TT biking club

“I need to dust off my bikes. They are looking very neglected in the garage. The only thing I hate is having a sore butt the first couple of rides!”

“Road for the fourth time this morning.

This was with a group of guys from town who regularly go out together.


I was up before the 5:15 am alarm.

Smoothy of OJ, Yogurt, Peanut butter, strawberry jam and a banana.


Am out in my back garden watching down the hill for their arrival at 5:45.

At 5:46 I see a single headlight making its way up the hill.

to clarify: I live at the top of a long hill. My road climbs rom the Conneticut river to the height of land . . . my house. Its about 3.5 miles. HTey started at my buddy house, in the center of town, at the bottom of the hill at 5:30 and were just peaking out at my driveway.

I walked the bike out, got on and took off.

The road from their is biased on a gentle downhill. It rolls towards Long Island SOund (14 miles away) . . .so the first 4 miles were easy . . .and I thought . . ."I can do this" I can ride with them and keep up"


Well . . .when we heaed back we had to re-climb and I slowed up a bit . . .Two were 200 yards ahead and the other stayed with me . ..chatting . . .eventually we caught up . . .I have to believe they slowed their pace a bit to allow me to do so.

We were averaging about 15.75 mph on generally rolling terrain.


The route is a circle, so after we rolled past my buddy's house, I was on my own to finish the ride . . .up the 3.5 mile hill to my driveway.

I made it (standing in the second lowest gear at the steep section at the top).

The ride was 20.5 miles. It took me 1:23 door to door. The last climb took my average speed down to 14.89.


My average heart rate was 145, with a max of 163 (about 82% of max).

I have a cyclometer and heart rate monitor . . .. gadget junkie.


It was a good ride, but I am exhuasted. Up at 5:15 (way early for me) with 1:25 of exercise . . ..ugh.

It was a light sleet (yes, sleet) when we got under way 39 degrees with a 10mph wind, gusts to 20. . . .when the sun actually came up it was 42, and with the wind at my back more comfortable.

ugh . ..am exhausted at my desk.


felt good though.,



HUGE shoulder CRAMPS muscle spasm.

Ideas reccomendations?”

“Eat a banana or two and hydrate yourself. Muscle cramps should go away.”

“Usually if you are having shoulder pain it's due to your seat being too high or your seat is too far back. Check with your local shop to check your setup. I have all kinds of pain but mine is due to age.”

“Cool,
I wish I had someone to ride/run with in the morning. It's soooo much harder to motivate when all you have is yourself and your dog.”

“Their is an MS Century ride these guys want me to do.

Twig --- you are riding towards a goal, no?


I need to build mileage, endurance, calluses on my butt or whatever before June 6.


ANyone have a training schedule they feel like sharing?”

“It helps to have a goal to motivate you.

The Trek Across Maine is June 18.
I think I posted my training schedule on this thread last year. I'm waaaaayyyy behind this year!

I also had planned on a week long tour this July, but my friend backed out. I was gonna do it on my own, but decided not to. On a tour like this I kinda follow my friends (who aren't socially challenged like me) around.
=D”

“Sounds like you had a good ride there, lee! I know I couldn't make myself to ride in the morning - I'm just not a morning person.
We're finally getting temps above 40 degrees here, so I should be getting out for more rides.”

“Twig --

There is no way I would have ordinarily gotten out at that hour either.


The guy who invited me along issued the invitation as a challenge . . .if I had turned it down he would have ribbed me about it incessantly.


I side-stepped an invite for tomorrow . .but may go Friday if they go.


They usually go out at 6am on Saturdays too. Everyone has to be back for kids baseball and chores and stuff by 9:00.

I guess last Saturday they did 52 miles!

AGHHGGH . . .I am not sure I can afford to accept that challenge yet.


I have only ridden 4 times (although I did spinning classes all winter) and don't want a stress/motion injury as a result of ramping up this quickly.”

“I don't blame you, lee.
I add miles and difficulty gradually in order to avoid as much bike butt and other general soreness as I can.”

