Mind-Numbing Thoughts on Riding

Blogging is Dead

2008-12-02T19:51:00.000-08:00

At least it is on this site. In place of this blog, come join me on Dailymile.com. I sent some of you invitations, if I missed you let me know and I'll send you one too.

Hamilton Lakes

2008-10-23T04:37:00.000-07:00

I was doing laps at Hamilton Lakes last night and had to stop to take this photo. Hard to believe that's just two miles from the house.

I Haven't Abandoned This Site, Yet...

2008-10-20T18:10:00.001-07:00

I was checking out a couple of blogs today, and since I haven't been posting much of anything lately, I thought you could waste a little time at these sites.

Landen has moved to Boston and I'm sure he's enjoying Bean Town, all except the cold weather. I'm going to miss riding with him, it was always a challenge.

Check out what he's up to: LandenAcebo.blogspot.com

Today I was reading some local news at digtriad.com and found Greg Kerr's blog. He's always talking about cycling and local events. Nobody's commenting though. I think Greg could use some of Eddie's wit and Brian's unusual use of the English language on his blog.

Greg's Blog on DigTriad.com

On another note, there's a ride to Pilot Mountain this Saturday, leaving from Paceline in Winston. The ride leaves at 8:30 and it's about 55 miles. Last thing I heard is that Mark Hekman is leading the ride, so I think I'm going to take advantage of the chance to ride with him. Paceline is serving lunch after the ride, and it's all free.

Looks Like a Washout

2008-09-25T05:02:00.000-07:00

This is shaping up to be a really disappointing weekend. I thought we were going to get at least one good day, but it's starting to look like rain on Sunday now. It's becoming impossible to log any saddle time with the daylight fading and all the rain. Guess it's time to get the damn trainer out.

Lance is going to be on Letterman tonight. Since we won't be riding in the morning you can stay up and see what he has to say about racing next year.

Eddie's been tight-lipped about his weekend at the beach. I think he may not remember anything. What do you have to say for yourself, Edward?

Lance Coming Back???

2008-09-09T09:30:00.000-07:00

Certainly by now everyone has read the Lance comeback stories from VeloNews.com:

Lance Armstrong Coming Back and The Denials

Assuming he does come back, I can't imagine that he'd be ready to contend for the GC in the Tour next year. At the same time I can't see him riding in a support role on any team. Can you imagine Lance heading back to the team car for bottles? What if Levi crashed and messed up his bike, would Lance hand his over?

Pez Cycling News Visits Ventoux

2008-08-14T08:05:00.000-07:00

For the record, Brian and I didn't stop at all on the first two climbs and only made a brief stop at Chalet Reynard on the third because we were out of water. Take that Pez!

http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=6197

Ashly Needs Your Help (and so do I)

2008-08-07T19:36:00.000-07:00

So Ashly committed to this charity ride in Montana, but she needs to raise about 4 grand to do it. Any help? Click Here to Donate

Here's the other situation: I haven't ridden the Cervelo in two months now, and I don't really have a desire to ride it. I'm considering putting it up for sale, but I'm just not sure if I should. I certainly don't need it, the Seven is more bike than I deserve. But the R3 is an amazing bike. What should I do? Let me know by voting in the poll to the right.

The Finishing Touch

2008-07-31T10:27:00.000-07:00

Since my very cool, but a little too fragile, Brooks cork bar plugs came apart in the rain I've been looking for something as cool to replace them. I Finally found something. Thought you guys might be interested as well.

See the selection here:
http://www.barplugs4u.com/page/page/1027689.htm

Mt. Pisgah

2008-07-19T05:34:00.000-07:00

Friday morning I drove over to Canton for a ride up and over Mount Pisgah. I've got to thank Brent for the cue sheet, this was a fantastic ride.

From Canton there is a long slow descent into a four mile flat run down route 19/23 that will get the legs warmed up. As soon as you turn onto old 19/23 the climbing begins in short bursts. There were a few dogs to contend with as I weaved through the back roads on the way to the base of the main climb. If you do this ride, keep your eyes open from around mile 15 to 18, maybe they won't sneak up on you like they did on me.

After a fairly steep mile-long ascent, you drop sharply down to NC 151 where you make a left and begin the climb to the Parkway. The three miles up to the Parkway are completely shaded, the road is smooth and twisty and there's almost no traffic.

Once you reach the Parkway, there are about three more miles of climbing. All of this is in the sun with the exception of three tunnels. All the tunnels are pretty straight and short, no worries going through them.

From the summit of Pisgah, which is a little hard to pinpoint, you descend at an easy rate that allows you to keep the cranks turning. For about three miles or so you're soft pedaling at 30 mph, then you turn onto 276 and blast down hill through banked corners and switch-backs. 276 is a little rough in spots, but in pretty good shape overall. Then the road straightens out and again you're pedaling along with a nice 1-3% negative grade. A few small hills break up the high-speed run back in to Canton. Fantastic ride, go do it.

Garmin Ride Data

TdF Maps

2008-07-07T09:57:00.000-07:00

Just found out that Google has mapped the stages of the TdF in StreetView.

http://www.webware.com/8301-1_109-9984383-2.html

Google Map in Street View

Back in the Saddle

2008-07-02T05:04:00.001-07:00

I had been off the bike for ten days prior to yesterday's ride, unless you count the little trip Ashly and I took in Paris. We rented the fine machines you see to the left for a couple of hours and toured around a large park on the edge of town. To say these bikes were dilapidated is probably understating the issue.

Yesterday's ride was a real joy as I got to get back on the Seven. It's amazing how good that bike is. I guess I owe that rental machine a thank you for reminding me.

It was great to see you guys and ride with you again. I think Eddie and I both enjoy the same thing about the 'B' rides: Watching guys bolt off the front down a hill then blasting past them up the next one. I can't speak for Eddie, but I always make sure that I'm in the saddle and try to look especially unstressed as I go by.

The Official Ventoux Report

2008-06-30T17:29:00.000-07:00

So I thought I'd take the time to tell the tale of our assault on Ventoux while the memories are still fresh. If you haven't already seen the the Garmin ride data, check it out.

Monday: The Scouting Trip
We left the house Monday morning under cloudy skies and the occasional rain drop. We rode out in similar weather the day before and it never really rained on us, so off we went. We could see the top of Ventoux from the very beginning of the ride, or maybe I should say we couldn't see the top. The plan for the day was to ride through Bedoin to the summit, down the north side to Malaucene and back home. We decided to ride as far as Bedoin and let the weather dictate the next move.

We had a nice ride through some small villages on the way to Ventoux and never really got wet. It was market day in Bedoin, so the streets were packed with people, musicians and vendors. We followed the detour signs around the town to meet Bogdan, Alex and Andrei on the other side where we would begin the climb to the summit.

Brian and I found a bakery, had a pain au chocolat (chocolate croissant) and made a deal that if the weather was really bad once we got into the clouds we'd turn back. I'd read some horror stories about the weather on top of Ventoux and I'm not ashamed to say I was a little worried.

Off we went as a group of five, then four, then three. Brian and I were working hard to keep ourselves in a rhythm and weren't talking any more than was absolutely necessary. Every so often though, Alex would ask a question or attempt to make conversation. Brian and I answered in single syllables, if at all. I think Brian and I were both about ready to pick the pace when Alex said, "I'll see you guys at the top" and fell off the back. We climbed in silence for a few more kilometers when the pitch eased a little and the road opened to a large intersection and there was Chalet Reynard.

