The forecast was hardly credible. It was a beautiful, sunny day, and in the mid-70s, so not very likely to end in the high 50's a few hours later. I guess I'm rusty, as I would normally have taken at least my vest with me, but I didn't even think about it until taking a breather up at Beal's Pt - quickly chilling as black storm clouds blew in at 15-20mph.
I went out the door with a half-dose of Sudafed, betting my sinuses would react to the winds, and maybe my lungs, and taking a little insurance against my throat closing up. A good decision, as I was coughing pretty hard at the drinking fountain at Negro Bar.
I'd pushed hard the first 8 miles, until falling victim to some very confusing signage about which route to take through the Hazel Ave Bridge construction, but picked up the pace again after, attacking the shallow false-flat going upstream. The wind was at my back on that leg, at least for the most part, with 1ft waves at the back of Lake Natomas. The rowing teams were having a miserable time trying to keep from getting swamped in their crewing sculls. They were all gone upon my return, as the wind kept building.
I had a nice chat with a guy and his pre-school son while catching my breath at Negro Bar. HR was 158, but declining, so while I hydrated and ate a little Powerbar I fished an empty bottle out of the trash so the son could catch some tadpoles. They were from San Diego, up for a wedding, and just out exploring. I could have given the son a pound of gold and he wouldn't have been any happier. I guess we built a memory.
The great thing about the Negro Bar watering hole is you have just enough time to get into your rhythm before you hit the bottom of the climb to Beal's Pt. I could feel the Sudafed pushing me on the base leg of the climb, and knew I should back it off a bit, but it felt really good to be cranking that hard. Really good!
I paid for that the last 500 yards, red-lining at 163 BPM, and still 2 mph below my usual speed. My time was 1:45 off my PB, but I was happy my legs would go that hard, so all good.
I rolled down into the parking lot to the concessions area, gasping for breath, smiling. Bending over the drinking fountain, trying to keep the wind from blowing the stream away, I knew I was in for a tough ride home, so I hydrated well, moved to get out of the wind, and watched the sky grow darker and darker as the chill really started to bite. I was getting cold, so decided to shove off a little earlier than planned, kicking myself for forgetting the vest.
The wind didn't disappoint on the way home, starting with an unusually slow descent back to Folsom with the wind full in my face, and still building. My shoulder was pretty sore up at Beal's, and I knew I'd need to be as aero as possible going home, so was hoping for the best. The longer I stayed in the arm pads, the better it started to feel. I noticed small changes, like turning my hand so the palm was turned down flat, instead of on edge, made a big difference..
The ride home was pretty uneventful, except for a lot of gear grinding trying to shed the wind and maintain a decent cadence. Again, I had trouble getting the chain to shift cleanly on the cassette and cursed the derailleur. Somewhere between there and home it hit me that it wasn't the derailleur, it was the shifter that was the problem.
I bought my '06 Roubaix at a deep discount with 9-speed gearing, deciding to wear the gearing out, and then replace it with 10-speed gearing. That day has arrived, so I will be out buying an Ultegra 6703 shifter set, cassette, and chain tomorrow, taking advantage of some incredible deals at the grand opening of a new Performance Bike shop in Roseville.
Returning home I was very tired, but also smiling that my first time back to Beal's had gone well. Once inside I realized how cold I was - chilled to the bone. It took a hot shower and a hot soak to finally warm up, and I was pretty stiff and sore yesterday morning, but was happy my cardio hung in there well enough for me to hammer my legs that hard on only the 3rd ride back.
Uploading the Garmin data RideWithGPS.com reported my average power at 258 watts for the 33 miles. Better than expected, and a very good result. Average ride HR was 142, and 148 on the climb, so about 270 watts on the climb vs 300+, but I'll take it!
In short, my bread and butter ride might as well have been caviar. Completing the ride was pure joy, a real confidence builder too.
Showing posts with label Beal's Point. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beal's Point. Show all posts
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Wednesday: MIA
I went for a nice sunny ride up to Beals on Tuesday, except when I got up on Wednesday and went to RSVP yes for the Beatty Dr climbing practice ride on Thursday, I found out it was already Thursday and I had already missed the ride. What happened to Wednesday? Can I have it back? It was a nice sunny day, even if the wind was pretty cold, and now it's rain, rain, rain again for 4-5 days.
Not wanting to risk dehydration, I left the windbreaker at home and went with a PI vest and heavy, long-sleeve jersey. I think that would have worked if I'd worn leg warmers, but as it was, though nice and sunny, it was a COLD ride, especially up at Beals where the cold wind coming off the lake cut like a knife.
I have a secret spot at Beals though. Right as you come in, on the left side, over behind the concessions area, there's a spot where the flower bed meets the building, and the afternoon sun beats on the cinder-block wall while the building completely blocks the wind. The roof hangs over the block wall, trapping the sun's warmth, while shielding it from the wind. The flower bed is mulched, which makes a nice insulator for the backside while sitting in it. It's a little slice of heaven on a cold day - as long as the sun is shining.
I broke out a PowerBar, took off my helmet to let the sun hit my black balaclava, pressed my back against the warm cinder-block, and watched a few runners dash into the bathrooms half frozen. I can't think the toilets were very comfortable at those temps either.
After 10 minutes or so, I'd gnawed through half the bar, swallowed some water, and decided to push off and make some heat before the sun got too low. As I clipped in I pointed a half-frozen couple running up to the drinking fountain to my secret spot and saw them break out in smiles as they huddled together and waved me off. I guess the secret is out now!
As it turned out leaving early was a good choice, as I ran over some glass somewhere around Negro Bar, and had to stop at the Aquatic Center to replace my tube. I finished up in 7-8 minutes, with the bike upside-down on a picnic table in the last rays of sunshine.
I was pretty chilled when I got home, and ran the heat at 80 degrees for an hour before I warmed up again. I could tell from the Garmin trace my cold legs weren't making as much power either, but it was still very nice to be out riding on a nice, sunny day.
---
With rain coming down steadily yesterday, I decided to repack my mtb rear hub. I picked up a nice pair of Park Tools 15 & 17 mm cone wrenches from Performance Bike Shop, (who didn't know they had them when I spoke with them on the phone) as my neighbor wasn't home, and I wanted to get the bike out of the dining room.
Almost on a fluke I ended up looking at Park Tool's instructional site on repacking hubs, and found a most unexpected procedure - which works great. You mount the wheel OUTSIDE of the rear dropout, using the non-drive-side dropout and quick-release to hold the wheel and compress the axle. If I hadn't experienced it myself I would never believe how much a steel axle compresses! The bearings go from loose to snug (well, perfect by the time you're done) just by closing the QR.
All done, and happy to have it done. After 15 yrs the grease was separating into oil that was gone, and wax that remained, but the hub, cups, cones and seals were in perfect condition. Shimano has great quality, and excellent seals. The freehub body is a sealed unit, so left that alone. Unlike my Alex hub that came stock on my road bike, the bearing cup is actually part of the freehub body on Shimano. An interesting design. Alex and Bontrager are the same system - probably both made by Alex in Taiwan.
I used FinishLine grease, but when squeezing it out of the tube, oil that had separated was coming out along-side of the rest of the grease. This is not good, especially since I just bought the grease. I finished up with Mobile 1 synthetic grease, which is also tackier, so holds the balls better. FinishLine makes a pure PTFE Teflon grease which I may try, but I will not use this grease again.
