A discussion on the MABRA listserv prompted me to respond to AAA.
I am fed up with all of the negative coverage on cycling on roads. I believe that there needs to more positive communication and education to all users of the roadways. Hopefully, AAA will change their tactics and focus on their core policies on helping all of us have a better quality of life... see my email response to:
To: landerson@aaamidatlantic.com
cc: pmaiolo@aaamidatlantic.com; jlong@aaamidatlantic.com
Lon,
I am deeply disturbed by the recent coverage of WTOP's commentary on Mayor Fenty and relating his activities to the bicycle community as whole.
As a long time AAA member, I have recently discontinued my membership because of the anti-cycling stance AAA has had against the cycling community. Not only do I and my family commute by car and travel by car, I have also tried to become more progressive on alleviating crawl and sprawl in the Washington DC area by commuting by bicycle from Chevy Chase, Maryland to Arlington, Virginia. Not only does it reduce pollution, lower the consumption of gasoline, provides one less car on the road it ,also provides for a more healthy body, thus hopefully when more individuals do this they can also help reduce the cost of health care and ultimately improve everyone's quality of life. By the way, my cycling commute time is about equal to my daily commute by car in time and sometimes less.
In my opinion, AAA should be promoting the positives of cycling and communicating to population about how both cyclists and automobile drivers should interact in a positive way on the roads, as well as promoting bike lanes/paths when looking at long term planning of new roads and revamping existing corridors for cycling commuting. Arlington County is one of these communities which in my opinion does a decent job of co-existing well and thus provides a better quality of life for all.
AAA should not be using it's name on focused attacks on individual public servants and biased reporting. In the future, I would hope that AAA understands the importance on how cyclists can assist in the common goals for AAA and your representative members.
We all need to do our parts in making the roads a safer place for both automobiles, motorcycles, scooters, bicycles, and trucks and I believe that education and positive communication is one of the best ways to accomplish this. I practice this belief consistently when riding with others, communicating this at work, at home, and providing a good example when driving my car.
I look forward to some positive action the behalf of the cycling community by AAA and will hope that the anti-cycling stance will be discontinued.
Regards,
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Get the Palm Pre at the Shack now for $50 bucks.
Time to get a Palm Pre if you have a regular phone and wish to have multiple emails consolidated into one view, text, Instant Messaging, Media player, a decent camera, calender, contact database, and much more! Yes, there are features which are lacking, however knowing Palm and the developer community, Palm should have thousands of applications for games, utilities and other productivity applications. I bought mine for $200, however went back today to get my $50 refund as well as switching from Verizon, I will get another $100 bucks rebate back.
I purchased one about 25 days ago and have enjoyed it so far. I went from a Palm Centro, Palm 700, Palm 650, Motorola??,Motorola Startac Color, Startac, Palm IIIx, Palm III, Palm Pilot.... So as you can see, I've had many gadgets to support my business needs. Most of all I needed them for my contact database and calendaring. Email became hugely necessary over the past 10 years, since I had my Palm 650 and using Chatteremail, which was a wonderful little email package, which supported push email with MS Exchange, IMAP integration with GMail and Yahoo, Pop Mail with my Verizon account and more.
Yes, the iPhone has been a cool phone with all sorts of applications, however I hear things are lacking as ATT's data network sucks. Sprint's network is faster is pretty good for coverage, however you can always roam on to Verizon's network if Sprint doesn't have coverage. Sometimes the roaming can be fast or could be only 1x data speeds.
The nice thing about the Palm Pre is that is does multitasking, (basically running many programs at once in the background while you are working on an application in the foreground) The finger gestures are pretty cool, with the pinch to enlarge the screen resolution or decrease it. Browsing the internet can now be something fairly easy without a magnifier. Also I can really work with applications which are web enabled. Things which I couldn't do before unless I had my laptop, now I can just do on the Palm Pre. You can also tether the phone to your laptop (be a data network wireless hub as well), so you can use your laptop and connect to the Sprint data network.
You can find out more on this website: www.precentral.net both on the blogs as well as in the forums.
I originally started on Sprint Spectrum for digital wireless access, however they got bought out and then I went with ATT Wireless. Then I found out their coverage wasn't as good as Verizon's and I switched to Verizon for probably over 12 years, not finding any other network with better national coverage. Unfortunately when ATT came out with the iPhone and Verizon couldn't get it. I ended up bitching at Verizon to get a better smartphone, they didn't listen, Palm's were becoming outdated and crashed a lot, so they were unreliable, especially if you were a heavy email user like I was. I told Verizon to get a good phone, they came out with the Blackberry Storm which I heard sucked from my colleagues, most went back to the older style Blackberry. Most of my colleagues have iPhones, and they just bitch all of the time about their iPhones. I liked the user interface of the iPhones, however found that my Palm Centro had many of the functions the iPhone had already, so I didn't switch, till the Pre came out with the much faster network capability and useful browser.
I'm just hoping that more applications come out sooner than later. There are over 300 applications already developed, however many are still in their infancy stages, so some still lack full functionality, many times because of the WebOS limitations because Palm hasn't released their updated versions yet. They are now on 1.1 release, however 1.2 release should be coming very soon. Highlight and cut and paste is one of the features, I'm waiting for on static text. You can cut and paste with editable fields, however not on static text. A better email solution like Chattteremail, I'm hoping will be out very sooner than later (different alerts for different email boxes, color code emails from each different email service) , keyboard shortcuts like clicking on d for delete, e for mark read, f for forward, r for reply, a for reply all, etc., sleep mode when you want to set the email system to sleep when you do.... I'm sure I have more features which I had on Chatteremail, however not on the Palm Pre currently. By the way, Palm hired the developer of Chatteremail a year back, so I think he had something to do with the existing email system and hopefully will add those other features back in soon.
Well that a short review of the Palm Pre currently... They just released the Palm Pixi which is more of a texting version of the Palm Pre. I like the slide out keyboard on the Pre though as it makes the footprint size smaller however provides a bigger screen to view.
I guess, I could say I'm supporting Lance's new team. Go team RadioShack!
Try a Palm Pre and I think you'll like it!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Relaxation.
The season is almost over. One last race for me as long as it's not raining. Turkey Day!
Turkey Day is always a fun race for me as it fit's my style of racing. You know it, a bunch sprint.
I'm looking forward to a Turkey! The last one I got was nice...
This weekend I took it off the bike as I spent it with the wife and kids.
On Sunday, I decided to take the kids on a tubing trip, as on my way out to Page Valley Road Race, I passed a tubing place and decided that I should make a trip out one of these days. Sunday morning we had a leisurely drive out to Front Royal and went out to the Front Royal Canoe Company . We arrived and met a guy directing parking. He asked us about reservations and of course we didn't have any as I didn't know the place's name. He said that we should be okay, however he hesitated to guarantee that we would have tubes. We checked in and luckily they had enough tubes. I would highly recommend that you make reservations as they were packed! Tubing was very relaxing, however, since the water was low there were points where we hit bottom and had to basically get up and walk over the rocks. Also because the water is low the pace of the river was slow, very slow, where we had to spend much of the time paddling with our arms. It would have been a really relaxing day if we wanted to spend it drinking, snacking, and laying out on the tubes, however with kids, it's a different story. So we paddled and paddled with our arms, the final 300 yards, the river was pretty much a dead stop and it was the toughest for the kids as they were tired and starting to get cold. Luckily, a few canoes came bay and they hitched on for a ride. It took us about 3 1/2 hours for the float down the river. The guides said that it could take between 3 hours to 6 hours (more towards 6 hours if you didn't paddle). It was a nice relaxing day.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Ouch..Church Creek TT and Peaking.
Ouch is right. I think I was about the only guy who couldn't sit or stand properly after the TT. I have to say, my strength is not time trialing or hill climbing. Get me in a sprint, and that's what I like. It's even better when I have a decent train to follow.
The first 10km I was hammering it (probably averaging about 28 MPH or more). Unfortunately for me I caught my 30 second guy within about 30 seconds. Then it left me with my minute guy which I could see in the far distance. For a while, I thought I was catching him. I was humming and it felt great. I knew that I would probably blow up later on, however I really didn't care, cause I don't think I would be able to hold 25.5 or 25 mph later on even if I did go slower in the first 10km. Myron had told me that on the back side the wind would change and be helping push me from the back. I never did find that happening. What helped was when it got smooth on the road. I blew up somewhere around 25km to go. Grant Soma decked out in his long sleve skin suit passed me. I looked down at my computer to see how fast I was going, and it was on pause! Crap! The stupid speedo stopped registering for some reason, probably because of the rough roads. I didn't dare try to fix it while riding, so I just continued on. Trying not to lose so much time to Grant. It was a good thing that he passed me as I could figure out that I was going too slowly before. I had him in my sights, however he was pulling away slowly but surely. I passed another 2 guys however it wasn't my one minute man. With about 8 km to go, I decided to go all out. Well, it lasted about 30 seconds and boom.. I couldn't hold that effort. I originally planned to go with 4-5K as an all out effort. When I got to 4K, I couldn't muster any effort. Well, all good plans fail. I was so toasted by the end that I couldn't even give it any extra effort, even with 500 meters to go, unlike the TT which I did at Tour of Lancaster County, which I had lots of strength to put in a sprint when I saw the officials tent.
After I crossed the finish line, my hips were feeling that they had gone out of place. There was lots of pain both in my ass and in my hips. My positioning must have been wrong, especially because I didn't have anyone actually fit me for the TT. I just swapped out my seatpost and saddle for my old seatpost and saddle which I moved forwards a bit. I rode maybe three times with the clip on bars which I got from my teammate John Myrick. And in those times, I adjusted my seat every time. Actually on one of the rides, I got saddle sores...so something was definitely wrong. Luckily this time I did not, which was a miracle in itself.
So for the future, I'll need to make sure that I'm positioned properly, mark those positions, probably replace my old saddle as it's totally too pliable now. (Selle Italia SLR Gelflow) .
I rolled around for a bit and then my ass started seizing up. I could no longer sit and standing wasn't too much better. I started my trek back to the parking lot which was 5 miles away. Ugh.. I could barely pedal as the pain was so bad. Even the women who finished later passed me on my way. Kay, 7 times National Champion, rode by me asking me how I was... All I could mutter was that my ass was killing me. I finally arrived back having John Myrick load my bike in to his truck as I couldn't even think about performing that task. Then it was the waiting period.. We waited around for a couple of hours for the results to finally be posted. Crazy! Well, it gave me the courage to ask this kind massage therapist whether a massage would help relieve the pain or at least help it heal quicker. I also did that to spend my time wisely instead of waiting for the results. As soon as I asked to sign up to be her next patient, the results went up for the Cat4's. I was thinking that if I did sign up the Masters 35+ would be up. Well, about 10 minutes later in to my nice massage, they finally got put up. I really didn't care as the stretching and massage was actually helping me. She kept saying how I was really tight and I should get massages more often. Don't I wish I could!! However money is a factor and time. Maybe I'll have my wife get trained into doing massages.. then I could get it free and that I could get it more often. Plus it would help her stay involved with my cycling.... Not! I don't think she would go for it. Who knows. I'll ask her. Anyway, the massage went well, I hobbled off the table feeling more relieved, but still in pain, glanced at the results and left. I have to say I wasn't too disappointed, however not breaking an hour kind of sucks. Doing it without a TT bike and not having my positioning tuned, makes me think I can go under an hour in the future, if I train at it. At least I wasn't in the range of 1 hour and 4 minutes or more as I've done this just on my regular drops 15 years ago and got that time.
I got home took a bunch of ibuprofen and tried to relax in front of the TV. The next morning I woke up feeling okay, a bit sore on my ass still with hard knots and I still have them today, however much less painful. I went out on the Sunday 8:30 Bicycle Place ride, thinking of doing a relatively long recovery ride. Up Mass Ave. the lead pack started hammering away. I didn't think I would chase as this was supposed to be a recovery ride. However, I looked back and there was only a small group of about 6 riders with me and they wanted to chase. Well, that was the end of my recovery ride. I pulled several long stints, the A group was long gone. We however caught a smaller group who fell off of the A group. Then came up on several more, I got up the Mountain Gate first, and then proceeded to keep going, then passing the left turn I was supposed to go on (it's been a while since I've gone on this route.). So everyone took the left and I turned around chasing again. I caught back on after getting back on MacArthur Blvd. and climbed with everyone up the hill towards Great Falls Park, by the time we went down into the park, a bunch of the A group was climbing back up. I turned around after Chuck Hutch pass ed us going the other way. Good... no more climbing for me. During the sprint on Democracy, I followed in the back moving up gradually till the sprint started to appear. Crazy fast, as I was already in my 53 x 11 and spinning as fast as my legs could take me. A bunch of cars passed us on the left and I caught some of their draft, however I couldn't spin any faster. I was waiting for SuperDave to pass me however he never came around. I don't know how fast we were going, but I have to say it was probably the fastest I've gone, however not able to put more power into it as my legs were spinning so fast.
