Indoor training...

Boy do I look lousy on Strava this month and...well...last month.  I know I haven't been cycling as much but I just can't bring myself to log my indoor cycling.  Just sitting there spinning away getting no miles on Strava.  I guess it's good to at least get the exercise but it does mess up tracking my speeds, calories burned, effort, etc.  On the plus side I feel like I sweat like a madman so I must be putting in some effort.  On the downside, there's really no way to replicate the burst of effort it takes to get up that 10% grade.

Using the indoor training skewer outdoors...

That can't be all bad, can it?  It doesn't really add that much weight, does it?  Maybe I'm just lazy because I didn't want to switch out the Kurt Kinetic training skewer for the Reynolds Cycling skewer that came with my carbon wheels.  I really need Spring to come quickly...

Less packs of people during the winter?

So it's mid-December and I'm noticing that there are less packs of 3-10 people cycling around San Diego.  During the Spring, Summer and Fall there are a lot of small packs that I see cycling up and down the coast or even inland.  With December now it full swing I still see those weekly group rides with 20-30 people speeding through Encinitas but I don't see a lot of the smaller groups.  Interesting phenomenon.  I blame it on the light fog.  Who wants to end up better rear-ended by a car while cycling down Pacific Coast Highway?

Cold fingers...

So it's now almost mid-December in San Diego and I think it's finally time to take out those full-finger gloves.  It really isn't that cold outside if I just put on a base layer underneath my jersey but the tips of my fingers do get dang cold.  It almost makes it want to do long slow climbs as opposed to ride near the coast.  Less velocity means less chilly air running across those fingers.  Or maybe I should stick with the regular gloves so that I stick with climbing training during the winter.  How that for logic?

Kurt Kinetic Road Machine

So I got a bike trainer from REI over the long holiday weekend and I think I'm going to set it up tonight.  Any advice?  I hope it's not that loud, it's the Kinetic Road Machine from REI and it had some pretty good reviews.  I figure if it doesn't I can just take it back but I hope it will be something that I can use during the evenings when it's dark outside.  It was on sale so I picked it up but I'm still wondering if I should spring for the Rock & Roll trainer which lets you tilt the bike.

Time will tell if I made a good decision...

ENVE stem...

If I buy an ENVE stem (and I might) am I just paying for vanity?  I'm pretty sure I'm going to get the ENVE seat post (just trying to decide if I was the zero setback or not) because it happily works with oval or circular rails on bike seats.  I'd like the stem to match the seat post as both are visible but I'm not sure that $265 is going to anything more than a matching paint job.  I can get a FSA OSI 99 for under $100.  The $165+ seems like a steep price to pay for no weight savings but a matchy-matchy paint scheme.  Although if I do get both ENVE  product my Reynolds Strike/Assaults wheels might be saddened...

What about fog...

The most frustrating thing I've experienced recently with cycling hasn't been anything to do with the bike, anything to do with a crazy driver, anything to do with Strava segments, it's been fog.  I don't know what it is but cycling through coastal fog seems like the most unsafe thing to do on the planet.  I can't imagine my little blinking red light in the back is going to show up very well.  I also can't imagine that a blinking white headlight is going to show much much at all.  What's a cyclist to do in fog?  I guess you could opt to "slow down" but that just reduces the length of time that driver coming from behind you is going to see you.

Waiting for fog to burn off is like watching grass grow...

Less people on the road?

During the holiday weekend it looked like there were a lot less people roaming around cycling to burn off those 4,000 calorie meals that I would have expected.  Maybe they were out of town or maybe it's just that the average temperature has dipped below 72 but either way there are fewer people around.  I wish there were more, I always feel safer when there masses or cyclists cruising around 101 in San Diego so drivers get used to seeing them.

Facial hair...

Another informal survey of mine has produced the following results.  The more likely you are to be a road cyclist the less likely you are to have facial hair.  Maybe that has something to do with the helmet?  However, there is an extremely high probability that your road cycling MECHANIC does have facial hair.  There's a smaller but significant probability that he will have a robust mustache.

Take away thought:  there should be more attractive, female road cycling mechanics...

Fail: BMC Challenge

I was supposed to go for one long ride of 79 miles and I just couldn't do it.  I only did around 51 miles for the weekend. I'm such a quitter.

Good thing I ride a Cannondale or the shame would be magnified...

