December Ride

I didn't think I would get another ride in before Christmas, but with some sun out and 40 degrees on Monday morning I couldn't resist. Why should I?

So I pumped up the tires on my backup Klein bike in the basement and located some winter gear to wear.

I managed to get in the old Loomis 26-mile route today despite a few patches of ice that I had to walk over along some path portions.

It sure felt good to be back on a bike, even it if was for only 26 miles today. Any time that I can get a ride in on Christmas week that's a little plus for me before the real snow hits.
Season Miles: 2,300

Check back please

Howdy...
Off-season is here....been working with another account due to my new job on the radio.


Setting up a new location for a riding blog in conjunction with my other pages at WHBY radio. Once that is set up I will post the new link here.

It's all about the weather

Season Miles: 2,273

30 miles
Sunny, windy and warm...pushin' 80!

Today was not about heart rates.
Today was not about cadence.
Today was not about speed.
Today was not about gears.


Today was about just enjoying some spectacular weather while taking an easy ride just taking in all the colors and the warmth of the sun.


I've been dying to get out, which has been tough with my schedule.


In case you are not aware, in my non-cycling life a big change was announced yesterday. I'm heading back onto the airwaves with a new job in radio.



My PhilCast podcast show changes into an afternoon-drive radio show on NewsTalk 1150 WHBY as of Tuesday the 11th, where I'll now have to be known as "The Biggest Name in Fox Cities Radio".

Starting a new job is demanding enough, but starting it in a city that's a 100 miles away from where you live makes things even more tricky. 
And eventually we'll be moving there to fully-appreciate everyday life in the city.


Needless to say, cycling may almost be done for this season. Just to complicate the schedule even more there's the PhilCast Tour of Ireland listener trip to take yet later this month.


Yup, cycling will soon fall by the wayside for 2011, which is what makes these final rides in this great weather all the more special.


I hope to get out again on Friday....maybe a little longer...but then again...

My Specialized gets some special attention

Season Miles: 2,243

Loomis, 26 miles
16.1 ave. speed
85 ave. cadence
Sunny and mild, 70 with wind 5-10

Despite being swamped with other duties keeping me away from the bike way too much, I was able to take advantage of the nice sunshine today and get back on my Roubaix, albeit for an all-too-brief 26-mile jaunt. But sometimes you take what your schedule will give you.

It felt great to be on the road again, but I was feeling very rusty and sore after taking in a pier, boat and boat lift from the water over the weekend. Not to mention all the grass cutting, yard work and try sweeping out a full basement that is only four feet high. Yeah, I was sore in odd places today after a weekend of work.

While riding back a guy on a Schwinn pointed at me as he stood stopped at an intersection. As I rode up to him he asked me what kind of bike I was on.

"Does that say Roo-BIX?" he asked. 

I had to laugh to myself as I explained the bike was called the ROO-BAY, like Paris-Roubaix you see.

Nice guy. He fell in love with my new blue and white beauty. He asked me a ton of questions about it and kept telling me how beautiful it looked.

He asked me if I raced, which I'm always flattered to hear because it tells me at least I look like I know what I am doing!

I told him I gave that up a few years ago. He then asked how old I was and when I told him 53 he barked out, "Hell I'm 64...come on!" Good guy.

So there...my Roubaix from Specialized got some special attention today. And in fact he is now thinking of buying Specialized.

I hope to get out there at least once or twice more this week, but things aside from cycling are hectic on my calendar.

Trainer? Whaaa?

Yes, it's true.
In what was perhaps the earliest venture onto the trainer in my cycling career this fall, I set up an old bike in the basement and worked up a sweat in a 30-minute spin.

This weather has been brutal. I have no desire to go out under the ugly sky and get caught in blowing, cold rain. No sir, not me.

Finally today I couldn't take the inactivity any longer. I needed to do something so against my better judgment I set up the trainer.

It didn't seem so bad actually, but that is understandable because it's new and I know it is temporary. Next week the weather is supposed to be much improved, so maybe a ride or two next week.

Meantime, a reminder it's cyclocross time. The WCA starts a series Oct. 1 at the Domes. Check it out.

My friends at Crankdaddy's tell me that Specialized will be there in force.
For more info see the WCA site. wicycling.org

The magic bench

Season Miles: 2,217

Whitnall Crit, 10 laps+Up 'Barn Hill', 37 miles
Sun to partly cloudy, 63 degrees, WINDY, gusting to 25

This morning I was on the road early for me, at about 10:30 and already heading south once again. I didn't know for sure where I was headed but I knew one thing for sure. It was windy.

Because of the wind I decided to turn into Whitnall Park figuring that doing some laps in there would at least give me a break from the wind because I'd basically be going in circles on that course. It worked. I felt pretty good doing ten laps in the park.

For two of those laps I watched two large deer munching on some low-hanging tree branches. And despite my being only feet away from them neither one bothered to move at all, instead just giving me a glance.

But on the second lap with them there a man in a pickup had spied the deer and pulled over across the road to watch. It was funny to see the deer sort of peek out at the guy from behind the tree to check him out. It was as if they were saying, "Move on buddy...nothing to see here. Can't you see we're trying to eat here?"


As I whirled around the course lap after lap I saw a man fast asleep in his car. Each lap I would ride past him his head was bobbing down in a different position as he snoozed away.


Lap after lap I would shift in the exact same spot at the top of a hill where another guy had his sports car parked as he soaked up some sunshine from his lawn chair.


At the end of 10 laps I decided that on the way out of the park I would take a climb up good old "Barn Hill". With the wind still whipping it up I made my way steadily up the climb and rode over to a couple of benches out in front of the Botanical Gardens gift shop.


Although the stop for a little rest and a granola bar was only about five minutes, it was a magical one.


Legs stretched out in front of me, the warmth of the autumn sun burned onto my cheeks. It felt good. The only sounds were of the crickets and the wild grasses blowing in the wind, their fuzzy tails dancing against the bright green and neatly-kept grass in the background.