So anyway.. probably a stupid thing to do to go so hard after the tiring, painful TT. I was drained after the ride as it totaled about 50+ miles. However, I have to say, I felt that I could chase hard and recover quickly. There's nothing like being in shape and feeling that you're peaking. Though there aren't many races left. So anyway, I'm feeling pretty good for nothing. Back to the fall and resting and not training much. I am hoping to keep my fitness, do more base mileage, and hopefully next year will be a better year for me.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Page Valley RR Championship HOT!
I decided to go to Page Valley after a discussion with " Hot"Chuck "two speed" Hutcheson on our ride yesterday. He recommended to me that I should just do it and fake it till I couldn't fake it again. I told him that I wasn't thinking about going because it's a very hilly course. Last year it was very hot as well and I cramped up after the 4th lap and decided to call it quits after the start finish line as I was dropped and had nothing left except for bad cramping and heat exhaustion. I told Chuck that I know my limits and hill climbing is not one traits which I can relate to. He just said smile and fake it and if I do get dropped, just use it as training. Well, it was after the Saturday DC Velo 7:15 morning ride and a spirited ride back in the Rock Creek Park. I guess since I was hanging on during the ride, I decided that I had a chance to finish Page Valley with the pack. NOT!
It was a hot one today, I carried an extra frozen bottle in my jersey pocket. The first lap was a good warm up lap as we rode at an easy pace. The first hill was at accomplished at a good pace, I felt a bit tired after that as I was riding at the pack's pace and not mine. My legs were feeling tired for some reason. I was thinking it was from yesterday. The second lap was much faster and actually rode up the first hill at a brisk steady pace and was surprised that I wasn't hurting. The 2nd hill was more difficult though as the hills were starting to wear on me. 3rd lap, I was starting to think I may make it. The hills started to hurt and I was feeling low on power, however I was still with the pack. Every hill started with myself up within the top 20 riders... by the time I went over the hill I typically dropped back 5 to 10 spots on the first hill. The second hill was the killer as I would be in the top 20 spots then fell back to the back every time. On the 3rd lap, I ended in the back and Jorge of Artemis told me to hop on as we came over the top. Luckily there were a few others behind we all were able to bridge up. The forth lap, was about hanging on, which I found out I couldn't. A Bike Rack guy drilled it by himself to catch a breakaway which looked like it would stay away. Those guys are strong! I was exerting myself pretty good and I was really hoping I could stay with the pack when it came to the climb. Same results, start towards the front and go backwards on the second climb. However this time I had no acceleration in my legs up the 2nd hill and I was dropped finally. I saw Rayman ride around me and continue to bridge to the back of the pack and I couldn't. I finally made it over the top losing about 15 seconds to the pack. I tried to bridge back, however, the pack was going at a good pace and it didn't seem like I was gaining at all. Then the wind hit me and it was all over, they rode away. I rode back by myself with another rider a bit behind me. I waited for him a bit, as he seemed like he was catching me. Unfortunately he didn't come up, so I just pedaled on, finally finishing. The last climb was a killer and I had no power to push the pedals to get up the hill. I smiled at the Jim Wilson taking the picture of me in pain, then gave it a 10 second burst to get over the line.
A few thoughts:
1) Don't let Chuck talk you into something you had decided not to do.
2) I only drank 3 bottles of water, had about 3 gu's, ate about 3/4 of a Cliff Bar, I rode with two frozen bottles of water and one bottle of tonic water. This was the first race which was hot and long and I didn't even feel cramping coming up. I'm wondering if it was the tonic water, the gu mixed with water which I took a couple of swigs twice a lap. My mother told me yesterday to drink tonic water for cramps, as I read recently on one of the blogs that quinine works wonders for cramps. By the way, the insulated,with the foil inside the lining of bottle which I won from Turkey Day race works really well, it stayed cold and for the entire race till it was tapped out on the 5th lap, I think I'll be buying a couple more of them soon.
3) I know my limits... No more Page Valley for me, unless I turn into a climber some how, which is never. Over the past couple of years, I have ridden more hilly rides than ever, thinking I could train myself to survive and finish a very hilly race with the pack and I still can't. I used to avoid road races because of the understanding that eventually I would get dropped. What has happened is that I've now lost my crit racing ability and sprinting and have become a very mediocre road racer. Guess, I'll have to switch back again to focus on the crits and circuit races. (flat ones are best for me).
4) I didn't feel too exhausted this evening and recovery (heart/lungs) for me during the race was fairly quick, so I'm obviously getting back into my prime, however there aren't many races anywhere to prove to myself I'm back. Oh well... next year maybe... or retirement.
By the way... hot... yes, the weather was, however watching the finish of "hot" Chuck Hutcheson was pretty amusing. Chuck powered his pedal and clipped out, almost looking like he was going to crash, however he caught himself and reclipped in as Nate Wilson took advantage and kept moving. Chuck recouped and went after Nate and passed him several feet before the finish. Unbelievable! Chuck was just a cool character! Doing what he had to do to win. Congrats Chuck and Congrats Nate as well! Thanks for making it entertaining!
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Tour of Lancaster 40+
Photo credit: Joe Hess, pictures can be found here:Day 1. Road Race: I decided to make a go of it as I was on Bikereg.com looking for races this weekend. I wanted to see how my fitness is coming along and I thought Page Valley was this weekend. I found out that it wasn't and was next week. I looked at the flyer and thought it said that there only 200 ft of climbing and the TT was mostly flat. So I decided to go. Well, I arrived and spoke to one of my teammates Andy Shaw about the course and why I came. He laughed and said that I need to see the hill for myself as I said it wasn't supposed to be hilly. We'll I misread the flyer. It actually said 696 feet of climbing instead of mostly flat.
I was in for a big surprise. The first lap was performed at a very leisurely pace, one which I enjoyed including the scenery along the creek. The hill started after a right hand turn and immediately it sloped steeply upwards, then merged into another longer hill. I danced out of the saddle and was within the first 5 riders over the hill, however at that point I needed some recovery time. Not many of the others, they hit it afterwards on the false flat. Oh well, I hung on for dear life at that point. Every lap it continued, though on the 2nd lap, 5 or 6 guys got away at the hill. I could do nothing except to hang on and on the downhill section, I was able to recover. I tried to stay towards the front knowing that I would have the best chance of not getting dropped. Art Brown who missed the break was at the front working trying to bring the break back. I was behind him on the 3rd lap and he turned around yelling at others to work...I just shook my head and told him I was already tapped out. He of course probably didn't believe it. However based upon my training this year, I have such a limited base with most of my rides lasting only 20-25 miles at the most (a couple times a week). He bridged up later in the race, as did Randy Thrasher as well. Ray Manyoky who was up in the break dropped back into our pack. I didn't think he would have as he's a strong climber and has been looking really strong this year. Funny thing this guy Andrew Melnychenko, kept remarking that I was still there after the hill, I chuckled saying that I was lucky. On the last lap, I asked him if it was the last lap and he gave me the affirmative and I remarked good because I wouldn't be able to take another hill climb. That was the truth, the last time up the hill, taxed me, I dropped back as my legs were cramping and I soft pedaled for a while trying to recover. Two riders behind me passed me and I tried to work with one guy for a while, though he was much stronger and continued to pull away. My teammate Mark Klein, was nowhere in sight as he dropped back behind me on the climb. The climb to the finish was insult to injury. I basically soft pedaled to the finish as originally I thought the finish was before the hill. As I went up the hill I saw the 200m sign, oh well.. just continue to ride to the finish. Ouch, my legs were definitely cramping as I got in my car for the drive home.
I got back and went to the The Bicycle Shop to pick up my Polar cycling computer as I would need it for tomorrow for the Time Trial. I put my leg over a bike at the shop to check it out and immediately my hamstring cramped up badly. I quickly dismounted and rubbed it out. I got home and ate a chicken dinner with some pasta trying to refuel and recover for the next day.
Photo credit: Michael L. Kirk; pictures can be found hereDay 2: Time Trial
I got up at 5:30 am, took a shower and got in the car to leave at 6am so I could arrive with plenty of time before my 8:57 start time. It seemed to be a bit longer in distance than I originally expected. It was raining and I was not going to like the TT. I arrived with about 30 minutes before my start time and didn't have much of a time to warm up as I didn't want to get too wet. I've been riding without my Polar CS200 for about a month and a half. I actually forgot how to read it and didn't use it except for the Speed guage. Even that, I didn't take a look at it for much of the TT. I was totally paralyzed by fear because of the wet roads. I took some of the corners at good speeds, till the technical part of the course with the curves. I ended up on one turn into the farmer's corn field because I didn't want to panic as I took the wrong line as a truck was in front of me and slowing. No hitting the brakes for me, I took the line into the field and for about 10 seconds I came back on making sure that I took a place on the asphalt which didn't have a large difference in height with the corn field. The girl watching the corner probably had a great view and good thing she didn't have a camera out, otherwise I'd be on that infamous web site. After that I took most of the corners pretty slow. On the back section, I kept my pace at a decent level, as I didn't know how much further I had. Then I saw the officials tent... oh no, so I buried myself and sprinted to the finish. I had plenty of energy left. I should have put in 120% of the effort when I turned on to the back stretch. Next time I will, now that I know the course. I finished up pretty disappointed with myself with the 20th place. Kind of like yesterday, though I was actually happy yesterday that I finished not so far back.
Crit:
Fast and furious for the first five laps. George Opria was the instigator and Art Brown hung on to George as they were battling for the GC. I was around forth wheel for the first five laps. I was over the redline and needed to fall back and drop the pace down a bit. That's when the break happened and I had nothing in me to chase on. The rest is history. Every time Ray, Randy, Mark would attack the Spinners Cycling and Swashbuckler Brewing guys would jump on and prevent anyone from working. Yes, they did a good job on teamwork, however after the break got out of eyesight, they shouldn't have kept that tactic up. I went on a two lap flyer, got a little gap going however I had a guy on my tail who wouldn't pull through to help. I finally made him do some work, but by then, we were starting to get caught and I was pretty toasted. The last couple of laps Ray was up front pulling everyone along, then the jump came and went, I was blocked out on a turn, then tried to give it a good last sprint at the end but there just wasn't enough runway as I was catching the three guys ahead of me but the finish line was just after the final turn. Oh well, such is racing. No lead out train for me. I was pleased with this weekend as I didn't give up or get dropped in the criterium. So over all my fitness is getting better, however who knows what my training will be in the next few weeks.
Great event in my opinion and maybe I'll be better prepared next year.
One other point to the promoter, Rich Ruoff, on how to improve it. Don't give omnium points for those who do not register for all events or complete all events. They can win money for the individual events, however they aren't in it for the GC.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Poolesville from the back.
As Rayman often does, I got a chance to view it really from the way back! Nah. I wasn't even riding. I was driving the sweep car in the Mens Cat 4 race. Well, to say the least, I really didn't see much as I was relegated to picking up all of those riders who flatted. First lap around, right around the corner to the gravel road...a rider apparently flatted, I picked him up. Then, I passed a couple of others who flatted, however didn't want a ride. Then another closer to the end of the gravel section and another up the rollers. I was full with 3 riders in my car. Luckily I put my Thule bike rack on top of the car today. I had a fork mount and an upright carrier. The last bike I had to take the wheels apart and put it in my trunk with the other front wheel. I didn't think I would be able to fit a large bike in the trunk, however did pretty well. Next time I'll opt out of doing the sweep car as I don't have enough room. I dropped them off at the start, went looking for extra tubes because apparently there was a mechanic who was repairing flats at the end of the gravel road. I think someone grabbed them already so I went back to picking up all of the other flatters. The first time around there must have been about 8 flats. The second time, I picked up another full car, and brought them to corner 1 and dropped them off. I was beginning to wonder if there would be a lap without a flat. 3rd lap, racing around to get back in the caravan, I went around and found a turtle in the middle of the road...I quickly backed up and then scooted it across the road into the woods. It could have made for a nasty crash, plus a nice dead turtle. I went around picking up another three up this lap. The final lap, a crash happened on the gravel area. Apparently someone lost a bottle, causing it to get lodged in someone's front wheel. Guys were laying around in the woods. I'm pretty sure there was lots of poison ivy there though these guys decided to just lie there and roll around in the stuff. I asked them if they needed rides or if they needed medical attention, all of them including one who had a nice wheel out of true declined. Luckily for me, as I wasn't sure if I wanted poison ivy all over my car and me. I don't think I had to pick up anyone on this lap, luckily.
