My 1st Century Ride in 2 years

Saturday was another appearance for me at the Tri-States 100 in Dothan, AL. I consider the ride director to be a friend, and have ridden in the event many (but not all) times since it started up 13 years ago. (http://www.tristates100.com/). I've mostly done the metric century, but have ridden the full 100 miles too, although before there were Backroads Series medals for it.(http://www.alabama-backroads-cycling.com/) The backroads series is a cool concept and has greatly helped promote these events in a state chock full of great places to pedal. (Don't tell too many people that. With AL ranked the 50th most friendly state for cycling, no one thinks we can ride down here)

I knew it was going to be a rushed affair for me. I work in GA most weeks (I've been in NC and SC this week as it happens, but will head back to my GA office before going home) and the long drive home gets me to Prattville at 7 PM. Our usual Friday night dinner date custom has become "meet me at Panera" so we grab some You Pick Twos there and enjoy some social time before arriving to the mad barking of two whacko dogs (73 and 92 lbs each) who are exploding with joy at seeing us. How high can a 92 lb dog jump? You'd be surprised.  Anyway, it was after 8:00 when I put the bike rack on my car, filled water bottles, pulled out the clothes I would ride in, found the garmin, the road ID, made sure I had my gloves and helmet and sun block spray. Took the bike down and checked the air, brakes and chain (ABC quick check, anyone?). Then unpacked from the week, and sat for a few minutes in the recliner before heading to bed because

At 2:30 AM, the alarm was set to go off. I HATE that alarm so I always get up before it sounds. I woke up at 2:21 and started my coffee, and grabbed a bowl of cereal as I flashed through the rest of the get up and go routine. There was even time to read my daily Bible portion (I like and use the M'Chyne system.   No commentary, just readings organized in an interesting way. (http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/one-year-tract/) before heading off to meet Candace at 3:25 by Academy Sports.  We threw her bike on the rack and hit the road for the 2 1/4 hr ride to Dothan.

The ride down was fine and we arrived at the start just 15 minutes after they opened for sign in. Plenty of time meet and greet in the parking lot. Super turn out (28?) of Montgomery area riders in all. I got to meet Alton, who was wearing the same Selma50 jersey that I was, as well as say hi to long time buddies I don't often ride with anymore like Joe. (Because I am so slow). There was plenty of time for a group picture but some confusion as to where to take it. In the end we got many but not all in the picture.

We all look excited and fresh here. It doesn't last :)

I was looking forward to doing this ride. The fact that it has been two years since I've done this distance didn't matter to me. I felt good, had dropped a few pounds and had a confirmed buddy for the trip (Candace). I was surprised throughout the day how awake and energized I felt, other then a few times late in the day when the heat and the wind and climbs and the loss of salt and fluids make me just a tad knocked silly. But brief rests and some drinking fixed that.

The check in went smoothly and the ride start was mishap free. My only gripe is that the picture that I'm in of the start shows me looking down at the pedal strap I was aiming for with my left foot.

 I always want that heroic master of the road look, and never get it. If I'm looking up then all that really stands out is the spare tire I'm carrying around my middle.  Not bandoleer style like the good old days, Michelin man style. Maybe if I lose 10 more lbs!  Btw, I'm down about the weight of a steel framed bike these days and only 1.88 mph faster on average. So there is NO reason to spring for big bucks to buy a carbon frame bike only to save what, 4 lbs maybe? Another .4 of a mph? Not really.

The ride started off with a gentle downhill and police controlled intersections which was lovely. About 2 1/2 miles out though, my trusty OLD Zefal XP4 pump dislodged from the seat tube and got wedged sideways between the seat tube and the rear wheel as well as in the chain and jammed into the big chainring. INSTANT stop. fortunately, I did not wreck and pulled off to see about it. Candace and Sarah stopped with me as did a nice local guy who I do not know. After spending a few minutes bending over it, and trying to disengage the pump while not breaking anything on the bike (so I could continue to ride) I decided to let the air out of the tire, hoping the pump would re fill it. The air did the trick and we got the pump out, but it was damaged and no longer able to work, Candace offered a CO2 unit she had. I asked how it works and she replied by shrugging her shoulders. Yeah, when you're cute like she is, plenty of help around to pump your tires for you, I'm sure. After fiddling with it, she figured it out and we sprayed some into the morning air by accident, and put the rest in my tire. This was a 33 mm 650B tire so I ended up with 20 lbs of pressure. I like to run my tires light, but not quite that light. 50 - 60 is more like it. I hoped a floor pump might be available at the rest stop ahead. We did run up on a SAG truck helping some folks, and they had a pump, so we didn't have to wait for the rest stop. It turned out fine. The tire held pressure and no other flats happened.

