Made it. Even managed to set five PRs on the second half (two were probably cause I didn't stop at the halfway like the group usually does). Also passed about 40 people on the way back, guess I missed the invite for any of those groups. I don't know if this is how it is for everyone, but it's a lot better for me to pedal a lower cadence on a bigger gear than the opposite. My left knee and bend of my foot were killing me until I bumped up 3-4 gears. Did the last 60% three off my biggest gear.
Pedaling at a higher cadence is actually better on your knees and joints as it is applying less pressure. That being said, it takes work to get to a high cadence and it does not happen overnight. Also, any issues with bike fit can turn into nagging problems when you spin at a high cadence as those irritation points are getting hit more often. All that aside, very nice ride man! Working into longer rides is pretty easy. Put in time in the saddle and then stay positive and trust in your legs to get the job done.
Highlights from my ride today. 1. Chase a guy for 10 miles to finally catch him. 2. Within 1/4 of a mile of catching him, a winged stinging insect gets caught in my helmet and proceeds to sting me multiple times. I almost crash getting stopped to address this. Due to this happening many times before, I had Benadryl in my kit. 3. Spend 10 miles chasing to get on the wheel of a group that passed me while I was dealing with prior issue. 4. Drop group and leave them scattered at first section of hills, again riding solo for 10 miles. 5. Get on the wheel of Group A as they go by and hold on for dear life for next 10 miles. 6. Get dropped by Group A and start working my way home with one other dropped rider. 7. With 7 miles left, get passed by a Group A rider that I had seen stopped for a mechanical. His saddle is in his pocket and his saddle base is swinging wildly on his seat post. 8. Realize I would never be able to look in the mirror again and consider myself a man if I let this guy who was doing the last 15 miles of a ride without a saddle pass me. Upped my pace back to Group A pace and pulled this dude in the remaining 7 miles. My effort was strong, his was Herculean. Bonus, last 2 miles in a cool 75 degree rain.
To clarify, my left knee issue is a lingering one that I've had for a few years. Essentially the bottom of it feels loose, and so it kinda bounces up and down while I pedal. I think the number of rotations, rather than the pressure, is what was heightening the discomfort. Not really sure what the foot thing is about, but I assume it's related to the knee thing. My right knee/foot felt fine at both the high and low cadence.
It is quite possible that you were spinning too fast. Bounciness is bad as it is ineffecient and also causes irrritation. You did the right thing by lowering your cadence. Use your body as a guide. Ultimately I would suggest slowly trying to improve cadence (not too much at one time) but if you have prior injuries that make than not possible then that is completely understandable. Once again, great ride and I am not trying to pick nits. Just trying to be helpful.
Here is the deal. The more saddle time you get in, the faster you go. Unfortunately the kicker is you never reach "fast" as you are constantly moving that benchmark forward as you improve.
My shifter cables finally stretched out so I need to reindex. I went to switch to my big ring (it's a rarity for me) and nothing happened.
Need to take the bike in to the shop for a tune up. Hasn't been touched since I bought it ~3 years ago
Hell yeah, 6 rides on the board today. Some sort of a record for this group I reckon. Now if Daniel Ocean from his couch will get a ride in...
Man how the heck do you go on a 12 mile ride and only have 80' of elevation. Jealous of EW. Sidewalk riding in the burbs sucks. Need to find some good neighborhood routes.
My Ma has been in the hospital so I've just been able to get in quick workouts. I am hoping to get in rides on Wed and Fri
Yeah she is better. She went home today. I am going to go do some stuff for her and my dad at their house tomorrow. I'll probably be too tired to do anything other than maybe a quick gym workout.
I am starting to gather tools so I can start dabbling in my own maintenance. I need a good bike stand for working on it though.
I spent about 10 minutes looking at this site and followed links and it looks like it could be a good resource to locate paths, routes, bike lanes and even clubs or stores that have no-drop group rides. Might be worth a look. I almost linked some routes for you as I have a pretty good idea of where you live but that would be just too creeper of me. http://www.kansascyclist.com/
As in a stand that is meant for carbon bikes or a stand made out of carbon? This is what I was looking at. Park Tool PRS-20
Really starting to wonder how my mountain climb is gonna go. My best 2 hour effort to date has been 244 watts. If I can somehow manage to do that it will put me summiting in about 2 hours and then about another hour on the descent. To be honest I will be thrilled with a 4 hour total ride. I don't think there is any way I will be able to maintain that wattage in the thin air and have no previous efforts to go off of as far as high altitude rides. timo goheels10 can you provide any feedback? Starting at 8000' and 22 miles at 3.8% followed by a 20 mile descent.
I live in DC where it's flat and at sea level. That might kill me. Board needs more riders from Colorado.
don't try to put a max effort down. If you have a power meter aim from ~180 watts for the first hour or so and then take it from there. I wouldnt be going over 220 in terms of wattage
I was thinking of trying to stick at 200 watts (17% less than my 2 hour max) but I suppose playing it even safer would probably be wise. I was sure I've put the saddle time in but as it nears I am second guessing myself.
honestly, be very careful and cautious. Its super easy to put yourself in the red quickly. If I were you, acclimatize for a few days before you do any strenuous activity. Then, when you actually do the climb, focus on hydration and don't try to breathe normally. at high altitude your body tries breathes more rapidly to get more oxygen... don't fight that, or your lungs will start burning. I've bonked at high altitude before. that was the second worst day I've ever had on a bike.
