Ride Recaps for This Weekend and Last

Last weekend was a three-day weekend, with Memorial Day being Monday. Did a 100-miler on Saturday, detailed ride report here. The next morning, got out for a little later start and did the Triangle Ride, a very fast paced group ride that originates in Little Neck and follows a circuitous route around the North Shore. Last time I did this ride I wrecked my rear wheel, but no such troubles this time. A hard ride with lots of short steep climbs and accelerations. I managed to stay with the group and hooked up with Mark from Babylon Bikes for the ride home. A total of 60 miles for me that day. Finally, on Monday (Memorial Day), did an early morning solo ride of the Brands route and West Hills to get home in time to see my daughter march in the local parade and prepare for a family BBQ at the house. Was really happy with a 210-mile total for the long weekend.

This weekend, did 50 miles solo on Saturday, another early start, 5:00 AM. Nice weather and light traffic made for an uneventful but pleasant ride. This morning, wanted to stretch my legs at the Triangle ride again. Rode the 9 miles to meet the ride at Steele Hill Rd. in Westbury and waited a couple of minutes with a few other riders for the big peloton to whisk by. We jumped on and the group kept a nice steady pace, heading east, then North up Sweet Hollow Rd. At 27 miles in, one rider crashed hard when he tried to replace his water bottle and touched wheels with the bike ahead of him. He launched over the side of the bike and landed in the lane of oncoming traffic. Luckily, cars were able to stop in time. Rider up fairly soon but lots of mechanical issues with the bike. Seeing that he was okay, and a bunch helping him with the bike, I decided to head home. Did an extra loop through West Hills to get the mileage and ended with another 50.

Noticed this year a lot of riders on the Triangle ride wearing TriangleCyclists.com jerseys. Check out their webiste for a little Triangle Ride history.

Thinking about Bike-Boat-Bike next weekend, probably meet the East End team for 100 or 125 mile route.

Solo Century

Had been hoping all week to get to do a long ride this weekend, and it turned out the weather, work, and family all worked out so I could do it today. I also wanted to ride with the Brands group this weekend so I incorporated the group ride into my plans.

Usual oatmeal and coffee pre-ride breakfast, then out the door at 5:30 AM. Rode down the Jones Beach bike path (before the airshow crowds showed up) and it was a good ride except for the swarms of gnats at each of the three bridges. Was going to do two laps but the gnats made me think otherwise. Instead, I opted to do a dozen or so loops of the Cedar Creek Park loop road, same course as used for last weekend's Tour de Parc criterium.

Time check, 6:55 AM so headed over to Brands for the 7:00 AM start. A good turnout of familiar riders, at least 15. By the time we got up Round Swamp Rd., we were in three or four groups already. Up the first LIE hill, I saw Ariel, who was taking photos of us and I stopped to say hi. He is out of commission right now with a separated shoulder. I got back on the road but the group was long gone. Ate a CLIF bar at mile 40. I caught up to groups of 1, 2, or 3 riders but it looked like the group sort of disintegrated. Most of the rest of the way like this, then I turned solo again, to do West Hills. Stopped at a little park for a bathroom break and refilled a water bottle. Up to Rt. 25 then straight back to Brands.

Now with 73 miles, it took a fair bit of willpower to head back out into the wind. Ate another CLIF bar and went straight up Round Swamp Rd. again, up to the Northern State Parkway, then looped back home. One lap around the block to get the odometer to tick over to 100 miles!

A good ride, great weather, but a little less wind would have been nice! Wish the Brands group would have stayed together a bit longer but it was my decision to stop and visit with Ariel. Maybe I'll get to see some of his photos, should be some good action shots!

Tour de Parc Photos, Video, Links

Race Results

Video of me at the front of the peloton chasing a breakaway in the Cat. 4 race at Tour de Parc on Sunday.


Racing through the rain in the Masters 40+ race. Photo from http://www.flickr.com/photos/8562469@N08/


Coasting in after a fast, wet Masters race. Photo from http://www.flickr.com/photos/8562469@N08/

Photo sites where I found the above:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/71596223@N00/sets/72157618389219452
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8562469@N08/sets/72157618320926345
http://tinyurl.com/qpwgv6
http://tinyurl.com/qbcnu2

Will post additional links here if I find any. Enjoy!

Tour de Parc Race Report

Today was race day at the Tour de Parc at Cedar Creek in Wantagh, my own backyard! I guess I was feeling strong when I registered a rew weeks ago and signed up for two races, the Masters 40+ and the Cat. 4.

Both races were 25-mile criteriums and happened to be scheduled back to back. Masters first at 9:30 AM, then Cat. 4 at 10:30 AM. Had my usual pre-ride breakfast of coffee and oatmeal and added a bananna knowing I'd need the fuel. Chance of rain predicted all morning so I was a little concerned abount negotiating the hairpin turn on the course in a fast moving pack. Roads damp when I left to ride to the park but not raining... yet!

Picked up my race numbers from the registration desk, pinned them on the jersey, one over the other, and did a couple of slow laps around the park while the Cat. 5 race was going on. Promptly at 9:30 AM, the Masters riders were called to the line. I saw Paul C. and Mike I. in the field, so I think we were the only three East End riders. No sooner did the start whistle sound and the rain started. First few laps were blistering fast, nipping at 32 MPH on the back stretch (wind aided) and about 22 MPH on the finishing straight, into the wind. The rain was intense and lots of road spray. Two riders attacked on lap 3, and that was the last we saw of them for the rest of the race. A few bridge attempts were not successful and teammates of the leaders foiled most other attempts. It was a hard fast race and on the last lap, I could not hold on to the group that sprinted for the finsh. I ended up at the back of the main pack, but I did accomplish my goal of not getting dropped. My first Masters race, under my belt, and an epic one at that!

I did a quick u-turn at the start/finish line and had Ed pull off my Masters race number to reveal the Cat. 4 number underneath, just as they were calling the Cat. 4 race to the line. Had about 1 minute to drink something and catch my breath before the whistle to start the Cat. 4 race. East End represented well in this race, me, Karl, Rob, Chris, Larry, George, maybe one or two others. Again, a fast start. Amazingly no crashes in either race! By now the rain had stopped and the roads actually started to dry out a bit by the end of the race. There were five or six breakways, solos, but they were reeled in. The last one stayed away for about 6-7 laps, only to be caught on the final lap.

East End was successful in the end with Karl taking the win and Larry picking up fourth. Again, I was poorly positioned for the sprint and ended mid-pack at the finish but I tried to make a contribution to the team by working to pull back some breakaways and pulling for the team as much as I could. I'm afraid the Masters race took a bit out of me and I didn't have much punch left at the end of 50 miles of racing.

I'll check around to see if I can find any race photos later in the week and post some links here if I find any. Even with the rain, an exciting day of racing. Legs sore now but I felt strong and easily stayed with the group in both races. Satisfying day of racing, tried to do the EECT jersey proud.

Brands Route with Joel L.

Came home yesterday evening to find a voice message from Joel L., one of the original Brands group riders from a few years ago. Joel has since moved away from the island but he does come down a few times a year and we have met up for rides on a few occasions. I had an early start planned to be home in time for Mother's Day breakfast.

We planned to meet at Brands at 5:45 AM to start a 50-miler, usual Brands route and West Hills. Nice sunny day, strong wind from the West. The early favorable winds gave us ample opportunity to chat during the ride and catch up on what we've been doing the past two years: jobs, kids, cycling, running (for Joel), etc.

After the turnaround, I flatted on piece of glass at mile 23. Repaired quickly and we headed into the wind to Round Swamp. Roads were in good shape, all dried out from yesterday's morning rain storms. On the way home, Joel flatted after hitting a pothole at mile 47. Repaired the flat and we continued on home, said our goodbyes, and I raced home, now late for breakfast.

Had some bacon and eggs and mimosa's for Mother's day. It was great to meet up with Joel. Had a good strong ride on a nice day.


Joel and I on Hilltop Rd.

Who'll Stop the Rain...

The plan was to do a 3-hour (50-mile) early morning ride. Had a hard stop time of 9:00 AM to get ready for a first communion in the morning. I figured on a ride start at 5:30 AM to be home by 8:30 AM, leaving a cushion for a flat or other mechanical. I woke up with the alarm only to find that a storm cell was moving through Nassau County. Heavy rain, thunder and lightning, not good riding conditions.

