaignid-10804895253_adgroupid-106700950295_device-c&gclid=Cj0KCQiA0-6ABhDMARIsAFVdQv-IkmDuVePwUMwzFDR0S67eAs9g-BxSs38ie0xPkRZsJO_lGwWayyYaAo_LEALw_wcB" target="_blank">Dial Complete</a>, which contains glycerin (same stuff they put in hand sanitizers like Purell) to moisturize, or for problem areas, use <a href="http://www.walgreens.com/store/store/product/view_product_details.jsp;jsessionid=r17v2KSntiTNdhnsohTd0Q**.p_dotcom4?id=prod6051051" target="_blank">chlorhexidine gluconate</a> soap like Hibiclens to sterilize your skin for 6-8 hours. Use this <a href="http://pedalingzen.blogspot.com/search?q=RX+for+road+rash" target="_blank">RX for road rash</a>
as a general guideline. Wallgreen's soap is cheaper and smells better
than Hibiclens, but both are excellent. Yes, it too kills COVID-19. The
Chinese bought a million gallons of it from Canada to combat COVID-19.<br /></li><li>Keep skin in tear-prone areas elastic by using petroleum jelly based
Neosporin, brand name or otherwise. Lotion dries out and doesn't kill
bacteria. <br /></li><li>Keep your bottom side dry and ventilated for boils or infections.
Save Neosporin for time in the saddle as it will suffocate the wound and
retard healing. Apply Hibiclens every 6 hours. </li><li>Use an alternative short with a different kind of chamois, different
shaped seat, or some combination of these to change the pressure points
on your bottom.</li><li>Try a seat with a center channel void to increase ventilation to
promote drying and cooling, although at 185lbs, I find a full-contact
area seat to be better. </li><li>Buy better shorts, and BIB shorts with high compression so they stay put and protect you. The best I have found to date are the <a href="https://road.cc/content/review/260554-pearl-izumi-pro-bib-short-2019" target="_blank">Pearl Izumi PRO bib shorts</a>. I can do 2-3 metric centuries in a week with these and rides of 70-85 miles with no problems. <br /></li></ol><p>
<br />
Once the sore spot develops significantly, you either need to avoid
putting further stress on it, or get off the bike. For boils, use max
sterilization protocols, and turn everything up louder than everything
else. I caught my boil very early, and stayed off the bike for 5 days,
as I also was dealing with a tearing wound.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tgp_SMR0Swk/YBwv7x9MbjI/AAAAAAAACFE/hPXy6-lJlNM4-i5TQbk6D8lUXNzFLySxQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/2578769_hero.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tgp_SMR0Swk/YBwv7x9MbjI/AAAAAAAACFE/hPXy6-lJlNM4-i5TQbk6D8lUXNzFLySxQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/2578769_hero.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dial Complete antibacterial foaming soap<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
I have not tried talc, cornstarch, or Baby Powder, but have it on good
authority that these often work better than chamois butter, lotion, or
Utter Butter. I used Utter Butter, and wasn't impressed. Palmer's coco
butter lotion was still there and still slick at the end of a bunch of
60 mile rides. <br />
<br />
If boils blister, you can pierce with a sterile needle. Using a hemostat
and needle, dip the needle and end of hemostat in a small tray/dish of
99% alcohol, and then light on fire with a butane lighter. Let cool and
you have a very sterile instrument. Everything that comes out of the
boil is infected and full of bacteria, so use Hibiclens to persistently
sterilized the surrounding area, and rewash the boil and area after
popping it with a sterile needle.<br />
<br />
Personally, in a MIBM situation, where you want to minimize the time off
the bike, I'd find a good doctor as soon as there is any blistering.
Women should be careful not to get Hibiclens on their girl part/s as it
has been known to cause numbness. Betadine is a good alternative here,
but doesn't have the persistence that Hibiclens does.<br />
<br />
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K-2PtnNIjxM/Scm9MbgNjvI/AAAAAAAAASQ/0nYiezzy9sU/s1600/Anti-Microbial+Properties.GIF" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K-2PtnNIjxM/Scm9MbgNjvI/AAAAAAAAASQ/0nYiezzy9sU/s400/Anti-Microbial+Properties.GIF" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Properties of various antimicrobials</td></tr>
</tbody></table><p> Note that the compound in Dial, and most other antibacterial soaps is now Benzalkonium Chloride, as Tricolsan is no longer legal in the US. These soaps get the big chunks
off, so the Hibiclens can soak in and get the deep stuff, and keep on
killing pathogens for 6+ hours.</p><p>Also note that many of these compounds are partially neutralized by organic material, including the cotton in a cotton washcloth<span> <span>Use
a synthetic microfiber washcloth for washing. They are commonly
available as microtex dish cloths in the grocery store kitchen cleaning
supplies area. Mine is labeled <a href="http://www.apbabrands.com/index.php/mr-clean-auto-glass-cloth/" target="_blank">Mr Clean</a>. I bought it at Safeway.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span><span>These
can be sterilized by washing in bleach(kills almost everything known to
man), which insures your washcloth stays part of the solution, and
doesn't become part of the problem. Just be very sure you rinse all the
bleach out, as it will destroy the action of Hibiclens.</span></span><br />
</p>
Grey Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238917041257429804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-55404489094884261902021-01-27T09:32:00.006-08:002021-01-28T17:24:41.881-08:00Continental GP5000 TL Sealant Refresh<p>This is an update to my<a href="https://pedalingzen.blogspot.com/2019/12/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love.html" target="_blank"> 6 month review</a> of the CP5kTL, and maybe an important one. <br /></p><p>With any, or at least, most other tires, this would not be news, but the GP5kTL will absolutely let go of the bead when the air-pressure drops below ~ 10lbs psi, so adding sealant is a bit problematic, as the old, dried sealant tends to get between the bead and rim in an irregular way, but alas, I had no choice. </p><p>While out riding a couple of months ago I ducked behind a shuttered restaurant, rolled through the parking lot to a discrete little nook, and relieved myself of some used Gatorade, not realizing that the shrub affording me privacy was a puncture vine, which I didn't realize until rolling across the parking lot to reenter the road from the other side. </p><p>I stopped as soon as I noticed, and was able to pull most of the needles out of the front tire before they penetrated, but they and a couple of patches of broken glass left me with a tire whose leak became something more than "slow".</p><p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-huCfEDbJAzc/YBMLQxTBPwI/AAAAAAAACEs/zn4SQz_nivgIyuvq8batn0jX_jSu2dvbQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1500/shopping.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-huCfEDbJAzc/YBMLQxTBPwI/AAAAAAAACEs/zn4SQz_nivgIyuvq8batn0jX_jSu2dvbQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/shopping.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>As a remedy I decided to try adding 30 ml of <a href="https://www.treefortbikes.com/Stans-No-Tubes-Tire-Sealant-32oz" target="_blank">Stan's Sealant</a> to see if that would slow the leak so I could rely on a constant pressure throughout my rides. I have to say, to my surprise it worked quite well, but there are a few caveats if trying this. </p><p>First, is the tire worth saving? Mine was ~ 1/2 worn by the wear dimples depth, so in my case, yes. Second, I did everything I could to NOT disturb the bead while releasing the little remaining air, by turning the bike upside down so the wheel wasn't bearing any weight. Third, I used a CO2 cartridge to air up the tire as quickly as possible. Fourth, I used an injector that didn't seal the valve stem with the core removed. </p><p>I did lose a small amount of sealant, but slightly less than the normal amount, and put the full 110lbs or so of pressure in the tire to press the new sealant past the old. After sitting overnight I released most of the somewhat diminished pressure to purge the CO2<span>, and aired up the tire with my floor pump. </span></p><p><span>I've ridden it a few times now and it's holding air much better, so I am pleasantly surprised this prodecure can, in fact, be done with the GP5kTL. The tire still has wet spots where the water from the original sealant seeps out, but it holds pressure well during my 2-3hr rides now. I really didn't think this would go well at all, so a very pleasant surprise. </span><br /></p>Grey Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238917041257429804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-89569934150154832752021-01-05T10:55:00.003-08:002021-01-09T11:35:11.021-08:00Meeting the Challenge in 2020<p>Strava put up a nice piece on how athletes adapted to the constraints of COVID-19 in 2020, and it's <a href="https://www.strava.com/yis-community-2020?hl=en-US&source=dorado&campaign_id=community-insights" target="_blank">an interesting read</a>. The thing is, somewhere in my early 30s (I'm in my mid-60s now) it hit me that it's no one else's job to keep you fit and healthy. If you want that for yourself you better learn to be selfish and make that time, because nobody else is going to make it for you. </p><p>I upped my game a LOT in 2020, setting a ton of new PBs since retiring in SoCal, more than doubling my mileage in 2020. A big part of that was being able to do much longer rides after buying new wheels and finding the truly wonderful Conti GP5K TL tubeless tires, which do an excellent job of shaking off all the cactus needles and goat-heads here in the high desert that used to ruin my rides all the time. </p><p>Part of it was buying better bib shorts, and now tights, so I can ride those miles, and part of it was going back to a solid seat from one with the center cut out (YMMV, but for me the extra surface area combined with better chamois did the trick). </p><p>I also found new, remote routes, found ways and places to relieve my bladder without going into enclosed places, minimizing the time inside closed places, carrying a mask with me for when I was inside a bathroom or stopped getting water inside, and finally, just finding hydration that didn't require going into enclosed spaces. </p><p>The political horror show that was POTUS Trump and the gut-wrenching, grim toll of COVID were also motivation to get out there and burn off some angst. Finally, as friends and loved ones were slowed due to age and disease my gratitude for being healthy enough to do lots of long rides got me out the door on days I might have otherwise stayed home. </p><p>For 2021 I think I'm going to up my climbing a bit, and maybe even ride fewer miles. I'd like to spend more time with my wife and our dogs, one of which is a working dog and needs a LOT of exercise to stay happy and healthy. At a certain age you stop taking loved ones for granted, because in a 55+ community people keep disappearing every week, and it drives home the point that tomorrow is promised to no one. </p><p>Get Some!</p>Grey Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238917041257429804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-53766997366763794102020-12-25T11:02:00.000-08:002020-12-25T11:02:20.119-08:00Merry Christmas One & All <p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/siZ-oI95rlM" width="480"></iframe> </p><p> </p><p> With 299 posts under my belt I just couldn't resist making it 300 on
Christmas Day. It's been a challenging year, but I did best my Annual
Challenge on Strava by a good margin and am alive and well, celebrating
with friends and family and hoping you are too. </p><p>Give yourself a pat on the back. It's been a tough year and you're still here. Smile, you deserve one!</p><p> </p>Grey Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238917041257429804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-73686428172296777042020-12-15T10:48:00.007-08:002020-12-16T10:06:55.516-08:00Castelli Lightweight 2 Bib Tights Review<p>I've been doing a lot of Winter riding the last few weeks, about 300 miles in the last 2 weeks, and have had a chance to try out my new Castelli LW 2 bib tights, AND, ride my old PI Barrier bib tights for comparison. When sizing, Italian Rules apply, go UP one size. My PI is a large, so my Castelli are XL - and still nice and tight.<br /></p><p>I wore the Castelli on a day that started out @ 9:00AM around 60F, with lots of sunshine, and after an hour clouded up with the wind picking up to a solid 10-12mph. I was getting pretty warm riding on the sunny side of the Mojave Bike Trail, where the Garmin reported 67F, and the long knee-socks and lightweight Polartech (Garneau - no longer made) leg warmers under the LW2s were really warm on my calf, and I was seriously thinking of stopping and stripping off the leg warmers - a really great option with these LW tights. Then the sun went behind a wall of clouds coming over the mountains that separate us from LA.</p><p>The temps dropped to 59F within minutes, and then 57F and eventually 54F and no sun at all. When you ride you perform a balancing act between generating heat and shedding heat, and you seldom nail it perfectly without working up a sweat on hills or headwinds, and chilling down with a tailwind, downhill, or just leaving your zipper down for too long. Bottom line, sooner or later you're going to end up riding in wet cloths, and then even a slight chill becomes a problem.<br /></p><p></p><p>IF the sun is out you can usually find a warm place out of the wind to peel off your jacket, balaclava, gloves and helmet and let all that and your jersey and tights dry out. The back of the neck on the jersey and balaclava are usually the most problematic for me, but in a warm, sunny spot you have time to warm up and dry out. </p><p>Unfortunately, no such luck on this day, and the only place out of the wind was inside the unheated public bathroom at SVL. This means stop time has to be limited to a few minutes, and no drying off is possible. After a few minutes you lose so much heat your restarts are very cold as your core struggles to generate enough heat to get back into equilibrium. </p><p>All in all then, a very challenging day, and yet, I was amazed at how comfortable I was, riding on flat ground somewhat protected from the wind, I tried to keep my HR constant and adjusted my jacket zipper to regulate any excess heat. If the sun had come out, as was forecast, I could have peeled the leg warmers off and stowed them, so a very flexible system. </p><p>A couple of days ago it was forecast to be cold, windy and go from partly cloudy to near complete cloud cover, AND be 5-7 degrees colder throughout, so I decided to wear my old PI bib tights. 1st, they were quite loose, which should have been a tell, but they also turned out not to be as warm as I remembered, and the chamois felt paper thin at the end. They'd be great on really cold days with heavy leg warmers and knee socks, but they already weigh 2-3X as much as the Castelli, so that's not very appealing. I'd rather wear the heavy leg warmers under the Castelli. The PI are just not as warm as I remembered them being. They're 10yrs old though, so maybe that elastic is just letting go a bit. <br /></p><p>On my next outing, the air was 50-61F, and somewhat cold at the start, but the sun kept burning through the cloud-cover all day, until it there were lots of nice places to stop and warm up. The Castelli did a good job keeping my glutes warm, the compression level was awesome, they're light enough to not bother your cadence much, and the chamois is awesome for a tight. I also had the option to peel off the lightweight leg warmers underneath all day. I did take the sleeves off my PI convertible jacket, but put them on when the sun started getting low to stay warm. What a huge difference! Options in winter are wonderful!<br /></p><p>My only complaint about the Castelli is the Lycra below the knees (remember, this is Castelli's response to knicker sales declining, so a tight that's close to a knicker) was easily scratched by the side of my pedal when pushing off and missing the clip-in a bit. SMH<br /></p><p>Castelli makes great stuff that just doesn't hold up well in my experience. We'll see about these bib tights, but it is disappointing they can't seem to bring themselves to add a little robustness in a few areas and have a stellar product through and through. Maybe instead of using Lycra printed with their name in giant 4" letters they could just use something much tougher in Screaming Yellow, or Castelli Red for that matter, and print their scorpion label on the legs. </p><p>So with that caveat, I highly recommend these bib tights. </p><p> </p><p></p><p>PS: Shimano bought Pearl Izumi 2-3 yrs ago, and the quality of PI is spotty now, though they seem to have pretty much worked though their warehouses full of old gear. It's a frustrating time to be searching for a new label. Their PRO bib shorts are awesome. I bought 2 pair, but so far Shimano hasn't impressed me with its take-over management, and I hate getting old crap sold as new. PI has dated their mfg season for as long as I can remember, so it's just obvious that it's old inventory. </p><p><br /></p>Grey Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238917041257429804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-90491184994883845602020-12-07T11:16:00.008-08:002020-12-22T11:07:09.263-08:00Garmin Edge 520 Plus displaying Double Cadence<p>About 3 weeks ago, for no reason I can discern, my Garmin Edge 520 Plus (an amazing device BTW, and what a bargain!) started intermittently doubling my cadence while riding. Last week I was looking at my cadence on RWGPS and noticed it was being shown correctly, which seemed really odd until I remembered that what gets written to the .TCX file is recorded only once per second (you can use their Smart setting as well, but I prefer 1-Second mode), AND, each one of those records has a time-stamp on it. </p><p>I immediately suspected that a 2nd "Ghost" signal was corrupting the real-time display, but was being discarded as a duplicate or not being written to file stored in on-board storage, which gets uploaded to Garmin's site at the end of my rides. Since my RoadID has a small stainless plate on it, and it gets wrapped around my leg just above the ankle, I suspected it first. </p><p> <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K1uMz1wRCNU/X86BFSIRoNI/AAAAAAAACD4/itW7x9KaCRUBP8RHXfODykyVYG5weWEFwCLcBGAsYHQ/s700/Screenshot_2020-12-07%2BGarmin%2BCadence%2BSensor%2B2%2BBike%2B.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="700" height="171" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K1uMz1wRCNU/X86BFSIRoNI/AAAAAAAACD4/itW7x9KaCRUBP8RHXfODykyVYG5weWEFwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h171/Screenshot_2020-12-07%2BGarmin%2BCadence%2BSensor%2B2%2BBike%2B.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is too low IMHO as it would get covered by my waterbottle<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>Googling around I also noticed ads on Garmin's site for the new Cadence Sensor II (ANT+ and BlueTooth telemetry support) showed it mounted low on the crank-arm, not at the peddle end, as I had always mounted mine, so I moved my sensor down to the <b>middle</b> of the crank arm, moved my RoadID to my right foot, and went for a ride. (there's also some torque specs, a QR code, and assorted lettering on the pedal end of my alloy Ultegra pedal, all of which could cause ghosting)<br /></p><p>Mount it wherever it works best, but the bottle cage, attachment hardware, water, and reflective bottle insulation will all interfere if mounted as shown in the Garmin ads. (you can't mount it on the drive-side crank-arm bc it will hit the derailleur) <br /></p><p>Not sure which of these measures, or perhaps both in conjunction, fixed the problem, but it appears to be fixed. If anyone else is having this problem I hope this helps. </p><p>PS: In spite of these measures the problem briefly reappeared. I've noticed that the problem seems to occur when my Scoche HR monitor's battery gets low, so I ordered a new 24hr one of those and we'll see what happens. I hope the stuff Garmin sells the US military is better than the absolute crap they sell us. SMH<br /></p>Grey Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238917041257429804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-42714001028553490382020-12-06T10:50:00.006-08:002020-12-06T12:16:32.956-08:00Merry COVID Christmas<p>Sad to say, my prediction about COVID making a roaring comeback this fall was correct, and we're now losing more people to it in 2 days than we did in an entire YEAR of the Vietnam war. Forget the politics. Save your life. Wear a mask, but know that's not enough. 4:5 biggest venues for spreading COVID are bars, restaurants, cafes, and churches. God knows where you are, and knows if you love him, he doesn't need a building to find you. The rest you can do online. Learn to cook. It's so gratifying and really, how pathetic is it that most Americans can't even feed themselves bc they can't cook? Besides, you'll save so much money you can buy a new bike every year or two. <br /></p><p>Don't go into any enclosed spaces, especially not with central heating where the air is circulated throughout the entire building, but generally, stay in the sun and the wind and in the company of your own household. In winter the "Noontime" sun strength that kills COVID in less than 3 minutes is only from 9-3 at best. Don't ride in pacelines, period. DO keep riding, or whatever kind of exercise you do, even in the cold of winter, and enjoy the Great Outdoors with your household. </p><p>California has been doing a pretty good job managing COVID, but even we are now over 500/1M deaths. That's 1 chance in 2,000 of dying of COVID. Skydiving is less than 1 chance in 100,000, so if you go skydiving 50 times in a row you have the same chance of dying as with COVID<b> - so far. </b>Every passing day is another day jumping out of a perfectly good airplane with COVID - on and on and on. </p><p>I'll move on from the grim warnings now, but please do be safe.<br /></p><p> <br /></p><p>My "Gearhead" at Competitive Cyclist, where I bought my Pinarello Prince, finally got me a new pair of mechanical R8000 shifters as I agreed to do the warranty work myself at no cost to CC. The L-Side was defective AFAICT, and has been malfunctioning since April, so very happy to report a successful R&R on the pair (Kyle said they only come in pairs, though you can buy just the L or the R online for a small premium) Shimano is back-ordered for months, and any discounts are a distant memory - $350/pair is the going rate even on-line these days. </p><p>This deserves its own post, which will follow when the weather gets too cold or wet to ride, but long story short, the cable sheathing made routing the cables much easier. I had lots of sheathing, and a brand new pair of cable cutters (a rare splurge to get over the $$$ hurdle for free shipping ~ June IIRC), so I cut clean ends that would slide inside the sheathing cleanly and placed all the sheathing en'masse before pulling the shifters. I labeled them and put them in a 4" piece of PVC pipe in the garage for next time. <br /></p><p>I taped the sheathing in place with electrical tape at both ends to make damned sure an end didn't slide back inside, and the short piece between the chain-stays and front derailleur didn't slide out completely. There's a small grommet/dust-cap where the cable comes up through the chain-stays that got pushed into the frame while I was trying to pull it out with a needle-nose pliers, so I ended up pulling the crank and the seat, but did get it to drop out of the seat-tube. Cleaned and R&R the crank and seat post. At least I didn't have to pull the fork this time!</p><p>I surpassed my mileage goal for the week AND the year on Strava yesterday, doing a beautiful warm ride along the Mojave River Walk and around Spring Valley Lake. The sun glistening off the water was just gorgeous. Sometime in late 2007 I just couldn't force myself to walk into a gym anymore. After 20yrs I realized being fit enough to exercise outdoors had an expiration date, and until that day, I wasn't going to spend one more minute coped up in a box. Best decision of my life!</p><p> </p><p></p><br /> My PI bib-tights circa 2011 are a little much for this climate, so thick they restrict my legs and slow my cadence. I haven't used them since I moved back to SoCal, but knee socks, leg warmers and shorts that leave my glutes frozen just got tedious, so I bought some lighter weight tights meant to be knickers+ from <a href="https://www.competitivecyclist.com/castelli-lw-2-bib-tight-mens" target="_blank">Castelli</a> which have no water-resistant treatment. It (almost) never rains here, and if it did I wouldn't ride in the stuff bc motorist can't see through rain-spattered windows.<br /><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eceVqOHrYv4/X80n2ni8flI/AAAAAAAACDc/c3TmX4DSWB4pdCCgiMoxsvJayvRdV4Y0ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1400/451956019a-010_01_1400Wx1400H.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1400" data-original-width="1400" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eceVqOHrYv4/X80n2ni8flI/AAAAAAAACDc/c3TmX4DSWB4pdCCgiMoxsvJayvRdV4Y0ACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h400/451956019a-010_01_1400Wx1400H.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"> <i>The LW 2 Bib Tights are constructed using Castelli's signature
Thermoflex brushed fabric on the upper portion to keep your thighs and
sensitive areas warm. Considering that these tights are designed to be
one step above a knicker as far as coverage goes, the lower leg is made
of a non-insulated Lycra called Nano Flex Light. This is done to prevent
overheating, while at the same time protecting your lower legs from