Good stuff. Thanks for the advice. I will be there for 8 days and have the last 2 full days there earmarked for the ride, depending on which day looks better weather wise. Plan on doing a couple 10-20 mile flat rides early and mid week to keep my legs fresh but only zone 1-2 effort.
ah, nice. That should be plenty of time. just don't try to shatter any climbing records and you'll be alright. if you take it easy at 8k feet for a few rides, you'll be on another level for a few days after you get back home.
https://coloradopolitics.com/scott-...demagazine&utm_term=statewide tax on bicycles Sen. Ray Scott calls for tax on bicycles to help pay for Colorado roads by Joey Bunch on July 19, 2017 State Sen. Ray Scott, R-Grand Junction, has a tax in mind to support Colorado transportation. (Via Facebook) Senate Republicans in the last legislative session wouldn’t allow any new taxes to pay for roads, but Sen. Ray Scott has found one he can embrace: taxing bicycles. Scott, an influential Republican from Grand Junction, first made the announcement on Facebook Wednesday morning, atop a Washington Times story about Oregon becoming the first to implement a statewide tax on bicycles. “We will be proposing something similar,” Scott posted. “They use the roads also.” In an interview with Colorado Politics, Scott said he’s soliciting feedback to see if it’s viable, but he’s serious in his consideration. “One way to get feedback is to put it out there and see where it goes,” he said. Every other vehicle has a tax or sticker, but bicycles, which are ubiquitous on Colorado roads, get a free pass, even though they often have dedicated lanes, law enforcement and other taxpayer-funded public services. “Maybe we should start from the other direction,” Scott said. “If we’re not going to tax bicycles, then let’s not tax boats, ATVs and every other vehicle out there that already pay all these taxes … how many rights do we give to cyclists that we don’t give to everybody else on the road? I’m asking.” In Oregon, Democrats included a $15 excise tax on the sale of bicycles that cost more than $200 with a wheel diameter of at least 26 inches, so kids bikes are exempt. The tax was promoted by Democratic Gov. Kate Brown. According to Fox News, Oregon Republican Party Chairman Billy Currier called out Brown for “anti-healthy, environmentally-unfriendly policies” who “continues to view the people of her state as nothing more than a piggy bank to fund her efforts to impose job-killing policies.” Sen. Andy Kerr, a Democrat from Lakewood and a cycling enthusiast, didn’t think much of Scott’s idea. “So the Republican Party now wants to put a special tax on my 13-year-old, who rides an adult bike?” he said. “Do they want to tax all students who ride their bikes to school, or anyone who likes to use their bike to get to work? “Utterly ridiculous. People riding their bikes helps get people out of their cars, which in turn reduces traffic and wear-and-tear on our roads. We should be working to expand transportation options, and not decrease them with an anti-business, anti-freedom policy this Republican ‘bike tax’ would be.” Sen. Mike Merrifield from Colorado Springs, another cycling Democrat, said the proposal is misguided. “We should be encouraging people to go biking, not making it more difficult and expensive,” he said. In the last session, House Bill 1242, co-sponsored by Republican Senate President Kevin Grantham of Canon City, would have imposed 0.50 sales tax for transportation projects statewide, which lawmakers for most of the session called their top priority. Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee killed the legislation out of the opposition to the tax. Scott’s post Wednesday morning drew more replies than likes. “I own 3 houses in CO, have 4 cars registered here too,” replied Susan Shepherd, the former Denver City Council member. “Hubby is the senior-most biz partner of a firm that has $3-4 M in annual earnings. We pay tons in taxes annually, several times the annual salary of a state legislator. Why should I have to pay an extra tax when my kid and I are bicycling on roads and streets? CDOT and municipalities need to get their priorities straight!!!” Grand Junction orchard owner Josie Bolton posted in reply to Scott that bicycles shouldn’t be taxed because they don’t damage the roads. Scott replied to the post, “Snowmobiles don’t hurt the snow, ATV’s don’t hurt the dirt, boats don’t hurt the water and they pay a tax, maybe we should eliminate those taxes.”
Fun fact, bikes with 700c wheels are exempt to due to the shitty wording of that bill. They're 24.5". Dumbasses.
Anyone have helmet recs? I seem to have lost mine. I ordered this but it seems like it's a bit too small. Measured my dome and it is 24" circumference.
I can't stop riding. Was going to take a rest day today but opted for an active recovery ride because I was sitting on the couch and felt like a lazy bum. Oh well, I guess it is a good problem to have since I like riding and it is good for me.
I was slowing down and totally didn't see a giant bumped. Probably only going ~5 mph and on my front brake. Hit the bump and I was sailing right on over. Nothing's hurt but I did scuff up the top of my brake levers. Nobody said shit. They just looked ahead with a 1000 yard stare and kept going.