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

Last Two Rides of 2006

Doing the LIE rollers on a cold, windy New Year's Eve morning.

Did the LIE service road ride yesterday and today. Wind was much more of a factor today. Strong, steady headwind for the first 20 miles and crosswinds for the rest. It was a deceptively hard ride today.

Normally I would have gone out east to do the "Trevor" ride on a Sunday morning but I just have not been riding enough to maintain the legs to go with those guys. Also, this weekend being New Year's Eve, I wanted to get home before 11:00am to help get ready for this evening's guests. If I can get a few solid weeks of solo rides, I'll give the Winter Early Birds another try.

My new Cateye Vectra bike computer has worked flawlessly on its first two rides so I'm happy about that. Aside from the occasional GPS track, I've been riding without a computer for over a month. It really helps to see your speed and distance to judge what kind of effort you are putting out on the ride.

Happy Holidays from Harris Hill

I spent this past holiday weekend upstate. I was able to get in two nice rides, both including the tough climb up Harris Hill (see elevation profile and GPS track that I previously posted in September). I made a good choice in bringing the rain bike since the ride on Sunday was on wet roads. I did the route as posted in September, riding the flat route from Corning to Harris Hill, the steep climb up the hill, then a flat loop around the airport and back to Corning. Total was about 31 miles.

Monday’s ride was dry but I chopped-off the airport loop and finished up with about 26 miles. Tuesday was a bit too wet to ride. It was really nice to do those long climbs for a change.

I should have rode on Wednesday but didn’t. Weather was great on Long Island but I was busy catching up on other things before heading back to work today.

Rider Down at the Early Birds

Met up for the Early Birds ride at Port Jefferson Station this morning. Had a super-sized breakfast in an attempt to not run out of fuel today. Ride started out at a fast pace once again but I hung with the front group without a lot of trouble. Definitely felt much stronger this time as compared to last Sunday.

Unfortunately, John S. went down very hard about half way into the ride. As the main peloton was making a sweeping right hander at speed, there was a touch of wheels and John went down very hard. It was a serious crash and we tried to keep him immobile until police and ambulance arrived. Really hate to see that happen to anyone, especially a guy like John.

Hopefully injuries don't turn out to be too serious and he will make a quick recovery.

After the crash and waiting for the ambulance, the group split in two with one group taking a shortcut back to the ride start and the second group continuing with the rest of the planned ride. I ended up in the second group but stayed in a 4-man paceline that we got working pretty well. We finished well behind the front group but we were all pretty happy with the pace. Still felt a little weak by the end of the ride. I will have to bring some power gels or something next time. The last half-hour is just really tough to get through.

Good Weather, Good Ride

Did a nice 48 mile "Usual" ride today. A bit windy but temperatures in the 50's and sunny. Felt good on the ride so hopefully this will carry over to the Early Birds tomorrow. Goal is not to get dropped this time! I need to bring some more food with me, I think.

Rode the trainer three mornings this week and a nice long ride this morning, so I shouldn't be as stale at the Birds tomorrow. I think it also depends who shows up.

Pyzahl posted at the SBRA forum for anyone to join him on a 100 mile ride today but we are all just a bit too busy here getting ready for the holidays. I couldn't afford to spend all day out on the bike. Not to mention that I've lost more than a little endurance over the past few weeks.

EB report tomorrow.

Got Dropped on the Early Birds Ride Today

Well, I finally got dropped on the SBRA Early Birds ride. This was not totally unexpected as I have been off the bike for the better part of two weeks. I was yoyo-ing off the back for most of the first 40 miles and finally the elastic broke.

Ride started out pretty well. We gathered at Port Jefferson Station for the 8:30am start. Temperature in the mid to high 30's, with a favorable wind for the initial easterly section of the route. I struggled over the 10-mile hilly section at the beginning as the heavy hitters set a grueling early pace that put the hurt on a lot of guys. Middle flat section was hard but I was always able to maintain contact.

As we headed back to Port Jefferson I lost contact on a hill and just had to get up it at my own pace. I hooked up with Dave and Dan who were also dropped and the three of us worked to complete the last 10 miles at a more comfortable pace. I started to feel the familar "bonk" feeling coming on and stopped the group for I minute so I could gulp down a power bar. As it was, I still struggled to finish. Even with the struggles, we finished the 53.3 miles with a 19+ mph pace. Respectable.

Man, I've got to get back in the riding groove!

Frozone

Back from a 29F degree ride.