I'm just glad I didn't race today as I don't tend not to do well on this course. I think I've only completed it once. I crashed out once, flatted once up the rollers, luckily picked up with Super Dave in a pickup truck, so I didn't feel badly that I didn't finish as the best of them didn't either.
Well after picking up lunch, I lined up as the follow vehicle for the Womens 3/4 race. Well, I didn't have to pickup any flatters as the sweep van was in back of me. The Womens 3/4 race was a small field of about 12 or less women. It seemed to be a leisurely pace for a the first few laps. I don't think any one flatted. At one point it seemed to almost stop. Well... they did stop a couple of times, neutralized, as the CAT 123 and CAT 3/4 racers passed by. I was really surprised no one woman would try to solo it for the win with 2 laps to go. I think it would have been pretty easy for one or two to get away. The last lap was the telling lap on who was fit. The womens field broke up to two fields before gravel section, then after the gravel section it dissipated to pairs of riders. So.. that was the view from the back.
After I did my job, I went for another 2 1/2 hour drive to Bethany Beach to meet up with the family. It was a very refreshing recovery day for me on Sunday. I got sunburned pretty badly on my back, trying to even out my tan. Sunday afternoon, I went out to eat crabs! Yum.. I hadn't had crabs for a while. It was a great treat.
Back to work today... I think I'll race Greenbelt Wednesday for the only time this year.
I'm just glad I didn't race today as I don't tend not to do well on this course. I think I've only completed it once. I crashed out once, flatted once up the rollers, luckily picked up with Super Dave in a pickup truck, so I didn't feel badly that I didn't finish as the best of them didn't either.
Well after picking up lunch, I lined up as the follow vehicle for the Womens 3/4 race. Well, I didn't have to pickup any flatters as the sweep van was in back of me. The Womens 3/4 race was a small field of about 12 or less women. It seemed to be a leisurely pace for a the first few laps. I don't think any one flatted. At one point it seemed to almost stop. Well... they did stop a couple of times, neutralized, as the CAT 123 and CAT 3/4 racers passed by. I was really surprised no one woman would try to solo it for the win with 2 laps to go. I think it would have been pretty easy for one or two to get away. The last lap was the telling lap on who was fit. The womens field broke up to two fields before gravel section, then after the gravel section it dissipated to pairs of riders. So.. that was the view from the back.
After I did my job, I went for another 2 1/2 hour drive to Bethany Beach to meet up with the family. It was a very refreshing recovery day for me on Sunday. I got sunburned pretty badly on my back, trying to even out my tan. Sunday afternoon, I went out to eat crabs! Yum.. I hadn't had crabs for a while. It was a great treat.
Back to work today... I think I'll race Greenbelt Wednesday for the only time this year.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Punishment why?!!
Well, someone's trying to punish me. I didn't race Tour of Washington County because I had some family stuff to do on Saturday and Sunday. I blogged about miracle road rash cures.... didn't knock on wood.
On Saturday morning, I found some free time to go out on a bike ride. I joined up on East West Highway when the DCVelo ride was waiting for the light to change on Connecticut Avenue. I u-turned it to get in line at the back of the pack when the light turned. I said hi to another teammate, Kyle, and then pedaled quickly up the hill to turn onto Conneticut Avenue. Then all of a sudden, my front and back wheel just slipped out. It wasn't raining yet! No gravel which I could see on the ground, I thought I was cornering pretty well. Wham! bike sliding out from under me, hitting my left hand and elbow really hard on the ground with my hip. I quickly got up and readjusted my left shifter. Nothing seemed to be broken, however I told Kyle that I would head home and for him to catch up to the other riders. My hand was coated in oil and my butt, and side. Instead of going home, I decided not to go back and wake up my family with a racket, and I needed to ride, so I continued on to chase back. I spoke to several guys in the pack and they said they saw the Metro Bus leaking a whole lot diesel. Well, thanks guys for telling me. A nice contusion and scrape on my elbow, which looked like it was broken, nice road rash on my ass, and a bruised left wrist with a small scrape. The ride actually was a good ride as the usual hammers were not there, more my speed this time and I actually did every hill. It rained the last part of the way home and I got back to wash myself off. I jumped into the shower, smelled like diesel and couldn't get the oil off of my butt, even after several attempts with soap. The same was true when I washed my ripped bibs and shirt in the washer. Oh well, I'll smell like diesel for the next couple of weeks.
Well, I followed my treatment again, luckily I had some left over Drs. Choice pads. Hopefully in the next couple of days, I'll take the pads off and find out that everything is healed over. Oh yeah, my neck is sore like I got whiplash. It's amazing how even in a fairly slow crash, I probably wasn't going too much over 15 miles an hour, can cause so much destruction.
So much for not crashing this year. Paybacks for not racing? Bad luck for posting about miracle cures for road rash? Who knows. Bad luck.
On Saturday morning, I found some free time to go out on a bike ride. I joined up on East West Highway when the DCVelo ride was waiting for the light to change on Connecticut Avenue. I u-turned it to get in line at the back of the pack when the light turned. I said hi to another teammate, Kyle, and then pedaled quickly up the hill to turn onto Conneticut Avenue. Then all of a sudden, my front and back wheel just slipped out. It wasn't raining yet! No gravel which I could see on the ground, I thought I was cornering pretty well. Wham! bike sliding out from under me, hitting my left hand and elbow really hard on the ground with my hip. I quickly got up and readjusted my left shifter. Nothing seemed to be broken, however I told Kyle that I would head home and for him to catch up to the other riders. My hand was coated in oil and my butt, and side. Instead of going home, I decided not to go back and wake up my family with a racket, and I needed to ride, so I continued on to chase back. I spoke to several guys in the pack and they said they saw the Metro Bus leaking a whole lot diesel. Well, thanks guys for telling me. A nice contusion and scrape on my elbow, which looked like it was broken, nice road rash on my ass, and a bruised left wrist with a small scrape. The ride actually was a good ride as the usual hammers were not there, more my speed this time and I actually did every hill. It rained the last part of the way home and I got back to wash myself off. I jumped into the shower, smelled like diesel and couldn't get the oil off of my butt, even after several attempts with soap. The same was true when I washed my ripped bibs and shirt in the washer. Oh well, I'll smell like diesel for the next couple of weeks.
Well, I followed my treatment again, luckily I had some left over Drs. Choice pads. Hopefully in the next couple of days, I'll take the pads off and find out that everything is healed over. Oh yeah, my neck is sore like I got whiplash. It's amazing how even in a fairly slow crash, I probably wasn't going too much over 15 miles an hour, can cause so much destruction.
So much for not crashing this year. Paybacks for not racing? Bad luck for posting about miracle cures for road rash? Who knows. Bad luck.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Recovery.
Well, I thought I'd be back in shape sooner than later. It's been almost 3 weeks since my hernia surgery. I was thinking about racing the Tour of Washington County. Unfortunately, I don't have a TT bike or some clip on bars. So that was a major negative for me in making that decision to do Tour Of WC. The other factor is that since my surgery, I have no core anymore. 3 slices into your stomach muscles are bad. On the long hills, or extended long efforts, I just get tired and fade away. I get gapped and can't come back. Sucks. Oh yeah.. by the way, I went in to the oral surgeon to follow up on a sore bone in my mouth, this is about 5 months since my tooth extraction because of a cracked tooth. Well, he was thinking that it was caused by a bone trying to make its way out of the gum on the roof of my mouth. He probed a bit and couldn't see anything and recommended that I go for a biopsy. Well that is a term for cutting you open and taking something out. So, since I had a bit of time and no meetings in the morning, I decided to go for it. The surgeon basically cut my gum near my molar then peeled it upwards to the bone growth, found no bone chips and decided to cut down the bone which was growing and irritating my gum. Yep.. he took pictures too, it was pretty cool to see how the proceedure was like. However teeth pain for me is like the worst kind of pain. That low throbbing pain cannot be taken away by any medicines including codine, vicodin, etc. I found the best is several Motrin's was best. That's my choice for medicines. Anyway, after getting stiched back up and released, I went back to work. The stiches worked itself out by the end of the day, however a few came out after a few hours. I went out on the hill ride, sucked wheels for the whole time and got dropped. Something is really wrong. It could be the lack of base this past winter, however more likely it's the lack of consistent training. This year is a wash for me. Maybe next year... or may be retirement.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Gamjams miracle road rash cure.
Here is a copy of a post I did on the Bicycle Place listserve almost year ago, (July 6, 2008), when a fellow racer crashed at Nationals.
I found Drs. Choice as the best as it was similar to 2nd Skin "moist burn pad" however it was better at sealing everything up so you don't have to tape the sides so that the pad doesn't move. Drs. Choice's "Hydrocolloid Pad" had the cooling/soothing effect and it also has the ability to soak up some of the draining of the wound, of course most of the draining does leak out. Tegaderm seems to be just a very thin layer as a cover, which works well, however doesn't have the cooling/soothing effect which Drs. Choice's have. 2nd Skin's moist covering was probably the most cooling of the batch, however it never stayed in place when I slept. (I used tape on them, and of course that didn't work out too well as it just slipped off and the tape found itself on the wound itself).
My treatment was to rub the wound with my clean palm/fingers or a clean towel, under the shower. I used Betadine as a antiseptic as it is known to kill bacteria really well and doesn't sting when you apply it. I don't think cause a harsh reaction to the skin like hydrogen peroxide.
Once cleaned dab the wound dry and apply a thin layer of Neosporin + Pain Relief. This stuff is the best for the keeping bacteria out of the wound while healing. Apply the Drs Choice pad choose a size larger much larger than the area of the roadrash. If it is wound is larger, you can always overlap a certain amount of the pads as they are breatheable.
Once the pads are on, you might get some seepage from the wound, don't worry about that, just dab with a tissue or sterile gause. You can keep the pad on for a few days without changing it. (As long as you're not getting any puss or bad smelling leakage, which means you're getting an infection). After about 3 days, you'll probably want to change it as the pad will start not to stick as well as before. I actually changed mine on the 4th day and found that everything was already healing.
By the way, you can shower with these pads, just avoid standing directly in the spray of the water. Wash around the pad and quickly dab the pad dry while making sure the pad doesn't hold much water in it.
If you change your pad, go through the whole process of cleaning the wound in the shower, lightly rinsing and cleaning the wound (don't scrub), dab dry and reappl the Neosporin and pad again. Within about 5 days, my scrapes were already sealed over. I took the one on my elbow off after about 4 days and the one on my hip off within a week. It's still pretty tender, however, everything is nicely sealed up and healing without any scabbing.
If you start getting any bad smelling leakage out of the wound, clean immediately as you probably had some bacteria trapped under the pad or still embedded in the wound. You'll probably have to do some deeper scrubbing and I highly suggest using Betadine. And make sure you use Neosporin as well.
That's my advice. All of these "pads'' work well, and everyone has their favorites, however try them and don't go down the "gauze pad route and let it scab over"as the scabbing will cause more damage later on during the healing process.
By the way, Giant Food had the Drs.Choice pads on a 50% clearance a few weeks back and luckily I bought some. (Maybe I shouldn't have, as that may have jinxed me.)
______________
However recently because of my hernia surgery...the surgeon used a glue which sealed over the incisions really well and apparently this stuff lets the skin breathe and heal just like 2nd skin or NuSkin, however thicker as it holds the skin together. The problem I see with this treatment is that it may not provide pain relief or soak up the oozing.
I haven't crashed in a while...knock on wood, partially because I haven't been racing much and I'm not on the bike as much. The best prevention for road rash!
I found Drs. Choice as the best as it was similar to 2nd Skin "moist burn pad" however it was better at sealing everything up so you don't have to tape the sides so that the pad doesn't move. Drs. Choice's "Hydrocolloid Pad" had the cooling/soothing effect and it also has the ability to soak up some of the draining of the wound, of course most of the draining does leak out. Tegaderm seems to be just a very thin layer as a cover, which works well, however doesn't have the cooling/soothing effect which Drs. Choice's have. 2nd Skin's moist covering was probably the most cooling of the batch, however it never stayed in place when I slept. (I used tape on them, and of course that didn't work out too well as it just slipped off and the tape found itself on the wound itself).
My treatment was to rub the wound with my clean palm/fingers or a clean towel, under the shower. I used Betadine as a antiseptic as it is known to kill bacteria really well and doesn't sting when you apply it. I don't think cause a harsh reaction to the skin like hydrogen peroxide.
Once cleaned dab the wound dry and apply a thin layer of Neosporin + Pain Relief. This stuff is the best for the keeping bacteria out of the wound while healing. Apply the Drs Choice pad choose a size larger much larger than the area of the roadrash. If it is wound is larger, you can always overlap a certain amount of the pads as they are breatheable.
