TT Bike Club

“Spin class is great training.

So much the better if you can get into one lead by a "real" biker. the guy i train with at the gym, and who leads the spin classes I take is a crtierium racer. He uses the spin classes to get himself race ready.

So the drills he puts us through follow a specific 12 week plan to a "peak".

It starts by laying down a base level of fitness while working on technique. Posture, position on the bike, relaxing on the bike, pedal stroke etc. He drills us pretty hard on the technical stuff . . warning us that when we are doing 20 minute threshold drills in phase IV we will need to have this stuff down so we don't get sloppy and fall apart.

From Base I, it builds. Most of it is done on an interval basis.

last week I did maximum (over the line . ..panting hard) pushes for 30 seconds, then eased off to an easy spin for 30 seconds . . .in sets of 5. Repeated 4 times.

It doesn't sound like a lot of work until you realize that you haven't begun to recover from one 30 second push before the next starts.


Anyhoooo


This contrasts with the one I took yesterday which was another instructor who basically just leads a calorie burning aerobic class on the bike.

it is good for burning calories . ..but not great for real world technique and training.

Spinning is great.

Approached properly you . . .it will make you stronger onthe bike segments of your races


have fun”

“A training dvd video. I have a Blackburn watercooled trainer that I am just starting on. I am currently just listening to music and cranking to the tunes, but a video would probably intensify the work. I ride under my ceiling fan to keep me cooled and reduce sweat. I also put a drop cloth under the bike to catch any errant drips.

I can't wait for longer days so I can ride in the evenings on the road.”

“UPluver, my buddy offered me some rollers. i didnt have my helmet so i passed LOL.

Lee, I think I am hooked. My buddy is a fantastic rider top 3 in his class state wide, he will race expert this season, full sponsorship. I will hit the trails ith him when its dry.He is a machi9ne on the bike.”

“Well, showing up to training camp, not on my bike much since rkey day, about 10lbs too heavy. Don't expect much till after the super bowl, but then I promise I'll be rolling.”

“I occaissionally commute with one of the guys I ride with. He drooped me off Friday night . ..wanted to ride on Saturday morning.


I really just wanted to have my wife's eggplant parmesan for dinner, drink a 1/2 bottle of wine and watch "40 year old virgin"


So I told him no.


So he got me yesterday.


38 degrees. Sunny. A little headwind on the way home. We went 30 miles. Rolling terrain. averaged 17 mph. I had a 18 average before the last 3 mile uphill back to my house.


It was a fun ride. Neither of us have been on a bike in a couple of months. I had a small advantage due to spin class. At least I had some muscle memory.”

“10 miles on Sat. Beautiful day, 50's. And I've riden to work every day this week, total day miles is 3 miles to and from, to and from. I am trying to get back, but the back is still annoying me. Yoga is really helping.”

“Over the Martin Luther King weekend, I got in a 100 miler. It was an organized ride out in the Anza Borrego Desert, but I chose to do it unsupported. The wind was so awful at the start that I almost backed out, but decided to take on the challenge. Did the ride in 6h 20m, including one flat tire and no drafting.

Rode 58 miles two days later and had "dead legs syndrome". But I was out enjoying the day off from work.

Last weekend was an 86 mile training ride.

Came across a ride to do this Saturday, right here in San Diego. 124 mile brevet style (unsupported with checkpoints). Incorporates a lot of my normal routes, but adds some additional mileage. Should be a fun one!”

“Sounds like some great riding calhiker. I wish I could ride outside now.”

“you da man, man! I don't think I ever did that type of hard miles, and now, I'm too old and brittle to them...maybe in my next life.

I was looking at the Telluride Loop, in Colorado...I might try to do that once during this lifetime...the only thing is that I live in Flatland Missouri, and no amount of flat land riding will ever prepare me for 5 days of 43,000 ft of elevation gain/loss. But, its something I dream of doing.”

“I've been riding outside here in Chicago. ok, so not this week. We're melting about a foot of snow right now so I just got off the trainer. But up until last weekend I was able to get in the long weekend rides in 30 degree or better temps.

2 intensity (spin) workouts in the living room with my Charmichael tapes during the week due to darkness and a long ride on Saturdays. But....I saw the setting sun driving home today at 5:30!!! yay!”

“How long is your commute, dhutch? I have never looked at the trail network near Hoffman Estates, but I bet you could figure out a way to drive about half way to work and then bike the rest of the way in.

I live in St. Charles and biked to work in Naperville about 18 miles each way from May through November anywhere from 1 to 4 times each week. I was never able to fit a full 5 days bike commuting in, but I plan to pick it up again when the weather allows. What I really need an all weather biking rig. Right now all I have is a single speed/fixed gear track style bike outfitted with a rear rack and panniers. Since it's fixed, I even removed the rear brake for simplicity and weight savings (remind you of a true lightweight backpacker?).