Not wanting to risk dehydration, I left the windbreaker at home and went with a PI vest and heavy, long-sleeve jersey. I think that would have worked if I'd worn leg warmers, but as it was, though nice and sunny, it was a COLD ride, especially up at Beals where the cold wind coming off the lake cut like a knife.
I have a secret spot at Beals though. Right as you come in, on the left side, over behind the concessions area, there's a spot where the flower bed meets the building, and the afternoon sun beats on the cinder-block wall while the building completely blocks the wind. The roof hangs over the block wall, trapping the sun's warmth, while shielding it from the wind. The flower bed is mulched, which makes a nice insulator for the backside while sitting in it. It's a little slice of heaven on a cold day - as long as the sun is shining.
I broke out a PowerBar, took off my helmet to let the sun hit my black balaclava, pressed my back against the warm cinder-block, and watched a few runners dash into the bathrooms half frozen. I can't think the toilets were very comfortable at those temps either.
After 10 minutes or so, I'd gnawed through half the bar, swallowed some water, and decided to push off and make some heat before the sun got too low. As I clipped in I pointed a half-frozen couple running up to the drinking fountain to my secret spot and saw them break out in smiles as they huddled together and waved me off. I guess the secret is out now!
As it turned out leaving early was a good choice, as I ran over some glass somewhere around Negro Bar, and had to stop at the Aquatic Center to replace my tube. I finished up in 7-8 minutes, with the bike upside-down on a picnic table in the last rays of sunshine.
I was pretty chilled when I got home, and ran the heat at 80 degrees for an hour before I warmed up again. I could tell from the Garmin trace my cold legs weren't making as much power either, but it was still very nice to be out riding on a nice, sunny day.
---
 |
| Shimano rear hubs are a 2 piece assembly. Note the radial spoking on the non-drive side. |
With rain coming down steadily yesterday, I decided to repack my mtb rear hub. I picked up a nice pair of Park Tools 15 & 17 mm cone wrenches from Performance Bike Shop, (who didn't know they had them when I spoke with them on the phone) as my neighbor wasn't home, and I wanted to get the bike out of the dining room.
 |
| The drive-side bearing cup is also a bearing cone! |
All done, and happy to have it done. After 15 yrs the grease was separating into oil that was gone, and wax that remained, but the hub, cups, cones and seals were in perfect condition. Shimano has great quality, and excellent seals. The freehub body is a sealed unit, so left that alone. Unlike my Alex hub that came stock on my road bike, the bearing cup is actually part of the freehub body on Shimano. An interesting design. Alex and Bontrager are the same system - probably both made by Alex in Taiwan.
I used FinishLine grease, but when squeezing it out of the tube, oil that had separated was coming out along-side of the rest of the grease. This is not good, especially since I just bought the grease. I finished up with Mobile 1 synthetic grease, which is also tackier, so holds the balls better. FinishLine makes a pure PTFE Teflon grease which I may try, but I will not use this grease again.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Back in the Saddle Again
.
I did another ride to Beals yesterday, returning via WBP, for 40 miles, and racked up 104 for the week. It was pretty hot and I was soaked in sweat by the time I got to WBP. Had a nice recovery shooting the breeze until I got sweat in my eye. The salt was so intense it was like acid!
I think I just about have the gearing sorted out. The 12-25 out back makes for decent gears. Pushing 2 cogs up on the rear derailleur when shifting into the big ring, or one down when dropping onto the middle ring, usually gives me the gear I want. Also canted the front derailleur outward just a bit more to allow full access to the 12T in back from the middle ring. Was futzing with the barrel adjusters for the first 10 miles, but have it dialed in pretty well now.
I took my bike to a friend's house and we repacked the bearings on my new wheels. The back didn't need it, but the front was rolling a bit rough. Crazy to wait on this chore. If you have any doubt, get your bearings cleaned up and packed ASAP. I really wanted this done before winter wet and grit arrives. It only took 30 minutes, working together, and we were all done.
Weirdly, the talc on the latex gloves we used got on the back wheel's braking surface, and makes the brakes grab like crazy. I wore all of the toe-in off the brake pads in one ride, so will take a ScotchBrite pad to the rims and clean the pads, and re-toe before my next ride to prevent squealing and chatter.
Seat post still sliding down, so that is still vexing me. Always something that needs attention.
The 100 mile weeks are really helping my fitness level, and strangely, my appetite has really fallen off dramatically. I'm slowly getting lighter and stronger, and getting toughened into the higher training volume - although I very much needed that rest week 2 weeks ago. Just a fact of life as we get older.
.
I rejoined HammerinWheels today as Perry and Jeff are putting together a nice training plan for the group, and I am getting interested in doing a double, or 3, next year. The California Triple Crown requires me to do 3, so I am busy considering my goals for next year. HWs had 4 members win the Triple Crown this year, and Greg did 5 doubles to get into the Thousand Mile Club. Fitness begets fitness.
.
I think I just about have the gearing sorted out. The 12-25 out back makes for decent gears. Pushing 2 cogs up on the rear derailleur when shifting into the big ring, or one down when dropping onto the middle ring, usually gives me the gear I want. Also canted the front derailleur outward just a bit more to allow full access to the 12T in back from the middle ring. Was futzing with the barrel adjusters for the first 10 miles, but have it dialed in pretty well now.
I took my bike to a friend's house and we repacked the bearings on my new wheels. The back didn't need it, but the front was rolling a bit rough. Crazy to wait on this chore. If you have any doubt, get your bearings cleaned up and packed ASAP. I really wanted this done before winter wet and grit arrives. It only took 30 minutes, working together, and we were all done.
Weirdly, the talc on the latex gloves we used got on the back wheel's braking surface, and makes the brakes grab like crazy. I wore all of the toe-in off the brake pads in one ride, so will take a ScotchBrite pad to the rims and clean the pads, and re-toe before my next ride to prevent squealing and chatter.
Seat post still sliding down, so that is still vexing me. Always something that needs attention.
The 100 mile weeks are really helping my fitness level, and strangely, my appetite has really fallen off dramatically. I'm slowly getting lighter and stronger, and getting toughened into the higher training volume - although I very much needed that rest week 2 weeks ago. Just a fact of life as we get older.
.
I rejoined HammerinWheels today as Perry and Jeff are putting together a nice training plan for the group, and I am getting interested in doing a double, or 3, next year. The California Triple Crown requires me to do 3, so I am busy considering my goals for next year. HWs had 4 members win the Triple Crown this year, and Greg did 5 doubles to get into the Thousand Mile Club. Fitness begets fitness.
.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Keeping the Hammer Down
After discovering a SBH climbing ride too late to ride it on Saturday, I decided to do Bread-N-Butter Beals going up on the west side and returning on the east, as I have found that more challenging and like the straight and fast early in the ride, and hilly and twisty late in the ride. I was also reluctant to strike out for Rescue alone after just retaping the bars. That could make for a long ride of misery if my thumb-web injury were re-aggravated.
In doing the TT last month I got a whole new awareness of how difficult it is to keep the hammer down relentlessly, without relief, for long periods of time. Since the TT grew out of a coach's challenge meant to separate racers from touring riders, it reinforced my informal observation that tenacity wins races, as I routinely catch and pass riders late in rides.