“Wish we had more time to ride like that. I think the most I've done in one stint was about 18 miles, been awhile though.”

“Actually, Jeannette has been once before. But, this was my first.

We left sunny downtown Biddeford, and headed to Camp Ellis. What a nice ride. We go to the beach and watched the duckies swimming around. Then went home right by a couple of restaraunts.

As soon as I got home, I popped a couple of potatoes in the oven, and bar-b-qued the pork chops.

looked at the map, and we did about 12 miles, fairly level. And, surprise, no bicycle butt!”

“Well, I'm getting good at pre-rides and still havent made it to a race.

I pre-rode the Fort Custer course on Saturday. Intimidating is the only word. Of course it was pouring rain so every log pile and rock outcropping was slippery and wet. I made it over all but 1 log pile (walked one that was 3'high)and made it through all but 2 obstacles without mishap. Granny's Garden (whoa nelly) a 200 yard stretch of ravine of up and down hills filled with rocks and roots and drop offs. Took a tumble there for my boo boo of the ride, a scraped forearm. Table Top chute a 10 foot smooth rock lined drop-off to a woop dee doo hill on the other side to a quick left turn to avoid trees and lake. I rode around that one due to the rain. It looked slick as he11.

Highlights of the trail included the Trenches. The rec area used to be military training ground and the trail criss crosses up and down old trenches to make a sort of banked roller coaster. Almost like half-pipe. Now THAT was fun.

In the end I couldn't get out of my head that if I injured myself it would mean letting down my teammate Birch for this upcoming weekend's 10 hour adventure race. We've worked too hard. I decided not to take the risk. I think I'll leave the mountain bike racing to next year and just work hard on my technical skills this year. OK, maybe I'll try a time trial. :-)”

“Went out yesterday., Northwestern CT. 44 miles in the rain. Some massive hills.

The kind where you are onthe top of one, looking down a narrown strip and up tothe top of the next one and go . . ."holy Sh!!T" there is no way we'll ride up that.

By the end my quads were torched. Just absolutely torched.

44 miles, 3 hours average speed 14.51 . .. max downhill speed 41.1 mph.


I thought the bike was gonna leave the ground. scared the poop outta me.”

“Lee, I have never gotten up to that speed before but I know a few who have. They said the same thing.

Dhutch, can't blame you for holding off on the race. You have worked to hard for your race with Birch to get hurt now.

There is always another time and place.”

“Out this morning. Beautiful.

Had the bike re-fitted last Thursday. Shorter stema nd moved the seat forward.

New pedals. Speedplay .. . much easier to get out of and gives me more float for my knee.

ALso had the bike tuned.


raod 25 miles this morning .. .it felt great.

was really flying at one point .. long downhill at 36 mph .. . .went int the flat and just keptpudhing a big gear . . .not all out . .just a comfortable push and the bike just kept flying . . .two miles later and my buddies were nowhere in sight. I crusied up and down a side road . ..still nothing . . .I turned around and re-traced my steps . . .1 1/2 miles back uphill. . . .one of them had a mechanical (chain) . .bent a link and had trouble from there on out.”

“Yall don't know how much I miss my bikes. I rode all the time at home, a cannondale for the road and a specialized for all other terrain. Here in Babylon there are these really crappy bikes for sale that some of the soldiers ride. Our base is so small that I have refrained from purchasing one. It is also a very bike unfriendly place. Lots of heave equipment etc. As we had a couple months warning before we had to come over here, I rode as much as possible, knowing that biking, hiking, anything fun was going to be in short supply for awhile. Man, have I whined enough!!”

“steppenwolf - where are you in Babylon? My son is over there also.

Lee - cool about your ride. It makes me want a road bike. What would you guys suggest as an "in-between" bike? A lot of these adventure races have minimal single track, lots of dirt roads and some significant paved road sections. I need a way to handle 30 to 50 miles faster and more easily than my mountain bike. Maybe it's just tires, maybe it's a second bike???”