When putting that much time and effort into commuting, it is obviously difficult to work in any other exersice. But damn, when you are burning up about 1500 cal just on your commute, you know you are making efficient use of your time.”

“I've thought about that so many times while driving to work hubcap. It's about 35 miles one way. I couldn't do it every day, but maybe one a week. It doesn't look great right now but may be doable. I'll need to review the route in the light of day and check some maps.

Wanna hit the prairie trail out to Sycamore sometime? I've been looking at that ride and think it may be nice. Coffee or energy drink break in Sycamore :-)”

“Does anyone have any experience with Iron Horse bikes?
I just bought a IH Sinister Sport and quite honestly had never heard of them before but the bike looks and rides pretty good plus the price was right so I figured I'd take a chance on it :)”

“dhutch, that trail is the Great Western Trail (maybe a bit grandiose name for what it is). I know that trail like the back of my hand from St. Charles to about Virgil.

The CARA group I have done marathon training with uses that trail for training. I can't tell you how many times I (and my wife our last two marathons) have taken off from Leroy Oaks in St. Charles and plodded west some specified mileage and then turned around and came back.

Several times people in the running group have discussed staging cars in Sycamore and running the entire stretch, but that hasn't happened yet.

There is a fun 10K in Sycamore every year during their pumpkin festival (Oct/Nov). There is always a number of people that dress up in costume for the run. I actually wish more would. I saw a highschool age kid running in a complete suit of chainmail a couple years ago. Needless to say, his running only lasted for a few miles and I wasn't sure if he ever finished.”

“The weather is great here this time of year, and perfect for riding since the traffic is much lighter then in the summer months. My brother, Bishophiker, lives up in Bishop and is having a tough time getting in his training miles. The temps are chilly, there are usually windy conditions, and then there is the snow to contend with.
http://community.webshots.com/album/546790518LOzyRF

The Tour of California will be here next month.
http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/
I'm hoping to go up to Los Angeles to see the final weekend of racing. Too bad Lance retired before this race made its debut.”

“UPluver, I have heard pretty good stuff about Iron Horse bikes. Never had one myself, but my bro-in-law had one and loved it.”

“TA birch....I haven't had a chance to do a kind of long distance riding on it yet but I've managed a few short rides around town and so far so good!
It's definitely a switch from my road bike tho :)”

“Calhiker,

TDC team for Tour of CA
Michael Barry, Janez Brajkovic, Tom Danielson, Viatchslev Ekimov, Vladimir Gusev, George Hincapie, Jason McCartney, and Paolo Savoldelli.

CSC: Bobby Julich, a bronze medal winner in the 2004 Olympics and Christian Vande Velde. David Zabriskie

Can't find Gerolsteiner of T-mobile lineups.

Hope there is some tv coverage.”

“TDC is looking strong. Look for either Hincapie or Danielson to pull off the win.

I believe I read somewhere that ESPN will be devoting an hour a day to the race.”

“When I got it, there was a bit of noise on the highest gear (large front small back). I have the Ultegra 10 double (not triple). The dudes at the shop said that it was the severe angle and I accepted that as a friend said that she has the same thing. Well, it bothered me. To have a $3600.00 dollar bike that had a gear that made noise made no sense...I'll bet Lance don't have that problem...so, I pulled out my old tools and went to town...tweeking, fine tuning, micro adjustments in angle and height of the front derailer...and 2.5 hours later, I was cruisin on the trainer and all 20 gears were as smooth and scrape free as I wanted. The bike is set to MY specs now and she is really mine now.

Tonight, I went out for a 10 mile tester and there was NO need for any tunage...she was awsome in all gears.

I can't wait to be able to do some longer treks, but I'm out of shape and will be working my way back slowly...my back is still needing love and attention.”

“Good news that you got the gearing worked out. Although it shouldn't matter as much with a double, but crossing up the chain like that isn't the best for efficiency. Try to avoid big chainring/big cog, little chainring/little cog. It sounds like you have been commuting - very cool. What bike are you using? And what happened to your back?”

“Having a bike out of tune is amazingly annoying. Glad you were able to fix it. Knowing how to tune a bike is a hard earned skill.”

“Great Western Trail, yes hubcap. I rode it last summer while house shopping. Actually I was neighborhood shopping. Found that it was annoying riding within St. Charles limits due to traffic. Lots of meandering goin on. I plan to ride from past Randall Road to avoid the traffic and that nasty road crossing. Let's keep in touch and our eyes out for a nice weekend morning and do that ride!”

“Lightspeed Teramo. Shimano Ultegra 10, Realdesign Supersphere rims. Shes a sweet machine...thanks. I always maintained my Miyata (Sante system) which is on my Blackburn trainer now.