Once the pads are on, you might get some seepage from the wound, don't worry about that, just dab with a tissue or sterile gause. You can keep the pad on for a few days without changing it. (As long as you're not getting any puss or bad smelling leakage, which means you're getting an infection). After about 3 days, you'll probably want to change it as the pad will start not to stick as well as before. I actually changed mine on the 4th day and found that everything was already healing.
By the way, you can shower with these pads, just avoid standing directly in the spray of the water. Wash around the pad and quickly dab the pad dry while making sure the pad doesn't hold much water in it.
If you change your pad, go through the whole process of cleaning the wound in the shower, lightly rinsing and cleaning the wound (don't scrub), dab dry and reappl the Neosporin and pad again. Within about 5 days, my scrapes were already sealed over. I took the one on my elbow off after about 4 days and the one on my hip off within a week. It's still pretty tender, however, everything is nicely sealed up and healing without any scabbing.
If you start getting any bad smelling leakage out of the wound, clean immediately as you probably had some bacteria trapped under the pad or still embedded in the wound. You'll probably have to do some deeper scrubbing and I highly suggest using Betadine. And make sure you use Neosporin as well.
That's my advice. All of these "pads'' work well, and everyone has their favorites, however try them and don't go down the "gauze pad route and let it scab over"as the scabbing will cause more damage later on during the healing process.
By the way, Giant Food had the Drs.Choice pads on a 50% clearance a few weeks back and luckily I bought some. (Maybe I shouldn't have, as that may have jinxed me.)
______________
However recently because of my hernia surgery...the surgeon used a glue which sealed over the incisions really well and apparently this stuff lets the skin breathe and heal just like 2nd skin or NuSkin, however thicker as it holds the skin together. The problem I see with this treatment is that it may not provide pain relief or soak up the oozing.
I haven't crashed in a while...knock on wood, partially because I haven't been racing much and I'm not on the bike as much. The best prevention for road rash!
Friday, June 5, 2009
Online persona: The Muscle
Local winner of many National and Pro races, Russ Langley AKA "the Muscle" from the looks of his blog,(over the past year) makes him look like a bad ass. No fear, take no prisoners, just get out of my way attitude, a big FU to you...
The funny thing is that here is the same guy in a picture captured by one of our local photographers Les Doerfler.
In my opinion, this is a great capture of the riders in our area. Yes... we would all love to be able to put out huge amounts of power, drop your competitors on a whim, and are have an attitude that we are invincible, however the otherside needs to be promoted as well as we are also fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, friends, caring for love ones, making that extra effort to help one and another. This is what we are all about. We love competition, however it is only part of who we really are.
Great capture of the image...
Now for the humor....Russ "The Muscle" just put up a picture of himself modelling...I betcha the "gay racer" will love it. Haha. So do we really know who are fellow racers really are???
The funny thing is that here is the same guy in a picture captured by one of our local photographers Les Doerfler.
In my opinion, this is a great capture of the riders in our area. Yes... we would all love to be able to put out huge amounts of power, drop your competitors on a whim, and are have an attitude that we are invincible, however the otherside needs to be promoted as well as we are also fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, friends, caring for love ones, making that extra effort to help one and another. This is what we are all about. We love competition, however it is only part of who we really are.
Great capture of the image...
Now for the humor....Russ "The Muscle" just put up a picture of himself modelling...I betcha the "gay racer" will love it. Haha. So do we really know who are fellow racers really are???
Monday, June 1, 2009
Off again.
On again, Off again is my repertoire this year. It seems that my training has been broken into 3 weeks of on and 3 weeks of off the bike this year. It started out gaining fitness, then losing it again, because of the weather, bike issues, then vacation, then rain, then work, family events, then health issues.
Well, I did say I would provide you some pictures of the trip to China.
Well, I did say I would provide you some pictures of the trip to China.
Here is one from X'ian where we visited the museum where the Terracotta Soldiers were being unearthed and put back together from broken pieces. It's like trying to put together a puzzle with the same color. 
It was truly an amazing site to see what humans are able to accomplish through their hard work and dedication. They didn't have tools we have today, so this must have been one hell of a production line, or at least they performed it over many years of constant labor. This site was only one of the three sites they had uncovered. As you can see this is about the size of about a few soccer/football fields combined under one roof.
On another tour, we got to visit a remote village in Yangshuo. We met a farmer who was about 75-80 years old and fit as an ox. He was very kind to share with us his house and we experienced how he lived. He wanted to impress upon us how his fitness was. At that point he picked up a large stone (around 250-300 lbs to my estimate) and dragged it several feet and back again. Then he picked up a couple of stones he must have carved into weights (40-60lbs.) He performed several one hand military presses. Pretty strong and fit! I then decided to see how heavy the stone pillar was. Well, to say the least it was heavy. I picked it up a few inches, moved it about a half of a foot then released it as my arms/shoulders felt some major tingling and shocks. It felt like I had stretched my muscles not totally properly. Well, that was enough for me. This guys was impressive, though he probably was used to all of the labor and has the strength which I am no longer used to since I don't lift weights anymore. 
Well, later that evening after our huge dinner, I went back to the hotel room, stuffed, then looked down at my belly. There was a bulge coming out from my crotch which wasn't typically there. I must have bust my belly.... I knew this was probably a hernia. Oh no, we were less than half of the way through our tour. So the next several days, I kept an eye on the hernia and hoping not to stress it so that I would end up in the hospital. I can't attribute it to the lifting of the stone, as I didn't feel anything rip in my stomach or groin area, however it may be the cause.
The next photos are from our trip in Guilin, a small city, population of almost 2 million, however very different from the larger cities like Beijing, X'ian, Shanghai as it didn't have quite as many skyscrapers and the pace of life was much slower. The scenes you see are from a boat trip we took down the Li River to a smaller town called Yangshou. The town was very picturesque. Here's a link to the view of the town from above: 
As we were traveling down the Li River by boat.
There was lots to do as far as shopping was concerned as it seemed to be a market for everything. We did spend some time purchasing some painted scrolls there.
We also toured a large cavern, however was not really impressed as if you've seen one cavern you've seen them all. 
One of the unique things in Guilin was to be able to see the silk factories where the silk was produced and spun as well as to go to a silk market where we of course were trapped to buy lots of silk stuff including bedding and clothing.
The next day we traveled back to Guilin to see the beautiful lakes where many of the Chinese celebrate their honeymoon.
We then traveled to Hong Hong were exposed to the Gateway to the East. Hong Kong was impressive just based upon the number of extremely high sky scrapers on the horizon. Everywhere you looked there were skyscrapers. It was a unique experience, however not really a place for tourists unless you are there to enjoy city life. There were little shopping bargains to be found as the cost of living is so high. There was a shopping market, however only for outlet stuff (closouts)and even that wasn't much of a bargain. The below picture is a view looking at Hong Kong City from a hotel on Kowloon Peninsula, where we were sitting having some late night eats drinks.
Our last stop was in Shanghai, a busy city, again with skyscrapers all over the place, similar to Hong Kong, however probably better shopping. We didn't 
Anyway, enough about my trip to China. Basically it was off for 3 weeks then I got going again on my training, only to be broken up with all of the rain and weekend activities including my son birthday party, my anniversary weekend, more family stuff and of course last Friday, I got my hernia operation.
I went in on Friday morning, came out with a few small incisions in my belly for Laproscopic surgery, I was working in the evening catching up and then by Saturday, I was mowing the lawn and weeding. Stuff I'm not really supposed to do. It was time off to do those things instead of going for a ride or taking my kids to tutor lessons, play dates, etc... My doctor says I have to stay off of the bike for 2 weeks, and I know I will be going crazy thinking of the fitness I will lose.
I don't know when I will actually race this year and it is frustrating.
I'm actually thinking of retiring from racing if these things keep coming up to take me away from being able to race and train properly. Oh well. C'est La Vie!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Giant Foods follow up.
Well, I finally received a phone call from the manager for the Giant Foods on Arlington Road in Arlington, VA. The manager was very apologetic. He said that the store has no issues with adults bringing their bikes in to the store.
Being a good patron of that store, I decided to go in today after my noon ride to pick up some lunch stuff. I went in, no one gave me a bad look. I walked up to the deli meats counter ordered my stuff, and low and behold, a lady at the deli counter who works in the prepared foods spoke up and told me that I couldn't bring my bike in the store. Oh my GOD!!!! I said that I had already spoken to the store manager and he okay'ed it. She then went to say that it was a health regulation in Arlington County to not allow bikes in the store. I basically ignored her and told her to speak with her manager. After purchasing my food, I went to find the manager, because I was starting to fume again. How could this happen??? By the way the deli meat worker was very nice and helpful. The lady at the checkout who I always see was also very nice when she saw that I was at the manager's counter and made sure that I was taken care of. The manager finally came over and I thanked him for the assurance that adults with bicycles were not going to be harassed. I did let him know that I was told by another employee that I couldn't bring in the bike and he said he would take care of it and let all employees in the Giant know as word has not gotten around. I am satisfied with his answer and will continue to go there with my bike and hopefully will not be harassed again.
If any of you readers of my blog want to test this, please do. By the way, I contacted the Arlington County government Health Department and they checked the regulations and said that there were no regulations against bringing bicycles into grocery stores. I am so shocked to hear someone say this in Arlington as Arlington County is so "pro" bicyclists and commuters. So... please make sure you bring your bike in the grocery store if you are afraid that someone might steal it. Of course you can leave it outside if you feel more comfortable of having 2 hands to use when shopping.
My 2 cents and hopefully in the future I won't have any issues. Hope you don't either. Please test the Giant in Arlington out.. Hopefully your next experience will be a good one, where someone says that you're very welcome in Giant!
Being a good patron of that store, I decided to go in today after my noon ride to pick up some lunch stuff. I went in, no one gave me a bad look. I walked up to the deli meats counter ordered my stuff, and low and behold, a lady at the deli counter who works in the prepared foods spoke up and told me that I couldn't bring my bike in the store. Oh my GOD!!!! I said that I had already spoken to the store manager and he okay'ed it. She then went to say that it was a health regulation in Arlington County to not allow bikes in the store. I basically ignored her and told her to speak with her manager. After purchasing my food, I went to find the manager, because I was starting to fume again. How could this happen??? By the way the deli meat worker was very nice and helpful. The lady at the checkout who I always see was also very nice when she saw that I was at the manager's counter and made sure that I was taken care of. The manager finally came over and I thanked him for the assurance that adults with bicycles were not going to be harassed. I did let him know that I was told by another employee that I couldn't bring in the bike and he said he would take care of it and let all employees in the Giant know as word has not gotten around. I am satisfied with his answer and will continue to go there with my bike and hopefully will not be harassed again.
If any of you readers of my blog want to test this, please do. By the way, I contacted the Arlington County government Health Department and they checked the regulations and said that there were no regulations against bringing bicycles into grocery stores. I am so shocked to hear someone say this in Arlington as Arlington County is so "pro" bicyclists and commuters. So... please make sure you bring your bike in the grocery store if you are afraid that someone might steal it. Of course you can leave it outside if you feel more comfortable of having 2 hands to use when shopping.
My 2 cents and hopefully in the future I won't have any issues. Hope you don't either. Please test the Giant in Arlington out.. Hopefully your next experience will be a good one, where someone says that you're very welcome in Giant!
Monday, May 4, 2009
Fellow cyclists Boycott Giant Foods!
I've held my peace for a week now and I have not heard back from Giant Food's consumer affairs department. I am not going to let my fellow cyclists know about my treatment at Giant Foods in Arlington on Arlington Road last Monday.
I commuted to work last Monday, knowing it was going to be dry and hot out. I rode to the Giant Food on Arlington Road in Arlington to pick up my lunch and other supplies I would need for the week. This is typically my routine at least a couple of times a week. Sometimes I drop in at my local Giant on Western Avenue in Chevy Chase, MD on my way to work. I have always been greeted with friendly faces. Well not this past Monday. I arrived and carried my bike inside with me as usual, however as I went to grab a basket at the front door at the self service computer automated system, an African American lady barred my entrance and told me that I could not enter with my bicycle. This was the first time I was ever told of this and of course there are no signs saying the that case. I immediately turned around and mentioned that that was the last time I would go to Giant Foods. I then hopped on my bike looking for a Safeway where I could not remember where it was. Some runner on the sidewalk asked me if I needed help as I turned around going the other way at a traffic light. Nice guy... I asked him and he said there wasn't any around. He did mention the Harris Teeter on North Glebe Road a mile or so away. I knew where that was and decided that was my best bet.
I arrived, thinking that I may get the same treatment here. I strolled in with my bike in hand and headed towards the fruit section picked up several apples, bananas and started strolling towards the deli counter. A lady worker approached me and asked if I needed a bag to help me shop. I kindly responded yes, as I had my hands full. Not only was I surprised of her helpfulness and attitude, she rushed to get me a bag quickly and held it open for me to drop my food inside. I thanked her profusely and headed over the deli counter where I picked up some deli meats and cheese. I went through several more aisles and finished up at the cashier. As I was lining up they directed me to an new opened checkout. Total purchase: $28.+
On to work I went. What a different experience!