The reddish-pink roses partnered with the grasses made for a scene  worthy of Monet himself pulling out his paints and brushes right then and there.


Bright white clouds moved swiftly across the blue sky above as I noticed a jet gaining altitude not far away. I wondered where those people were going and almost felt sorry for them. Certainly they could not be going anywhere more perfect than it is right here on the magical bench.


As I loaded my water bottle back into its waiting cage and rolled away I thought about the magical bench stay, magical because for those five minutes or so my world was perfect. No worries. No deadlines. No nothing except the beauty of the day and the location. I could have died right then and there and I guess that would have been OK with me.


On the way back I thought about how lucky I am to be able not only to do this, but to appreciate the special moments in life.


I thought about a man getting a hip replacement today, and how much I myself had to overcome to get to where I am now ten years after my surgery. This husband of a co-worker of my wife's had called me earlier, worried about his operation and looking for some comfort from someone who has been there. I was glad to give it. 


Over the years I have answered mail from readers from New Mexico to Canada asking for my advice about not only total hip replacement, but the ability to ride afterward. I always take the time to share my story with them.


With about six miles left in the ride those bright white clouds that had me in a trance at the magical bench now had ugly black bottoms, making the wind now seem more like the first coughs from Old Man Winter. What started and felt like a summer day suddenly had a chilly bite to it, looking and feeling more like November. I yearned to feel the warmth of my time at the magic bench again. But that's the thing about those magical moments; you can never go back. So enjoy them when they roll around.

The free $4.00 jersey

Season Miles: 2,181

Three Bridges, 36 miles
15.2 ave. speed
80 ave. cadence
Sun to partly sunny, 78, windy at 10-15 out of the South

The wind direction is part of the story of the ride today because it doesn't happen very often that I get tailwind on the way back home. But heading down to the Milwaukee County Sports Complex I was getting a south wind in the face. This tells me I'll have it easier coming back. However what usually happens is that I pick up a bigger gear on the way home and work hard anyway to keep up a faster pace than I was going on the way out.

I rode with a new free $4.00 jersey today too.
What, you ask?
How can it be free and $4.00 at the same time?

Well, my wife came home from work yesterday with a new jersey in her hand. She said a co-worker had purchased it for her non-riding husband on sale from Land's End for only four bucks.
Turns out he didn't want it. She knew my wife had mentioned me and my cycling so the woman gave the jersey to her to give to me.

So bottom line that's how I got a free $4.00 jersey.

The bonus in all this is that it's the perfect color to go with my new Roubaix too!

 
Nothing unusual happened on this ride. While turning around at the sports complex their electronic sign read, "78 at 12:51" and I wondered to myself if this would be the final time this season I would ride with bare arms and legs basking in warm sunshine.

The clock is of course ticking and rather quickly on days like this around these parts.

I wasn't the turtle of the group

Season Miles: 2,145

Tess Corners, 40 miles
16 ave. speed
83 ave. cadence
Cloudy, cool, 58, cold wind 6-15


Happy Thanksgiving!
What?
It sure FELT like Thanksgiving time on this ride this morning. It was cold. How cold was it? I had to remember where I packed away the knicker bibs because I wore them for the first time this season today.

The entire 40 miles saw black clouds and steady wind. Wouldn't you know it...as I pulled into my driveway after the ride the sun finally started to peek through. Oh well, this was no frilly-weather ride. This was a ride for real men cycling! It was Belgium-like out there. (OK, maybe it wasn't THAT bad but you all know I'm a cold-weather riding weenie)

Considering how things looked out my window before the ride I probably would not have even headed out had it not been for a planned ride with Craig Busche today. who had contacted me a couple of times trying to coordinate a ride together. Today would finally be that day.


Craig showed up with a riding bud, Dom, and they wanted to see my Tess Corners route after reading about it here. Off we went.


While these guys look at today's ride pace as an easy spin for their legs I was riding more my normal pace. In other words, once again, I was the weakest of the threesome. But I wasn't the turtle on this day. That's because Craig actually FOUND a REAL turtle on the road and went back to rescue it....I hope.


He dropped back then caught up with us, small turtle in hand searching for the first available creek to release the little guy in. Soon enough we came upon some water and while singing "Born Free" (not really, I made that part up) Craig flung the turtle to the creek. "I think I got him into the water," he said. Onward with the ride.


They seemed to like the route and it is always nice to ride with guys who are rock solid on the road that you can trust.


How in the world I, the heaviest, weakest of the bunch, ended up on the front of the line along much of Sunny Slope on the way back is beyond me. Obviously I don't have these two trained like "Der Jan" and "I Drop You" when I ride with them.

I felt good despite the weather today...nice change of pace being out on the road with a couple of fellow local roadies.

Smoke on the water?

Season Miles: 2,105

Three Bridges, 35 miles
15.4 average speed
84 average cadence
Hazy sun, cooler, 68, breezy, 10-15

Well that was odd.

For the life of me I couldn't figure out the weather today. As soon as I turned onto the road I could see this was hazy sunshine and feel that this was a lot cooler than usual today.

There were clouds around too, and it didn't take long for the hazy sunshine to turn into just a haze. Yuk. There was nothing inspiring about this weather.

I rode the  path down to the sports complex where I decided to take the road/hills back home instead of opting for the flat path back the way I had come. Of course this meant the obligatory singing of "I'm Free" by the Who as I rode past the correctional facility in Franklin.

What the heck was with this hazy fog though? Brrrrr.
It didn't make sense as a marine layer because the wind was coming from the west, not off the lake.

I finished the ride feeling kinda cool...probably could have used arm warmers or a light wind vest or jacket.

Then I found out on line what all the haze was about. It's smoke! You know I thought it kinda smelled like a fire somewhere but ruled that out figuring no fire would make that big a blanket over the area.

