Quick Holiday Ride

I was knocked out by a bad head-cold last week so skipped riding on Saturday to try and recover for Christmas. It definitely helped! Sunday was a washout due to morning rain. I don't think Bob or Mike were riding this weekend either.

Monday morning (today), its bright and sunny with mild temps in the low 40's, so I took a ride to Jones Beach and back. Strong headwinds going to the beach and nice tailwind coming back. Just one loop today, didn't want to overdue it after being sick.

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!. Next ride will most likely be in 2008!

On the Trainer Today

A busy morning and temps in the mid-20's put a dent in plans for a ride this morning, so instead I dusted off the trainer and slipped in my Race Day DVD. Did 45 minutes of intervals for an exhausting but quick workout. Weather dos not look good for tomorrow so I may repeat the process tomorrow morning.

Bethpage Bike Path

Two rides this weekend, both on the Bethpage bike path.

Saturday, was a solo ride. A late start, 9:00AM, just down the Bethpage bike path to Bethpage State Park and back (20 miles). I looked around in the parking lot at the Bethpage Park end of the path for some sign of the MTB trails that Mike and Bob have been riding the past couple of weekends but there was nothing clearly marked. There was a threat of rain Saturday morning but it was clear by the time I was riding. Took the Trek for this one since the path can be crowded and rough in some spots, so I wanted to ride just platform pedals and the 27x1-1/4 tires. Not as many joggers as I had feared.

Mike and I agreed to meet at Brands Sunday morning at 8:00AM. Again we headed to Bethpage Park. After turning back, we both felt like adding some miles so we left the path at Central Ave. and went up Round Swamp Rd. to Rt. 25 and back. Then we jumped back on to the path where we left off. A nice 35 mile ride. On Sunday's ride, Mike described the MTB trails that he and Bob had been riding. Sounds fun so I may try to borrow Ed's MTB for next weekend.

Enter Frozone

Cold and VERY windy day today. Not freezing (34F) but lots of wind (20-29mph). Had a great dinner last night at Snaps! Our first time eating there but we decided to try a new place for our 17th anniversary dinner. We had the 6-course tasting menu with wine pairings. Awesome food, will definitely be back there again!

Tried to hook up with Bob and Mike but we could not get our schedules to mesh. So, I did a solo out on the Jones Beach bike path. Did three loops for a total of 31 miles. I wasn't planning on pushing the pace so I brought the digital camera. Here are a few photos and movie. Enjoy!


At the entrance to the bike path.


View from the bike path.


Wind bending the reeds and cattails.


Bike lot at the Jones Beach end of the path.


Can't believe its been this long.


Short video from today's ride.

Easy Saturday Spin

Did a 40-miler with Mike and Bob on Saturday. The usual Brands route up Round Swamp Rd., LIE service road, and back to Brands. Very easy pace, a little windy on the way back, too.

Sunday AM ride was a longshot since we were out late on Saturday night. Also, some errands to run and work to do for Monday, so I skipped it. Too bad, as it turned out to be a bit warmer, after all.

I have been reading Pyzahl's reports from Trevor's rides. There is a slower group doing the same route. I'm thinking about joining them after Thanksgiving. Also, possibly will meet up with Pyzahl for RP2IB ride if possible. Another good ride with tough hills at the end, but generally with a smaller group. As a bonus, there is a Bakery at the end!

Will be away from Thursday to Saturday for the holiday. Not sure what riding plans will develop yet.

Winter Weather is Here

After trading some e-mails with Mike and Bob during the week, we had tentative plans for Saturday and Sunday. Saturday was wet due to leftover rain from Friday night. I went to Brands at 7:00am but there were no other takers. I did a solo 24 miles up to the LIE and back. I rode the rain bike, along with a rain jacket, think it might turn into a wet ride. The roads were wet but only got a little dizzle the last five miles of the ride.

Sunday, we met up at Brands earlier than usual (6:30am) as some of the guys had other commitments for the day. It was a cold one, 35F at the start. Everyone broke out the cold weather gear for this one. For me it was: full shoe covers, balaclava in head/ears configuration, ski gloves, AMFib bib tights, and winter riding jacket. I thought I might be a little over-dressed, since I wear this outfit down to 20F, but it worked out well. We rode at an easy pace and overheating was not a problem at all. We kept the group together and, as the sun came up, got to enjoy the remnants of the LI fall foliage. On the return leg, Bob had a mechanical when his front derailleur cable slipped out of the bolt but it was not dragging and he was able to ride it in with no problems. Nice tailwind on the way home, too!

I'm off from work on Monday too but no riding plans at this point.

Another "Light" Riding Week

Skipped ride on Saturday morning due to a late night out for dinner on Friday night and some dreary weather on Saturday morning.

Since it was a whole week with no ride, I was not really up for a "sufferfest" at Trevor's ride so I headed to Brands to meet Mike and Bob for an easier pace. That didn't quite work out as I had some time constraints and we were a little late starting out. I did solo 40 miles up the LIE service road and back. A total of only 95 miles for the past two weekends! Not good.

I think I will try to hit the trainer this week and prepare myself for Trevor's, next weekend. Part of the problem is that it starts one hour later than EB, so its a long day when coming from Nassau county. :-(

Final EB for 2007

A windy morning in Manorville as the group assembled for the final 2007 Early Birds ride. Actually, the ride continues year-round but most of the East End Cycling team will switch over to Trevor's ride out of Port Jefferson for the winter. Also about a 55-mile ride but it starts at 8:30am instead of 7:30am and there is no food stop.