Temperature vs. Body Fat Percentage

My new prevailing theory is that for every degree that the temperature drops outside the average body fat percentage of the cyclists who are outside will also drop by one.  This intensive research has been done over the last 4 weeks as the San Diego temperature has gone from summer and warm to slightly overcast and brisk.  There are still plenty of people out cycling but they all seem to be in much better shape.

I also think the temperate might correlate well to the amount of money spend on a bike and or wheelset.  The people that were cycling through Encinitas on Sunday seemed to all have $1,500+ wheelsets.

Zipp would be proud as they were very well represented...

Headwind vs. Great Bike

After this weekend and getting some nice cold brisk headwinds I think I've come to the conclusion that:

Lousy Bike + Tailwind > Great Bike + Headwind

That pesky headwind just makes every revolution a little bit harder.  Especially when you're cycling along the coast and it's a mix of headwinds and sidewinds.  I'm too big (read: fat) for the sidewinds to really push me around the road but they just seem to thicken the air that I'm riding through.

One thing I haven't figured out is how going into a headwind with a great bike and lousy posture would be juxtaposed against a lousy bike with great posture.  Of course this is because I have perpetually lousy posture.

So inflexible...

Windy days...

Those deep rim carbon wheels sitting on my bike are great.  Great for flats, great for rollers, great for non-windy days and even pretty darn good for climbing.  Here's where they're not good, when you're going down a descent on a windy day and cars/trucks are still zooming past you.  It's the first time I've really felt that instability and I think if I was a speed crazy cyclist looking to blast past 50 mph I'd be a little nervous.  Me, on the other hand, well I just focused on staying low and maybe feathering my breaks like a scaredy-cat every once in a while...

The glory of Compact Cranksets...

Now I feel like I actually use all of the chainring combinations that are out there.  Before unless it was a downhill gradient or I was sprinting I'd be somewhere in the big ring.  Now with a 50/34 I'm able to go up and down rollers with ease, all while staying in the big ring and even am able to punch up some small hills still in the big ring.  Overall makes the riding and shifting experience way smoother.

I guess the downside is that it doesn't take much of a downhill gradient to "get past" the 50/12 combination and I end up freewheeling a lot more.  Then again on longer downhill stretches I'd end up freewheeling pretty regularly even with a 53/11.  One of these days my legs will catch up and I'll be able to climb easily with a 39/25 but for right now I like the nice granny gear of a 34/25.

Sore throat...

I'm not sure if going cycling while trying to get over a cold is the smartest thing in the world.  I will say this, it makes the lungs burn really fast.  I haven't felt that out of shape in a long time.  Going up even a small little hill was painful for the lungs.  On the plus side, I never felt any stress in the legs.  Maybe I should take the advice of others and go in for a nice winter hibernation...

Strava PR: Use the wind!

For every headwind there's a tailwind.  That nice little adage served me well when moderating my effort to try and get some PRs in Strava.  I may never get a KOM but at least I can rock some nice PRs from time to time.  Either way, going north into a headwind along 101 make me think of all of those lovely Strava segments I would be hitting during my journey back south with a nice 3-7 mph of wind to push me along those flats and rollers.

Sure enough, 4 new PRs when I got home and hit upload on my iPhone.

Obliterated two Ultegra Di2 front derailleurs...

Here's what I now know, if you combine the Cannondale house-brand compact chain rings with a Shimano Ultegra Di2 from derailleur you get nothing but hell.  From what the mechanics say it's a matter of the (very light) Cannondale chain rings having a little too much flex.  While the mechanical shifting can easily overcome that chain ring flex the electronic shifting sometimes does it right but other times just slowing pushes against the chain without enough force to move to the big ring.  That slowing starts to bend and tweak the cage.  Eventually you have a weak cage and when I was going on some flat rode and shifted into the small ring I heard a nice pop and the outside portion of the cage was splayed open.  I've destroyed two and am now waiting for stiff FSA chain rings; I hope it solves the problem!

I hate waiting...

I hate waiting for the new set of FSA chain rings that are supposed to work with my Ultegra Di2.  I know it's only been a little over a week but it feels like forever.  I've been riding around with only my small chain ring and no way to shift into the big ring.  So there I am, looking for steep climbs and then freewheeling the enter way down.  Kind of an odd way to ride.  Maybe this should be teaching me patience. I, however, feel like I'm gaining 1/2 pound per day of solid fat being so lazy...

Jersey sizing, there has to be a better way...