road spray if conditions are a bit wet. Castelli omits ankle zippers to
preserve the lightweight feel, but they put in their flagship Progetto
X2 Air seamless seat insert which has one of the softest surfaces we've
ever felt in a chamois.</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i> </i><i><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FguF5RzZ9wc/X80pli3ruHI/AAAAAAAACDo/tD4Y7WMchHwZUp9tNKcTo1DLr0_ypnHoQCLcBGAsYHQ/s900/BK_D1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FguF5RzZ9wc/X80pli3ruHI/AAAAAAAACDo/tD4Y7WMchHwZUp9tNKcTo1DLr0_ypnHoQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/BK_D1.jpg" /></a></i></p><p>I wear 8" wool socks on "warm" days, and thick snowboarding knee socks on cold days, so the usual thickness everywhere but below the knee is really flexible for me, and if really cold, I'll wear leg-warmers under the tights. It usually makes it into the 60s here on winter days, it's the start that's the problem. These should work well here I think.</p><p> </p><p>Finally, my quest to learn more about grease (grease failures are far, far more common than I, and I suspect, most people realize) continues. I happened upon a blog written by a guy from the Czech Republic, who is probably a bike mech, and maybe a lubrication engineer too. We've been arguing out a lot of useful points and when that gets distilled down I will write a proper blog post about it, but so far I'm happy with all my RX-es here. </p><p>We do agree on one thing vehemently, the people who make grease are selling snake oil, as there are no labeling requirements, and that seems to be the preference of the industry. The only exception I have found is AmsOil. It's outrageous to buy grease for $100/oz and you aren't given a damned thing but the mfg's rep to go on. Oh, and that especially in cold weather, greasing shifer cables is a BAD idea. Us a thin oil. I prefer Mobil-1 0W20 Annual Protection from a repurposed Visine bottle. <br /></p><p>Looking forward to snow-capped mountains around here soon, and hoping you all have some special holiday treat you're looking forward to. Merry Christmas, be safe, and I'll see you next year (or sooner)! <br /></p>Grey Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238917041257429804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-33963317403444423402020-11-24T12:14:00.037-08:002020-12-01T10:28:23.441-08:00LOOK Carbon KEO Blade Grease Failure<p>About half-way home yesterday, on my 1st good ride since dental surgery (hammered the hell out of it!) I started to hear the birds chirping like it was a beautiful spring day, not a beautiful winter day. The "birds", I started to notice, stopped singing when I stopped pedaling - well at least when pedaling hard. I was hoping it was a dry chain, or even the bottom bracket, but after some 1-legged pedaling, pretty sure it was a dry pedal. </p><p>I just checked my tracking info, and I got those the last week in October, so, gulp, that just flat out SUCKS! Here's the deal (channeling Joe Biden already), a lot of bike shops are struggling to stay open, so are selling anything and everything they can get their hands on. Shimano is back-ordered for months I'm told (somehow Competitive Cyclist was able to get me a replacement set of R-8000 shifters so I can fix the front, L-hand shifter. Giant Kudos there), and bike mfgs are complaining they could make more bikes if they could get components from mfgs. Post COVID, people have rediscovered the Great Outdoors, apparently all at once. Manage your gear accordingly. <br /></p><p>BOTTOM LINE: Don't assume new purchases are new, were stored correctly (why run the AC when the physical store is closed?), handled correctly, or even assembled by the usual assembly fairies who may be sick with COVID. <span style="color: #01ffff;">When you buy something that can be greased, <a href="https://pedalingzen.blogspot.com/2013/03/ultegra-6700-hub-near-death-experience_12.html" target="_blank">grease it before installation</a></span>. </p><p>I'm hoping against hope that the spindle on the right pedal isn't ruined, or wasn't ruined by spalling of the needle bearing, I did use a very fine polish to polish the spindle, and it looks much better now, but I won't know for a few rides if I caught it in time. <br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WwtvwVds5mU/X77je19GxwI/AAAAAAAACCw/yquFnbDGFfQleqPrNwCEjNKBIKO4aFJBgCLcBGAsYHQ/s5184/IMG_3514.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="242" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WwtvwVds5mU/X77je19GxwI/AAAAAAAACCw/yquFnbDGFfQleqPrNwCEjNKBIKO4aFJBgCLcBGAsYHQ/w322-h242/IMG_3514.JPG" width="322" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Visine bottle repurposed with 0W20 Mobil-1<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> First, remove the pedals like this. A great cheat is to remove the Right pedal first using a socket wrench with a ratchet, as it's threading is normal. When you're all finished with it put it back on & tighten it down per torque spec. The socket wrench's ratchet will now be set correctly to untighten the Left pedal. I bought a 3/8", 8mm allen tip as a 1/4" socket wrench is too small to untighten the spindles as they tighten themselves ever more as you ride. If you're dead certain you won't screw this up, I'd RX a 1/2" to 3/8th <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071QX59NH/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A1S731XAYKTTWV&psc=1" target="_blank">socket adapter</a> so you can use a breaker-bar to break them loose. I'm not that certain. <br /><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #01ffff;"><b><i><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="hgKElc"> Right pedals loosen by turning counter-clockwise, left pedals loosen clockwise. </span></span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #01ffff;"><b><i><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="hgKElc">Right pedals tighten by turning clockwise, left pedals tighten counter-clockwise.</span></span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #01ffff;"><b><i><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="hgKElc">Shimano marks their pedals with arrows, so use those as a guide if in doubt.</span></span></i></b></span> <br /></p><p> <span style="color: #01ffff;"><span class="ILfuVd NA6bn"><span class="hgKElc">A
~ 32" length of 2x4" lumber makes a great crank-arm crutch to keep the
crank fully extended upright, which you can push down on without
impaling your knuckles on the teeth of your chainring. Just flip the
bike over and tuck the 2x4 under the flat side of the pedal, step on the
horn of the seat, then wrench away!</span></span></span> <br /></p><p>I don't have the special 5-tooth tool to remove the lock-caps, but they came off with a rubber spacer (a piece of leather belt would probably work too) from an old tail-light and a shiny new Vice-Grip with a circular jaw pattern. I used Q-Tips to clean out the tiny bit of grease left inside. I then used Mobil-1 oil (from a repurposed Visine bottle) to clean out the needle bearing by flooding the inside of the pedal with oil & then turning the spindle with a small drill and 8mm allen wrench at ~ 300 rmps. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iWWtrp6VodY/X771DPSDRdI/AAAAAAAACDQ/VabUcPKA_50hrvht044FeaciY-emn8ADQCLcBGAsYHQ/s5184/IMG_3517.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iWWtrp6VodY/X771DPSDRdI/AAAAAAAACDQ/VabUcPKA_50hrvht044FeaciY-emn8ADQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_3517.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mother's Headlight Polish<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p> If you're going to polish the machined needle bearing interface on the spindle, do so before using the 0w20 oil and spinning the bearing with the drill, because if there's debris on it you might scratch the rollers of the needle bearing with a chewed up spindle cone. I used this Mother's headlight de-fogger which has an "ultra-fine abrasive" - probably hydrolyzed silica, AKA soggy sand, which is used in toothpaste, based on the color. <a href="https://www.mcmaster.com/lapping-compounds/grit~2000-grit/" target="_blank">Lapping compound</a> at ~ 2,000 grit would be safer, if I had it on hand. A hard piece of denim or quality paper towel work well to hold the compound against the spindle with a hard hand pinch. More is less, so tread lightly, but get them nice and shiny without reshaping the spindle. </p><p>Whatever you do, make DAMNED SURE there is no abrasive of any kind left on the spindle. I washed mine off with hot, soapy water, dried it with paper towel, and then immediately wiped it with oil. <br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HIeO9LGRisc/X77pT3abpzI/AAAAAAAACDA/Czx_YPOgUIUwVjkEhyqS2hYmP_bn9YZAwCLcBGAsYHQ/s5184/IMG_3516.