Now we were just below the clouds, but the rain was still very light. We put on our vests and decided to keep going.

We climbed about four more kilometers into very dense clouds and we were starting to get a little wet. I don't think it was rain that was soaking us as much as it was the damp fog we were riding through.

By the time we made it to the Simpson memorial we could only see a few meters ahead of us. The sound of a descending rider's freewheel would cut through the fog and then he would appear just across the pavement. As fast as he appeared, he was gone again into the fog below. After a couple of pictures at the memorial we kept going.

After only a few minutes we saw the sign for the cafe and knew the summit was just ahead. We turned right into the final hairpin and were hit square in the face by some unbelievable winds. We both rode for the base of the tower in hopes that it would shelter us, but the wind was blowing right down the side of the building. I got off the bike and grabbed the side of the building. I wasn't sure what to do next. Riding over the top and down to Malaucene was definitely out, but going back down the hill didn't seem too appealing either. I decided to walk down the hill and out of the wind, trying as hard as I could to dig the rubber heels of my shoes into the pavement with every step. We made it back down to the cafe and went straight in.

We ordered hot chocolate (which is actually melted chocolate and hot milk, lovely), Pepsi and banana crepes. While we sat inside and enjoyed the crepes, outside the weather got bad. Big, heavy rain drops were falling now and I'm sure the temperature had dropped about 10 degrees. We got back on the bikes and were both shivering horribly as we started to descend.

I was in front trying not to let the tremors in my arms swing the front wheel too far one direction or the other. I couldn't actually see off the edge of the road, but there was no doubt it was a long way down. My hands were numb from the cold and constant pressure on the brake levers and I could feel a cramp building in my left leg. The cramp must have been caused by all the shivering because I certainly wasn't pedaling down the hill. I took an opportunity to look back to check on Brian but couldn't really see him through the rain and fog. I yelled back, "Brian?!!?" and was glad to hear him reply, "Yeah!"

Finally we were back to Chalet Reynard and we headed straight for the cafe where we ran into the other three in our group. Brian and I drank more hot chocolate and shivered intensely while we waited for the rain to pass. There was finally a break in the heavy rain (meaning it was just raining) and we took off. It seemed that only about two minutes down the road from the Reynard, the clouds cleared, the rain stopped and the temperature jumped up. I finally stopped shivering and we blasted our way down the mountain. Brian and I both over-cooked the same turn and skidded our way through it. It must have looked cool.

When we got back to Bedoin and stopped at a cafe for coffee we realized that we had all run through piles of cow and/or horse shit on the way down. My socks and shins were covered.

Thursday: All Three Sides
Ashly drove us over to Bedoin in the morning and the weather looked great. It was probably around 75 degrees that morning and not a cloud anywhere. We assembled the bikes and packed our jersey pockets with Clif bars and gels. We grabbed a coffee at a cafe in the heart of town and headed off.

The first climb went well. We took our time and pretty much knew what to expect all the way up. What a difference a couple of days makes. The winds at the summit were light and it was just cool enough to need the wind breakers we had stuffed in our jersey pockets.

I was feeling good. According to accounts I had read, we'd conquered the toughest climb. We grabbed a Coke and headed down to Malaucene.

The road down the north side of the mountain was much more dramatic with steep drops and tight switch-backs. Then it flattened out and we were actually pedaling. Seemed like there would be places to recover, eat and drink on the second climb.

Alex was climbing from Malaucene that morning and we passed him on the way down. He was smiling and didn't seemed too distressed, I thought, "this side must not be too bad."

We turned around in Malaucene and headed up. Things started out pretty good, but then we hit a section that was a lot steeper than what it had seemed on the way down. I figured that it wouldn't last too long so I didn't worry about it.

I have my Garmin set up to show me the grade of the road, and that may not be the best idea. I looked down and it said 15%. That's pretty much where it stayed for the next 10 KM.

I was losing my motivation when we turned a corner and saw Alex. He was still on his first climb and we had almost caught him. Eventually we did catch him and Brian rode on by. I decided to sit on his wheel for a few minutes and try to recover a little. Then the questions started. No choice, I had to get out of the saddle and move on because I certainly couldn't be bothered to chat.

Now I was working hard trying NOT to catch Brian. There was still another climb and I'd need everything I could save.

Finally, I could see the last corner and the tower just ahead. One to go.

The descent down to Sault was brutal. The roads on the first two climbs were beautiful and smooth. This one seemed to be nothing but patched holes and loose gravel. We bounced along for about 30 minutes until we got to the bottom where we had to climb up into Sault. Insult to injury. My legs were completely locked up, I could barely spin the cranks. Somehow I did get up the hill and into town where we stopped for a late lunch.

After a ham and cheese sandwich we were off again. This climb was hovering between 5% and 7%, but it felt like it was going on forever. I couldn't really shake the thought that the last six KM would average 10%. I was moving up the 5% sections well enough, but I wasn't sure how I'd do when the road turned up.

To make it even worse, the last six KM of this climb is shared with the route from Bedoin. Just looking at that section again seemed unbearable.

After a very long ascent on the rough roads, we turned the corner that revealed the Reynard. The last section was in front of us and the tower was sitting on the summit taunting us. We turned the cranks slowly in silence and tried not to look at the tower too often. At the last turn, Brian and I both found enough energy to get out of the saddle and power through the inside of the hairpin. When we stopped at the top I was too exhausted to be happy. I think I was just relieved it was over.

We put our jackets on again and set off down the mountain for the last time. No skidding through corners this time, just slow and steady all the way down.

It was a tough day, and I'm not all together sure why I did it. I'm glad I did, but I was really questioning myself on the third climb.

Brian says we'll return in 10 years to face this beast again. I wonder if I'll be recovered by then.

Ventoux Defeated!

2008-06-21T15:55:00.000-07:00

This is what you look like after one climb up Ventoux...
This is what you look like after three...

In case you're curious: Ride Details

See the Other Blog

2008-06-17T07:02:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys,
Trip updates are on our other blog, see the latest post here: http://ashlyanderic.blogspot.com/2008/06/quick-update.html

Haven't had mush time to post, but hopefully more news later.

Poll Time

2008-06-10T06:20:00.000-07:00

Here's a shot from the Big Event this past weekend, study it for a few minutes and take the poll to the right. (click the image for a larger version)

Just like this Photo

2008-06-04T21:05:00.001-07:00

Nice cycling tan on Borat. It actually looks like the riders are trying to shift to the right side of the road to stay away from him.

We're only ten days away from Mont Ventoux. Weather is looking good for us too. I wish I was a little lighter, but I guess I'll have to go as is. No worries, I'm feeling confident.

Hope to see you guys at the Big Event this Saturday. David Caton's wife is one of the organizers, so we should support the ride.

New Saddle

2008-05-29T18:51:00.000-07:00

I just got my new Brooks saddle! Looks great with the bar tape, doesn't it?

Rode it for a while tonight and I thought is was really comfortable. It's slippery as hell, but that'll work itself out soon enough.

Turns out that I won't be making it to the 3MM ride this Saturday, my leg is still a mess and I don't want to stress it too much just yet.

Tour de Eddie

2008-05-21T19:07:00.000-07:00

Rode with Eddie's TtT training group tonight and had a good time. Thanks, Eddie.

Is anyone going to step up and handle the shop ride for Ray this weekend? I'm the only one who ever does it any more. How 'bout it guys?

The Three Mountain Madness is a little over a week away. Brain and I are thinking of doing that, anyone else interested?

