The Problem
- On a cold winter ride, warm gloves become damp gloves if your hands stay warm. Let your fingers freeze and you likely will have dry gloves at the end of the ride. I’d rather have warm hands.
- Sometimes getting those gloves dry before the next ride is a challenge. If action is not taken, the gloves I wear will likely be damp even the next morning. Damp gloves means cold hands.
The Solution
- Last year, Dan O created a device upon which the glove was placed and then the contraption was put on floor vents. I took Dan’s design, adapted it slightly, and voila!
It is a 6 inch piece of PVC shoved into a base which allows the vent heat to move through. Clothes hanger wire was used to create the top. Electrical tape reinforces the glued on wire and reduces the likelihood of snags. Cost was minimal. Construction time was about 15 minutes.
Result: Dry gloves very soon after placing them on the device.
Although my trusty outdoor thermometer read a balmy 34° F as I pushed out the door for the morning ride, the water in my birdbath mounted on my deck was frozen solid. Maybe my bike thermometer which read 26° is more accurate than I thought.
It was a chilly ride, but being dressed properly is the key, and I was dressed properly for this morning’s rather leisurely ride. At the bridge, it looked like it would be just Ravi and I, but soon Chet, Brian, and Cliff joined us and we had a great time.
Chet was showing off his new bike lights. Part of his bike is wrapped with a blue tubular light. On his rear wheel, he has a light that displays his speed on the spokes. It was pretty cool and the bright red light would make the bike much easier to see when approached from the side. He sure had a lot of bling going on with that fixie!
It won’t be long now before the ride ends in the dark. We are less than a month away from the solstice and the ride now ends before sunrise. The sky was pretty this morning with the clouds tinged with a dark pink as I finished up at home.
I promptly put my new glove dryers to work. For just a few dollars, I constructed glove dryers from pvc components and wire from a clothes hanger. It had the insides of my gloves dry in no time.
This Ride: 21.8 miles
Month: 460 miles
2012: 5,435.3 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 19,289 miles
This morning at breakfast with some other riders, I made the observation that when I’m “bonking” (see note below) on a long ride, I go through a series of symptoms that should be a big tip off. One of those symptoms is that I get mad at other riders and start blaming them for my struggles.
On Flatbread a couple of weeks ago, I recall that I was having some trouble keeping up with the group and rather than understanding that I was nutritionally deficient at the time, I started to blame the other riders for going too fast and pushing the pace too hard. I was mad. I was grumpy. It was all their fault. I got them to stop for a bathroom break, and they all peed, but I couldn’t. I was mad that they took advantage of my break. Then, it hit me: I’m bonking. I ate. I felt better. Soon I was keeping the pace fine.
When I mentioned it, Chip suddenly looked up from his coffee and said, “Me too!” He described a ride where he was grumbling and was mad at everyone. He was having trouble keeping up. It was all their fault. He was ready to sell his bikes and give up riding entirely. Attending to nutrition solved it.
So here are the symptoms I can notice when I’m nutritionally in trouble on the bike.
- I’ll find that I’m having trouble keeping up with the group.
- My heart rate will climb, usually into the 155+ range and will resist coming down quickly when the effort eases, such as when I drift back to draft.
- I start to get mad at the world, but especially other riders.
- I want to slow down. I want a break. I want to quit. I hate bicycle riding and wasting my time on this narrow saddle.
- It is not fun anymore.
The funny thing is that this is clear to me now. When my brain is deprived of the basic fuel needs, I have a really hard time seeing that these are symptoms rather than the fault of everyone else around me.
A good friend is one who will tell me to quit whining and eat something.
Note: “Bonking” is a biking term similar to runner’s language of “hitting the wall”. It is a condition where you have transitioned from burning carbohydrates to burning fat as the body’s primary source of fuel. It is not as efficient and performance suffers. Suffering also is mental acuity. Combine that with some dehydration (which almost always accompanies nutritional deficit) and bonking can become quite dangerous. Eating for fuel an hour from now is very different than what we normally do. In endurance events, if one eats only when one is hungry, it is too late.
