This Ride: 24.2 miles
Month: 46.4 miles
2011: 5,966.1 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 12085.8 miles
When the alarm made it’s presence known this morning, I simply wanted to stay in bed. I’ve developed a cold, and my head hurts, I’m stuffed up, and I’m achy. I haven’t had a cold or other illness for 15 months (which I attribute to riding regularly). So I pulled myself out of bed climbed on the bike, and planned an easier ride today.
We had 8 riders out. It was a pleasant 50° F and the pace wasn’t too unreasonable. I pushed to maintain a higher heart rate without going overboard, and the endorphins kicked in making the ride enjoyable. We nearly crashed into Mike B as he was on his commute to work. Three of us skipped the hill on Askewton, formed a paceline down the trail, and easily made it to the end without getting caught. The whole morning was quick, but not “record setting”.
The weather should be moderating the rest of the week … and the forecast is for dry and dark. The sunrise is now well after the end of the ride, although we were in twilight for about 10 minutes.
I’ve been talking about it for some time with other SPP members, and today I “pulled the trigger” and registered for the other half of my 2011 epic ride.
At 7:00 pm October 14th, I will begin a 200k (Eastern Shore Reversed, near Wallops Island, VA) with a group of other SPP riders (the count is currently 6 7). When we finish this night “warm-up ride”, several of us will then drive 45 minutes to the Seagull Century in Salisbury where we hope to start that ride (102 miles) between 7:00 – 9:00 am on October 15th. Total distance will be somewhere between 225-230 miles in well under 24 hours.
This will be my longest time on the bike in “one day” and my longest distance ridden (by 70 miles).
This should be fun, “crazy fun” as one of my colleagues described it.
I’ll be looking forward to the beer and a massage at the end of this day.
This Ride: 22.2 miles
Month: 22.2 miles
2011: 5,941.9 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 12061.6 miles
Today’s ride started yesterday.
I went to the garage yesterday afternoon to adjust the chain on the fixie. The big ring is not “centered” and one part of the rotation makes the chain too tight and the plan was to ease it off just a bit. As I’m preparing to do that, I discover that the front tire is flat. That’s a puzzle to me, because I rode 60 miles on it Friday with no problems. I fixed the chain, then as the first order of checking the tire I tried to inflate it. As soon as the pump put air in the tire, it escaped just as fast. I wondered if a valve had gone bad. I tried again. Same result. I pulled the wheel, got my tube changing baggie, pulled the tube and quickly found a hole about 4 inches from the stem. It was the size of a pencil lead. Again, I remembered that I rode this bike Friday with no loss of air, and it had been sitting in the garage all nice and warm and dry since then.
The location of the hole was where the tube contacts the rim, so I looked for the cause of the hole in the rim, and for the first time really looked at the rim. This bike has a rubber “rim tape” that is ridiculously thin and was sitting on the rim in a way that reminded me of a cow path, meandering without rhyme or reason across the rim. By now it was after hours at the bike shop, so I determined to go to the shop on Monday to buy some real rim tape and fix this wheel correctly. That means that the fixie was down for Monday’s ride.
At 5:25 this morning, as I left the house, the temperature was 43° F, the coldest it has been since April. There were some light showers in the area, according to radar, but it was dry when I left the house. I decided to try a couple of new items this morning, including my long sleeve SPP jersey (which I may have ridden in before … I just can’t remember) and my new Lake Winter Riding Shoes. I wore the shoes with a pair of wool socks, but no other toe or shoe covers. When I arrived at the Rusty Bridge and the time to start was arriving, I didn’t see any other riders and was just beginning to consider riding alone. Soon, a few riders started to arrive, all just a few minutes later than usual. It takes a little longer getting ready in the morning when there are more clothes to put on. Clint was wearing his long sleeve SPP jersey and his new Lake Winter Riding Shoes also. The six of us maintained a very easy pace, and it felt a little like speed dating. We would ride 2X2 for a while, then there would be an adjustment and we would all be riding with new partners, engaging in new conversations. Chip joined us later in the ride on his fixie. He took delivery of a new bike on Friday but said that unless there was a negative percent chance of rain he wasn’t riding it. It was about then that the light sprinkles started. It wasn’t enough to get us wet, but just enough to let us know it was there.