I can actually remember each of my bikes. They were all special. The sequence in reverse are:

Lightspeed Teramo (USA)
Miyata 310 (Japan)
Motobacane Mirage (French)
Dawes Galaxy (British)
Schwinn Contintental (USA)
Schwinn Crate (USA)
Raleigh
Raleigh
tricycle

I love each one of them and they evoke such wonderful memories...the Dawes and the Motobacane were faithful companions during troubled times of depression and unemployment.

God, I love bike riding. Did 13 miles today. It felt great. I can't wait to get up to 20+ mile days, and then beyond. I just have to be patient with myself.”

“Thanks for the inspiration. gotta get going again.”

“Know it. your welcome.”

“warped my knee on my Thanksgiving weekend hike, which caused me to limp out on Sunday, and threw my back out of alignment, which has been severe. I have been under constant aggressive treatment with my chiropractor, and massage therapist for 2 months and perfoming Yoga daily. The back is getting stronger as a result of the Yoga practice, and the alignment is sticking with the Chiropracty, and the pain is diminishing with the massage therapy. Its brutally annoying. This is prime time backpacking season for me, and the weather is fantastic here in SE missouri, but, the back says NO. So, I'm listening and have written off the season, and am taking care of myself and being gentle. This time off has allowed me to do some other things and open other doors to the self. It has not been time wasted. I went rock wall climbing on Saturday and had THE best experience. Thanks for asking Hubcap.”

“The family and I had a great time yesterday afternoon as well. We only put in 20 miles because we were short on daylight. We rode the Tammany Trace section from Slidell, LA to Bayou Lacomb, LA, then off into some harbor neighborhoods and back to Slidell. Most uf the Trace is still closed due to Katrina. The place is still devastated. Some neighborhoods look like the storm passed yesterday instead of August. Some look like nothing ever happened. I should have taken my camera. If I can find the time and energy to train, I'm gonna try and do a century somewhere this year. Not at the pace Pathman rides just to finish the dang thing.”

“The LIVESTRONG Ride is the Lance Armstrong Foundation’s (LAF) signature fundraising event. This annual series of cycling events takes place in cities across the country, enabling anyone to support the LAF’s mission to inspire and empower people affected by cancer.

The Ride is a chance to challenge yourself, to push your limits – whether you ride 10 miles or 100 miles, whether you raise $500 or $15,000. It’s an opportunity to take bold action, in the face of cancer, in a meaningful way.



In 2006, there will be five LIVESTRONG Rides across the country:

Southern California – June 25
Denver, CO – August 20
Philadelphia, PA – September 10
Portland, OR – September 24
Austin, TX – October 8

Livestrong Rides Info>

I can't decide.”

“leaning ot Austin or Portland”

“That would be a great cause to ride for. Austin is pretty close to me. I'd say about 8 hours. I need to try something local first though. I was doing 50 miles last year pre-Katrina, if I work at it I can find the other 50. I'm riding a fat-tire Cannondale mountainbike right now. I probably need to buy a road bike or get some skinny tires for my mountainbike.”

“if you are going to get a roadbike, look for websites that deal with issue for BIG cyclists. What are you 6'6"? Small changes like tire size, frames etc are supposed to make life much better.”

“stikmon, that sounds like a slick bike. I have wanted a lightspeed frame for some time. I had a chance 3 years back and regret my choice. I am buling a new bike and just figured out which components it'll be. I am using an older frame but its just what I need.

Enjoy the new wheels!!”

“ebay right now.

I can';t participate in any of those events, but I will make sure I ride on those sunday's and make a contribution to the events.”

“Pathman, I'm 6'4" and weigh around 260 to 265 depending on the week. I have a Cannondale F2000 hardtail that is 23 inches. I bought it off EBAY used but without a scratch. It had never been offroad. A bike shop had listed it so I trusted them that it was mint. It is a big ole bike! It was tough enough for me to ride it down in ski slopes in Colorado last July. Needless to say it has some ding now not to mention myself. I'd really like a full suspension bike for that type of use. I would love to pick up a used road bike but there are not many my size. Lots of risk buying one off the internet sight unseen.”

“I have some commuter tires for my 1992 KHS Montana Pro MTB. They work pretty good, have worn great.”

“To view this mail in a browser, copy http://sdm3.rm04.net/servlet/MailView?ms=NDU4NjUzS0&r=MjE5NTY2NDEwMgS2&j=OTYwNzUxOAS2&mt=1 into your browser.
AMGEN TOUR OF CALIFORNIA
WHO IS AMERICA'S NEXT LANCE ARMSTRONG?