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HIeO9LGRisc/X77pT3abpzI/AAAAAAAACDA/Czx_YPOgUIUwVjkEhyqS2hYmP_bn9YZAwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_3516.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note rubber jaw-shield in ViceGrip<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>After cleaning the threads of the lock-cap and upper part of the inside pedal body with alcohol, as those threads need to be squeaky clean to allow the LockTite to bond during final assembly, I used FinishLine Teflon-fortified grease for the body and the main "permanently lubed" sealed bearing. After cleaning out the hollow at the end of the spindle with a Q-Tip, I packed it with grease too.</p><p>Using the Krytox syringe, I applied a zig-zag pattern of grease on the machined bit of the spindle that engages the needle bearing. As there's no way to reach the needle-bearing, I carefully reassembled the spindle and spun it with a drill to get some Krytox onto the surface of the needle-bearing itself. I repeatd this 3 times until I was sure I had a good Krytox coating on both the bearing and the spindle. <br /></p><p>I then squeazed about a 1" length of lube into the pedal body. Not wanting to push the Krytox GPL 205 off the machined needle-bearing interface of the spindle when pressing it into place, I then repeatedly slammed the pedal body down onto a rag-covered bench to force the grease to the bottom of the pedal cavity. I had to repeat this process twice, adding grease again, to fully pack the pedal. </p><p>Listen for a grease "crack" when doing a trial reassembly and tightening of the lock-cap. Excess grease will get pushed past the cassette bearing's seal in time, guaranteeing it gets relubed, even if it's supposed to be "lubed for life". The primary job of grease is to slowly bleed out the oil it holds. More grease, more oil, more bearing life. It will add 50gr to the weight of your bike. Do you care?<br /></p><p>Once fully packed, turn the pedal with the drill and 8mm allen tip. You should see grease coming out of the pedal end of the sealed bearing interface. Wipe with a clean rag and repeat until the grease stops oozing out. You should then be ready to back the lock-cap off to expose the threads so you can apply LockTite. </p><p>The seals on the lock-cap are very good, so if you cleaned them thoroughly with alcohol they should still be clean & dry. Apply 2 drops of BLUE Medium strength LockTite (I used Permatex. Same stuff AFAICT) covering 3-4 threads from the outside in. Hand tighten (the left side lock-cap is left-hand threaded - as is the spindle) as tight as you can and then use the 5-tooth special tool or soft-mouth pliers or Vice-Grip to tighten until snug. There's a thin rubber seal at the base of the threads the lock-cap is meant to engage AFAICT. The seal on mine was cracked & dried, but the Lock-Tite is both a thread-locker and a sealant, so don't sweat the O-ring seal quality.</p><p>Blue "LockTite", by whatever name, takes 24hrs to fully cure, so no pedaling until TOMORROW. <br /></p><p><span style="color: #01ffff;"><span class="ILfuVd NA6bn"><span class="hgKElc">Remember, the <b>left pedal</b> spindle is <b>reverse threaded</b>. Turn it clockwise to remove the <b>pedal</b> when facing the crank arm. The right side is normal, so turn it anti-clockwise to loosen it.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #01ffff;"><span class="ILfuVd NA6bn"><span class="hgKElc"></span></span></span></p><p></p><p>Have a Happy Thanksgiving! </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RSdkYP_iJIA/X77pH0Fi6vI/AAAAAAAACC8/zCfdW0LuzR8mglhOPr01N4mD9STLSo9jQCLcBGAsYHQ/s5184/IMG_3513.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RSdkYP_iJIA/X77pH0Fi6vI/AAAAAAAACC8/zCfdW0LuzR8mglhOPr01N4mD9STLSo9jQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_3513.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Excess Grease Oozing out of Bearing<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>PS: Did a hard climbing ride just now and happy to report the pedals are quiet. It will take a few more rides for the grease to get pressed out to an equilibrium quantity, but this is very encouraging. No indication the lock-caps are going to unscrew themselves, and no grease leakage on the left side spindle at all. <br /></p><p>PPS: I've put about 175 miles on these pedals in the last week and they are now glassy smooth, smoother than when I first took them out of the box and mounted them - by far. Weather has been 45-65F and there is still a small bit of grease coming out of the seal on the R pedal (packing the hollow of the spindle is probably responsible for this), which is just fine with me. It guarantees all the rust, debris and microscopic bits of spall, if there are any, are getting pushed out of the main bearing, and no water or dust is getting back in. </p><p>Cheers!<br /></p><p><br /></p>Grey Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238917041257429804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-82448839988046643602020-11-17T23:21:00.013-08:002020-11-25T06:18:24.797-08:00Biking To-Do List: November 2020<p>First, yes, I still owe you all 2 posts on the theory and practice of half-step gearing, which is slow going at the moment, but I'm working on it. </p><p>Second, I decided to repack an old set of Shimano Ultegra 6700 carbon pedals and was shocked to find there is no main bearing, and the "needle bearing" isn't a needle bearing at all, it's a home-brew dual ball bearing where the cups are ground into the ends of a ~ 12mm steel barrel, and those balls are teeny tiny, like something out of a Swiss watch. We're talking flat-sided toothpicks for handling all 36 of these<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Si3N4-Silicon-Nitride-Ceramic-Bearings/dp/B01AXDD1R2?th=1" target="_blank"> 3/32 little devils</a>. The <a href="https://si.shimano.com/pdfs/dm/DM-RAPD001-01-ENG.pdf" target="_blank">PD-R8000</a> is made exactly the same way. <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7xbYHu575yc/X7XLYZi5DRI/AAAAAAAACCA/Bgkz5WCXWXsCtvNMD8IiJKpyFN9rI3AKwCLcBGAsYHQ/s632/Screenshot_2020-11-18%2BDM-RAPD001-01-ENG%2Bpdf.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="632" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7xbYHu575yc/X7XLYZi5DRI/AAAAAAAACCA/Bgkz5WCXWXsCtvNMD8IiJKpyFN9rI3AKwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screenshot_2020-11-18%2BDM-RAPD001-01-ENG%2Bpdf.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Third, I'm still trying to figure out a way to salvage my old bike's headset by using a thicker grease meant to resist being hammered out of the contact area (pound-out). Turns out there's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqvq5IHjHTg&feature=emb_logo" target="_blank">a grease sold by AmsOil</a> made specifically for this purpose used in heavy duty off-road earth-moving equipment - Synthetic Polymeric Off-Road Grease, NLGI #2</p><p>Think articulated joint in the center of a bucket loader rolling over rough ground with a bucket load of ore and a huge weight stack at the extreme other end of the machine. (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqvq5IHjHTg&feature=emb_logo" target="_blank">these guys</a> couldn't get laid in a mattress factory, but watch the video anyway) You'd want the thicker NLGI #2 grease for headsets retrofitted with sealed bearings with much smaller engagement areas than the original <a href="https://pedalingzen.blogspot.com/2011/11/techie-tuesday-headset-r-on-specialized.html" target="_blank">press-in ball bearing cups.</a><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8QrHevFgSto/X7XScLs5s3I/AAAAAAAACCM/G-H6g2Qtk4UiKfLsWup1XZfbleDAmJgmwCLcBGAsYHQ/s800/Screenshot_2020-11-18%2BAMSOIL%2BSynthetic%2BPolymeric%2BOff-Road%2BGrease%2BNLGI%2B%25232%2B%2528GPOR2%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="800" height="112" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8QrHevFgSto/X7XScLs5s3I/AAAAAAAACCM/G-H6g2Qtk4UiKfLsWup1XZfbleDAmJgmwCLcBGAsYHQ/w320-h112/Screenshot_2020-11-18%2BAMSOIL%2BSynthetic%2BPolymeric%2BOff-Road%2BGrease%2BNLGI%2B%25232%2B%2528GPOR2%2529.png" title="Synthetic Polymeric Off-Road Grease, NLGI #2" width="320" /></a></div><p>This, and repacking my Ultegra pedals led me to a lengthy investigation of grease, and especially, compatibility of greases with different bases (they're not), because I bought some of Park Tool's <span class="ILfuVd"><span class="hgKElc">PPL-1 Polylube poly-urea grease, and I wanted to be sure it would play nice with other (primarily lithium-based) greases. Park Tool says it does. My research says NO. </span></span></p><p><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="hgKElc">BTW, the base isn't the lubricating agent. The base is the stuff that gels and suspends an oil, and slowly weeps the oil onto a bearing over time, but it's NOT the primary lubricant (some additives like moly or graphite provide lubrication as well). That is to say, the base is what makes something a grease instead of an oil. There's a fairly wide window of bearing speeds and loads where grease works, and bicycle bearings are way, way inside that window. Easy-peasy. <br /></span></span></p><p><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="hgKElc"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d48O7zPXzyM/X7XYsK8LhCI/AAAAAAAACCY/03SGSfOHWNsXdXa52oWGULeLh2CEUSE-wCLcBGAsYHQ/s556/Screenshot_2020-11-18%2BSystematically%2BSelecting%2Bthe%2BBest%2BGrease%2BFor%2BEquipment%2BReliability.