Today's ride was intense (for me). It blasted out of the parking lot and several riders were dropped in the first mile. It didn't really regroup until there was a flat tire about 10 miles into the ride. It was together again until the hills by the "tanks", at which point a group of 5 went off the front. I chased by myself, about 50 yards behind. Once over the tanks, myself and another rider were chasing a group of four.

We were HAULING down Sound Avenue, and a 3rd rider went of the back of the lead group. So now it was 3 chasing 3. The front group bypassed the regroup point and we did too so as not to lose them. A few miles later, the front group let up so we could catch on. Then the 6 of us pacelined to the deli in Cutchogue.

The remainder of the group arrived at the deli a few minutes after us. The group was mostly together on the return leg of the ride. A second flat, but it was repaired quickly.

At Rt. 51, two broke away. At first I just intended to close the gap and follow the wheels, but no one came with me, so we were three in front for a short while. When we go to the steep part of 51, I was dropped and chased, on my own, most of the way down 51. The group behind was hammering and caught me, then the lead two, just as we turned onto Rt. 111. A hard pace again split the group into several pieces but I was able to stay with the front.

I know, its not a race, but I definitely rode as hard as I would in any race. A really good, tough, ride to finish off the EBs!

Some of PyZahl's pictures from todays ride. Also, check out his ride report.

At the start in Manorville.

Rest stop in Cutchogue.

Waiting while they change flat #2.

EB South

Second-to-last EB ride for the year. Headed south with about 14 riders and a tailwind. Only lost one rider on Dune Road. Together for the rest of this nice, fast ride.

I think next week is the last EB out of Manorville, then it will switch to Trevor's Ride.

LLoyd Neck Out-and-Back

Met at Brands parking lot for a 7:00am start. Two other riders were there, Bob and Mike. We talked about last week's Cold Sping Harbor loop and decided to head in the same direction today. Roads were wet from previous day's rain. And I jinxed myself by commenting, "These are the kind of roads where you get alot of flats."

Here is the GPS track of my ride.

We rode an easy pace up to Cold Spring Harbor. Bob and Mike needed to head back at that point but Bob described a little extension to the ride that he had done up to LLoyd Neck Harbor. He mentioned that it went up Snake Hill Road, so I decided to add another 10 miles to my ride.

On the way back, I flatted (as predicted!) at the bottom of Snake Hill so that was a bit annoying. I need to replenesh my CO2 supply today! A nice ride, good weather, and good company.

TOSREC - PyZahl's Photos

Pyzahl had his camera (thanks again!). So here are some shots from the ride.


Reviewing the plan as we wait to board the ferry from Orient Pt. to New London, CT.


Sunrise framing the ferry as we board.


On the road!


Most of the ride was through scenic, tree-lined roads.


Fall foliage.


The group navigates a turn.


Coffee break after 45 miles.


104 miles later, back in New London waiting for the ferry home.

TOSREC

Updated 18-Oct-2007
Here is my GPS track of the ride.

Met up today with 5 other riders for the Tour of Southern Rural Connecticut. This is a homegrown century ride put together by John Y. from the SBRA Early Birds. The other riders are all EB veterans. We had a forecast of good riding weather, light wind, temperature in mid-60's.

I left the house this morning at 4:30am to meet the group at Orient Point for the 7:00am ferry to New London, CT. We met there, got our tickets, loaded our bikes and got on board. The ferry is huge, as it transports cars, trucks, and passengers. There is a smaller, faster, high-speed ferry but it doesn't allow bikes.

We stowed the bikes and headed upstairs for a cup of coffee as we started the 1 hour and 20 minute ferry ride. Once in CT, we disembarked and started our ride. We were quickly out of the New London and into rural areas.

Nice smooth roads with wide shoulders and only light traffic. Colorful beginnings of the fall foliage surounded us as we passed lots of farmland, lakes, state forests, and small towns. I had never been in this part of CT but it reminded me a little of Vermont, will smaller hills. One unfortunate incident at mile 25... a water bottle fell from the rider in front of me, and as I drifted right to avoid it, I accidently caused PyZahl, who was right behind me, to go off the road. The soft shoulder grabbed his wheel causing him to go down. No apparent injuries or bike damage but it was kind of a scare that was in the back of my mind for the rest of the ride.

After 45 miles we stopped for coffee at Dunkin Donuts. One rider decided to shorten to a metric century while the other 5 of us proceeded on an additional loop North. More scenic roads and rolling hills for an additional 30 miles. This was a quite hilly ride, with total elevation gain around 7,000 ft., at bit more than the Gold Coast century.

We met up with our 6th rider and some of ther other guys grabbed a quick lunch. I had a Clif bar and felt like it was enought to hold me for the last 35 miles back to New London. We rode strongly and made good time back to the ferry terminal by 3:30pm. The ferry departed at 4:00pm and we had a smooth passage back to LI.

All-in-all, a great route and excellent group of riders. Its good to see some new places from the bike. I think we maintained a good touring pace and though the hills were challenging, they were not too difficult. Can't wait to do it again next year.

GPS track of the ride and links to PyZahl's picks to follow...

Fast Early Birds Ride

Another cool morning, this time out in Manorville for the Early Birds. North route, for a change. It was a fast ride but I was hanging comfortably for 95% of the ride. Got dropped on the hill on Rt. 51 and just could not jump back on to the wheel. Then, the wind was a factor and I watched the group slowly pull away, even when I was doing 27-28 on the flats.

A hard ride, but it felt good and I really didn't "blow up", just couldn't hold the wheel when the attack went. Well, there is always next week!