New Shoes for the R3

2008-05-14T16:48:00.001-07:00

I think it looks good. Too bad I can't ride that much bike.

Chattanooga, 2008

2008-05-05T07:04:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning was not as I had hoped it would be, with thunderstorms rolling in at about 7:30. They say discretion is the better part of valor, so we decided to be quite valiant that day and not ride out into the lightning.

While we didn't get to ride the three states or the three mountains, we were able to find some of the best switch-backs I've ever seen anywhere. Click the photo for a better look. I'll have the rest of the pictures posted here shortly.

Not quite as we planned it this year, but a pretty good trip to Chattanooga just the same.

Things To Do When It Rains

2008-04-27T18:36:00.000-07:00

Not much on TV tonight so I decided to break down the Seven. With about 90 minutes of effort, she's in the travel case, along with all the tools required for reassembly. I took good notes, but only photographed the final results. Click the image for a larger version.

Weather permitting, Brian and I might ride Thursday morning before we head for Chattanooga. Anyone else care to do the same?

Another Rainy Saturday??!!??

2008-04-23T06:36:00.000-07:00

According to the local news rain is going to move in again this weekend. That'll be five in a row and six of the last seven. We better have great weather in Chattanooga next week.

Even with the crappy weather, last week was a great week of cycling for Brian and me. (I assume Brian agrees)

Tuesday we did the TT in Durham (I was 3rd overall, and I'll be faster next time)
A brutal 100 mile ride on Saturday that had us really suffering
A 100 mile recovery ride to Virginia on Sunday

I burned up some serious calories last week (so I don't feel bad about the two pints of B&J's Americone Dream).

Seven days until we head out to Chattanooga. Get your bike in order!

Why does it rain every Saturday?

2008-04-17T19:12:00.000-07:00

Looks like we'll be getting rain on Saturday for the fourth week in a row. I've already paid my registration for the Foothills Classic, and I think a few of you have too. Are we riding in the rain (possibly in the t-storms)?

By the way, the TT at OCS was great. I will be there again next month and I expect more of you to join me this time. You won't regret it.

UPDATE: The results are posted: http://fsseries.com/results/OCS1.txt
I have a new goal - 17:35.2

Race Day

2008-04-15T06:49:00.000-07:00

It's finally here. The Cervelo is clean, drive train adjusted and the bike is stripped down to TT trim. I hope I'm as ready as my bike is.

Brian and I are heading out around 4:00, or shortly there-after. See you guys there (I hope).

Ronde van Vlaanderen

2008-04-11T20:18:00.000-07:00

If you guys didn't see this crash from Flanders check it out:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4zb44_grosse-chute-tour-des-flandres-2008_sport

Thanks to David for finding that video.

KEEP YOUR HEAD UP!

Training for Chattanooga

2008-04-08T20:02:00.000-07:00

Gary gave me the heads-up about the Foothills Classic ride on April 19. I'm trying to register for it right now but Active.com seems to be having some technical difficulties. The link to the event site is in the events section to the right. This would be a good day of training for Chattanooga.

Speaking of training, I'm going to put in some miles this weekend, most likely on Sunday. I haven't ridden more than 80 miles this year, so I'd like to go out for 90+. Maybe Ray will take us up to Virginia.

I'm still planning to head to the TT in Durham next week. Hope some of you will come too.

Good to see Eduardo and G-Law tonight.

Three Mountains

2008-03-26T18:32:00.000-07:00

The pictures from last Friday's ride in the mountains are cycling in the slide show to the right. I'm sure they will bring back fond memories for Eddie.

Only 37 days until 3S3M and a whole day of Eddie complaining!

I've also updated the ride links section (scroll down a little). I know we talked about doing the Black and Blue relay as a team, but I just don't know if I can start a ride at 6 am.

Demographics

2008-03-19T19:21:00.000-07:00

Voting is complete and I've assembled the demographics at Eddie's request. For context, I've included Guilford county demographics in the charts. The blue line represents Guilford county data, the red is voter data. As you can see, voter turn-out was incredibly low.

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pS_mCDOxBebbZY3f9WET-KA

Happy Birthday to EDDIE!!

2008-03-12T12:54:00.000-07:00

I May Need Counseling

2008-03-11T19:26:00.000-07:00

I think I have an unhealthy obsession with data analysis and spreadsheets.

I'll be at Hamilton Lakes again Wednesday night (collecting more stats for my spreadsheets) if anyone is inclined to join me.

My Favorite Time of Year

2008-03-09T20:14:00.000-07:00

I love the switch to DST, especially since I started cycling a couple of years back. With the extra hour of daylight you'll often find me at Hamilton Lakes after work. In fact, I'm planning to be there Monday night. I'd love to have company if you want to join me.

Here's a sunrise/sunset chart for the week.

10

Sunrise: 7:37
Sunset: 19:21
Moonrise: 8:59
Moonset: 23:09

11

Sunrise: 7:35
Sunset: 19:22
Moonrise: 9:34
Moonset: none

12

Sunrise: 7:34
Sunset: 19:23
Moonrise: 10:16
Moonset: 0:23

13

Sunrise: 7:32
Sunset: 19:24
Moonrise: 11:07
Moonset: 1:36

14

Sunrise: 7:31
Sunset: 19:25
Moonrise: 12:06
Moonset: 2:44
First Qtr: 5:46am

Eddie wanked out on the ride today, so he's officially a wanker in 2008. Looks like David Millar knows some wankers too.

Carbon Fiber Woes

2008-02-29T06:03:00.000-08:00

If you haven't heard already, Landen had a tough weekend in Greenville. Check his blog: http://landenacebo.blogspot.com/

Hasn't been a good week for carbon frames. My R3 has been sent back to the factory as Drew found that it wasn't straight. That's most likely why we haven't been able to get the Campy group shifting correctly. I really hope that the warranty covers it.

Early Returns

2008-02-26T11:00:00.000-08:00

In the news media tradition of calling a race before it's over, I'm going to go out on a limb and declare Brian a genius. Wait, I'm not actually declaring him to be a genius, I'm declaring that he's been voted a genius. And the rest of us are the idiots, or at least too boorish to understand the genius that is Brian.

Eddie is, by a slight margin, a wanker. That may actually be worse than a resounding vote of wanker. Sorry Eddie, the people have spoken. 31003 4 ever!

The votes also seem to indicate that The Wanker, The Genius and a group of oafs will be riding the TtT this year. Looking forward to it.

I don't think a single one of you reported in on your progress. Should I assume that Brian is a beer swilling, Starbucks drinking, non-racing, no charity event money raising, slow-paced, hairy legged FAT ASS?

On a completely unrelated note: I found this on Bicycling.com today.
The Millar Diaries

And another thing...
What are your thoughts on this? http://www.letleviride.com/
I didn't know Levi was so GANGSTA! Fight the Power!

Wheels, Fashion, Racing, Goals and the TtT

2008-02-20T19:19:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in a while, so I'm covering a bunch of ground here.

I went by the shop today to check out a set of Zipp 202s that Amy has been telling me about. You've got to go check them out yourself, they're astonishingly light. But that's not the point. Amy had the design for this year's kit on the computer and I got to take a look. Really, really good! Mostly black with red accents and hints of argyle in a few spots, very subtle. A new Paceline logo runs across the front and back of the jersey as well as down the thigh section of the bibs. I hope we have them in time for Chattanooga.

