You wouldn’t think that a straight pin and your tires can be friends.
A small straight pin is very useful for digging bits of glass, wire, stone, or other debris out of the tires. I will use it when I find something embedded in the outside of the tire, and will use it to poke around a bit inside the tire when changing a flat, to make sure that the debris is completely gone.
I stick one into an out-of-the-way place on my utility bag (where it won’t do harm to anything inside the bag) or on the hook & loop strap holding the bag to my seat so it is handy.
From the Pearl Izumi website:
- ELITE Barrier fabric provides superior wind protection and water resistance
- Direct-Vent panels provide superior ventilation
- Full length internal draft flap with zipper garage seals in warmth
- One-hand pull elastic draw cord at waist
- Two hand pockets and one chest pocket
- Reflective elements for low-light visibility
- One-piece integrated sleeve construction for ease of use and storage
Pearl Izumi Elite Barrier Convertable Jacket
My Review:
I purchased the Pearl Izumi Elite Barrier Convertable Jacket in early October for use during the cooler fall rides. I was originally looking for a wind vest only, and was having a tough time justifying $100 for a vest alone. The people at Race Pace Bicycles in Columbia, MD showed me this jacket, and I begrudgingly handed over a Ben Franklin for it. I wanted yellow, but it didn’t come in my size. This was the most useful purchase I’ve made for cycling since the bib shorts reviewed earlier.
I first began wearing this jacket only as a wind vest. The arms zip off and remove quite easily. There is a large mesh panel in the back of the jacket/vest that is exposed once the arms are off, and it ventilates like a dream, without causing a chill. The two front pockets zip up to close, and down to open. I like that arrangement. There is a pocket at the left breast that has a similar configuration. The added bonus to these three pockets is that they are lined with a mesh material. When open, they add to the cooling effect, allowing wind to enter. Closed, they are nearly seamless and cause no noticeable flapping. The larger pocket in the back (is that really what they call the full length draft flap?) is accessible through another zippered opening to the right. It is as large as the three pockets in my jersey, and is lined with mesh. The pockets are designed so that when zipped closed, there is no access even from inside the jacket to the items in the pocket.
The jacket has a draw cord at the waist that I’ve not used. In fact, I forget it is there.
With the sleeves attached, there are 4 hook and loop fasteners to keep the back flap in place, and they do a nice job. This back flap covers the ventilation panel in back, but there is plenty of ventilation for vigorous rides even with the sleeves on. Note that the sleeves and back flap are one piece, making it very convenient. A high, fabric-lined neck can be zipped to provide warmth when needed.
I’ve ridden with this jacket configured as a vest in temperatures from 60-40 degrees F., and as a jacket from 50-25 degrees F., and haven’t yet been disappointed. Certainly, that depends on the various layers I’m wearing, but the arms in this jacket will comfortably replace the need for arm warmers or a long sleeve jersey down to about 45 degrees for me. I’ve not tried that much below those temperatures. Your mileage, as they say, may vary.
The jacket is well constructed. The reflective strips do catch the light pretty well. I’ve seen flash photos of me wearing the jacket. I’ve had only one incident where the front zipper got caught in the fabric near the zipper, jamming it, and once I stopped, I was able to free the zipper without damaging the jacket. I’ve washed it a dozen times and it still looks great. A drop of water on it still beads. I’ve not really tested it’s “water resistant” capabilities, choosing to ride with something else in the rain.
At least one other rider in the Severna Park Peloton wears this jacket, and also likes it. I consider this jacket my “workhorse” for cool – cold weather riding.
I have not received any compensation or consideration for this review.
This Ride: 22.3 miles
Kona Distance: 5,046 miles
Month to date: 407 miles
2010 Total: 5,532.5 miles
What a difference a day makes! Twenty degrees warmer and 9 of us riding on the 5:45 ride. I had considerably more energy and it wasn’t as much of a struggle as it was yesterday. It was a perfect morning ride.
