New Year, New Ride, New Goal

With a New Year approaching, my riding has also begun anew! My wife (who is awesome, by the way) got me a new ride for Christmas. For the past year, I have bee riding my “hardtail” mountain bike with either the urban assault tires or slicks to log miles. By “hardtail”, I mean no suspension. Many of the mountain bikes you see out there are full suspension or at least front suspension. I believe this takes away the true feel of riding. Some people swear by full suspension, but I’m not buying it.

My new bike is a ’08 Scattante Americano Single Speed. This bike has a flip flop back hub that I can flip over to change the bike to a fixed gear. A single speed bike is like the bikes we rode as kids – no gears. I bought a bike trailer from a guy in 07 who rode a fixed gear bike and swore by it. Ever since talking to him about fixed gear bikes, I have been intrigued. I did some research and found this bike that can be either single speed of fixed gear. Once I get the feel for hoe the bike handles I will get a new cog and make the switch to fixed gear. A fixed gear bike is an interesting machine. Basically, you can’t coast; if the pedals are moving, so is the back wheel. Stop pedaling, stop moving. Once I make this switch, I’ll be sure to post about it.

With the New Year also comes a new mileage goal. In 2008, I rode over 2000 miles on either my mountain bike or the stationary. It’s only the 30th and I still have 2 more riding days left in the year. Yesterday’s ride put me at 2048 for the year. In 2009, I am shooting for 3000 miles. This should be doable as I really only started counting 2008 miles in late February while helping my wife train for her first triathlon.

Stay tuned for how my progress is going.

I did it!

This summer, I decided that I would set a goal of riding 2000 miles by the end of the year. I am happy to report (as if anyone reads this) that on December 16th, I accomplished my goal. It was nothing special. In fact I was in a hotel gym, by myself with he TV going (satelite was fading in & out even). I hit my goal for the year and silently kept going. I don't know what I was expecting, but it was quite low key. Anyway, I did it, & I'm happy about it. Maybe I'll shoott for 3000 for next year....

I'm out of Texas!

I know my header should be "I'm in New Mexico", but my dislike for Texas leans me to be more excited to not be there (virtually). I ronically, I fly to El Paso next Tuesday where I'll probably break my 2000 mile mark for he year (if the hotel gym has a bike). Yes, I'm only 36.78 miles away from the 2000 mile goal I set for myself this summer. Kinda cool!

I saw something on the road the other day that struck me as odd. A guy was riding his bike down the sidewalk (a huge pet peeve) and got all torqued when a car pulled across the sidewalk to check for a break in traffic so he could go wherever. Dude had no reason to be honed off; he shouldn't have been on the side walk. There was a perfectly good bike lane righht next to him on the street. For those who like to ride on side walks-please stop. Cars do not expect a bicycle to come flying down the sidewalk and the possibility of being hit is far greater than if you're on the street. Now if you're 8 years old and going to school, that's different. Adults should ride in the street (in the bike lane) and obey the same traffic laws as cars.

What's Killing all the Fish?

Emma & I ran some errands today by riding. Well she rode in the trailer and I pulled her on the bike. We rode a little over 15 miles and on one stretch of the ride, we rode along one of the canals. When I first pulled onto the tow path, I noticed lots and lots of trash floating in the canal. I woouldn't have been surprised to have seen a trash truck overturned in the canal up stream.

Then I started seeind dead fish floating. What's killing them? I believe that this is the water that irrigates our crops. I wonder how much disease and funk is being washed over our crops and into the ground water?....All the more reason to keep my garden growing. Terri was saying something about a recent law that says all crops have to be irradiated and you will need a license to have a garden. I say bullshit. I will not only continue growing a garden, I am going to expand it.

Sorry to get too environmental, but it's important that we take care of the planet we have. I guess that's why I ride a bike to do errands instead of driving.

Useless Ride stats 11/29

COLD morning ride this morning.

Total miles - 10.12miles
Avg Speed - 13.9mph
Max Speed - 18.7mph
Time - 43 minutes

Nothing exciting this morning. The canal was steaming because the air was so cold (47 degrees). Had 1 dog that was being walked (on a leash) that had the look of death in his eyes for me. It was everything the poor lady could tdo to hold him back. I may need to start carrying protection in case there are critters out there not leashed and held back. Maybe a bo staff or nunchucks (not from the Wii).

I'm in Texas!

It's hard to put the exclamation mark in the title. I'm not a big fan of Texas and luckily I'm passing through the top part via Amarillo along the 40. I found the above picture to be interesting because the grass/weeds are growing high enough to obscure the word "proud" (Mother Nature knows what's up).