Cold Spring Harbor Ride

Only one other rider showed up at the Brands lot this chilly morning. I had to break out the fall/winter gear, long finger gloves, long sleeve jersey, base layer, and tights. The two of us headed out for the usual LIE ride. We met up with a third rider just past Hempstead Turnpike and the three of us proceeded up Round Swamp Rd. to the LIE service road. Two of us decided to change things up and head to Cold Spring Harbor. We went over some of the same roads as the Triangle Ride and the Gold Coast Century.

Here is the route as well as I can remember. Lots of turns, so I'm sure I got some of it wrong.

Good ride, brisk pace, with a few climbs. If I remember it, it could be a good solo route too, over the winter.

More Tour de Parc Stuff

Here is a link to photos. Mostly the same as below with a couple of new ones.

Early Birds Today plus Tour de Parc Results & Photos

Here are the results from Saturday's Tour de Parc. Two East End riders placed in the 35+ masters race.

Here is a link to some photos from the 3/4 race.

Great, fast ride with the Early Birds. South route again, with some wet roads, but a fast pace! Legs were a little dead after Saturday but the group stayed together, for the most part. A few regulars were missing either racing in Prospect Park or at the cyclocross in Southampton. Off from work tomorrow so I will probably do a short ride in the AM.

2007 Tour de Parc Race Report

On the line, ready to start.

I raced wit the Cat. 3/4's today at the Tour de Parc at Cedar Creek. I missed it last year and the race was not held the year before that. The whole family came by to watch the race, and that was really special.

I got there early and picked up my race number. After watching the Cat. 5 race, I took a warmup ride down to Jones Beach and back. A few minutes later we were lining up for the start (photo above). There seemed to be small breakaways off the front for practically the whole race. Mostly, just one or two guys at a time. At one point it looked like the field would split in half but it was pulled back together.

This was one of the biggest fields I've raced in, at least 50 racers (40 were pre-registered by Friday night). There was constant shifting of lines, but amazingly, no crashes, even with the tight hairpin on one end of the 1-mile course.

I had two laps where I tried to bridge to a lone breakaway with two other riders but we never did quite make it. The pack eventually caught us. One scary moment, there was a loud "bang" and some guy's front wheel just exploded (a bunch of spokes just gave way). He kept it upright somehow and drifted to the side of the course, but those of us behind him had to hustle back to the group.


Short clip of the peloton passing by the start/finish with 4 laps to go.

In the end, the finish was a group sprint, and I finished somewhere in the middle of the pack. Maybe they will post results online in the next couple of days. There were two other East End riders in the race but none of us placed in the top 8 places.

Tomorrow, Early Birds on tap.

Short Rides for a Busy Weekend

Kind of a busy weekend so I did two shortened rides. Or rather, the same short ride, both days.

Saturday I arrived at Brands parking lot at 7:00am for the usual group ride. We were missing our usual leader, Jamie, but the seven of that showed decided to do the usual route out on the LIE to exit 52 and back. By the time we got to the end of Round Swamp Rd. and hit the first hill of the LIE, we were down to 5. Two hills later, down to four. We made the turnaround, stayed together to the final hill of the LIE but after that we were down to two. The two of us flew back to Brands with the help of a nice tailwind.

Sunday, I had an early family commitment so I skipped the Early Birds and did the 40-mile route again. A bit cool at the start but, as on Saturday, it warmed up nicely by the halfway point.

I'm registered to race next Saturday at the Tour de Parc. If I wasn't racing I sure would like to be out in Southampton for the Whitmore Cyclocross races. The cyclocross WORLD CHAMPION (yes, WORLD champion), Erwin Vervecken will be racing. Maybe I can get there somehow for Sunday's racing. Lots of other national champions will be there as well. This will really be a showcase of some top riders.

Here is my report from last years race.

And, for your viewing pleasure, Erwin Verveckin winning the 2006 World Championship!

The Tour de Parc LIVES!!!

I just found out that the Tour de Parc is ON this year! October 6th, at Cedar Creek Parc. I just registered for the Cat 3/4 race! Cool! I thought racing was done for the year but this should be a fun one. Lots of riders from Nassau, Queens, and NYC who don't do the Kreb Friday Night race.

Warm Weekend

A warm weekend was on tap as highs were predicted in the low to mid 80's for Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday, I hooked up with the Brands group for great ride down to the LIE service road, and back. We had six riders in a pretty strong group. For me, the pace was perfect, not hyper fast and not too slow either. Just nice cruising speed. It was a little misty in the morning but its good that we got an early start since it rained on-and-off for most of the afternoon. I tacked on a loop to Jones Beach afterward to get my total mileage up to 54 for the day. It felt pretty good to enjoy this ride since the Highlander (last weekend) was so tough!

Today, a sunny but windy Early Birds. Once again, on the south route. Medium sized group and I was able to hang with the pack for whole ride, excepting one small section before the rest stop where the group was broken up crossing a busy street. I tried to chase back on but they were really moving. So, I pulled into the 7-11 about 15-20 seconds later. Percy was at the ride. Here is his ride report with a couple of pics.

Just finished placing a couple of bike part orders. As the 2007 season is winding down, I am taking stock of whats worn out after a year of riding... rear tire, chain, cassette, etc.

Someone at the Early Birds mentioned that he is trying to get together a fall century ride in October in Connecticut. They did it last year and all had a good time. It is a challenging ride. Stats from last year indicate 116 miles and over 8,000 ft of elevation gain. They leave from Orient Point in the morning and catch the ferry to New London CT. They go through rolling back roads in CT then get the ferry back in the evening. For me it would be a very long day, with a long drive at each end. I will have to see if I can take a personal day at work, but it would make a nice "last century" for the year.

Another Highlander 2007 Photo

Climbing Miller Hill. Photo from All Ages Photography.

Highlander Ride Report

Rest stop at mile 85.