Local bike stores never seem to stock all of the sizes of all of the variations of even a couple of brands of jerseys.  It seems like I'm forced to either drive all over creation to try on random jerseys (hoping for a good fit) or do what I just did:  go online and order 7 jerseys when I really only want a couple of new ones.  I figure I have to shop online, order a variety of sizes, just to see which ones end up feeling good and fitting well.  So far it seems like the more expensive the jersey the tighter the fit (makes sense as someone who would spend $200 on a jersey is probably pretty fit).  That wouldn't be so bad but then I can't even know what a "Pearl Izumi Large" is my size, it's just a guess.  I might be an extra large in the fancier jersey and a large in the basic one.

Isn't there a better way?  Amazon must love his conundrum...

Reynolds Assault/Strike Cominbation...

So I got these on my Cannondale EVO yesterday and boy to they make a difference.  During the Ride2Decide demo period I don't think I really appreciated them.  It took going back to the old Shimano R500 wheelset (I know, hardly a fair comparison) and then going back to really appreciate the benefits.

If I can just get that compact crankset issue resolved I'm thinking there are good times to come...

Compact crankset, what a pain...

So I went from a standard crankset to a compact crankset and those mechanics were (and are) having the worst time on the planet trying to get it to work right.  I guess maybe the "jump" is higher or the chain rings are different or something.  Either way the Di2 shifting wasn't happy.  Through a chain a couple of times when trying to go to the small ring then wouldn't make the jump to the big ring.  Then it worked pretty well until I got home then it was having a real hard time making the push to the big ring.  I'm just hoping it was the battery that was just starting to die out a little bit and it isn't something more serious.  At the moment I'm feeling frustrated with either the good folks at Shimano and Cannondale I just don't know which one.  It was working so flawlessly with the regular crankset I might end up going back.  Design flaw somewhere?

Even Fondo's should track times...

I know it's not a "race" and I know you don't want people acting like it's a race during a fun fondo.  But it would be nice to see the people track start/finish times.  They might be unscientific and who can predict the roles that stoplights, flat tires, etc. all play in coming up with an overall time but knowing if I was in the top 20% versus bottom 20% would be great.  I can't imagine that more people wouldn't want to know how they stack up on more than just a Strava segment.  There has to be a way to accomplish this that wouldn't cost a lot.

Drafting is faster that going solo...

At least it seems that way to me after trying to better a time on Strava for a certain segment.  My best time was when I was drafting a small pack of people that overtook me on the segment.  I was able to keep up and pass a couple of them at the end.  It looks like that gained around 3 mph for the segment over what I'm able to do solo.  Either that or I had the best day of my life and it happened to correspond to other people being around me.  It would be the first time I found that drafting had a measurable impact on my speed.

Two days away from the Tour de Poway...

The clock is ticking down until my legs will grind away on the Poway Grade for 3 miles at a moderate incline.  I think that will probably be the longest steady incline that I've gone up so far.  Well maybe not, my inland climb segment is 6.8 miles but the average gradient is only 3.1%.  I wonder if anyone will be going fast enough (at the 62 mile level) where drafting will even matter.  Either way it should be interesting...

A few days until the Tour de Poway...

All of a sudden, after doing the Giro di San Diego, the 62 miles for the Tour de Poway almost seems short.  I'm sure that "Poway Grade" heading out for 3 miles will do a good job of thrashing my legs but after that it looks pretty mild.  Maybe I should have signed up for the century instead of the metric century but I'm going for walking/jogging prior to running.

Carbon rims = easy tube changes?

So I'm demoing some Reynolds Assault wheels and last night going downhill the rear tube got a nice little puncher (good old fashioned thorn) and it was the first time changing the tube on a set of demo wheels and carbon clinchers.  I thought it might be a little bit of a pain with the rim depth, getting the air into it, etc. but it couldn't have been simpler.  It was actually easier getting the tire on and off than with my regular non-carbon wheels.  Now if I could just figure out how not to run over thorns...

Only 28 minutes...

I've gotten to be a snob, a time snob.  For 30 minutes it almost seems pointless to throw on the bib shorts and head out to go for a ride.  It's like I build up a sweat but not a REAL sweat.  Strava helps, so at least I can do little sprints to try and move my ranking up during the 30 minutes.  At least that gives me some sort of small goal and way to test myself over a tiny period of time.  It wasn't that long ago where a 30 minute ride was pretty standard, now it's like I'm just getting warmed up...

FSA K-Wing Compact

I wish these companies would put some sort of drawings/measurements up for their products online.  I would love to be able to print out the profile view of handlebars and compare them to what are sitting on my bike that.  That would go a long way towards helping me make a buying decision.  Either that or my local bike store should start carrying every size of every product in ever catalog, that would be sweet...