My goal was simple, and the same as my TT goal - max average HR for the duration of the ride. This not only means keeping the hammer down, but sprinting before known stops, like the stop light at the Hazel Ave Bridge, and since I didn't want to stop at the base of the Beal's climb, before stopping for a few minutes at Negro Bar Pk.
I found a new hold on the aeorbars, which cover the center part of the main bars, which allowed me to climb the top of Beal's upright, and I averaged ~ 12mph. Very happy with that. Might have been a PB. It really helped me breathe and made much better use of my glutes. I can feel that a bit today, but nice that the Syntace bars will support that position.
On the way home I had some great fun riding with a guy on a carbon black Specialized Tarmac. It had what has to be the loudest cassette ratchet on the planet on its aero Roval wheels. I banged on the button, and was waiting for the light to change in Old Folsom when he showed up to wait with me.
Sporting a LiveStrong bodysuit, we had a little conversation about Lance and Contador before heading down the ramp of the Rainbow Bridge onto the ARPT and piling on the power. We rode together all the way to the light at Hazel Ave before he peeled off, and I picked up the wheel of a 2-man team on TT bikes.
They were working together, and doing a decent job of it, so I hung back in their draft and gathered myself. Both were long and lanky, so after flying down the major hill on that stretch under full power, I went around them on the shallow climb out of the river bottom, and dropped them cleanly while averaging 22.50 mph. Pretty happy I still had that in me after 25 miles.
My only food on this ride was half a PowerBar and one bottle of Gatorade. I did bonk a bit the last few miles, but had no appetite even after the ride ended. I was cramping moderately, so I still need to work on timing the pre-ride meal, and its composition, when performing at these high levels, but that will come in time.
Excluding the 3 mile warm-up, my average HR was 143 BPM, which is right at my LT. I also averaged 255 watts for the entire ride, including the warm-up, and did the bulk of the ride between 265 and 280 watts. That's the 2nd highest output I've averaged in 3 years.
Amped on Claritin, I cranked out a 265 average in April, but this ride was all natural. (The first leg in April was done at 290 watts and 96% of max HR. Be careful with Claritin)
My power-duration curve continues to flatten, so I think the focus on keeping the hammer down is paying off!
In doing the TT last month I got a whole new awareness of how difficult it is to keep the hammer down relentlessly, without relief, for long periods of time. Since the TT grew out of a coach's challenge meant to separate racers from touring riders, it reinforced my informal observation that tenacity wins races, as I routinely catch and pass riders late in rides.
My goal was simple, and the same as my TT goal - max average HR for the duration of the ride. This not only means keeping the hammer down, but sprinting before known stops, like the stop light at the Hazel Ave Bridge, and since I didn't want to stop at the base of the Beal's climb, before stopping for a few minutes at Negro Bar Pk.
I found a new hold on the aeorbars, which cover the center part of the main bars, which allowed me to climb the top of Beal's upright, and I averaged ~ 12mph. Very happy with that. Might have been a PB. It really helped me breathe and made much better use of my glutes. I can feel that a bit today, but nice that the Syntace bars will support that position.
On the way home I had some great fun riding with a guy on a carbon black Specialized Tarmac. It had what has to be the loudest cassette ratchet on the planet on its aero Roval wheels. I banged on the button, and was waiting for the light to change in Old Folsom when he showed up to wait with me.
Sporting a LiveStrong bodysuit, we had a little conversation about Lance and Contador before heading down the ramp of the Rainbow Bridge onto the ARPT and piling on the power. We rode together all the way to the light at Hazel Ave before he peeled off, and I picked up the wheel of a 2-man team on TT bikes.
They were working together, and doing a decent job of it, so I hung back in their draft and gathered myself. Both were long and lanky, so after flying down the major hill on that stretch under full power, I went around them on the shallow climb out of the river bottom, and dropped them cleanly while averaging 22.50 mph. Pretty happy I still had that in me after 25 miles.
My only food on this ride was half a PowerBar and one bottle of Gatorade. I did bonk a bit the last few miles, but had no appetite even after the ride ended. I was cramping moderately, so I still need to work on timing the pre-ride meal, and its composition, when performing at these high levels, but that will come in time.
Excluding the 3 mile warm-up, my average HR was 143 BPM, which is right at my LT. I also averaged 255 watts for the entire ride, including the warm-up, and did the bulk of the ride between 265 and 280 watts. That's the 2nd highest output I've averaged in 3 years.
Amped on Claritin, I cranked out a 265 average in April, but this ride was all natural. (The first leg in April was done at 290 watts and 96% of max HR. Be careful with Claritin)
My power-duration curve continues to flatten, so I think the focus on keeping the hammer down is paying off!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Fun in the Sun
Foresthill Divide mtb ride on Saturday
Making the most of daylight savings time, I got in ~ 100 miles last week. First, the PB ride to Beal's Pt up at Folsom Lake, and what turned out to be ~ 38 miles (forgot to turn my Garmin on after a break, so estimating) on Tuesday with a couple of friends from HWs, and then another 28 on Friday with friends. I'm tempted to try Mt Hamilton next weekend, but not really in shape for that kind of effort yet.
I was hoping to ride to Rescue today, after taking a rest day yesterday, but I am stranded on planet Zyrtek. Not only am I still loopy 18 hrs later, but sleepy all day and it lowered my pulse rate down to 52 BPM. It didn't spike my BP, but looking at the other side-effects, I'll be sticking to Claritin from now on.
On the way home on Friday evening, after two rides where my calf was behaving, I stood and stomped the short, steep hill up onto Boyer Ave, and cranked out between 1,056 and 1,152 watts - for about 12-15 seconds. I wouldn't bet anyone's life on that data, but I use it as a way to estimate leg strength, so was quite pleased my calf withstood the strain. I immediately coughed up a lung and had to dig deep to keep pushing forward. Recovery time was decent though - about 60 seconds.
20min and 1hr Durations
I have added some interesting power-duration curves so you can estimate your power at different intervals. I suspect my power-duration curve is a bit flatter than average, but time will tell. The benchmark power-duration curve for training purposes is 1hr/40km. As an example, a 20min time trial pace will typically be done at about 105% of 1hr/40km.
You can get the gist pretty quickly looking at this curve. Recent rides uploaded to the RideWithGPS.com website have me averaging ~ 250 watts on 2 hr rides like Beal's Pt, so this is very close to my actual power-duration curve. This is almost exactly the power I put out on 1hr rides, so I think taking a 15-20 min rest turns Beal's into 2 one hour rides. As you can see, taking lots of breaks on club rides ruins them for distance/endurance training.
I used these curves and the "Power from Speed" calculator linked top left above to argue that one of our 95lb club members wouldn't be able to meet her goal of going from 15mph to 18mph on club rides by getting more fit. Why? Because if you're only made of 95lbs of stuff you can't possibly make the 80% improvement in strength required to keep up with a 180-200lb rider on the flats.
Climbing hills is all about your power-to-weight ratio, but on the flats, weight is irrelevant to speed. Flat speed is just a function of power and aerodynamic drag. Pro riders who dope with EPO only get a 12-15% benefit, so talk of 80% improvement is absurd. There is one simple way for her to meet her goals, as the "Speed from Power" calculator clearly shows - use aerobars. See, everything IS connected! ;-)
I've been pleased with my progress on the flats, so looking forward now to doing some long rides again. I haven't found a riding partner for Rescue yet, but a couple of our club riders also like that ride, so likely I will have company soon. It's really gorgeous out there. Time to ride!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Beal's Boogie
I've been burning the candle at both ends all week, and yesterday it caught up with me. I slept most of the day, woke up for a few hours and went to bed early, hoping to wake up refreshed today. It was cold, so I baked a half-dozen potatoes and ate one before heading off to bed for the night. Good carbs for making liver glycogen.