Is everyone watching the Tour of California? Brian turned me on to the official site which is broadcasting the race live over the internet. Streaming video, slightly clumsy commentary (the guys are very knowledgeable, just not the most seasoned broadcasters), GPS tracking and rider standings all live. There have been some problems with the GPS tracking and the alternate camera views, but the audio and video have been great every day.

Next: I think it's time to check up on goals for the year. The only one I can make any progress on at this point is weight. I'm down eight pounds so far and about the same to go. I have signed up for Chattanooga, now all I have to do is hang with Ray to take care of another. I'm planning to ride the time trial in April at the speedway in Durham, that's another. We have the house and rental car reserved for France. I just need a flight, a train ticket and the stamina to climb for four hours.

How are you guys doing? I think Eddie has already been a wanker this year, so he's failed.

Lastly, I'm going to ride the Tour to Tanglewood this year, assuming others of you are as well. I'm not doing the 24 Hours of Booty, so this will be my charity ride for 2008. Who's in? Cast your vote to the right -->

Ride Leader??

2008-02-11T17:10:00.000-08:00

Isn't anyone willing to step up and lead the ride next Saturday? I think I did my time and took my share of abuse for a while. It's someone else's turn. I'm willing to help out by minding the back or taking a few pulls, or both. Eddie? Brian? Alex?

A tentative decision has been made: I'm going to do my first (and possibly only) time trial in Durham on April 15. If that goes well the next will probably be in Charlotte on April 30.

I say 'tentative decision' because I hear that there's a local time trial event sponsored by Off and Running. I'm still looking into the details. (I got that info from Doug, who I had lunch with on Sunday after our loop session at Hamilton Lakes. I 'forgot' to give back those Zipp 303s again.)

Is everyone aware that Eddie spent last Saturday afternoon at Build-a-Bear?

-- Image courtesy of Brian --

For Brian (AKA Brain)

2008-02-05T18:25:00.000-08:00

Some of you understand why I am posting this...

fine·ly
–adverb
1. in a fine manner; excellently; elegantly; delicately; minutely; nicely; subtly.
2. in fine particles or pieces: finely chopped onions.

fi·nal·ly
–adverb
1. at the final point or moment; in the end.
2. in a final manner; conclusively or decisively.
3. at last; eventually; after considerable delay: After three tries, he finally passed his driving test.

Time Trials

2008-01-29T19:33:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to decide which time trial to do as my first. Maybe someone else would like to go to one or the other and in turn help me with my decision. Here are the two options:

1) Lowes Motor Speedway, Wednesday, April 9 - I'm sure this event will be well organized with lots of participants, so more chances to get your butt kicked by some dude in a skin suit.

2) Orange County Speedway (Durham, or near there), Tuesday, April 15 - Maybe a little closer than Charlotte, but so far there's only one person registered, and that's Joe Chavis.

Does anyone want to join me at one of these?

I'll be at the Paceline Tool School class Friday night if anyone wants to join me. You might need to call the shop to reserve a spot, it was packed last week. (but seriously, if you're coming it might be a good idea. I don't want them to cancel the class)

Tool School Anyone?

2008-01-25T20:34:00.000-08:00

I went to Tool School at Paceline tonight and it turned out that I was the only student. Worked out good for me as I not only got to learn how to true, dish and round a wheel, I got to do it. I was able to true-up that rear wheel Brian hit when he didn't go left a few weeks ago.

Thanks for the class tonight, Drew. Enjoyed it.

There's another class next Friday night, I think the topic is '15 minute tune up.' Something like that. See you there?

Argyle in the News

2008-01-23T20:18:00.000-08:00

Brian, in an effort to redeem himself, shared this article about Team Slipstream. The author will be following the team for the 2008 season and publishing a few installments. The next article will be about the team's effort in the Tour of California.

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/cycling/slipstream

On another note...
As if getting run over by a car wasn't enough to worry you while you're on the road, now they're robbing us.

http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080123/NRSTAFF/289685936

Credit to Ashly for that one.

Gold Medal Eddie

2008-01-22T10:31:00.000-08:00

A gift from Brent.

Ride with Discovery Team

2008-01-14T12:44:00.001-08:00

Did anyone else see this show on Discovery HD? These guys won some contest and got to train with some of the Discovery team and ride a stage of the tour. Trek gave them new brand new Madone 5.2s and did a computer aided, 3-d fitting. They went to Spain to train with Disco, Colorado for VO2 testing and more training, then to France to ride stage 16 which finished on Aubisque.

15:01

2008-01-13T19:18:00.000-08:00

If I haven't already bragged to you in person, 15:01 was my time in the Paceline Indoor Time Trial. That's the best time so far by 18 seconds. I hope it stands because I don't really want to do it again.

Sorry, I don't have anything else. Kinda slow news year I guess.

Declare Your Intentions!

2007-12-18T15:29:00.000-08:00

2008 is almost here and I think we should all declare our goals for the next year, that way we can hold each other to those goals. Maybe we can even impose penalties for not achieving a goal. I'm open to suggestions.

So, post your goals here and we'll help each other (through taunting and abusive language) achieve our 2008 goals. I'll start...

1) Weigh 170 lbs. (or less) by June 14
2) Climb all three ascents of Mont Ventoux in one day, with 8 hours or less of ride time
3) Compete in at least one time trial event
4) Finish with Ray in Chattanooga, even if he does pass a car at mile 95

SLIDERS!!

2007-12-11T17:16:00.000-08:00

Lunch this Saturday is ON (to steal a phrase from Ray). Brian and I checked out Grey's Tavern on Elm St. last Sunday and it was great. Only had to pay for what we ordered! Best part, they've got sliders. All kinds of sliders and they come in orders of two so you can get a variety.

Sliders are the food of choice for all great time trial athletes.

Saturday's Ride

2007-12-10T14:56:00.000-08:00

I guess not everyone was close enough to hear the 'discussion' at the front of the pack last Saturday. I think it's safe to say that we weren't making friends up there. The Salsarita guy didn't think we were going fast enough down hill and too fast up hill. Maybe we were guilty of such acts, maybe not. Either way, I spent the time to put together a route, write up cue sheets and Brian and I pulled the whole group for all 50 miles. It pissed me off a little (maybe a lot) that he felt the need to bitch.

On another note, Brian and I have been talking about time trials this year. Brian found a couple of options nearby. The Lowes Motor Speedway hosts a series and there's another in Durham at the Orange County Speedway. Anyone interested in trying this out? I think I'd like to try the Durham event, at least as my first race. There's something intimidating about riding around that huge track in Charlotte 7 times.

I Think I've Got It

2007-12-06T08:35:00.000-08:00

I was giving the site name some more thought and came up with this:
Mind
Numbing
Thoughts on
Riding

The CSC Training Camp auction just ended at a price of $14,000.00! Man, I missed it by $1.

Eddie, that sure was nice how you volunteered to help lead the ride on Saturday. You're a good man.

It's Time for a New Name

2007-11-29T18:35:00.001-08:00

I think the Monday Night Training Rides are dead forever, R.I.P. Let's rename this site, post your suggestions. Bonus points if the new name fits the MNTR acronym. In fact, I'll buy the winner lunch, including beers!

Before you start working on that, check out the prank these kids pulled off...
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/scary-rides/precocious-kids-mess-with-tracks-of-an-oncoming-train-327400.php?autoplay=true

Ride with CSC! (and other cool stuff)

2007-11-27T18:28:00.000-08:00

Wow. Just found out about this. Anyone want to split the bid?
Ebay Auction Link

And...
Just read a fantastic post from BikeSnobNYC

And another thing...
I keep reading these hilarious posts on BikeSnobNYC. I'm stealing this text to post here and hoping I don't get in trouble for it. This is from an article about cyclists in Autumn. Check out the whole article here. I'm sad to say that it sounds a little familiar.

