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.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
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.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
GamJams Review: winter gloves.
I'm a little late again.. Next time I'll be quicker.
As far as gloves, well to say the least, I don't ride too much during the winter time so they have never been a real factor. When I do winter riding, I used my ski stuff. So, the ability to use ski stuff for cycling went well. Unfortunately, that meant using a ski jacket (puffy and blocked lots of wind) and cross country ski gloves or spring gloves, and a stretchy fleece tights.
Over the years, I've finally been given or have won winter/fall stuff. A few years back I was given some Novara winter gloves.. They actually work pretty well when the temperature above freezing. For those times when it is 20 and below your fingers are going to be really cold. They are not wind proof, however the good thing is that you don't sweat much in them. The first 15 minutes in them may be cold till your body warms up, after that they are fine. I remember using them for Jeff Cup last year... remember the cold, snow and ice and rain which fell? Yep, starting the race, I was warm, 10 minutes into the race, they were getting wet and cold. After I warmed up they were okay, however because I was wet... it was definitely not helping keep my hands too warm.
So if you want a nice warm pair of winter gloves, these are not them. They work well for fall riding and spring riding or if you warm up quickly. They are now pretty worn (pretty good for 3 years of riding). They have holds at some of the seams, at the thumbs, however the do decently for a short ride when I get my effort up and start sweating. I need a new pair of winter gloves... Not sure what to get though. I'll be checking out the other reviews and check the LBS for their choices.
By the way, my x-country/spring ski gloves were leather and did a nice job, again for warmer weather. If they got wet, they were horrible as they soaked up the water and had little ability to keep the warmth.
The fleece tights, well they worked nicely, I got a few chuckles on the rides, but they kept me warm (though wind would go through the fleece). I broke down 3 years ago and got a pair of Pearl Izumi thermafleece tights and they work well, as my legs don't tend to get cold. I don't sweat much in them and they do a decent job of cutting the wind. My knees do get cold, the other major problem is blocking the wind in your crotch... Ouch.. Ever get frostbite on your weiner?? So, I've learned, Ride with another pair of shorts over the tights, it will block more wind and provide an extra layer. Maybe, stuffing newspaper might work as well, though I've never tried that.
For the top, I wear my skiing Thermax turtleneck (that is some really good stuff) Keeps you warm and dry. Over that I wear a Cannondale stretchy wind jacket which works very well in cutting the wind. It also has lycra under the arms to allow you to vent the perspiration. This stretchy wind blocking fabric is wonderful. I've seen the light weight North Face stuff and want to get one of those jacket for casual wear. So as you can see, I still use some of my ski stuff and knowledge on how to try to stay warm.. Bottom line, if you're not working hard enough, you'll be cold. So the long 70+ mile rides at a low heartrate, you'd better bundle up more.
As far as gloves, well to say the least, I don't ride too much during the winter time so they have never been a real factor. When I do winter riding, I used my ski stuff. So, the ability to use ski stuff for cycling went well. Unfortunately, that meant using a ski jacket (puffy and blocked lots of wind) and cross country ski gloves or spring gloves, and a stretchy fleece tights.
Over the years, I've finally been given or have won winter/fall stuff. A few years back I was given some Novara winter gloves.. They actually work pretty well when the temperature above freezing. For those times when it is 20 and below your fingers are going to be really cold. They are not wind proof, however the good thing is that you don't sweat much in them. The first 15 minutes in them may be cold till your body warms up, after that they are fine. I remember using them for Jeff Cup last year... remember the cold, snow and ice and rain which fell? Yep, starting the race, I was warm, 10 minutes into the race, they were getting wet and cold. After I warmed up they were okay, however because I was wet... it was definitely not helping keep my hands too warm.
So if you want a nice warm pair of winter gloves, these are not them. They work well for fall riding and spring riding or if you warm up quickly. They are now pretty worn (pretty good for 3 years of riding). They have holds at some of the seams, at the thumbs, however the do decently for a short ride when I get my effort up and start sweating. I need a new pair of winter gloves... Not sure what to get though. I'll be checking out the other reviews and check the LBS for their choices.
By the way, my x-country/spring ski gloves were leather and did a nice job, again for warmer weather. If they got wet, they were horrible as they soaked up the water and had little ability to keep the warmth.
The fleece tights, well they worked nicely, I got a few chuckles on the rides, but they kept me warm (though wind would go through the fleece). I broke down 3 years ago and got a pair of Pearl Izumi thermafleece tights and they work well, as my legs don't tend to get cold. I don't sweat much in them and they do a decent job of cutting the wind. My knees do get cold, the other major problem is blocking the wind in your crotch... Ouch.. Ever get frostbite on your weiner?? So, I've learned, Ride with another pair of shorts over the tights, it will block more wind and provide an extra layer. Maybe, stuffing newspaper might work as well, though I've never tried that.