I did push it up the sprint hill I’ve set up on Strava.com for my interval training, and set a new personal best time and average speed on that segment (24.5 mph).
The Lake shoes performed well. My toes were kept warm (although just on the cool side of warm) the entire ride. My other road shoes would have performed in a comparable way at 60°. They were comfortable, except that both Clint and I noticed that the heel box was just a little loose. That’s easy enough to fix.
Clint saw my email about the fixie and brought me some rim tape he said he wasn’t probably going to use, so there is no need to go to the bike shop today.
[This review is an independent review. I’ve not been offered or received any form of compensation or accommodation for this review.]
I’ve been using Strava.com for about a month now, and I’m finding it to be quite a helpful tool for improving my physical conditioning and tracking my cycling rides.
I was hesitant at first to add Strava to my complement of tools to track my riding. I have a custom made Excel spreadsheet where I log the key details of each of my rides. I use Garmin Connect to pull the data off my Garmin GPS after each ride and appreciate the tools available there. I could see no compelling reason to add one more step to the end of each of my morning rides. I’m frequently pressed for time as it is.
Strava.com is a combination social networking site and exercise logging tool. It is easy enough to upload your latest ride (or run … but I’ll be addressing the cycling part of the site exclusively from here on). The reporting tools are similar to Garmin Connect with the addition a few additional data fields, including an estimation of the number of watts generated per ride. Users have the option of using a Garmin GPS or a Strava app (iPhone & Android apps are available) to record the details of the ride. All these tools work seamlessly, and the variety of input devices means that this site is usable by a wider variety of people.
But again, with the exception of having an easy way to examine the rides of other friends, there seemed to be no real reason regularly upload data … until I discovered the feature that will be both my downfall and my greatest tool for increasing my conditioning. It is called “segments”.
All users are able to use the computer interface to define all or parts of rides as “segments”. Each of these segments then are automatically logged separately, recording date, average speed, heart rate (if your device records this data), power, VAM (I’m not sure what this is), and time. A graph displaying elevation, speed, heart rate, & cadence for that segment is available. In addition, Strava also finds and ranks each rider who has traveled over this “segment”, providing a list of these people and their data details. It also provides you with some ranking of your own individual performance on that “segment”, for instance indicating that this is your 3rd fastest time on this “segment”. If you ride a new route, and someone has designated part of it as a “segment”, your details will be automatically available as soon as you upload the ride. When creating a “segment” you are able to make it private, allowing you to have your own data separate from the public data.
For me, this one feature is what made Strava useful for me. I know the “segments” on my regular route. I have additional motivation to use those segments as sprint segments. There is nothing I need to do to log these, simply riding over the length of the “segment” with my Garmin or Strava application turned on results in the segment being recorded. Some days, I’ll not attempt the sprint or fast climb. Some days, I use the “segments” for my interval training. Some days I’ll choose a “segment” to hammer and either advance in the rankings or improve on my best time. That easy, extra motivation has helped me log some good speed on several key sections of my route, and it is far more accurate than simply glancing at the speedometer at a landmark. The key for me is that it logs these without the user doing anything, no hitting a button on the Garmin or a stopwatch. It is all automatic. If you ride the “segment” more than once in your ride, Strava figures this out and gives you a new set of data for each time you have ridden it. If you ride the “segment” in reverse, it will not count it as riding the segment. If you stop prior to the end point, however, the clock continues to run. If someone marks the “segment” as “dangerous”, the leader board is not displayed.