I blew off a great club ride, as it was clear I needed to sleep in today, and because the club ride wasn't very tough. At 29 miles and 1,200 ft of climbing, it was almost flat. I decided to sleep in, wait till it warmed up a bit and just head up to Beal's Pt at Lake Folsom this afternoon.
It's been awhile since I've been up there, and especially, using my 'standard' route, so I was surprised I was able to do the ride at a good pace. It took me 1:53 minutes to do the 32 miles and ~ 2,400 ft of climbing. I put on a short sleeve jersey, wind vest, and balaclava at Beals for the fast descent - in addition to leg warmers I wore for the entire trip. It's getting cold out there again.
I loved the dense air, and could tell it in my recovery time after pushing hard into Zone 5, but it will make for cold mornings. It's supposed to get down to 37 degrees here tonight.
The calf rehab continues to go well, although it was very close to cramping up on me climbing up the Hazel Ave corkscrew up onto the bridge. It's about a 30% grade, so standing and hammering it is about the only option. Another 10 ft and I would have been in trouble. I nursed the calf home though, and hope it will respond well to the exercise as it has been doing right along.
All in all it was a great ride and great weather for it. I even got a little racing in coming down from Beal's and all the way back to the turn-off for Main St after Negro Bar. He dropped me hard on that 6% hill, as I anticipated, but I reeled him in again after a mile or so. Unfortunately I had to kill most of my speed to dodge some peds at Negro Bar, so I was chasing him down again when he turned off the trail.
Good times!
I blew off a great club ride, as it was clear I needed to sleep in today, and because the club ride wasn't very tough. At 29 miles and 1,200 ft of climbing, it was almost flat. I decided to sleep in, wait till it warmed up a bit and just head up to Beal's Pt at Lake Folsom this afternoon.
It's been awhile since I've been up there, and especially, using my 'standard' route, so I was surprised I was able to do the ride at a good pace. It took me 1:53 minutes to do the 32 miles and ~ 2,400 ft of climbing. I put on a short sleeve jersey, wind vest, and balaclava at Beals for the fast descent - in addition to leg warmers I wore for the entire trip. It's getting cold out there again.
I loved the dense air, and could tell it in my recovery time after pushing hard into Zone 5, but it will make for cold mornings. It's supposed to get down to 37 degrees here tonight.
The calf rehab continues to go well, although it was very close to cramping up on me climbing up the Hazel Ave corkscrew up onto the bridge. It's about a 30% grade, so standing and hammering it is about the only option. Another 10 ft and I would have been in trouble. I nursed the calf home though, and hope it will respond well to the exercise as it has been doing right along.
All in all it was a great ride and great weather for it. I even got a little racing in coming down from Beal's and all the way back to the turn-off for Main St after Negro Bar. He dropped me hard on that 6% hill, as I anticipated, but I reeled him in again after a mile or so. Unfortunately I had to kill most of my speed to dodge some peds at Negro Bar, so I was chasing him down again when he turned off the trail.
Good times!
Friday, June 5, 2009
1-Second Please
I set my Garmin 305 for 1-second record mode and did the Bread & Butter Beal's ride again last night. The recommended setting is "Smart Record", which I have concluded is only smart from the point of view of Garmin's marketing department.
The last time I did this ride I used smart record mode, and my device captured 1,513 ft of climb. When I got home I uploaded the ride to Garmin's MotionBased website and that immediately turned into 2,413 ft of climb. When I looked at the way-points that were recorded it was obvious why. There were large, sometimes 200 ft gaps in waypoints, and on windey, hilly terrain, that misses too much. Of course, if you want your real altitude you can always buy a subscription to MotionBased and get a lot of other perks too.
Last night I put the Edge 305 in 1-second mode and had 2,453 Up and 2,484 Down, and fell into a 31 ft hole at my front door. OK, no hole, but MotionBased had the same problem until, now, magically, my front door is right where it was when I left it, "2,413 ft" later. They must have some "smoothing" and reconcilliation program that wipes the egg off their faces.
There was one downside to 1-second recording. MotionBased refused to upload the ride, whining about too many way-points. So there's the trade-off. Either use "Smart Record" and be tied to MotionBased for anything close to accurate climbing stats, or use 1-Second Record, enjoy your independance, and get it done in less than 3:30. (A true smart recording process would scan the 1-second results after the ride and delete way-points with identical elevations)
Conclusion: If you are doing rides shorter than 3:30, use 1-second recording and get the accuracy the device affords you.
The last time I did this ride I used smart record mode, and my device captured 1,513 ft of climb. When I got home I uploaded the ride to Garmin's MotionBased website and that immediately turned into 2,413 ft of climb. When I looked at the way-points that were recorded it was obvious why. There were large, sometimes 200 ft gaps in waypoints, and on windey, hilly terrain, that misses too much. Of course, if you want your real altitude you can always buy a subscription to MotionBased and get a lot of other perks too.
Last night I put the Edge 305 in 1-second mode and had 2,453 Up and 2,484 Down, and fell into a 31 ft hole at my front door. OK, no hole, but MotionBased had the same problem until, now, magically, my front door is right where it was when I left it, "2,413 ft" later. They must have some "smoothing" and reconcilliation program that wipes the egg off their faces.
There was one downside to 1-second recording. MotionBased refused to upload the ride, whining about too many way-points. So there's the trade-off. Either use "Smart Record" and be tied to MotionBased for anything close to accurate climbing stats, or use 1-Second Record, enjoy your independance, and get it done in less than 3:30. (A true smart recording process would scan the 1-second results after the ride and delete way-points with identical elevations)
Conclusion: If you are doing rides shorter than 3:30, use 1-second recording and get the accuracy the device affords you.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Bread & Butter Beal's
I have described this route a few times here, but finally rode it as a recovery ride on Thursday with the Garmin on board (sans the HR monitor), and was surprised it came in at a bit more than 2,400 ft of climbing in 33 miles. My time was almost exactly my average time, at 1:54, although in-town traffic can make for some unavoidable variances there.
Passing the Cash Bridge at 10:00 I was struck by how ugly the view is from below the bridge. The construction scars on the land are still fresh, and double rows of razor-wire-topped chain link fence 8ft high, and grass that hasn't seemed to have taken root, make for a pretty thorough eye sore - in contrast to the beautiful view above the bridge. However, the view of a now brimming Folsom Lake more than made up for it. The birds were out in force, the air was cool from the 55 degree water, and it was blue to within a stone's throw of the picnic area. Nice!
I rode in the morning to avoid the heat expected later in the day, and felt really sluggish the first 5 miles or so. As luck would have it some fool blew by me who looked to me to be a wanna-B, so I found some motivation to quicken the pace at about the 5 mile mark. I jumped on his back wheel and drafted until my lungs opened up and my heart stopped pounding, and then went past him on a 2-5% climb of about 500 yards. Good-bye, see-ya. Gone in 60 seconds, but at least it got me moving.