FSA K-Wing Compact - nice cable routing...

Carbon stems for vanity?

For the most part it looks like fancy carbon stems are just for vanity.  Or maybe they are a little stiffer than the aluminum ones but they seem a little heavier on average and I'm guessing that most of the time cyclists just want one that matches their handlebars and/or seat post.  Maybe I'm wrong but I think I'm guessing the "look" has more to do with it that the carbon fiber wrapping that might increase stiffness but double the price.

FSA OS99 CSI

Tour de Poway?

So the Giro de San Diego is done and perhaps next on the list in the Tour de Poway.  I think that's one 62 miles for the Medio Fondo which is probably more my speed than the 100 mile race.  I have to admit, I don't think I'm quite ready for the "real" century, I'll just stick to the "metric century".

I really want to know how I fared against the rest of the field in the Giro de San Diego.  Granted with two flats and a good 1/2 mile walk to the nearest aid station for flat number two I couldn't have done too well.  But it would be great to know, how do I find that out?

The wife made me do it...

The wife made me ride two and from the start of the Giro di San Diego.  That's a whole 13 miles round trip stacked on top of the 72 mile course!  Shame on her.  Well, it wasn't so bad.  The course ended up being easier than I thought - or at least it felt that way.  Maybe pacing myself in the beginning wasn't such a bad idea after all.

Lousy iPhone Strava App...

It sucked the life out of my iPhone battery and ended up killing my iPhone (with it my Strava tracking) mid-ride.  So I went through the last 1/3 of the Giro di San Diego with no Strava tracking and no ability to "call for help" if something would have happened.  Bad Strava!  How do I make you not suck so much energy?

Overcast cycling...

I like that it's cool and I tend to not go through so much water but I think it does something to the drivers.  Maybe it makes them not pay attention too much or want to get home really fast but more than once there were people intent on screaming past me so they could make a right turn (in front of me); everyone needs good brakes!

Hazy day in San Diego...

Horrible lunch, new Strava PR?

Talk about weird, I had a horrible lunch at Wienerschnitzeland low and behold after my nightly ride I ended up with new Strava PRs on the long climb that I do.  I certainly didn't see that one coming.  I thought for sure a chili dog or 5 would slow me down last night but it didn't.  All of those protein bars and healthy meals of oatmeal have nothing on the Junk Yard Dog!

Good weekend ride...

Andrew Johnson rode 25.8mi and climbed 4,362ft on Sep 7, 2012

I think I set a nice little personal record for the amount of climbing that I've done in a single ride.  I think Strava should start having PRs based on miles ridden, average speed, climbed feet, etc.  It would be good motivation to take the path that's just a little longer.

Oh Cannondale...

So I go over the weekend to look at the bike and <sigh> the wrong wheels are installed.  Evidently the wrong wheels were shipped with the bike.  Instead of the Ultegra 6700 wheelset there's a Mavic Aksium wheelset.  I would have understood if they were at least equivalent in cost/weight/etc. but when you're going down a notch or two that's just a bummer.  Now my local bike store has to call back and forth with Cannondale to figure out what happen.  Oh yeah, and they marked the frame with the wrong sticker as a 58 instead of a 56.

Quality control?

Fake FSA items?

I never knew that cycling was a sport that could have companies lined up to product knock off handlebars, stems, etc.  I know it's a global sport and people all over the world like to ride bikes but I didn't think there would be that many people looking to buy aftermarket handlebars or stems on the web.  Frankly, I would have thought those loyalists would have definitely patronized their local bike store establishments or "demo" a product (hard to do with a handlebar) before purchasing.  Shows you what I know...

Small scale Strava Achievements to break up the monotony...

I know I should be doing hill repeats, long climbs, intervals, etc. to get better but there are days I just want to bounce around seldom traveled paths just to get some nice new PRs from Strava.  I know I'll never get a KOM but I've gotten a few more shiny trophies with a top ten time on them than I never thought possible.  Of course, those are the seldom ridden routes where maybe only 20 Strava users have ridden them.  Either way, it's nice to get a few achievements.

Although it does make me wonder if I'm one of those "everyone gets a trophy" guys now...

Shimano Dura Ace Pedals: 7900 or 9000?