What better way to spend “Black Friday” than a breakfast ride? This time, we chose Bonaparte’s in Fell’s Point.
Our plan was to push off at 6:30 am from the Rusty Bridge with an estimated travel time of 90 minutes into Baltimore to the French bakery. We had seven to nine riders along our route, depending on where we were. Seven made the whole trip. Two of our usual riders were absent due to injury. Turkey Day Touch Football can be hard on those of us north of 50. It was a very chilly start, right at or just below freezing, depending on whose thermometer you trust. I opted for regular cycling shoes with shoe covers and a hand warmer between the shoe cover and the shoe. My feet never felt cold.
We had a nice, easy ride into Baltimore. Traffic was light. I was disappointed that I was the only one on a fixie. Hey, this is Fixie Friday and urban riding! It deserved a fixie. We rode some of the cobblestones in Fells Point, which is always a challenge, and made it to the bakery just as it opened. Perfect timing!
Hard to choose what to eat!
The decor of Bonaparte’s is old French. The baked goods were tasty. The coffee was lukewarm and bitter. Some had tepid “hot chocolate”. We sat and shivered (shouldn’t the word “shiver” have at least one set of doubled letters?) having been much warmer on the bikes than we were in the shop, so there was no resistance in getting back on the bikes to head back home.
Our return trip was a little more event-filled.
We chose to take a route back along the waterfront as much as we could. This meant many changes of surfaces (cobblestone, brick, concrete, asphalt, wood, etc) and may sharp turns, slow speeds, and at least one 4 inch “curb” where Chip took a spill. Later, Marcus got a wheel stuck in a concrete gap and nearly fell when his front tire stopped immediately. He handled it all. We stopped at Light Street Cycles just as Penny pulled up to the shop and we stopped to chat until the shivering took hold again.
There was a stretch of road that played havoc with my fixie. It was a downhill with very rough and potholed pavement. Let me tell you that it is no fun going 20+ mph on a fixie that is in the air half the time because of rough roads. I’m thankful I stayed mounted.
It was fun watching Marcus. He was bunny hopping everything he could (he is an 11 year old cyclocross rider). You never quite knew where he was going to be.
On the return trip, we quickly shed clothing. Temperatures climbed into the low 50’s, and the gloves, hats, vests, etc. that were appropriate at freezing were way too much for 50 and sun.
This was a beautiful fall day for a ride. Now to get busy and do some work.
This Ride: 42 miles
Month: 438.2 miles
2012: 5,413.6 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 19,267.2 miles
As we move deeper into winter, the hazards increase. This morning there was a light coating of frost on the wooden-deck bridges we cross on our morning rides. Our tires make tiny narrow lines in the frost and we needed to be alert to maintaining speed and direction to avoid a nasty fall.
This morning’s ride was billed as a breakfast ride. We had one first time rider (with the group). Most riders went on to Annapolis for breakfast at the Hard Bean Cafe (like we usually do on Fridays). Because of work commitments, I returned with 4 others who were likewise unable to spare the time for such luxury. I ate my bowl of cereal alone.
Severna Park Peloton has three more breakfast rides scheduled for the next three days. Tomorrow will be another Annapolis ride at 7:30 am. Friday we will leave at 6:30 to go into Baltimore to a French Bakery/Coffee Shop. Saturday is another 7:30 breakfast ride to Annapolis. I’m still uncertain which rides I’ll be able to attend other than Friday’s trip into Baltimore. Much depends on Lori’s work schedule and how long the “Honey Do” list is.