When we got to the rest stop, we were way behind all the metric and century riders due to about 20 minutes of mechanical fix and tire pump time. Instead of the rest stop being picked clean though, it was totally well stocked! It turns out that they had a little mix up and were late setting up so most of the riders had gone by and either waited for rest stop 2 or hit a store along the way as needed.  We caught up with 3 other century riders at the rest stop, and passed them when we departed.  Further on, we overtook several more. I told Candace that this would happen as some who jumped out fast started to lose steam. We (and by this I mean me, and Candace who graciously remained in hailing range) lost some steam too on the later hills, but were still able to pull in the 16 - 18 range on flats even at the end. We only slowed to the 14 is range on flats in the face of headwinds. Our overall average at the end was right at 14 too, which is dead center of the target range we had set.

We met up with and rode for a while with the Pecan City Pedalers. Richard and Sharon said to say hi to Prattville riders John and Kathy. I rode with them years ago on this event and they invited me to do their century, over in Albany GA. It's a good one. I've only ridden it the one time though. Maybe two. I forget. We also made some new friends at the rest stops including "PK" a British exchange student officer at Maxwell AFB. We ran into old friends too as we gained ground (remember we had almost a half hour penalty to start) and at least saw them leave rest stops as we got there. We rode with Chris for a while, or rather played leapfrog with him. We'd pass one another and then rest and then vice versa.

Finally, we made it in, and had our "happy to be off this saddle!" photo.

We thought the rest stop volunteers were very nice, and the Gorp, PB&J and pickle juice all went down well. So did the post ride pizza. The new route is generally good. The roads heading north from FL in west GA are very rough and hammered us, especially since that was into the headwind. In parts of GA, that's what you get, so next time, I'll run my 38mm tires instead and get real cush. Or man up and stop being such a wuss. One of the two.  I loved the conversation driving down and driving back. You know, solving the world's problems and getting to know a friend better. Not a bit of sleepiness crept in. Much more energy than 2 years ago, once I had cooled off and re fluidized.

Good ride, GREAT company, and fine performance by a 31 year old bike. It's a 1984 TREK 660, 650B conversion. Campy Victory headset, brake levers (awesome levers) and front der. Campy Veloce compact double on the drive side (the original Victory 1/2 step requires more power than I have. I kept the original Victory non drive side crank arm.) and Shimano Ultegra rear der. Wheels are old Suntour hubs with Dura Ace freewheel 12- 28. Velocity Aerohead 28s wheels (rare). Dura ace bar ends. Front tire is a Rivendell Speedblend (original version) and the rear is a Grand Bois Cypres Here it is: "The Flash"with the original crank, and a Brooks B5N that I switched to a black Selle Anatomica.

#Selma50ride

Life is back to normal today. 364 cyclists and 84 volunteers collaborated on Saturday 2/21/15 to ride from Selma to Montgomery AL, commemorating the 1965 Voters Rights March, led by John Lewis and M.L. King. From the seed of an idea mentioned in passing on a bike ride by buddy Max Britton to working out the actual route, test riding it last Summer, and then getting momentum from Montgomery Bicycle Club President Jeff Feet (who believed we HAD to go ahead with this idea) and attracting other hard working and talented volunteers, it became a consuming beast of a thing. Our Transportation guru, Jeff Periatt, likened us to ducks; serene above the water but feet paddling madly below the surface. He was spot on. All the while, the regular weekly schedule of club rides continued and did I mention that we have day jobs too?