“sounds like another fun ride, lee!

dhutch, cross bike, or change the knobby tires to cross tires.”

“If there's minimal singletrack then maybe a cyclocross bike is what you need. The drop handlebar would give you a more aero position on the dirt roads and pavement. The skinny tires with cross terrain knobs will roll much easier the full, fat knobbies on a mountain bike. The best way to tell is to go to a bike shop and start test riding.”

“I echo the cyclo-cross comment made 2x already.

Look at some websites e.g cannondale, trek et al and see what they have to say about syclocross bikes and their useage.”

“Yeah I really miss my road bike(old ten speed), but my mountain bike with the smaller tires work okay for now. I kinda kick myself every now and then about giving that bike away, it really fit me well(small frame for short people), but the big mountain bike craze came out and hadta have one.... Oh well maybe after we get out house built I'll have to look into it again. I do love those long rides.”

“I'll 3rd on the cyclocross bike hutchy. If buying another bike isn't feasable, try thinner tires and pump up the pressure. Also, if you don't already, put bar ends on your handlebars to help put you in a more aerodynamic position. Several years ago, I somehow managed to get time trial clip on bars on my mt bike. That got some strange looks.”

“Time trial clips???? What the heck are those Pennsy?”

“I'm sure you've seen them on road bikes Skeetah. It's like a U-bolt that clamps on the front of the handlebars with pads to rest forearms on.

here is a 10 yr old photo as an example”

“Ohhhh....I had no idea that's what they were called. I bet you got some looks for them on your mt bike :) Hey whatever works, eh?”

“skeetah, did ya notice the shaved legs in that picture - ick! ;)

I'm finally getting in training mode after a woefully crappy April. The new bike is a good ride, but I'm still getting used to it - no more black and blues though!”

“Thanks all. By the time I change everything (tires, handlebars, pressure etc) for the difference between riding on trails with my mountain bike friends and training for races. I might as well just get the extra bike. I'll work on it.

In the meantime. I'm hill training. I picked a 1/3 mile long hill nearby my home and will just ride up and down for hours at a time. :-P”

“Out again this morning . ..same 20 mile ride. It was fast today . .the first 17.5 miles went down in 55 minutes . . .it was the next 3 (up my hill) that set the average speed back .. .way back!

A good ride. Everyone was fast today so I didn't get that "breaking away" sort of feeling . . .of course I only had that yesterday because a guy lost his chain . . .hardly a fair comparison. In fact today . ..all I saw of him was his back . . .as if to make up for yesterday's delays he was hammering today.

Anyhoo . . ..am NOT going out tomorrow . ..the early mornings KILL me . . .my buddy was raving about them today .. .he said "its like stealing time" (getting up at 5:00 to ride before the rest of the family is up) . ...YEAH!! STEALIG DAMN TIME FROM MYSELF!!!

Get to bed at 10 . .read to 10:30 .. ..awake for who knows what reason at 4:30 .. ..didn't go back to sleep. I am BEAT! Tonight in bed early .no ride . .. get up at normal 6:15 time!

It is fun though . .. and it is a gorgeous time of day to be out.”

“I know what you mean about time lee. I now get up at 4:30 to get workouts in. I'm done by 9:30. Bed Time! It's not even dark out.”

“I'm going on a 1 mile swim in a few minutes followed by a bike ride. Getting ready for Memphis In May Triathlon. Man, 1 mile is a long way on the water.”

“Yeah, can you imagine that??? I guess that's what the die hard's do to get good speed. I wonda if Pennsy still does. LOL Well good luck with the training. This weekend UK and I are off to Chicago Sat for a week.”

“Have fun in Chicago! This is for work, right?

I rode thru some nasty crap tonight...I wish it was just manure (the farmers are spreading right now) but it was this nasty silver stuff, kinda thick, smells like really strong spray paint. It was in a crack in the road that I rode through and now is all over both my tires along with road gunk it picked up. It's oogy and doesn't want to come off...
I'm worried I'm looking at two new tires... :(”

“any ideas what this stuff might be? It was all over my bike as well, and now it's all over my hands.”