This Ride: 20.1 miles
Month: 396.2 miles
2012: 5,371.6 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 19,225.3 miles
Yesterday: 43° F – Today: 47° F
Yesterday: 3 riders – Today: 10 riders
Yesterday: we all rode together – Today: we had very fluid groups
Yesterday: we encountered two walkers on the trail – Today: there were a lot of people out (most without reflective gear)
Yesterday: a good pace up Brandywine hill – Today: a faster pace up Brandywine hill
Yesterday: 30.5 mph downhill on the fixie – Today: 35.5 mph downhill on the fixie (yes, I exceeded the speed limit)
Yesterday: a good ride – Today: a good ride
I’ve thought about what someone asked me the other day. They wondered if the routine of riding ever grew stale. I’d have to say that maybe a little. I don’t have to think about the route. One day is pretty much like the others except for the specific hazards and encounters. We know how one another ride so following distance is adjusted automatically. I know every pothole on the route. We miss riders who have not been out for a while. I know when I’ll get home.
But the routine is also good. When the alarm rings at 4:45 am, I don’t think twice about getting up. I go through the morning routines with little thought and the decisions that get made have to do with weather only.
We mix it up occasionally. Friday we will go into Baltimore for breakfast instead of Annapolis. That will be fun.
This Ride: 22.2 miles
Month: 376.2 miles
2012: 5,351.6 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 19,205 miles
(Dare I shoot for 6,000 miles for the year … an embarrassingly small goal … and for 20,000 miles by year end?)
Wow! I learned something today. But first, the ride report.
After what seemed like a very short night after a long day I was ready to get out with friends for Mosey Monday. I arrived at the Rusty Bridge a minute or two later than usual on a comfortable winter morning. There I waited, and waited, and saw no lights. As 5:45 arrived and then went on past, I resolved to ride solo this fine morning. I believe that too many stayed up to watch the Ravens beat the Steelers in Sunday Night Football.
I pushed off at 5:46, and made my way down the trail to the Ranger Station. Soon I saw headlights in my rear view mirror, and I slowed to allow Scott to catch up. He simply said he was running late. A mile later, we encountered Chip and the three of us rode together. None of us had stayed up to watch the game.
It was a nice ride with good conversation and a reasonable pace. A deer ran along side the trail ahead of us, keeping us alert at one spot. You never know when they are going to dart across the path. Foot traffic was light on the trail, but car traffic on the roads was denser than usual.
We picked up the pace on our return down B&A Blvd back into Severna Park. Pushing up Brandywine hill felt pretty good.
It was mid-ride that I noticed that occasionally my front tire was touching my brake pads. Sometimes when I looked, I saw a little wobble. Sometimes I didn’t. I wondered about a broken spoke. Then, as I wondered, it seemed to straighten out again.
After the ride, as I was putting away the bike, I decided to take a look. I noticed that the wheel wobbled. Had I forgotten to tighten the nuts holding the wheel on? Everything was tight. I took the wheel off and noticed that there was a little play in the hub. A nut holding the hub into the wheel was loose! A little judicious application of a wrench and the hub no longer wobbled and the wheel spun freely. Pending disaster averted!
Moral of the story … attend to anything that seems different or unusual on the bike! It is a signal something is wrong.
This Ride: 21.6 miles
Month: 354 miles
2012: 5,329.4 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 19,183 miles
Monday … so Mosey Monday!
I pulled out the fixie, strapped on a light, and headed out in 48° F temps this morning for a good recovery ride.
Four who were out chatted up our Flatbread experience and compared notes. We had not ridden together, so it was good to hear some of the stories. Everyone enjoyed the ride.
It was a little odd this morning as there were pockets of warm air. Fog was attempting to form. One never knew when it would be warm (by 5-10 degrees) or cool.
No incidents. No challenges. Just a good solid bike ride this morning.
This Ride: 21.1 miles
Month: 259.9 miles
2012: 5,235.3 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 19,088.9 miles
Now that was a lot of fun!
Let’s get outta here!