Three days later I checked out the Safeway on Lee Highway. No problem there either. In fact a couple of worker asked if I needed help looking for something as I was not familiar with the layout of the store.
I am just really surprised and taken a back from the greeting I got at the Giant on Arlington Road. I have been shopping there for over a year and have always found their employees very nice. The Asian guy at the Deli counter is always polite and asks me questions, the couple of ladies and one guy at the checkout line are always pleasant. The deli counter is really one of the best I've seen with a large Boars Head selection as well as other brands. I've always recommended my colleagues at work to go there as I have found it clean and a good value. So, I've done most of my shopping there, even stopping in the mornings or sometimes after work with my car to pick up the other things like laundry detergent, kitty litter, cat food, and other stuff my wife doesn't have a chance to pick up on her daily schedule. Those are days when I walk out spending over $70-$80 bucks and have a car. I guess they have done studies to show that bicyclists are not who they want shopping at their store cause they can't carry enough in their backpacks.
After the incident, I wrote an email to their consumer affairs department, which I have yet to hear any response to.
I ask you fellow cyclists to boycott Giant Foods, if you can till, I get a response from them. Or if you do go, with your bike, and have a different experience, please let me know.
I will not go to a store which does not allow me to either put the bike inside of the store as I have heard about people walking away with your bike when shopping. Arlington is not a high crime area, however, if you have a nice expensive bike, I don't think you'll want to leave it outside without someone watching it. Oh yeah.. I've also seen how bikes can get mangled by cars backing up without looking or trucks loading and unload stuff not being careful on where they roll their pallets of merchandise.
So until a store provides sufficient secure storage, I will bring my bike in with me. I don't mind leaving it at the front entrance as long as there is space and someone is aware that it is my bike. Thieves tend not to take things inside of a store as easily as they do when it is outside.
Probably what got me going on this is the fact that my office management company, CB Richard Ellis, sent out an email banning bicycles in the offices. We have many cyclists who commute to work and it is not acceptable for many of us. Well, they backed down and said that we could use the freight elevator, which kind of is a solution, however when we go back down, the elevator for the freight elevator only has the up button, so it may take some time and there of course may be other passengers in there with you. At least our building provides a gym and locker rooms with showers. That is a positive check mark for them.
Bottom line, don't let people stop you from commuting, saving gas, helping the environment, and making one less car on the road.
Cyclists unite! Ban Giant Foods or send them an email letting you know your dissatisfaction with their rule.
I commuted to work last Monday, knowing it was going to be dry and hot out. I rode to the Giant Food on Arlington Road in Arlington to pick up my lunch and other supplies I would need for the week. This is typically my routine at least a couple of times a week. Sometimes I drop in at my local Giant on Western Avenue in Chevy Chase, MD on my way to work. I have always been greeted with friendly faces. Well not this past Monday. I arrived and carried my bike inside with me as usual, however as I went to grab a basket at the front door at the self service computer automated system, an African American lady barred my entrance and told me that I could not enter with my bicycle. This was the first time I was ever told of this and of course there are no signs saying the that case. I immediately turned around and mentioned that that was the last time I would go to Giant Foods. I then hopped on my bike looking for a Safeway where I could not remember where it was. Some runner on the sidewalk asked me if I needed help as I turned around going the other way at a traffic light. Nice guy... I asked him and he said there wasn't any around. He did mention the Harris Teeter on North Glebe Road a mile or so away. I knew where that was and decided that was my best bet.
I arrived, thinking that I may get the same treatment here. I strolled in with my bike in hand and headed towards the fruit section picked up several apples, bananas and started strolling towards the deli counter. A lady worker approached me and asked if I needed a bag to help me shop. I kindly responded yes, as I had my hands full. Not only was I surprised of her helpfulness and attitude, she rushed to get me a bag quickly and held it open for me to drop my food inside. I thanked her profusely and headed over the deli counter where I picked up some deli meats and cheese. I went through several more aisles and finished up at the cashier. As I was lining up they directed me to an new opened checkout. Total purchase: $28.+
On to work I went. What a different experience!
Three days later I checked out the Safeway on Lee Highway. No problem there either. In fact a couple of worker asked if I needed help looking for something as I was not familiar with the layout of the store.
I am just really surprised and taken a back from the greeting I got at the Giant on Arlington Road. I have been shopping there for over a year and have always found their employees very nice. The Asian guy at the Deli counter is always polite and asks me questions, the couple of ladies and one guy at the checkout line are always pleasant. The deli counter is really one of the best I've seen with a large Boars Head selection as well as other brands. I've always recommended my colleagues at work to go there as I have found it clean and a good value. So, I've done most of my shopping there, even stopping in the mornings or sometimes after work with my car to pick up the other things like laundry detergent, kitty litter, cat food, and other stuff my wife doesn't have a chance to pick up on her daily schedule. Those are days when I walk out spending over $70-$80 bucks and have a car. I guess they have done studies to show that bicyclists are not who they want shopping at their store cause they can't carry enough in their backpacks.
After the incident, I wrote an email to their consumer affairs department, which I have yet to hear any response to.
I ask you fellow cyclists to boycott Giant Foods, if you can till, I get a response from them. Or if you do go, with your bike, and have a different experience, please let me know.
I will not go to a store which does not allow me to either put the bike inside of the store as I have heard about people walking away with your bike when shopping. Arlington is not a high crime area, however, if you have a nice expensive bike, I don't think you'll want to leave it outside without someone watching it. Oh yeah.. I've also seen how bikes can get mangled by cars backing up without looking or trucks loading and unload stuff not being careful on where they roll their pallets of merchandise.
So until a store provides sufficient secure storage, I will bring my bike in with me. I don't mind leaving it at the front entrance as long as there is space and someone is aware that it is my bike. Thieves tend not to take things inside of a store as easily as they do when it is outside.
Probably what got me going on this is the fact that my office management company, CB Richard Ellis, sent out an email banning bicycles in the offices. We have many cyclists who commute to work and it is not acceptable for many of us. Well, they backed down and said that we could use the freight elevator, which kind of is a solution, however when we go back down, the elevator for the freight elevator only has the up button, so it may take some time and there of course may be other passengers in there with you. At least our building provides a gym and locker rooms with showers. That is a positive check mark for them.
Bottom line, don't let people stop you from commuting, saving gas, helping the environment, and making one less car on the road.
Cyclists unite! Ban Giant Foods or send them an email letting you know your dissatisfaction with their rule.
Friday, April 24, 2009
How to take a break.
I had been trying to get into a decent form, however family always comes first. So, after the Tysons Corner Circuit, I left on vacation with my family to China for three weeks. I didn't get on a bike the whole time and gained about 10 pounds from eating three to sometimes 4 meals a day. My body is totally out of whack now as I am trying to acclimate to the time difference. There's nothing like going being 12 hours difference. You're supposed to be sleeping when you're supposed to be totally awake half way around the world.
Well, China....I'll have some pictures to post later on.
The air in China was very polluted. Many of the days, all we could see was a layer of smog. Of course the fog/light rain/humidity didn't help either.
So, I'm finally back from China after a 34 hour trip back from Shanghai to Beijing, to JFK Airport to a family friend's house on Long Island, then drive back to DC.
The weather here seems to be looking really good for a ride this weekend, however, other family things are scheduled including two dinners with the wife for fund raising activities and of course other children's activities. I hope to get out for a long ride one of the days this weekend. Of course, I'll be suffering from three weeks off of the bike and from breathing in polluted air in China. Not to mention that many of the men there smoke heavily. It really amazed me to see how many people smoked in China. By the way.. their economy is growing at 8% or more. They are now the largest market for automobiles. It seems like Volkswagon, Saab, and BMW are doing decently there. Of course Honda and Toyota are plentiful as they have joint ventures there. I saw a few Buicks and one or two Fords there. It doesn't bode well for the American car companies. Chrysler, Pontiac, and Chevy were missing in action. By the way, if you go there, I don't recommend driving as it's crazy to understand how to navigate traffic. Everyone in the large cities just drive around 25-30 miles an hour, disregarding traffic lanes, traffic lights, even the police officers directing traffic. Pedestrians do not have right of way and many times are trapped between the flow of traffic with only a foot of clearance beteen them and the other cars, busses, trucks, scooters, bikes, motorcycles. They seem to have a death wish. Cars, bikes, many times drive on the opposite side of the road to try to pass, even when there are cars coming the opposite direction. I would not recommmend riding a bike there for fun (training), as you'll never get enough speed going and you risk always getting cut off. I actually saw a few riders (in their kits and helmets) riding on the highway of all places. I guess that's when you can really get a good training session going, however dangerous it is being passed by trucks, buses and moto scooters.
My family had a good time there and was definitely an experience. I'll blog more about the trip later on.
I'm glad to be back in the US again, cleaner air, more space and I can ride my bike again. China definetly is not a Communist society anymore, they are so much like the US as they totally understand capitalism. Money, investments, productivity, selling and buying goods and services, REAL ESTATE, are all very much alive and well there. I think the only thing keeping them a socialist economy is the fact that they still need to support all of their people in the more rural areas who don't have access to money as easily as the population in the major cities. The other thing is the one child per couple law... They understand that it is necessary to prevent over population, however deep in their heart they want to have the freedom of choice of having more if they can afford it. The rich do have that ability as they can go out side of the country to have their births which don't count against them. Anyway, their country is continuing to grow even in the world ression and they actually said that they believe they've seen the bottom and are now going to trend upwards again. Good for them as hopefully this can help the US economy more (even if it is indirectly through global trade)
TTFN.
Well, China....I'll have some pictures to post later on.
The air in China was very polluted. Many of the days, all we could see was a layer of smog. Of course the fog/light rain/humidity didn't help either.
So, I'm finally back from China after a 34 hour trip back from Shanghai to Beijing, to JFK Airport to a family friend's house on Long Island, then drive back to DC.
The weather here seems to be looking really good for a ride this weekend, however, other family things are scheduled including two dinners with the wife for fund raising activities and of course other children's activities. I hope to get out for a long ride one of the days this weekend. Of course, I'll be suffering from three weeks off of the bike and from breathing in polluted air in China. Not to mention that many of the men there smoke heavily. It really amazed me to see how many people smoked in China. By the way.. their economy is growing at 8% or more. They are now the largest market for automobiles. It seems like Volkswagon, Saab, and BMW are doing decently there. Of course Honda and Toyota are plentiful as they have joint ventures there. I saw a few Buicks and one or two Fords there. It doesn't bode well for the American car companies. Chrysler, Pontiac, and Chevy were missing in action. By the way, if you go there, I don't recommend driving as it's crazy to understand how to navigate traffic. Everyone in the large cities just drive around 25-30 miles an hour, disregarding traffic lanes, traffic lights, even the police officers directing traffic. Pedestrians do not have right of way and many times are trapped between the flow of traffic with only a foot of clearance beteen them and the other cars, busses, trucks, scooters, bikes, motorcycles. They seem to have a death wish. Cars, bikes, many times drive on the opposite side of the road to try to pass, even when there are cars coming the opposite direction. I would not recommmend riding a bike there for fun (training), as you'll never get enough speed going and you risk always getting cut off. I actually saw a few riders (in their kits and helmets) riding on the highway of all places. I guess that's when you can really get a good training session going, however dangerous it is being passed by trucks, buses and moto scooters.
My family had a good time there and was definitely an experience. I'll blog more about the trip later on.
I'm glad to be back in the US again, cleaner air, more space and I can ride my bike again. China definetly is not a Communist society anymore, they are so much like the US as they totally understand capitalism. Money, investments, productivity, selling and buying goods and services, REAL ESTATE, are all very much alive and well there. I think the only thing keeping them a socialist economy is the fact that they still need to support all of their people in the more rural areas who don't have access to money as easily as the population in the major cities. The other thing is the one child per couple law... They understand that it is necessary to prevent over population, however deep in their heart they want to have the freedom of choice of having more if they can afford it. The rich do have that ability as they can go out side of the country to have their births which don't count against them. Anyway, their country is continuing to grow even in the world ression and they actually said that they believe they've seen the bottom and are now going to trend upwards again. Good for them as hopefully this can help the US economy more (even if it is indirectly through global trade)
TTFN.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
You got Dropped, Tour of Walkersville.