So do I want for the Shimano 9000 series or just pick up a pair of the 7900s?  The wife wants to inherit my current Ultegra pedals so I thought it would be a good time for a pointless carbon upgrade.  I like my logic.  But it looks like the PD9000s just aren't out yet but the 7900s are starting to get discounted.  Maybe I should wait for the PD9000s to ship so the 7900s will drop even further.

Or maybe just splurge on the 9000s...

Shimano PD9000

Post-ride nutrition, carbs or protein?

So I go for a little ride, maybe 20 miles, and when I get home I'm vexed with the challenge of what to eat.  Do I drink in protein shake so that it can be rapidly absorbed and help build muscle?  Do I eat copious amounts of carbs to replenish muscle glycogen?

Then I read "When the glycogen depletes entirely, the body has no more fuel and instead burns fat, resulting in a surge of fatigue and a performance collapse" and I know I want to lose fat!  So if I want to lose fat to I try and limit my carb intake and therefore glycogen levels?

One thing is for sure, a little information is a dangerous thing...

2013 waiting game...

So I was in the local bike store and boom, there it was, a 2013 Cannondale. Not my prospective 2013 Cannondale but a random one (looked very nice). Almost makes me think I'd want the black or matte black color scheme but I think it will start to look dated in a while. Either way, makes me a little itchy for the Ultegra Di2 model to show up in the showroom.

Pesky bib shorts...

Can't there be more quality bin shorts? I'm a big boy and those Italian cuts just don't quite cut the mustard. Pearl Izumi is it I suppose but most of their retailers only stock the black/black colors. I'd like a little variety in the colors. So am I just stuck with Pearl Izumi and Amazon.com to make me a comfortable cyclist?

Felt slow all weekend...

So much for the Labor Day cycling weekend. Three good rides but only one really long one (even that one didn't crack 50 miles). One thing for sure, going inland is hot!

Finally cracked...

After a long slow climb I turned onto a new hill that I found on Strava and cracked.  Looking down and seeing my CatEye show a gradient fluctuating between 10%, 13% and 17% yielded the probable reason.  Even my bailout gear wasn't helping me.  It make me wish I had a triple and could just tirelessly spin my way up.  Net result:  have to try it again and maybe burn a little less energy on that long slow climb...must...get...to...the...top...

I signed up...

Goodbye $89 and hello 65 miles of Giro di San Diego Medio Fondo fun in September.  With any luck it won't be the first time I've ridden 65 miles in a day; let the lackluster training begin.  I did take a look at the Gran Fondo that goes 100+ miles which I was up for, until I saw the climb up Mount Palomar.  Next year my legs and lungs, next year...

$ 2,795 for a power meter?

No wonder all of those cycling pros use whatever the team sponsors give them, I can't imagine dropping  $3,000 on a power meter that might get crushed during one of those nasty Tour de France pileups.  Either that or I'm really not understanding the value that the good folks at SRM provide.  I don't think half of the road bikes that I see cruising down 101 on a weekend cost $3,000.  Maybe I should be happy I don't ride Campagnolo, I'd have to contemplate dropping $5,000 then!  I suppose if I did win the lottery it's healthier way to spend your money than a weekend in Las Vegas.

I will say, they do end up looking pretty elegant with the Cannondale system...

German engineering?

Beat the personal record by a 63 seconds...

I guess that hill work does have at least some kind of payoff.  I just went up a climb last night that I haven't done in a while.  It's a little more mild that some of the others and it didn't feel like I was motoring up there that quickly but a post-ride Strava upload gave me a nice personal record.  I still think going up long grinding hills is hardly fun and the best benefit is the calorie burn but it's nice to see some of that work pay off.

Strava Stalking: The Positive Side

I read a lot of negative things about people basically obsessing about their Strava KOM times and titles.  People setting out riding specifically to get those goals, keep themselves in a top position, or knock other people off of their perch.  It all sounds a little petty and pointless at the end of the day.  Hopefully it breeds some quality - fun - competition but that's where it should hopefully end.

What I don't hear enough about is the "stalking" that leads to discovering new hills and new rides.  I'm started following a lot of local riders that are 43 billion times better than I will ever be in an attempt to find new places to ride.  Low and behold I've found that if you track a great cyclists routes, KOMs, etc. they will inevitably show you new places to ferret out and ride for yourself.  Now I'm never going to supplant their lead and will be a perpetual also-ran but at least it gives me new places to ride during the week instead of the same routes over and over again.

You never know the benefits of stalking until you try it...