I pushed the climbing pretty hard, and noticed that my out speed only averaged 2 mph less than my back speed. I pushed the top 300 yards very hard, staying in the saddle, cranking out 480 watts at 105 rpms doing just a bit over 13mph. The ride home was uneventful, but it was striking how carefree I could be in assaulting short climbs because the short route meant my legs, lungs, heart and glycogen were all available with plenty in reserve.
This demonstrates an important point about training rides. You stress one or two things at a time, and keep the other supporting factors in reserve so they can be used to push the target factor to the max. In particular, my long, and very hard ride on Sunday didn't improve my sprint or overall time at all on this rather easy ride, but I'm sure next time I ride it I will feel a sharp improvement in endurance. F.I.T. peaking works.
As a final aside, you can trade Frequency, Intensity and Time-duration off to create higher and higher levels of fitness when building fitness. Each peak builds on the prior peak. After attaining a high fitness level, and transitioning into maintenance mode, you can back off the Frequency and Time by at least 1/3rd without losing fitness, but if you back off on Intensity, you lose about 15% of your fitness in 15 weeks. Reducing the Time-duration of rides by 1/3rd can actually increase your fitness by 5%, provided you keep the intensity up.
Passing the Cash Bridge at 10:00 I was struck by how ugly the view is from below the bridge. The construction scars on the land are still fresh, and double rows of razor-wire-topped chain link fence 8ft high, and grass that hasn't seemed to have taken root, make for a pretty thorough eye sore - in contrast to the beautiful view above the bridge. However, the view of a now brimming Folsom Lake more than made up for it. The birds were out in force, the air was cool from the 55 degree water, and it was blue to within a stone's throw of the picnic area. Nice!
I rode in the morning to avoid the heat expected later in the day, and felt really sluggish the first 5 miles or so. As luck would have it some fool blew by me who looked to me to be a wanna-B, so I found some motivation to quicken the pace at about the 5 mile mark. I jumped on his back wheel and drafted until my lungs opened up and my heart stopped pounding, and then went past him on a 2-5% climb of about 500 yards. Good-bye, see-ya. Gone in 60 seconds, but at least it got me moving.
I pushed the climbing pretty hard, and noticed that my out speed only averaged 2 mph less than my back speed. I pushed the top 300 yards very hard, staying in the saddle, cranking out 480 watts at 105 rpms doing just a bit over 13mph. The ride home was uneventful, but it was striking how carefree I could be in assaulting short climbs because the short route meant my legs, lungs, heart and glycogen were all available with plenty in reserve.
This demonstrates an important point about training rides. You stress one or two things at a time, and keep the other supporting factors in reserve so they can be used to push the target factor to the max. In particular, my long, and very hard ride on Sunday didn't improve my sprint or overall time at all on this rather easy ride, but I'm sure next time I ride it I will feel a sharp improvement in endurance. F.I.T. peaking works.
As a final aside, you can trade Frequency, Intensity and Time-duration off to create higher and higher levels of fitness when building fitness. Each peak builds on the prior peak. After attaining a high fitness level, and transitioning into maintenance mode, you can back off the Frequency and Time by at least 1/3rd without losing fitness, but if you back off on Intensity, you lose about 15% of your fitness in 15 weeks. Reducing the Time-duration of rides by 1/3rd can actually increase your fitness by 5%, provided you keep the intensity up.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Ride to Rescue - Redemption
Folsom To Rescue: Basic Route
Profile sans 29 "flatish" miles to and from Folsom from Carmichael Park
After limping home from this ride with great difficulty last month, I set out to have a strong ride to Rescue yesterday. I didn't have any Acai Berry to spike my Gatorade with, because all I could find at 3 different grocery stores was Acai mixed in a concoction with other fruit juices, all of which had too much sugar to keep osmotic pressures in check unless heavily diluted.
I decided to let this to be kind of a "control group" ride for my Acai spike experiment, so I carefully mixed up Gatorade, but added some Power Electrolyte foil sticks to the mix. The front bottle a full 24oz Polar bottle, I mixed as recommended, except for the added electrolyte spike. The back bottle, a short 20oz bottle, I mixed a 3X liquid mixture in and used a marked cap to clearly indicate the concentrated mix.
This is a nice hydration strategy, especially when doing an O&B where the return is into the wind. When at a watering stop squirt some concentrate into the main bottle and fill up with water. Err on the weak side, even if you have to drink some off the top and then drink from the drinking fountain to get both the bottle and what's in your stomach diluted to the correct amount.
The general idea is to avoid sugar concentrations higher than 8% as the osmotic pressure then causes your stomach to draw liquid out of surrounding tissues, making proper hydration impossible. On most bikes the downtube bottle actually creates more wind drag, so at the turn-around point you can empty all of the excess concentrate into the tall bottle, put it on the seat-tube, and then add water to the small bottle to create a 1X mix. Just remember to swap the bottle caps in case you bonk and lose your mind. It will remind you which is concentrate (about 2X by then), and which is 1X.
Clear cap for water or 1X hydration mix. Black ring with 3 stripes for 3X concentrate
The only hitch in this strategy arose because a key drinking fountain at Rodeo Pk in Folsom wasn't working and I had squirted a bunch of 3X concentrate in my 1X bottle to make more, and THEN discovered it didn't work. At that point I had no useful hydration at all. I first tried the sink in the men's room - ICK - and I couldn't fit my bottle under the faucet anyway. I turned around and slowly cruised around the ball diamond/soccer field to see if there was another. There was, but this was about 4 wasted minutes that all went on my Sigma computer. Aaarrrggghhhh!
The first part of the trip was pretty uneventful, with a moderate tailwind, although the 5:00 o'clock traffic was pretty heavy. Since the climbing is almost all in the first half of this route, I was annoyed that the tailwind was actually making the air more-or-less dead calm as I was climbing between 5 & 15mph. It made my long-sleeve jersey a little warmer than was comfortable, but once I remembered it zipped all the way open I was able to dump most of the heat I needed to.
Once I got through heavy traffic across Green Valley Rd, and onto Deer Valley Rd I stopped, hydrated and ate most of a Smoothie Powerbar. I folded the last 1/4 or so under the foil wrapper and tucked it under my right short leg. I have learned from experience that I can eat on the go with just my right hand and mouth if I tuck bars carefully under my R short leg. I put the wrapper back in the same spot when done. No littering, no sticky hands, no "look mom, no hands" riding. It's good "cockpit management". I started off after a few minutes and took it pretty easy for the first 5 minutes.
After a short uphill and a medium downhill I coasted down, I was into a solid hunk of steep. There are a few hundred yards that are around 18% grade, but mostly it's 8% or so. My legs were good, my cardio was good, and no complaints from my stomach. With my cardio now stronger than my legs, my nutrition/digestion is benefiting from the extra bloodflow. All good. Everything was working well. Nice and solid. I rode up to the Rescue Fire Station in great shape. No bonks, no strain. This was more like it!
I took a long draw from the drinking fountain while talking to the fire crew, and then cracked open another Powerbar. I used the spotless bathroom, took off my gloves and washed the salt off my face. It seemed like the extra electrolytes were just getting sweat right out again. Humm. OK. No harm, no foul, but worth monitoring. I came out of the men's room and the place was empty. The crews were all scrambled and out the door. A half-eaten meal was still sitting on the table with a fork stuck in it. I mixed up a little more Gatorade, and let myself out the front door.