The Serious Roadie
Even the serious roadie takes some time every year to relax. He's no longer worrying about the season that's just passed, and he's not yet preparing for next season. He's just having fun. As it happens, this period of relaxation was last Thursday, from 12:00 to 4:30, and if you're a roadie worth your embrocations then you're well into training for next year's meaningless park races. At this time of year The Serious Roadie can be seen riding alone, or he can be seen riding with other identically-clad cyclists in tight formations designed to discourage any sort of autonomy or enjoyment. The Serious Roadie has temporarily downgraded from his $2,000 carbon race wheels to his $1,200 aluminum training wheels. He's also got either a Power Tap or an SRM, he's watching his watts more carefully than a security guard at a lightbulb factory, and he is under strict instructions from a highly-paid coach that he is not to ride hard lest he inadvertently compromise his chances for a top-20 finish in a Tuesday night Cat 4 training race, or, worse yet, enjoy himself. And if his spirit is not yet broken completely, or if he doesn't quite trust himself, he might even be riding a pair of Power Cranks, the cycling equivalent of a Victorian anti-masturbation device.

Ventoux!

2007-11-20T19:21:00.000-08:00

I was just doing a little research on cycling Ventoux and found a good article recounting a whole day spent climbing the mountain from all three sides. I can't wait to get there.

There are still only 43 Americans to have registered and completed all three climbs in one day. See the site here.

Have a good Thanksgiving. Hope to see you on Friday for the Burn the Turkey ride.

France 2008

2007-11-17T04:25:00.000-08:00

If there's anyone on the fence about France, maybe this will help your decision process. Ashly and I did a little investigation and found the houses we are renting on Google maps. Check the Google link below.

In the satellite image, the building directly south of the pool is the three bedroom house we will be in and the small one to the east is where some friends from Romania/Sweden will be staying.

Google rules.

Google Map | House Info | Route from house to the top of Ventoux

Enough About Eddie!

2007-11-15T20:22:00.000-08:00

The last two posts have been about Eddie, time to move on.

Well, I've been doing some work with the Cervelo. Earlier this week I stripped off all those nasty Shimano parts and sold them on ebay. Amy got me a fair amount for the old (almost two whole years old) Cannondale and my Easton wheels are on ebay right now. What's all this for? Campagnolo!! A whole new group is on the way. I'm a FULL ON CAMPY SNOB (CJ understands). Maybe I should change the name of this blog.

So, I think Brian is going to be MIA for Saturday's ride, what about the rest of you? Actually, I think I remember Alex saying that he's also MIA this weekend. For those of you who show up (and don't have to work in the shop after the ride) I have an idea for lunch. There's a brand new Taqueria in Quaker Village. You may remember eating at one on Spring Garden. There were probably a few low-riders in the parking lot, you remember. Anyway, the new place is very nice and the food is just as good as the original. Who's in?

Remember when...

2007-11-13T20:02:00.000-08:00

...we all used to meet at Paceline on Saturday mornings so we could insult each other and discuss where we would meet for lunch during the course of a nice ride. Those were the days. I was looking forward to just such a ride last Saturday, but only Eddie, Ray and I were there and lunch plans weren't in the works. I sure hope we can all get together again soon.

An interesting question came up today, "What's wrong with Eddie?" Eddie is actually the one who asked the question. I'm not sure if I'm qualified to answer, but I'll bet that together we can come up with an answer or two. Post your thoughts.

Entertaining Eddie

2007-11-06T17:54:00.000-08:00

I guess things are a little slow for Eddie right now, he has asked me to post. I hope I can entertain you, Ed.

So, last weekend while we were in NYC Ashly found a bike shop in lower Manhattan that we decided to go visit. What a shop! Everything was high end. No, everything was top of the line (beginners not welcome). They had a wall of frames: Cervelo, BMC, Willier, Colnago, Kuota (everything was carbon). A cabinet with some Dura Ace and Record gruppo, nothing else. Even better, they sold Rapha, and you know how much I like that. Ashly even encouraged me to get a jacket AND a jersey AND some knee warmers. Score!

Anyone see the article in this moths Bicycling about the NYC Bike Snob. Check out his blog here: http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/
Pretty entertaining.

I feel like I haven't seen you guys in forever (except Brian who was nice enough to ride with me on Sunday; it was a great ride by the way). I'll be at the shop this Saturday for sure, but you'll have to pay close attention, I'll be incognito.

Almost forgot, I saw Alex on his way home today. Bike commuting verified.

This Weekend and Next

2007-10-27T06:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I won't actually see you guys this weekend, contrary to what I said in the last post. Ashly and I are in NY this weekend and instead of riding I'm working on getting fat.

I don't know if you all get the Paceline newsletter but there was a ride to Pilot Mountain from the W-S shop scheduled for today. It's been rescheduled for next Saturday. That might be a fun. Anyone interested?

See you all soon.

Wanker List

2007-10-21T19:29:00.000-07:00

Brian = Wanker!
Eddie = Wanker!
Doug = Wanker!

Thanks a lot for leaving me there all alone today. See you guys next weekend.

Not a Bad Day

2007-10-16T19:13:00.000-07:00

I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Birthday! Oh, wait, that's right, it's MY birthday. I did get out early for a nice 40 mile ride today. Feels like a bonus to get in 40 during the week this time of year.

I got an email from Rapha today. They're putting together a journal of 'epic rides' in the states. Looks pretty cool: http://www.rapha.cc/continental/

The Ride for Life is this weekend and I'm still planning to be there. Let me know if you think you might join me.

Next Weekend's Plans

2007-10-08T15:27:00.000-07:00

Next weekend is the Tour de Pig, http://www.barbecuefestival.com/sporting.html for those interested. Since I'm planning to do the Ride for Life on the 20th I probably won't be going to the TdP.

Let's start thinking about next Sunday now. Gary says I can't choose the route any more because I made him sick. Eddie says that he's not allowed to choose the route anymore because as, Ray puts it, Eddie got his ass kicked by his own epiphany. The pace did seem to keep creeping up. Maybe we can get that under control next week. Post your thoughts here, maybe we'll vote on a route.

Cycle for Life Ride

2007-10-03T18:47:00.000-07:00

The Cycle for Life event is coming up in a little over two weeks. This is the one that has a free wine tasting after the ride. It was a nice (and cold) route last year on some quiet roads.

Details:
Saturday, October 20
Registration opens at 7:30
65 Mile Ride: 9:00
40 & 25 Mile Rides: 9:15

Cycle for Life Web Site
Registration at Active.com

Lime Trials

2007-09-30T04:18:00.000-07:00

Eddie's TT form is looking good. There must have been some time spent in the wind tunnel to get that aero. Looking Good!

Unfortunately we've run out of enough light to plan weekly rides on Tuesday night. It's almost time to get the trainers out.

Eddie and I decided that we should have a standing ride on Sunday at 9:30 from the Harris Teeter on Elm and Pisgah Church. This will be standing at least until the de Oro 1:00 rides start later this winter.

See you all in a little while. Hopefully Ray will show up and tell us where we're going.

Out of Town...

2007-09-24T06:39:00.000-07:00

I'm going to be out of town this week, so no rides for me until Saturday.