Delayed my start by 1 hour, checked the local radar and saw that the storm had passed to the east and nothing headed my way. So, I had some coffee and oatmeal, suited up in shorts and a short-sleeve jersey, and headed out on the rain bike at 6:30 AM. Since I lost an hour of ride time, I decided to do the 35-mile route I did with Mike W. a few weeks ago. I estimated it should get me home right at the 2-hour mark.

Predictable, the roads were wet and full of sand and runoff from the storm. It was a messy ride, no doubt, but the light wind, no rain, and warm temperature (60F) kept it from being a truly "epic" affair. Up through West Hills, it reminded me of some footage from an old Liege-Bastogne-Liege race video I have: wet, misty, narrow road through the forest.

On the ride, I passed Bethpage Park, where there is now a huge tent city and grandstands for the upcoming U.S. Open. Quite a project going on there. The course itself is lush green an manicured thanks to all this rain we've been having.

Home right at 8:30 AM as I hoped, very wet and covered in mud. Hosed off the bike, glad to get 35-miles in today. Hopefully the rain will hold off tomorrow morning so I can get some morning miles in on Mother's Day.

Bratwurst Century

Did the annual "Spring Century" with the SBRA EB group, better known as the Bratwurst Century. As usual, we loosly followed the Bike-Boat-Bike route, heading east from Riverhead on the North Fork to Greenport, short ferry ride to Shelter Island, across Shelter Island, another ferry to the South Fork, then back west to Riverhead.

A cool 50F at the ride start, overcast, wet roads, but no actual rain. We headed out with 15 riders. First flat at about mile 15, quickly changed, and we were off again. Steady pacelines, 20+ MPH. At about mile 30, a pothole took out Charlie and also caused Rick to flat. Charlie hit the ground hard! Two motorists stopped to assist but as the shock of the crash wore off, Charlie felt okay enough to get back on the bike. He continued with us to the ferry and Shelter Island, but decided to take a direct route back, accompanied by John Y. Hurt something on his right side, hoping its not too serious. Had a Clif bar on the ferry ride.

Last little delay was another flat at mile 50. Took a few minutes to extract the offending sharp stone, but after the flat was repaired just another 10 miles to lunch in Amagansett. By this time the sun was out and we had a nice lunch, sitting outside at some picnic tables. We were obviously in the "Hamptons" as my turkey and cheese on whole wheat was a pricey $7.30! A bag of peanut M&M's and a bottle of water and we were off again.

The last 40 miles had us in good pacelines but no one could quite remember the exact route so there were more than a few misdirections and wrong turns that kept breaking our momentum. Finally back to the start with 101.9 miles, 19.4 MPH moving average speed, elapsed time just uder 7 hours.

It turned out to be a great and and a great ride with friends. Will be back next year!

Fast, Wet, EB Ride

Me and Robin at the start of Rt. 51. Waiting for 2nd flat to get fixed. Photo: Pyzahl

Wanted to get in a fast ride before Tour de Parc races in two weeks, so despite the threat of rain, I made the trek East to Manorville of the Early Birds group ride. Group was mostly made up of East End/Krebs Cycle team, so we were in for a fast ride.

We had light rain for the whole ride, tailwind headed east, then a bit of headwind for the return. Fast paceline the whole way. There was an early split due to a flat tire. Again, I was in the group that waited. Strong group of riders still, and lots of old friends: Pyzahl, Mike, Kevin, Tom, John, Robin, George (I'm sure I left someone out). Brian, Tom, and Mike seemed to be pulling us along alot of the time but I think we all managed to contribute a good share.

I felt really good on the ride and was at the front part of our group for the critical sections: the tanks, Rt. 51 and CR 111. Did not get dropped! So, I feel like I won't make a fool of myself at the races (May 17th, Cedar Creek Park, Wantagh). I think we ended with 54.8 miles, about 21.5 MPH moving average.

I see Pyzahl posted some photos from the ride so I'm going to try to link to a few here:


Waiting for the first flat. Tom S. rocking the East End sub-team purple and black! I'm up the road in the regular orange and blue. Photo: Pyzahl


Regroup after the tanks. Photo: Pyzahl


Cutchogue deli stop, mile 30. I'm on the left. Photo: Pyzahl

The Rain Bikes Make an Appearance

Rained all night and still raining when I got up this morning, so I took my time getting ready to ride. I figured the Brands ride would be a washout so I was resigned to doing a short solo ride on the rain bike. No rides at all on Thursday and Friday due to work schedule and rain.

As I was having a cup of coffee and checking e-mail, I got a twitter from Mike W. that he was heading to the Brands ride start. Great! I quickly gulped down my coffee and got ready, arrived at Brands just about 5 minutes late. Met James and Mike there, so the three of us set out on the usual route. All of us on our "rain bikes", me on the Trek 520, Mike W. on his Specialized Allez, and James on an unbranded frame he built up himself. James was not feeling 100% so we kept a comfortable pace. It gave us the opportunity for some good conversation as we tackled the rollers on our route. Luckily no wind, and the rain stayed away for just about the entire ride.

After the LIE service road out-and-back, Mike and I went through West Hills and James went up Old Country Road. We regrouped at Rt. 25, then headed home. I was happy to end up with 50 miles on the day, more than I probably would have done on my own. Thanks to Mike and James for braving the elements, it turned out to be a great ride!

Brands Team Photo Shoot

Check out some of the photos from yesterday's Brands Team photo shoot! It was a lot of fun. Thanks to Todd N. for setting the whole thing up.


Copyright © Cecilia Grace Mizin Photography http://cgmizin.zenfolio.com

Entire Gallery

Short but Sweet

Busy day on tap but I arranged to meet up with Mike W. for an early morning ride. Had two hours available so we agreed on a 35 mile out-and-back route, up Round Swamp Rd., through West Hills, up to Rt. 25, then back. Click here to view Mike's GPS track.

Weather was PERFECT! Temperature 65F, sunny, light wind. Nice and flat to start and get warmed up, some easy climbs, then a nice quick spin home. A short ride, but sometimes quality is more important than quantity.

No mechanical issues, which is a good thing after all the maintenance work I did yesterday. Thinking about switching to a 12-23 cassette for these local rides for more gear choices when cruising these mostly-flat roads.

Renewal

Excellent ride this morning with the Brands group, then some much needed bike maintenance.

I planned all week to make the Brands ride on Saturday morning. The forecast predicted great weather and I was looking forward to a good ride with the group. The usual Brands ride is about 38 miles, and I wanted at least 50. So I headed out at 6:00 AM to do a couple of laps on the Jones Beach bike path, then stopped over at Brands a little before 7:00 AM. I was great to see everyone again, Jamie, Mike, Bob, Ed, Harvey, Todd, and a couple of other guys whose faces were familiar but not sure of the names.

A big group of about 20 or so, we started off at an easy pace to everyone could get warmed up. Ed attacked on Central Ave. and so the pace picked up on Round Swamp Rd. A few other guys taking off the front. I bridged then led up to the LIE service road. I turned around and it was just me and two other guys. We took a quick straw poll and we decided to keep going on our own. We kept a strong pace out on the LIE srevice road. One rider dropped off and headed for home, leaving just Dan and myself to finish up back at Round Swamp.

Met a group of 5 riders from our original peloton and we did one more repeat of the first hill on the LIE. Pick up some more remnants of the original group, then we all headed back to Brands. Nice, steady pace!

After our post-ride chat at Brands, I took a spin over to Seaman's Neck Park to catch the first half of my daughter's soccer game (they won, 6-0!!!). A total of 61 miles on the day.

Back home, I had some lunch and had a long session of bike maintenance:
- full bike wash
- new chain
- new cassette
- new brake pads
- mount tire on my new Easton Circuit rear wheel (replacing the one I broke on the Triangle ride)
- mount the trainer tire back on the spare wheel I had been using while waiting for my new wheel

A few photos:

My dented rim, tire bead folded in and braking surface deformed.


New brake pads


New chain and cassette


New Easton Circuit rear wheel

Busy tomorrow, so just a short ride planned.

EZ Century Ride with SBRA

Met up with 7 SBRA riders for a flat century on the South Fork, out to Water Mill and back, 105 miles, just under 6 hours riding time. One rider doing her first century, so we had a few more waitups than usual. Fast ride East on Dune Rd., lunch at Water Mill, then back on a more inland route. A few familiar faces and met a few new riders. Good to spend a day on the bike in this nice weather.

Long Weekend Rides

Friday, day off from work for traveling but had time in the morning to do 50 miles on the Brands route and West Hills. Weather was good, not too cold or windy. I've been riding on my spare rear wheel while waiting for a replacement Easton EA70 for the Circuit I wrecked last weekend on the Triangle ride. It was a really good ride, despite the workday traffic.