For the top, I wear my skiing Thermax turtleneck (that is some really good stuff) Keeps you warm and dry. Over that I wear a Cannondale stretchy wind jacket which works very well in cutting the wind. It also has lycra under the arms to allow you to vent the perspiration. This stretchy wind blocking fabric is wonderful. I've seen the light weight North Face stuff and want to get one of those jacket for casual wear. So as you can see, I still use some of my ski stuff and knowledge on how to try to stay warm.. Bottom line, if you're not working hard enough, you'll be cold. So the long 70+ mile rides at a low heartrate, you'd better bundle up more.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Gamjam reviews: Bontrager Gel Cork Tape.
I've used many different tapes for my handlebars. I really don't think it matters much which ones you choose, however over the past couple of years I've stuck with Bontrager tape as it was what my local bike shop carried. I've used Deda tape, Cinelli cork tape, and others.. one in paticular, which I can't remember the name was pretty stretchy and had a good grip. I don't think they are even in business anymore, however it was one of the first non cork tape and had some nice print designs on it.
Well... now about Bontrager tape. http://bontrager.com/model/00075/en. Once you have it wrapped on your bars it feels like a baby's bottom. Nice and soft. It has gel in it to suck up alot of the road vibrations. Because of the gel it tends to be a bit thicker and soft. One drawback on the tape I find is that it tends to slip as the adhesive on the back doesn't work very well. This deficiency, however allows you to remove it easily (especially if you screw up on wrapping it).
The best thing about the Bontrager bar tape is not actually the tape, it's the bar ends plugs. These things just stay in and don't fall out like all of the other handle bar plugs.
As far as wear, I've had my tape on for about a year, even through a crash, it survived with a few holes and of course electrical tape works well on it. I use a bit of the tubular glue on the end of the tape so that I don't have to worry about it slipping and unwinding as the bontrager plastic tape it comes with tends to unravel after a while.
As far as colors, it comes in many which should be able to match your bike colors well. I know how many of you love to make your bikes match :).
The tape is typically less than $16 bucks at your local bike shop.
BTW.. For those who don't know how to wrap the tape: You start at the bar ends and work your way towards the stem.
Well... now about Bontrager tape. http://bontrager.com/model/00075/en. Once you have it wrapped on your bars it feels like a baby's bottom. Nice and soft. It has gel in it to suck up alot of the road vibrations. Because of the gel it tends to be a bit thicker and soft. One drawback on the tape I find is that it tends to slip as the adhesive on the back doesn't work very well. This deficiency, however allows you to remove it easily (especially if you screw up on wrapping it).
The best thing about the Bontrager bar tape is not actually the tape, it's the bar ends plugs. These things just stay in and don't fall out like all of the other handle bar plugs.
As far as wear, I've had my tape on for about a year, even through a crash, it survived with a few holes and of course electrical tape works well on it. I use a bit of the tubular glue on the end of the tape so that I don't have to worry about it slipping and unwinding as the bontrager plastic tape it comes with tends to unravel after a while.
As far as colors, it comes in many which should be able to match your bike colors well. I know how many of you love to make your bikes match :).
The tape is typically less than $16 bucks at your local bike shop.
BTW.. For those who don't know how to wrap the tape: You start at the bar ends and work your way towards the stem.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Happy New Year 2009.
Happy New Year!
Plenty of people have asked me for my goals this year.
As many of you know, I don't typically have preset goals, as I don't have a regimented training schedule as I would like.
So here are my goals:
Enter at least 10 races this year.
Place top 10 in at least 5 of the races.
Help my teammates win or place top 3 in every race.
Train at least 3 times a week (minimum 1 hour rides)
Have fun racing and training. Make new friends or continue to build up friendships with other riders.
Caveats:
Training/Racing should not negatively affect my work performance or family life.
Sounds pretty easy??
I would hope so.. though this year is going to be much more challenging as I will be away on vacation in the spring for 2 weeks, my children are going to be in swimming competitions all summer and training in the spring. I will be dedicating alot of my time in officiating in the mmeets. So, this doesn't leave too much extra time. Of course...I will have to spend quality alone time with my wife. Work will be much more challenging in this New Year with the economy in the doldrums, so more time at work to be as productive as last year.
You get the gist. It will be a challenging year, however, I will have more teammates to work with this year and it should be fun as we all are in the same situation with family and work.
Oh, by the way. I've been off the bike for 3 weeks now. Time to get back on this Tuesday.
Have a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2009!
Plenty of people have asked me for my goals this year.
As many of you know, I don't typically have preset goals, as I don't have a regimented training schedule as I would like.
So here are my goals:
Enter at least 10 races this year.
Place top 10 in at least 5 of the races.
Help my teammates win or place top 3 in every race.
Train at least 3 times a week (minimum 1 hour rides)
Have fun racing and training. Make new friends or continue to build up friendships with other riders.
Caveats:
Training/Racing should not negatively affect my work performance or family life.
Sounds pretty easy??
I would hope so.. though this year is going to be much more challenging as I will be away on vacation in the spring for 2 weeks, my children are going to be in swimming competitions all summer and training in the spring. I will be dedicating alot of my time in officiating in the mmeets. So, this doesn't leave too much extra time. Of course...I will have to spend quality alone time with my wife. Work will be much more challenging in this New Year with the economy in the doldrums, so more time at work to be as productive as last year.