American Riders Gear Up for the Tour
With seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong retired from competition, there are several American riders who are among the best in the world. These athletes are aiming for Lance's spot on the podium and this year, the road to France begins in California.

The Amgen Tour of California opens the international road cycling season for many riders this February. As the world's best cyclists vie for their first major international victory of the year, let's take a closer look at some of the elite Americans who are expected to be a factor in the Tour.

Levi Leipheimer - Gerolsteiner
This Santa Rosa resident has had remarkable success on an international stage, finishing sixth overall in last year's Tour de France. Levi also finished third in the 2001 Tour of Spain, the highest finish ever by an American rider in the Spanish grand tour.

Floyd Landis - Phonak Hearing Systems
A former teammate of Armstrong, Floyd now leads Phonak. Floyd lives and trains in Temecula, CA. He finished ninth overall in last year's Tour de France. Floyd brings a lot of personality to the sport and is known to ride wheelies on his road bike down the Champs-Elysees after the final stage of the race.

Bobby Julich - Team CSC
The altitude in Reno, Nevada agrees with Julich, who won the bronze medal in the Olympic Time Trial in Athens and was third overall in the Tour de France in 1998. In 2005, Bobby was the first American to win the famed Paris-Nice stage race.

Chris Horner - Davitamon-Lotto
The dominant racer on the U.S. domestic circuit for most of the early 2000s, Horner went back to Europe in 2005 after a stellar performance at the 2004 World Championships. Riding for Prodir - Saunier Duval last year, Horner won a stage of the Tour of Switzerland and came within yards of a remarkable win in Stage 13 of last year's Tour de France. Horner is also a former winner of the San Francisco Grand Prix bike race.

George Hincapie - Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
Hincapie is a former lieutenant for Lance Armstrong at USPS and Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team. He is the only rider to ride with Lance through all seven Tour de France wins. Last year, Hincapie won the premier mountain stage during the Tour (Stage 15) and finished second at one of cycling’s monuments, the Paris-Roubaix spring classic.

Scott Moninger - Health Net Presented by Maxxis
Moninger is the winningest active American racer, with more than 240 victories to his credit. He was also a member of the U.S. World Championship Road Team in 1999 in Verona, Italy. Moninger is a savvy, tactically astute rider with a gift for going uphill.

Want more info?
To learn more about the world's first road race of the season, the Amgen Tour of California, February 19 to 26, from San Francisco to Redondo Beach, please visit www.amgentourofcalifornia.com.

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“a little bit tomorrow. I'm taking the bike to Pryor Ok, next week to ride after work on my business trip.This way, I can say, my bike has been to Oklahoma, hey, my truck too.”

“Colder temps mean an indoor ride over the weekend unless....low winds and sunny. We'll see.”

“hope to get out today for at least 60 miles, have to see what the weather will do”

“to cold here for a ride outside but I did a quick hour on my CycleoOps wind trainer, cranked a little Jeff Beck and pretended I was out in the foothills of the appalachians.

It almost worked with my eyes closed”

“I have outfitted myself with all the proper gear for winter riding. fleece micro cap under my helmut, 3 layer of micro fleece top, micro fleece riding tights, wool sock and I just acquired the fleece over boots for my shoes and I wear my balaclava if its super cold. and my Panoptix sunglasses have a goggle like foam insert to keep the wind from my eyes, 2 layer riding glove system. Nothing but rain and snow is going to keep me from riding year round. Red is the new yellow too. Its sunny here today, and the breeze is minimal, so, I'll ride in the afternoon. I'm only up to 10-15 miles, but you know what, thats better than nothing, and thats what I've been doing the past 5 years...NOTHING on the bike, that's so over and done with.

For PA riders...Jericho Mountain to Bowman's tower to New Hope, to peddlars village to Frenchtown and then back. I miss my route so bad, but, I did it so many times, that I can see it in front of me whenever I want.”

“the coldest I've ridden yet. 32 degrees. It took 2 miles for my fingers to go numb, then 7 before they thawed back out. the left thumb was the last, just as I was rounding the corner to my house. I only did 10 miles, but, I did them, so, I'm not down on myself.”

“Heck stickmon that's balmy for here. But I guess if your used to the heat it's pretty chilly. Sounds like your geared up properly though. Don't want to lose any digits :-P

The coldest I've ridden outside was 18 with a windchill of 10. Not comfortable but it was sunny so almost bearable. I think the worst part is that the glasses you have to wear to keep your eyes from freezing open fog up and you can't see. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Ride on”

“32 that is a heat wave half the time I am worried about My cajonies freezing”

“cajones are easy, windproof briefs...”

“cajones lol. Don't they suck up and stay insulated?”

“not at -40F.”

“major shrinkage and when they start thawing major pain”

“Neener, neener, neener. Thank goodness that doesn't happen to vaginas.”