Saturday, up in Corning for the Easter Holiday. Its quite a bit colder and windier here. Managed to get in 65 miles from Corning to Savona, up to the Hills in Tyrone and Weston, back down to Keuka Lake and Hammondsport. Across to Bath, then a straight line back to Corning. A really strong headwind from the Northwest that I fought against for the first 30 miles. Took a lot out of me by the time I got to the hills but at least I got the tailwind for the 20 miles home.

This morning, only time for a short ride before Easter brunch, but I got in 25 miles on a FREEZING cold (25F) morning here. Did the big climb up Harris Hill, so I would not exactly call it a recovery ride. Good to do some rides in a change of scenery, but wish it was warmer and less windy.


View Larger Map

Triangle Ride, Cut Short by Pothole

Decided to do the Triangle ride today, hoping to meet up with Ed, from Brands, and Mike W. Sunny skies, a little chilly, but quite windy. Left home at 8:20 AM and rode 9 miles straight into a headwind up north to Steele Hill Rd., just off the LIE to meet up with the Triangle Ride peleton (ride start is in Little Neck).

Met Craig G. there from Sanchez-Metro team. We didn't have long to wait for the peleton as they would be having a slight tailwind for the first part of their ride. As they passed, I jumped onto the end and it was a pretty civilized pace at the beginning of the ride. Met Ed in the group but did not see Mike W.

Things heated up on Fish Hatchery Rd., group split up and I ended up in no-man's land between the front group and the chase group. I was hammering trying to get back to the front group. Made a high-speed right turn, into a shady section. Before my eyes could adjust to the reduced light level, BAM!, rode straight into a pothole at 25 MPH. I coasted for a few seconds, waiting to hear the clink and rattle of a broken spoke. It didn't come, front rim looked okay, bike was stable, so I jumped back on the pedals and kept going.

A couple of miles outside of Oyster Bay, a chase group of 5 picked me up and we rode into the town of Oyster Bay, just about 30 seconds behind the front group, 30 miles into the ride. As I squeezed the brakes I felt a strong pulsing in the back brake lever. At this point, I realized it was the back wheel, so I dropped out of the group and got off the bike to evaluate the situation. Rear wheel bent! Crap!

Bike was rideable, no noticable cracks in the rim, so I turned back around and headed home solo. Twenty miles later, back home. Got my 50 miles, and a good workout, but at a price.

Really disappointed I wrecked my rim. Its been trouble-free since I got it 17,000 miles ago. Never even been trued! I guess I'll try to get it to Brands today to see if they can fix it. First I'll swap my tire to my backup wheel, that has a trainer tire on it now. Fingers crossed they can fix it.

Finally Back On The Road

Did not get to do a road ride since last Saturday's rain ride on the Trek. Last Sunday was more rain so I skipped my ride, and, I came down with a really bad cold. No rides at all on Monday and Tuesday. Two short trainer sessions on Wednesday and Thursday as I was still recovering from my cold. Relegated to the trainer again on Friday morning because of rain.

Despite a late night at work on Friday, I was glad to see the Weather forecast for today, with rain not predicted until after noon. Decent temperatures in the mid 40's. The only problem would be the wind, steady 20 MPH out of the West, gusts to 33 MPH.

Not sure how deep my energy reserves would be after being sick earlier in the week, I opted to try a primarily North-South route to avoid riding directly into the wind. On the Specialized, solo, up Round Swamp Rd. to the LIE, did the first big hill on the service road, then back to Round Swamp Rd. and through West Hills.

Felt pretty good but after a small taste of that howling wind, I was glad I didn't head East on the service road! Heading back south, I met up with Ed from Brands who was out riding solo. We rode the 12 miles back to Wantagh together, and passed Mike W. who was heading north, on his own. Ed mentioned that this morning was supposed to kick off the regular Saturday A.M. Brands group ride for the season, but he was the only one that showed. Good to know this ride is starting up again, another ride option for Saturday morning! Ed is planning on doing the Triangle ride tomorrow morning. I think I will try to do it, as well, if the family schedule allows. Its a ride as challenging as EB but doesn't involve the long car ride out and back.

On the racing front, the Tour de Parc is on for May 17th, can't wait!

Spinning (Steel) Wheels

Planned on a 7:00 AM start but mother nature had other ideas. Rain showers moved through so I delayed until 8:00 AM. Started out in a light rain on the rain/commuter bike, my 2nd hand late 80's steel Trek 520 touring bike. In the rain for about 45 minutes, up to the LIE, with a slight headwind. Made the right turn onto the LIE South Service road into a crosswind. By this time I was feeling the weight of the bike and had to start spinning some lower gears, especially when climbing. Although, the Shimano Biopace chainrings are nice when climbing out of the saddle!

Was thinking of shortening the ride to 40 miles, but a patch of blue sky and the tailwind after the turnaround at mile 20 encouraged me to go for the full 50 miles. Recovered a bit heading west on the North Service road, then headed up into West Hills, keeping a high cadence.

Heading back south on Round Swamp Rd. past the Bethpage golf course, the sun started shining and it was a nice ride home. Grit my teeth a little into the wind last few miles. Glad I did the full ride, tougher than usual on the old bike. Now need to clean it up, the drive train sounded like a cement mixer the last 10 miles, not a drop of lube left after 3 hours in the wet.

Awesome Early Bird Ride

I decided to ride with the EB's out of Manorville today, wondering if all these base miles are actually adding up to something. In a word, YES! Had a great, fast ride, and felt strong for the whole route. It was also an interesting ride with respect to the group dynamics.

Oatmeal and coffee for breakfast, then loaded the car for the ride out to Manorville. Got there by 7:45 AM for the 8:00 AM start. We had 20 riders by the time we rolled out. It was nice catching up with the gang for the first few miles: Pyzahl, John & Robin, John Y., Fintan, Gary, Karl, etc.

Seven or eight miles in, someone lost a bottle. There were lots of shouts for the group to slow-up so he could retrieve the bottle then rejoin the group. But, the front group had a head of steam going and did not slow down. The back group that I was in, waited until the rider rejoined and then headed in pursuit of the front group. I initiated a chase but no one else wanted to try to bridge. In the end, it was futile.

Now on my own, I caught up to Fintan who also had lost his bottle and was unable to catch back on the front group. He and I rode together to the climb at the Northville tanks, just as the second group was about to make contact from behind. We had a good pace up the climb and were joined by Gary. The three of us had a pretty good gap on the group behind and worked hard together figuring that we would regroup with the front riders at the usual spot.

When we got to the regroup point, we were greeted by an empty parking lot. The front group decided to keep going and bypassed it. We three decided to wait for the group behind to catch up. Once we were back together, we headed out to the Cutchogue deli stop, the next point that we might have any chance to get back with the front group.

At the deli, just a couple of riders who bypassed the tanks in the hope of catching the front group at the deli, but were unsuccessful. We stopped so some riders could refill water bottles and grab a power bar. At this point we found that Robin had a shredded rear derailleur cable and could not shift out of the smallest cog. Luckily, she had a hex key and a couple of us proceeded to adjust the cable to a better gear in the back. At least she would have two gears to use by shifting the front ring.

After the deli, we would now be heading into the wind. We kept an easier pace, 19-20 MPH so no one would get dropped off the back and have to ride alone into the wind. The last major obstacles were Rt. 51 and Rt. 111. No major attacks in our group but everyone rode strong. I think we must have finished with a ride average over 20 MPH for the 54 miles, thanks to the tailwind for the first part of the ride.

For my part, I took some long, strong pulls. Felt really good today, and I'm pretty sure I could have stayed with the front group if we didn't have that early split. Kind of strange they didn't stop but I guess its hard to stop a fast moving train. All-in-all it was a great ride for me and I realized how much I miss the sensation of riding in a fast-moving group. I need to get out to this ride more often this season.

Great Early Ride, Numb Feet Aside

Had to make it an early ride today so that I could take Tina to her soccer tournament this morning (they won 2-0!). Got up at the same time I usually do for my pre-work morning ride and got out the door by 5:30 AM. Below freezing, 28F, but no wind. Flicked on my headlight and taillight and got under way for a 50 mile ride along the Brands route and West Hills.

Some issues with my headlight, I've noticed that the rechargeable battery performance really drops off when the temperature is below 35F. After 15 minutes, the red "low-battery" light was on and the light dropped to low power. About 30 minutes in, I set it for medium power and I had no problems for the rest of the ride.