Up at 4:15am for oatmeal and coffee. Got suited-up and out the door by 5:15am for the 1-hour-plus drive from Corning to Bristol. As in previous years, arrived at Bristol Ski Resort in the pre-dawn darkness, along with everyone else who was preparing for the 7:00am start of the 100 mile route.

Quickly checked in and picked up my ride number (#193). Then back to the car to put the bike together and get ready to go. Weather was going to be a factor this year more than in previous years with a forecasted high of only 52F, possible rain, and wind. I picked up some new bib-knickers from Brands the day before for a little more protection from the cold. I ended up wearing toe warmers, base layer, 5BBC jersey, windproof vest, and long-fingered gloves.

Post-ride, I was pretty happy with my clothing choice as we seemed to have every kind of weather during the ride (sun, clouds, wind, rain, wet roads, dry roads, etc.).

The ride was every bit as difficult as in the past two years, possibly even more due to the weather. I hit my first snag at mile 13 with a flat tire, but I located the offending sharp stone, replaced the tube, and reinflated with my CO2 cartridge and was rolling again in a few minutes. There was a photographer on Miller Hill again so I hope to be able to post that photo in a couple of days.

After climbing Miller Hill and grabbing a couple of Fig Newtons at a rest stop, I tackled the fastest downhill of the ride. Last year I topped out at 54 mph on this downhill but due to the wind and damp roads, I kept it at a more reasonable 48 mph this year.

The first "Monster" hill climb was Bopple, but since it comes up after only 27 or so miles, my legs were pretty fresh and I was able to struggle up to the top. A few people were there ringing cowbells and shouting encouragement. A few short miles later we hit "Monster" # 2, Gannett Hill, not as steep as Bopple but longer and without much recovery time from the last hill.

The next 40 miles are some very tough rollers then a nice cruise to Italy Hill Road. Another rest stop and a couple of miles to "Monster" #3, Sliter. Coming after 67 hilly miles, this was the hill I was most worried about. Luckily, I was able to drag myself up it.

Some more rollers, another downhill ride along the lake, and I met up with the family at a rest stop around mile 85. We chatted a little and I munched a Clif bar. Then off to the final "Monster", Griesa Hill road. This is a long climb but not as steep as the previous three, so I was able to get in my lowest gear and spin myself up.


Grinding up another hill, 19 miles to go!

Got rained on for the last 10 miles, mostly downhill, back to Bristol Mountain. I picked up my complimentary wine and headed back.

Legs don't feel too bad this morning but temperature here is only 40F and my warm clothes are still wet and dirty from yesterday. So, no ride this morning.

...Back home now. Its still nice out so I did a short recovery ride to Jones Beach and back!

Training Rides

Did 80+ miles on Saturday, about 30 of it with the Brands group and another 50 on my own. I intentionally hit as many hills as possible to try and get the climbing legs warmed up for next weekend. Man, I wish I spent more time doing hills this summer!

This morning did Early Birds, South route. I skipped the 7-11 rest stop with about seven other riders to get home a little earlier today. I felt surprisingly strong even after yesterday's hard ride. Next weekend is the Highlander. Will do maybe 20 miles on Friday before we head upstate. Hopefully we will have good weather. Report to follow!

Labor Day Weekend Rides in Corning

Did the Early Birds last Sunday. Finished with a secondary group after stopping to assist with a flat < 10 miles to go.

This weekend we are up in Corning, NY. Yesterday and today I did a 65-mile ride from Corning to Hammondsport and back. Must of the route is flat, following the river valley but the loop from Savona to Weston to Hammondsport and, finally, back to Bath is quite hilly and a small taste of what is to come at the Highlander.

Here is the route I followed.

It was good to get in two "long-ish" rides with some variety of hills. Also some nice 40+ mph descents! This morning was especially tough as I was riding into a headwind for 20 miles, all the way from Batch back to Corning. Tomorrow, we are heading back to Long Island early since tomorrow is the first day of school. I will try to get in a short ride before we leave. May just try to get up Harris Hill and back.

Later!

Kreb Friday Night Race Video

I did the "B" race on Friday. Only got 7th place but felt strong and had a 4 or 5 lap solo breakaway. I also ended up on the front at the start of the finish sprint so I led it out, finished 7th.

Ed was there at took some cool video! Check it out!



Recovered today with a nice ride with the Brands crew. Did about 25 miles with the group then another 25 on my own. Early Birds tomorrow if it doesn't rain.

Did my 5th Tour of the Hamptons Today

Just got back home about an hour ago after completing my 5th Tour of the Hamptons century ride. Nice cool weather today and a bit less wind than Saturday made for perfect contidions. We had a core group of about a dozen riders which we kept together for the whole 105 miles. This ride is advertised as "flat", and it is, compared to some other rides like the Gold Coast and Highlander, but there are still many rolling sections to sap the legs. Having done this ride a few times I have a good idea of where to conserve energy and where to make up time in a fast paceline. Got a nice t-shirt out of the deal too!

Yesterday was an easy-paced Brands ride, plus I added in a little detour through West Hills Park for myself. Now I need to start focusing on how I'm going to drag myself up those 11,000 ft of hills at next month's Highlander!

Weekend Rides

I ended my vacation with a solo ride on Friday, Aug 3rd, skipping the Friday Night race which was a 5-lap Time Trial.

For the past two weekends I've settled into the routine of Saturday morning Brands Ride and Sunday Morning Early Birds ride. Weather has been great and the rides have been fantastic. This past weekend we had a small turnout of six riders for the Brands ride but the group stayed together and we had one of our best rides yet, IMHO. Sunday, the Birds went south. Thirty-one riders and a fast pace (23 mph average at the 34-mile rest stop). Things broke up after that after a flat. About 1/2 of the group kept going. I waited and came in with the second group.