It did.
Turns out a wildfire in Minnesota is burning today and the NW  wind was just dumping smoke over us.

Well that's a new one for a ride.

Not the dedication made you'd expect

Season Miles: 2,075

Dousman, 53 miles
15.2 ave. speed
83 ave. cadence
Sun, 80, wind 5-8 NICE!

First of all, a question for you.
Q: How many people did I count riding a bike on my ride out to Dousman and back today? The answer at the end of this post.

This beautiful Sunday, Sept. 11 meant a dedication ride, but it's not the dedication you might think. Not to take anything away from marking the 10th year since the terrorist attacks. But today's dedication goes to Eddie.

My lake neighbor Eddie died on the morning of Sept. 11 a couple of years ago. I grew up with good old Eddie next to us out there. For decades whenever I needed a tool or help on a project or a suggestion for how to get something done out there Eddie was my go-to guy.

Within five minutes of pulling into the lot I would see Eddie come out from his garage to send me his patented greeting with a wave, "How ya doin'?" he would always say. Just months before he died at the age of 96 he was out there raking in the lake weeds. He was like a grandpa to me. I hope that's how long I last and how strong I go out when it's my time. On this anniversary of his passing I dedicate my effort today to Eddie.

It was less than 24 hours after I had completed a 40-mile ride that I was back out on the road today. Wearing my Sunday finest for the occasion, I had pulled on the kit I bought several years ago when I was in Paris. I don't wear it much, but I wore it today for the dedication ride on 9-11.

I decided that since the path west is going to be closed now until the 23rd that I would take it one more time out to Wales. When I got there I decided after my stop that I would go on to Dousman today, simply enjoying the ride and counting all the people I was seeing on a bike.

I pulled up to Bicycle Docs and went in to buy a gel and get a bottle filled with water.

Once back to Wales I pulled off briefly to get more water. I saw a couple of serious looking roadies doing the same. They took off down the road rather than the path in the same direction as me...just a couple of minutes before I too left.

This is the fun part of this route because there is a slight false flat downward toward Waukesha. And at one point later I saw those same two guys on the road. One went straight and the other turned back onto the path in front of me.

He looked back, saw me, and then set a solid tempo. Having a little gas in the tank yet and some Shot Bloks in my jersey pocket, I decided to get up behind this guy. He was moving. It took work, but I grabbed his wheel. Then after following for a bit I decided to take a turn up front.

On the gas....full on.

As I approached a walker ahead I glanced back figuring this guy on his Trek would be right behind me. He was. So I gave him the hand motion to move over to the left. I did the same thing for a second person walking. Trek guy was glued right to my wheel and I was doing 24's in this section at hard tempo.

When we got to a second intersection I called out 'CLEAR' for him and glanced back just in time to see that he was turning off to the right. He called out to me, "Thanks for the lift," to which I replied, "Any time. Good riding."

To tell the truth I was glad he turned off because I was now gassed. Even if he had taken a turn at the front next I am not sure I could have stayed on his wheel.

After that big effort it was just a matter of pacing myself all the way back home. No major issues. No cramping. I was a little tired, but not bad at all for going 53 miles in what felt like the dead of summer heat. Fantastic I say! I'll take this weather all year.

A: 260
Yup. 260 people riding a bike...and no repeats either. I kept track.

It's good to see all those people out there enjoying the weather on a Sunday afternoon. Of course it helped that the Packers played on Thursday.

Honey Stingers

Season Miles: 2,022

Tess Corners, 40 miles
15.6 ave. speed
82 ave. cadence
Sun, 80, light wind

A busy Saturday morning had me visiting the Tosa farmers' market first, followed by a trip to Wagfest with our dog Gabby.

Here's picture of Gabby (right) with her pug friend Nellie at the event.

It was a lot of  fun but all the while I kept thinking about making use of the great weather on the bike.

So first shot I had I was on the road by 1:30 with a plan to ride the Tess Corners 40-mile route to the south.

I must say I really like this route. You start out riding my Three Bridges in Franklin, but then loop around from 112th and 116th, St. Martens and then Tess Corners and eventually back onto Sunny Slope heading into New Berlin and the path back to Greenfield Park.

There is pathway...there is parkway...there is road riding...there are some hills...good scenery and hardly any areas with heavy traffic.

I felt good today on the Roubaix. This was a solid ride.

I tested a product out for Jerry at Rainbow Jersey today too. From time to time he will give me something to test in return for my honest opinion and review.

This time it was a bag of wild cherry Honey Stingers. He said since I liked Shot Bloks that I should try these.
My review:
First of all, the bag of them was incredibly easy to open while riding, and that's a big score for me!
These are slightly smaller than Shot Bloks, but the same type of jello-like consistency. 

BAM...the flavor hit me right away. SWEET, but very tasty. I downed half a bag and just a little later put down the other half. I felt they held cramps at bay in the legs just fine.
Based on ease of use I might buy these over the Bloks in the future. They certainly seemed to be just as good.

Over two thousand miles now for the season with today's ride, much less than years past, but not bad. Plenty more riding to do this fall.

Acorns I tell ya

Season Miles: 1,982

Whitnall Crit, 1 lap, 26 miles
Sun, 72 and WINDY! 15-20+gusting.

It was the kind of wind that can throw the front of the bike around if it catches you right. And NE direction is the worst I can have because every one of my routes ends up coming BACK either north or east into that wind.

Today was just to do a little test ride with my new rear tire after getting home from a nice visit to Rainbow Jersey. I was tired today and will admit that without sunshine today this ride would have never happened.

As for the flat yesterday...
After inspecting the tire this morning I found both a cut and a puncture. In fact the puncture had a little something in the tire yet. So I dug out what appeared to be a piece of shell from an acorn. Fair warning. I told ya...ACORNS are the enemy. I took a detour today both out and back to avoid the area on the path where I rode through the little buggers yesterday.