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="556" data-original-width="469" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d48O7zPXzyM/X7XYsK8LhCI/AAAAAAAACCY/03SGSfOHWNsXdXa52oWGULeLh2CEUSE-wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screenshot_2020-11-18%2BSystematically%2BSelecting%2Bthe%2BBest%2BGrease%2BFor%2BEquipment%2BReliability.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">10% ball bearing failure @ 45,000hrs<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="hgKElc"><br />By way of contrast, high speeds, high loads, and high heat make active lubrication under pressure with oil absolutely necessary for ICE engine main "bearings", which aren't bearings at all, but bushings with oil galleys cut into them, while hypoid gears' very high pressure loads in manual transmissions require very thick oil that can stand up to molecular shearing, but no active, pressurized lubrication system is needed there. <br /></span></span><p></p><p><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="hgKElc">At any rate, I leaned a ton of interesting and important information about grease, when it's used, and how to select it. There's a really brilliant blog post in this if I'm up to the challenge. I do want to assure you all though that I'm very happy with all the RX-es I've made on this blog, and in particular, I still think for ball bearings running at the speeds (50-250 rpms) and pressure loads of bicycle hubs, BBs, headsets (my special need notwithstanding) and pedals, <a href="http://www.finishlineusa.com/products/bicycle-greases/extreme-fluoro-grease" target="_blank">pure Teflon grease</a> directly on the balls, cups & cones, and <a href="http://www.finishlineusa.com/products/bicycle-greases/premium-grease-made-with-teflon-fluoropolymer" target="_blank">Teflon fortified grease</a> to displace dust, water, etc in the rest of the grease cavity, makes the best possible lubrication. </span></span></p><p><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="hgKElc"> If this changes I'll shout it from the rooftops, but I don't see that happening for decades. FinishLine makes both the pure Teflon grease and the Teflon fortified grease. I bought some <a href="https://www.krytox.com/en/-/media/files/krytox/krytox-gpl-105-205-215-225.pdf" target="_blank">Krytox GPL 205</a> 10yrs ago and paid $65, but <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Krytox-Grease-Pure-PFPE-PTFE/dp/B00MWLDALQ/ref=asc_df_B00MWLDALQ/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=193991302028&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14041192106643780995&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031416&hvtargid=pla-334682982874&psc=1" target="_blank">it's gotten cheaper</a>. I still have about 1/4 left, so yes, I use it sparingly, but it will never leave you metal to metal and is chemically inert, so it won't react to metal, plastic, paint, etc. If you're riding disk brakes and the hub is soaking up a lot of heat, PTFE grease is about as good as it gets. <br /></span></span></p><p><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="hgKElc">With COVID-19 running rampant everywhere again, as predicted, please do take care to stay safe at all times - 90% of the time will get you killed with this <a href="https://twitter.com/hinapatelRx/status/1331424210766471168" target="_blank">remorseless executioner</a>. <br /></span></span></p><p><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="hgKElc"><br /></span></span></p>Grey Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238917041257429804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-77045412976394073752020-11-14T16:33:00.011-08:002020-12-28T12:57:36.042-08:00How to Evaluate Winter Clothing<p>Have you ever gotten a recommendation for cold weather riding gear and found yourself frozen stiff or steaming hot, despite that recommendation being from a usually reliable source or friend? Me too. It's been over 10yrs now since I posted this, but my metric has held up very with experience, so I'm going to repeat it in plenty of time for Christmas shopping. </p><p>Here's my RX: </p><p><b>Multiply your average ride wattage by your BMI (body mass index) and use that number to compare with others when they recommend winter clothing.</b></p><p>It turns out this is an excellent way to estimate how much core you have to retain the heat you generate in making whatever power you do.</p><p>For example, after working out in the gym for 20+ years I have a LOT of core, and am also somewhat barrel chested. I also have short legs, so I have a high BMI of 28. I also make pretty good power (for my age), 225 RWGPS or 115 Strava watts, so not surprisingly I don't need much clothing to keep warm when riding. As long as you both use the same reference watts the fact that RWGPS and Strava differ doesn't matter. For me the challenge is to keep from over-dressing and sweating profusely, which can actually become quite dangerous when riding near dark, or if you have a mechanical and need to wait for a ride. Hypothermia kills. </p><p>On the other hand I used to ride with a woman who was 5'2" and 105lbs (BMI=19), making 55-60 Strava watts and 100-110 RWGPS watts, she would freeze to death trying to get by with the clothing appropriate for me (drafting off someone can be a big help if you're getting cold as they break the wind and pass heat back to you - it works). However, one of our older ride leaders was 6'4" and weighed about 150lbs, with a BMI of 18, making about 150 RWGPS and 65 Strava watts, so his recommendations were pretty helpful for her. The closer the product of BMI x Watts is, the better the recommendations will be. <br /></p><p>Worth mentioning here that your head is the one extremity you can't completely cover, so what you can cover, cover with the best stuff money can buy. I have 4 Balaclavas, and find them priceless in keeping warm. It's also worth considering buying a winter helmet that isn't so aggressively vented, which is just the opposite of what you want in summer. <br /></p><p>Of course, there are always subtleties to be aware of. For example, while it is slightly uncomfortable, especially at the start of rides, I've found having my arms cold doesn't really affect my performance, while having my hands cold seriously impairs my ability to shift and brake. Also, my size 11 feet tend to get cold easily, and that leads to a lot of discomfort and eventually, calf cramping. Finally, my quads just above my knees tend to cramp easily in the cold.</p><p>If you want to dress for comfort in winter, start keeping a log of temps before, during and after rides and the clothing you selected. In a month or two you will almost NEVER get surprised and be inappropriately dressed. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qT4gj-fGZZg/X7B3Jr0fCtI/AAAAAAAACBw/j0-YORptnNc5JdreYT_aG_NpA2wAruq9wCLcBGAsYHQ/s863/Screenshot_2020-11-14%2BPearl%2BIzumi%2BElite%2BEscape%2BConvertible%2BJacket%2B%2528Torch%2BRed%2529%2B%2528S%2529%2B%255B111318216DTS%255D%2BClothing.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="863" data-original-width="719" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qT4gj-fGZZg/X7B3Jr0fCtI/AAAAAAAACBw/j0-YORptnNc5JdreYT_aG_NpA2wAruq9wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screenshot_2020-11-14%2BPearl%2BIzumi%2BElite%2BEscape%2BConvertible%2BJacket%2B%2528Torch%2BRed%2529%2B%2528S%2529%2B%255B111318216DTS%255D%2BClothing.png" /></a></div><p></p><p>One bit of hard-earned wisdom. If riding with a group, especially at night, carry an extra layer of clothing in way it stays DRY, because when riding in winter with a group you're almost always going to have to wait for someone to fix a flat or mechanical, because some idiots just don't get that winter is the worst time of all to compromise on tires, lights & other gear, so you'll be somewhat wet with sweat, and then have to wait for 10-20 minutes in the cold while making zero heat. </p><p>Adding more layers, which will also get soaked with sweat, only makes things worse. You'll be more sweat-soaked and much quicker. You need a layer you've kept <b>dry</b> that you can quickly don without losing much body heat. For me this is a jacket over my vest or a convertible jacket I can zip the arms onto. Whatever you do, time is of the essence. Save all that beautiful heat ASAP. You'll be thanking yourself in < 10 minutes.