One of the more popular brevets in the DC Randonneuring stable is Flatbread. It always happens in November and as the name implies, is the flattest brevet DC Randonneurs sponsors. This year, about 65 riders pre-registered and 76 rode the course. Of those, I believe 13 were Severna Park Peloton members.
I hitched a ride with Mike B to the start along with Fran and Mike C. We all groused about the colder than forecast temperatures (forecast was for 40, actual was about 34 … with heavy frost on parked cars) and Fran asked what the plan was. We all agreed that a 9 hour ride was what we were anticipating … meaning our goal was to arrive at the finish at about 4:00 pm, well ahead of darkness.
Planning for this ride was a challenge. Temperatures would range about 30 degrees which made packing light a little more difficult. I had resolved to use only my front bag and a small bento bag on the bike, so I prepared to ride with as few clothes as possible so when I stripped down in the warmer part of the day I didn’t have a lot to carry. I also was cautious because of the recent sciatica issues I’d been having. Friday night, I visited the Chiropractor (for a second visit this week) with a sciatica pain level of around 7-8. When I left his office, it was 0! My back hurt where he manipulated it, but there was no sciatica pain at all. He did recommend some stretching on the bike, so I resolved to ride the Kona even though I wanted to ride the fixie on this ride.
Jack, and a bunch of other “crazies” getting ready to ride.
The 7:00 am start time arrived swiftly and with a cheer, the 76 riders pushed off into very chilly temperatures. The pace was relatively easy for the first 6 miles. That was where our first control was. We arrived at the information control at exactly the same time as the answer to the control question. By this time, my fingers were like ice and hurting pretty badly. Moving out of the control, we turned east into the rising sun, picked up the pace and had a large group in the lead. We kept the speed up the rest of the ride. For the next 20-25 miles into Greensboro, this pace line moved comfortably around 18-19 mph but sitting in the middle of that pace line, we sometimes registered heart rates in the 115 range. With very little effort we were moving pretty quickly. Not only that, but we were chatting one another up as if this were an easy day. Arriving in Greensboro, four SPP riders needed a bathroom break. The main group kept on going. We made short work of the stop, and were back on the bikes quickly to attempt to catch the main lead group. The four of us worked hard together, increasing our average speed to close to 20 mph over the next 25 miles. We never did see the lead group even though we overtook several other riders. We made one additional pit stop for clothing shedding and bathroom break, but kept the speed up as much as we could.
Sometimes all you could see of us was this view.
When we got to the Slaughter Beach control, we finally caught the lead group, just as they were leaving the control. It turns out that as we stopped for that first bathroom break, they picked up the pace to about 20 mph average also, so we never were able to close the gap. Mike B and Fran were getting ready to go so I made the control stop just long enough to get the control card signed, top off a water bottle, slam down a gel and go. It had to be less than 5 minutes. That’s easy to do on this course, because there is a lunch stop about 10 miles after the Slaughter Beach control.
Ready to leave Slaughter Beach
We pushed off into a headwind with about 4 riders, but still worked at keeping up the pace. In no time we were in Milton for the lunch break. The most popular stop for lunch in Milton is the Subway on the “leading edge” of town. Our small group decided on the coffee shop in town, and I’m glad we did. The food was more “homemade” (yummy chicken salad sandwich) and the 3o minutes we were stopped only 3 other riders came in. About the time we were ready to pull out, we saw a group of about 4 or 5 riders go by, so we accelerated our departure and within a few miles, were able to catch them and link up.
There are two places on a 200 k where I experience some real fatigue and the miles seem to go very slowly. One of those is 80-90 miles into the ride. I started bonking. I had trouble keeping my heart rate down and after a pull in front noticed that drifting back I was not recovering very well. Our group was still attempting to push 19-20 mph and it was getting to be too much for me. I grumbled a little. I tried a bathroom break. The other riders were being very patient with me and Mike B confessed he was having some of the same issues. Finally, my nutrition/hydration starved brain recognized that this was not that everyone was going too fast but that I hadn’t consumed enough of the right mix of fluids and nutrition. I drank some water. I sucked down a Roctaine gel, and within a few minutes, I noticed my heart rate coming down and recovery happening. Mike B wasn’t so quick to diagnose his issue, and he struggled a while longer.