I got out of the house early, so I added a couple of miles to the usual route. That always feels good. It was good to catch up with people who had been away. We had a nice easy pace, in fact it was slower than I expected. Conversation was active. In fact, we were so engaged with one another that it was easy to lapse into inattention at intersections and calling out hazards. It was fun to listen to people talk about their mileage goals for the year. With a month to go, several of us are calculating annual mileage achievements. Bryan has logged 6,000 miles as of this morning. Dan is pressing on for 9,000 for the year and has some serious work to do in December.
On the way back on B&A Blvd, the pent-up desire for speed was unleashed. There was a good deal of sprinting going on, and several of us simply drafted along for the ride. There were a few very light sprinkles of rain dropping as I arrived home. We have up to 2 inches in the forecast for the next 36 hours, so odds are good that I’ll not be riding in the morning.
These kinds of mornings certainly keep the riding enjoyable.
Another month draws to a close. It is almost embarrassing how few miles I’ve logged this month, and yet, 400 miles for November was the goal I set when I was goal-setting in June. The question for me now is, do I shoot for 6,000 miles for 2010? It is only 468 miles away.
This Ride: 18.3 miles
Kona Distance: 5,023.7 miles
Month to date: 384.7 miles
2010 Total: 5,510.2 miles
This was my first ride this year below freezing. It was 26 this morning. That means that I wore all the warmest cycling clothes I have. I was looking forward to the ride although I was a little worried about the bike. I’ve done no maintenance over the weekend after the rainy ride and two flats, except bleed out the CO2 and pump air into the tires. I’m glad to say there were no mechanical issues to report.
There was no one at the Rusty Bridge. I waited until a minute after start time, and there were no lights on the road or trail headed to the bridge. I resigned myself to a chilly solo ride. When I got to the Ranger Station, Dan and Brian “The Commodore” were there. I didn’t hear a word from “The Commodore” until well after the hill in Round Bay. His first words were, “I think I’m starting to warm up.” Jeff joined us shortly after the Ranger Station, so there were 4 on the ride this morning. It was good to see Dan again. He had been away for about a week, over the holiday.
I have to admit, it was a hard morning for me. The hill in Round Bay kicked me where it counts and nearly wrestled me to the ground. You would have thought we climbed THE WALL the way I was huffing and puffing. After that, I had nothing left. I did push it on the one downhill on B&A Blvd that I love, but even doing that winded me and made the rest of the ride an effort. I cut the ride short, choosing to bail close to home on White’s Road rather than completing the ride to the Ranger Station and returning home that way.
There were times I was chilly. There were times I was overly warm. It all depended upon the effort I was expending. My hands were cold to start, but by midway through the ride, they were toasty. I had hand warmers on top of my shoe and under my shoe cover, and even then, my feet were a little chilly. I think there is enough room in the shoe to put them inside on top of my foot the next time. The coldest I got was after getting home and inside about 15 minutes after the ride. I actually started to shiver before I stripped off the damp base layer.
If I let the mustache grow out, I could look a little like Jamie from Myth Busters!
This Ride: 48.3 miles
Kona Distance: 5,005.4 miles
Month to date: 366.3 miles
2010 Total: 5,491.8 miles
There is a tradition that the SPP rides into Baltimore on the day after Thanksgiving. Last Saturday, some rode to the Firehouse Coffee shop and so our ride leaders went looking for a new coffee shop in Baltimore for today’s ride. We settled on the Red Canoe Coffee Shop in northern Baltimore, and planned a 7:00 am ride.
During the week, as the end of the week approached, the forecast was not great. Rain and cold was forecast. I was surprised to wake up this morning to 56 degrees with some very intermittent drizzle. The hardest part of the morning was trying to figure out just what to wear in those conditions. Lori said I was worse than “a woman packing for the weekend” as I fretted over what I needed to wear. I settled on a base layer, jersey, a very light rain jacket, and waterproof shoe covers. It was all a good choice, but would have done equally well even without the rain jacket. It did serve as a nice wind blocker.