Definition of Anticlimactic

So I go up a small hill and get 3rd Overall on Strava. Go me! Then I look and it turns out I'm 3/3. Yup, dead last. Go me?

Strava Guilt or Strava Shame?

I'm guilty, guilty of not riding this Sunday.  I rode Friday, I wrote Saturday but I didn't get on the bike Sunday.  I think normally I wouldn't really care but now Strava has given me a small guilt complex.  I look at the Strava Activity Report and I'm not on it.  I look at my Strava Dashboard and it seems like everyone else rode but me.  The great people who rode all have nice Achievements, Kudos and Comments.  So there I was: lazy guy on a Sunday because I wanted to see Peyton Manning in a pre-season game.  

Maybe it's not Strava Guilt so much as Strava Shame...

If I was blindfolded...

I wonder if I could tell the difference between a $1000 wheelset and a $3000 wheelset.  I know I can tell the different between the "whatever-random-set-comes-on-a-cheap-bike-wheelset" and something like a Mavic Ksyrium SL but that's about it.  I'm almost afraid to ride a ridiculously expensive wheelset for fear I WILL actually say they make a difference for someone has horrible on a road bike as me.  The irony, of course, being that any normal human would consider $1000 for a pair of cycling wheels to be ridiculous in the first place.

I did look at Competitive Cyclist and find the the most expensive wheelset that they sell is by Reynolds and tops out at a paultry $4500.  Of course you do have to pay for tires (in inner tubes required) and maybe even skewers...

You save by not having to buy inner tubes!

Giro Di San Diego...

The Giro Di San Diego, is it too much?  It is not enough?  They seem to offer a long of levels of "Fondo" fun.  I'm not sure I'm ready for the Gran Fondo, I know I could handle the Piccolo Fondo easily, but maybe the Medio Fondo would be a stretch a small stretch.  So should I attempt to blow my legs out on 100 mile ride or just push myself slightly for a 62 mile ride?  Either way I think I'm going to want a few more granny gears. What the over/under on the number of flat tires that I'll get?

Weight Obsession: A whole other level...

I knew there were Weight Weenies out there that like to compare weights and shave grams off of various components.  I even new there were a lot of people out there who purchase items like a Park Tool Tabletop Digital Scale. Here's what I didn't know, there would be a market for a JosephJoseph folding compact digital scale that you could take with you.

Pretty sure it was designed for cooking but...

Here's what I don't quite get; where are you supposed to take it?  To your friends house to weigh his components?  Do you take it to the bike shop to weigh random rear cassettes until you find one that is two grams lighter?

I'm sure there are great answers, this noob just can't think of one...

Skewers? Really? Skewers...

I always thought people bought aftermarket items like skewers just for cosmetic reasons.  Maybe they match their fancy Zipp wheels.  Maybe you wanted a certain matte finish to go with your sweet $10,000 new bike. It looks like I was wrong.  The reason reason is weight.  I guess the Zipp skewers are a whopping 62g while something like an Ultegra set of skewers is 119g.  So you save 57g (or 1/8 pound) for $80.  I guess that's a good deal for people looking to shave weight; if you did that 8 times it's taking a full pound off for $360.  Maybe a cool stocking stuffer for the cyclist that has everything?

I just wonder if there are any durability issues moving from stainless steel skewers to titanium skewers; that could make for one dicey downhill descent...

They're even "aero"...

  

Just two more seconds! Well, 4 seconds total...

Another good experience I had with Strava last night was looking at a couple of silver medals on the "Personal Achievements" portion of my ride detail.  It wasn't that they were the second best time that I had ever done on that particular segment but that I was 1 second behind my personal best on two different segments.  So I was basically 4 combined seconds away from two new personal bests.  Now I think I'm going to have to go out and at least get ONE of them to become a "PR" tonight.

I'm still light years away from even contemplating KOM...

http://app.strava.com/rides/19434580

Better workout? Speed vs. climbing...

When cycling and looking to get better I don't know if I should concentrate or trying to run relatively flat areas along the coast (living in San Diego) or turn inland and climb some hills.  I know that "hill repeats" are the supposed Holy Grail of training but I'd much rather ride a loop.  Nice little loops and circuits generally don't have those good-for-your-legs hill repeats.  I really like seeing the results of climbing on my little Strava screen at the end of the ride and it looks like it burns more calories when I focus on climbing.  However, when I'm on the flats I get that nice high MPH average.  Once I get used to a good MPH average for rolling hills/flats (for me maybe 15-17 MPH) and I see the MPH results of climbing (dipping to 12-14 MPH) it's a little disappointing.