Sun was starting to come up at the 20-mile turnaround on the LIE service rode. I felt really strong today, especially when riding out of the saddle. Did a lot of extended climbing standing on the pedals. No water after mile 30, water bottle frozen! Finished with an 18 MPH average for the ride (total time, not just riding time).

Back by 8:30 AM, time to put the bike away, shower, eat some yogurt & granola, update my ride journal and head to the soccer game.

On the bike racing scene, a dramatic finish at Milan-San Remo! Here is a video of the last kilometer (anyone understand Flemish?).

Pre-Dawn Ride

Family gathering at the house today for brunch, so I went out pre-dawn at 6:00 AM for the ususal 50-miler, solo. Headlight and taillight for the first 90 minutes. Pretty good ride, a little warmer, a little less wind. Another 50 in the bank!

Couldn't Decide on Today's Ride

Checking the weather on Friday night, I new today would be pretty good for a ride, cold in the morning but supposed to warm up. No threat of rain, light wind. Hard to choose through my ride options:

- Meet up with Percy in Rocky Point for his usual Sunday 55 mile "Easy A Pace"
- Meet Mike W. and Harvey at Brands at 8:30 for bit easier pace
- Get thrashed at the Triangle Ride
- Usual solo ride, 50 miles, Brands Route and West Hills

Woke up this morning and took the path of least resistance, did my usual solo ride. Out at 7:00 AM, temp right at 32F. Legs felt a little blocked but that is not unusual for a Saturday morning. Sun finally started to appear about 20 miles in. At mile 35, I made the turnaround at Rt. 25 and was joined by another rider. With not much more than a "good morning", we headed South and traded pulls down to the LIE. Marcel said he was heading to Wantagh, me too! It seems we are neighbors, only a couple of block from each other! Passed Mike W. and Harvey (and Bob?) on Round Swamp as they were heading North.

Marcel took the direct route home, I detoured slightly to get my 50 miles. Marcel invited me to join him for the Triangle Ride tomorrow but I realize I'm going to have to pass since tomorrow is the girls' family birthday brunch and I need to be home early. Maybe I can meet up with him next Sunday.

Still planning on a ride tomorrow morning but its going to be a pre-dawn affair, with lights, etc.

Vitamin S

Cleaning the sand and salt off the bike.

They guys at Rapha talk about their rides out west as having plenty of "Vitamin G", meaning the gravel surface on the seldom used back roads they seek out. My ride today had plenty of "Vitamin S", meaning sand, salt, snowmelt, and SUN! The weather cooperated and it was a realatively warm morning, around 45F when I started at 7:15 AM, up to about 55F when I got home, 3 hours later. As I update this blog, its nearly 70F!

Did 50 miles on the Brands route and West Hills. Tried to hook up with Mike W. this morning but I left a little earlier than I anticipated and I think he left a little later than planned, so we ended up missing each other. I was riding solo but I saw a lot of other roadies out. A couple of small groups were heading North on Round Swamp Rd., probably heading to the Triangle ride. On the LIE North service road, I ran into Atila from the Early Birds, who was on his way to a group ride leaving from St. Matthews church. I should have checked the SBRA ride schedule!

Due to the first three S's, the bike was in need of a major cleaning when I got home.

February Finale

A hard-fought fifty miles today, the last day of February. Wind, wind, and more wind! Predominantly out of the North, but seemingly gusting from all directions, I didn't see a hint of tailwind until making the turn back south from Rt. 25, after 35 miles.

I was thinking this could have been a wet ride due to last night's rain but the steady wind dried things up. I was out the door by 7:30 AM, roads were dry, and although it was still on the cold side (mid 30's), the big factor was the wind.

Did the usual Brands route out and back on the LIE service road, then a loop through West Hills. On the way back, I hooked up with Harvey (from the Brands group) on Central Ave. and we rode together back to Brands. I continued on home and promptly scarfed down my regular post-ride snack, yogurt with granola and fruit.

Glad to get a good ride in today, tomorrow looks like its going to be a rainout, but I hope not!

Short Ride to Beat the Rain

Rain forecast for the morning so I had to play it by ear in terms of what kind of ride I could do. Warmer temperatures in the 40's but gray skies. I decided to do a shorter route and take the beater bike, just in case. Again, thinking I might get caught in the rain, I wore wind/water-proof kit. I turned out that it was a little too much and after five miles, I ended up doing the rest of the ride with my jacket unzipped and flapping in the wind.

A good ride, windy, but I was glad to beat the rain. Within 20 minutes after I got home, the rain started!

Winter is Still in Here

Cold and windy today, 28F and 15 MPH wind out of the west. Delayed my ride start to 8:00AM to give the sun a little more time to warm things up. Usual Brands route and West Hills. Roads are in good shape, just sandy on the shoulders. Surprised I didn't see any other roadies out.

I've been enjoying the Amgen Tour of California coverage on Versus every night! I wish there was more!

Too Many Flats!

A day off from work today for President's Day. Temp still right at 32F, but I dressed warm and headed out early today, at 7:15 AM. Legs feeling a little rubbery after two long rides on Saturday and Sunday.

Headed up Round Swamp Rd. and made the right onto the LIE service round without even thinking about it. I was soon reminded that not everyone had the day off today as I encountered the caffiene-fueled, rush-hour crazed, maniacs on their way to work. I did an about-face as soon as it was safe to do so and went back to Round Swamp Rd. and up through West Hills.

Tailwind on the way back south. After I made the right onto Central Ave. I felt the bike's handling start to deteriorate. You guessed it, another flat tire! On the front this time. I shouldn't be surprised as the front tire has about 10,000 miles on it. As I struggled to get the tire off the rim, I could see that the rubber is in pretty bad shape, so I'm resigned that I need some new tires. I think I'll try and get some Continental Gatorskins and try to fend off these flats for the rest of the winter and spring.

Anyway, after changing the flat, I just took the direct route home for a total of 35 miles. A few less miles than I wanted but a good recovery ride nonetheless.

UPDATE
Fresh rubber!!!

More Sun and More Wind

Same ride as yesterday: Brands route and West Hills. A little bit later start due to some work issues, out the door by 8:30 AM. More sun today but also more wind, again, out of the North. I passed Mike W. on his way back on Seaman's Neck road.

No flat today, but I was still constantly checking the tire throughout the ride. Good workout, all-in-all.

Working on the Base Miles

Cold morning, right around freezing, but roads were clear and dry. Had my usual pre-ride breakfast of coffee and oatmeal then suited up in full cold weather kit. Out the door by 7:40 AM. Immediately into a headwind blowing from the North, but nothing too epic.

As I made my way up Round Swamp Rd. and onto the LIE service road, I felt like the bike's handling was a little off and that I was bouncing around in the saddle. Glanced at my back wheel to check for the telltale deflection in the tire that it was flat but it looked ok. I checked it constantly on the ride West but thought maybe I just lost a few pounds of pressure due to the cold temps. Even got off the bike at one point to squeeze the tire but it felt firm enough.

By mile 26, there was no doubt that it was going flat. So, I pulled over, got out a spare tube, tire levers, and CO2, and 10 minutes and one scraped knuckle later, flat was fixed.

Roads were sandy but dry, so I included the West Hills loop. Ended up with a nice 50 mile, solo ride. Legs felt strong but quads were burning on the last few little climbs. Looking to get in another one tomorrow, but depends on work.

Warm, Windy, And Wet

Same route as yesterday, 44.4 miles in 2 hrs. 31 min., but much different conditions. Temperature range was 43F at the start and up to 56F by the end. I ditched the shoe covers, AmFib tights, Barrier jacket, and ski gloves. I was comfortable on the entire ride with knickers, base layer, SS jersey and LS jersey. It was so great to be out riding in warm weather without all the extra clothing.

The tradeoff was a ridiculous wind out of the west, gusting to 30 MPH! I was really grinding up those little rollers on the LIE service road into the wind. It was a really good workout.

Also, roads were very wet from melting snow and dew. Mixed with all the road salt and sand, it was a messy ride. The bike and I were covered with by the end of the ride, looking like a vision out of Paris-Roubaix.


Back from today's ride.


Covered with road salt and sand.

I don't know how long the warm weather will last but is was great finally getting outside again!

Ride Through a Snowy Landscape

Pretty good weather today, so I hit the road for 45 miles on the Specialized. Roads were nice and dry. A little sand and salt but no ice on the main roads. Side roads are still a little dodgy, so I skipped the loop through West Hills. Snow still plentiful elsewhere and it was cool riding through this landscape, especially around the Bethpage golf courses.