The new tire on the Roubaix feels fine back there. Now it's time for a little rest for me after three days in a row. Times were that was no big deal for me. Times WERE...
 

A tire and I both took a dump

Season Miles: 1,946

Wales, 40 miles
14.8 ave. speed
81 ave. cadence
Sun, 65-70, Windy again, E NE 12-15

Funny how toward the end of this ride I was thinking how uneventful a 40-miler could be. Things changed.

I spent too much time worrying about which way the swirling wind was blowing as I headed out today. At the last minute I decided to stick to my plan and ride out to Wales for lunch. At one point near the pond on the New Berlin Trail I swear it felt like all I would need to  do would be to sit up, spread my arms out and the wind would push me to Waukesha without so much as a turn of the crank! And as nice as that was now, I knew I'd be getting all of that in my face on the way home.
But like I said, I was worrying too much about that and told myself to just enjoy being able to be out riding under this blue sky. Still a bit chilly in the wind, but I'll take it.

Oh, and here's a tip for those of you who like to pack a little sandwich for lunch like me. Here is the new bread. I love making a PB&J on this flat bread stuff. 

It packs in your rear jersey pocket real well, taking up less space than traditional bread slices. 


Plus, it tastes good too!


Riding back from Wales to Waukesha was a breeze. I had downed this sandwich and a Cliff Shot gel in Wales and was able to fly down to the water stop just outside  of the Glacial Drumlin Trail exit with ease.


As I started the portion of the ride on the New Berlin Trail from Waukesha to Greenfield Park I was wondering what or who I might bump into to make a story of the day. I thought to myself how dull a ride this turned out to be. No characters to write about. Nothing unusual happened today. Would this just be a workhorse 40-miler?


Nope.


I noticed some stomach cramps and groans from deep within. Odd. It started to get worse. My legs were dead now too from pedaling into this steady 12-15 and gusting wind out of the east off the lake again today.


More groaning.


What the?


The final three miles were a pain. I was tired. My legs hurt. I felt like every minute more on the bike put me closer to having to rush into the bathroom once I got home...IF I made it home!


I was reminded of the time Tom Boonen clearly had, as the announcers said when the camera was on him, "A digestive issue" during a stage of a race on TV. Clearly he had crapped his bibs and just kept racing!


Then just three blocks from home I thought my Roubaix felt funny. Was it going over bumps differently? Something didn't feel right? Did I have a tire going down? I've suspected this on rides in the past and have been wrong.


Groan. 


Oh man...come on...get home in time! 
Wind gust.


Groan...gurgle..groan...


I pulled into the driveway without a minute to spare. I pulled off my shoes and pinched the rear tire as I ran past the bike. Yup...mushy. Damn!


Into the bathroom I went where some unholy matter came bursting out of me. Ahhh....relief. No Tom Boonen syndrome for me!


Back out to the bike. I see a small cut in the rear tire. I bet that was the issue, and I bet I know when it happened too. There was no pop involved here, just a slow leak out of nowhere. Acorns. I rode over a patch of acorns on the path approaching Bluemound. I bet that did it. Right? 
Any of you have this happen to you? Acorns...not a friend of thin bike tires pumped up to 100 psi I am guessing.


Off to Rainbow Jersey Thursday to get a new tire...already.
Oh well. At least it happened close to home. If this had happened out farther on the route in my condition today I would have been in the woods with my bibs down around my ankles.


And here I thought this was going to be a dull ride.

She had speed skater thighs

Season Miles: 1,906

30 miles/Minooka
15.4 ave. speed
84 ave. cadence
Sun, COOL 62-68, Windy out of east off lake 12-15

First, a public service announcement about the New Berlin Trail. Due to WE Energies utility work there is a sign posted as of today that says the trail will be closed between Calhoun and 164 from Sept. 12 though 23. So I guess I'll be riding to the south and back for much of this month.


-A new sleeveless base layer from Rainbow Jersey
-A short-sleeved jersey
-Arm warmers
-Sleeveless wind vest
...and I was still chilly at times today, with a starting temp of only 62 and no shortage of east wind off the lake. My how quickly the weather changed.


I made a PB&J and headed out for what I thought would be lunch in Wales.
But as I made my way easily down the NB Trail I realized that all the wind would be in my face coming back. There was no way I wanted to battle wind all the way home from Wales today.


Game plan changed. I would ride the hills to Minooka Dog Park and beyond instead.
All I wanted to do today was get my legs back under me after the long holiday weekend of doing nothing.


I ate the sandwich at the dog park, then headed out for part two of the ride. That's when, as usual, some thing or some one made for a story for me to write about here.


On that long stretch heading east from Springdale to Calhoun a woman passed me. I think I have seen this woman before because she stands out for a couple of reasons. Today she stood out because the first thing I saw after she passed me was her pink SLEEVELESS top. Are you kidding me? I've got three layers on and she's rockin' skin? And not just any skin either. No, this woman had a bronze tan to die for.


She also stands out because she is tall and doesn't wear a helmet. And then there are those legs. Speed skater thighs I thought to myself. Muscles like you wouldn't believe.


I decided to chase her down and hang behind her, which took  me doing 19's into all the east wind. No easy task, but on she went. Then as I rode behind her it occurred to me that this woman had sort of a throwback 80's look to her, as if she would look perfectly normal with one of those old spider web helmets on her lid.

She wore cycling shorts that appeared to be a little too short and old. It looked as though she wasn't wearing socks either. Those long, tan muscular legs just went all the way down into her shoes.

But it was her speed skater thighs bulging with muscles that were most impressive. Her legs made mine look like pale little bratwursts. 


At one point she had to wait for traffic and I had been riding behind her. As I caught up I was going to ask her how in the world she wasn't cold riding into that wind with bare arms. But every time I got near she was ready to take off, always seeming to be in a hurry to pedal hard again.