There are some long climbs, some of them in the 8% range on the climb back to the top of Deer Valley, but once warmed up I had no trouble with them. I didn't feel quite as strong though as last time when I was chasing down Bruce. Was it the missing Acai berry? A few miles later after flying downhill towards Green Valley again, I felt very strong climbing that steep little departure kiss Deer Valley throws at you just when you think you're done climbing.
I went wide and turned hard onto Green Valley at close to 20 mph. The wind hit me like a wall, but I got down in the aerobars and started working the gears while headed downhill. The shoulder is pretty rough in spots along this section, so I took the road I needed to be safe and was adding power at 102 - 116 rpms - topping out at ~ 37mph. I'm not sure I would recommend wasting energy on this kind of speed, but with heavy traffic it was a safety issue. At that speed they would just stay behind me until I could find a nice patch of shoulder and they they'd pass en'masse. Besides, you pay for that speed climbing up those hills on this O&B, so it's really a blast to go blowing downhill that fast. OK, it's an indulgence, but I kept the exertion level in check.
I hit most of the lights favorably, and then had to "sneak" through the Salmon Falls light on a stale red, but mostly I was lucky and could carry my speed right through a half-dozen intersections. The downhill from Salmon Falls Rd to the bottom that forms Bass Lake was steep and protected from the wind. I pushed back until my thighs were hugging the very back of the seat, hands in the drops, feet level with each other, knees hugging the bar. I stole a glance at my computer at the bottom of the hill - 41mph! Not bad for zero pedal power! :D
I crossed the foot bridge at Folsom and headed down the west side of Lake Natoma. Just before the long lake-side stretch I started drafting a rider in his 40's who was obviously in shape and was riding a PowerTap rear hub. I tried to talk to him, but he had his earbuds in, so I just stayed on his wheel. He made a few weak attempts to break away but I stayed glued to him, trailing by 7-10 feet - as close as is safe with no brakes on the aerobars. He started fading and I backed off a bit, and then passed him in a straight, shallow climbing section of trail. I could feel the tug of his draft as the wind shifted back and forth, so knew he was still back there and close.
As expected he was playing for time, intending to make his move on a short 500 yard climb of about 5%. He went past me and stood. I stood when he came abreast and started to hammer. I immediately had to back off as my quads started twitching again, but at a slightly reduced power, they held up just fine and we came to the top together. He turned and offered some encouragement near the top - "that's the spirit!" he said, a bit too loud, so I assume over the music. We rode all the way to the Hazel Ave corkscrew where I decided I'd pushed my luck with my quads enough, and shifted into my granny. He stood and hammered up onto the bridge and went flying down the chainlink tunnel, veering right onto the bike trail.
I hate that route, because you have to kill all of your speed to make the turn at the bottom, because you have traffic coming from 3 directions, and because there is a much cleaner and faster way if you go one more block down Gold Country and then drop down onto the bike trail a half mile later. There's also a drinking fountain right at that 3-way intersection, so it's a horrible and dangerous choke point. I was riding above and parallel to him and could see he was tired and resting, so of course I went for the kill. We got to the merge point with me a little ahead so he was more than happy to let me lead.
He stayed on my wheel as I picked up speed - I didn't want to drop him so I pushed the power up slowly. I almost never get to ride in company anymore. Mostly I'm too fast, and the few who are faster are racers and bitch if I stay on their wheel. We got within a mile of Sunrise and he asked if he could offer me some criticism of my bio-mechanics. I thought I knew what he'd say, but wanted his opinion. He was dead on. I rock my hips too much and my knees come out too wide. The first a very old habit developed trying to ride a frame waaaay to large in my teens, and the 2nd I think is due to a 172.5 crank and a 29" inseam. I thought he'd stop at the Sunrise park, but we ended up peeling off in different directions so fast I didn't even get his name. It seemed like we were well matched, so I hope we can ride together again soon. It's lonely at the top! :D
I got home and subtracted 3 minutes for the Rodeo Pk water foraging and a minute or so in the parking lot at the Aquatic Center talking to a guy who I thought might want to ride along (the computer doesn't shut off for 30 seconds once it gets a speed reading, so circling in parking lots and foraging for water at 3mph are counted in the ride time and pace) and got 3:35 for a ride time. That's about what I expected after Party Pardee, because to me they are similar in difficulty. Next time I will bypass Old Folsom and it's many traffic and ped obstacles, and just take the new Johnny Cash bridge over to the Beal's Pt approach and then return straight down the bike trail. I like 3:35 a lot better than 4:12, and that confirms my suspicions about how much time my "broken" legs cost me limping home last time. All in all, a very solid performance. Now to break 3:30...
Profile sans 29 "flatish" miles to and from Folsom from Carmichael ParkAfter limping home from this ride with great difficulty last month, I set out to have a strong ride to Rescue yesterday. I didn't have any Acai Berry to spike my Gatorade with, because all I could find at 3 different grocery stores was Acai mixed in a concoction with other fruit juices, all of which had too much sugar to keep osmotic pressures in check unless heavily diluted.
I decided to let this to be kind of a "control group" ride for my Acai spike experiment, so I carefully mixed up Gatorade, but added some Power Electrolyte foil sticks to the mix. The front bottle a full 24oz Polar bottle, I mixed as recommended, except for the added electrolyte spike. The back bottle, a short 20oz bottle, I mixed a 3X liquid mixture in and used a marked cap to clearly indicate the concentrated mix.
This is a nice hydration strategy, especially when doing an O&B where the return is into the wind. When at a watering stop squirt some concentrate into the main bottle and fill up with water. Err on the weak side, even if you have to drink some off the top and then drink from the drinking fountain to get both the bottle and what's in your stomach diluted to the correct amount.
The general idea is to avoid sugar concentrations higher than 8% as the osmotic pressure then causes your stomach to draw liquid out of surrounding tissues, making proper hydration impossible. On most bikes the downtube bottle actually creates more wind drag, so at the turn-around point you can empty all of the excess concentrate into the tall bottle, put it on the seat-tube, and then add water to the small bottle to create a 1X mix. Just remember to swap the bottle caps in case you bonk and lose your mind. It will remind you which is concentrate (about 2X by then), and which is 1X.
Clear cap for water or 1X hydration mix. Black ring with 3 stripes for 3X concentrate
The only hitch in this strategy arose because a key drinking fountain at Rodeo Pk in Folsom wasn't working and I had squirted a bunch of 3X concentrate in my 1X bottle to make more, and THEN discovered it didn't work. At that point I had no useful hydration at all. I first tried the sink in the men's room - ICK - and I couldn't fit my bottle under the faucet anyway. I turned around and slowly cruised around the ball diamond/soccer field to see if there was another. There was, but this was about 4 wasted minutes that all went on my Sigma computer. Aaarrrggghhhh!
The first part of the trip was pretty uneventful, with a moderate tailwind, although the 5:00 o'clock traffic was pretty heavy. Since the climbing is almost all in the first half of this route, I was annoyed that the tailwind was actually making the air more-or-less dead calm as I was climbing between 5 & 15mph. It made my long-sleeve jersey a little warmer than was comfortable, but once I remembered it zipped all the way open I was able to dump most of the heat I needed to.