There were idle discussions, planning meetings at Panera Bread and flurries of emails back and forth. We recruited or drafted help where and when we could and finally put the word out in December that we were going to do this ride in February. We intended to have riders park in Montgomery, be transported with bikes to Selma and pedal back. Simple, right? Who would want to go on a 50 mile ride in February? We thought MAYBE 20 people would take the bait and do it. We agreed with Jeff Feet that we SHOULD do the ride regardless. The events we were remembering were worth it. Getting cycling noticed in the community was worth it. Attracting a more diverse ridership was worth it. It just took doing it. The ride became possible in practical terms when Robert and Bonnie Traphan threw in with us. They are the club Treasurer and Secretary and they put on the annual supported club century ride in the Fall, our Glassner Autumn Challenge. (check it out! http://www.mgmbikeclub.org/autumnchallenge.html ). They knew the nuts and bolts of doing a ride. Jeff Periatt, a marketing professor, enlisted his classes to do marketing items for the ride as practical real world applications of what they were studying. Jeff also was sucked into the whirlpool of trying to arrange the right amount of transportation resources for a moving target number of riders.

In the end, we had over 350 cyclists pedaling and 85+ volunteers and others providing support. That the course was made tough by headwinds and the riders had to work hard seemed to heighten the sense of following in the footsteps of marchers who did not have it cushy either.Other than the wind, the weather was cooperative for the one day it needed to be. There were some glitches and behind the scenes rough spots, which are action points for any future endeavors of this sort. Overall though, the riders felt satisfaction with the ride, the history, the event and what we were doing there. Coastal Progressives might not understand how things are done in "Flyover Country" but the riders sure did. This ride was put on by a small group of white people who felt like they should do something to bridge a racial divide in a way that they could. To that extent, it was successful. Already, we have had black volunteers who want to help to do this again. That alone will improve our perspective greatly. We found that cycling IS more than just going for a pedal. It can be a basis for broader relationship. Before we were insulated on highways in our cars, everyone rode a bike. In fact, the first roads paved were done so for bikes, not for cars, which hadn't come along in any great numbers yet. Insulation is the enemy of camaraderie.

We had a white mayor and a black mayor both welcome the group and invite them to see their fair cities. None of the other elected officials we invited came. Only one, Congresswoman Roby, replied to the invite. Well, her staff did with a "thanks but the schedule is full." We heard that the governor was out of town, nothing about any others.  Cycling has a way to go before it shows up on the radar as a "thing" to most people. The potential is there though. Can you see it?

This was a great thing for me personally to be a part of. Goes back to some events of my own childhood that I had forgotten about until they came bubbling up, unbidden. Our team worked long and hard and we still made some mistakes. But we can't let that stop us from moving ahead. We wondered at first  how much of the club's money we might lose if no one showed up for this ride. It turned out to be a sell out and we will present a sizable check to the event beneficiary, The Dexter-King Parsonage Museum. we also will make smaller donations to five other causes, including the BRAG (youth cycling) Dream Team.  The club made no money on the ride, but we did not lose any either.

We present a report on the event to the Montgomery City Council soon. Our riders made an economic impact to the area. If the city will have a more cycling friendly place, more cyclists will come here and that is good for business. The more drivers expect to see cyclists, the safer it is for cyclists. Think space for cycling in transportation planning, bike racks near points of interest, and so on.

The first ever state wide bike conference is in Montgomery next month. Another sign of progress.

Rather than post pictures and stories here, I'll point the reader to our hashtag (my first one ever!) #selma50ride. You can find articles in at least 4 newspapers, Bicyling.com,  Facebook, etc.

I'm looking forward to riding this weekend. Are you?

Blog material!

Sometimes I forget to mention when we have new riders in the group that if we ride together, there is a small chance that their names may show up in a blog entry. The probability increases if anything interesting happens on the ride of course. Like today. We had two new riders at the Sunday afternoon Social ride. Leslie, a fit young woman in town for an Air Force school of short duration had no trouble blending in with that portion of our group which always says, "I'm taking it slow today. This is a recovery ride" and promptly jumps off in an 18 mph breakaway  I did not see her again during the ride. Karen, a retired college professor who rode with us once last year and somehow found her way back again, and who may not have pedaled in between, was more of a true beginner rider.