I felt like I should have passed her then and pulled for time, but quite honestly I was worried that once I got up there I would be going too slowly for her and she'd pass back. Not cool. Besides, when wondering if I should pass her I had to ask myself, "Why would you really wanna do that anyway?"


I bet I see her again. I swear I've seen her before on that path. She sure is a strong rider...her and her sleeveless, helmet-less 1980 look.

A headache cure?

Season Miles: 1,876

Loomis, 26 miles
15.8 ave. speed
80 ave. cadence
Sun, 80, wind 5-10

Perhaps taking a bike ride can cure a common headache.
I didn't have a good night sleep, which is rare for me. The dog kept barking at something she either heard or smelled in the yard, which many times means the deer were around munching the plants!

Anyway, I woke up with a very sore left elbow. It dawned on me that on Monday while walking into a store the heavy door closed quickly behind me and smacked me in that elbow. I guess the  effects took a while to take hold.

After recording my Thursday PhilCast show I had also developed a headache and some eye strain. I felt like I was falling apart so I laid down for about 45 minutes.

When I got up I grabbed a sandwich for lunch and decided despite the headache hanging around I would go out and soak up a little sunshine on the Roubaix, just going down to Loomis and back.

Headache gone. Wonderful.
Nothing fancy here, just some good old fashioned exercise on the bike.
On the way back in Root River Parkway I had a young guy pass me, wearing not only no helmet but no shirt either. Ah to be young and foolish again.

Oh, and I think that was Craig Busche riding past me in the other direction close to home on the path nearing Bluemound. Too bad I didn't see him earlier and then we could have ridden together for a while.

Due to my schedule I can tell you that there is no more riding in my future until after Labor Day Monday.
So until then, enjoy your holiday weekend.

We've got two full months of wonderful riding ahead of us. Some of the best weather of the  year happens in September, and October provides some of the best scenery of the season on two wheels.

The lady butt-cracked me up

Season Miles: 1,850

39 miles, Tess Corners route
14.8 ave. speed
79 ave. cadence
Sun, 80, wind 5-8

As much as Sunday was about pushing hard tempo, today was about simply enjoying the near-perfect weather. Would someone please bottle this up and sell me a couple of cases of it in February?

Early in the ride I decided I would try to recreate the new route that der Jan had taken me on with "I Drop You" last Sunday down through Tess Corners, which will now be the name of this route.

I even took the path down to Root River Parkway instead of the road I usually take. It was there that I picked up the story of the ride for you today.

As I approached the Highway 100 underpass I could see a couple of ladies riding ahead of me. I'd have to pass them even though I was taking it easy, but I would wait until we cleared the underpass and got back out in the sunshine of the path.

The woman I was about to pass was not wearing cycling shorts. She wasn't wearing walking shorts either. They were those cloth shorts that kind of look like gym shorts we used to wear with tube socks and stripes in the 70's. Anyway...

I felt bad for her because of what was about to happen.

Just as I positioned myself to the left and was about to shout out "On your left" the woman raised slightly up from her saddle and her left hand came around to her backside as she started to grab whatever it was she was wearing under those shorts to pull it out of her butt.

This happened exactly as the first sound came out of my mouth. In a flash her hand whipped away from back there faster than Charlie Sheen's career ended. Obviously she had no clue someone was behind her and must have been very embarrassed to have been caught in the act of starting to pull something out of her butt.

I didn't stop chuckling to myself about that one for miles down the road. Poor thing. It's all about timing. Busted.

I found my way to Loomis and Ryan, but wasn't quite sure what to do from there. So I called der Jan and he picked up, gladly giving me instructions that would take me down 116th...St. Martins...College...Sunny Slope.

I ate lunch like a pro today, while riding. A sandwich and a granola bar down the hatch while pedaling away on a beautiful day. Funny, I thought to myself, I don't recall any of these surroundings from when we rode this as a threesome last Sunday. Then it dawned on me why that was; because I wasn't looking around. The only thing I saw was the small of der Jan's back as I tucked in behind those guys like a baby in the protection of the womb.

This time I took it all in and am pretty sure I have this route down now. It's a nice loop with that one climb on Sunny Slope before the path connects into Greenfield Park. 39 miles and plenty of scenery with some rollers. I'll be doing this one a few more times before winter gets here.

Like a TT

Season Miles: 1,811

Loomis, 26 miles
Ave. Sp. 16.8
Ave. Cad. 84
Sun, 76, wind 5-10

We were out of town this weekend and within 15 minutes of getting home Sunday afternoon I was on my Roubaix for a quick ride, wanting to burn off some of those calories I packed on 'weekend eating'.

I simply approached it like a 26-mile TT. The problem is that you can not get a decent average speed on a ride like this unless you warm up and start strong. I did neither.

In a hurry, I skipped any type of warm up and the first three miles or so were slow because I wasn't sure what I wanted to accomplish with this ride.

Once I set my mind to it I rode hard tempo for much of the distance. I had some head wind on the way back which slowed me as well.

Still, glad I got out there and squeezed a quickie in.

One day early

Season Miles: 1,785

53 miles
14.8 ave. speed
80 ave. cadence
Dousman
Sunny, 80, wind 5-10

There is an unwritten rule that many cyclists follow that you should ride your age on your birthday. I did it a day early. I did it today instead of on my 53rd birthday tomorrow because my schedule allowed for me to take the extra time for a longer ride today. And what a day! Not a cloud in the sky from the time I left at 11:00 until I got back home at 3:00.

As I left today I literally had no idea where I was going to ride. All I knew was that I felt a little tired and had a PB&J stuffed into my jersey pocket.

At the last second I decided to go west instead of south,  heading toward Wales where I thought I might eat my lunch if I could make it there. Like I said, I wasn't feeling the best as I started out.

But the ride came to me and it became clear that I would ride out to Wales for lunch and then back. After grabbing lunch there the thought of making this my birthday ride took over in my head and my goal quickly became to go 53 miles today.