Hopefully, I'll be in New Mexico soon and the virtual Texans are better than the real ones!

Useless Ride stats 11/23

2 days of riding in a row, a good weekend!

Total miles - 15.62miles
Avg Speed - 13.9mph
Max Speed - 24.1mph
Time - 1:07

I put the "urban assault" tires back on! (the average speed was up even) What a great feeling to ride on dirt again. The dust flying, the grit in the teeth, pure heaven. Tomorrow night, I should hit the Texas border on my virtual ride.

Useless Ride stats 11/22

Wow, it's been a while.
Total miles - 12.52
Avg speed - 13.6mph
Max speed - 24.1mph
Time - 55 minutes

Beautiful day for riding. Pulled the princess in the trailer. No bodies found in the canal (it was way shallow today too).

Useless Ride stats 11/5

Total miles - 15.71 Miles
Avg Speed - 17.1 mph
Max Speed - 27.8 mph
Time - 55 minutes
Fairly strong head wind heading West. Nice day for riding! No bodies found in the canals.

I'm not sure if I'm getting stronger or just had a good speed day. The video below shows the type of headwind I had.

Useless Ride stats 11/2

Total miles - 9.12
Average speed - 16.2mph
Max speed - 27.2mph
Total time - 33:57minutes

Just a quick jaunt to the store & Tom & Erika's house. Had to use the lights towards the end of the ride. Felt good to be back in the saddle!

300!

I did it! I hit my 300 mile goal for the month. It wasn't nearly as bloody as pictured above, but that was a cool movie and what better way to write the number 300? All I have to do to make my year end goal is 250 miles for the next 2 months - very doable at this point. With the silly season approaching, I'll have to make sure to crank when I do ride in November & December. Stay tuned...

I'm in Oklahoma

Never thougt that I would announce something like this...I just entered Oklahoma.

Terri's out of town and after running out of paint in the living room, I decided to log some miles. So silently, I pedalled (watching TV) and finally entered Oklahoma on my virtual tour. It seemed like I'd never get through Arkansas, but I did. If I hit my 300 mile goal for the month, I only need to average 250 miles for both November and December to make my 2000 miles for the year goal.

I should be able to log some "real" bike miles next weekend since the weather's been so nice. For now, I'll settle for the stationary. It sure beats doing nothing!

A Roadie waved at me

Cyclists who ride road bikes, roadies, typically don’t say hello or wave while riding. This isn’t to say that all roadies don’t greet each other, but it is common knowledge that roadies typically don’t wave. I’m not sure why this happens or doesn’t happen but more often than not, it is the case. Perhaps raising your hand a mere 4 inches will mess up your cadence and trow off your rhythm. Maybe your jersey is so tight that it is physically impossible to raise your hand. Maybe my bike isn't the latest and greatest or even a road bike.

Today, however, I waved at a roadie on the opposite side of the street and he waived back! This seemd strange to me mainly bacause every other roadie that I waived at barely gave me a glance. Now, I'm not some jackass wildly waving at everybody on the road, but a quick "good morning" or a raise of the fingers on the handlebar on the side they're on is usually the norm. Lot's of walkers don't even say hello.

What's the deal with all these grumps out there? Kindness in contageous and I will continue to say hello and be nice on the road. If people are so miserable with their exercise regiment or sport, pick something else to do. If you are suffering so much for your sport, pick a different one. I believe that you excel much more when you are doing something you love to do; be it sports, your job, or whatever. you have to enjoy what you're doing or it's not worth doing at all.

Only 700 to go!

Back in August, when I hit 1000 miles, I set a goal of riding 2000 miles by th eend of the year. As of tonight I have "only" 700 miles to go. With only 83 days left in the year... wait a minute, how did that sneak up on us?!? Anyway, with only 83 days left, I need to ride an average of 8.5ish miles per day to meet this goal.

Not an impossible task, but not easy either. With the silly season approaching, I will need to make sure I ride whenever I get a chance.

We'll see how it goes. Stay tuned for updates....

Would you steal it?!?

I was walking up to a hospital today to make a sales call and ran across this Huffy leaning against a bike rack. I had to laugh because the bike lock is still on the seatpost and not locking the bike to anything. I guess the owner of this bike realizes what he has and thet it is probably safe not being locked up. I, of course, am an honest person and wouldn't think of stealing a bike. I remember an event called the "huffy toss" where a bike of this type would be thrown for distance. Read more here.

I'm in Arkansas!

Well, virtually anyway. On my virtual trip across the country, I left Memphis this morning and entered Arkansas.