 Karen found a new looking older rail trail bike at Re Ride Cycles and they put new rubber on and cleaned it up for her. What they apparently did not do was put the rim tape back on over all the spokes. Her tire went flat shortly after we started, and Karen remembered that Re Ride commented on having a tube go flat just after they replaced the original. We (Karen, me and Ron who chose to stay with us today) pulled off into a side street and took a look at it. The front wheel featured a nice quick release, the back one featured nicely chromed nuts. Hmm. Enter Ron, who just may be the only cyclist in 3 counties who (when riding the Blackhawk Bike) has an Oxy-acetylene torch, a ball pein hammer and oh yeah, an adjustable crescent wrench. That last item did the trick. Then we realized that Karen is rocking 700 x 35 touring tires while Ron and I are cruising on 26" MTB wheels. Hmm. Ron saves the day again! (The "S" is almost visible under his neon yellow vest!) He has a 700 x 23 tube. Now, Re Ride had Karen set up with Schrader tubes, but Ron's tube is a Presta.  To try to pump her the first time, I flipped the innards of my frame pump around from my Presta to her Schrader and re inflated her. It didn't last so we did a tube change (which Karen found very instructional) and I switched the pump back. Since the tube was so much smaller than the tire, and since we had only 5 miles to go back, I pumped it up to very low pressure, and we reassembled everything.

It was about this time the Karen noticed the absence of her car keys. This was also about the time I mentioned the concept of "blog material." The keys had departed her company somewhere along the way but she hadn't a clue where. Since she lives in the Eclectic area, driving home was her preference. Okaaayyyy. She thought she might just walk back and look for the keys but I could see the road just fine from a bike seat and asked her to consider pedaling. We had a better shot to get home by dark that way too.  Ron suggested that he ride on ahead and work his way back with the vehicle. I had a hunch though that the keys fell out during one of Karen's dismounts, perhaps when she walked up our hill. So Ron went on ahead and Karen and I pedaled along while scanning the road edge. It was about this time that Karen lost track of where HER road edge was and found herself cycling down a ditch. I encouraged her to stay calm and keep steering and she actually did just fine. Reinforcement though that things can get away from you quickly if you lose focus.

Karen is a wonderful raconteuse and her stories about everything from college football ("hook 'em Horns!") to her days at AUM (she knows 3 of my teaching AUM pals) to dealing with grandkids were highly entertaining. I made me want to pedal slower than we were just to prolong the telling of the tales. Well, that was not to be as Ron came pedaling back, to announce finding the missing keys, where they were surmised to have been dropped. What a relief for this bit of providence!  We made the parking lot successfully and just a few minutes prior to the return of the High Rollers. The always pleasant post ride banter ensued and we logged it as a nice way to spend an Alabama afternoon.

Karen asked that I make sure to point out that the only time she was off her bike, it was by her choice. :)

Saturday saw a little longer ride for me. I borrowed the phrase "designated last place finisher" from swift of foot friend Heather, and it removed all sense of pressure to stay up with anyone. This was a Ride for Sight, hosted by the MMS team ( a local tri athlete training group) and benefited the Lions Club.  I rode the "40" mile route with Connie who is rapidly extending her range. She's quicker than I am (who isn't?) on the flats but I ride more hills so I had a chance to stay even with her there. It was a delightful day, with great company, a pretty route and tasty BBQ at the end. Even as the sweeper, my moving avg was not far off 15 and that's as quick as I go generally speaking.

All  in all a great weekend to ride.  Hope to see you all on the roads soon!

Too much Work on the Workers Ride

The rainy front passed by yesterday, leaving this morning cool and crisp. And windy. Winds are forecast to get up around 30 mph in gusts as the day goes on, so I opted for the 30 mile route today instead of the original 100 KM plan. Afterwards, I knew that was the better choice for me today. despite being shorter, the ride was not lacking in new people to meet and pedal with, beautiful scenes to go by and generally quiet roads. Today was the annual workers ride for next weekend's club century (I will volunteer at the P.A.C.E. rest stop) and we opened it up to anyone in the area who wanted to test ride the routes of 16, 30, 55, 62 and 100 miles. A nice crowd came out and we had folks on each of the routes at various paces. It was nice for the few miles that we experienced a tail wind, but the last 15, coming back with winds and rollers was WORK!