Next weekend I will probably do Brands on Saturday. Sunday will be a change of pace as I am signed up for the Tour of the Hamptons. One hundred miles from Southampton to Montauk and back.


Me finishing the 2006 Tour of the Hamptons.

Ride Updates

Did the Early Birds on the 22nd then did not ride at all for 8 days as we packed-up the family and went on vacation. Was thinking about bringing the bike but decided not to since ride oportunities would be very limited and I didn't get my act together to plan anything out. This week I rode 40 miles on Tuesday and Wednesday, plus a 30-miler this morning. Legs are really sore but I'm trying to work back into shape for the Early Birds this Sunday. Race tomorrow is a 5 lap Time Trial but I think I will skip it this week.

July 20th Race Results

Kind of old news but here are the 7/20 race results.

Thrills and Spills at the Friday Night Races

Managed to take the sprint for 2nd place with a bike throw at the line in the B race last night. There was a nasty crash in the B race. Two riders touched wheels. The rider behind fell hard and the rider behind ran into him then went over his handlebars. This happened right in front of me and I had to lock-up the brakes to avoid it myself. A couple of us stopped to make sure they were okay. They both remounted but left the race after the next lap. Those of us who stopped started to chase back to the group. They had slowed down to wait for us and we caught back on after two laps. It turns out that one rider didn't wait and he went on to win the race. Of course there is no rule that says you have to wait for riders after a crash but it is kind of questionable sportsmanship to benefit in a situation like that. There were also two crashes in the A race, one of which resulted in a possible broken collarbone. So a bit of a bloodbath at the races this week. On the plus side, second place is my best result so far in any race!

Nice 50-mile spin this morning to recover. Met up with the group at Brands and did the first 30 miles with them. Then went off to West Hills and back home.

"Hypersonic"

Pyzahl described today's EB ride as "Hypersonic" in his blog. It was a fast ride, but, then again, it ALWAYS IS! As usual, thanks to Pyzahl for ride stats and photos.

Here is a photo of the big EB group stopped for a minor crash. Rider was okay. (I'm on the left edge next to the rider in the VT jersey)


Here is the speed distribution for the ride.



Saturday was a Brands ride. Went away with two other riders for a fast section, then solo, through West Hills. Caught back up with ride on the way back.

July 6 Race Results

Here, from Kreb Cycle website.

Gold Coast is in the books!

Pyzahl's Photos

Pyzahl's Ride Stats

Rode the Huntington Bicycle Club's Gold Coast Century today. This ride has the reputation of being on of the hilliest on Long Island. Weather today was hot!

I started out in a large group of about 20 riders. At the 50-mile rest stop, most decided on doing the 70 mile route. Myself and six others went for the full century. It was a good, strong group and we finished with a ride time of 5 hr 22 min, elapsed time was 6 hr 30 min. I went through 5 bottles of sports drink, 2 bottles of water, 1 1/2 PB&J sandwiches, one power bar and half of an orange on the ride.

Pyzahl was in the 100-mile group and he took lots of photos so I will put up some links when he posts them.

Epic Night at the Races!

Tonight's race schedule included a 1-lap Time Trial, followed by a traditional circuit race. Things were made even more interesting with the weather!

I was one of about 30 riders who signed up for the time trial, which consisted of one lap of the usual circuit course. I also had the honor of being the first rider in the TT. We left at 30 second intervals. The weather was a factor as I rode in the middle of a downpour. It was the same for the first 8 or so riders, then things started to clear a bit. At least, the rain tapered off. I finished with a time of 4 min 14 sec. Not sure where that rates out of all the riders. Results should be on the Kreb site in a couple of days.

On to the circuit race. I rode with the "B" group which had about 13 riders tonight. There were 2 primes and I pipped another rider on the line to take the second prime, my first. The two hard accelerations for the primes split the field and I ended up in a six man breakaway, which was eventually whittled down to four riders. I put a lot of effort into helping the break stay away, probably more than I should have. As a result, I finished fourth in the race. But still, my BEST finish! My payday, at least covered my entry fee and gas money! A really satisfying outing, especially with the difficult conditions. And we finally got a break to stick in the "B" race.

Wish I had some photos! Probably recover with a short ride tomorrow morning, and looking forward to a challenging, hilly century at the Gold Coast on Sunday!

Sunday EB Ride and Tuesday Solo Ride

Great fast EB South on Sunday. Here is Pyzahl's blog entry and a link to his GPS track, if interested. The highlight, for me was when Joe C. flew up the left of the peloton and told me to get on his wheel. He took me straight up to the front and later said it was "payback" for my closing some gaps on the last EB ride. That was cool.

Today, got a late start but did the "usual" route. Perfect weather again!

Race Report & Saturday AM Ride

Did the Friday Night race last night and, for the first time, I left after work from the office. I left the office at 3:00PM, caught the 3:34PM train to Wantagh, which arrived right at 4:30PM. My car was at the station all packed with bike, clothes, bottles, etc. Drove out to the race and got there at about 5:35PM, time enough to change into cycling clothes, register, and do 3 or 4 warm-up laps. I didn't have to burn a vacation day but it is a haul to get there from NYC.

As before, I did the "B" race. All groups were bigger than last week. I was disappointed in my result which was somewhere down in the pack. I made a few short attacks but the group was very strong this week. I was badly placed in the field when the sprint started so I was not a factor at all.

This morning I showed up to do the Brands ride. Some regulars from the shop were missing. I rode sweep up to the LIE then split off on my own to do West Hills, both ways. Gold Coast Century is coming up next week and there will be no shortage of hills on that one. Here is my GPS track from last year's ride (6300 ft of elevation gain). EB's tomorrow!