<br /></p><p>Hope you have a long, fun winter of riding, and don't ride alone after dark. Fun at times, and beautiful beyond belief at others, but very unforgiving. <br /></p>Grey Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238917041257429804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-60628403032120882272020-10-29T10:33:00.008-07:002020-10-29T13:10:16.736-07:00My COVID replacement Century<p>Three of the four cities in this valley put on an annual bicycle tour each year called the Victor Valley Bike Tour, which has in the past offered a full 100 mile Century, but in recent years its longest ride was 70 miles, which was cancelled due to COVID-19 this year. </p><p> Our little valley is only about 20 miles long, so finding 100 miles is a challenge, but I nevertheless did map out a 100.3 mile route, and have been riding it in pieces where those were not well traveled routes to get the feel of the terrain in my legs and sample the surface so I could do my own Century Ride. </p><p>Riding a full Century alone with no SAG support is rather daunting, especially here, so I was biding my time, waiting for the heat of summer to subside, but anxious to go before the days got too short, and as always, a day where the winds were calm, which is quite rare around here. Both Monday & Tuesday of this week met all the requirements, but I slept poorly Sunday night, so Tuesday it was. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NI0eQg3ywBg/X5sei6jG3-I/AAAAAAAACBI/qTo3gaty7XkHpJ6Xwf7TV2_FHZIF_dphwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_20201028_122611133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NI0eQg3ywBg/X5sei6jG3-I/AAAAAAAACBI/qTo3gaty7XkHpJ6Xwf7TV2_FHZIF_dphwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_20201028_122611133.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Apple Valley Airport with a nice tailwind<br /></div><p></p><p>The 1st thing I did was line up my significant other for SAG support, which she was more than happy to do. There was just too much weight and bulk to carry everything with me, though I did have some flexibility as to where we met for resupply. I settled on two places pretty quickly, a COVID abandoned prison and the Apple Valley Airport. Because it has water and working toilets I ended up getting SAG at the airport. As I've mentioned before, I spend as little time indoors there as possible post-COVID, but there is a nice BBQ area with shade and a sink with running water, which is where I spent a bit over an hour (no idea it was this long of a break & shocked when I saw the time on RWGPS). </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OK-eWo1uh_Y/X5sezubEGDI/AAAAAAAACBQ/y41P7CHCtw0G1wovTbxWRUVM_eUJ3EAaACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_20200925_110620772_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OK-eWo1uh_Y/X5sezubEGDI/AAAAAAAACBQ/y41P7CHCtw0G1wovTbxWRUVM_eUJ3EAaACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_20200925_110620772_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">End of the Pavement @ Standing Rock & Laguna Seca<br /></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xb5F44A5JJk/X5sezj50PYI/AAAAAAAACBU/H34vV-uq9NkcZE2qoEs56fCiWbwGWU1mACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_20201013_110007160_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xb5F44A5JJk/X5sezj50PYI/AAAAAAAACBU/H34vV-uq9NkcZE2qoEs56fCiWbwGWU1mACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_20201013_110007160_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Beautiful Shady spot on Cahuilla Rd Climb<br /></div><p></p><p>It ended up getting warmer than expected, and the north wind, while bone dry (under 10% humidity), didn't give me quite the wind-assist I planned on coming home, though it was very welcome. There was also a lot of construction equipment on Navajo, as they are FINALLY putting in an elevated, concrete bike path (the grant was targeted at transportation for the 3 schools in the area) along Navajo. It should be wonderful when it's completed, although I hope they don't carve out breaks for every one of the 30+ road & driveway crossings along Navajo. As it was, I skipped the stop at Mendel Park and extension to the end of Kiowa where it dirt-ends due to lack of water at Mendel Pk. That took 4 miles out of my planned ride.<br /></p><p>The heat and dry took a bit more out of me than expected, and I was running low on fuel and electrolytes, but the main reason I settled for 83 miles instead of 100 is the route as planned would have left me at about 90 miles, so not much distance needed doing laps of Spring Valley Lake to get to 100. As it is, 83 is a new distance record since moving down to SoCal here in the high desert, which was pretty great in itself. </p><p>For nutrition I used a GU flask bulging with GU Rocktane, my last Powerbar (they stopped making them here in the US), and 5 bottles of Gatorade spiked with Emergen-C. Both of those I carry in powdered form and make into a drink at hydration stops. I also took some CoQ-10, L-Carnosine and Pterostilbene at the airport. Those are metabolites or reduce muscle fatigue. I also had a Blueberry Crisp Cliff Bar with me, but gave it back to my S/O at the airport, a decision I regretted later. I still had some Gatorade powder left at the end of the ride, but otherwise, consumed most of my liquids. </p><p>There's an easy way to get in a full Century by modifying the route so I do the Navajo-Kiowa box twice. A bit boring perhaps, but if the drinking fountains get fixed a great option vs laps around SVL, where perfectly paved streets are now a giant parking lot after they were lined so homeowners can park their mandatory 4-7 vehicles per household on the street. Ridiculous - and dangerous for cyclists. (SVL is not a gated community, so that paving was paid for by the taxpayers of San Bernardino County and should not have been allowed)</p><p>If we get an Indian Summer sometime this winter I may try this Century ride again, with a little SAG modification to dump clothing and take on nutrition when the day warms up, and a little route mod as well. It was nice getting in a big chunk of miles and setting a new distance record locally, and I learned a bit in the process. Since the VVBT is only 70 miles, it was nice to up the ante a bit and get it done!<br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Grey Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238917041257429804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-17327179748611154982020-10-05T12:14:00.008-07:002020-11-27T14:52:02.079-08:00Look Carbon Keo Blade Pedals - CrMo<p><span style="color: #01ffff;">THANKSGIVING UPDATE</span>: <a href="https://pedalingzen.blogspot.com/2020/11/look-carbon-keo-blade-grease-failure.html" target="_blank">I had to repack these</a> brand new pedals 6 weeks after receiving them as they were squeaking badly. YMMV, but why take the chance? Get the special 5-tooth tool if you can find it, but repack these bearings before even mounting them. They come with almost NO grease, I assume to keep claimed weight to the bare minimum, but that's a very poor trade-off IMHO. <br /></p><p> </p><p>I bought a pair of new Look <a href="https://www.lookcycle.com/download//products-pedals-2020/downloads/pedals-product-page-documents-download-mounting-pedals-race-en-fr.pdf" target="_blank">Keo Carbon Blade</a> CrMo pedals, as my Shimano Ultegra were getting pretty ratty, and the Look are $50 cheaper these days. In fact, you can get the Ti Ceramic Look Keo Carbon Blade pedals online for less than the list price of the Shimano Ultegra carbon. SMH. Not this guy. $135 from Colorado Cyclist with the FALL discount (out of stock now I see), no tax, no shipping charges. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-elUQUKJrrU8/X3tv2703tUI/AAAAAAAACAo/PaAJtrNzKJQCHgnVPtTfLNx6_dqReN58QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/look-2019-keo-blade-carbon-pedal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-elUQUKJrrU8/X3tv2703tUI/AAAAAAAACAo/PaAJtrNzKJQCHgnVPtTfLNx6_dqReN58QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/look-2019-keo-blade-carbon-pedal.jpg" /></a></div><p>They mount the same, but are positioned much differently, so it took a bit to get them dialed in, and is still a work in progress in truth. You CANNOT unclip from the Look pedals by twisting your heel inwards, which is my habit with my L foot, the one I always disengage. That's been problematic, but hoping with time my muscle memory will adjust. <br /></p><p>UPDATE: You CAN disengage by twisting your heel inward, but it takes ~ 3X the force. Weird, as the mech looks symmetrical. <br /></p><p></p><p>After the cleats wore into the pedals a bit, after about 25 miles I guess, I like them a lot. With 4.5 degrees of float they feel "liquid". They may be slightly less prone to hot-spots too, and I do think the bearings are a bit better, even the stainless ones on the CrMo version. <br /></p><p>How I came to this decision is a bit of a long story with a happy ending. A friend was asking about bottom bracket bearing upgrades, and I pointed out that while people tend to obsess about those bearings, the bearings in pedals bear EXACTLY the same amount of force, but are much, much smaller bearings, so a better upgrade would be pedals. </p><p>He then asked me about pedals, and I have him some basic guidance, like good pedals have large stainless steel (very hard, usually stainless, which can be as hard as 475 Brinell hardness, used in making steel plate targets for shooting practice) plates under the balls of your feet so they don't wear out. I sent him a pic of my Ultegra R8000 carbon pedals, but looking at the pics I noticed the left pedal's clip mech in the back was looking pretty ratty, and it started to bug me. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4c1tkWTpG-c/X5simTEyfyI/AAAAAAAACBk/5CC4nE3m14I7zbh-d-q9o3P8fhtMToHzgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_20200822_122705807.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4c1tkWTpG-c/X5simTEyfyI/AAAAAAAACBk/5CC4nE3m14I7zbh-d-q9o3P8fhtMToHzgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_20200822_122705807.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After 6-7yrs, getting kind of ratty...<br /></div><p></p><p>I conducted a Google Safari, looking around for good pedals for him and was intrigued by Look's Keo Carbon Blade pedals, which ditched the steel torsion springs in back for what Look calls a leaf spring, which is made of carbon fiber. They come in various tensions, 8, 12, 16 & 20 which you install "permanently" until you get sick of looking at them or just want to change the tension for some reason. Then you unscrew a rod and install a different "Blade" for a different tension, or the same one if you like the looks of the newer blade. They have a special TDF version, for example. Some have a pronounced carbon weave pattern, others are just black with decals. <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ehj7QisTPVM/X3toBhezbNI/AAAAAAAACAI/379qGb6L0GoJZWRX9MFic5fxQqzj1a1MwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/s-l1600.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ehj7QisTPVM/X3toBhezbNI/AAAAAAAACAI/379qGb6L0GoJZWRX9MFic5fxQqzj1a1MwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/s-l1600.jpg" /></a></div> <p></p><p>While the lower weight was interesting from a design perspective, what I liked more was the over-sized main bearing next to the pedal arm. It's a cartridge bearing, very much like you'd find in the front wheel hub of your factory wheel. The outboard bearing is a tapered roller bearing, the same as the wheel bearings on your car. You can find the wrench to service the pedals, and a Ti axle to boot for a bargain price of $8.90 (with shipping) <a href="https://www.ebay.com/i/202777926758?chn=ps&var=502925077630&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=502925077630_202777926758&targetid=934793861216&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9031416&campaignid=10880341817&mkgroupid=110621917401&rlsatarget=pla-934793861216&abcId=9300400&merchantid=101817420&gclid=CjwKCAjwiOv7BRBREiwAXHbv3F-CNkZTwpopt8YXI73kUxEHEW01oLY4hirzLHdzhYvAGFRNfITaZRoCn2EQAvD_BwE" target="_blank">here on Ebay</a>. I include it here just for the pics. The product may be crap, or fantastic. I have no clue. They're supposed to shave 22 grams off the already light CoMo pedals with the included ceramic cartridge bearings. Again, the roller bearing is molded into the pedal, so it cannot be replaced.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6slFLQ5Xzi8/X3tnkhLVeJI/AAAAAAAACAA/lFuL2Sl4D5cLR-MK7-rmYdkrflM4vy3zQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1300/116538130-3d-rendering-automotive-bearings-auto-spare-parts-tapered-roller-bearing-isolated-on-a-white-backgro.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="866" data-original-width="1300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6slFLQ5Xzi8/X3tnkhLVeJI/AAAAAAAACAA/lFuL2Sl4D5cLR-MK7-rmYdkrflM4vy3zQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/116538130-3d-rendering-automotive-bearings-auto-spare-parts-tapered-roller-bearing-isolated-on-a-white-backgro.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p> Needle point roller bearings, the kind used by Look, are designed to take high axial and radial loads, as they have a lot of contact surface and are tapered in the direction of the axial load. Look's are embedded in the carbon pedal, and the machined taper on the spindle comprises the cone of the bearing, so only the tapered CroMo shaft, or Titanium if you've got an extra $150 bucks (you do get ceramic bearings for that price too) lying around, can be replaced, not the embedded bearing. </p><p>You can service both bearings by cleaning and <a href="http://www.sandsmachine.com/grease_t.htm" target="_blank">applying new grease</a>. As the tapered roller bearing is moving pretty slow relative to a car, I would highly recommend using Teflon grease on it and then a Teflon-fortified wheel grease to fill the rest of the space in the pedal body to keep water and dust out. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SVpGuT1dGk4/X3trPfrLODI/AAAAAAAACAU/NeZJRQY0r781mr4TQgvGlh5hBoWXUPd5QCLcBGAsYHQ/s800/big_Extreme_Fluoro_X00200101.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="587" data-original-width="800" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SVpGuT1dGk4/X3trPfrLODI/AAAAAAAACAU/NeZJRQY0r781mr4TQgvGlh5hBoWXUPd5QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/big_Extreme_Fluoro_X00200101.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ifqvrCL9Yjs/X3trPXdpaUI/AAAAAAAACAY/NCe9aLmwi8cPTD9uZY8gFwqwGK1hEw2kQCLcBGAsYHQ/s600/big_FL_GRS_TEF_US_3.5oz_100g_LITHO_1805_RGB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="220" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ifqvrCL9Yjs/X3trPXdpaUI/AAAAAAAACAY/NCe9aLmwi8cPTD9uZY8gFwqwGK1hEw2kQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/big_FL_GRS_TEF_US_3.5oz_100g_LITHO_1805_RGB.jpg" /></a></div><p>I have no experience with it, but Park's new <a href="https://www.competitivecyclist.com/park-tool-polylube-1000-lubricant-ppl-1?skid=PAR0160-ONECOL-S4OZ&CMP_SKU=PAR0160&MER=0406&CSPID=0914&mr:trackingCode=7D192B7C-75B4-E111-805D-001B21BCB944&mr:referralID=NA&mr:device=c&mr:adType=plaonline&mr:ad=216726125730&mr:keyword=&mr:match=&mr:tid=pla-653797603602&mr:ploc=9031416&mr:iloc=&mr:store=&mr:filter=653797603602&CMP_ID=PLA_GOc014&CSPID=0914&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=PLA&k_clickid=_k_CjwKCAjwiOv7BRBREiwAXHbv3CsP0z2XdQj1y4kes0bSuncjNZSssUpcbDKCUxjCJ1zQOhgatf_fLxoClPoQAvD_BwE_k_&gclid=CjwKCAjwiOv7BRBREiwAXHbv3CsP0z2XdQj1y4kes0bSuncjNZSssUpcbDKCUxjCJ1zQOhgatf_fLxoClPoQAvD_BwE" target="_blank">PPL-1 PolyLube 1000</a> grease might be a good choice too. As for the cartridge bearing, Chris King is on record as recommending Mobil 1 motor oil for his wheel bearings. I'd choose something rather thick, and perhaps "Extended Performance for High Mileage" which has seal preservatives in it. Now you just have to figure out how to get old oil out of, and new oil into, sealed bearings. (???) The only thing I can think to do is use an electric drill to turn the bearing in a bath of new oil. Let me know if you have a tried & true method.</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RZQRHpZTHJA/X3twYwkEajI/AAAAAAAACAw/M52wCSB5d3IOlm5Ss2v6mw0RnVKfEXB6ACLcBGAsYHQ/s900/ONECOL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RZQRHpZTHJA/X3twYwkEajI/AAAAAAAACAw/M52wCSB5d3IOlm5Ss2v6mw0RnVKfEXB6ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/ONECOL.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>Happy trails!<br /></p><p></p><p> </p><p><br /></p>Grey Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238917041257429804noreply@blogger.com0