Once I got through heavy traffic across Green Valley Rd, and onto Deer Valley Rd I stopped, hydrated and ate most of a Smoothie Powerbar. I folded the last 1/4 or so under the foil wrapper and tucked it under my right short leg. I have learned from experience that I can eat on the go with just my right hand and mouth if I tuck bars carefully under my R short leg. I put the wrapper back in the same spot when done. No littering, no sticky hands, no "look mom, no hands" riding. It's good "cockpit management". I started off after a few minutes and took it pretty easy for the first 5 minutes.
After a short uphill and a medium downhill I coasted down, I was into a solid hunk of steep. There are a few hundred yards that are around 18% grade, but mostly it's 8% or so. My legs were good, my cardio was good, and no complaints from my stomach. With my cardio now stronger than my legs, my nutrition/digestion is benefiting from the extra bloodflow. All good. Everything was working well. Nice and solid. I rode up to the Rescue Fire Station in great shape. No bonks, no strain. This was more like it!
I took a long draw from the drinking fountain while talking to the fire crew, and then cracked open another Powerbar. I used the spotless bathroom, took off my gloves and washed the salt off my face. It seemed like the extra electrolytes were just getting sweat right out again. Humm. OK. No harm, no foul, but worth monitoring. I came out of the men's room and the place was empty. The crews were all scrambled and out the door. A half-eaten meal was still sitting on the table with a fork stuck in it. I mixed up a little more Gatorade, and let myself out the front door.
There are some long climbs, some of them in the 8% range on the climb back to the top of Deer Valley, but once warmed up I had no trouble with them. I didn't feel quite as strong though as last time when I was chasing down Bruce. Was it the missing Acai berry? A few miles later after flying downhill towards Green Valley again, I felt very strong climbing that steep little departure kiss Deer Valley throws at you just when you think you're done climbing.
I went wide and turned hard onto Green Valley at close to 20 mph. The wind hit me like a wall, but I got down in the aerobars and started working the gears while headed downhill. The shoulder is pretty rough in spots along this section, so I took the road I needed to be safe and was adding power at 102 - 116 rpms - topping out at ~ 37mph. I'm not sure I would recommend wasting energy on this kind of speed, but with heavy traffic it was a safety issue. At that speed they would just stay behind me until I could find a nice patch of shoulder and they they'd pass en'masse. Besides, you pay for that speed climbing up those hills on this O&B, so it's really a blast to go blowing downhill that fast. OK, it's an indulgence, but I kept the exertion level in check.
I hit most of the lights favorably, and then had to "sneak" through the Salmon Falls light on a stale red, but mostly I was lucky and could carry my speed right through a half-dozen intersections. The downhill from Salmon Falls Rd to the bottom that forms Bass Lake was steep and protected from the wind. I pushed back until my thighs were hugging the very back of the seat, hands in the drops, feet level with each other, knees hugging the bar. I stole a glance at my computer at the bottom of the hill - 41mph! Not bad for zero pedal power! :D
I crossed the foot bridge at Folsom and headed down the west side of Lake Natoma. Just before the long lake-side stretch I started drafting a rider in his 40's who was obviously in shape and was riding a PowerTap rear hub. I tried to talk to him, but he had his earbuds in, so I just stayed on his wheel. He made a few weak attempts to break away but I stayed glued to him, trailing by 7-10 feet - as close as is safe with no brakes on the aerobars. He started fading and I backed off a bit, and then passed him in a straight, shallow climbing section of trail. I could feel the tug of his draft as the wind shifted back and forth, so knew he was still back there and close.
As expected he was playing for time, intending to make his move on a short 500 yard climb of about 5%. He went past me and stood. I stood when he came abreast and started to hammer. I immediately had to back off as my quads started twitching again, but at a slightly reduced power, they held up just fine and we came to the top together. He turned and offered some encouragement near the top - "that's the spirit!" he said, a bit too loud, so I assume over the music. We rode all the way to the Hazel Ave corkscrew where I decided I'd pushed my luck with my quads enough, and shifted into my granny. He stood and hammered up onto the bridge and went flying down the chainlink tunnel, veering right onto the bike trail.
I hate that route, because you have to kill all of your speed to make the turn at the bottom, because you have traffic coming from 3 directions, and because there is a much cleaner and faster way if you go one more block down Gold Country and then drop down onto the bike trail a half mile later. There's also a drinking fountain right at that 3-way intersection, so it's a horrible and dangerous choke point. I was riding above and parallel to him and could see he was tired and resting, so of course I went for the kill. We got to the merge point with me a little ahead so he was more than happy to let me lead.
He stayed on my wheel as I picked up speed - I didn't want to drop him so I pushed the power up slowly. I almost never get to ride in company anymore. Mostly I'm too fast, and the few who are faster are racers and bitch if I stay on their wheel. We got within a mile of Sunrise and he asked if he could offer me some criticism of my bio-mechanics. I thought I knew what he'd say, but wanted his opinion. He was dead on. I rock my hips too much and my knees come out too wide. The first a very old habit developed trying to ride a frame waaaay to large in my teens, and the 2nd I think is due to a 172.5 crank and a 29" inseam. I thought he'd stop at the Sunrise park, but we ended up peeling off in different directions so fast I didn't even get his name. It seemed like we were well matched, so I hope we can ride together again soon. It's lonely at the top! :D
I got home and subtracted 3 minutes for the Rodeo Pk water foraging and a minute or so in the parking lot at the Aquatic Center talking to a guy who I thought might want to ride along (the computer doesn't shut off for 30 seconds once it gets a speed reading, so circling in parking lots and foraging for water at 3mph are counted in the ride time and pace) and got 3:35 for a ride time. That's about what I expected after Party Pardee, because to me they are similar in difficulty. Next time I will bypass Old Folsom and it's many traffic and ped obstacles, and just take the new Johnny Cash bridge over to the Beal's Pt approach and then return straight down the bike trail. I like 3:35 a lot better than 4:12, and that confirms my suspicions about how much time my "broken" legs cost me limping home last time. All in all, a very solid performance. Now to break 3:30...
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Syntace C3 Aerobars - 1st Impressions
(see 1 year after report here)
(Artist's rendering of the "Johnny Cash" bridge without chainlink bike barrier)
After days of welcome rain, the skies cleared yesterday, and with temps in the low 60s I headed out for a nice 33 mile ride from my front door to Beal's Point at Folsom Dam. It was the first good outing for my new Syntace C3 aerobars with the "Double Helix Bend" kinkiness that is supposed to support better climbing and produce less shoulder and upper back stress. If nothing else, they'd make great sock drying racks.
The new bridge gives us bikers on the American River Parkway Trail - bought, built and maintained by bikers for bikers at the turn of the last century - our own spectacular underpass. No more weaving through construction zones, forests of orange hazard cones, movable chainlink barriers, and the occasional earthmover or three. There is an 8' tall chainlink barrier, with rolls and rolls of razor-wire on top to keep Al Queda from blowing the bridge supports (roll eyes), but that barrier is all that will keep you from falling head-first 200" into the river below. It makes for a breathtaking view I just have to get some photos of.
I couldn't help myself, and did a bit of racing near the bottom of the descent. The trail is rough and broken in places, but once the descent straightened out a bit I was able to catch and pass my rival. In spite of braking and killing most of my speed to avoid a head-on collision, I ended up on the wheel of a pair of riders I passed going up a short hill. Riding together and drafting into a decent 10mph headwind, they caught me a half mile later. I was surprised how long it took them to rejoin me, and pleased I could pull them for another mile or so before tiring. We took turns at the front of the draft until they peeled off at Hazel St and headed for the Nimbus Fish Hatchery.