You get the gist. It will be a challenging year, however, I will have more teammates to work with this year and it should be fun as we all are in the same situation with family and work.
Oh, by the way. I've been off the bike for 3 weeks now. Time to get back on this Tuesday.
Have a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2009!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Off Season
Well it's the off season for me and I am still riding. Once a week with over 20 miles a day, and about 2-3 times a day I ride to work and back (9 miles each way).
Last weekend I actually rode both days! Kids and wife out of town for semester break. I really have to do more than the 20 miles on a ride. The 40-60 mile rides I did over the weekend seemed to tap me out pretty well. I took a nap each day to recover. My legs were definitely tired as I cramped up a few times switching positions on the couch.
Well, I finally got fed up with fooling around with my positioning and got a professional bike fit with BJ Basham. He's been recommended to me by several guys I respect. I drove to BJ's place after work on Monday. Fighting through traffic on I-66 I finally arrived. BJ performed all of the measurements based upon the wobble naught system. He was very patient in explaining every measurement to me as well as how it would affect my comfort and power. BJ took a quick look at me on the trainer and remarked that I should raise my seatpost a bit more. I was a bit surprised as when I switched shoes and pedals, I was lowered down on the seatpost about 1 1/2 inch with my cleats moved all the way back. Well, after finally moving it to the point where Wobble Naught's system said I should be, I viewed my marker mark about the same exact point. This mark was put on in the Spring after I had to adjust my seatpost after draining the bike after a wet ride. Wow, I was really close before, however the cleat on the shoe was in a different place. My seat position also was moved backwards as far as it could go as I have a zero set back Thompson post. I still should move my seat back another centermeter. BJ also said that I should probably use a slightly shorter stem as well. I've used 130cm before, switched to a 120cm and now.. I should be using a 110 cm stem. I will need to find a new seatpost with more of a setback and a shorter stem.
I rode today and because I've been getting used to the other position I had been in after a couple of weeks of fiddling with the position, I definitely felt a weak point in my pedal stroke as my muscles probably lack the power from the previous position. I am hoping that this fit will provide me more consistent power and it may also help with the cramping I had had in my quads.
Anyway, only time can tell and I do think I'm in a better position now (kind of like when I was in the spring and of course I was performing decently).
If you are not feeling a smooth powerful pedal stroke or are uncomfortable on the bike, then you probably should get a bike fit. BJ also gave me some tips on pedal stroke and back positioning for a flatter and more powerful position. I think I ride in that position for the most part, however because the fit was different before, I may have started building a bad habbit, which I need now to break.
Time will tell... Now if I can continue to get some long miles in this winter, I should be in a good position to perform well this next year.
Last weekend I actually rode both days! Kids and wife out of town for semester break. I really have to do more than the 20 miles on a ride. The 40-60 mile rides I did over the weekend seemed to tap me out pretty well. I took a nap each day to recover. My legs were definitely tired as I cramped up a few times switching positions on the couch.
Well, I finally got fed up with fooling around with my positioning and got a professional bike fit with BJ Basham. He's been recommended to me by several guys I respect. I drove to BJ's place after work on Monday. Fighting through traffic on I-66 I finally arrived. BJ performed all of the measurements based upon the wobble naught system. He was very patient in explaining every measurement to me as well as how it would affect my comfort and power. BJ took a quick look at me on the trainer and remarked that I should raise my seatpost a bit more. I was a bit surprised as when I switched shoes and pedals, I was lowered down on the seatpost about 1 1/2 inch with my cleats moved all the way back. Well, after finally moving it to the point where Wobble Naught's system said I should be, I viewed my marker mark about the same exact point. This mark was put on in the Spring after I had to adjust my seatpost after draining the bike after a wet ride. Wow, I was really close before, however the cleat on the shoe was in a different place. My seat position also was moved backwards as far as it could go as I have a zero set back Thompson post. I still should move my seat back another centermeter. BJ also said that I should probably use a slightly shorter stem as well. I've used 130cm before, switched to a 120cm and now.. I should be using a 110 cm stem. I will need to find a new seatpost with more of a setback and a shorter stem.
I rode today and because I've been getting used to the other position I had been in after a couple of weeks of fiddling with the position, I definitely felt a weak point in my pedal stroke as my muscles probably lack the power from the previous position. I am hoping that this fit will provide me more consistent power and it may also help with the cramping I had had in my quads.
Anyway, only time can tell and I do think I'm in a better position now (kind of like when I was in the spring and of course I was performing decently).
If you are not feeling a smooth powerful pedal stroke or are uncomfortable on the bike, then you probably should get a bike fit. BJ also gave me some tips on pedal stroke and back positioning for a flatter and more powerful position. I think I ride in that position for the most part, however because the fit was different before, I may have started building a bad habbit, which I need now to break.
Time will tell... Now if I can continue to get some long miles in this winter, I should be in a good position to perform well this next year.
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