Enjoyed yesterday's ride a lot. Sorry that some of you guys weren't feeling that great. Here's the GPS data if you're interested.

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/invitation/email/accept.mb?senderPk.pkValue=159098&unitSystemPkValue=2&episodePk.pkValue=4030351

Monday Evening Ride - 9/17

2007-09-17T10:33:00.000-07:00

Hope all you 'Tour' riders had a good event over the weekend. I'm betting there were a bunch of frozen riders on Sunday morning.

Alex, Ray and I had a fantastic Sunday ride through Reidsville, Ruffin and Quick. I would bet we'll be doing that route again sometime pretty soon. Here's the data if you'd like to see it.

I'll be riding this evening, starting out with some laps at Hamilton Lakes. Around 6:00 I'll be heading out for a loop around town. If you want to join me for any of that, be there before 6:00. I'll make sure to stop at the corner of Starmount and Kemp before I head out on the city loop.

T@HL

2007-09-11T06:37:00.000-07:00

I'll be at Hamilton Lakes today if anyone would like to join me. I think the detour is still there so it'll be modified loops. If there is going to be a loop around town it will need to start by 6:30 (and that's the latest possible time). Sunset is close to 7:30 now.

I just got a tip from a friend in Gothenburg about a cycling event in Sweden. It's 300KM around a lake and takes place in mid June every year. Click the Vatternrunden menu item at the site below for the details.

http://www.vatternrundan.se/default.aspx?lang=1

NEWS
Tonya's JDRF ride was last weekend and she completed 65 miles in the hilly terrain of Asheville! Well done! Now that you've done 60 you can set your sites on 100. Chattanooga maybe?

RIDE UPDATE
It just got real dark here and there's a line of storms on the radar. I don't think I'm going to ride after all. Haven't had to cancel for rain in a long time, it better rain good!

T@HL

2007-09-04T10:15:00.000-07:00

I'll be able to get there early tonight since I'm working at home today. I'm not sure if I'll be adding on the city loop or not. If there is to be a loop around town it'll probably have to start around 6:30 so I can make it home before sunset (7:43 pm).

The construction was more or less complete last time I was riding through there so we should be detour free tonight.

Sunday's Ride

2007-09-02T11:39:00.000-07:00

For those of you that would like to see the particulars of the ride...
CLICK HERE

Also, Landen has a blog to document his race in Vermont. He hasn't posted any race news yet, but maybe he'll get to that soon.
http://landenacebo.blogspot.com/

Low-Ride-RRR

2007-08-29T14:22:00.001-07:00

Looks like a good climbing machine.

I Like the Detour

2007-08-28T19:38:00.000-07:00

I hope the construction takes a while, the additional turns made it more interesting.
Here's the Garmin Data if you'd like to see it.

Enjoyed the ride tonight and I made it home just before dark. We may be running out of enough daylight for the city loop addition pretty soon. I hate that season is coming to an end, but I think I need the break.

Brian - In reference to Eddie's advice, here's your new ride.

Meters Development

2007-08-28T09:38:00.000-07:00

I created a meters development chart when I was trying to figure out if I wanted a compact or standard crank set on my Seven. (I got a standard). It might prove useful to you at some point as well.

If you don't happen to know what meters development is, check out the definition at Sheldon Brown's site.

My chart has all the possible combinations listed on the left and the right shows some standard cassette configurations.

See The Chart Here

GOOD NEWS - T@HL is ON Again!!!!

2007-08-27T18:34:00.000-07:00

I figured out an alternate route we can use, or at least try. This detour adds about 3/10 of a mile to the course and about five new turns. It might be fun. If it doesn't work out we can head out for a loop around town a little early. I'll be there riding by 6:00, probably a little earlier if I can. Here's the map.

Tuesday @ Hamilton Lakes

2007-08-26T18:49:00.000-07:00

Looks like there will be no ride at Hamilton Lakes this Tuesday. They've closed the road on one side of the park and it's been dug up. If anyone knows of another location let me know.

Again, no more Monday night rides, so you're on your own.

The New Plan

2007-08-19T17:25:00.000-07:00

No more MNTRs but Tuesday's are going to be on until we don't have enough daylight to do it anymore. Unfortunately I'm out of town Tuesday and Wednesday of this week but I hope that won't stop you from meeting at Hamilton Lakes.

I'll see everyone later in the week.

T@HL

2007-08-14T12:49:00.000-07:00

Well, I think the MNTR is officially dead. R.I.P. Tuesday nights have been gaining in popularity lately though. I'll be there tonight and I think we'll have some First-Time-Tuesday-Nighters this week.

I'll be there by 6:00 making clockwise laps and as usual we'll take off for a loop around town by 7:00. Sunset is around 8:10 so bring a light.

I found a couple of good climbing articles on Pez:
http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=5072

http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=5208

August 13 Ride

2007-08-12T17:47:00.000-07:00

I had a rough day on the bike today so I'm looking to take it easy this Monday. Let's meet at the Hamilton Lakes loop and start the ride with a few laps followed by an easy tour around town. I'll be there around 6:00, just show up when you can if you want to join me. We'll head out for the lap around town a little before 7:00.

Details
Time: 6:30
Weather: 94 with isolated storms
Sunset: 8:12

October Event

2007-08-08T15:51:00.000-07:00

Ashly and I are going to do this ride again (we did it last year).
http://www.ncstroke.org/biketour2007.html
It's in Yadkinville on October 20. The route was nice and unfamiliar and the support was decent. After the ride there's a free wine tasting and a pretty good lunch. I'll put the link to the site in the events section on the right.

Join us.

Tuesday @ Hamilton Lakes (T@HL)

2007-08-07T19:36:00.000-07:00

What a great ride, even in the horrid, oppressive heat. Really glad all of you showed up tonight. It was a lot of fun stringing a bunch of high-speed laps together. I'll be there again next Tuesday if you want to join me again.

It looks like it's only going to be 89 on Sunday. Anyone want to head to Hanging Rock? (or something else)

Tuesday @ Hamilton Lakes

2007-08-07T06:46:00.000-07:00

For anyone interested I will be there today by 6:00. Weather is going to be hot so maybe we should turn the pace down a little from last week. See you there.

August 6 Ride

2007-08-06T08:16:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I can't ride tonight. I have a feeling that I'll need to work a little late tonight so I'm going to cancel now. It's going to be 1000 degrees anyway, might be a good day off.

July 30 Ride Report

2007-07-31T09:05:00.000-07:00

The weather held and we got a dry but windy 23 miles in last night. Unfortunately there were only two of us for the whole route with Donny and Andrea there for the first 7 miles before they split off to ride home. It seems that the Monday night ride has reached the end of its run.

Tonight I will be doing the usual Hamilton Lakes intervals followed by a lap around town. I expect to be there by 6:00 and I'll probably start the lap around town by 7:00.

July 30 Ride

2007-07-29T19:00:00.000-07:00

Let's meet at the Farmers Market this week and do the usual route. I don't think we need the map or cue sheets for this one any more. If you do want either the cue or map, check out an older post.

Ride Time: 6:30
Weather: 81 and possible t-storms
Sunset: 8:26

Next Year in France

2007-07-26T19:43:00.000-07:00

For anyone interested here's a little info on the plans for France next year.

We'll be heading to Provence and Mont Ventoux will be on the cycling agenda. The challenge is to climb the mountain from all three roads that lead to the summit in one day. I haven't mapped it all yet but I think it will work out to 138 KM (85 miles) and 4,400 M of climbing (14,435 ft).