Been communicating with a couple of the Brands riders, might hook up for a ride tomorrow.

Good Start to the Month of February

Unusually warm today, at least compared to what January has been like. Finally got out for a long-ish road ride today, 41 miles along the usual Brands (LIE) route. Temps were reasonable, 36F - 40F, but quite windy on the return leg of the ride. Roads all clear of ice and snow, which was the main thing keeping me off the road lately.

Saw a few other riders out, as well. Legs felt really good considering I haven't ridden more than 30 miles in over a month, and only two rides over 15 miles in the whole month of January.

On the blog front, I'm going to start posting my daily rides on my Twitter feed instead of Velog, just seems a bit redundant at this point, plus, I can update twitter from my phone.

More Snow On the Way

Getting very familiar with the indoor trainer this month!

Weather Didn't Cooperate

Had a three-day weekend, including Martin Luther King, Jr. day but, unfortunately, could not get a road ride in. Saturday, woke up to 11F temperatures, too cold! Saturday and Sunday, woke up to fresh snow, both days. So, taking the weekend off from riding.

Here is this morning's scene from my kitchen window...


Scenic but doesn't lend itself to a ride on the road bike.

Seems to be a Trend

Last weekend did a 30-miler up Round Swamp Rd. and back, on Saturday. I expected salty and sandy roads so I left the Specialized at home and took the Trek instead. Weather was not bad, temperature mostly in the high 30's, but quite windy.

Sunday, did a 45 minute spin on the trainer then worked on preparations for a big family gathering at the house.

This weekend, once again did the 30 mile ride up Round Swamp Rd., this time on the Specialized. Legs felt pretty good but it was cold, around 28F. Hands and feet numb after 30 miles so I called it a day.

Last night snow and freezing rain, so the roads are too icy to go out for a ride. Hopefully can (at least) two rides in next weekend, which is a holiday weekend.

Got some cycling odds and ends from Excel Sports this week: Flea headlight for my short morning commute to the train station, a little velcro loop to keep pant leg out of the chain, new chain and cassete that will need changing in a few weeks, another base layer, and some chain cleaner and lube.

Flea

Commuted with my new Blackburn Flea today. Its a great little "be seen" light, as opposed to more powerful light that you would need to see the road in darkness. Its super light (17 grams), bright (for its size and power), and is easy to put on and take off the bike.

Another great feature is that it is rechargeable from any 1.5v battery. It comes with two wires with little magnets on the end that let you instantly connect it to a AAA, AA, C, or D size battery for charging. Neat!

Holiday Break

First ride this morning after a 3-day holiday break. We were out of town for Christmas and I decided not to bring the bike this year. Actually, its been about two weeks since the last good road ride due to cold/snow/ice/rain these past two weeks.

Did a nice 30-mile ride in unseasonably warm temperatures (58F today!). Roads were wet from overnight rain so after I got back home I spent about an hour washing and lubing the bike. I got a couple of nice bike-related items for Christmas from my daughters: a Road Id and a portait of my bike (see below).



Other than that, most of my rides have been on the trainer. On the plus side, I'm glad I got to try out my new headphones for my iPod. Inexpensive, but have a nice, warm sound.

Hope the weather stays warm for a few days!

Got bike!

So, for the first time in the past three weekends, the weather cooperated and I finally got two back-to-back long rides in. Both 7:00 AM starts, both days about 30F at ride start, same routes (Brands route along the LIE and West Hills) and both done in 2 hr 50 min, give or take a minutes. These are elapsed times, so include traffic stops, etc. Well, at least there is some consistency there!

Saturday was more windy and it was a little rough going at first until I got warmed up. Sunday, felt better. The muscles got used to riding again.

Takes so long to get all the layers on for these cold rides:

socks
base layer
jersey
shorts
bib tights
jacket
balaclava
shoes
helmet
ski gloves

Typical summer ride:

socks
jersey
shorts
shoes
helmet

Well, a cold ride is better than no ride.

Almost a Weather Repeat

Similar to last weekend. Saturday was a cold morning but I set out early for a solo Brands and West Hills 50-mile ride. Temperature was 28F at start but the sun warmed things up to the low 40F's by ride end. A few other bikers out.

Woke up Sunday morning to SNOW! Nothing major but slushy and icy roads, so no road ride in the cards. Opted for a short run with Linda instead of the trainer.

Bailed Out

Just about to step out the door this morning for a ride and the rain and sleet started! We weren't supposed to see this until 10:00 AM. So, taking a day off. Gonna watch the Giants and Jets instead.

Colder Today, But a Better Ride

This morning's ride started at 34F but, for some reason, it felt more comfortable than Thursday's "Turkey Day" ride. No half-measures with the kit today: full shoe covers and ski gloves, but just a cycling cap under the helmet, balaclava was in the wash!

I headed out solo to do the Brands route and West Hills but bumped into Mike and Bob just a mile in. We rode together for about 10 miles, to about the midpoint on Round Swamp Rd. At that point, I wanted to pick up the pace so I headed off on my own. Wind was favorable heading east on the LIE service road to the turnaround. Now into a headwind but not too bad. The sun was out by this time and really started to warm things up.

Felt great back at Round Swamp Rd. so proceeded through West Hills, seeing the horses out and running around a bit in the paddocks off of Sweet Hollow Rd. Through the preserve then a fast return down Round Swamp Rd. passing Bethpage State Park and the golf courses there.

By surprise, caught back up with Mike and Bob on Central Ave., now joined by Harvey, too. We rode in the last 5 miles together to Jerusalem Ave. and I then took the shortcut home. All in all a really great ride for the end of November. Hoping for another good one tomorrow!

Hard to Disconnect

Hard to get in the groove for today's ride. Hands got numb quickly due to my last minute substitution of neoprene cycling gloves instead of my ski gloves. Also had a stiff back, I think due to having to stand the past two nights for the train ride home from work. Thinking about a lot of things that need to be taken care of before the end of the year. Anyway, I carried on and by mile 20 I started to loosen up and get more comfortable on the bike and getting a little into the "zone".

Very light traffic in the morning so it was a nice quiet ride. No howling winds today.

Did the 50-mile Brands/West Hills route again, solo. A lot of other cyclists and joggers out to burn some calories before today's traditional Thanksgiving feast. Can't wait!

The Difference a Day Makes

Today I did the 50-miler that I wimped out of yesterday. Temperature was still only 27F at the 7:00 AM start but much less windy. I was outfitted the same as yesterday but felt good at the LIE and decided to go for the 50. Nice tailwind as I headed west, and light traffic. At the turnaround, I hit into the wind. The sun started to come out a little bit by then and I tried to catch every bit of it that I could.

Starting the West Hills route on Sweet Hollow Rd., I was surprised to meet Mike W.! We chatted a bit as we climbed up through West Hills on Sweet Hollow Rd. and Mt. Misery Rd. (great names!). We split at Round Swamp and I got into a good cruising mode, especially when I headed back south.

Numb feet by the time I got home but good to get in a long ride!

Hey, check this out! I always thought it would be cool for my picture to appear on cyclingnews.com, now here it is, but unfortunately, its not me on the bike! I'm crouched between the 1st and 2nd riders, taking a photo (blue hat).

A Day at the Races

I went to Southampton this afternoon to catch some professional cyclocross racing, the 2008 Whitmores Landscaping Super Cross Cup. It was a bitter cold and windy day, but the racing action was HOT! Here is an article from VeloNews.com, too.

Here is a slideshow:


Some video too:

Elite Women

Elite Men

Barriers

And finally, a picture of a (small) group of fans from the moveitfred blog. I'm the guy with the blue hat pulled down over my ears.

Earned that Hot Cup of Coffee

Was planning on the usual 50-mile Brands route this weekend but a glance at the weather forecast last night started to but some doubts in my mind. Predicted temperature of 24F and 20-30 MPH winds, wind chill of 12F! I do have cold weather gear but 3 hours in sub freezing temperature and high winds gets uncomforatble no matter what you're wearing on the bike.

I settled on a planned 25-mile ride up to the LIE and back, via Round Swamp Rd. Going to see the cyclocross races in Southampton this afternoon and I figured if those guys could race an hour in this cold then I should be able to get my ride in too! Depending on how I felt at the halfway point I could extend to 30 miles by doing the West Hills loop or 40 miles by doing the whole service road. Since this was going to be a shorter-than-normal ride, I skipped the pre-ride meal and kitted up for a 7:00 AM start. Broke out all the cold weather clothes: balaclava, ski gloves, barrier jacket, windproof bib tights, full shoe covers.

