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!