I mapped the climb from Bedoin here: http://www.sanoodi.com/route/ud03944/66341/ventoux-bedoin/

And here's some more info...
http://www.grenoblecycling.com/MontVentoux.htm

Who's in?

July 23 Ride Report

2007-07-24T13:42:00.000-07:00

Very small group this week, even smaller than last week. Not much to report from this ride, but the weather was great and we were able to improvise a good route.

Roll
Marc, Preddy, Brian

No Tuesday night session for me tonight. I logged a number of hours in the saddle over the last three days and I'm going to give my butt a break. Friday is my 24 hour event in Charlotte and I probably need to rest the body a little before hand.

If you're dying to donate to my cause: http://www.active.com/donate/Booty2007/EricMorrison

July 23 Ride

2007-07-22T18:08:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone got out to ride this weekend because the weather was fantastic. A few of us rode to Chapel Hill and back on Sunday, thanks to Eddie for pulling that together.

Last Monday only a few riders showed up and all of us live pretty close to Country Park/Battleground Park. I'm expecting the same people this week so we'll meet there again.

Details
Time: 6:30
Location: Near the Spencer Love Courts in Country Park
Route: We'll make it up
Weather: 82 with light wind
Sunset: 8:32

Wow

2007-07-20T18:54:00.001-07:00

How sweet is this??!!?? I don't think it's real, at least not yet. You can read about it at Gizmodo

July 16 Ride Report

2007-07-17T06:42:00.001-07:00

Quite a ride last night. We set out with a little rain falling and rode straight toward the darkest cloud in the sky. Turned out that was exactly the right thing to do, we didn't hit any rain and only one wet road. The lightening strikes all around us were a little troublesome, but I don't think anyone got hit. But come to think of it, I didn't see Marc or Gary after we came up the Lake Brandt climb, maybe we should check on them.

I can't make the ride at Hamilton Lakes tonight, but maybe Brian will be there.

Roll Call
Ray, Eddie, Gary, Marc, Brian

July 16 Ride

2007-07-15T20:00:00.000-07:00

This picture is from stage 6 which was run last Friday. Doug and I rode right down that street last year on a few occasions.

On to the ride. I don't have the route figured out yet, but I do know where we'll start. Let's meet in the parking lot at Country Park, near the Spencer Love tennis courts. I'll post the route as soon as I figure it out. Weather isn't looking good right now, but we'll see what happens.

Details
Time: 6:30 pm
Place: Country Park
Weather: 87 and possible afternoon t-storms
Sunset: 8:36 pm

Update: I haven't had a chance to figure out a route, we'll have to play it by ear.

Thursday Night Ride, July 12

2007-07-12T09:25:00.000-07:00

I'm going to head over to Hamilton Lakes tonight for the intervals that got rained out on Tuesday. I should be there by 6 if anyone would like to join me. Standard plan, 60-75 minutes of intervals, then a loop around the city.

I'll be riding clockwise loops at the park, so if you want to catch up with me, sit still or ride counter clockwise.

Tuesday Night Intervals

2007-07-10T13:37:00.000-07:00

Weather is really bad right now. If it passes I'll be riding, but rain, thunder, lightening, or any combination of those will mean I won't be there.

July 9 Ride Report

2007-07-10T06:08:00.000-07:00

Small group this week but we had a good ride and it didn't rain at all. It was terribly hot and humid, so we came home soaked anyway.

Roll
Marc, Preddy, Ashly

Stats
Distance: 24.11
Avg. Speed: 15.4
Time: 1:31:57

TdF
Another wild finish in stage two yesterday. A wreck inside the last 3 km brought almost the whole field to a complete stand-still. About 20 riders were ahead of the mess and the stage win was going to be a wide open sprint. Tom Boonen looked to be in good shape for the win in the final km as he had a couple of teammates with him, one being Geert Steegmans, his lead-out man. Geert made the move to pull Tom out quite late and Tom didn't have enough gas to pull around his own lead-out man. Geert took the stage win and Tom got second.

Another long, flat day today with only one categorized climb, and that's only a C4.

July 9 Ride

2007-07-09T13:42:00.000-07:00

Weather is not looking good right now (4:45 pm). I'll be keeping an eye on the radar, but it isn't looking good. I'll be making my decision at 6:00 and I'll post an update here.

UPDATE:
Ashly and I are going, hope the rain will hold off. See you there.

July 9 Ride

2007-07-08T17:08:00.000-07:00

After four weeks without a Monday night ride let's try a new time for our return. We should have plenty of daylight so I don't think a later start will be a problem. We'll meet at the Farmers Market at 6:30. Details below, looking forward to seeing you all again.

Details
Time: 6:30 pm
Location: Farmers Market on Sandy Ridge Rd
Weather: 91 with possible showers in the evening, hopefully not until after the ride
Sunset: 8:39 pm

The Map
Cue shee t

ALSO
If you're interested, Brian and I will be meeting at Hamilton Lakes again this Tuesday for some intervals. We'll do laps for an hour or so and finish with a loop around town.

TdF
Today's stage winner, Robbie McEwan, won in a mass sprint to the finish. The interesting part was that he was involved in a wreck with about 10km left in the race. He had to catch the peloton, with the help of a few teammates, and battle his way back to the front of the group. Impressive effort.
Another very flat stage for Monday that ends in Belgium, Gent to be specific. Not expecting much excitement, not until the end anyway, where there will surely be another mass sprint to the line. Maybe McEwan can take back to back stage victories.

TdF-The Prologue

2007-07-07T14:16:00.000-07:00

Fabian Cancellara blasted through the 7.9 kilometers in 8:50 to win the prologue by 13 seconds. That's an average speed of 53.5 kph or 33.24 mph, and he did it on a CERVELO!

Tour de France Starts Saturday!!

2007-07-02T18:06:00.000-07:00

Versus is covering the tour again this year and from the looks of the TV schedule coverage will be running almost all day for every day of the tour. I'm really looking forward to a few stages because I've ridden portions of them and some others should be really great battles, between the riders and against the course. Here are the stages/days that I think will be highlights this year (at least for me). I put '*' by the stages where I've ridden.

Prologue: Saturday, July 7
The prologue is a time trial (one rider at a time against the clock) and this year it will be in London. There are two Brits, Wiggins and Millar, that would love to win a stage at home and both have a good shot at it. This should be and exciting opening day.

Stage 6: Friday, July 13 *
This stage is going right by the little village where Ashly, Doug and I stayed last year. Doug and I have ridden a section of this stage. I don't know that the action will be very exciting as it's a pretty flat course. I'll be looking for the towns of Chagny, Buxy and St Vallerin (that's where we stayed). There should be a mass sprint to the finish line, make sure to watch the end.

Stage 7: Saturday, July 14
I haven't ridden any of this but it's going to be an interesting day. The last 40KM will start with a 'Hors Categorie' climb (meaning it's beyond categorization, AKA really difficult) and then finishes with a descent to the finish line. The descent could be nuts with some riders trying to make up what they lost on the climb. This is the first of three important mountain stages in a row.

Stage 8: Monday, July 16
After a day off they will come back to three 'Categorie 1' climbs. A good climber could make a big move today and position himself well for a podium.

Stage 9: Tuesday, July 9
Two HC climbs and a C1 with another descent to the finish line. Another day for a good climber to gap the field.

Stage 13: Saturday, July 21
This is a long time trial that includes a C4 climb. Anyone that wants a podium will need to perform well today.