I am still breaking in my new saddle and needless to say, my butt is a little sore. The old seat was a heavy gel seat (but quite comfy). This one is a little lass comfy, but not too bad. I guess I need to just build up the callouses on my butt...

A wierd thing I saw riding today was dead birds. I first came across a dead mallard duck near the canal and a sparrow later in the ride. It was strange to see these birds lifelessly laying there. I saw many more live animals on my ride including llamas, geese, peacocks, and fish. I'll try to get some oictures of the various animals on my journeys at a later date.

One year to go!

With the passing of this last weekend, my ride to Gila Bend is only a little over a year away. That gives me 1 year to:

• Get in shape enough to ride 100 miles in 1 shot
• Get my bike ready for such a ride
• Plan my route-Done!
• Get in shape enough to ride 100 miles in 1 shot

The get in shape part is listed twice because it's twice as important as the rest. I got a new saddle (seat) for my birthday and I'll need to get my but accustomed to it (literally).

Now that fall is here, officially at 8:44 this morning, the weather is cooling down enough to do lot's of riding! I will also nee dto make sure I ride enough next summer to maintain everything that I do this fall/winter. I can't wait to start!

Back in the Saddle!

I finally was able to get back on the bike yesterday! If you've read earlier posts (not that anyone does), I've been itching to try out my new pedals/shoes. It has started to cool off here so yesterday was my big day. I rode a little over 14 miles and felt great...until this morning. I wasn't sore from the ride per se, but the placement of the clips on my shoes.



My pedals require an SPD (Shimano Pedaling Dynamics) clip on the bottom of the shoe to "clip" into the pedal. There are several reasons for clipless pedals:

• Without something holding your foot securely to the pedal, it would be easy to slip off the pedal and send your foot into the wheel. Not so likely to happen on a trip around the block, but on a longer ride, when you're tired...
  


• There is a correct placement for the position of your foot over the pedal axle
  


• A good pedal/shoe system has to be able to transfer all of the power from your leg to the pedals without trying to bend your foot over the top of the pedal, which causes both fatigue and pain
  


• You shouldn't have to think about how your feet connect to the bicycle while you're riding. You should be concentrating on having fun, not technique!

Placement of the cleat on the shoe for optimal power transfer is key. I had my cleats all the way up towards the front. Imagine riding wth only using your toes. Needless to say, my left calf is a little sore today. Ok, a lot sore. It was difficult walking down the staris first thing this morning. I've been stretching and hopefully tomorrow it will feel better. Below is a picture of one of my pedals to give you an idea of what they look like.

Flagstaff

I was in Flagstaff yesterday on business and there were bikes everywhere! Of course, I was near the college, but through the downtown district you couldn't look 100 yards without seeing someone riding. The weather up there is perfect right now for cycling...mid 70's-ish.

Damn, I'm itching to get on my bike again. My birthday is coming up and I've been putting a wishlist of components together (even a road bike-not that that'll happen). I'm really excited for cooler weather to coe so I can get back on it.

I did some stationary riding again tonight, but it's just not the same.

Game On!

While driving to the chiroprator this morning, I saw TONS of cyclist on the road. Suddenly it struck me: "Hey it's not 1000 degrees this morning, riding season is upon us"!

I only drove this morning because we are doing Matthew's birthday party today and time was short (and it's been 1000 degrees).

I plan to do some REAL riding next weekend. Enough of this stationary bike I want the real deal.

1000 Miles!

Since Terri started training for her triathalon in late February, I have started logging my miles on www.mapmyride.com. I have been doing a virtual tour across the country starting in Atlantic City, New Jersey. All the miles I ride either on my bike or the stationary, are logged and mapped. The other night, I hit 1000 miles! It was fairly low key; Terri was in the other room and the kids were asleep. I silently passed this milestone and continued on. It took 5 months to get to 1000, and I'm going to do everything I can to hit 2000 by the end of the year.

Mid-Life Crisis?

Ever since Terri decided to do a triathalon earlier this year, I've been back on the bike to train along side of her. I had forgotten just how much I love riding. Since that fateful day in February, I have been obsessed with riding. It seems to be all I think about. I guess there are worse obsessions I could have.

While driving to San Diego, I caught myself evaluating the shoulders of the road for cycling. (they didn't look too bad). Wait a minute, I can't ride to San Diego. It's 300+ miles with some huge-assed hills! It would take at least 3 days to complete. Oh well.

Gila Bend! I could ride there! It's only about 90 miles and pretty flat. On the way home I pay closer attention to the road from GB to the house. This is completely doable. I ran the idea by Terri to see what she thought. "Is that a crazy idea"? "No crazier than me doing a triathalon" she said. Approval! Support! Sweet!