Kreb Race Results from 7/22/2007

Race results!

EB Paceline

Snapshot by an SBRA rider who passed us in the other direction.

The Trifecta!

Third riding day in a row as I joined the Early Birds in Manorville for the North route. Large group worked well together. I think we only lost about 5 guys on the final haul up Rt. 51 and Route 111. Pyzahl was kind enough to post photos and ride stats once again. One scary moment when a big old woodchuck (or groundhog?) decided to run straight through our 25 mph paceline! Rider three places in front of me ran over him but did not go down (lucky for all of us behind him or we would have been toast!). Woodchuck disappeared on the other side of the road.

Here are some of PyZahl's photos from the rest stop in Cutchogue, including me trying to work out a piece of Clif bar from between my teeth!

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Kreb Friday Night Race & Saturday Brands Ride

The first Kreb Friday Night race of the summer was held last night at Southampton College in Riverhead. I raced with the Cat. 4/5 "B" group. We had about 25 riders line up for the "B" group, about the same for the "A" group. There was a strong headwind on the back half of the course which affected the tactics for the race. Several breaks tried to get away but the choice was either on the front straightaway, which is downhill and the back straightaway which was into the headwind. Guys with aspirations for the sprint finish didn't want to work into the wind and that basically killed any breakaway attempts.

My big contribution was taking a solo flyer on the last lap on an uphill section at the end of the downhill straightaway. The pace slowed WAY down so I drilled it up the hill. No one chased and I got a big gap right away. I powered into the headwind and maintained a good gap until the final uphill when the sprinters started to wind it up. I was still in front at the top of the hill but by that time the tank was on EMPTY and I was quickly swallowed up by the sprint about 100 yards from the finish. Missed it by THAT much! The race was just 100 yards too short!

Got up early for the Brands ride this morning with the intention of making it an easy recovery ride. It started out that way and I was riding sweep with Jamie. At the turnaround point we decided to split into a fast group and a slower group as some of the Brands guys needed to get back to the shop. Nice pace going back and some good pacelining.

Probably do the Early Birds tomorrow. Was thinking of the ESG Time Trial Qualifier but I think I'd rather do 50 fast miles in the nice weather. Report to follow.

Hammering EB South

Fast ride with a large group and great weather today at the Early Birds. We went south. Here are Pyzahl's ride stats at his blog along with some photos.

Saturday, I rode with Jamie at the Brands ride. It was good to do that ride again (it must have been over a year since the last time

ESG Qualifier Results

Results are here for the 2007 ESG Road Race Qualifier for the Long Island region.
Only top 10 places shown. Needless to say, my name does not appear!

ESG Qualifier, First Race This Season

Been away from the blog for a while, but I have been doing the weekend ride thing for the past few weekends. Missed one nice Saturday due to work but I have been able to get two rides per weekend for the past three weeks. All have been solo rides on the usual Round Swamp Rd. - LIE - West Hills - Round Swamp Rd. loop, except for one ride with Joel from the Brand's group and todays ride, the ESG Qualifier for Long Island.

ESG is Empire State Games, the NY State Championships. The course was at Suffolk Community College in Riverhead, 25 laps, counter-clockwise. It worked out to about 43 miles. I figured there would be no time to eat during the race so I had two breakfasts, bowl of oatmeal at home and a PB&J in the car on the way there. Arrived at the college about 7:55am. Filled out the forms for registration, pinned on my number (152) and had time to take 4 or 5 warmup laps before the start.

There was a big field of riders from all over LI, at least 70-80, I would estimate. Lots of Kreb and East End riders. The race was fast but not the killer pace I was expecting. There were a few break attempts but I don't think any group got more than 30 seconds. I stayed in the pack most of the time. Actually it was pretty nice to be in the fast moving pack. My bike computer shows a maximum speed of 35 mph. I would gues we must have averaged at least 25 mph for the race. It ended in a sprint. Not sure where I finished but it was nowhere near the front, so I guess I don't have to worry about competing at the ESG's.

Anyway, it was fun to get back to racing finally and I'm satisfied to have been able to stay with the group that, for the most part, has been racing all spring. Hopefully the Friday night races (same course) will be starting up soon.

After the race I was able to see the finish line camera video as the USCF official tried to pick out the rider numbers but I didn't see mine. Hopefully they will post the results somewhere.

Mother's Day Weekend Rides

Saturday I went out to Rocky Point for the usual Pre-Early Birds Hill ride, led by Pyzahl. We started with a group of seven. We split into groups of 5 and 2. I was with the front 5 as we rolled into Iron Pier, the usual stopping and regrouping point. The group of two came in 5-10 minutes behind us. Pyzahl polled the group if anyone was interested in extending the ride from the usual 55 miles to 75. He had one taker and I said I would decide at the split-off point. It turns out that I was short on time and water, so I stayed with the group of three that headed back on the usual route. We ended up with about 50+ miles as we avoided the last set of hills. It was a great ride, as usual, and I was glad to stay with the main group through the hills. The legs must be coming back.

Discussing the ride at the regrouping point.

On Sunday, I needed to be back home by 9:00am and it worked out great for a short AM ride with Joel from the old Brands group. He was in town for Mother's Day so we agreed to meet for a 7:00AM to 9:00AM ride. We headed up Round Swamp Road (where I flatted!) and through West Hills. We hammered back to town with a tailwind most of the way. I was home by 9:10AM. Without the flat it would have been 9:00AM on the dot! It was good to see Joel again and (of course) it was a great ride.

Bratwurst!