Six riders (Clint, Chip, Jim, Steve, Jeff & I) met at the Rusty Bridge. Chip was a little late because he had two flats, one in the garage when he pulled the bike out, and another when he rode down the driveway. The trail surface was damp, and the air was dry until we pushed off. Then we caught a drizzle for about half the ride to the Red Canoe. Just before getting into southern Baltimore, we looked back and discovered Chip wasn’t with us. We rode back, and found him changing yet another flat. We made short work of that flat, and were soon back on our way, winding our way through the Inner Harbor area and then through the near north side of Baltimore. We rode through housing projects, boarded up row houses, and then finally into some of the nicer neighborhoods of northern Baltimore. Clint’s Garmin led the way.
We arrived at the Red Canoe at about 9 am, and had great service, excellent coffee (in large red ceramic mugs) and were in one of 3 separate rooms in the coffee shop. It was a nice place. The food options included muffins (some very good, and some not so good according to those who had them) and breakfast sandwiches (egg, cheese, bacon on toasted bagel or toasted english muffin) which were very tasty and went down fast. We all agreed that this destination is worth repeating. Too soon it was time to climb back on the bikes in damp, cold clothing and push off again.
Photo by Clint Provenza
Except, my front tire was flat. We provided entertainment for some in the coffee shop as we changed the tire, then clipped back in and headed south. We took a short detour to see Lake Montebello. The wind was whipping strong across the lake, lifting whitecaps. A lady in a van stopped and asked about our group. Peggy runs some kind list of cycling events in Baltimore. Clint gave her a card, and then remembered meeting her at some other event. Is there anyone on a bike Clint hasn’t met? If so, it won’t be long.
We pushed on into downtown Baltimore, negotiating ourselves through the light holiday traffic, back around the Inner Harbor, and then back toward home. I struggled on some of the hills on the way back. My blood donation two weeks ago still results in an out of control spike in heart rate once I’m above about 155-160. At least twice my heart rate was 170 or above as I climbed a few of the longer hills.
As we got back onto the trail, I heard a noise from my rear tire, felt softness, and sure enough had another flat. Jeff pressed on home because of another commitment, and the others stayed and helped repair the flat. Soon we were back on the way, and split for our homes. Just as I got home, very light drizzle started again. We commented often on the ride how lucky we were for warm temperatures and relatively dry conditions.
This was a great ride to burn off a few of the excess calories from yesterday’s feasting. Through Baltimore, we had many people at bus stops and convenience stores waving and commenting on this bunch of crazy guys riding bikes in the rain. It was indeed a “Friendly Friday” ride. Clint was taking some photos, and if I can, I’ll add some of them to this post later.
This Ride: 20.9 miles
Kona Distance: 4,957.1 miles
Month to date: 318 miles
2010 Total: 5,443.5 miles
Not much to say about this ride. It was one of those regular rides with no incidents. It was pleasant with the good company of four other riders. It was 55 at the start, which was a treat. We watched the sun come up. It was pretty as always.
This Ride: 27.7 miles
Kona Distance: 4,936.1 miles
Month to date: 297.1 miles
2010 Total: 5,422.6 miles
With afternoon temperatures around 60 degrees and a very light wind, how could I keep from riding? I pushed through lunch with work, and was able to get free around 3.
It was a great ride. There was a beautiful sunset. I saw one deer. I was able to turn my head off. I got no flats.
The only negative was a carload of teenagers who taunted me as the car drove close to me, then sped off. I caught up to them and passed them when they were stopped by traffic at a stop sign. They continued to taunt, but I blew by them, turning right as they were turning left. No real confrontation happened, but there was that potential. There were hundreds of other vehicle drivers who were courteous and cautious.
This Ride: 20.3 miles
Kona Distance: 4,908.5 miles
Month to date: 269.5 miles
2010 Total: 5,395 miles
Yes, the alliteration can get worse. But this one is pretty descriptive.
It was 48 degrees at the start. Let me tell you, that is starting to feel warm in the morning. By the end of this week, we might reach that as a high for the day, so I’m not complaining.
It was foggy at the start, so foggy that we needed to wipe eye wear every mile or so. It was so foggy that I had water dripping off my helmet onto my face a few times. It tended to soften the sounds all around.