Yep... I saw Lance Lacy this morning and laughed about the You got Dropped blog. Well, I was looking for a photographer, to give him the thumbs up sign to say I was Lance today. That's all I could think about chuckling as I got dropped only because my head wasn't in it. I was the Lantern Rouge for the 4th and 5th lap. I was getting cramps in my right side and had no power to move forward. The wind was my enemy! All I could think about was, why am I not protected within the pack. I guess after the crash by a Coppi rider, I had to sprint to catch back on to the back. That was after I already made a substantia effort to close down the gap on the two riders ahead. My fingers were cramping... I've got to reposition my brake hoods I think as it happens every once in a while. Being in the back (traded positions with Rayman this weekend), I suffered even more as I couldn't find a draft and I was constantly trying to close a gap caused by others. One of my fellow riders made an impressive move closing a gap which I could not close. I have to thank him!... however it wasn't any good for me as my head wasn't in the race because of the wind. I was pingged at 203bpm on my heart rate monitor... That's my max heartrate and recently I haven't ever gotten that high, so I was toast. I eased up and let the pack ride away knowing that I would be cutting it short to go home and pack for my vacation and to attend a big dinner for a family friend who turned 90 today. Well, maybe I'll see my picture on the You Got Dropped blog.. It will be funny. See you tomorrow at Tysons and I hope I'll be able to do something.
The worst part of this... I got dropped by a bunch of 50+ racers. They are definitely hardcore. I guess not riding except once this week is a good excuse.. Maybe I'll have to ride with the Trasher ride again.
The worst part of this... I got dropped by a bunch of 50+ racers. They are definitely hardcore. I guess not riding except once this week is a good excuse.. Maybe I'll have to ride with the Trasher ride again.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Jefferson Cup Masters 35+
Here are the results of the 35+ race. What amazes me is how many of the guys here are all over 40. Of the top 10 there is only one who is 35-39. Of the top 20 there are only 4 more. I guess the 35-39 guys are still racing CAT123's. So the question of lowering the race category to 35, did it make sense?
Masters 35+
1 norton rick LSV/Kelly Benefit Strategies 42
2 Wirsing Jon Van Dessel Factory Team 39
3 O'Malley Justin Red Lantern Racing 40
4 Gillespie Bob All American Bicycle Club 48
5 king daniel Van Dessel Factory Team 42
6 king mark van dessel factory team 49
7 Brown Arthur Team Latitude/ABRT 51
8 Lusby Steve Kelly Benefit Strategies/LSV Am 40
9 frazer marc Kelly Benefit Strategies/LSV Am 45
10 Strimbu Gregory Squadra Coppi 40
11 Hosang Michael Tripower 36
12 Scharff David Kelly Benefit Strategies/LSV Am 46
13 Sorrell Bryan ATLANTIC VELO 37
14 Friend Roger Monticello Velo Club/Blue Wheel 49
15 Clarke Christopher NCVC/Inova Health System 45
16 Netsch Robert GS OUTERBANKS 46
17 Coffman Michael NCVC/Inova Health System 39
18 McDermott Ace Team Latitude/ABRT 44
19 Robinson Stephen Squadra Coppi/IM SAAB 37
20 Fang Harry NCVC/Inova Health System 45
21 Byvik Larry 540Cycling 44
22 Nusbaum John 540Cycling.com 43
23 King Michael Saroff Racing 43
24 Neigh Matthew AABC
25 Klein Marc NCVC/Inova Health System 38
26 Scanlon Bill Van Dessel Factory Team 41
27 Estes James Hilton Cycling Club/Team Conte' 43
28 Goble Chip Team Nature's Path / 3-Sports 38
29 lyons thomas main line cycling- bikyle 46
30 Reidenbach Fred IMMEDIATE MORTGAGE - ARTEMIS EL 44
31 Gros Bill Evolution Cycling Club 45
32 McNelis Edward Team Nature's Path/3Sports 45
33 Draffen Thomas Whole Wheel Velo Club 36
34 Barry Ronald All American Bicycle Club 45
35 Reeder Keith Team Latitude/ABRT 43
36 HESSIAN JOHN CARYTOWN BICYCLE COMPANY 39
37 Michaels Ted Evolution Cycling 38
38 plewacki ray Evolution Cycling 49
39 kutney Mark VAN DESSEL FACTORY TEAM 51
40 Gaudio Jon Team Nature's Path / 3-Sports 38
41 Breslin Bill IMMEDIATE MORTGAGE - ARTEMIS EL
42 Satterfield Michael Mock Orange Bikes 43
43 Basler Paul Team Saroff 37
44 Albanese Matt Team Latitude/ABRT 43
45 Guttridge Ryan Latitude/ABRT 43
46 russell derek coastal racing 36
47 Manyoky Ray Clean Currents p/b Don Beyer Vo 46
48 Opria George Evolution Cycling Club 40
49 Richeson, Jr. Tom Virginia Beach Velo 48
50 Suydam Robert Virginia Beach Velo 43
51 Soma Grant Saroff Racing Team 49
52 Billington Bryan Toms Shoes 39
53 Henrickson David 540cycling.com 40
54 Houff Thomas Hefler Performance Coaching 45
55 Line Aric The Bike Lane 38
Anyway, here's my opinion of yesterday's race.
The weather was beautiful, though a bit too hot for me, so early in the season. My helmet was totally encrusted with salt as I was sweating a LOT. I heard many saying that the 2nd lap was extremely fast; I didn't notice that fact as I was in the front pack just motoring along. The third lap was animated with a couple of breaks, the second which finally stuck. I made a move, probably too late trying to bridge to the four guys up the road. I was kind of amazed that the pack didn't try to chase. I looked back after a half of a mile or so and I didn't see anyone behind me. About another 1/2 mile I was gaining on the guy stuck in the middle, however, when I turned around, I could see the pack gaining on me as well. Oh well, I gave up my chase thinking that the pack would ultimately catch the breakaway riders. I never got into a rhythm as I was going at 90-100 percent effort. When I got caught, the pack was going pretty fast up the hill and I hung on trying to recover, slowly but surely, I moved to the back. On the fourth lap, I felt that I had bonked. When the pack streamlined out, I could barely hang on pedaling as fast and hard as I could with the cross wind, slowing me down every so much, thinking it was time to give up. I had a teammate in the back with me and another old teammate back there with me as well. We chatted a bit, making sure they knew I was suffering, hoping that I wouldn't cause a gap. I knew I was out of gas, so I reached into my back pocket, grabbed my half eaten Cliff Bar and shoved it into my mouth. There's nothing like not being able to dissolve the bar in your mouth, as there was a lack of saliva. I chugged down some water and hit helped a bit. All while I'm trying to hang on! Breathing through my nose isn't typically easy for me, as my nostrils are not too big and to prove it, you'll see my pictures always with my mouth open gasping for air. On the fifth lap, I seemed to get my second wind about half of the way through that lap. I started moving up towards the front when I could and eventually found myself behind a couple of guy I know who could sprint. Unfortunately this was about 2 KM out and the pace slowed for a second and it all bunched up people jostling for a position. The effort I put out was enough for my legs as I started feeling the cramping in my calves and quads. I had to ease up. Many riders moved around and I found myself towards the back again. The final 200 meters came and I started my sprint, though it was very late, and without much power as I was too afraid I would get the sudden all stop cramps. Well, the race was a good one, very tiring and warm. Of course, you could ask my teammate, he was saying he was really fresh as he sat on the back. I think it's much harder in the back than it is in the front.
Oh yeah... I check last year's course... it was only 50 miles so they added an additional lap this year, why? Probably because we added the 35-39 year olds.
Ruth and Monticello Velo Club/Blue Wheel, thanks for a safe and fun race, again! Next time...hopefully it won't be the VA Championship RR. Too many riders who were in top shape already.
Masters 35+
1 norton rick LSV/Kelly Benefit Strategies 42
2 Wirsing Jon Van Dessel Factory Team 39
3 O'Malley Justin Red Lantern Racing 40
4 Gillespie Bob All American Bicycle Club 48
5 king daniel Van Dessel Factory Team 42
6 king mark van dessel factory team 49
7 Brown Arthur Team Latitude/ABRT 51
8 Lusby Steve Kelly Benefit Strategies/LSV Am 40
9 frazer marc Kelly Benefit Strategies/LSV Am 45
10 Strimbu Gregory Squadra Coppi 40
11 Hosang Michael Tripower 36
12 Scharff David Kelly Benefit Strategies/LSV Am 46
13 Sorrell Bryan ATLANTIC VELO 37
14 Friend Roger Monticello Velo Club/Blue Wheel 49
15 Clarke Christopher NCVC/Inova Health System 45
16 Netsch Robert GS OUTERBANKS 46
17 Coffman Michael NCVC/Inova Health System 39
18 McDermott Ace Team Latitude/ABRT 44
19 Robinson Stephen Squadra Coppi/IM SAAB 37
20 Fang Harry NCVC/Inova Health System 45
21 Byvik Larry 540Cycling 44
22 Nusbaum John 540Cycling.com 43
23 King Michael Saroff Racing 43
24 Neigh Matthew AABC
25 Klein Marc NCVC/Inova Health System 38
26 Scanlon Bill Van Dessel Factory Team 41
27 Estes James Hilton Cycling Club/Team Conte' 43
28 Goble Chip Team Nature's Path / 3-Sports 38
29 lyons thomas main line cycling- bikyle 46
30 Reidenbach Fred IMMEDIATE MORTGAGE - ARTEMIS EL 44
31 Gros Bill Evolution Cycling Club 45
32 McNelis Edward Team Nature's Path/3Sports 45
33 Draffen Thomas Whole Wheel Velo Club 36
34 Barry Ronald All American Bicycle Club 45
35 Reeder Keith Team Latitude/ABRT 43
36 HESSIAN JOHN CARYTOWN BICYCLE COMPANY 39
37 Michaels Ted Evolution Cycling 38
38 plewacki ray Evolution Cycling 49
39 kutney Mark VAN DESSEL FACTORY TEAM 51
40 Gaudio Jon Team Nature's Path / 3-Sports 38
41 Breslin Bill IMMEDIATE MORTGAGE - ARTEMIS EL
42 Satterfield Michael Mock Orange Bikes 43
43 Basler Paul Team Saroff 37
44 Albanese Matt Team Latitude/ABRT 43
45 Guttridge Ryan Latitude/ABRT 43
46 russell derek coastal racing 36
47 Manyoky Ray Clean Currents p/b Don Beyer Vo 46
48 Opria George Evolution Cycling Club 40
49 Richeson, Jr. Tom Virginia Beach Velo 48
50 Suydam Robert Virginia Beach Velo 43
51 Soma Grant Saroff Racing Team 49
52 Billington Bryan Toms Shoes 39
53 Henrickson David 540cycling.com 40
54 Houff Thomas Hefler Performance Coaching 45
55 Line Aric The Bike Lane 38
Anyway, here's my opinion of yesterday's race.
The weather was beautiful, though a bit too hot for me, so early in the season. My helmet was totally encrusted with salt as I was sweating a LOT. I heard many saying that the 2nd lap was extremely fast; I didn't notice that fact as I was in the front pack just motoring along. The third lap was animated with a couple of breaks, the second which finally stuck. I made a move, probably too late trying to bridge to the four guys up the road. I was kind of amazed that the pack didn't try to chase. I looked back after a half of a mile or so and I didn't see anyone behind me. About another 1/2 mile I was gaining on the guy stuck in the middle, however, when I turned around, I could see the pack gaining on me as well. Oh well, I gave up my chase thinking that the pack would ultimately catch the breakaway riders. I never got into a rhythm as I was going at 90-100 percent effort. When I got caught, the pack was going pretty fast up the hill and I hung on trying to recover, slowly but surely, I moved to the back. On the fourth lap, I felt that I had bonked. When the pack streamlined out, I could barely hang on pedaling as fast and hard as I could with the cross wind, slowing me down every so much, thinking it was time to give up. I had a teammate in the back with me and another old teammate back there with me as well. We chatted a bit, making sure they knew I was suffering, hoping that I wouldn't cause a gap. I knew I was out of gas, so I reached into my back pocket, grabbed my half eaten Cliff Bar and shoved it into my mouth. There's nothing like not being able to dissolve the bar in your mouth, as there was a lack of saliva. I chugged down some water and hit helped a bit. All while I'm trying to hang on! Breathing through my nose isn't typically easy for me, as my nostrils are not too big and to prove it, you'll see my pictures always with my mouth open gasping for air. On the fifth lap, I seemed to get my second wind about half of the way through that lap. I started moving up towards the front when I could and eventually found myself behind a couple of guy I know who could sprint. Unfortunately this was about 2 KM out and the pace slowed for a second and it all bunched up people jostling for a position. The effort I put out was enough for my legs as I started feeling the cramping in my calves and quads. I had to ease up. Many riders moved around and I found myself towards the back again. The final 200 meters came and I started my sprint, though it was very late, and without much power as I was too afraid I would get the sudden all stop cramps. Well, the race was a good one, very tiring and warm. Of course, you could ask my teammate, he was saying he was really fresh as he sat on the back. I think it's much harder in the back than it is in the front.