Started right off into the headwind. Tough going but at least it kept my core warm. Predictably, fingers and toes were the first victims of the cold. At the LIE, I felt okay and decided to go for West Hills. I took my last sip of water at mile 14 as the water bottle froze up at this point.

Got the tail wind for the return loop but it actually seemed to be colder coming back, maybe due to the increased wind chill or maybe because I wasn't working as hard without the headwind to fight. Back home in under two hours and fumbled to get out my house key with numb fingers. First order of business after peeling off all the extra layers...get the coffee going!

Brrrrr! Looks like a COLD Ride Tomorrow AM!

Weather.com says it will be 30F tomorrow morning, winds 22 MPH and a wind chill of 18F! Some real winter weather. Breaking out the AMFib bib tights!

Rain One Day, Wind the Next

It rained all day on Saturday, so no riding for me.

This morning I met Mike W. at Brands to do the regular route, 7:00 AM start time. Heavy rain last night so I took the rain bike thinking it would be a wet ride. The strong wind dried everything out so the roads were in good shape after all. We had favorable winds for the first 20 miles, out to the turnaround point on the LIE service road.

Then the fun started!!! We did the next 28 miles into a 22 MPH headwind/crosswind. It was a hard ride. Usually this is a 2 hour 40 minute ride, today it was 3 hours! I was drained at the end but glad that the weekend was not totally washed out. Temperature was about 50F, so not bad for the middle of November.

Need to lube the Trek drivetrain, it was squeaking like a rust bucket for most of the ride, probably since I didn't have a chance to clean it after Thursday's and Friday's morning wet rides.

Crisp!

Thats how I would describe this morning. The rain from the past couple of days left and this morning I headed out under cloudless, sunny skies, no wind, and temp around 51F. Nice fall cycling weather and the cool temperature kind of woke me up and got me motivated for a vigorous ride.

I started at 7:00 AM, solo, as I didn't want to wait until 8:30 AM to meet up with the Brands group (although I did see Mike, Bob, and a couple of other riders starting out as I was almost home). Did the usual Brands route and West Hills on the Specialized. Little or no wind for the first 20 miles, then the wind seemed to pick up and I had headwinds and crosswinds for the last 30.

Fall foliage was lit up by the morning sun so it was a colorful ride, in contrast to yesterday's rainy, gray day. Just need to do some minor bike cleanup and chain lube later this afternoon. Hope we get a few more weekends like this before things get really cold.

Wet and Windy Saturday Ride

Some time constraints this morning in order to make it to my daughters' 9:00 AM soccer game, her last of the season. No way to make it to PyZahl's RP2IPBP ride :-(.

Up and out at 6:00 AM, fueled with banana, yogurt, and granola. Lots of rain last night and possibility of showers this morning, so I used the rain bike (the Trek). Still dark at 6 AM so I attached my headlight and red blinkie and headed out. Splashing through the wet roads and leaves, taking it slow around the corners.

Tried hard to keep a good pace. At the midpoint turnaround, already 1 hour and 10 minutes, so I knew I would not have time for the West Hills loop and this ride would have to be kept to 40 miles. Against the wind on the way back but, luckily, no real rain on the ride, just wet roads and occasional mist or drizzle.

Passed a cement company on Round Swamp Rd. and got covered with cement mud that had run out into the street. Hard to see through my glasses. Home by 8:15 AM and just enough time for a shower, make a hot cup of coffee, and head over to the soccer game. On a side note, my headlight lasted for the whole 2 hr and 15 min ride so that was a successful experiment!

Dirty bike sat outside in the rain all day until I finally had a chance to clean it up this afternoon. But this probably won't last long since I'll most likely be facing another wet ride tomorrow.

Planning on the same ride again tomorrow except that I will start later and probably get my usual 50 miles in. Tried to hook up with Mike W. for Sunday but he is doing the Brands ride and 8:30 AM is a bit too late for me. Check out the blog for Sunday's report.

Maintenance Rides

Home after Sunday's chilly ride.

Recap of the week's rides...

Did the 15-mile pre-work ride on the Jones' Beach bike path Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday (Wednesday was wet). Cold mornings so I was usually wearing a balaclava, ski gloves, and winter cyclinging jacket.

Saturday warmed up into the 50's. I did a good early morning solo ride on the Brands route and through West Hills park. Sunny skies and light wind. Especially nice was riding through the tunnel of gold leaves on Sweet Hollow Rd.

Set the clocks back an hour on Saturday night but I was still up and out early (6:00 AM instead of 7:00 AM) today (Sunday). Same route as yesterday but made more challenging due to the colder temperature (40F) and windy conditions. Riding against the wind for the first 35 miles, then got the tailwind when I turned back for home. Thought I might see the Brands group at some point on my way back but didn't maybe it was too cold for everyone? Or, possibly, I just missed them.

This time of year, I'm not really training for any specific long-distance rides or races, so just trying to make sure I get out on the bike for a few hours every weekend.

Coming up later in November, hoping to head out to South Hampton to catch the cyclocross races. These are the last two races of the NACT series. Should be good!

Two 50-milers This Warm Weekend

Got in two good 50-mile rides this weekend as things warmed up, compared to this past week. All week long my morning rides were down in the low 40F's. Temperatures were at least 10-15 degrees warmer for the weekend.

On Saturday, I headed out at 6:30AM for a Brands route and West Hills ride. Still dark at that hour of the morning so I brought the light for the first hour of riding until the sun came up. Rain was forecast for the day but not likely until after 10:00AM. Nevertheless, about one mile into my ride, some light drizzle started and continued for the first 10 miles of the ride, just about until I reached the LIE. If the rain got any heavier, I was planning to turn back at this point. But it stopped and I continued on for the rest of the ride, albeit on wet roads.

Back home, I cleaned up the bike (it was due anyway) and relubed the chain. Getting ready for what was supposed to be a nice Sunday. There were heavey rain and winds overnight and I started to have some doubts about Sunday. Around 10:00PM, checking e-mail and watching some of the delayed World Series game 3, an e-mail popped up from Mike W. with an FYI that the Brands ride would be continuing on Sunday (instead of Saturday) and with a later start time (8:30AM). Great!

So, this morning, headed out for 15 warmup miles on the Jones Beach path (full of leaves and sticks from last night's storm) then cruised into the Brands lot at 8:30AM. We started of with a total of 9 riders but various groups broke off here and there for different reasons. Ed was staying with a new rider and quickly went out the back. Ariel, Jamie, and Scott(?) had ridden to the ride start from Babylon, so they left for home at Deer Park Ave. That left Mike, Paul, James, and I as a group of four for the last 25 miles or so. We kept an easy but steady pace, most of the time ;-}, regrouping for a few minutes with Ed and the new rider, before speeding up to the finish at Brands. Nice ride and a sunny, autumn day.

Winter is Approaching

Another cold morning today, and even a bit windier than yesterday. Dug out the windproof tights, vest, hat, and neoprene gloves. I delayed my ride start to 7:30AM, hoping for some sun. Did the same Brands route again (Round Swamp Rd. - LIE Service Road - Round Swamp Rd.). This time I was riding solo.

I was riding against the wind on the way out. At mile 15.25, in the middle of a short, steep hill, I flatted in the rear after running over some piece of metal on the road. Made a quick repair and continued the short climb. Turnaround at mile 20 and got some more favorable winds for the return trip.

Back home, I usually would just toss the damaged tube but this one only had a couple of hundred miles on it (just replaced a month ago when I flatted on the Highlander ride). So, I took the time to patch it and put it back on the bike. We'll see if its still holding air by tomorrow morning!

Last Brands Saturday AM Ride for the Season

Nine of us showed up at Brands this morning for the last Saturday morning ride of the season. Everyone in good spirits and bundled up against the 42F temperature and wind. We set out all together, a few minutes after 7:00AM. Together until Round Swamp Rd. I went to the front and kept a moderate but steady pace, trying to get warm. Unfortunately, by the time we got to the LIE, my little group was down to three. I thought it was a fairly moderate pace but I think a lot of riders' efforts were muted by the cold temperatures and wind. For me, I felt that the fastest way to warm up would be to push a little harder. After a couple of hills, we lost James, and it was just Patrick and I for the next 30 miles.

We really did not push the pace, probably averaging out 18 mph eastbound and about 20 mph when we turned back around. It was really kind of cool, trading pulls for 30 miles with barely a word needing to be spoken. Just enough pace and hills to keep it interesting. A well deserved handshake at the end, back at the Brands lot. Good ride!