Within 3 miles of start, I saw a bike on the side of the road and  Karen Stankard was lying on her back with bloodied face. I stopped to see what was up, and helped her to her feet after checking for reasons not to. Other riders stopped too and made phone calls for help. A Pintlala water dept truck stopped to help as well. Phil and Anita Jones stayed waiting for "Medevac", as did Mary Ashley, while the rest of us went on. Karen said she was handling some items on the bike and lost sight of where her front wheel was. It seems to have slipped off the pavement into the sloped grass shoulder and control of the bike disappeared. Hopefully, she'll clean up okay and be none the worse for wear. I rechained her bike and got the rear wheel on straight before we departed.

This is the second rider to go down in the past two weeks due to an unexpected front wheel mishap. Last week, Kathy Thornton had a run in with a railroad track (it was a shabby crossing in need of repair) and now the grass got Karen.  The take away here is that just like driving a car or motorcycle, trouble can happen in a split second and we have to always be aware of the road in front of us, the location of other drivers, etc.

There are a number of newer cyclists in the club and it will be a few months before our club cycling guru, Mike Munk has the next basic cycling class. In the meanwhile, here are a few things to consider:

1.) You are a driver and your bike is a vehicle. Act that way at all times on the roadways. Same rules, same responsibilities. Same safe driving practices. Just slower than your car. For most of us. Louis Schwartzman goes as fast on his bike as the rest of us go in the car.

2.) It is worth the time to practice bike handling skills. Stops, turns, shifting, drinking.  Find somewhere easy to ride in, like a parking lot for this.If your bike doesn't shift easily (Kaitlin!) take it in to the shop. Get used to how the different gear combinations feel so you can pick what you want as you ride. Corner with the outside pedal down. Always have a bail out in mind in case you need to ditch. Green (Grass) is better than black (asphalt) and out of traffic is better than in traffic for starters. If you find yourself off the pavement, don't panic. shift to an easy gear (your small front ring for example) so you can control your pedaling and remember when you were a kid and rode your bike on grass without thinking about it. Maintain your handlebar grip and stay calm and in the moment. if you like it, consider Cyclocross!

3.) It is VERY worth the time and cost to have a comfortable set up on the bike. Get the right position and the right saddle. Bell Road Cycles does bike fits and Darren there is excellent at listening to find out what a rider needs. I don't know if MMS does bike fits also.  I have some ideas too, from an "Unracer's" perspective. No one saddle or set up will work for all riders although I have a few favorites. Feel free to ask me anytime. On rough roads, a fatter tire at lower air pressure is much more comfortable. Even if you can't change the tires, you can let some air out. If your tires show 100 psi, try 80 in front and 85 in back. Etc. Email me if you want the Excel spreadsheet and article reprint by Berto and Heine on tire pressure.  There is a Berto Tire Pressure Android app avail too.

4.) As colder air comes into play, your clothing will change. Air is your best insulator. A tight wind jacket that doesn't breathe will make you sweat. Wet clothes get cold fast. The key is layering. Wicking materials, and winter weight. Wool or microfiber are your best bets. Wool hiking socks in loose fitting shoes will keep your feet very comfy on a cold day. Rule of thumb is, if you are comfortable standing around in the parking lot before the ride, you are wearing too much. You need to be able to evaporate the sweat the work produces. Don't forget your head and hands as well. Wind vests are good to keep your core protected while letting excess heat escape. Gloves that don't breathe will make your hands soak in sweat. Don't laugh, but the wool gloves you wore as a kid work great on a cold biking day. Cheap too.

5.) You still need to drink when it is cold. And eat. I'm guilty of this too. I drank less than a bottle today in over 30 miles with hills and wind. I then I wondered why I feel lethargic.

Laboring on Labor Day Weekend

All week I've been thinking about what to post for rides this weekend. This years' crew of new riders has been making super progress. Some of the faster ones now ride with the A/B groups instead of with our Cs, and that's fine. It's satisfying to see people come into cycling, develop as riders and sort out into the right group for their interest and ability levels, as well as time available. We've been quietly adding more and more elevation to the Saturday rides over the past 6 weeks, and some of the riders are commenting how much better they feel about climbing. All good. After looking over our start points since Spring, it was evident that we weren't doing much in the Wetumpka area, so I posted the Emerald Mountain Toll Bridge ride. I've done this a few times before, but not since June of last year. This year's version is a little different with a little more climbing than last year.  Then we have scheduled our usual Sunday afternoon relaxer ride and a short 32 miles in Prattville early Monday, to let the BBQ s all get fired up on time.