Stage 14: Sunday July 22
Back to the mountains after a few rather flat days. There are two HC climbs and the finish is at the top of the second one. I'm sure there will be moves, or attempted moves today.

Stage 15: Monday July 23*
I rode part of this stage this year. It's another good day for strong climbers. I rode a section of the first half of this stage so I don't know if it will be on TV. If it is, there's a 40KM section of down hill after the first climb. Even I was able to maintain a steady 45 kph (28 mph) through there. I'll bet the peleton will be blasting through there are close to 60 kph. More classic climbs including one HC and another descent to the finish.

Stage 16: Wednesday, July 25*
This one finishes on Col du Aubisque, which I rode this year. There's about 30 KM of uphill to finish this stage, the last 18 pretty steep. This is also where I was chased by a mountain goat, hopefully that won't happen to them.

Stage 19: Saturday, July 28
The last time trial and essentially the last day of racing. Whoever has the yellow jersey at the end of this stage is the tour champ. Hard to say what might happen but depending on the standings it could be a very interesting day.

July 2 Ride

2007-07-02T05:39:00.000-07:00

Sorry everyone, there's just no way I'll be able to lead the ride tonight, I haven't even had time to unpack my gear from the trip yet. Really sorry to cancel again.

There will be a ride next week without a doubt. There was some discussion a few weeks ago about moving the ride to Wednesday night. Let me know what you think about this idea.

On another note, Brian and I have started riding laps at Hamilton Lakes on Tuesday nights. We've been doing a number of laps at a high effort then a couple of recovery, then a few fast again. If we can get a few people to come out we can do some fun drills like send one rider out ahead as a rabbit and the rest will organize a chase. Brian and I will be there on most Tuesday nights by 6:00 pm if you'd like to join us.

UPDATE
Here's where we ride on Tuesday nights. We usually do loops for an hour, maybe a little more, then we take a spin around Greensboro on the Battleground Loop route.

A Few Photos from the Pyrenees

2007-06-23T02:34:00.000-07:00

I just got the chance to get on line and I thought I'd post a few pictures from the Pyrenees. Last Tuesday I rode Col d'Aubisque, Col du Soulor and Col du Tourmalet. Aubisque was about 18 KM uphill, starting out with a few KM of 3-5% grade before it got steep. Aubisque was a fantastic ride and offered the best scenery of the day. About 3 KM from the top I rounded a corner and a rather large mountain goat was in the road. For whatever reason he did want me on the road and he chased me back down the hill. I wanted to get a picture but that goat and his horns looked serious. Once I got past the goat there were a few wild horses and some domesticated cows grazing and meandering across the roads.

From the top of Aubisque you drop a few hundred meters and then climb back up to the top of Soulor. The road between the two peaks was amazing, and a little terrifying.

Col du Tourmalet was next and offered the biggest challenge of the day. Right from the start it was steep, about an 8% grade. The next 18 KM would be between 8% and 10% with nothing flat to speak of all the way up to the summit at 2115 meters (that's 6938 ft.).

A few more photos...

Tourmalet is Calling

2007-06-12T20:01:00.000-07:00

I've packed my bike and I'm ready for the Pyrenees. Unfortunately that means two more weeks of canceled Monday Night Training Rides, unless someone is willing to step up and lead the ride. Any takers?

If any brave soul is willing to take on this responsibility I'd be happy to supply cue sheets and post the details for each ride. Just leave a comment if you can help.

Our next ride will be July 2, and I'll surely be jet-lagged and none-too-happy to be back from vacation. Sounds like a fun ride.

Keep an eye on the site over the next couple of weeks, I have a feeling I'll be posting a pic or two from the Pyrenees.

Get your miles in even if there are no MNTRs.

June 11 Ride

2007-06-10T13:50:00.001-07:00

I'm going to plan this ride but I may not be able to make it. I've been struggling all day with pulled muscle in my neck and if it's not a great deal better tomorrow I won't be able to ride. I don't need to be there for the rest of you to ride, so I hope that my debility doesn't keep you from riding.

Weather.com isn't predicting especially good weather for Monday. If it's raining at 5 the ride is off.

Details
Ride starts at 6:00 pm from the Farmers Market on Sandy Ridge
78 and scattered t-storms
Sunset at 8:36 pm
The Map
Cue shee t

UPDATE:
I'm not going to be able to ride today, still not feeling especially limber. the weather doesn't look like it wants to cooperate. If you're going to try to ride you might want to check the radar.

June 4 Ride

2007-06-03T17:23:00.000-07:00

Farmers Market this week and since we have so much daylight now, let's try to do the 28 mile route. I'm posting the map and cue sheet for the normal route, but if we have time we'll change it up when we get to Sandy Ridge.

Details:
Ride starts at 6:00 pm
87, partly cloudy and windy
Sunset 8:32 pm
The Map
Cue shee t

May 28 Ride Report

2007-05-29T18:58:00.000-07:00

I mapped out a 40 mile ride with some real climbs (and three dogs) and Tonya knocked it out. Well done T! I think the 60 mile option at the JDRF ride in September may be setting the bar too low. Consider the century.

I hoped we could head east from the Depot next Monday, but McConnell Rd has been chewed up for repaving, it's even worse than Old Battleground. We'll probably do a Farmers Market ride again.

Ride Stats
Distance: 42.35 miles
Avg Speed: 13 (estimated)
Climb: 2100 ft
Rid eTime: 3:15:00 (estimated)

Roll Call
Tonya, Ashly, Doug, Ray, Marc, Preddy, Christie, Brian, CJ

May 28 Ride

2007-05-24T19:59:00.000-07:00

40 in the morning it is! I don't want to start too early, it is a holiday. Post a comment if you have a time preference.

The route will be the Giant Mailbox Ride, starting from the parking lot on Old Battleground. I don't have the exact route worked out yet, but there will be some climbs that will make your legs burn. Check back soon for the map.

I'll bring cue sheets, and this week everyone should take one. I'll plan for spots where we can regroup, but with the varying abilities we'll certainly be spread out in some sections.

UPDATE:
I've got it all worked out now, details below. The cue sheet has lots of 'regroup' stops. I will stop or ride back to the last rider at each of these locations. Those riding in the front can stop or ride back at any/all of these as you choose.

Make sure you're bottles are full (that's plural, be sure to have 2) and you might want to bring some food.

Ride leaves the Old Battleground parking lot at 10:00.
Partly cloudy, 75 at ride start, low to mid 80's by ride end, it'll feel hot.
Cue Sheet
Map

May 21 Ride Report

2007-05-23T09:29:00.000-07:00

Sorry I'm late in getting the report up, been busy planning for the Pyrenees! We had a nice day with very little wind, almost none to speak of actually. I can't remember a day this calm in a long, long time. Marc managed two flats in less then 25 miles, that's gotta be a record.

In addition to the chart I'm going to post the ride stats every week, starting now. Here's the breakdown for last Monday:

Distance: 23.91 miles
Avg Speed: 15.6 mph
Climbing: 705 ft
Ride Time: 1:30:05

Roll call
Tonya, Ashly, Doug, Ray, Preddy, Marc, Ryan

May 21 Ride

2007-05-20T20:09:00.000-07:00

As promised it's the Farmers Market this week, same route as usual. There's a slight chance of thunder storms in the evening, but I think we'll be able to ride.

Details
6:00 ride time
80 and partly cloudy with light wind
Sunset at 8:23 (lots of ride time)
The Map
Cue shee t

Weather Update:
Looks like the storms won't get here until later tonight, so we should have great weather for our ride. See you there.