The other place I experience the miles to go by slowly is those last 10 miles. Interestingly enough, that wasn’t so true on our ride today. Those last 10 miles seemed to fly by. I was feeling pretty strong and remembered to drink enough water to see me through. (What often happens to me is that I think to myself that I don’t need any fluids or food for those last 15-20 miles because I ride that distance every morning without a drink of water or food in my belly. What I forget to consider is that this is at the end of 100 miles covered, and that’s not the same as the first 20 miles!)
Somewhere in here, we had one last control. I stayed twice as long as I wanted to, but it was still under 15 minutes total.
The short stops and the speed we had been riding was working for us. We noted that the Garmin said we would arrive at about 3:05, 55 minutes ahead of our initial plan. Try as we might, we could not shave off those 5 minutes to get under an 8 hour ride time. True to form, we pulled in at 3:05 pm, with only 3 SPP riders ahead of us. About 10 minutes after we arrived, another group finished and now of the 12 SPP riders, 10 were done and between 1/4 and 1/3 of the field was in. Nice showing SPP!
After a quick outdoor change of clothes and tucking the bikes away, it was time for beer and pizza. I lingered around for a couple of hours congratulating riders and renewing friendships. Nearly everyone was pleased with the conditions of the day. Light winds (compared to brutal headwinds last year) and most were reporting quicker times of between 1-2 hours than last year’s ride.
Now for the self-congratulatory and analysis part of my post:
This was my fastest 200k ever by about 23 minutes. I averaged something like 18.3 mph rolling speed and 15.7 mph elapsed speed. I was off the bike 1:08, which always surprises me. I would have guessed closer to 50 minutes. My rolling time was under 7 hours. This was fun!
Rating of sciatica pain at the end of the ride … 3!
Chip puts together a great event, as evidenced by the large turnout.
The photos I’ve included were taken by Bill Beck.
This Ride: 127.5 miles
Month: 238.8 miles
2012: 5,214.2 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 19,067.8 miles
Last evening I mentioned to Lori that I really didn’t want to ride Thursday morning. The forecast was for cold and damp. I’m tired. I went to a Chiropractor and my back is a little sore. You know how it goes, any excuse comes to mind, especially if the exercise/riding routine has been sporadic recently. Her response to me was that she needed to exercise in the morning and if I didn’t get up, she might not either. And so it was decided. I rode only because if I didn’t, she wouldn’t be spending her time on the treadmill, and that would be cheating her.
When the alarm went off this morning, I first checked the weather and noted that there was no active precipitation. I resigned myself to having no valid excuses left, and so got up and prepared to ride.
Evidently, others had made the decision to stay in bed with the overnight forecast of possible snow. There were very few of us out on the ride.
Four of us pushed off from the Rusty Bridge with a very chilly north wind pushing us down the trail. Dan joined us at the Ranger Station. Dennis left us at Truckhouse. Dave and Marcus cut it short. That left Dan and I for most of the ride and that was fine with me. We chatted, reflected on Ravi’s flat yesterday morning and spoke of our plans for Flatbread on Saturday. When we turned around at the end of the trail we had that brisk northerly wind in our faces for the last half of the ride, but neither of us seemed to mind. It is what it is and all the grumbling doesn’t change the impact of that wind for the better.
I did cut the ride short. My sciatica was being aggravated by the ride and I still didn’t have a ton of motivation. When I arrived home, Lori was cooling down from her time on the treadmill and both of us had contributed to our partner’s fitness.
Motivation often requires that kind of accountability.
This Ride: 19.4 miles
Month: 111.3 miles
2012: 5,086.7 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 18,940.3 miles
Rev Rider 