So, around my 40th birthday, I will ride! Should be fun & interesting at the same time.
Stay tuned for details...

What is the Universe Telling Me?

In the last 2 months, I have had four flats and been hit by a vehicle once. Terri thinks that all these incidents are trying to tell me I should take a break from the bike for a while. I'm a little more hard headed than that I suppose. Regardless of what the cycling gods are trying to say, I ride on!

Ok, I'm at the gym on the stationary. As I mindlessly crank away, I understand just how therapeutic cycling is for me. The stationary is a substitute only for the exercise and mileage. My mind is not able to wander or focus on the many things currently running through it. I get no feeling of going anywhere. Just another hamster on the wheel.

Right now, there's a lot going on. My Grandmother is quite ill and probably not going to be around much longer. I feel so helpless here in AZ. Yes, I was out there last week, but I wish I could be there to help more.

I have to be here for my wife & kids too. They are my life and it's hard to spend any time away from them.

I shouldn't bike & blog at the same time.

The Hills of San Diego

I'm in my hometown (kinda) this week to help with some family stuff. I decided to bring my bike for some early morning/evening meditation. i actually use my time on the bike to reflect and gather my thoughts much like I used to do while surfing.


Anywhoo, I'm out riding this morning down a newer street in Mira Mesa where my mom lives called Calle Cristobal(sp?). There is a fairly good downhill and decent bike lane. As I am FLYING down this hill, I counted no less than 9 man hole covers. What's the deal with that?!? Put the manholes out where it won't affect bicycle traffic. Obviously poor planning on the part of the city. Probably some engineer who is not a cyclist. If work needs to be done in one of these holes, thay would more than likely close the right lane.

By the way; when I mentioned I was flying, my cyclocomputer clocked me at 51.7mph. This is a new personal best for me. I probably could have squeaked out a few more mph, but wih the traffic and curvature of the road, tis was good. Ironically, the speed limit on this road is 50mph. How wild would that be to get a speeding ticket at that speed on a bicycle? It would never happen as I was being passed during my flight. It was a short but sweet ride down followed by a mild climb back up to the mesa. All in all, a good ride today.

Keep it rubber side down!

Slicker than ???

So I finally got the tires for the wheels I bought on craigslist and put them on the bike. I mounted "slicks" which are tires with very little tread. My normal tires are wide with lots of meaty tread. I call them my urban assault tires. For riding on the road, I like to ride slicks for speed. I test rode them last night to make sure the gears worked and everything was good.

This morning Emma & I rode to the chiropracter's office; and what a difference. We were absolutely flying! On the way there, we cruised at 18-19MPH (not bad pulling a trailer). The way back was slightly slower due to the heat. It was about 100 degrees and it was only 10:00AM. Needless to say, we didn't overdo it.

I can't wait to see what type of pace I can hold without a trailer.

What a Night!

Last night I rode the stationary bike at the gym for 15.25 miles. Mindlessly droning on and on and on. Even though the gym is air conditioned, I was drenched after my hour.

Tonight, however, I'm back in the real saddle and absolutely cranking along. I was a machine, I felt that I could ride all night long. About 17 miles into the ride, heading towards home, I am crossing the intersection of Higley & Elliott. I know you're probably thinking " you live at Higley & Elliott"; and I do. As I said, I felt that I could ride all night and decided to ride to the ball parks and come home along the power lines (another 4 miles or so).

So I'm cruising through the intersection, having just switched my headlight to flash for better visibility when this Chevy Avalanche approaches the intersection from the South....fast. He's gonna run the red, turn right and continue on his way. One small problem, I'm at the place where he needs to turn. I realize that he doesn't see me and is going to hit me. I hit the brakes, start yelling at him, and start evasive maneuvers. Well, he did hit me but not too hard. Actually he nudged me more that hit me. I pulled over to make sure my bike was OK. I wasn't even knocked off, but would have been pissed if this jackoff screwed up my bike. He sat at the intersection for a while, probably not realizing he just hit a cyclist. When he started to get out of the truck, I lectured him that he needs to watch out for us on the road and pay better attention. He mumbled some bullshit about losing me in the lights of the oncoming traffic. Now, I use my flashing front light n the road and wear a "hi-visibility" jersey. I'm sure all the way home he justified to his wife in the passenger seat how I was in the wrong for being at the intersection where he intended to run a red light. Jackass!