I did the annual "Bratwurst" century today with some of the regulars from the Early Birds. We started at the Riverhead County Center, went up to Greenport on the North fork, ferry to Shelter Island, across SI, ferry to the South fork, then through Amagansett, the Hamptons, and back to Riverhead. Total mileage: 104.22. We had great weather and a strong group of riders, about 11 of us, in all. We stopped for lunch at mile 60 in Amagansett. Gerald took a couple of photos on the ferry, so if he posts them I will put links here.

A great ride and my first century of the year. Hopefully there will be many more to come.

Change of Plans Due to Rain

I headed out the door for the Early Bird ride this morning at 6:30am for a 7:30am ride start, but by the time I arrived in Manorville around 7:15am, I was in the middle of some significant rain. Temperature was also on the chilly side. I was not anticipating rain and didn't bring my vest or rain jacket. As I got off the LIE I swung right back around and headed back home, at least I could do a shorter ride and stay dry. I wasn't even sure if the EB's would be riding.

Turns out they did ride, though it turned out to be a wet one. Here is Pyzahl's report.

For me, I got home, changed into warmer clothes and did 20 miles around town, getting a good workout due to the high winds. Hopefully we will have good weather on Wednesday for the annual "Spring" century, a.k.a. the "Bratwurst". This is an unofficial ride with some of the SBRA group which sort of follows the Bike-Boat-Bike route scheduled later in the summer as an official club ride. I've done it the past two years. Last year we did the final 30 miles in pouring rain! Fingers are crossed for some good weather this year!

Pre-EB Ride

Did Pyzahl's pre-EB ride again this morning. Strong group of 5 riders, or, I should say, strong group of 4 riders... plus me. I am definitely lagging on the hills but this is a friendly ride so we regrouped when necessary. Actually, one rider started to bonk about 10 miles from the end, and (surprise) it wasn't me. So, we took it pretty easy in order to keep the group together. Weather was perfect.

Here are couple of pictures from PyZahl:





Percy and Marco at Iron Pier Beach Park.





Marco and I discussing the merits of my bike, Phil and Owen in the background.

Tomorrow, the Early Birds! Real early, 7:30am.

Two Great Rides This Weekend

Two great rides this weekend, two HARD rides, and 100+ total miles for the weekend! Saturday I met up with Pyzahl for his pre-Early Bird Saturday hill ride. He changed the start time to 8:00am, which is fine with me. I was the only other rider to show up so it was just the two of us. Weather might have also been a factor in the low turnout as it seemed to be threatening to rain. We had a nice ride through the morning fog. There was practically no wind which made it easy to maintain a nice brisk pace.
Here is Pyzahl's GPS track.

Sunday I went out to Manorville for the Early Birds. We went North this week with a slightly revised finish due to construction on Route 51. Nice turnout of riders (about 15 of us, I think). Most of the racing guys were in Central Park for the last of the spring race series. Next week should be interesting when they start showing up for the Early Birds again. We got a few brief periods of drizzle which had no effect on the ride itself but was a little bit of a let down since I just cleaned the bike yesterday afternoon. :-(

All-in-all, a great workout. Now I remember why I drive all the way out to Manorville to do this ride. Will post pictures and/or route track is Pyzahl posts them.

Spring has (finally) Sprung

Great waether this weekend and two really nice rides, as a result!
Saturday did 40 miles solo down Round Swamp Road and the LIE service road.
Awesome ride with the Early Birds this morning. We did the south route, once again, and had a nice strong group. A couple of quick stops for a mechanical and a flat, plus the usual 7-11 stop. Got reaquainted with a couple of riders I hadn't seen since the end of the birds rides last year.
I hope this weather continues for a while.
Also took a nice family bike ride to Cedar Creek and back with Linda and Tina. The park was FULL of bikes! Can't wait for the bike path to open.

Pyzahl's Saturday AM Ride

Did Pyzahl's hilly ride from Rocky Point this morning. Strong group of about 10-11 riders. We battled some strong headwind on the return leg of the loop. Got dropped on the last set of hills but I coasted in only about 30 seconds behind the rest of the group.

Here are some pictures of the ride, courtesy of Pyzahl (thanks Percy!):

Riders chatting at the start (my back is to the camera).

Jeff, Mark, Joe, and I at the halfway point, Iron Pier Beach State Park.

The group at Iron Pier.

More of the group.

Pyzahl tracked the ride with his GPS, here is a link to the Motionbased track.

I'm not sure how many more times I will make it to this ride. Its really a great ride but the traffic heading back home was insane. Perhaps the start time will get pushed up in the future.

Back to the Early Birds

Seeing as there were no ill effects from yesterday's group ride, I decided to go for it by joining the Early Birds this morning. Had a nice size group (12-15, or so). Nice pace. Most of the super-strong guys were not there (racing today, I think) so there weren't many crazy attacks. I'm starting to remember how nice it is to recover in a paceline on a group ride, compared to a solo ride where there is really no place to hide from the wind.
Next weekend is Easter and we will be upstate so I won't make it to the Birds ride, but I hope to start getting out there on a more regular basis. Looks like work will be the main obstacle.
Pyzahl was on the ride again and took pictures. So, once again, if he posts them I will put some links in the blog. TTFN!