New Headlight - DiNotte 200L-AA-S

Put a new chain on the Specialized (SRAM PC 991) after yesterday's ride. It was due after 2,700 miles on the old chain. After removing the old chain and laying it side-by-side with the new chain, it was easy to see that the old one was stretched at least 1/4 inch. I put the new one on, made a slight adjustment to the rear deraileur with the barrel adjuster and it was good to go.

I got up early today to try out my new headlight. Four laps on the Jones Beach bike path, 25 miles or so, for about 1 hr and 20 min. There are no street lights along the path so it important to have a good, bright, reliable light for these dark morning rides.

I replaced my defunct NiteHawk 10 watt halogen with a new DiNotte 200L-AA-S led.


On the left is the old halogen and the big, heavy, SLA (sealed lead acid) battery. On the right, the DiNotte led batteries and battery pack.

The new light seems to be at least as bright as the old one. The difference in weight is tremendous! The whole DiNotte package (light and batteries is only 200 grams) is probably only about 20% of the weight of the battery alone from the old system. It worked great on this ride and the light was strong for the whole 80 minute ride. It seems to be well-made, the aluminum body also acts as a heat sink for the light.

Benefits of the new light:
light weight
easy mounting and easy to move between bikes
easy-to-find AA rechargeable batteries
handlebar and helmet mounts (included)
three beam intensities
2+ hour runtime
backlit power switch
waterproof light unit


Here is the light (turned on) and battery pack mounted on my handlebars. Only 200 grams so hardly noticeable. Check out the cool blue backlight on the power switch!

The light mounts with a silicone rubber O-ring stretched from a groove on the back of the light, around the bars, and then looped back over the front of the light. Benefits of this mounting system are that it can be installed and removed without tools and it works great even over cables and oddly shaped bars.


O-ring mounting system.

So, after one ride, I'm really happy with the DiNotte. It was a little pricey but its gotten great reviews online and really fit all of my criteria for a new light. I would say the only concern so far is with the longevity of the rubber O-ring mount. Two are supplied with the light. I'll see how they hold up after a winter of riding.

On a different note, I found this little video clip of the Highlander. I think it was done the year before I started doing the ride but it gives a little idea of what the ride is like. Check it out!

Great Fall Cycling Weather This Weekend

Two cool but sunny riding days this weekend, and, best of all, DRY for a change!

On Saturday I met up with the Brands group for a 40 mile ride on the usual route up Round Swamp Rd., LIE service road, then back to the shop. Eleven riders all together at the start but we split up into two groups by the end. We were missing our "leader", Jamie, as he had a minor run-in with car the day prior. I met up with him after the ride and he is doing okay, considering being hit by a car! The car clipped his rear wheel and he went down, resulting in some road rash on his knee. His rear wheel and chain stay are a bit messed up but he was bring the bike in to the shop to be repaired. Looks like next Saturday may be the last LBS ride of the season, due to darkness.

This morning I headed out on a solo ride, same route as yesterday plus a loop through West Hills. Again, perfect fall weather, just needed a long-sleeve base layer. Skipped the Early Birds again but kind of a busy day, so I needed to get home early.

Bike-wise, I need to replace my chain today, about 2,700 miles on the current chain and it is starting to make some noise. Also got my new light so I may give it a try tomorrow morning. Stay tuned for a review!

Sunday Soaker

The weekend started on a promising note with a nice ride with the Brands group on Saturday. It was a cool start at around 48F, but there was no threat of rain and a light wind. About 10 of us started out on a shortened route so that the LBS guys could get back early for a busy sale day at the shop. Just straight up Round Swamp Rd. to Rt. 25 and back.

Four of us peeled off to do the LIE service road rollers that are part of the usual Brands route. Then I went for a solo loop through West Hills. It turned out to be a great riding day.

Today (Sunday) I was really looking forward to doing the Early Birds, but when I got up at 5:30AM the roads were wet from overnight rain. I check a couple of online radar maps and forecasts and things didn't look to promising. I decided that I would just stay close to home and do a solo ride.

I headed out at 7:45AM on the Trek, just overcast skies and wet roads. Drizzle started almost immediately, then the heavy rain hit just 3 or 4 miles in. I though a few times about turning back but I didn't want to waste a weekend ride. Besides, I was already soaked through, so I figured I'd stay reasonably warm as long as I kept riding.

I ended up doing the Brands route and West Hills, solo, on the Trek. First hour was in steady rain, very heavy at times. Then the rain blew out after about 20 miles, just at the turnaround point on the LIE. Probably would have ended up with the same result with the EB's but by doing the solo ride I avoided the long trip home and got to use the rain bike instead of the Specialized.

A little bummed not to do the EB's but glad to have pushed through the rain and get the miles. Hopefully better luck next weekend.

Wet Ride With the Early Birds

I knew this was going to be a wet ride this morning but I decided to head out to Manorville for the weekly Early Birds ride anyway, hoping that roads would dry up once we got under way. Only a 30 percent chance of rain was forecast.

Oatmeal, banana, coffee, then out the door for the drive to Manorville. About 15 or so riders showed up, mostly the usual crowd with one or two new faces. The roads did not dry up as I hoped so this turned into a wet, dirty ride. I know 15 people who will be cleaning bikes today! No wind at all, so we were dialed up to 25 mph within the first 1/2 mile and kept a fast but comfortable pace for the whole ride.

But, as anyone could predict, the wet roads led to flat tires. Three flats in the first 30 miles. Flat number 3 was ME, just about 1/2 mile before the deli in Cutchogue. The group was going to bypass the deli stop to make up time lost fixing the previous two flats. John and Chris stayed with me while I repaired the flat on my front tire, but when we proceeded on to the deli we were pleasantly surprised to see that the whole group had waited after all. Thanks guys (and gal)!

The last 20 miles were at a high pace. Over the hill on Rt. 51 I stayed with the lead group of 6 or 7. Turning right onto Rt. 111, we had a slight tailwind and flew up the last big climb. Then, it was 30+ mph down Rt. 111 to the end.

Too bad about the flats but it was nice to play around at these high speeds for a change.

Beat the Rain (Almost!)

Weather.com predicted 80% chance of thundershowers this morning, so I didn't hold out much hope for the Saturday morning Brands ride. When I got up, it was not actually raining but still too dark to get a good look at the roads. I got ready to ride anyway and by 6:45am, the sky was very overcast but didn't look too stormy, so I headed out to Brands on my rain bike to see if any other riders were going to chance the weather.

No one there, so I went out and did the 40 mile route solo. The roads were wet but the rain held off until about six miles to go. It was a light but steady rain for those last 15-20 minutes but a good ride none the less. Nice and warm today so getting wet was not really a problem. I was still in shorts and short sleeve jersey.

Weather looks even worse for tomorrow, so I'm glad I got the ride in today!

2008 Tour of the Hamptons Ride Report

Did my 5th Tour of the Hamptons ride today. Traditionally, this ride is in mid-August. For some reason it was pushed back to September this year. Frankly, this worked out great weather-wise since we've had a couple of the August rides where 90+ degree temperatures really wear you out.

Fresh off last weekend's Highlander, the legs are fully recovered and probably in good shape from all that climbing. Did the usual early morning pre-work rides all week and a nice warmup yesterday with the Brands crew of about 40 miles. Talking with riders at the Brands ride, it turns out that they had a group of seven or eight who were planning on riding the TOH as well, some doing the century and some doing the 65 mile version. I already had plans to meet the East End group and do the century with them.

So, up at 5:00am for some breakfast, getting the gear together and loaded in the car. On my way by 5:35am for ride to Southampton High School, the starting point of the ride. Got there by 6:45 but registration was a little delayed. Our group's planned start time was 7:30am so there was plenty of time to get ready. The forcasted high was 77F but the morning was cool so I started out with arm warmers and long-fingered gloves. Also was wearing my brand new Brands jersey, in yellow. I stood out a little in the group who were mostly in their East End Team jerseys.

Our group of 15 headed out on time, and with the good weather and a favorable wind, we were up to a cruising speed of about 23mph in no time. The group missed one turn early on and things were broken up for a couple of miles until we pulled everyone back together.

First rest stop after about an hour at mile 23 in Amagansett. Easy ride so far as the route is pretty much dead flat to this point and we had good wind. I grabbed some fig newtons, a bannana, and 1/2 PB&J. Then we mounted up for the loop to Montauk Point. A couple of people faded through Hither Hills. We took it slow through the middle of the town of Montauk and then hit the climbs out to Montauk Point. Some riders dropped off on the climbs and 2 or 3 just cut out the climbs all together. I was with the lead group to the lighthouse and then the loop back west.