Next I rode from Wales to Dousman where I stopped in at Bicycle Docs for a bottle of water and a couple of packages of Bloks. Boy was I glad I had remembered to stuff a $5.00 into my saddle bag. Black cherry and cran-raz to keep me fueled up on the way back.

(Dear Maker of Bloks,
I love your product but for the love of God would you please make the package easier to open?! I struggled for four minutes trying to rip the package open with my teeth!)

I rode back to Wales and stopped again there for more Bloks and water. It was a short stop because I knew I would hammer it from Wales to Waukesha on that slight downhill portion of the path.

Boom. I was on it and feeling good.


I have ridden my new Specialized Roubaix now for a week and it really feels like MY bike now. Today's ride was a great example of what I think this bike is all about.


On the way UP the false flat into some wind toward Wales I rode easy and in comfort, as I did at the end of my ride too. But in the middle in that section from Wales to Waukesha I put the Roubaix into racy mode and she responded. So did I.


At one point after holding a steady 22-23 mph I was starting to feel really gassed. Seeing a clean chunk of path ahead of me yet before the next stop sign I told myself no, you are not stopping yet. I dropped  into the drops and said to myself, "You're kicking 53 year's-old right in the ass... right here, right now."

I dug deep to push the last little bit out of myself, and then I was done.

Waukesha to New Berlin Trail sitting up, and one more push on the Roubaix toward the end of the path.
Then it was just a matter to taking it easy coming home.


53 miles was just enough too. The last mile I had the long muscle that runs down the inside of my left thigh about to lock up. If that happens you're done. In some cases you have to get off the bike. I babied it home and hit 53.5 miles a day before my 53rd birthday. Mission accomplished, which I have done for the past few years.


Under that brilliant blue sky I quietly thanked the Lord that I am healthy enough to have done it again this year.

"The Kissers"

Season Miles: 1,732

26 miles
16.0 ave. speed
84 ave. cadence
Loomis. Sunny, 80, wind 10-12

My legs still a bit tired from the hard Sunday ride with the boys, my plan today was to do a recovery ride. But the wind was mostly at my back on the way down, so I rode the first half pretty fast. Then, turning back into the wind, things really slowed down.

No shortage of something to write about though...two things to note from today.

On the way back I was minding my own business tooling along into the wind doing 18 mph when a car went past me. Right behind the car a rider I had seen coming at me from the OTHER way just a bit earlier went blasting past me on the left, huffing and puffing and rocking all over his bike out of the saddle like he was trying to draft off that car.

The odd thing was that once he got about a hundred yards in front of me he suddenly sat up, then did a U-turn in the middle of the road and continued on in the direction I first saw him coming at me. WTH? It really made it seem like all he wanted to do was chase me down and pass me for some reason. Well, to whoever you were...you are welcome. I guess I played your carrot today.

Then under the overpass at Wimmer Wetlands I saw a first. Two bikes...two riders...a man and a woman...in full lip lock and blocking the path totally. Again...WTH?

My exact words...
"On your left"
Nothing from them...I get closer.
"I'm on your left"
Nothing from them..still in full necking mode, helmets on and all.
"HEY....I'm coming on your left!!!!" 
I also had to come to a stop to inch around the woman who was startled by my passing. She started laughing and said, "Oops. Busted."

Honestly. Hey, I don't mind a couple of people getting frisky under an overpass, but do your  business off the middle of the path. Go get a room.

Ya never know what you're gonna see on a ride.

Watching the TT opening the USA Pro Cycling Championship on Versus. There will be coverage all week long each afternoon this week. I think it's great that big-time pro racing has returned to Colorado. Cadel Evans and the Schlecks are here too. This should be good.

Tuesday and Wednesday are rest days. Back on the Roubaix on Thursday and Friday is the plan.

39-16-84

Season Miles: 1,706

The new computer on my new Specialized Roubaix (now mounted on the stem which I really like) is set up to show me three numbers in the display as I ride; Speed, cadence, distance. So from now on those are the three numbers I will log from my rides. In today's case it was...

39 miles
16.0 ave. speed
84 ave. cadence
New route, Tess Corners to Sunny Slope (no name for this one yet)
Sunny, 76, breezy, 10-15

This was a Sunday morning group ride with 'der Jan' and 'I Drop You' (I nicknamed 'em both), who met me near Greenfield Park and away we went. We chatted it up about my new Roubaix as we headed south on my Three Bridges route to the sports complex in Franklin.

Once there der Jan suggested a new direction for me. Once again, as he has done in the past for me, he came up with a nice little variation of about the same distance back home but with one added climb.

A couple times we turned into the wind and one of those times der Jan said out loud, "OK Issac, this is why we brought you along!" Dutifully the young stud of the group took the point into the wind. The big strong man der Jan second in line, motioning for me to tuck in behind him in third position.

It's a pleasure to ride with these guys for a couple of reasons. I really like riding with veterans who are very steady on the bike. Heck, I Drop You can hold his own in the front 20 positions of a local race, so the guy knows what he is doing. And der Jan is my super domestique. He's always checking to make sure the pace isn't too hot for me to keep up with these guys. I trust them not to do anything stupid or to fall to the temptation of speed and just drop me, which they both could do in a heartbeat.

Now, having said that, the young buck of the group did stretch his legs up that one hill. Boom. I Drop You was gone up that hill faster than a Jimi Hendrix lick on a Stratocaster. After his most-awesomeness display of power he then pulled it back to once again simply pull me home basically.

The new Specialized was feeling good as was I today. Part of it was the fact that I had two guys in front of me for much of the ride. But I handled that climb fairly well today, choosing to stay in the saddle and take the slow and steady approach with the new compact double gearing.

Each ride I take on the Roubaix is a learning experience now. But I must say that today things felt very 'normal' to me. I never really struggled too much out there, which is always a plus. I could ride the bike faster when needed, yet I felt comfortable like a touring ride at times as well. I guess that's what this bike was designed to do.

