I am working on finalizing the rides routes. will find a way to send you some data when I get done. highlight is back to back centuries (well, there is a rest day in between) each with +6000' of climbing.
I am thinking a weekend in late august or early september to ride Dragon's Back. It will be the hardest ride of the tour so if we can make it in late summer heat that should be a good measuring stick for us to continue with plans for the full tour in the fall. Then we can scope out the other routes to see what type of support/logistics we will need to have in place to be able to complete. You have any other peeps that would maybe interested and be up to the challenge?
This is west of San Antonio about 1.5 hours. I will work on getting a full route set up. I think I might have one ready but a lot of it depends on what type of support is available along the way. Some of the routes I have at least driven but others I have not even seen, just piecing together from what I have seen ridden on Strava. And that would be kickass if you could join.
Yeah. I guess the 51mph he reached on the descents helped. Also, never dropping below 10mph on those climbs.... I have some work to do and you need to find the hilliest spot on the coast. Maybe do repeats on the bridge crossing the intercoastal going into High Island lmbo.
A training wheelset is a better way to add resistance. By putting a larger diameter tire onto heavier wheels, you're adding comfort at the same time as weight where you'll feel it the most.
Or ride up more hills. Wearing a weight vest while riding sounds pretty miserable. Seems like it'd really hinder the body's ability to cool down, which would in turn limit how deep you can go.
changes your center of gravity, puts undo stress on the wheels, etc. Granted... I ride with a 6 ton laptop on my back and U-locks and 6 packs and groceries shoved into my messenger bag all the time. Just not when I'm riding for pleasure / fitness. (LOL -- I made my girlfriend put 2 bundles of firewood on her beater 1990s mountain bike a couple of winters ago. I have a picture somewhere -- will post it if I can find it. ) Speaking of adding weight, I just bought one of these for commuting / over night bike touring purposes. https://www.revelatedesigns.com/index.cfm/store.catalog/frame-bags/TangleFrameBag
ride today was the first time i've felt like myself since going on a 6 month hiatus. had plenty of gas in the tank and felt I could do another 2 hours pretty easily if I had the time. as it was, ride was cut short due to a fucking wasp. Seriously, does anyone else get stung as much as I do while riding? This fucker went in a vent in my helmet and got stuck and stung my head 3 times. was on a descent and doing about 27 when it happened and almost went in the ditch when I tried a rapid stop so i could take my helmet off and get that fucker out. taking about 10 minutes to stop and get it out and let the hearbeat in my head subside and also hitting 2 different gas stations for some benadryl made my wife have to come pick me up 5 miles short of home so i could get ready for the concert she is dragging me to. anyways, long post, hope you enjoyed the stinging story. IT IS GOOD TO BE BACK!
i've been stung a couple of times. never in my helmet though... I've heard thats the worst because they flip out and then sting the fuck out of you, like they did to you. could be worse... here's Jonathan Vaughters, Owner and CEO of Cannondale, after stage 14 of the 2001 Tour de France.
I had a hornet get in my helmet one morning. Fun times. My already large head swelled up too big for my helmet by the time I got to work. Is why I now wear caps under my helmet most days. Also... think there's a helmet maker (german?) that puts a mesh screen in their helmets.
a.tramp solid ride yesterday. did the first road race of the reason, a 3 mile prologue. i was sick yesterday and did terrible, but good to get the cobwebs out. also, ordered a wahoo kickr, so excited to step up my indoor trainer game.
honestly, never really gave rollers a thought. have a discount through my team for wahoo and wanted a "smart" trainer. Paired with trainerroad for intervals. I also ride a tri bike pretty frequently, so being on the aerobars on rollers would be a huge pain.
Rollers don't help you gain power. They are great for you pedaling stroke though. Trainers like the Kickr are awesome because you can set it at a certain wattage and just crank out miles at a specific power level, or you can pair it up with games/videos and it'll change the resistance automatically. Hell, you can actually race against others on Zwift, and it'll increase resistance when you are going up hill or pulling on the front, decrease it when you are drafting/going downhill, etc. Plus there are a bunch of pre-set workouts you can do, so it'll just change the resistance for you, if you want to do intervals or whatever else. They are pretty awesome. Been thinking about buying one. Especially since I don't ride outside much in the winter up here.
Did a fun ride tonight, going to try to add it to my weekly routine, calling it HR&H. Easy pedaling in the flats to keep my Heart Rate down and then absolutely crushing any Hill in my path to send my heart rate through the roof. Did 30+ miles and was shooting for a HR below 150, came in at 141 average for the ride and set new PR's on every hill I encountered. Have I mentioned that I love riding bikes?
I am putting up the same results this year at the first part of April that it took me until the first part of July to achieve last year. At this rate, I will be riding in the Tour de France come summer
Hi friends. Looking for a bike for casual errand running, trips under 10 miles (on mostly flat areas) and is light and inexpensive. I'm open to used. Thoughts? Things I should look for as a noob?
LOL - light and inexpensive is the combination everyone is looking for regardless of ability. If you live in a relatively flat area or are reasonably fit, want something relatively light and inexpensive (and reliable), I recommend going the single speed route. Not fixed gear... single speed: 2 brakes and a freewheel. You can get a decent chromoly frame single speed bike for like $250 or even cheaper if you buy used. $300 from a shop. I mean... hybrids have their place too, and I'm not going to dissuade you one way or another, but I mean... my woman and I are in our 40s (yeah, we are old) and our "go to" bikes for rides under 20 miles are single speed road bikes. She has her bike (All City Big Block) set up with a flat bar, I ride a compact drop on mine (Wabi Classic). My thing is that when that light turns red, I want to be able to rock and roll away from cars. BUT. Most important thing obviously is make sure whatever you buy fits. People in this thread can get you in the general vicinity with regard to what bike size will fit your body if you describe your height plus anything that would affect your fit (such as my long torso, short legs, poor flexibility, for instance). A good shop that isn't just trying to unload a bike on you can dial that in for you so you'll ride it and it won't hurt your knees, wrists or back.
I'd assume yes if you go on Craig's list or if there is a used bike shop in your area. I know what you mean about not investing too much but it will become addicting and a good form of exercise. Just think you wouldn't skimp on running shoes so $300 on a bike that you'll use often isn't that much.
I didn't say I was complex or unique Good tips, thank you. I'm 6'0"/175 and have long femurs. I enjoy walks on the beach and sunsets. I've never had a bike with pedals that move at the same time as the wheel and they scare me. true, good point. I just don't know how much I will use it. I'd skimp on running shoes if I thought I'd only go once a month though
Go to a bike shop. A good shop will let you ride a few to see what works. Don't just buy something without going to a shop. See what you like and then look around. I went from riding 10-12 miles to 25 in about the same amount of time by just changing the bike. I looked around and found a brand new 2014 for $200 less then a 2016 (same make and model). For now I am good because I don't envision me go much farther than on 35 mile rides any time soon.
In first place so far this week in our strava group. Come on guys you can't let my old ass be in the lead. Whoever it is thanks for the Kudos. Appreciate them.
Shit I was planning the gym tomorrow and maybe 30 on Saturday. Thinking I will try and do 50-75 Friday, Sat and Sunday. That's all together not each day.