The tools available to create the “segments” are pretty intuitive. You drag a start and stop button over a slider while the map display and elevation profile help you fine tune those key points. If a similar “segment” already exists, the program will prompt you to use that … or give you the option to create your own “segment”.
There are other features on Strava that are available but that I’ve not explored in detail, including the ability to search rides based on several criteria, including distance from your start location, elevation change, and time. Members of a cycling club can designate the club they ride with. Tools are available to embed ride information on websites and blogs. Events and challenges are available. Strava will hide your home or office once you designate the radius (500 ft, 1000 ft, 1 mile) and provides you the option of having your name and information public (open to all) or available to just Strava members.
Strava has two “levels” for users. The first is free (which is the one I use) and the premium package is $6 per month with discounts for annual membership. The premium level provides increased analysis of ride data and leader boards.
Try it, especially if you want to push yourself and provide additional motivation to increase your speed and/or climbing.
This Ride: 59.7 miles
Month: 802.2 miles
2011: 5,919.7 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 12039.4 miles
“Well, that was special” is part tongue in cheek and part a note of accomplishment. As I sit and write this, I’m exhausted. This was a hard morning.
I started out tired. For some reason, I’ve just been tired all week, and my legs were leaden from the beginning this morning. We had 11 riders out for a beautiful morning ride, and other than a little quicker pace that I wanted to ride, it was good to be with the group. The sun has not risen now when we get to Annapolis, and in fact, it is just coming up as we leave. This morning’s sunrise was spectacular.
At Hard Bean, most of us had muffins rather than the breakfast sandwich. I had a pineapple/coconut muffin that was quite tasty … and then Myna brought out the complementary pie (apple & pumpkin) and we all shared a few bites. Dan arrived in street clothes just as we were getting ready to leave and he polished off the pie.
I decided to accompany Mike on his commute to work because I really needed to get at least 54 miles (or so I thought) in to meet September’s goal of 800 miles. All the way through Severna Park I contemplated just going home. Mike even half suggested that I go and get the other bike for the last half of the morning’s longer ride, but I pushed on past the turnoffs to home and continued on the fixie up to the airport loop. Along the way, Mike got an education in some of the adjustments to riding a fixie, mostly the little extra things that need to be attended to in order to ride this bike safely. I was also trying to figure out some noise and a headset issue along the way. By the end of the ride, I figured out that my drive chain is not completely circular, so that the chain is tighter at certain pedal positions than others. I’ll adjust the chain, making it looser, and I’ll solve the drive train noise. The headset might take the bike shop to help me with.
By the time Mike and I parted ways, I was ready to be done. The good thing for this morning is that at that point I was about as far away from home as I get on this route, so I resolved to go home and quit. As I made my way home, I realized that my calculations were incorrect, and I needed 57 miles on the day to meet my goal, so I set myself up to do a couple of loops near home to get the miles.
And I made the goal. 802 miles for the month. This was my longest ride on a fixie yet. I’m still 380 short of my pace for 8,000 miles on the year, BUT I passed 12,000 miles since 1/1/10! Around 400 miles to go to have cycled half way around the globe. And, about the time I hit that milestone, I’ll have ridden as far as I did last year. If that doesn’t happen before October 14th, it will happen during the upcoming EPIC ride October 14-15. More about that later.
At breakfast, Bryan showed off his Randonneuring medals. He accomplished the Super Randonneuring Series (S-R). He rode separate 200k, 300k, 400k, & 600k rides in one calendar year. He doesn’t have his R-12 yet!
There were four of us on fixies. Chip should get his new bike today. We are all looking forward to seeing it.
These Rides: 76.6 miles
Month: 742.6 miles
2011: 5,860 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 11,979.7 miles
Yes, I’ve been riding. With early morning meetings, I’ve had time to get off the bike, get cleaned up, and get to work. There has been very little time to post anything about the rides.