Can't Strava design some algorithm - other than a Suffer Score - to determine a good vs. bad workout relative to my personal ride history?  Maybe be able to differentiate casual rides vs. workouts vs. recovery rides?

2013 Cannondale

So it looks like I won't be able to order a Cannondale EVO and get the SiSL2 crankset with the spiderring chainrings at the same time.  From the Cannondale estimates it's going to be a wait until February before I can buy the crankset separately and they're not even completely sure about the price.  I guess I should be happy that I can get a 2013 road bike model in August but they're losing out on a lot on some money.  Try harder Cannondale, try harder...

Choices: Standard vs. Compact Crankset

Finally a lot of the manufacturers are starting to make it easy to change between the two by just using an adapter and new chainrings.  That saves me a little anguish when it comes to choosing a compact vs. standard crankset.  I can just choose the one I think will be best without having to fret over a replacement cost of $300 - $700+.  I can't imagine that every single crankset manufacturer on the planet shouldn't be moving to this ability.

Just wait until 2013...

Why can't they make this out of aluminum?

The carbon version is sitting on a bike that I want, a bike that's too expensive, in part because this thing is made of a mix of carbon and kevlar:

Like a feather...

Come on FSA, just make the darn thing out of aluminum!  It can't add that many more grams and it would be nice to get the flat top feel without the $300 price tag.  Curse you, you glorious light carbon/kevlar handlebar!  Oh well, just another item for me to envy...

Losing weight...

I wonder when riding a bike if losing 5 pounds of "bike weight" feels the same as losing 5 pounds of "people weight".  I know there are plenty of skinny riders but I also see heftier guys rolling around on the most expensive Specialized, Cannondale, and Pinarello bikes available.  Bikes where you have to be paying a huge premium to ride something so light under someone so heavy?  Maybe there are some physics calculations that show it's more impactful to lose bike weight that body weight.  I certainly hope so, it would be a great excuse for some Zipp 202s...

    

Force yourself over a hill...

I don't know if I love it or hate it when for some reason I get the urge to just go down a steep hill.  I know I'm going to have to climb back up it and I know it's not going to be fun. I guess I do it because I know that I'm going to get up the hill again - or I won't get home.  In essence I'm guaranteed to rack up the "climbed feet" on Strava but it's more about being stubborn than finding joy.  I guess I get to stare at this as my joy:

Andrew Johnson rode 23.5mi and climbed 4,318ft on Aug 16, 2012

SRAM Red...

So I've taken a Cannondale EVO out for a spin a couple of times; the particular model comes with SRAM Red.  While it's annoying at first (relative to Shimano) it doesn't take too long to get used to their DoubleTap method of shifting.  I actually have grown to like the way that it works with the rear derailleurs/cassette when you're going up a hill and would like to shift to make the ride easier.  I just can't get over the front derailleur.  That thing just feels so mechanical and doesn't inspire a lot of confidence.  Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if you were just comparing it to a standard Shimano groupset but with the Ultegra Di2 products out now it's a big disparity.  Maybe the professional races love it because it's lightweight (or because they're sponsored to love it) but I can't imagine an amateur not going the electric route.

Someone just has to tell those frame manufacturers to do a better job hiding those Di2 batteries...

Watching: Cycling vs. Golf

I participate in both sports, do both sports poorly, and am oddly entranced by televised events for either golf or cycling.  Both are events where you're looking at the TV one minute and then 64 minutes later you're still staring and little has changed.  In golf you're pretty much waiting for the last few holes to determine a winner and wondering if someone will falter down the stretch.  In cycling you're splitting time between the peloton and seeing if the breakaway will hold out to succeed.  Both had their sports defined - at least in America - by a single person with either Lance Armstrong or Tiger Woods.

I guess the biggest difference is that golf just doesn't have NASCAR style crashes at 25 - 50 mph.  Well that and it's impossible to find cycling on network TV.  Time for the Cycling Network?

Ouch...

Bike sizing...can it be that difficult?

I think my bike size is a 58cm but that's not really logical.  There's no empirical data beyond questions about "how tall are you?" and "start pedaling and let me see how you look."  It goes against my better analytical judgement as I keep hope that there's a magic combination of height, inseam, flexibility, etc. that will guarantee me the right fit.  I'm on a 60cm bike now but it turns out that it's maybe a 58cm frame with an obscenely long stem and non-compact handlebars.  So then a 58cm frame feels about right but after a local bike store has put me on 58cm frames twice they're now thinking I might be a 56cm and just need a longer than average stem.