This little incident got me to thinking. Most of the bicycle/road safety information out there is geared for cyclists. Where's the bike safety info for motorists? We as cyclist have to ride as if we're invisible, because we are. There are far too many distractions to drivers these days (cell phones, lattes, changing radio stations, text messaging, being an idiot, ....)

I could have been going off like a roman candle on the 4th of July with a lit sparkler dangling out of my ass and this guy wouldn't have seen me. I am going to credit my defensive/evasive riding and Jedi reflexes for keeping this from being a much worse incident.

So if you are out there driving, please keep your eyes open for cyclists, and give them some room.

Am I some deranged trill seeker? no
Is riding at night dangerous? yes
Will I be back on the bike at night? you bet your ass!

Thanks for listening

It's a Small World...

Back in April, Terri did her first triathalon (Susan G Comen Tri for the Cure). She did awesome and I couldn't be more proud. She is doing another in July with Torrey. She expressed concern about riding her mountain bike and making good time.

Well; while she was in Sedona for some much deserved R&R, I sold her mountain bike and got her a road bike. Nice bike, should help her speed. I sold the bike on Craigslist to a guy who bought it for his wife to ride with him.

So, I've been wanting to get a spare set of wheels for my bike so I could have one with off-road tires and one with slicks (tires with little or no tread for speed).
I found a Nishiki bike on Craigslist for only $20, and the wheels looked like they might work! I went to look at the bike and the guy selling it was the same guy who bought Terri's bike. How weird is that? That probably means something deeper than I think.

I'm still trippin. Hope I didn't get the song stuck in your head.

Keep it rubber side down.

Virtual Bike Ride Across the Country

I am doing a virtual bike ride across the country. Basically, all the miles I log on the bike are plotted on a map at http://www.mapmyride.com/. It's a fun way to keep track of the miles I ride and gives me a goal to reach versus mindlessly droning on and on with no purpose. Once I hit Raliegh, NC, I wll head west on along interstate 40. If you know of any interesting places that i should virtually see or any friends or family along the route you'd like me to virtually check in on, please let me know. I've already been given the name of a steak house in Barstow, CA. I hope to post intersting stories of my virtual trek across the country.

To view my progress on my map, please click the button below my picture.

What are the odds?

After fixing my flat yesterday, I went for a nice ride last night to get some exercise. It was a fun 15 mile route that runs along the canal, railroad track, and power lines nearby.

My bike is geared for climbing and I've been lookinging into either regearing it, or setting up a new set of wheels for the more flat riding that I am doing now. While researching how to build a wheel, I stumble across various articles; one of them was about chain maintenance. Since I can't remember the last time I cleaned my chain, I went out to do so.

WHAT THE F***? My front tire was flat again. Now that the kids are in bed, I went out to see what was going on with my front tire. Did I put the tube in wrong? Did I pinch it? Is it a bad tube? I took the tube out and found that it had been punctured. I decide to check the tire for something that may be there and popping my tube. I laid the tube next to the tire with the stem next to the hole in the rim and investigated. Ahaa! There it was. A decent sized thorn. (see picture)

As I mentioned in my earlier post. There are different hazards out here than in San Diego. I think I just found what they've been telling me. I guess I'm glad the tube hung in there for 15 miles before giving up.

What did I learn? If/when I flat again, check the tube, find the problem and clear any crap that may be stuck in the tire.

My first flat

Last night, I went for a quick "recovery ride" (less than 10 miles) and as I ride back into the community, my front tire starts makeing a wierd sound. Flat tire. Damn! At least I was less that 1/4 mile from home so I was able to limp back without any damage to the rim.



A quick background: I used to ride when we lived in San Diego a LOT! It was not uncommon for me to get on the bike and ride down to the beach (50 miles round trip) on a whim. While in college, I worked in a lumber yard so I rode to work. I rode to school (14 miles). I rode everywhere! I rode a nice "road bike" and the mountain bike I ride now.

The terrain out here is different from what I'm used to. I used to ride in the canyons in San Diego. there are no canyons here. I currently ride along the power lines and canal tow paths.
The canal paths are usually pretty smooth with a few sections of roughness in between. Some paths are now even paved. The power line "trails" are a whole new experience. I probably ran over some glass or a thorn or something last night that punctured my innertube. Oh yeah, I also ride at night for added excitement. I'll post about riding at night later.

Anyhoo, I got my flat last night and went to Performance Bike today to get a new tube (www.performancebike.com). If you are into cycling or new to it, this shop is awesome! the people are friendly and they have a TON of stuff. I can forsee many dollars flowing to them as I add to my accessories.

That's just a little bit of what this blog is about. I will post more when time permits.