At one point, aroung mile 45, on the way back to Amagansett, we saw a road marking indicating a right turn. Myself and 5 others took the turn and kept going. Some riders in the group thought it was the wrong way. The majority decided NOT to take the turn so we were split (for good, as it turned out). Our small group rode for about 5 miles until we hit a DEAD END! So, we backtracked to the turnoff and proceeded back the way the rest of the group had gone. Unfortunately, now we were about 10 miles (approx. 30 minutes) behind.

One more small misdirection and we finally arrived back at the Amagansett rest stop with about 68 miles on the cycle computer. No sign of the big group but there was really no concern as we had a strong group of 6 to share the work for the rest of the ride. More fig newtons, banana, and PB&J for me, plus a bottle refill.

We were now in a difficult section of the route with lots of rolling hills. The work was shared pretty well. It was a tiring effort but mostly nice woods and scenery. I noticed that the route was changed from previous years and avoided the dangerous section on Noyac which is normally plagued with alot of traffic on a road with little or no shoulder.

At the third and last rest stop, we rolled in with 101 miles already, and there we ended up catching the big group last seen at mile 45. It turns out they were delayed by a mechanical issue (broken chain). They were just heading out to leave as we arrived so we were resigned to doing the last 10 miles with out small group. More fig newtons, 1/2 banana and a bottle of water and we set out for the finish.

Some small rollers and then some fast, flat sections around the mansions in Southampton. I finished up back at the ride start with 111 miles, about 5hr 25min riding time. Talked a while with the big group that had just come in before us and I saw Jamie, Paul, and Ann from the Brands ride and talked to the for a few minutes, too.

Finally, packed up and headed home. Everything turned out great, especially so since we had really nice weather even with the late date. This is probably my last organized century for this year. Proabably get caought up with the rest of the Brands group at next Saturday's LBS ride.

Highlander Photo and Grape Pies!

Here is the traditional Miller Hill climb photo for this year:


Photo by AllAgesPhotography.

Tonight, we just finished off a delicious grape pie from Monica's Pies in Naples, NY. The area is noted for their vinyards and grape products. I'd never heard of grape pies before but they always serve a slice at the post-ride meal and the pies from this area are somewhat famous. So, I brought one back to LI on my way home from the ride. Great with a cup of coffee!

Highlander 2008 Ride Report

I rode the Highlander today, the hardest ride I do each year. One hundred miles around Canandaigua Lake (one of the NY Finger Lakes) with a total of 11,000 ft. of climbing and several hills > 20% grade. There is a good summary of the ride at the Highlander website.

I drove up to Corning on Friday night, leaving myself a 1-hour drive to the ride start on Saturday morning.

Up at 4:00am to get ready for the ride, eat some breakfast, and pack up. By 5:00am, I was in the car and started the drive north to Bristol Mountain for the ride start. Got there a little after 6:00am, checked-in, picked up my ride number (#32) and went back to get loaded up. The roads were wet from overnight rain and the skies were cloudy, but I managed to get through the whole ride without getting rained on. Temps were a comfortable 70F but high humidity.

Sorry no photos but I already killed one digital camera in the rain this summer, so I didn't want to chance it with another one. I intended to bring my GPS but it could not lock onto any satellites within 15 minutes due to the heavy cloud cover, so I left it in the car.

I headed out of the lot by 6:55. Within 5 miles, I was in the middle ring. Within 10 miles, I was in the small ring (granny gear). This is probably the only ride where I use every one of the available 27 gears, and the only ride where I need to use the little ring.

Got a rear flat tire at mile 17, which was a bit of a disappointment as I had just put on a new Michelin Krylion Carbon 80 miles ago for the specific reason to avoid a flat due to a worn tire. Alas, the upstate chipseal went through the rubber anyway. I now have had a flat on 3 of the 4 Highlanders I've ridden.

Up Miller Hill, a photographer was taking pictures at the usual spot so after they post them I will try to include a link if I can find one of me (here is the 2007 photo). After that, I made good time riding solo, up the first two "monster" hills Bopple and Gannett.

Rest stops were plentiful and well stocked, just like last year. I was partial to the fig newtons, bananas, home-baked cookies, and watermelon.

At the rest stop at mile 62, I hooked up with a rider named Rob from Buffalo, NY, and we tackled Sliter and Griesa hills together all the way back to Bristol Mountain.

I collected my "goodie" bag with a Highlander calendar, bottle of wine, etc. and ate the included dinner. I drove back to Corning, took a quick shower and continued with the marathon drive back home.

A decent ride, really hard, but satisfying to have finished.

Tempo Rides Before the Highlander

I would have liked to do the Saturday LBS ride but Tropical Storm Hanna put a damper on that. Steady rain Friday night and threatening skies throughout the day kept the other riders away. I checked the radar in the morning and saw some space between the bands of rain for a couple of hours for riding. I stopped by Brands at 7:00am but no other riders were there. I went solo on the Trek for about 35 miles up Round Swamp Rd. and West Hills. Got wet from the road spray but no rain.

Hanna blew out overnight and this morning it was clear and sunny, mostly dry roads, and low humidity. A bit windy but nothing too difficult. Did the usual Brands route and West Hills on the Specialized. Then, back home, cleaned up both bikes.

An easy weekend but I concentrated on easy tempo riding and trying to keep a steady pace on the uphills. Hopefully this will be the key to a successful run at the Highlander next weekend.

Stony Brook Ride Photo

Did a short ride this morning up Round Swamp Rd. and West Hills, then off to the beach this last day of summer vacation. Turned out to be a great day!

Arial sent me this photo taken at the completion of our 70 mile ride yesterday. Check it out!


Ariel, me, Eric, and (the other) Nick, outside of Campus Bikes in Stony Brook.

Labor Day Weekend Rides

Lots of bike-related goings on this weekend, both on and off the bike. Regarding pro bike racing, the Tour of Ireland, Deutchland Tour, Vuelta a Espana, and U.S. Pro Championships all taking place this weekend. Lots of coverage on TV and online.

On the bike, starting with Saturday, steady rain in the morning washed out the usual Saturday morning Brands group ride. Had a nice big breakfast with the family and relaxed with a cup of coffee. Around 9:30am or so the rain stopped and things started to dry up a bit. I took the opportunity to take the Trek out for a 40-miler on the Brands route to dial in the cleat position on my new MTB shoes. I will be using this setup this winter when the roads are wet or full of road grime and salt. Hopefully this will cut down on wear and tear on the Specialized. Also, this will most likely become my normal pre-work ride when it gets too dark for the little AAA powered light and I need to break out the halogen. I stopped to adjust the cleats after 2 or 3 miles, then rode the rest of the way with no issues. Maybe just need one more sesssion to get it 100 percent.

This morning I hooked up with Ariel agin to head out to Stony Brook for a 70 mile A ride, similar to last Sunday. We started with 5 riders and ended up with 4. A steady A-pace with a 20.1 average over the 70 miles. Really a very comfortable pace, everyone sharing in the work and a few light hearted attacks on the hills. Ariel continued to amaze on the climbs but we all rolled in together and spent a few minutes chatting afterward. Ariel took a group photo so I might see if I can get a copy of it to post.

Got a couple of e-mails from Mike W. but I had already committted to the Stony Brook ride today and tomorrow we have some family plans that require me to be home by 9:00am, so I'll probably end up doing a short solo ride.

Stony Brook - Harbor Hills Ride

Went with Ariel to ride out east. A great ride with a strong group. Hills, fast pacelines, great weather. Here is Kris' GPS track of the 75 mile ride:

Brands Ride - PLUS!

Once again, a fast, early morning loop to Jones Beach, then on to Brands for the 7:00am start of the weekly group ride. No Mike or Bob this week but most of the other familiar faces were there. The group stayed all together for the first 20 miles, all the way down the LIE South Service Rd. until Commack Rd. Five of us went north to Vanderbilt for a little different return route while the rest of the group continued back on the normal route.

We attacked the hills, regrouping as needed, hitting Wolf Hill Rd., through West Hills, and Avery. We had a fast paceline to head south again and finished together back at the Brands lot. With my extra morning miles, I finished up with 66.5 miles on the day.

Got an e-mail asking about the workstand I got, so here is a picture with the bike attached (check out my new saddle, too!):


The model is a Spin Doctor Race Workstand. Not the Park Tools model but the price was good and it feels sturdy enough. Time will tell.

Hoping to get another solid ride in tomorrow morning, possibly hooking up with Ariel from the Brands ride.