Two sightings worth noting from this ride.
-Two big deer on the path toward the end of the ride near Bluemound.
-And he's still out there. Yup, we saw the infamous "Knave" at one point on the path also.


This is the point where I wrap up this post because I invited the boys over for granola bars and Gatorade before they continued home. You don't want to know what the conversation was about at one point. Honestly, cyclists are an odd lot.



 

Blame blinky light

Season Miles: 1,667

Things were not supposed to work out this way today. Nope. The plan was to do a short, easy ride on the new Roubaix today to test the new computer on it. Short and easy because I would have to go out after a lunch meeting at noon, meaning a ride later under the hot sun.

Either someone once told me or I once read that it's not a good idea to ride right after a meal. As I recall it was something about your stomach using blood and oxygen to digest food instead of sending that needed fuel to your legs.


I guess I might have been all right today if I hadn't seen old blinky light I'll call him.


First of all, I'm glad the new Cateye computer is working just fine. I'll have to get used to the new display and the fact that, unlike my old Flightdeck, I have no digital display of what gear I am in.


So things were going fine in the parkway heading toward 76th...my original plan of just the Loomis 26-mile route.

That's when I saw a rider up ahead with one of those blinking red lights flashing on the back of his saddle bag in the middle of the day. I figured to myself, 'How fast can a blinky light rider be going? I'll try to close the gap."


I'll tell you how fast a blinky bike rider can go...faster than me!
For quite a while I was getting nowhere chasing this guy. I was just about to give up when I got mad at myself and decided to ramp it up now.


Just before 76th street I finally caught the guy, a silver mustache, sleeveless jersey and guess what kind of bike? Yup, Specalized. What is it with these guys? Are all Specialized riders fast?


I got up next to him and said, "You're killing me. Thanks for being a carrot for me. I was working on closing the gap."


Crossing 76th I told him to enjoy his ride and away he went. But as I approached 76th I noticed he too was turning around there. Well, I didn't want to seem like a stalker. Looked to me like he was going to stop and perhaps load his bike into a parked vehicle there.


I made a bad decision at that point. I didn't want to seem like perhaps I was trying to stay with him, so I went straight with the plan now being 36 miles on the longer 3 Bridges route.


After a few miles in...what the heck??? It's blinky light dude next to me asking how I like my Roubaix!


Then he took the point and again I made a poor decision. I grabbed his wheel, and mile after mile he was pulling toward the Milw. Co. Sports Complex.


He on his red Specialized in red riding clothes and me on my blue Specialized in my blue riding clothes. I wasn't supposed to be doing this. What was i doing?! 18-19 mph constant, although I was drafting.


I could just about hear Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen broadcasting this as a breakaway in the Tour de France. They'd put that graphic up on the screen showing the Italian in blue was doing 0% of the work at the front and talk about what a tool I was for not helping the break. But the truth would actually be that I had nothing. I was lucky to be hanging onto his wheel.


He peeled off just before the complex. I rode down to the end of the road and turned around.


That's when I realized I only had ONE water bottle. Remember, this was supposed to be  a short ride. Dumb, dumb, dumb. I was now rationing a quarter bottle of warm water with no place to get more.


I limped home for most of the second half of the ride. The final 5 miles or so were a real pain.


I was very glad when I finally got home and off the bike.


New stat on this computer now too..average cadence...which today was 88.

36 miles, Three Bridges route
Sunny and warm, 85-ish
Wind 5-10

Specialized

I am Phil Cianciola.
And I am "Specialized"

I always liked those TV commercials for Specialized bikes that I would see while watching the Tour de France.
Now I too am Specialized.

When I wrote here last week that I had completed an historic ride I wasn't kidding. In ten years of cycling I have never thrown my leg over anything other than a Trek bike. That all changed the day I jumped onto my new rig.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

The back story here goes something like this...

Someone at Specialized read of my frustrations and came up with a creative offer. The next thing I knew I was visiting Crankdaddy's on Prospect for the first time since they, pardon the pun, specialize in Specialized.

After a complete, high-tech fitting session I was presented with not only a bike but the Specialized shoes to go with it. "Just go try it all out and tell us what you think," they said.

Well, the rest as they say, is history.

May I present my new Specialized Roubaix!

From the moment I rode this bike I was impressed. The Roubaix delivers a combination of comfort and performance, with no sacrifices on either end. The combination of the fitting and the bike was so amazing that for the first time in 10 years I was actually riding on a new saddle that felt like I was in an easy chair.

This being my first experience on a compact crank made things interesting too. So much was different that I had to soak it all in on some of my usual routes to compare and contrast the bike to what I had. The Roubaix passed my every test. That's what all the secret experimenting has been about for the past week.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Specialized for working with me to make this switch possible, not an easy thing for me to do until I felt the quality of the product. Then making the switch became so much more easy.

And these shoes. These shoes! As I described them to someone earlier, they're sex, drugs and rock 'n roll all wrapped into one!

These are like wearing soft wings on your feet.

Not to mention they're just drop-dead sexy too. As I always say, if you can't BE fast then at least LOOK fast!

Steve at Crankdaddy's took painstaking time to make sure the fit of both the shoes to my feet and my body to the bike were just perfect. I'd recommend a fitting like this to anyone who rides on a regular basis. Fit is everything folks.

When I visited there today my jaw almost dropped as I waited for my new computer to be mounted. Guess who mounted it? The dude who blew past me on a Specialized that I wrote about earlier this week. It's true. A random meeting while on a ride on the south side...an exchange of info about Specialized while we were riding...and who would have guessed he ended up being one of the guys working on my new bike! He was pretty amazed at the story himself today. Thanks Mike. Crazy. Just crazy the randomness of it all.