Oh yeah... I check last year's course... it was only 50 miles so they added an additional lap this year, why? Probably because we added the 35-39 year olds.
Ruth and Monticello Velo Club/Blue Wheel, thanks for a safe and fun race, again! Next time...hopefully it won't be the VA Championship RR. Too many riders who were in top shape already.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Where are they?
As I haven't been able to do too many weekend group rides (especially the 7am DCVelo), I haven's seen some of the usual suspects:
Do you know if they are racing this year?
Adam Fung? Last time I heard he was leaving the area. I think we went to Washington State. Well.. good.. he won't be able to hurt me in the rides anymore, though he's already been replaced with several of the Harley guys. I hope he's doing well.. His blog isn't updated...
Joe Baremore? I hadn't seen Joe around. Any DCVelo guys know where he is? He won't be dropping me on the climbs anymore and breaking away solo...
Guess, I should ride some of the weekend rides sometimes to get an update.
Do you know if they are racing this year?
Adam Fung? Last time I heard he was leaving the area. I think we went to Washington State. Well.. good.. he won't be able to hurt me in the rides anymore, though he's already been replaced with several of the Harley guys. I hope he's doing well.. His blog isn't updated...
Joe Baremore? I hadn't seen Joe around. Any DCVelo guys know where he is? He won't be dropping me on the climbs anymore and breaking away solo...
Guess, I should ride some of the weekend rides sometimes to get an update.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
GamJams Reviews: Cleaners & Degreasers
As you might know me, I always try to do thing cheaply. I don't buy the stuff from the bike stores as it's really expensive.
When it comes to cleaning the bike, I love this stuff. De-Solve-it Contractors Solvent.
It's non non-hazardous, non-corrosive and works like a charm and has that orange oil cleaner in it. It even has a bit ability to lube and get things unstuck.
http://www.dtep.com/de-solve-it.htm
I buy this stuff usually in a gallon jug as it's not too expensive in comparison to the Goo be Gone stuff which is much more expensive in the tiny bottle.
Buy a spray bottle and fill it up and you can just spray this on the chain, use a toothbrush and scrub to loosen the harder dried up gunk and wipe with a rag. Sometimes, I'll just spray it on, use the hose and spray water on it, then dry with a rag.
The other way you can clean the chain is to break the chain and dip it in paint thinner. Paint thinner is really cheap for a gallon jug. Even much less than the De-Solve-it stuff and works wonders. Leave it in a shallow pan and get your old toothbrushes out. After about 3 minutes of sitting there and scrubbing, take it out and rinse. The chain looks really clean.. However I've been told by one of my trusted mechanics that cleaning the chain like that, causes the chain to stretch more easily as you remove all the tiny particles within the links causing the chain to loosen and stretch more. Oh well, at least it's clean. I don't often do the chain cleaning like that however it makes it really clean, only to get dirty after a few rides.
Back to cleaning the bike.. you can spray the De-Solve-It stuff on the bike as well. Any areas where it's dirty it can clean it. It safe for cured, lacquered, or dried paint. I don't leave it on too long just in case.
This stuff also works wonders on tubular cement/glue. It takes the glue off of the rims, sidewalls, if you make a mistake.
What else... oh yeah. if you carry the bike in the car and the grease gets on the seats or carpets, one spray and a scrub with a rag, gets the grease right out. Make sure that the rag is cotton so it absorbs the liquid instead of just rubbing it around and spreading the grease.
Try it and you'll like it! By the way, this stuff can be found in the paint or adhesive aisle in the local hardware store or buy it online.
Hope this helped.
When it comes to cleaning the bike, I love this stuff. De-Solve-it Contractors Solvent.
It's non non-hazardous, non-corrosive and works like a charm and has that orange oil cleaner in it. It even has a bit ability to lube and get things unstuck.
http://www.dtep.com/de-solve-it.htm
I buy this stuff usually in a gallon jug as it's not too expensive in comparison to the Goo be Gone stuff which is much more expensive in the tiny bottle.
Buy a spray bottle and fill it up and you can just spray this on the chain, use a toothbrush and scrub to loosen the harder dried up gunk and wipe with a rag. Sometimes, I'll just spray it on, use the hose and spray water on it, then dry with a rag.
The other way you can clean the chain is to break the chain and dip it in paint thinner. Paint thinner is really cheap for a gallon jug. Even much less than the De-Solve-it stuff and works wonders. Leave it in a shallow pan and get your old toothbrushes out. After about 3 minutes of sitting there and scrubbing, take it out and rinse. The chain looks really clean.. However I've been told by one of my trusted mechanics that cleaning the chain like that, causes the chain to stretch more easily as you remove all the tiny particles within the links causing the chain to loosen and stretch more. Oh well, at least it's clean. I don't often do the chain cleaning like that however it makes it really clean, only to get dirty after a few rides.
Back to cleaning the bike.. you can spray the De-Solve-It stuff on the bike as well. Any areas where it's dirty it can clean it. It safe for cured, lacquered, or dried paint. I don't leave it on too long just in case.
This stuff also works wonders on tubular cement/glue. It takes the glue off of the rims, sidewalls, if you make a mistake.
What else... oh yeah. if you carry the bike in the car and the grease gets on the seats or carpets, one spray and a scrub with a rag, gets the grease right out. Make sure that the rag is cotton so it absorbs the liquid instead of just rubbing it around and spreading the grease.
Try it and you'll like it! By the way, this stuff can be found in the paint or adhesive aisle in the local hardware store or buy it online.
Hope this helped.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Paris to Nice update: Contador Blows It!
Guess, I was wrong. Alberto Contador blew it. He cracked (bonked)and lost so much time yesterday that it was very difficult for him to actually make it up today. I guess you can chalk this up as a learning experience for him. A few things you can surmise from this race about Contador, he's young, very strong, and beatable. Team Astana definitely didn't have the support for him. Of course, you can't expect to win all of the major events he's racing in. The coaching is definitely making him a better all around racer. His time trialing ability really has become much better. If Astana puts a strong team supporting him, he will be a hard guy to beat. They have to be there just like how they were there to protect and execute the moves for Lance Armstrong. The big question is will they be there during the Tour de France? And who will they work for?
Friday, March 13, 2009
Paris-Nice: Contador redeems himself.
I just finished watching the live coverage of Paris-Nice Stage 6 Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux - La Montagne de Lure.
I have to say Team Astana did its part today and helped Contador win today and gain enough time over Silvain Chavanel to take the leader's jersey. I think this is all over.
I have to give credit today to Jens Voigt for his early attack. He's a machine! Contador, however just rode away from the rest of them including Fränk Schleck. His tempo was tremendous and no one could keep up. This reminded me of the days of Lance Armstrong attacking up Mt. Ventoux and no one could match him. I don't think Lance can have a chance of of beating Contador if it was up hill climbing. Contador, though an amazing climber, still doesn't have the maturity/experience to control the peleton as Lance did. Having Lance ride for him will ensure that he wins again, however the question is will Lance really ride for him? The day before was proof that Contador couldn't control the situation as the Rabobank team did an incredible attack and Contador was nowhere insight and couldn't react. Team Astana didn't support their leader in any way that day.
I have to say I have not followed Paris-Nice in the past, however with streaming video, it's become much more exciting. I don't know if it always has been this exciting, however, technology has made it more accessible for all of us.
Now, it's up to Team Astana to lose this for Alberto. I don't think that's possible, however you never know.
I have to say Team Astana did its part today and helped Contador win today and gain enough time over Silvain Chavanel to take the leader's jersey. I think this is all over.
I have to give credit today to Jens Voigt for his early attack. He's a machine! Contador, however just rode away from the rest of them including Fränk Schleck. His tempo was tremendous and no one could keep up. This reminded me of the days of Lance Armstrong attacking up Mt. Ventoux and no one could match him. I don't think Lance can have a chance of of beating Contador if it was up hill climbing. Contador, though an amazing climber, still doesn't have the maturity/experience to control the peleton as Lance did. Having Lance ride for him will ensure that he wins again, however the question is will Lance really ride for him? The day before was proof that Contador couldn't control the situation as the Rabobank team did an incredible attack and Contador was nowhere insight and couldn't react. Team Astana didn't support their leader in any way that day.
I have to say I have not followed Paris-Nice in the past, however with streaming video, it's become much more exciting. I don't know if it always has been this exciting, however, technology has made it more accessible for all of us.
Now, it's up to Team Astana to lose this for Alberto. I don't think that's possible, however you never know.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Off Topic Post.
Since I'm involved with Technology all of the time, there are sometimes some real cool things out there.
For example, here are a few things which I think I'll be using more in the future:
Palm Pre: Palm Pre Link This is going to be the iPhone killer. For those who don't believe me, don't say I didn't tell you.
Hulu: Hulu This is the next way to watch videos. For Free!!
As far as more cool bike stuff... we'll I'd rather have have the heart, lungs, legs and recovery ability which can just out power the rest of them at any whim. I don't know how the old 35+ Chuck Hutch does it, however powering at 28 MPH at Hains Point with the wind at your face, dragging around a time trial biker while dropping the rest of us is fricken impressive. Now, if I had his legs all of you would be toast. Forget the nice wheels, forget the power meters, I'd just drop you like it's nothing. Oh by the way, I hear he's leaving Battley Harley and joining NCVC. :) We could use someone with his power on our Masters 35+ team.
For example, here are a few things which I think I'll be using more in the future:
Palm Pre: Palm Pre Link This is going to be the iPhone killer. For those who don't believe me, don't say I didn't tell you.
Hulu: Hulu This is the next way to watch videos. For Free!!
As far as more cool bike stuff... we'll I'd rather have have the heart, lungs, legs and recovery ability which can just out power the rest of them at any whim. I don't know how the old 35+ Chuck Hutch does it, however powering at 28 MPH at Hains Point with the wind at your face, dragging around a time trial biker while dropping the rest of us is fricken impressive. Now, if I had his legs all of you would be toast. Forget the nice wheels, forget the power meters, I'd just drop you like it's nothing. Oh by the way, I hear he's leaving Battley Harley and joining NCVC. :) We could use someone with his power on our Masters 35+ team.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Trade Zone not!
I rode almost 4 days straight this past week, even while having a cold. You know the same one everyone has. Stuffed nose, sinus pain, mucus everywhere including your lungs. Well, even with all this, I was planning to make a show of Trade Zone. I thought I didn't have any real conflicts with the race, except the weather! Well, not so, our neighbor asked us to attend a local fund raising event the night before. You know, the one which suckers you in to buying something you don't need. Well, it was for the kids. Another bunch of money down the drain for something your kids don't really need or want. Could have been a down payment on a new frame which my team wants me to get. Well, that's not going to happen. Well, it was enjoyable anyway, with a few glasses of wine and appetizers. I actually got home early enough to get some sleep. I awoke at 6:30 am and looked out the window... well a light dusting of snow. It was wet however, could it dry in time for Trade Zone. I went to my computer and low and behold, the cancellation emails had already gone around. Well, no riding for me. I took the rest of the day relaxing and watching a movie with my wife and children, then on with the end of the season hockey parties. I'm getting tired of hockey... time to hopefully focus on my racing. I was looking forward to racing as a team this year as in the past it was typically just me riding solo. If I wasn't in a break, there was little chance I could bridge the break or have several work with me to chase down the break. ABRT did a great job last year at making sure no one would catch their leaders. TZ was going to be a good experiment for our team. Many of us have ridden on different teams last year and this year, well it hopefully would be different. Well, no luck on Sunday... so I may not get to do TZ this year as I think the next couple of weekends are already scheduled with hockey events again. I'm registered for Walkersville as well as Jeff Cup. We'll see how we do. It is interesting on how quickly the fields are filling up this year even with the entry fees so high.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Castelli Pioggia Winter Glove part 2
I told you that I would provide you a review of the gloves I recently purchased. Well they came in time for me to test them out on a couple of short 1 hour rides. My first impression when I received them were that they were decent looking, though much more bulky than my older gloves. Yep, these were like ski gloves The glove's liner is fleece and feels nice and soft when you put your fingers inside. I got a large and they fit like med-large, which was perfect for me as I didn't want alot of bulk at the finger tips. Like any decent glove, it's warm if there is extra space for trapping air. The Pioggia has a bit of bulk with the internal fleece glove lining and the outer windproof shell. It was about 25 degrees out and my hands didn't feel overly warm nor did they feel cold. I did sweat in them, however because it's fleece, the glove didn't feel wet, except when I took them off. At that time it pretty much was like pulling your gloves inside out. There is no stitching to keep the fingers in place with the outer shell. I guess the good thing is that you could pull it out to dry quicker and you can wash just the lining part.