Tuesday: With rain threatening and a very light mist in the air, the morning ride was very humid and downright dangerous. I was wiping my lenses frequently just to be able to see. I nearly clipped the rear end of a white truck because it was invisible to me in the conditions. I still had a quick ride and felt it in my legs all day. 21.6 miles
Wednesday: Some of us took a slower pace on Wednesday. I nearly didn’t go out. My legs and whole body was quite fatigued. I told Lori Tuesday night that I didn’t think I was going to ride. She asked why not … and then Mike B. emailed and said he was riding the 5:46 ride (slower ride) and was looking for company. There is nothing like the people around you not allowing the excuses to win. Thanks! 23.7 miles.
Thursday: Another slower day. I have a lot of residual fatigue. I was able to ride a few extra miles before the beginning of the ride and really enjoyed the company of Mike B & Mike C. I even added some extra miles at the end of the ride. 31.3 miles.
Which places me exactly 57.4 miles short of my goal of 800 miles for the month with one day remaining. I’m not sure I’ll ride the fixie that whole distance tomorrow or not. Stay tuned.
This Ride: 28.8 miles
Month: 666 miles
2011: 5,783.5 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 11,903.2 miles
High humidity and light fog were on tap for the early morning ride which saw at least 8 riders, maybe more. The ride was punctuated with lively conversation which made the miles pass by very quickly. We climbed the hill on Askewton, we destroyed spider webs along the trail and had a grand time of it all. Chip, also on his fixie, urged his steed and mine ahead down the hill on B & A Blvd where I achieved a spectacular 165 RPM and 33.6 MPH! I have got to get a smaller rear cog on this fixie! After that, Chip and I traded notes about the fixie and riding it. He is helping shorten my learning curve significantly!
Soon, I was extending my ride a few miles and got home drenched in sweat with a spirited ride on Mosey Monday. I commented to Lori how riding the fixie on Mondays just doesn’t give me an easy day on the bike. Part of it is my fault. I like to spin up to my usual 90 RPMs which sets a nice pace of 18+ mph.
I am feeling the legs getting stronger from this additional effort. On my little short hills sprint section of B & A, I kicked past two riders and climbed the hill at an average of 22.1 mph. I’ve got that section marked on Strava as a personal segment.
It was a good morning. I’ve got some miles to pound out by the end of the week to meet my goal. Maybe I’ll do another ride late in the day … if my clothing dries.
My children think I’m crazy. My spouse just shakes her head slowly from side to side. Most of the people at work don’t know and wouldn’t understand. And I’m enamored. It is all about the fixie.
This is a single gear bike with no coasting. If the bike is moving, so are the pedals. Since I lock my feet into the pedals through a cleat system, as long as the bike is moving, so are my legs … sometimes very fast (as in downhill), and sometimes exceedingly slow (as in uphill). I have both rear and front brakes (although some fixie riders don’t). I am by no means an expert. I’ve logged 157 miles on the bike in about 10 hours, so I’m still pretty much a novice at it.
But I love it.
- I have a different feel on the bike. I feel more connected. I have fewer choices. Sometimes I can tell the bike where to go and how fast to get there, and other times the bike is in control. We have an ongoing dialogue. Gradually, I’m getting the upper hand. I’m told that this connection is especially valuable in wet and snowy weather. I’ve ridden wet. Bring on the snow.
- I have an entirely different approach to hills that impacts my other riding. I need to anticipate hills when on the fixie. The hill climb begins before there is any increase in elevation. I accelerate before the hill arrives and I continue to apply power all the way up the hill. To do otherwise is not only too much effort, but risks me having to climb off and walk up the hill. I have a bike so I don’t have to walk. The gear I’m in is the only gear I have, so the legs have to do the work to pull me up.
- I’m now learning to slow down without the brakes. This doesn’t translate to the other bike, but it is a nice accomplishment. I can’t describe the way I am slowing yet, because it feels odd and I’m not exactly sure what I’m doing, but it works. That means also that my legs are providing the deceleration, which requires effort, which results in leg strength.