Can't someone invent a nice app for my iPhone that can take a picture of me and magically "fit" me to bikes from Cannondale, Pinarello, Specialized, etc.?  It sure would make life easier...

"Good pull"

So I was almost to the crest of a climb yesterday (according to Strava it was 2.9 miles with a 5.6% average grade) and I get passed by a guy just spinning away up the hill and he said "Good pull!"  I have to admit it felt great to get the kudos, felt bad that he passed me maybe 50 meters from the top and I feel bad because I was too tired to even say "Thanks!"

I was too tired for common politeness, yup, that's me staying classy in San Diego (or last night, San Marcos)...

Crankset and crankarm porn, courtesy of BikeRumor

Yes, I've stared at this, frequently...

http://www.bikerumor.com/2012/06/21/updated-cannondales-484g-hollowgram-sisl2-crankset-back-online/

It's BikeRumor's post on the 2013 Cannondale crankset line up and full of awesome terms like "spider" and "Hollowgram" and "484g" and it's given me an unhealthy and irrational desire for this:

I'm sure there's nothing wrong with the new Si 3D Forged Hollow Cranks but after seeing these pictures for some reason it makes me think they just won't stand up to my Cycling Noob desires.  And, of course, marketing from the good folks at Cannondale sucks me in:  "The result is a crankset that claims to be both lighter and stiffer."

I have the guys over at Nytro Multisport asking Cannondale about the price to buy one on it's own to put on a different bike.  I think my judgement might be lacking and I wonder if I'll be able to help myself...

My Holy Grail...bottom bracket stiffness?

Maybe it's because I'm 200 pounds, maybe it's because I'm lazy, maybe it's because I'm over-analytical but I seem to think a lot about bottom bracket stiffness.  I don't even know how to determine if I feel "wag" but I do know that going up hill, out of the saddle, the bike feels a little squishy.  The wife doesn't feel anything like "wag" or the bike being "squishy" but it might have to do with her whopping 94.5 pound weight.  Regardless, I sit there looking at massive carbon fiber bottom brackets thinking about all of the energy that I'm losing while grinding my way up a hill.  Does that make me crazy?  Probably.  I'm supposed to be out there exercising, it has to burn more calories having an inefficient frame, all it does is hypothetically lower my already low Strava times.  









Is this more or less sane that being a weight weenie?

Bib shorts...I never would have thought...

I never would have thought I'd be the guy who wore bib shorts.  I thought they were always a little weird but too many salespeople in too many local bike shops told me all they wear are bib shorts.  Yup, they were right.  I can't say that the first time I put them on was an epiphany and I can't say that wearing wearing shorts is now awful.  However, I can say that I doubt I will ever buy a pair of "standard" bike shorts again.  I already look goofy in bike shorts (who doesn't?) so I figure I might as well embrace the marginal comfort benefit.

For the record, they're Pearl Izumi Elite bibs and they're not cheap but I won't be going back to the Pearl Izumi Attack shorts or bib.  Maybe I'll try to the P.R.O....

I love Strava...

Nothing provides more motivation and a sense of both accomplishment and shame like Strava (www.strava.com).  It's a great motivation tool because you can just look at your website and it shows when you've ridden, when you skipped a day, how long you went, how much you climbed, how many calories you burned, etc.  Seeing big fat 0's while people that you follow are racking up the miles provides good impetus to get on the bike.

It also feels great to see a personal record on a segment or even the 2nd or 3rd best time on your "Achievements".  Of course, I inevitably look at my rank and become disgusted with myself.  I know I should be nowhere near the top 10% but am I really in the bottom quartile?  If I'm lucky maybe I'll end up in the top 3rd?  I will say it doesn't make me want to do the segment just a few second faster to see how many spots up I can jump.

Gamification of training, who would have thought I'd be so easy to motivate?

I'm a noob...

I'm a noob.  For some reason riding in packs seems scary.  I'm moderately intimidated when I walk into cycling shops.  My bike costs less than my car.  I'm not a part of any cycling club.  My cycling "gear" doesn't match.  I stare at carbon fiber frames with a good amount of envy as if they will make me go faster.  Climbing over 3,000 ft. in a ride still seems like a good achievement for me.  Strava tells me that somewhere between 40% and 80% of the Strava Universe is better than me.  I don't even want to talk about my BMI.  In short, I'm a noob.