Did a 24-mile ride up Round Swamp Rd. and back this morning. Temperature was 29F. Winter is really hear now. Tried to keep spinning in an easy gear to stay warm. I think I had the right amount of gear on to stay warm: helmet, balaclava, sunglasses, long-sleeve base layer, short sleeve jersey, Pearl Izumi Barrier jacket, wind-stopper tights, Smartwool socks, bike shoes, shoe covers, 2 sets of gloves.

This is the same ride I did last Sunday. It is supposed to warm up a few degrees tomorrow so I might try to join the Early Birds. Stay tuned...

Will the real Frozone, please stand up?

Weekend Ride(s)?

Did an easy 30 mile spin today, up Round Swamp Rd. to West Hills and back. Leg is still a bit sore but weather was too nice not to ride. I'm sure the really cold days are coming. Not sure yet about Sunday...

Doctor's Orders

Taking a break from the bike for a few days to (hopefully) let my bruised leg/hip heal up from my crash of two weeks ago.

Back to the Birds

The route

Finally made it out to an Early Birds ride. This was my first time riding the winter route, also known as "Trevor's Ride". Most of the regulars were there plus a few new faces. All STRONG riders. I spent practically no time on the front as I did not know the route and also wasn't sure if I would have the legs to finish with the group. So, I tried to conserve as much as possible. I was pretty toasted by the end, even though the consensus was that today's ride was on the easy side compared to the last few rides. It was nice to do a new route. Really nice rural roads most of the way and the weather was a repeat of yesterday (great!). Here is the Motion Based track.

Nice Weather for November

"Usual" Ride elevation profile. Distance: 48.15 miles, elevation gain: 1,764 feet

Did the "Usual" ride this morning. No camera but I did bring the GPS. Here is a link to the MotionBased track of the ride. Weather was great for this time of year. Temperature averaged 46F, sunny skies, light to moderate wind. Maintained a moderate pace, just trying to get some miles in. Tomorrow will be another story if I make it out to the winter "Early Birds" ride, also known as "Trevor's Ride". I expect to be dropped, or at least hanging on at the back most of the time as I have not done any high-intensity rides for over a month. Hopefully the weather will be the same as today!

On the Road Again

Did my first post-crash road ride on Sunday, 50 miles out-and-back down Round Swamp Rd., LIE service road, and West Hills. I had also planned to ride Saturday but I unexpectedly got stuck working for most of the day. Ride was good. A little windy going out but turned into a partial tailwind on the return leg. I think I’m feeling up to an Early Bird ride next weekend. Brought the camera for a ride photo but, once again, discovered that the battery was dead when I went to take a picture.

This morning I took the Trek out for the first time since I crashed with it. I notice some shifting problems and upon closer inspection see that the rear derailleur is scratched up. I guess something got bent out of alignment, will have to try and fix it this weekend. Luckily, it’s still rideable.

And now, for something completely different...

Been off the bike for a few days recovering from my crash. Maybe this is a good opportunity to revisit the bass guitar...

Maybe learn a new song, just for fun...something like this ;-}

Crash

Wiped out on the morning ride today. Some road rash on right side elbow, hip, shoulder, and ankle. I was making a right hand turn and must have hit some wet leaves. The front wheel slipped out and I went down on my right side. I slid a few feet and my lights went clattering down the street. It happend too fast to get my leg out, I wasn't even using clipless pedals. I haven't checked out the bike yet. Other than the handlebars twisting and the chain coming off I didn't notice any other damage. Small rip on my jersey sleeve. Lesson learned: take it easy when trying to turn on wet roads in the dark!

This Weekend's Rides

Sunday's 30-mile "wet" ride

Mixed bag with the weather this weekend but managed to get in two good solo rides. Saturday was the "Usual" 50-mile ride under bright sunshine. Sunday forcast was rain all day but at 7:00am was misty and overcast. So, I got out the rain bike and took a 30-mile ride up to West Hills and back. Roads were wet and there was some heavy fog and mist but it was unusually warm for November (60F). First time I've worn shorts on a ride in over a month. I was happy to get two good rides in this weekend as the next couple of weekends will be busy.

I took the GPS with me on the Sunday "wet" ride. Here is the track.

2006 Tour of the Hamptons Photos

Just found these photos from this year's Tour of the Hamptons in August on the Massapequa Bike Club website. They are kind of low-res...


Look Mom, no hands!


Kind of worn out after 100 miles.


From left, Robin, Owen, me, and John.