- Riding the fixie should improve my pedaling circle. As the cadence increases, the only chance for “rest” is to have an efficient pedal stroke. There is immediate feedback especially at higher speeds. When I start bouncing in the saddle, it is because I’m no longer spinning circles.
- Riding the fixie should improve my bike handling skills. Coasting covers all sorts of flaws and behaviors. When I can coast, I coast over bumps, changes in road conditions, turns, while drinking, while looking over my shoulder for traffic, when coming to a stop, when I reach the top of a hill, when I anticipate a hill climb, and I soft pedal when shifting gears. Now, doing all these things with the pedals moving adds a complexity that seems innocent enough at first, but is surprisingly difficult in actuality. When turning with a lean, I have to be careful because I can get a pedal strike if I lean too much or an overlap between my shoe and the front tire if I turn the tire sharply. Putting the water bottle in the holder is trickier when the legs are moving. Blowing my nose while the pedals are moving is a bit more tricky. You get the idea.
- I anticipate greater leg strength. I don’t know how much I coast on a geared bike, but I’m sure it is a significant percentage. With a fixie, that’s out the window.
- I’ll be encouraged to learn to do a track stand (remaining clipped into the pedals while stopped on the bike balancing it without putting a foot down.)
- When I do my first 100 mile ride or 200k on a fixie, I get bragging rights and looks of awe from regular riders.
- I provide entertainment for those who are behind me as I fly down a hill at 30 mph, legs spinning nearly out of control.
- I’m aware when riding the fixie that the vast majority of people simply see a bicycle being ridden. They have no idea that I can’t coast. It is like riding with a secret.
Maybe the fun will wear off. I hope not.
This Ride: 40.1 miles
Month: 637.3 miles
2011: 5,754.7 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 11,874.4 miles
With forecasts of heavy rain, emails went out last evening indicating those who planned to ride despite the rain. I included myself in the list. The fixie was ready, and the time came to leave the house. It was dry until I left the house, and one little cell of rain decided to dump on the area. Despite that, there were 9 riders out in the dark and the rain for the morning ride, with 7 of us going on into Annapolis for breakfast (three on fixies). The rain stopped as 5:45 rolled around, and as we headed south on the trail, the route became completely dry.
On the entrance to the Naval Academy Bridge, I set my personal best speed on the fixie at 30.2 mph. I calculate that to be over 150 rpm (the cadence sensor still isn’t working right). The multiple gear riders get behind us and laugh at the “frog legs in a blender” look as we spin up to these ridiculous cadences.
We had a nice breakfast, saying our hellos to George, the crossing guard and to the Boot Camp athletes who also stop in post workout at The Hard Bean. As we were leaving, we caught a little light mist, but soon we were headed back in dry conditions. Near the end of the ride, as I left the rest of the group, I picked up the pace and pressed on for some faster miles.
Left to Right: Mike B, Bryan, Earl, Chip, Clint, Janet
This was also my longest single ride on the fixie. All in all, a nice morning to be out.
Since both bikes have now been ridden in wet conditions, and some maintenance was due because of mileage and flat rear tires, I pulled them both out:
- washed them,
- cleaned and lubed the chain,
- replaced the batteries in the Garmin sensors and readjusted the sensors,
- adjusted the brakes &
- DISCOVERED AN IMPENDING TIRE SIDEWALL FAILURE
One of the rear brakes on the fixie was contacting the tire sidewall and a bubble was forming where the sidewall was getting thin and weak. I pulled off the wheel (making this the second time I’ve had the wheel off and getting better at it) replaced the tire with one I had in stock, and then replaced the wheel with very little effort and time consumed.
Now that is what you call preventive maintenance.
If the bike makes noise or otherwise doesn’t do something right, check it.
I’ve got a spreadsheet also that alerts me to maintenance items and inspections at certain mileage distances. I may not hit all the scheduled items real consistently, but a regular thorough inspection is worth the effort.
Rev Rider 