I drove over to the Toll Bridge start with Max (it was the last I'd see of him for a while. He rides a couple of mph quicker than I do and all his hill drills have helped tremendously this year) and was surprised to see a big turnout in the parking lot! Including Mark who called in to say he was inbound, and who we waited for, we had 14 riders. Jim, Steve T and Mark E took off at "above the advertised pace" and the rest of us trailed behind, with me bringing up the rear. Steve warned me about rough chip-seal on Rifle Range road, but when we got to it, I thought it was fine. The chip-seal near the end on the lower portion of Dozier road was rough! Steel frame with long chainstays, leather saddle, and tires running a little less air in them made the buzz barely noticeable. (The Berto chart is a useful tool for getting optimal air pressure in your tires). Avoiding it would be like playing lift and place golf, on a nice dry sunny day!

The ride was dog free as well as vehicle near miss free. It was however, hillier than I remembered. A lot hillier. I referred to it as "medium" hilly in the posting, compared to say, Cheaha. Well, I saw grades on my Garmin screen over 20% and a lot of 15% to 17%.  Just like Cheaha. Total climb is less, but those steep ones took the starch out of my legs. Took them too fast I guess. That had a lot to do with my moving average ending up just BELOW the advertised range. Everyone else did just fine. Go figure. My heart rate got up way high, which results in profuse sweating, and lack of power in my legs. I knew it was happening and topping a hill, pulled into the shade for a few minutes of cool down and drinking fluids. The downhills were pretty nice. Got over 40 on a couple of them.  The Rivendell Rambouillet handles very securely at speed. Low center of gravity and stable geometry.

Although the ride start was 7:00 AM, we had to leave Prattville shortly after 6:00 in time to get there. Some folks left even earlier, perhaps before they were fully awake. Candace mentioned about 15 miles into the ride that she accidentally put her shorts on backwards today. What she actually said was, "Look at my butt, but don't LOOK at my butt." "Oh, no padding, " I said. I suggest ditching the padding to anyone riding a Selle Anatomica leather saddle. You don't need it. It was good to know she trusted me enough to try it out.  "No, the padding is in the front because my shorts are on backwards." She did say her seat was quite okay with no cushioning, but the wad of foam in the wrong place was very unpleasant. This was corrected at the next store stop opportunity! Maybe she'll try my idea out though and then it won't matter which way the shorts go on :)

We also looked at her new cleated shoes after the ride to adjust the pedal clip tension (she did not clip in on the ride).  We wear close to the same size, so I put on her shoes and gave them a tryout. As I slipped them on, I told Frank and Max, "Not a word about this to anyone!" Candace asked if I was embarrassed to be on a woman's bike wearing women's shoes. No, I didn't want it to get out that I was actually clipping in on a bicycle. Frank adjusted her clip tension and I showed her that the shoes clipped in and out satisfactorily. Her LG shoes were pretty comfy btw, if anyone is looking for shoes. Candace also has Keen cycling sandals which accept cleats. I ride in Keens and love them.

Why am I not a fan? Another rider fell over today climbing a hill when he wobbled a little, and could not unclip in time to put his foot down. I climb with my glutes and leg biceps mostly, and some calf muscle. None of which benefit from clipping in. No foot or leg cramps either.

In other cycling news, I came home Friday after work to a UPS delivery from Velocity USA, rim and wheel maker. Their products carry a lifetime warranty and a rear rim that came with a Rivendell Saluki developed a crack. They replaced the rim and re built the wheel. New spokes, nipples, rim.  Nice job.  I moved the wheel set over to the Rivendell Road now and will ride it tomorrow and Monday. It took then just a week to get it back to me, and while it was away I cleaned the cog set that goes on it. I'm pretty happy about the service.

Hope you're all enjoying whatever roads you pedal down.

Tailwinds.