We saw wildlife. There are more bunnies out than I remember at any time except during the early morning summer rides. We caught one in a spot where the bunny led the peleton for about 25 yards. Did you know bunnies can do at least 14-15 mph? We also saw deer. A pretty large buck crossed our path twice. Lit up as we were, and chatting loudly, I don’t think we were in any danger of startling him. He kept his distance too.
Five of us rode, and it was a nice morning. On my way to the Rusty Bridge I picked up a piece of wire in my spokes, chain, and derailleur. It took me half a minute to untangle the mess.
This could have ruined my day!
On the way back north on the trail, I felt softness in my rear tire and stopped. The flat fairy had paid a visit. That’s my first flat on these Continentals (1000 miles) and my first flat since June 24 (3200 miles ago). Clint and Bryan stayed with me and I changed the tire. I found a small wire that had punctured the tube. Feeling good about the repair, we pushed off. I noticed a very slight bump feeling as we continued, but we couldn’t see anything. Sure enough, within a short amount of time, I had flatted again. This time Clint took the lead, changed the tire, found a small piece of glass in the tire, and we were on our way again. The bump was more pronounced this time, and we stopped and found that part of the tube was pinched. We quickly repaired that on the bike and the rest of the ride was uneventful.
I’ll do some patching and some other light maintenance later today, including a thorough inspection of the tire.
It was really nice to be out this morning. Conversation was about upcoming rides, including our Thanksgiving and Black Friday rides, a Christmas light decoration viewing ride, and of course, the next 200k that is calling my name now that I’m a member of RUSA and DC Rand.
This Ride: 22.1 miles
Kona Distance: 4,888.1 miles
Month to date: 249.1 miles
2010 Total: 5,374.6 miles
It’s official! I’m now listed on the RUSA site as a member! Number 6530. Next step: ride a RUSA sanctioned ride.
I didn’t make it out in time for the Saturday morning rides with the SPP, although I did meet the 7:30 ride on their return from breakfast in Annapolis. I rode mid-morning, and seriously overdressed. My home thermometer read 46 but I think it was 50 when I left and nearly 60 when I returned from the ride. In these days when the temperature is below 65, even a 5 degree change in temperature has different clothing requirements. This 12-15 degree change had me sweating hard and dripping wet on my return.
It was a good ride. I had a nice pace and added a loop in Glen Oban for the hill, view, and distance. A bright sunny fall morning sure makes the miles even more enjoyable.
This Ride: 30.1 miles
Kona Distance: 4,866.1 miles
Month to date: 227.1 miles
2010 Total: 5,352.6 miles
Fridays are my favorite day. The ride into Annapolis for breakfast starts the day, and it often features a “date” with my spouse for dinner, and a usually quiet evening at home later. It is rare I have meetings on Friday evening, so this can be my day.
There were six of us at the Rusty Bridge at 5:45 am (36 degrees) and we picked up 3 more at the Ranger Station. It was a nice easy ride down the trail and 6 of us continued on to Annapolis. Once in town, we overtook Chris who had gone out ahead of us, so there were seven riders eating at Chick & Ruth’s, unfortunately disturbing a young lady who was trying to study for a test she had later at St. Mary’s. It was lively conversation, so much so that I don’t even remember eating my breakfast … the conversation and banter was the thing.
The ride back was at an easy pace, and I continued on to the hospital to pick up Lori’s car once again. That gets me an extra 5 miles and speeds our trip into Annapolis at the end of her work day.
This has been an abysmal week of riding. Three days this week, and really minimal mileage. I’d like to pick it up a bit so that I’m maintaining some good distance riding into the winter. I need the regular exercise for the mood elevation it brings, not to mention continuing the fitness. I’m also packing on a few extra pounds that I need to keep moving to eliminate.
Oh, I almost forgot! (In fact, this is a later addition.) In the early part of the ride, I saw a raccoon in the roadway. It ran off the road as we approached, climbed a tree to about level with our shoulders, then proceeded to watch us as we sped by. It was something to see, and most of the riders missed it.
Notice with the recent upgrade at Garmin.com that the maps are now Bing maps, and they look a little different. I notice more detail.
Rev Rider 