Pyzahl's Pre-EB Ride

I rode Pyzahl's Saturday B+ paced ride today. It is meant to be a slower paced warmup ride to the traditional Sunday Early Bird hammerfest. The ride starts in Rocky Point, goes out to Iron Pier Beach State Park, and back. Here is the ride route. It incorporates elements from both the Early Bird's North Route and the Trevor's Winter EB route. A nice ride with lots of rollers and good roads. Temperature was mid to high thirties at the ride start but it didn't really seem that cold. More of an issue was the wind, but still, not all that bad.
Especially since we had six riders (me, Percy, Kevin, Phil, John, and Robin). I had forgotten how good it feels to ride in a fast paceline instead of fighting the wind the whole time.It was a very good pace, around 20 mph average. A bit fast for a B+ ride but everyone was up to it and we had some nice tailwinds at times.
I hope to do this ride on the future whenever possible. I saw that Percy had his camera out at Iron Pier so if he post pictures from the ride I will add some links here.
Robin mentioned that a bunch of the guys have been doing the Spring Races in Central Park. Sounds cool!

Is it Spring Yet?

Did a 48-mile road ride this morning. Still a chill in the air but things warmed up as the sun came out. I was orinially intending to do Pyzahl's 55-mile ride in Rocky Point this morning but I didn't quite feel 100% ready so I decided to do a solo ride instead. In retrospect it was probably a good idea. As much as I want to get back to doing those fast group rides, I still have a ways to go to get the form back.



Ride today was nice. Mostly dry roads despite yesterday's rain. Still some melting snow in West Hills. Saw lots of bikers out, including a few remnants from what (I'm guessing) was the end of the Triangle Ride. Man, just thinking about THAT intense ride is making me think I've got a lot of riding to do before I'm ready for something like that.



Based on my upcoming work scedule, I don't think I will really be able to dedicate the time I want to to cycling until the end of May. The SBRA Spring (Bratwurst) century should be coming up in April. I would really like to try it. I need to see if I can get at leat one 75-miler in before then. Will most likely miss the Montauk Century on 5/12 due to work obligations. I won't even talk about racing (although the Great Neck Cycling Challenge is being revived this May 20th!)

Me (in blue) at the 2005 Great Neck Race!

Return to the Road

Well, February was pretty much a write-off in terms of the bike. Only a couple of outdoor rides, a week or two on the trainer, then....nothing. I hadn't ridden in over two weeks, almost three. Busy with work, some cold weather, general lack of motivation.

With forcast of temperatures in the 50's I was looking forward to finally getting back out on the road. Did the 50-mile "usual" route. Wasn't as painful as I was thinking it would be but still revealed that I've lost a lot of conditioning with my light riding schedule over the past 3 months. The Early Birds are starting up again out of Manorville tomorrow but I will probably skip it for a week or two. I've got to get some legs back before I try to keep up with that group.

Other bike news, I've upgraded my racing license to category 4 so hopefully that may open up the oportunity to do a couple of more races this year. We'll see.

Looking forward to another 50-miler tomorrow, maybe solo or maybe with the Early Birds.

Its Cold and Getting Colder

Rode the trainer all five work days this week. I reduced the ride to to 1/2 hour but increased the intensity so its still a good workout. If I get up at 5:00am I can do the 1/2 workout and still get a train to get to work by 8:00 or 8:15am. I will try to keep this streak going through the winter.

Did the old 25 mile route today up Round Swamp Rd. and first LIE hill. Very cold and windy today, around mid-20's. I suited up with lots of layers. Stayed pretty warm. Hands were a little cold at the beginning of the ride and feet were cold at the end, but I think I have a pretty good setup for a 1-1/2 hour ride in temps down to 20F.

I heated up the water bottle before I went out so that it wouldn't freeze before the end of the ride.

All-in-all it was good to hit the open road after a week of indoor riding. Extreme cold is headed this way tomorrow so it may be back to the trainer on Super Bowl Sunday. Go COLTS!!

More of the Same

Did the exact same route as yesterday. Felt better during the ride.

Rain or condensation overnight left some wet roads this morning but I opted to take the Specialized instead of the rain bike. After lunch I went out to wash down the bike but it seems that my garden hose is frozen. No water. SO I just wiped it down with a towel and lubed the chain. A full cleaning will have to wait.

Another 25 miles in the book. I will try to do some sort of riding during the week but I'm not sure if it will be on the trainer or on the road. Stay tuned.

Shaking the Rust Off

No riding at all for two weeks! No trainer, no commuting. Nada!

Went out today around midday to try and jumpstart this winter's riding. Did 25 miles up Round Swamp Rd. plus the first hill of the LIE. Temperature was 36F. All-in-all a good ride. Mostly easy spinning and the one big hill at the LIE. Legs didn't feel all that bad. I think they will come back quickly if I can string a few days or riding together. Goal for the rest of the winter will be not to take off more than one day of riding in a row. That said, I'll probably try for another 25er tomorrow morning.

Noticed that it took 7 or 8 miles for breathing and aerobics to feel comfortable. I think it will take longer to get lungs back. Need some long rides to do that.

Wet Weekend

Only did a 30-miler on Saturday. Was wet and drizzling out. Sunday and Monday were also wet and a bit colder so didn't ride at all. The Saturday ride was up Round Swamp Rd. to West Hills and back.

First Two Rides of 2007

Was going to ride on Monday, January 1st since I had off from work but the weather didn't cooperate. So, first two rides of the new year were yesterday and today.

Saturday was unbelievable warm for NY in January. I rode in temps of the low 60's (it eventually got into the 70's later when the sun came out). Roads were wet in the morning due to overnight rain so I set out for 40 miles out on the LIE service road with the rain bike (80's Trek 520 touring bike that I got for free when it was being thrown out by a neighbor). A good ride, if a little damp. Got a flat at mile 25 (first flat I've gotten on a ride since August at the Tour of the Hamptons).


Trek 520 rain/commuter bike

Same ride today. It was dry but about 15 degrees cooler. Bike used was my Specialized Allez Pro, my "number one".


Specialized Allez