The wind along the west side of the lake is pretty strong, getting funneled into a narrows flanked by a steep embankment of 150ft or so. The effect of the aerobars was pretty obvious there, and later as I powered home on the bike trail from Hazel to Sunrise.
My upper back is a bit sore today as the hunched position seems to have aggravated an old injury sustained in an auto accident, but not cripplingly so. I have hated ALL of the aerobars I have tried before, but these are much kinder on the back and I am really liking them, so I hope the back strain issues will not prevent me from using them. Part of the problem is my unfamiliarity with them, which is causing me to ride tensed. I kept catching myself and relaxing during the ride. So much nicer riding relaxed.
The climb up to Beal's is from 5-9% grade, and I did all of that climbing in the aerobars. My neighbor who is riding Syntace SLS bars warned me I would not be able to climb in the bars, so I was quite happy he was proved wrong. They are also quite stable in turns, and I think that is because having the elbow pads behind the main bar, the normal biometric motions that make for turning left or right work as expected.
My goals for the bars were to increase my average riding speed, and to get an alternative, comfortable position for long, flat rides. We have a lot of very flat land around Sacramento if you ride down-river, as indicated in my ATOC coverage. Of course, if you head up river you are into some very serious mountains in 15-20 miles. I am happy to report that these bars provide a VERY comfortable position to ride in - cushy even. I find myself favoring these bars when the road gets rough or broken because the combo of the fork, stem, bars, and bar pads makes for a Lazy-Boy recliner comfortable ride - even over 2-3" asphalt washboard.
I made a few changes after a trial ride as follows.
Assuming my low back flexibility issues won't prevent it, I'll probably flip my stem to get the aerobars into a lower position, as I think they are still a bit too high. I wouldn't mind having the drops be actual drops, and if I don't have to ride in them too much, in favor of riding on the hoods or on the aerobars, I think I will have a better set of trade-offs. I'm also considering a front brake handle on the left bar and rear shifter on the right bar so I have my most important controls on the aerobars. The danger seems to be during the transition from the main bars to the aeros and back, so I'd like to eliminate as many of those transitions as possible.
I have thought about going to a long, droop-nosed saddle for climbing, and the forward position those saddles are designed to support, but that purchase has been escalated now because the forward position, and more position choices in general, are needed with the aerobars. At this point I can see myself spending 80% of my riding time in the aerobars, if the injury history of my upper back and shoulder allows it. Spending that much time in a more streamlined position will help on long Century rides - long on the clock - and plowing through strong headwinds out in the Delta this summer.
In summary, in spite of a long layoff due to rains, using these bars made for one of the fastest and most comfortable rides yet up to Beal's point, and with a little luck, will prove a great addition to my bag of riding tricks. I highly recommend the C3 aerobars.
(Artist's rendering of the "Johnny Cash" bridge without chainlink bike barrier)
After days of welcome rain, the skies cleared yesterday, and with temps in the low 60s I headed out for a nice 33 mile ride from my front door to Beal's Point at Folsom Dam. It was the first good outing for my new Syntace C3 aerobars with the "Double Helix Bend" kinkiness that is supposed to support better climbing and produce less shoulder and upper back stress. If nothing else, they'd make great sock drying racks.
The new bridge gives us bikers on the American River Parkway Trail - bought, built and maintained by bikers for bikers at the turn of the last century - our own spectacular underpass. No more weaving through construction zones, forests of orange hazard cones, movable chainlink barriers, and the occasional earthmover or three. There is an 8' tall chainlink barrier, with rolls and rolls of razor-wire on top to keep Al Queda from blowing the bridge supports (roll eyes), but that barrier is all that will keep you from falling head-first 200" into the river below. It makes for a breathtaking view I just have to get some photos of.
I couldn't help myself, and did a bit of racing near the bottom of the descent. The trail is rough and broken in places, but once the descent straightened out a bit I was able to catch and pass my rival. In spite of braking and killing most of my speed to avoid a head-on collision, I ended up on the wheel of a pair of riders I passed going up a short hill. Riding together and drafting into a decent 10mph headwind, they caught me a half mile later. I was surprised how long it took them to rejoin me, and pleased I could pull them for another mile or so before tiring. We took turns at the front of the draft until they peeled off at Hazel St and headed for the Nimbus Fish Hatchery.
The wind along the west side of the lake is pretty strong, getting funneled into a narrows flanked by a steep embankment of 150ft or so. The effect of the aerobars was pretty obvious there, and later as I powered home on the bike trail from Hazel to Sunrise.
My upper back is a bit sore today as the hunched position seems to have aggravated an old injury sustained in an auto accident, but not cripplingly so. I have hated ALL of the aerobars I have tried before, but these are much kinder on the back and I am really liking them, so I hope the back strain issues will not prevent me from using them. Part of the problem is my unfamiliarity with them, which is causing me to ride tensed. I kept catching myself and relaxing during the ride. So much nicer riding relaxed.
The climb up to Beal's is from 5-9% grade, and I did all of that climbing in the aerobars. My neighbor who is riding Syntace SLS bars warned me I would not be able to climb in the bars, so I was quite happy he was proved wrong. They are also quite stable in turns, and I think that is because having the elbow pads behind the main bar, the normal biometric motions that make for turning left or right work as expected.
My goals for the bars were to increase my average riding speed, and to get an alternative, comfortable position for long, flat rides. We have a lot of very flat land around Sacramento if you ride down-river, as indicated in my ATOC coverage. Of course, if you head up river you are into some very serious mountains in 15-20 miles. I am happy to report that these bars provide a VERY comfortable position to ride in - cushy even. I find myself favoring these bars when the road gets rough or broken because the combo of the fork, stem, bars, and bar pads makes for a Lazy-Boy recliner comfortable ride - even over 2-3" asphalt washboard.
I made a few changes after a trial ride as follows.
- Moved the seat back 7mm
- Lowered the nose of the seat 5-7mm
- Raised the tips of the aerobars 30mm
Assuming my low back flexibility issues won't prevent it, I'll probably flip my stem to get the aerobars into a lower position, as I think they are still a bit too high. I wouldn't mind having the drops be actual drops, and if I don't have to ride in them too much, in favor of riding on the hoods or on the aerobars, I think I will have a better set of trade-offs. I'm also considering a front brake handle on the left bar and rear shifter on the right bar so I have my most important controls on the aerobars. The danger seems to be during the transition from the main bars to the aeros and back, so I'd like to eliminate as many of those transitions as possible.
I have thought about going to a long, droop-nosed saddle for climbing, and the forward position those saddles are designed to support, but that purchase has been escalated now because the forward position, and more position choices in general, are needed with the aerobars. At this point I can see myself spending 80% of my riding time in the aerobars, if the injury history of my upper back and shoulder allows it. Spending that much time in a more streamlined position will help on long Century rides - long on the clock - and plowing through strong headwinds out in the Delta this summer.
In summary, in spite of a long layoff due to rains, using these bars made for one of the fastest and most comfortable rides yet up to Beal's point, and with a little luck, will prove a great addition to my bag of riding tricks. I highly recommend the C3 aerobars.
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