My over all opinion is that this glove provides good warmth but at a cost of bulkiness. I actually prefer my cheap Novara gloves as they are much thinner and are decently warm when riding in 30+ degree weather. So my Pioggia gloves will be used when I'm a spectator for cold events and when it's below 25 degrees otherwise my holey Novara gloves are just fine.
Recap at the Point: Hard ride, for the most part extremely fast. My ass is in pain. Decent sprints and thanks to my teammate Pete, he led me out at the right time to take the sprint. I'm in no sprinting shape yet, however it was a good feeling to know it's still there. I kind of died after the second time we sprinted and the other guys continued to go hard at 12:58. I was on my warm down lap getting ready to ride back to work. However, I have to say, I'm impressed by all of the power out there so early in the season. I'm wondering if I should sandbag and focus on peaking in the later summer instead, when everyone's burned out. I think all of this social networking through these blogs and listservs are really creating a stir out there. Everyone is strong so early!
My over all opinion is that this glove provides good warmth but at a cost of bulkiness. I actually prefer my cheap Novara gloves as they are much thinner and are decently warm when riding in 30+ degree weather. So my Pioggia gloves will be used when I'm a spectator for cold events and when it's below 25 degrees otherwise my holey Novara gloves are just fine.
Recap at the Point: Hard ride, for the most part extremely fast. My ass is in pain. Decent sprints and thanks to my teammate Pete, he led me out at the right time to take the sprint. I'm in no sprinting shape yet, however it was a good feeling to know it's still there. I kind of died after the second time we sprinted and the other guys continued to go hard at 12:58. I was on my warm down lap getting ready to ride back to work. However, I have to say, I'm impressed by all of the power out there so early in the season. I'm wondering if I should sandbag and focus on peaking in the later summer instead, when everyone's burned out. I think all of this social networking through these blogs and listservs are really creating a stir out there. Everyone is strong so early!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Blown!
How many of the blogs over the last couple of days have blow in the title?
Hurray! I've got in 5 straight days of riding! This is a record. Of course, how many hours each was it? Many of the days it was about 40 minutes a couple of days it was a bit over an hour. So all in all, my riding has been fairly productive in getting my heart and lungs in shape.
The last few days I went down to Hains Point. Yesterday Jesse Leifert, pretty much summed it up on his blog Le Amateur Domestique. Yes, it was windy and the Harley and DCVelo boys just made it look too easy. I went around a couple of laps with them and decided to drop after the final turn, where they were supposed to recover. No.. they decided to teach some of us a lesson and hammered away.
Today, I arrived at around 12:35 after a meeting downtown and while getting dressed, watched 2-Speed Chuck and Bryan Butts hammer away together. After I was ready a minute or so, I joined a small group going at an easy pace. I stayed at the end of the pack not trying to cause any commotion. I finally moved up front to see James "Giacomo" Belora leading the pack, he said he had already been going around several times already getting blown. The pace was a bit slow for me so I picked up the pace and then around the curve, bam! I got hit by this incredible wind gust! It almost stopped me in my tracks. It felt like I was starting to climb a steep hill with all that resistance. I just kept rotating my feet around and around, trying to keep a good cadence going. Around to the front side where the wind was assisting instead of hindering me, I picked the pace up again. Nice and steady with good speed. Then again on to the back side, this time I upped my cadence to around 85-90 rpm. It felt easier and I was moving around 16 MPH. Then I hear this cranking sound and whoosh...here comes Chuck and Bryan going around me like I was standing still. They were probably going at an 18 to 20 MPH clip. There wasn't anything I could do. I couldn't suck wheel because they gapped me quickly for me to react. All I'm saying is that I don't know how they can keep up that pace and power...I was just too damned amazed at their continued effort. I can tell that these guys are going to cause some real pain out there this year.
Hurray! I've got in 5 straight days of riding! This is a record. Of course, how many hours each was it? Many of the days it was about 40 minutes a couple of days it was a bit over an hour. So all in all, my riding has been fairly productive in getting my heart and lungs in shape.
The last few days I went down to Hains Point. Yesterday Jesse Leifert, pretty much summed it up on his blog Le Amateur Domestique. Yes, it was windy and the Harley and DCVelo boys just made it look too easy. I went around a couple of laps with them and decided to drop after the final turn, where they were supposed to recover. No.. they decided to teach some of us a lesson and hammered away.
Today, I arrived at around 12:35 after a meeting downtown and while getting dressed, watched 2-Speed Chuck and Bryan Butts hammer away together. After I was ready a minute or so, I joined a small group going at an easy pace. I stayed at the end of the pack not trying to cause any commotion. I finally moved up front to see James "Giacomo" Belora leading the pack, he said he had already been going around several times already getting blown. The pace was a bit slow for me so I picked up the pace and then around the curve, bam! I got hit by this incredible wind gust! It almost stopped me in my tracks. It felt like I was starting to climb a steep hill with all that resistance. I just kept rotating my feet around and around, trying to keep a good cadence going. Around to the front side where the wind was assisting instead of hindering me, I picked the pace up again. Nice and steady with good speed. Then again on to the back side, this time I upped my cadence to around 85-90 rpm. It felt easier and I was moving around 16 MPH. Then I hear this cranking sound and whoosh...here comes Chuck and Bryan going around me like I was standing still. They were probably going at an 18 to 20 MPH clip. There wasn't anything I could do. I couldn't suck wheel because they gapped me quickly for me to react. All I'm saying is that I don't know how they can keep up that pace and power...I was just too damned amazed at their continued effort. I can tell that these guys are going to cause some real pain out there this year.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Castelli Pioggia Winter Glove
I broke down today as I couldn't pass up a good deal. I ordered a pair of Castelli Piogga gloves in a large today. I'm hoping that they work well. I've seen these in the past in shops, however they are damn expensive. Typically over $60 for them. I needed a new pair of winter gloves as my other winter gloves are full of holes and they don't really keep me that warm.
The Castelli Piogga gloves are supposed to be water proof as well, so those cold rainy races early in the season should be a good test for them.
I'll let you know in a future blog post how these rate.
This was my first week where I rode more than twice. I rode Sunday for about 30 minutes. I rode at noon yesterday for about 40 minutes. And today, I rode for an hour during the hill ride in Arlington. The Coppi guys invited this kid (26 yrs old) mountain biker to come out and ride with us. He shredded us on the sprints and up the hills pretty badly. My heart rate was pinging over 180 for a good portion of the ride. I basically blew up one time up a hill. I was pretty satisfied though with my riding considering I haven't ridden more than once a week for the 4 weeks or so. So much for putting the miles in off season. We are in season once again. Let the races begin! Most of the riders with me were definitely in better shape than I. The suffering was good and I need to do more of it.
I'm planning to ride in to work more often now, unless it becomes damn cold again.
The Castelli Piogga gloves are supposed to be water proof as well, so those cold rainy races early in the season should be a good test for them.
I'll let you know in a future blog post how these rate.
This was my first week where I rode more than twice. I rode Sunday for about 30 minutes. I rode at noon yesterday for about 40 minutes. And today, I rode for an hour during the hill ride in Arlington. The Coppi guys invited this kid (26 yrs old) mountain biker to come out and ride with us. He shredded us on the sprints and up the hills pretty badly. My heart rate was pinging over 180 for a good portion of the ride. I basically blew up one time up a hill. I was pretty satisfied though with my riding considering I haven't ridden more than once a week for the 4 weeks or so. So much for putting the miles in off season. We are in season once again. Let the races begin! Most of the riders with me were definitely in better shape than I. The suffering was good and I need to do more of it.
I'm planning to ride in to work more often now, unless it becomes damn cold again.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Big Kahunas and racing as a Master.
Here's an email I received recently as we were emailing about a long ride on the weekend. It would have been something I would have loved to do.... however a 4 to 5 hour ride is something I very rarely ever get to do. I think I rode once last year to Sugarloaf Mountain from Beach Drive (about 80 miles), of course I didn't ride with a bunch of hard core racers, just some fit weekend warriors. I did much of the pulling though. I got home and ate a whole lot of pasta and food, took a nice long shower and passed out on the couch trying to watch some bad rerun of TV shows.
My response to the ride was that I didn't think I could go.. however, during my creation of the email I thought of it more and realized I couldn't make it because of my children's sporting events and that I would be attending a evening function with my wife and had to be energetic for the whole event, which I probably wouldn't be if I rode for 5 hours. And of course, as out of shape I'm in, no riding for the past couple of weeks, with all of the poor weather and other stuff I have to do... this was one of the responses:
"You guys are pathetic. You need to let the family know who is The
Boss. Last Sunday I did the cyclocross race in the morning (placed
xxth), got home, had some lunch, then went back out and rode for
another hour since it was 65 degrees. Wife and children completely
indifferent to my absence. Returned home, kicked back on couch,
watched soccer then Super Bowl. King for A Day, as it is every day at
my house."
Well he's is the man...the "king" in my book. If you can do that every day... well he/she must have it good. Most of us in the real world don't have this luxury. I know some of the Seniors can do that cause they still have no responsibilities... or they just don't have a life. Would I trade my life to be able to have the ability to ride 5 hours? then go home watch a movie, then sit and watch a football game in the emvening? Probably not... though I do dream of that every once in a while.
Have fun this weekend everyone. I'll be having my own fun, hopefully not thinking about you.
My response to the ride was that I didn't think I could go.. however, during my creation of the email I thought of it more and realized I couldn't make it because of my children's sporting events and that I would be attending a evening function with my wife and had to be energetic for the whole event, which I probably wouldn't be if I rode for 5 hours. And of course, as out of shape I'm in, no riding for the past couple of weeks, with all of the poor weather and other stuff I have to do... this was one of the responses:
"You guys are pathetic. You need to let the family know who is The
Boss. Last Sunday I did the cyclocross race in the morning (placed
xxth), got home, had some lunch, then went back out and rode for
another hour since it was 65 degrees. Wife and children completely
indifferent to my absence. Returned home, kicked back on couch,
watched soccer then Super Bowl. King for A Day, as it is every day at
my house."
Well he's is the man...the "king" in my book. If you can do that every day... well he/she must have it good. Most of us in the real world don't have this luxury. I know some of the Seniors can do that cause they still have no responsibilities... or they just don't have a life. Would I trade my life to be able to have the ability to ride 5 hours? then go home watch a movie, then sit and watch a football game in the emvening? Probably not... though I do dream of that every once in a while.
Have fun this weekend everyone. I'll be having my own fun, hopefully not thinking about you.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
GamJams Review: Handlebar and Stem.
I few years back I changed out my stock Bontrager aluminum handlebars for some carbon ones. Which one did I choose? Well it was the FSA K-Wing Bars. I got them used from a local racer who went pro and got a good deal on them. I saw a few guys who had the bars and they really liked them. So I decided to try them out. I went on a search for a carbon stem as well and picked up one off of E-bay for a good price. I picked up a Bontrager Race XXX lite carbon stem in a 130 mm length. After a year, I decided to try a shorter stem and bought one in 120mm. It felt a bit better as I think I was reaching too far. BJ Basham professionally measured me and told me that I should probably get a shorter stem 110mm and move the seat backwards another couple of centimeters. I haven't picked up my stem yet, which an old teammate will be selling me. I really like the stem as it is beefy, stiff, and light. The carbon bars, and stem both absorb and dampen vibrations. I don't think I notice too much difference from my aluminum bars and stems. The major difference is the flat top of the bars which is pretty comfortable and the sloping area before the brake hoods. It was designed to make it a bit more comfortable and provide more room. I think the best thing I received by switching is all of the riders looking at the "bling" Yes, they are cool to look at. The stiffness is probably a bit stiffer than the aluminum bars which I like. The weight is probably similar to aluminum bars. So all in all I have enjoyed the bars.
My recommendation? Well bars are bars. As long as they are light and stiff. Then they should work. The FSA K-Wings are recommended for their flat tops, cutout above the brake hoods for comfort, ong as they are light and stiff. Then they should work. The FSA K-Wings are recommended for their flat tops, cutout above the brake hoods for comfort and their cool look. The bontrager Race XXX lite stems are definitely a winner for me. They are light, durable, stiff and work well and I don't have any slippage holding onto the FSA K-wing bars. Oh yes.. the FSA have a rougher area around the stem area so that they don't have any issues slipping.
My recommendation? Well bars are bars. As long as they are light and stiff. Then they should work. The FSA K-Wings are recommended for their flat tops, cutout above the brake hoods for comfort, ong as they are light and stiff. Then they should work. The FSA K-Wings are recommended for their flat tops, cutout above the brake hoods for comfort and their cool look. The bontrager Race XXX lite stems are definitely a winner for me. They are light, durable, stiff and work well and I don't have any slippage holding onto the FSA K-wing bars. Oh yes.. the FSA have a rougher area around the stem area so that they don't have any issues slipping.
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