I took the Roubaix out on three very different rides on tried-and-true long-time routes of mine to really get a feel for her. Each ride I became more comfortable and realized the potential of the bike. I first rode long and flat. Then it was laps on the Whitnall Crit race course. And finally some climbing. That's where I still need some work and bonding with the gearing. I look forward to not only continuing to learn about and bond with the Roubaix, but writing about the entire experience here.

Having this sexy sports car-like bike has lit the fire in my belly to not only ride out this season, but to ride harder and faster too. Because I don't think you should be out there on a bike like this just taking in the scenery, although you could. No sir, I'll take that combo of comfort and speed that the Roubaix has nailed.

It wasn't something I took lightly at all. But as I round out my tenth year of cycling since my total hip replacement I can tell you this:

I am Phil Cianciola.

And I am Specialized.

Important story to tell

No ride on this hump day Wednesday. Although the rain held off it is important to rest as planned. Without it, injury is knocking. So I stuck to my plan for other chores today.

Still, I felt there is an important cycling story to share that I forgot to mention with all the news from yesterday's ride.

This is important to me because all you ever hear about is the negative when it comes to the relationship between the cyclist and the car driver. This is not a match made in heaven, lets face it.

But I feel to be fair I need to tell you about the positive.

Tuesday's ride really proved a triple-header of 'nice' things happening. I wrote about how for the first time in 10 years of riding in Whitnall Park someone actually offered me something cold to drink from their party supply.

And I talked about how friendly that super-serious-looking roadie was to me once I caught him and asked him all about the bike he was riding.

But here is another story that proves that all those drivers, 'cagers' as many riders call them, are not bad people.

Approaching a four-way stop sign on my route there is a steep little hill, making this a place you really don't want to have to unclip and stop at as you prepare to go left. 

Keep in mind there is usually no traffic here either.

As I begin to go up the short hill wouldn't you know it...I hear a car behind me. I glance back and signal a left turn. What does the driver do? The right thing! The car hung back clearly letting me know it was cool for me to drift over to the left lane at the sign to make my turn.

Then ahead I see another vehicle already stopped and ready to cross from the opposite direction. Despite obviously having been there first and having the next right of way the driver signaled me to go ahead through and make my left turn, thus saving me from having to unclip on the hill.

Two cars. Two drivers. Two people who did something nice for a cyclist. 
I simply wanted to mention it to readers because too often the bad guys are the only ones who get any attention.
....

On another matter, I have a second appointment on Thursday as it relates to my secret experiment which remains on going. Part two of all this will play out on Friday and the weekend. Then, at last, a final decision will be made and I will write all about what has been going on behind the scenes...probably early next week.

"The Offer"

Season Miles: 1,631

They say things happen when you least expect them. Such was the case today in Whitnall Park. The great experiment of the 2011 riding season continued today as I headed into familiar turf, the Whitnall Park crit course where I completed five laps in wonderful summer weather today.

Sunny
83 degrees
Light wind
Whitnall Crit, 5 laps, 30 miles

After 10 years of riding it finally happened, and when I least expected it to happen...on a weekday afternoon. You see for years when I have ridden laps in the park on the weekend I always stop at the same picnic area bubbler for water, an area that, on weekends, is usually buzzing with people gathered at some sort of family party. Not once has anyone offered me something cold to drink as I pull up to get warm water from the bubbler there. But that all changed today.

There was a large kids' blow-up bounce house set up on the grass and what looked like quite a bit of food and some coolers up under the shelter where two women were sitting. They were obviously waiting for the others to arrive....and checking out the dude on the bike who just pulled up.

After glancing over at me a few times one of the women offered me a cold water. I could hardly believe it. At first I said no thanks, that I had the bubbler. But then I thought better of it and told them what the heck...that bubbler water is kinda warm. One of them reached into a cooler and grabbed me an ice-cold bottle of water that tasted great after five laps in there.

They started asking me all about my fancy shoes (no more info on that...it's all part of my experiment....you'll see soon) and I was happy to chat them up while sipping my water.

Finally...someone offered me a cold drink. Mark this date down!

Then on the way back I have a story too...
I heard a noise behind me in the parkway and sure enough there was a rider back there. Not for long. Some guy who looked like a pro racer just blew past me in a flash. As he started to distance me it occurred to me that I should pick his brain about the bike he was riding. (the mystery deepens)

It took a really hard effort on my part to bridge the gap. But I managed to get up alongside of him and asked him straight out about his rig. He was more than happy to sit up and answer all my questions. Really nice guy. After about a mile or so I told him, "Thanks for the info. I don't want to hold you up. Have a good ride."

Away he went. There was no grand effort on his part to leave me in the dust either. No rocking shoulders. No hammering out the saddle. Just a smooth-as-silk acceleration away from me and within minutes I couldn't even see him ahead. Wow. That guy has to be a local racer.

All in all a really good ride today.

I need to point out here that this entire experiment I am in the middle of has rejuvenated me like I can not tell you. It has put the fire back in my belly to not only ride, but ride better and faster again. It has been fun. And as much as I would like to tell the story right now, I fear it may be delayed. Based on the info I received from the rider today, I may be extending this experiment into next week.

Stay tuned!

Climbing

Season Miles: 1,601

Part two today of my secret experiment. I promise, I'll have plenty to say about all this at the end of this week.

I had to do some climbing today specifically, so I took to the hills of the Minooka Park route.

Mostly sunny
80 degrees
Light wind
Minooka Park, 30 miles

This ride features a steep jump up into the dog exercise area of the park, and then the more drawn-out climbs of Guthrie (Wauk. water tower road) Rd. and Beheim Rd. I'll explain later this week why it was necessary today to put my legs into a bit of bother. But the point is, it was only a BIT of bother today.


All is well on the riding front as I type this.


One more experiment planned for Tuesday, then it's meetings and behind-the-scenes stuff before I go public with any of this.


Stay tuned!


Great weather for riding though, that's for sure.