“Sounds like Mercury to me.
'


You're gonna die.


Can I have your Baxter connections??”

“I'm gonna go get a sample tonight, so I can say this is what killed me...I'll will my BSP reservations to you, lee...
:D

mercury runs away when you try to grab it...this stuff is sticky and I can't wash it off...I think it's hardened on my bike...

I was near a farm.”

“Bionic Chicken poop?

I was the lead off guy today . .. .UGH

Up at 4:45 . .on my bike at 5:15 . .a.m.!!!!!

Thank god the first 4 miles was downhill. . . I just slept on the handlesbars the whole way. . . met the gang at 5:30 and rode 7.5 miles south along the CT river . . .then one other guy and I peeled off and headed west while the other two retraced their steps back up the CT river.

From the town of Chester CT on the CT River (basically sea level) going west takes straight up some nasty long hills . .from their (11.5 on my odometer) the door of my house (21.5 . ..so 10 miles) was predominatly uphill . .. .My house is 550 feet above sea level, so that should be a suprise to me . but still . ...ugh. I was dragging.

I am exhauasted! I willbe in bed early tonight!


ONe nice note . .being out that early I have seen a few flocks of turnkeys . . .today there were at least two toms in fully mating display gobbling up a storm . . ..rpetty cool.”

“you're a hard ass lee!

those early mornings would kill me...I barely drag my butt out of bed in time for work!
Biking is good for wildlife sightings though.”

“Some of that bug remover they use on cars might get that substance off your bike.”

“well the stuff "hardened" to a plastic like constistency. I spent this morning peeling and scraping it off the tires and digging it out of the tread. I got most of it off and it didn't seem to hurt the tires or the bike.”

“Is that your new bike? Send it to me and I'll get it cleaned off for you, even if it takes me all summer I won't send it back until it's spotless.”

“Maybe it was that caulking they fix cracks in pavement with. Good thing you didn't fall hitting that since it might have been slippery before it dried.”

“yes it's my new bike :(

It was slippery Rich, I almost took a flip - if I'd been paying attention I wouldn't have ridden through it. I was trying to avoid the flying poop as a manure spreader passed me going the other way. I think it's ok now anyway.
I went to the bike shop today to get my computer reprogrammed since it was "flipping out" as the bike guy said. Also picked up a couple of tubes, a CO2 thing, and a handlebar cap so I don't impale myself on what's left of the mirror again. I'm gonna try and change a tire tonight.

I didn't ride today cause it was about 90, and it's been thunder storms all afternoon. Prolly shouldn't be on the computer either! :)”

“Flying poop? Yuk! Changing a tire tube is pretty easy on a bicycle. What I hate is changing one on a motorcycle. That is really a chore, especially while trying not to scratch up the rim too bad with the tire irons.”

“I'm gonna try and change a tire tonight.

I didn't ride today cause it was about 90, and it's been thunder storms all afternoon.

When I commute in ABQ, I replace two or three a week with Slime tubes and plastic liners. The 90's and T-storms is also funny. Standard fare for NM summer riding.”

“LOL, riding thru poop is standard this time of year, the spreaders get it all over the road going from field to field.

2-3 flats a week? I've never had a flat tire while biking, and I bike about 700-1000 miles each year. (this year I'll be lucky to get 500) but I've never biked with skinny tires before either.

I changed the tire, no biggy, but I got the wrong size tubes. I put the old tube back in (I wanted to change it cause it was loosing 40-50lbs overnight)and it wouldn't hold air at all. It had 3 holes in it, which I tried patching, but gave up.
However, that CO2 thingy is way cool!

90 degrees sucks when you needed the wood stove the night before...that's spring in Maine!
=D”

“I bought some of those glueless patches 2 years ago, but never used them. I wonder if they really work?”

“those things look nasty! where do they come from? no wonder you have so many flats!”

“they are weeds that grow low along the ground. It is lot's of fun when they mow the weeds and throw the goatheads all over the bike trails.”